SPORT-SCAN DAILY BRIEF NHL 3/3/2020 Colorado Avalanche 1179530 NHL general managers decide to keep emergency goalie 1179561 Avalanche beat Red Wings 2-1, extending two winning rules the same streaks 1179531 Ducks’ Rickard Rakell sticking to script despite 14-game 1179562 What’s behind the Avalanche’s club-record winning streak drought on the road? Bonding and chemistry, Erik Johnson says 1179532 Vegas, trades and injuries: How the Ducks’ defense has 1179563 Kiszla vs. Chambers: Are Avalanche destined for thinned since 2017 Francouz-vs.-Grubauer goalie controversy? 1179564 Avalanche goalie Pavel Francouz named NHL’s third star of the week 1179533 The Arizona Coyotes taught a reporter how to play 1179565 Can the Avalanche win the Stanley Cup in 2020? Here’s hockey, and they can teach you, too what one oddsmaker says. 1179534 ‘Last kick at the can’? 15 thoughts for the final 15 games 1179566 Add it up: Nathan MacKinnon isn’t putting in goals, and the of regular season Avs are winning 1179567 By Aarif Deen - March 2, 2020 1179568 Passing the Buck: Nuggets and Avs fans pick up the tab 1179535 Bruins thinking more playoffs than position with Lightning for big contracts and missing television revenues on tap 1179536 Bruins defense turns corner after rough stretch Columbus Blue Jackets 1179537 Lightning games a measuring stick for Bruins, too 1179569 Blue Jackets’ Josh Anderson has shoulder surgery, is out 1179538 Torey Krug worried more about helping Bruins win than four to six months his contract status 1179570 Columbus Blue Jackets veterans know playoff 1179539 David Pastrnak for Hart Trophy? Charlie Coyle says opportunities can’t be wasted Bruins star 'is that good' 1179571 Blue Jackets 5, Canucks 3 | The 3-2-1 breakdown 1179540 What Steven Stamkos' injury means for a potential Bruins-Lightning playoff series 1179541 Bruins looking forward to 'playoff-type' games vs. 1179572 Despite Anton Khudobin’s excellent season, Rick Lightning this week Bowness says Ben Bishop is still the Stars top goalie 1179542 Who cares about wins? 9 questions Bruins must answer 1179573 Shap Shots: The Denis Gurianov conundrum and the before the playoffs Stars’ delicate goalie balance 1179543 As disappointing trip closes, Ralph Krueger wants Sabres 1179574 Detroit Red Wings celebrate early goal, but shots are to maintain intensity sparse in 2-1 loss to Avalanche 1179544 Good news for bedraggled Sabres: Victor Olofsson, Linus 1179575 Detroit Red Wings desperate to show growth as season Ullmark return to practice winds down, but playoff-bound opponents loom 1179545 Victor Olofsson, Linus Ullmark return to Sabres practice 1179576 Detroit Red Wings fall to Colorado Avalanche, 2-1, at Little 1179546 West Seneca native Sean Malone slowly regaining Caesars Arena Sabres' prospect status 1179577 Red Wings' snowball of futility keeps rolling downward, 1179547 Sabres six-pack: What’s worth watching as Buffalo skid at 6 after 2-1 loss to Avalanche marches toward the finish line 1179578 It's another injury for Red Wings, but Jeff Blashill is used to adjusting on the fly 1179579 Red Wings drop sixth in row, falling to Avalanche 1179548 Flames begin crucial homestand, must bring road game to 1179580 Red Wings host hot Avalanche; Adam Erne done for the Dome season? 1179549 Flames’ deadline-day additions ready to get settled in 1179581 How to watch Detroit Red Wings vs. Colorado Avalanche: Calgary TV channel, start time, stream, Mar. 2, 2020 1179550 5 reasons why Calgary can turn their home-ice 1179582 Avalanche win season-high 7th straight, 2-1 over Red disadvantage back to an advantage Wings 1179551 Emotion stirs Flames as they gallop down the homestretch Carolina Hurricanes 1179583 Oilers explode in third period to smash Nashville 1179552 How does the Canes’ Justin Williams rate his comeback? Predators 1179553 Zamboni driver unlikely to spur NHL to change goalie rule 1179584 Archibald back on Edmonton Oilers' top line 1179554 Q&A: Neuroscience plus hockey makes good analytics 1179585 Edmonton Oilers welcome Kailer Yamamoto's return to sense for the Hurricanes lineup 1179586 Edmonton Oilers Game Day: On the road again in Nashville 1179555 The goal-horn operator. The ‘Split the Pot’ seller. The 1179587 Splitting Connor McDavid and Leon Draisaitl saved the Zamboni driver. Meet 8 behind-the-scenes people who ma Oilers’ season 1179556 Blackhawks thankful for home-heavy March schedule after nomadic February 1179557 Corey Crawford likes the new view from top perch 1179588 The Florida Panthers look broken, and time is running out 1179558 Jonathan Toews' shootout heroics nothing new to Patrick to save their season Kane 1179559 Blackhawks prospect Alec Regula named OHL defenseman of month for February 1179560 Sports books currently have Dominik Kubalik at 50/1 for Calder Trophy 1179589 NHL general managers decide to keep emergency goalie 1179622 Soaring Flyers will try to shut down Alex Ovechkin again in rules the same critical game in Washington 1179590 After ‘mourning period’ after departure, Ron Hextall moves 1179623 Flyers’ Carter Hart has found rhythm since returning, likely on with life, career to start in Washington on Wednesday 1179591 SPACEK LOANED TO ONT, BRICKLEY TO MAN – 1179624 Wells Fargo Center’s fancy new club level will relocate CONTEXT WITH SEELEY some Flyers season-ticket holders 1179592 WAKING UP WITH THE KINGS: MARCH 2 1179625 Women’s hockey stars promote their sport, look to grow the pro game beyond the NWHL Minnesota Wild 1179626 'If they can see it, they can be it,' PWHPA and Dream Gap 1179593 Nashville travels to Minnesota for division battle Tour inspires all 1179594 Wild-Nashville game preview 1179627 NHL playoff odds: Things are looking up for the Flyers 1179595 Kevin Fiala vs. Mikael Granlund: The comparison 1179628 In new situation with Flyers, Derek Grant building on 1179596 Wild's Kevin Fiala gets to show new, improved game to career season former Predators teammates 1179629 After ‘mourning period’ after departure, Ron Hextall moves 1179597 Kevin Fiala remains on fire entering Wild’s ‘biggest game on with life, career of the year’ MontrealCanadiens 1179630 Penguins defenseman Brian Dumoulin, John Marino close 1179598 Stu Cowan: Jeff Petry's son steals the show in new to returning Canadiens video 1179631 Penguins will try to shake off losing streak at home against 1179599 What the Puck: Will Kotkaniemi turn into another Senators Canadiens draft flop? 1179632 Penguins forward Dominik Simon sidelined long term 1179600 Rocket Rundown: Finally, a little consistency in 1179633 Penguins assign Zach Trotman to Wilkes-Barre/Scranton Laval 1179634 Tim Benz, Brian Metzer: No Penguin is without blame 1179601 Brown: What the Laval Rocket can expect from new during recent tumble addition Jesse Ylönen 1179635 Brian Dumoulin and John Marino are nearing returns, and 1179602 Melnick’s GBU: When a coach’s brutally honest answer is it's not a moment too soon best left unsaid 1179636 Penguins' Dominik Simon week-to-week with upper-body injury 1179637 Five things to know about the Penguins' four opponents 1179603 Pekka Rinne allows career-worst 8 goals as Predators fall this week to Oilers 1179638 Yohe: Brace yourselves for the Penguins’ February 1179604 Oilers 8, Predators 3: Three observations as Pekka Rinne individual report cards allows career-worst 8 goals 1179605 Nashville Predators, MTSU team up for student veterans looking to earn college degree 1179639 New Sharks defenseman explains how he became Joe 1179606 Predators vs. Edmonton Oilers: Game time, TV, streaming Thornton’s houseguest info 1179640 San Jose Sharks lose another defenseman to injury 1179607 Are we witnessing the end of the Pekka Rinne era in 1179641 Report: Sharks, Radim Simek agree to new four-year deal Nashville? 1179642 Sharks hand Penguins 6th straight loss, 5-0 1179643 Sharks hope defenseman Jacob Middleton won't miss remainder of season 1179608 What the NJ Devils are seeing from Jesper Bratt since 1179644 How John McCarthy's Barracuda career changed course benching after health scare 1179609 When your sibling’s a Devil: Anderson brothers battle on 1179645 Sharks post-deadline FAQs: replacing Barclay Goodrow; the ice in Kings’ win should Aaron Dell return? St Louis Blues 1179610 Ailing ‘identity line’ at center of Islanders’ struggles 1179646 At age 20, Thomas is coming of age for Blues 1179611 Coach Barry Trotz says Islanders are close but need to 1179647 Hochman: Can Blues become the darlings of the NHL? 'stay in the fight' Are they already? 1179648 Before heading to Big Apple, Blues hold an actual ... New York Rangers practice 1179612 Ryan Strome’s Rangers punishment is short-lived 1179649 Blues noteboook: Bouwmeester issues brought back 1179613 Phil Di Giuseppe gets chance to fill Rangers’ Chris Kreider flashbacks for de la Rose void 1179614 With 17 games remaining, what does the NY Rangers path to the NHL playoffs look like? 1179650 Why Steven Stamkos’ latest injury feels so ominous 1179615 Rangers' Phillip DiGiuseppe gets rave reviews in place of 1179651 Emergency goalie protocol talk on tap for NHL GMs injured Chris Kreider meeting 1179616 Rangers trending report: Evaluating the team’s ups and 1179652 How Jeff Vinik turned the Lightning from bottom-dweller to downs entering March elite in 10 years 1179654 How Blake Coleman and Barclay Goodrow make the NHL Lightning better for the playoffs 1179617 NHL Seattle’s season-ticket prices will likely cause some sticker shock — but there’s a reason for it 1179618 GAME DAY: Senators versus Penguins 1179619 SNAPSHOTS: Senators know they're in tough with Penguins trying to end six-game losing skid 1179620 Craig Anderson ready to enjoy what's likely his final season with Ottawa Senators 1179621 Senators' goaltender Marcus Hogberg leaves team for personal reasons Websites 1179655 The Maple Leafs are back on top of the wave as they hit 1179686 The Athletic / How the spreading coronavirus is impacting the West Coast the NHL 1179656 NHL sticks with emergency goaltending rule after wild 1179687 The Athletic / DGB weekend power rankings: Sorting scene in Toronto through trades, streaks and one major injury 1179657 Rielly, Ceci join Leafs for practice with eye toward 1179688 Sportsnet.ca / Oilers' Draisaitl, McDavid 'relentless' in returning next week pounding of Predators 1179658 Leafs seeking fourth win a row after losing to Ayres, 1179689 Sportsnet.ca / Why Maple Leafs' stars want to play Hurricanes alongside Zach Hyman 1179659 Matthews putting more tricks in his bag as his goals 1179690 Sportsnet.ca / 5 NHL teams we'll learn a lot about before continue to mount for Leafs the playoffs 1179660 Monday Morning Leafs Report: Auston Matthews’ hunt for 1179691 Sportsnet.ca / Mike Smith locked in as Oilers' No. 1: 'He is 50, Travis Dermott Q&A a leader and a goalie' 1179692 Sportsnet.ca / Canucks on brink of familiar collapse after three-straight losses 1179681 Patrick Johnston: Canucks numbers game requires home 1179693 Sportsnet.ca / 'The process works': NHL opts not to crush cooking, more views of Hughes EBUG dreams at GM meetings 1179682 Canucks prospects tracker: Podkolzin in prime time, 1179694 TSN.CA / Matthews using brains, brawn to fuel Rocket Tryamkin in cold blood Richard Trophy chase 1179683 Dhaliwal’s Diary: Sorting through the Canucks’ free agent 1179695 TSN.CA / NHL general managers decide against 'Ayres scenarios amendment' to emergency goaltending rule 1179684 Drance: The Columbus collapse won’t define this Canucks 1179696 TSN.CA / New York Rangers facing tough decisions on team crowded crease 1179685 LeBrun: Q&A with GM Jim Benning on injuries, trades and 1179697 TSN.CA / Emergency goaltender rule tops agenda as NHL Canucks’ playoff push General Managers gather 1179698 TSN.CA / NHL players encouraged to play through concussion symptoms, Montador lawyer says 1179661 Nicolas Roy earns promotion to 2nd line with Mark Stone injured Winnipeg Jets 1179662 Robin Lehner still waiting on Golden Knights goalie pads 1179674 Morrissey eager to suit up vs. Sabres after missing last 1179663 Golden Knights gain perspective from Make-A-Wish kids four games visit 1179675 Little rest in store for heavy-duty Hellebuyck 1179664 Golden Knights’ recent 8-game win streak by the numbers 1179676 Jets played the right way, despite loss to Oilers 1179665 Fighting to stay in the NHL, Vegas rookie Nicolas Roy is 1179677 GAME DAY: Sabres at Jets outplaying expectations 1179678 JETS NOTEBOOK: Laine's status unknown for Sabres 1179666 Golden Knights Super Fan ‘Hulk’ Dies; VGK Fans Left test Heartbroken After Hearing Sad News Monday: ‘It’s Like 1179679 Jets set to ice best six defencemen as Morrissey returns We L to health, paired with DeMelo 1179680 Subscriber Q&A: Nikolaj Ehlers on inspiring other Danes, Washington Capitals soccer, Michael Jackson 1179667 Capitals use scene from Tom Hanks hit 'Cast Away' to promote Tom Wilson bobblehead night 1179668 Emergency goalie protocol talk on tap for NHL GMs SPORT-SCAN, INC. 941-284-4129 meeting 1179669 Crazy first period sparks a sloppy win for Capitals 1179670 Alex Ovechkin moves into fifth place in NHL history for multi-goal games with 144 1179671 Ilya Kovalchuk assists on Alex Ovechkin's goal against Wild for first point as a Capital 1179672 Ovechkin is right on time, the Russian connection and Kempny is struggling 1179673 Capitals’ prospect tiers: 11 players to watch for the 2020-21 season 1179530 Anaheim Ducks

NHL general managers decide to keep emergency goalie rules the same

David Ayres, a Zamboni driver, played as an emergency backup goaltender for the Carolina Hurricanes in their win over the Toronto Maple Leafs on February 22.

By HELENE ELLIOTTSPORTS COLUMNIST MARCH 2, 202012:20 PM

NHL general managers decided not to propose changes to the existing procedures for the use of emergency backup , a practice that came into question when 42-year-old David Ayres had to step in and play for the Carolina Hurricanes when their two goalies were injured at Toronto on Feb. 22.

Ayres, who drives the ice resurfacing machine at the Maple Leafs’ practice rink, stopped eight of 10 shots to earn the win for Carolina. He promptly became a sought-after guest on major TV talk shows in the United States, a rarity for hockey, and the stick he used in the Hurricanes’ 6-3 win was put on display in the Hockey Hall of Fame.

General managers discussed possible changes on Monday during their annual meetings in Boca Raton, Fla., but they decided to leave the current procedures unchanged. “There was lot of discussions,” Colin Campbell, the league’s senior executive vice president of hockey operations, told NHL.com. “Most important from it is where we’re at and I think it worked.”

The procedure is rarely used and hadn’t been invoked since Scott Foster, an accountant, played 14 minutes for the Chicago Blackhawks on March 30, 2018.

At each game the home team makes available an emergency backup who can step in if needed. Some teams have two emergency backups on hand, one for the home team and one for the visitors.

LA Times: LOADED: 03.03.2020 1179531 Anaheim Ducks “One night he was against (Edmonton’s Connor) McDavid all night. The next night he was against (Pittsburgh’s Evgeni) Malkin and (Sidney) Crosby. I just felt like he might need a break, so we chose to give him a Ducks’ Rickard Rakell sticking to script despite 14-game goal drought night off. He’ll be coming right back into the lineup.”

MILLER UPDATE

By ELLIOTT TEAFORD |PUBLISHED: March 2, 2020 at 11:54 a.m. | Backup goalie Ryan Miller rejoined the Ducks for their practice Monday, UPDATED: March 2, 2020 at 11:54 a.m. but Eakins couldn’t say for certain whether he was sound enough to accompany the team on its trip or whether Anthony Stolarz would remain with the team or be reassigned to the of the AHL.

IRVINE — Rickard Rakell said he could have gone home and cried, but Miller was too ill to play or to serve as John Gibson’s backup in the past what good would that do? two games and Stolarz was recalled to replace him. With games on consecutive nights Tuesday and Wednesday, it was unlikely Gibson He could have howled at the moon, smashed the television and put his would play in both. Either Miller or Stolarz would be needed to play in fist through a wall. one of the games. But that wouldn’t change the fact that he hasn’t scored a goal in 14 Orange County Register: LOADED: 03.03.2020 consecutive games.

“I think I have the chances now, so I know it’s going to come eventually,” Rakell said before the Ducks departed Monday for a two-game trip to play the Chicago Blackhawks on Tuesday and the Colorado Avalanche on Wednesday. “It would be worse if I didn’t have any chances.

“Then I would be really worried.”

Rakell was credited with a team-leading five shots on goal, plus five others that were directed toward the net, during the Ducks’ 3-0 loss Sunday to the New Jersey Devils at Honda Center. He failed to score on a couple of glorious chances to end his drought, including a second- period breakaway.

“Other than maybe just taking some extra time with my chances and making sure I put the puck where I want to put the puck instead of forcing something, just maybe small things like that, then maybe one goal can make a big difference,” he said. “At least I’m getting the chances.

“But I want to score. I want to help the team.”

The Ducks have been goal-starved since the start of this season. Their total of 163 goals scored this season were the second-fewest in the NHL going into Monday’s games around the league. Only the woebegone Detroit Red Wings, last in the league’s overall standings, had scored fewer with 133.

Rakell has 13 goals to go with 22 assists in 59 games this season, well off his career-bests of 34 goals and 35 assists set in 2017-18, when it appeared he was poised to become a regular 30-goal scorer for the Ducks in his fifth season in the NHL. He then recorded 18 goals and 25 assists last season.

“You want to give back something when you see a lot of ice time and have a lot of opportunities from the coach,” Rakell said, referring to Dallas Eakins. “I’m doing everything I can. I’m watching video. I’ve been through the toughest part already, I think.

“Now, I’m just trying to play for fun because I know that’s when I’m at my best.”

Eakins altered his line combinations for Monday’s practice at Great Park Ice, teaming Rakell with center Adam Henrique and right wing Jakob Silfverberg. Eakins had played Rakell on right wing with left wing Sonny Milano and center Ryan Getzlaf for the past three games.

“I think the most dangerous thing you can do when you’re not getting production is to go off on your own and play by yourself,” Eakins said of Rakell’s ability to stick to the game plan. “When you do that, you have a negative effect on everyone. … We’re going to do whatever we can to help him.”

STEEL UPDATE

Rookie center Sam Steel sat out Sunday for the first time since a Dec. 10 game against the Minnesota Wild, only the second time he’s been healthy enough to play but was held out of a game this season. Steel made way for center David Backes to make his Ducks debut against the Devils.

“We wanted to get Backes in (the lineup) and (Andrew) Agozzino just got here (via a trade) and we wanted to give him another look,” Eakins said. “I felt like out of all our forwards, ‘Steeler’ has played if not the most minutes then the most important minutes, and with some tough matchups. 1179532 Anaheim Ducks forwards on the team. If you protected Silfverberg, you left young 33-goal scorer Rickard Rakell for the plucking. And you couldn’t fight that.

It made going the 7-3-1 route the sensible choice. Except there was this Vegas, trades and injuries: How the Ducks’ defense has thinned since depth Murray built. You had Fowler, Lindholm, Manson and Vatanen. All 2017 homegrown. All 26 years of age or younger. Imagine Vegas GM George McPhee salivating at putting one of them on his blue line?

By Eric Stephens Mar 2, 2020 But there was the issue also of Murray’s doing. He gave Bieksa — a player he was long enamored with — an NMC after trading for him and inking to a two-year contract extension after it appeared Bieksa had San Jose as his destination of choice following 10 years with Vancouver. And It was Game 6 of the 2017 Western Conference finals and the Anaheim he already had an injured and non-functional Clayton Stoner eating up Ducks sent out a defense corps that had Cam Fowler, Hampus Lindholm, cap space on another questionable contract for essentially another Sami Vatanen, Josh Manson, Brandon Montour and Kevin Bieksa. bottom-pair defender. At the time of Bieksa’s extension, he was 34 years Watching them in action against the Nashville Predators was Shea old and the contract didn’t kick in until he was 35. Stoner had a four-year, Theodore, who had played in their first 14 postseason games that spring. $13.5 million contract he signed in 2014, a deal that had become an Waiting in the wings were two high-round prospects that would in time albatross. clock in nightly for regular NHL duty. Murray wasn’t going to ask any of his four players on no-movement It didn’t end well for the Ducks, with the Predators’ Colton Sissons clauses to waive them even if Vegas could only take one player off his snapping a third-period tie and getting his first and only career playoff hat roster. But with the possibility of Manson or Vatanen being claimed, the trick to send Nashville to the Stanley Cup final. But the presence of the GM struck a deal with McPhee where he would take Stoner off his hands deepest defense this side of the one in Music City offered lots of promise. and stay away from either of his top-four defenders. Maybe they didn’t have a foursome like Roman Josi, Ryan Ellis, Mattias Ekholm and P.K. Subban, but Nashville couldn’t match them six- or McPhee wasn’t doing that out of the kindness of his heart. A price had to seven-deep, right? The best of this group — especially those with the be paid. The sweetener was Theodore, then 21 and the Ducks’ top draft highest upside — would be the backbone in Anaheim. A stacked blue pick in 2013 but who had already had two pro seasons under his belt. line for years. All you had to do was build around that and franchise Within the Ducks’ system, the British Columbia native was behind the top goalie John Gibson. four and the arrival of the promising right-shooting Montour — who was rising quickly in 2016-17 — led to the thought that they could manage On Sunday against New Jersey, the Ducks iced these six on their without a talented puck-mover who was having some issues defending defense — Manson, Jacob Larsson, Brendan Guhle, Michael Del Zotto, against NHL forwards on a regular basis. Christian Djoos and Matt Irwin. It isn’t the only reason why they’ve been unable to win three games in a row since the very beginning of the Now Stoner is coaching in the Vegas Jr. Golden Knights program and season or why they’re bound to miss the playoffs for a second straight Bieksa is starting his broadcasting career. Theodore, 24, has established spring. But the latest turnover is a symptom of what often hasn’t worked career highs in assists (33), points (44), plus-minus (+11) and ice time since 2017. (22:12). His point total is 15 more than the highest Anaheim defender. He has 11 goals, which would also top the Ducks’ defense. And his overtime It is never hard to think about what once was. What happened to the winner to beat his former team on Feb. 23 at Honda Center was salt group Bob Murray meticulously assembled over years? The group that poured onto some still-wounded diehard fans. was once envied by other teams that wished they had that kind of organizational depth. Sure, the Ducks didn’t have a sure-fire legitimate The impact of that trade still reverberates. No. 1 future Hall of Fame stud (like Drew Doughty or Duncan Keith) to head the defense. But the quality of the collective would make up for not “(Theodore) is a good player and Stoner has always been brutal for me,” having that Norris Trophy winner. an NHL scout told The Athletic. “And Bieksa was at end of his career. Bad move.” What happened? Subsequent deals Murray made have had the appearance of a domino Trades. effect.

Vegas. Two months into the 2017-18 season, the Ducks were still of the mindset that they could challenge in a Pacific Division they had reigned over Injuries. during the regular season. But a fractured cheekbone for Getzlaf on top These days, it is an entirely different look in Anaheim. A look that couldn’t of major surgery that had kept Kesler out at the start had Murray using have been imagined not even three years ago. Vatanen to acquire Adam Henrique and address issues with the lack of center depth and scoring. The past Henrique was an answer in both areas and the Ducks would put together Let’s get some ready-made circumstances out of the way. The current another strong finishing kick and gain home ice advantage for the 2018 Ducks blue line is shorthanded. Lindholm missed his second straight playoffs. But they would be embarrassed by San Jose in a one-sided game due to upper-body issues that include a sore back. Fowler has first-round sweep, with then-coach Randy Carlyle playing rookies Marcus been out two weeks due to a lower-body problem. Erik Gudbranson Pettersson and Andy Welinski over a healthy Bieksa among his six in the remains sidelined after getting hurt during a collision in Toronto on Feb. final Game 4. (Fowler missed the series due to a knee injury). 7. If healthy, those three would be in the lineup. Some extenuating circumstances did impact the Theodore and Vatanen But the trades? Oh, the trades. trades, but one deal remains a big miss. Pettersson, 23, was moved to Pittsburgh for early last season even though he had The first cut remains the deepest. As the Golden Knights were prepared steadily risen through the ranks and secured a roster spot with an to enter the league, the other 30 NHL general managers were faced with impressive training camp. The 2014 second-round pick was coming losing a player to the expansion draft. Vegas, with owner Bill Foley along faster than Larsson, a fellow Swedish left-hander who was the cutting a $500 million check for his new team, had much more to choose Ducks’ top pick in 2015. Pettersson, a smooth, lanky puck mover, just from than the teams born in the 1990s and early 2000s. GMs had two signed a five-year extension with the Penguins. Meanwhile, Murray protection models for their players (seven forwards, three defensemen, shipped Sprong to Washington last week. one goalie or eight skaters regardless of position and the one netminder). Some executives had more of a dilemma than others. And then Montour became the fourth member of that 2017 group to depart. Leery of what his next contract would cost and perhaps weary of The Ducks could have gone the 8-1 route and protected four his risky, up-and-down play, Murray dealt him to Buffalo for Guhle and a defensemen. But that would have left key forwards such as Jakob first-round pick. Now he has been left with finding a reliable three around Silfverberg and Andrew Cogliano exposed. Ryan Getzlaf, Corey Perry his Fowler-Lindholm-Manson core. and Ryan Kesler all had no-movement clauses and were required to be protected. And who would blame them for being protected at that time, It has been young guys (Larsson, Guhle, Josh Mahura), veterans even if they didn’t have NMCs? Those three were the most important (Gudbranson, Del Zotto and the now-departed Korbinian Holzer) and cheap fill-ins (Welinski, Jaycob Megna) or bargain longshots (Luke contracts as pending restricted free agents, although Djoos is the only Schenn, Andrej Sustr, Jake Dotchin). Some certainly filled the extra one that’s eligible for salary arbitration. defenseman role but all have had turns in the Ducks’ top six out of desire or necessity. But it is hard to match what has left out the Anaheim doors. As to the youngsters in the minors, Mahura is signed through next It all began with letting Theodore go. season while Simon Benoit and newly acquired prospect Axel Andersson have just begun entry-level deals that take them to 2022. The only one “Certainly, that was a tough loss,” an NHL executive said. “Depending on that will need a new contract is Joel Persson, whom they just acquired your depth chart, there were some teams that had to leave some pretty from Edmonton for little cost. good players exposed.” Perhaps the most interesting battle will be between Larsson, Guhle and The present Mahura as to filling slots on the blue line. All are left-handed shots and ages 22 or younger. The Ducks have Lindholm and Fowler as left-side The blue line won’t be at optimal strength for the upcoming two-game fixtures, though Fowler has moved over to the right when paired with road trip to Chicago and Colorado. And it may not be for some games Guhle. afterward. Fowler and Gudbranson aren’t expected to be evaluated again for another week. An update on Lindholm’s status could come once they Maybe Murray looks outside the organization for a proven option, like he return to Anaheim. tried before this season in making plays for Kevin Shattenkirk and Justin Faulk, It is possible that he is satisfied enough with either Del Zotto or At the deadline, Murray went about making roster changes. Sprong, who Irwin to find them worth re-signing. Del Zotto, in particular, has had an had been languishing with the AHL’s San Diego Gulls, brought Djoos effective season as a depth piece that has stepped in to eat up plenty of from the Capitals. Holzer, who had been with the Ducks for the last five minutes while either of the top three has been sidelined. The well- seasons, was sent to Nashville for Irwin and a 2022 sixth-round pick. traveled rearguard could welcome some stability, but he’d also take an Guhle, who has split his season between Anaheim and San Diego, was opportunity to play every night. He has 13 points in 43 games. brought back up when Lindholm went down after an awkward fall into the boards while defending during the Ducks’ win over Edmonton. And for a player like Irwin, it’s about having some experienced know-how to go with the physical ability. Just the knowledge of getting in the way of Sunday’s game didn’t go particularly well for the group. New Jersey an opposing player without taking penalties. Using positioning to disrupt forward Jesper Bratt sped around Larsson and Irwin on successive their timing. power plays to set up Pavel Zacha for goals. The two scores were all the Devils needed in a 3-0 win. “And there’s a skill to that,” Eakins said. “That’s a lot of angles. Where your stick’s at and guiding those guys (to more harmless areas). But But the new crew did their part in victories over Edmonton and that’s experience. And that’s the experience that, if you want to go the Pittsburgh. Larsson and Del Zotto set up Nicolas Deslauriers’ goal other way with it, Hampus has learned over the years. But that’s what against the Oilers, while Manson assisted on Adam Henrique’s score. Guhle will learn. That’s what Larsson is learning. Mahura. Irwin blocked three shots and had a game-high seven hits in his debut as the Ducks were down to five defenders once Lindholm went down “Unfortunately, all that takes time. It takes reps. It just takes reps and midway through the second period. His effort was noted. reps and reps. And it takes successes and it takes failures too to learn those things.” “Matty was brought here for a reason and he’s shown it so far,” Getzlaf said. “He’s playing physical. In (your) face. And he’s making some good When he spent two months in San Diego until his recall in early defensive plays. When you have a guy like that, he knows his role. He February, Guhle said he was told to use the chief strength, that is his knows how to play it and it’s a good thing for our group.” skating, and not only join the rush into the offensive end but also use his speed to close the gap on forwards that head up ice in his direction. Be Against the Penguins, Manson assisted on Danton Heinen’s first goal more physical, especially when it comes to the corners and interrupting with his new club and Guhle scored what would become his first game- offensive cycles by the opposition. winning goal. Irwin has played more than 20 minutes in his three games with the Ducks after not playing that much in one for Nashville since “You got to be anticipating where things are going next,” he said. 2017. During his time with Anaheim, Guhle has played his best hockey when The new arrivals have created quantity. How much it leads to quality alongside Fowler. remains to be seen. But it does bring a competitive element to the defense from within. “I enjoy playing with Cam,” Guhle said. “He’s great on the bench too. We talk about a lot of different plays a lot of the time. He’s vocal out there. “You’ve got new guys coming in that are extremely hungry,” Eakins said. We can communicate a lot. Just on the bench and out on the ice. We’re “A guy like Djoos has been playing in the American League and he’s both good skaters and we can have good gaps and move the puck looking dearly for another shot at this league. Irwin comes in with great quickly because of that. It’s unfortunate that he’s not in the lineup right experience but is looking for more ice time and to be a regular in a now. I enjoy playing with him for sure.” lineup. And I think it just ups the competition game as well for everybody.” Lately, Larsson has been much more demonstrative when it comes to making plays in the offensive end. One example came against Edmonton The final four weeks will serve as an audition. Perhaps not so much for when he charged into the Oilers’ zone with the puck and had the the highly contracted ones like Manson, Fowler or Lindholm, although awareness to find Deslauriers sliding into a soft spot between the circles. Murray might be watching how they play through the lens of providing His pass to the winger was perfect and Deslauriers hammered in a one- leadership he hasn’t been satisfied with from the core on the Ducks. But timer for Ducks’ opening goal. the shuffling of the blue line has brought a different energy to the room. If it raises the level of play from the whole, then all the better. It is a long way from just pulling up at the blue line and dumping the puck behind the net or ringing it around the boards. “Sometimes the deadline can have an effect on people,” Getzlaf said. “A little bit of a wakeup call that can allow them to take advantage. Feel a “I’m feeling more confident with the puck,” he said. “I don’t try to just get little heat from underneath. Guys are doing a good job of that so far.” rid of it. I try to make plays with it instead. After Christmas, I think it’s been better. More confident with the puck, I would say.” Said Gibson: “There’s an opportunity out there. You don’t know when people are coming back. And I think right now everybody’s really taking That’s what this defense needs. The youngsters emerging as important the ball and running with it.” pieces to have over the long term. Earlier this year, Mahura had a three- assist game in his first game this season with Anaheim. Ultimately, the The future Ducks felt it was better not to rush him along and let him continue to grow his game in a big role with the Gulls in an environment that isn’t as How the defense will look next season is an interesting storyline to watch pressurized. over this summer. “I think Lars has settled into his spot,” Eakins said. “He’s been here the Only the Fowler-Lindholm-Manson triumvirate is signed beyond this most. But he’s still in the mindset where he knows he has to improve. He season. Del Zotto and Irwin will be unrestricted free agents. Same with knows that he’s in a battle for ice time. And I always think they’ve got to right-shooting veterans Chris Wideman and Jani Hakanpaa, who have go about it where I’m fighting to stay another day. Guhle’s in the same been in San Diego all season. Larsson, Guhle and Djoos will need new boat. “And Josh, even though he’s not here physically, he’s in the back of those guys’ heads. There’s a constant competition there. For our organization, the plan is you hope they all play. And if they can’t, you just add to the assets that you have in your organization.”

There is an overriding hope. And it can help make thinking of what the Ducks once had not sting so much.

“We want all of those guys to turn into NHL players,” Eakins said. “Just not one. But I am confident that at least one, if not all three are going to be players in this league.

“We’d like to see all three of them.”

The Athletic LOADED: 03.03.2020 1179533 Arizona Coyotes

The Arizona Coyotes taught a reporter how to play hockey, and they can teach you, too

Richard Morin, Arizona Republic Published 1:30 p.m. MT March 2, 2020

If I can do it, anyone can do it.

With the Coyotes launching a new, learn-to-play hockey development program for adults, I decided now could be the perfect time for this reporter to lace up a pair of skates for the first time in a decade.

Most NHL teams have learn-to-play programs tailored to youth players, but there are not the same resources for available adults, many of whom in the Phoenix area did not grow up playing the sport.

Matt Shott, who heads the Coyotes’ efforts in amateur hockey development, noticed a great number of parents interested in wanting to skate like their kids, many of whom participate in the numerous youth programs sanctioned by the club.

Just like that, the Growlers’ Adult Learn-To-Play Program was born.

The Coyotes tested the interest by creating 10-week programs at three different rinks around Phoenix, capping out at 40 participants apiece. It took just nine hours for all three to sell out.

More than that, Shott said, there are approximately 150 people on a waitlist — and the Coyotes are working on expanding the program to accommodate hockey-hungry adults.

Coyotes team employees were equally enthused by the idea, and about 40 of them are participating in exclusive sessions held at Gila River Arena. I decided to get a first-hand look at what the program was all about, and what participants can expect after signing up.

For starters, each participant receives a full set of professional-grade hockey equipment, minus ice skates, and 10 weeks of lessons with Brad Perry, a former hockey player and longtime instructor. The package, which costs $250 per person, also includes a Coyotes-branded hydro flask growler and two tickets to a future Coyotes game.

According to Shott, the first three weeks focus on skating and the following four weeks are more intense with stick-handling and learning to play the puck. By the final three weeks, Shott said, players should be comfortable enough to play in scrimmages with and against one another.

For the record, I had never played before crashing one of the employee-only skates on Feb. 24 at Gila River Arena. Already on the fourth week of their program, I couldn’t participate in any drills they were doing, but it was clear how advanced the group’s skills were after just a few sessions on the ice.

Regardless, Shott worked with me off to the side and, after falling to the ice many times, I began to get the hang of skating slowly and handling the puck from the blue line down to the end boards.

Admittedly, the session was difficult and I was a bit sore (and embarrassed) from falling backwards so much, but I could tell my skills had improved after just a half hour on the ice.

Arizona Republic LOADED: 03.03.2020 1179534 Arizona Coyotes offs with regularity, he was losing puck battles and his line was defending all the time. Fortunately for the Coyotes, Richardson has rediscovered his shutdown game in 2020. It helps that he has five goals over this past ‘Last kick at the can’? 15 thoughts for the final 15 games of regular quarter of the season. It always helps when a shutdown line is also a season scoring threat, but Richardson has been a pest for opposing teams’ top talents, too. It is vital to have that sort of presence in such meaningful games. If the Coyotes get into the playoffs, it will become all the more vital from one of a handful of guys on the roster who has sipped from the By Craig Morgan Mar 2, 2020 Stanley Cup.

5. Jakob Chychrun is close: Tocchet said Monday that Chychrun appears Rick Tocchet doesn’t own any voodoo dolls. If he did, he might line up six to be healing fast from a psoas muscle strain. The Coyotes will decide on of them on his coffee table — clothed in Oilers, Flames, Canucks, Tuesday morning whether Chychrun will travel with the team to Predators, Jets and Wild jerseys — and start poking. Vancouver, or possibly join the team later in the trip. “We’ve still got to be careful with him,” Tocchet said. “It’s one of those injuries where (if) you The Coyotes know they need to win hockey games to stay in the playoff injure it again he’s probably done so you’ve got to be careful. We’ll talk race. Arizona sat in 10th place in the Western Conference when (Tuesday) about that. Sometimes, it’s good for him to have special Monday’s NHL action had concluded. As they embarked Tuesday on a attention here for three days instead of on the road.” If there are no other vital three-game road trip through Vancouver, Calgary and Winnipeg, injuries in the meantime, when Chychrun returns, the Coyotes will have however, the Coyotes knew they also needed some help from other their full complement of players for the first time since the fourth game of teams in order to qualify. the season when Niklas Hjalmarsson suffered a broken left fibula in a game at Colorado. “You know what you’re hoping for,” said Tocchet, who admitted with a chuckle that he has been channel surfing to watch “pockets” of important 6. I still believe there’s a place for Michael Grabner has a role: It’s never games. “I don’t care if it’s your friend on the other side or not, you’re easy to watch a player endure a lengthy run of healthy scratches. It has hoping for the worst.” been even harder to watch a consummate professional and a terrific man like Grabner sit out the past 14 games. Grabner’s possession numbers Tocchet will face one of those friends twice in the next 10 days when the are down this season and his production has been limited by a defensive Coyotes face the Vancouver Canucks and coach Travis Green (a former role, but he still has that speed, he still has stick skills and he still has a Tocchet teammate) at Rogers Arena on Wednesday, and again at Gila history of scoring. It may take an injury. It may take an off-night from River Arena on March 10. The Canucks have lost three straight games, someone else, but I still think Grabner can help this team. If the Coyotes but boast the NHL’s seventh-best home record at 20-7-4. make the playoffs, they may be happy to have him when -killing There is a little margin for error now. It’s crunch time for the Coyotes. prowess and depth scoring become magnified. With five weeks remaining in the regular season, we offer 15 thoughts for 7. A restful month: The flip side of all those games in hand that the final 15 games. opponents are playing is that they are getting tired while the Coyotes are 1. The next four games are critical: In a sense, the Coyotes control their getting plenty of rest. Arizona plays only 15 games over the season’s path because seven of their final 15 games come against teams with final 35 days and there is only one back-to-back set. After this road trip, which they are realistically in direct competition for playoff spots. Four of there are just four road games remaining on the schedule and the those games will come in succession over the next 10 days. It’s farthest of those is at San Jose, with the others at Colorado, Los Angeles impossible to say for certain if the Coyotes will know their fate after these and Vegas. If the Coyotes can get into the postseason, their fuel tank four games, but it is fair to assume that if they have a poor showing in should be refilled. these games, their playoff hopes will be all but mathematically dead. 8. Bread man cometh: The Coyotes have only two Eastern Conference Three of those games are on the road. Arizona is 1-9-1 in its past 11 teams remaining on their schedule, but one of those teams is well worth road games. It is time to channel that road warrior mojo from earlier this seeing. The New York Rangers are making a late push for the playoffs season when the Coyotes owned the second-best road record in the and much of that has come on the back of forward Artemi Panarin, who league. has 32 goals and 90 points in 64 games to push himself into the WESTERN CONFERENCE PLAYOFF RACE (GAMES ENDING 3/1/20) conversation for the Hart Trophy as league MVP. Panarin has 25 more #NHLPLAYOFFRACE PIC.TWITTER.COM/DUCGIS6L1H points than the next closest Ranger, Mike Zibanejad. New York comes to Gila River Arena on March 14. Panarin is worth the dough you’ll have to — DAMIAN ECHEVARRIETA (@ECH28) MARCH 2, 2020 shell out.

2. Don’t assume you know the goalie plan: Some Coyotes fans were 9. Strength of schedule, strength of schmedule: NHL.com released a stunned that Darcy Kuemper didn’t start Saturday’s 5-2 win against the strength of schedule for all teams for the remainder of the season. Don’t Buffalo Sabres. They shouldn’t have been. Kuemper missed 28 games pay it much heed. It is based simply on points percentage of opponents. before starting a 2-1 loss to Florida. He was solid in that game, but That’s a bad model. If you want a true sense of the strength of a team’s nobody knows if Kuemper can recapture his early-season magic so soon schedule, you need to look at injuries, road vs. home games, travel after his return. This was, in fact, why the Coyotes kept this goaltending schedules, how well a team is playing and a host of other metrics that tandem intact. At this time of year, you ride the hot hand (albeit not too could help get you closer to realistic rankings. heavily). Antti Raanta has been that hot hand. In 10 February games, he was 6-3-1 with a .943 save percentage and a shutout. Raanta has to play 10. Learning curve: The Coyotes got some experience playing in a significant role down the stretch. meaningful games late last season. They’ll get a much better read on how their players handle these games with a healthy roster and a year’s 3. Clayton Keller’s best game in 2020 can’t be a one-off: It’s easy to point worth of information in their memory banks from last season’s playoff to Keller’s three-point night against the Sabres and call it a great game. chase. Keller has to produce points. That is his role on this team, that is why the Coyotes gave him an eight-year, $57.2 million contract extension and to “The quicker you play important games for young guys, the better,” do it he must consistently go to the net. What struck me about Keller’s Tocchet said. “When you’re playing important games down the stretch performance, however, was how he hunted loose pucks and how good like we did last year and like we’re doing now, it’s valuable experience for his back pressure was, whether it was sticking with his check or stealing younger guys, even for older guys. It could be their last kick at the can of the puck outright. That game provided a blueprint for Keller to follow in ever getting to the playoffs. I don’t know. We don’t have a crystal ball but his pursuit of greatness. It’s a blueprint he has to keep in his back pocket there’s a couple guys here who maybe don’t get in the playoffs again so every night. Keller won’t get three points every night. There will be nights when you go out on the ice act like you don’t take things for granted.” when he gets none, but he has to find ways to more consistently impact 11. Thanks, Tip: Dave Tippett took a healthy buyout to walk away from the game and that Sabres performance offered multiple options. Maybe the Coyotes on the eve of the 2017 NHL Draft. We’re certain that was not playing with Taylor Hall is the carrot the Coyotes needed to coax more on his mind the past two games, but his Edmonton Oilers sure helped out out of a core piece of their future. the Coyotes with wins against Winnipeg and Nashville, the latter an 8-3 4. Brad Richardson is back: Richardson’s rough first half was about more road win in which Leon Draisaitl had four goals while he and Connor than his dramatic drop in production. He was getting tossed out of face- McDavid combined for 10 points. 12. Projecting the playoff pace: If you want a sense of what it will take to qualify for the postseason, check out Dom Luszczyszyn’s 2019-20 NHL playoff chances and standings projections, which are updated on a daily basis. Per Luszczyszyn’s model, it will take 92 points to make the playoffs in the Western Conference. The Coyotes are on pace for a 40- 32-10 record this model, leaving them two points shy and in 10th place in the West. That leaves some work to do, but as we noted above, the Coyotes face a lot of the teams with which they are in direct competition. None of those teams has managed to pull away from the pack. Opportunity knocks.

13. Louis’ revenge? It’s unclear who will start in goal for the Canucks in these two games against the Coyotes in the next 10 days, but one possibility is former Coyote Louis Domingue. With Jacob Markstrom still out after knee surgery, the Canucks are left with Thatcher Demko or Dominque, whom they acquired from New Jersey last week. The last time the Coyotes faced Domingue, whom they waived early in the 2017- 18 season, they lit him up for seven goals on 30 shots on Oct. 27, 2018, while he played for Tampa Bay.

14. A little luck for Lyubushkin: When Chychrun returns to the lineup, defenseman Aaron Ness will head back to Tucson as the Roadrunners make their own playoff push. When he does, only one player on the roster will be left without a goal: defenseman Ilya Lyubushkin. Everyone wants to see Lyubushkin score his first NHL goal, and at this time of year, every goal is huge. If it comes to it, I will offer to drop his sticks again, just as I did in the preseason just before he scored his lone preseason goal.

15. Circle these two games: If the Coyotes are still in it, check out that April slate of two home games. Vancouver and then Winnipeg. Both teams could be vying with Arizona for a playoff spot. Can you imagine the electricity in the building if the season comes down those two games?

The Athletic LOADED: 03.03.2020 1179535 Boston Bruins Tampa. Jaroslav Halak, now 17-6-6 after six straight wins, will face the Panthers Thursday night in Sunrise.

If the Bruins were to win both against Tampa, it’s possible they’d enter Bruins thinking more playoffs than position with Lightning on tap next week with a double-digit lead on the Bolts with only 12 games to play.

By Kevin Paul Dupont Globe Staff,Updated March 2, 2020, 10:47 p.m. They have put themselves in this position because of a powerhouse first line, reasonable secondary scoring, team-smart defense, and Rask- Halak goaltending that as of Tuesday had the league’s best goals- against average (2.42). The Bruins are 0-1-1 against Tampa Bay this season, but won’t have to face Steven Stamkos in either of their two meetings with the Lightning “Every game is kind of a measuring stick,” noted Marchand as the Bruins this week. prepared to board their flight south, “but there’s so much parity in the league now, anyone can beat anyone on any given night . . . it’s an The Bruins and Lightning will meet twice this week, beginning with opportunity for us to measure up against them, but we know they’re a Tuesday night’s faceoff in Tampa, and the biggest mystery at the helluva team and we’re a good team. We don’t need one game to decide moment is how the Bolts will look now that surgery has sidelined that. franchise center Steven Stamkos for the next 6-8 weeks. “A big game. They’ll play hard. We’ll play hard. And we’ll move on.” Not a whole lot of drama, or sympathy, in that for Bruins fans. Their favorite Black-and-Gold stick carriers own the NHL’s best record (41-13- Boston Globe LOADED: 03.03.2020 12), and will spend the next 4-5 weeks focused most on keeping their game trimmed and tuned for the start of the playoffs early next month.

Which is not to say Tampa is a triviality, but these two games (return match Saturday night at the Garden) won’t be what they might have been had the Bruins not executed at a blistering 12-3-0 rate since the bye break and opened up a 7-point lead on the Bolts.

“They’re big games, points-wise, no question,” said pot-stirrer in chief, Brad Marchand, “but it’s not the be-all or end-all. We’re going to go in and play like it’s any other game, focus on doing the job, deal with each game as it comes.”

The Bolts, second to the Bruins in the Atlantic Division and third in the overall standings, beefed up a little more around the trade deadline by adding Barclay Goodrow, a widebodied right winger from San Jose. They took a bigger-is-better approach in the offseason, too, when they signed hefty left winger Pat Maroon, last seen high-stepping the Cup around the Garden last June with the Blues.

By Bruce Cassidy’s eye, the Bolts wanted more size, in part to deal with what he termed “the Columbus effect.” After dominating the league throughout the 2018-19 regular season, the Bolts were bumrushed out of the postseason in four straight games, unable to match the physical presence and net drive of the determined Blue Jackets.

“I think that’s what they want eventually, anyway,” said Cassidy, crediting the Bolts for their accent on speed and skill through the years. “Whether it’s 6-foot-2 and 30 pounds heavier, they want guys competitive on the puck. They do push the pace and they have their speed — guys like [Mathieu] Joseph and [Mitchell] Stephens. As an organization, they don’t want to get away from that, and they’ve added a couple of bigger pieces.”

Meanwhile, 66 games into the season, the Bruins are still figuring out the exact composition of their attack, albeit amid a discussion framed by the fact their top line is packing 103 goals and 228 points. The same trio — Patrice Bergeron, David Pastrnak, and Marchand — finished with 106 goals and 260 points last regular season.

It’s the new second line, a product of the trade deadline, that remains very much a work in progress, David Krejci centering newcomers Nick Ritchie and Ondrej Kase. Also in question: Will it be Anders Bjork, Karlson Kuhlman, or a mystery guest — sign in, please! — who will fill the right wing spot on a line with Charlie Coyle and Jake DeBrusk, a post-trade deadline refugee from the second line?

The new No. 2 trio has only been together for two games, their execution and output underwhelming. Ritchie and Kase were often linemates in their days with Anaheim, and now the challenge is Krejci’s to integrate a couple of new wingers into a line that ultimately will bear the burden of delivering secondary scoring — often so crucial to postseason success.

Tuukka Rask figures to get both starts against Tampa Bay.

“I have no complaints with them,” said Cassidy. “I think they’re going to be a good line, it’s just going to take a little time for them to figure out . . . well, maybe it’ll take Krejci a little more time because he’s the new guy, I guess, on that line.”

Tuukka Rask (24-7-6), who submitted his fourth shutout this season with Saturday’s win over the Islanders, is inked in to make both starts against 1179536 Boston Bruins

Bruins defense turns corner after rough stretch

By MARISA INGEMI | PUBLISHED: March 2, 2020 at 5:18 p.m. | UPDATED: March 2, 2020 at 5:18 p.m.

Saturday’s showing on Long Island was more representative of what the Bruins defense is than it had been in the previous couple of games.

The blueliners led the way on offense, sure, but the shutdown effort against the Islanders was a display of how dominant the defensive end can be. In the games before then — they played well against the Stars but struggled with the Flames and surrendered nine goals in Vancouver — were merely a blip on the radar.

“You never want to make excuses, and in Vancouver I don’t think we played extremely terrible even though we gave up nine goals,” said defenseman Matt Grzelcyk. “I think we were just maybe loose, especially mentally. Even against the Flames too, didn’t have that shutdown (mentality) we had maybe the 10 games before.”

The B’s allowed five goals to the Flames in a contest where they didn’t have their best effort anywhere on the ice, but it was a continuation of — like Grzelcyk described — a looser defense that burnt them.

The way they played against the Islanders was different; once the shutdown mentality was there, it seemed like it carried over throughout the rest of the lineup and they stopped the Islanders in their tracks.

It looked much more like it did when the B’s had won 11 out of 12 games before the loss in Vancouver.

“We got on quite a roll there defensively,” said Grzelcyk. “It’s more the mindset … We have to find a way to get mentally prepared. I think we did a good job of that Saturday.”

The B’s blue line of course contributed to the offense as well with seven points between the defensemen, and that’s not going to happen every night, but games like that are allowed to happen when there’s responsible defense.

That’s been a Bruins hallmark; if they play like they did Saturday, maybe they have it back.

“Because we were good defensively it led to a lot of offensive opportunities,” Grzelcyk said. “Hopefully we can take that (mindset) going forward.”

Wagner practices

Chris Wagner missed the game on Long Island with an upper body injury but skated in full at practice on Monday morning and traveled with the team to Tampa Bay. He skated on his usual spot on the right side of the fourth line with Sean Kuraly on the left and Par Lindholm in the middle.

Pastrnak named third star

David Pastrnak was named the NHL’s third star for the month of February where he tallied 10 goals with 19 assists.

The B’s right winger, who should be getting some consideration for the Hart Trophy as the league’s most valuable player, is two goals shy of 50 on the season entering Tuesday’s game.

His teammates have remained impressed with how he’s grown.

“He’s taken a big leap in his development,” said his linemate Brad Marchand. “Consistency is one thing that can separate a lot of guys in this league. You see guys that will score 10 goals in 10 games, but to be able to do it all the way through the season and continue his level of play.”

Boston Herald LOADED: 03.03.2020 1179537 Boston Bruins

Lightning games a measuring stick for Bruins, too

By MARISA INGEMI | PUBLISHED: March 2, 2020 at 5:02 p.m. | UPDATED: March 2, 2020 at 5:10 p.m.

The Bruins’ upcoming contests with the Lightning this week are big in terms of getting separation in the standings, but that aside, it’s a good opportunity to see how they match up with a likely playoff opponent — and how they fare against one of the best teams in the NHL.

“Head-to-head matchups this time of year have the ability to push a team down or bring a team up,” said defenseman Torey Krug. “It’s an opportunity for us and it will start (Tuesday) and see where it goes from there.”

Over the past two seasons, the Bruins and Lightning have been two of — if not the — best teams in the NHL. They enter Tuesday’s tilt in Tampa Bay as the two top point-getting teams in the Eastern Conference, with the Bruins leading at 94 and the Lightning following with 87.

There was a stretch when the Lightning got within a point of the Bruins, who built a massive early season lead, but faltered with four losses in a row before bouncing back on Saturday.

The Lightning aren’t the same team that won the President’s Trophy a season ago only to get swept away by the Blue Jackets in a first round stunner. They’ve made moves, adding guys at the trade deadline like Blake Coleman from the Devils and Pat Maroon from the Blues as a free agent in the offseason.

It sure feels like they’ve been gearing up to be a tougher — physically and, perhaps most importantly, mentally — team for the stretch run and into the playoffs.

The first step is proving themselves against the defending Eastern Conference champions in the next week as they try to get into a better position in the playoff race.

The Bruins know what they’re up against.

“(Barclay) Goodrow’s a big body, obviously Maroon is as well,” said Bruins head coach Bruce Cassidy. ” … I think that’s what they want eventually anyway, whether it’s 6-foot-2 and 30 pounds heavier, they want competitive on the puck. They do push the pace and they have their speed. … They’ve added a couple bigger pieces. That could be the (Columbus effect) from last year.”

The Bruins do have a chance to bury the Lightning, but it might be even more important to get a feel for what type of playoff matchup the teams might offer, should they get to that point.

The Bruins and Lightning have created a good rivalry, truly ramping up when Tampa Bay eliminated the B’s in the second round two seasons ago. Both teams have changed since then, with the Bruins making a Stanley Cup Finals appearance and the Lightning going through one of the most disappointing season endings in sports this millennium.

No matter the results, Tuesday and Saturday night will teach us a lot about the Bruins — and the Lightning.

“It’s always a fun one for us. … (The Lightning) have been so good for so long and they are on our heels, a potential team that you face down the road,” said Krug. “Exciting matchup. I think both teams are looking forward to it, should have a playoff-type feel to it.”

Boston Herald LOADED: 03.03.2020 1179538 Boston Bruins Don Sweeney said last week that there has been “communication” between the Bruins and Krug’s representation, but didn’t go any further than that when asked about it after the NHL trade deadline.

Torey Krug worried more about helping Bruins win than his contract “I don’t have an update in terms of a timeline. We’ve continued to stay in status communication with Torey, whether we find [a deal on a contract] at an appropriate time between now and the end of the year, I don’t know yet,” said Sweeney. “We’ll have talks, they’ve been very cordial, both sides By Joe Haggerty March 02, 2020 11:27 PM sort of understand where they are and whether or not we can bridge something along those lines is to be determined.”

It’s encouraging that Charlie McAvoy has come out of his offensive funk BRIGHTON, Mass – There’s been plenty of chatter about Torey Krug’s with four goals and 13 points in 14 games during the month of February contract situation since the Bruins went out and executed trade deadline and Matt Grzelcyk is going to set career highs with his final offensive moves that saved the B’s about $3 million in salary cap space for next numbers this season. But nobody on the Bruins roster will be able to season. replace Krug’s offensive production if he were to bolt to the highest The deals were made to improve this year’s team and the Bruins bidder. There’s really nobody else to replace the D-man’s leadership definitely did that by bringing in wingers Nick Ritchie and Ondrej Kase position either as a key 28-year-old buffer between the younger players ahead of the Feb. 24 deadline. But there was also most definitely an eye and the order core group. toward the 28-year-old Krug entering unrestricted free agency this Zdeno Chara has been asked multiple times about his future with the summer and 23-year-old winger Jake DeBrusk graduating to his second Bruins this season, and has notably said “there are others that need to contract this offseason as well. be taken care of” before he’ll sign on again with the Black and Gold. The DeBrusk could be looking at a raise to a contract in the $4-5 million per assumption is that the 42-year-old Bruins captain is referencing the season range based on his numbers, and Krug could command close to contract status of Krug, and absolutely understands the diminutive D- double that as a UFA this summer. man’s importance to sustained Boston success into the future.

It’s not something that Krug is dwelling on while not letting it negatively It makes so much sense for both the Bruins and Krug to eventually talk impact him this season, and it’s done nothing to take away the seriously about a contract and find middle ground on a fair deal for both competitive, feisty style he always plays with on the ice. sides. But it hasn’t happened yet and the clock is ticking toward a July 1 date where Krug is as good as gone to an extravagant free agent “I’ve kind of pushed it to the side ever since training camp started,” said contract -- if he’s allowed to get to that point. Krug, when asked about his contract status with the Bruins. “I’ve just tried to help this team win hockey games in the present and be part of the Comcast SportsNet.com LOADED: 03.03.2020 answer, the solution here. I haven’t thought about it any differently since, so why start now?”

Krug has eight goals and 45 points in 58 games this season for the Bruins and is pacing for a strong free agent walk year. It won’t be the career year he had in 2017-18 when he put up 14 goals and 59 points in 76 games for the Black and Gold, but he’s on track to hit double-digit goals and top 50 points while averaging over 20 minutes of ice time per game.

Put it all together and Krug is just adding to what he could make on the open market if he takes things to free agency this summer. There are plenty of NHL teams that could use a puck-moving offensive producer like Krug on the back end, and his status as a competent top-4 defenseman with leadership qualities makes him even more attractive. Many potential suitors would look at Krug as the kind of player that could help turn around a struggling power play merely by his playmaking presence at the top end of the special teams’ unit.

Krug will end up averaging 10 goals and 50 points over the last three seasons provided he stays healthy until the end of the year. Only names like John Carlson, Brent Burns, Victor Hedman and Keith Yandle have been able to put up elite stats like that from the back end over the last three years.

He’s not going to command the eight-year, $72 million extension that Roman Josi signed with the Nashville Predators, but he’s also earned himself more than the seven-year, $45.5 million deal Justin Faulk signed with the St. Louis Blues.

Faulk has consistently played a few more minutes of ice time per game than Krug, but averaged 13 goals and 38 points over the previous five seasons prior to signing his long term deal. Faulk has never finished with 50 points in a single season in his career, and Krug will likely have done it in each of the last three seasons for the Black and Gold.

Haggerty: It's the Bruins' conference to win now

Jared Spurgeon might be the middle ground at seven years, $53 million ($7.575 per season) that Krug could fairly ask from the Bruins based on comparable contracts, but that would also make him the highest paid player on the Bruins roster. The guess here is that the Bruins would like Krug to come in closer to the $6.75-7 million range per season on a deal, and in doing so take the same hometown discount that key B’s guys like Patrice Bergeron, Brad Marchand and David Pastrnak have already accepted in recent seasons. 1179539 Boston Bruins

David Pastrnak for Hart Trophy? Charlie Coyle says Bruins star 'is that good'

By Nick Goss March 02, 2020 5:43 PM

David Pastrnak is having one of the best seasons by a Boston Bruins player in a long time, and it's put him right into the Hart Trophy conversation.

Pastrnak enters Monday with an NHL-leading 47 goals, and his 91 points rank second behind Edmonton Oilers star Leon Draisaitl's 102.

The 23-year-old forward's exceptional offensive stats and strong analytics numbers make him a worthy MVP candidate, and teammate Charlie Coyle thinks Pastrnak absolutely belongs in the Hart debate.

"Yeah, I don't think there's any doubt that he can be MVP," Coyle told reporters Monday. "He's that good of a player. We're lucky to have a guy like him."

Pastrnak is on pace to become the Bruins' first 50-goal scorer since Cam Neely accomplished the feat during the 1993-94 season. In fact, Pastrnak has scored about a fifth of all the Bruins' goals this season. In addition to his goal scoring, Pastrnak also is one of the team's best playmakers.

"He's a heck of a player," Coyle said. "He just has fun with it. (He has) so much skill, and when he works with that skill, it's a deadly combination. Just how he reads the game and jumps into plays, the moves that he has in his arsenal. He has so much, and you never know what he's going to pull off. He's got a couple good linemates to play with and they just compliment each other so well, so they can play kinda free. They do a lot for us."

Despite all that Pastrnak has accomplished in his young career, Coyle thinks the best is still ahead for the talented right winger.

"He's still a young guy -- I don't think he's going to stop anytime soon," Coyle said. "He's always pushing for more. He's a guy who's never satisfied. He works out there, he comes to practice, he gets his shots in, he works on this and works on that. He really loves playing. You can tell, he has fun out there. He works hard at it, too, and there's no doubt he'll keep going."

Pastrnak has plenty of competition for the Hart Trophy. Oilers forwards Connor McDavid and Draisaitl are two of the top contenders. Colorado Avalanche center Nathan MacKinnon, who ranks fifth in scoring and leads one of the league's top teams, also deserves plenty of consideration.

A Bruins player hasn't won the Hart Trophy since Phil Esposito in 1973- 74, and if any player from the current B's roster is going to win the award this season or in the near future, it's Pastrnak.

Comcast SportsNet.com LOADED: 03.03.2020 1179540 Boston Bruins

What Steven Stamkos' injury means for a potential Bruins-Lightning playoff series

By Nick Goss March 02, 2020 3:50 PM

The Tampa Bay Lightning were dealt a significant blow Saturday when it was announced captain and superstar center Steven Stamkos will be out approximately six to eight weeks as he recovers from surgery.

Stamkos will have surgery Monday to address a core muscle injury. Losing a player of Stamkos' caliber always is very difficult, but the timing couldn't be worse for the Lightning.

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In the short term, they have two pivotal matchups this week against the Boston Bruins. The Bruins taking three or four points from these matchups would significantly lower the Lightning's chances of winning the division.

If the Bruins win the division, they would have home ice advantage in the second round. Who's their most likely opponent in Round 2? The Lightning.

Now, we all thought the Bruins and Lightning would square off in the second round last season, too, but the Columbus Blue Jackets crashed the party and sent the Presidents' Trophy-winning Bolts home early with a shocking first-round sweep. The Bruins went on to defeat the Blue Jackets in Round 2 en route to reaching Game 7 of the Stanley Cup Final.

It's hard to imagine the Lightning losing in the first round again, especially if they play the Toronto Maple Leafs. The Leafs have won three games in a row, including a 4-3 victory over the Lightning, but Toronto's disadvantage in net and on the blue line wouldn't inspire much confidence in its ability to beat the Bolts in a seven-game series.

Six weeks from Monday is April 13, and eight weeks is April 27. A six- week absence likely would mean Stamkos returns in the first round of the playoffs, while an eight-week absence could see him return in Round 2. If the Bruins and Lightning meet in the second round and Stamkos doesn't return for eight weeks, it's possible he could miss a game or two in that series (the playoff schedule won't be announced until April).

This would be a pretty tough setback for the Lightning against a Bruins team that leads the league in goals against average and ranks third in penalty killing. Stamkos has tallied 66 points (29 goals, 37 assists) in 57 games this season, and 19 of those points have come on the league's seventh-best power play. He's the Lightning's best player and a key component of both their 5-on-5 and power play scoring success. Even if he did return and play the majority of a second-round matchup with the B's, there's no guarantee he'd be at 100 percent. It's tough to return from surgery in the regular season, let alone in the playoffs when the physicality and intensity of play is significantly increased.

Stamkos also has played particularly well against the Bruins in his career, tallying 23 goals and 11 assists in 43 regular season games. He's posted 11 points (four goals, seven assists) in 12 career playoff games versus the B's.

The Lightning did strengthen their scoring depth before the trade deadline in separate deals to acquire forwards Blake Coleman and Barclay Goodrow. These additions should help the team cope with the loss of Stamkos, but it's impossible to replace a player of his caliber, and not having him for any length of time in a potential playoff series against the Bruins could be very tough for the Lightning to overcome.

Comcast SportsNet.com LOADED: 03.03.2020 1179541 Boston Bruins Given the Lightning’s place in the standings and their current state with no Stamkos, anything less than a sweep in their favor doesn’t feel like it’s going to be enough to catch up to a Bruins team that’s got their mojo fully Bruins looking forward to 'playoff-type' games vs. Lightning this week restored.

Still, it’s going to be fascinating to see how it plays out with two teams that would enter any playoff series as evenly-matched adversaries that By Joe Haggerty March 02, 2020 4:55 PM could end up finishing No. 1 and No. 2 in the NHL this season when it’s all said and done.

Comcast SportsNet.com LOADED: 03.03.2020 BRIGHTON, Mass. — Just a few weeks ago, the Tampa Bay Lightning had crept to within one point of the Boston Bruins in the Atlantic Division, and it seemed inevitable that the red-hot Bolts would pass them by as they just kept on winning.

Fast-forward a couple of weeks and the Bruins are back up seven points over a Lightning team that’s cooled off, but with both big Atlantic Division dogs still seemingly destined for an early nasty postseason clash in the divisional bracket.

Tampa has a game in hand on the Black and Gold while chasing the Bruins, but they’ve also lost their captain, Steven Stamkos, ostensibly for the rest of the regular season after abdominal surgery this week.

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Meanwhile, the Bruins have gone 12-3-0 out of the All-Star break and are hitting on all cylinders entering the final stretch run of the season. It just so happens that the B’s will have two showdowns with the Lightning this week, with the first taking place on Tuesday night at Amalie Arena and the second a home date on Saturday night.

Bruce Cassidy referenced both games as “measuring stick” contests rather than playing them up as divisional rivalry games with playoff implications, but it’s clear the Bruins are treating them as more important than the average game.

Certainly, there is some curiosity about how the Lightning will look after spending a couple first round picks to acquire speedy, pesky Blake Coleman and big, tough Barclay Goodrow at the trade deadline.

Haggerty: It's the Bruins' conference to win now

“I look at it more as ‘We haven’t seen them in a long time’ and Tampa has been a really strong team since I’ve been here,” said Cassidy. “For us, it’s a measuring stick maybe. Here’s one of the best teams in our division — and I’d put us in that category as well — and let’s see what they’ve got. It’s less about that if we win this, we can start counting down [to a divisional title].

That would be great, don’t get me wrong, but it’s more about where we are against this team. How do we match up against them with them having some new bodies [at the trade deadline]?

A sweep of the two games could basically wrap up the division for the Black and Gold with a commanding 11-point lead and would give the Bruins the inside track on home ice at least through the entire Eastern Conference portion of the Stanley Cup Playoffs.

It would also give them a psychological advantage over Tampa headed into a potential second round matchup against a Lightning team that’s fared well against the B’s in the past.

All of it gives this week the most exciting, playoff-intensity feel that the Bruins have experienced since coming back from the NHL All-Star break.

Ray Bourque's take on Brady's free agency

So bring on the Tampa Bay Lightning already!

"It’s always exciting for us when you line up against those guys,” said Torey Krug. “They’ve been so good for so long. Obviously they’re on their heels, but they're a potential team you [might] face down the road, so it's an exciting match-up and I think both teams are looking forward to it. It should have a playoff-type feel to it.

“I didn’t know that we were playing them twice [in a week], but that’s probably exactly what it comes down to. The head-to-head matchups this time of year have the opportunity to push a team down or pull a team up. It’s an opportunity for us. We’ll start with tomorrow and then see how it goes from there.” 1179542 Boston Bruins and Patrice Bergeron. Candidates include Kase, Kuhlman, Coyle and Anders Bjork. That may be where Cassidy misses Danton Heinen.

5. Is Coyle doing anything besides centering the third line? Who cares about wins? 9 questions Bruins must answer before the playoffs Coyle and the Bruins are at their best when No. 13 is behind the wheel on the No. 3 line. Bjork, in particular, appears to be a good wingman for Coyle because of his speed and shot.

By Fluto Shinzawa Mar 2, 2020 But Coyle has always been a tempting situational right wing because of his puck-possession dominance and board work. If Kase goes quiet, for example, it may be that Coyle gets some shifts as No. 2 right wing. The Bruins would like to win as many of their remaining 16 games as they can. It can only help the league’s points leaders to grab home-ice 6. Where will DeBrusk play? advantage and uphold the culture of pursuing two points every game. The left wing has zero points in his last 10 games. Cassidy has dropped The priority, however, is for Bruce Cassidy to take advantage of the him to the third line. seven-point lead over Tampa Bay and the reinforcements his general DeBrusk’s destination depends on whether he can drag himself out of his manager acquired to optimize his Game 1 playoff lineup. That means slump and on how Ritchie performs. DeBrusk has a history of tinkering. postseason production. He thrives in pressure situations. It would not be “There’s still a little bit of uncertainty,” Cassidy said. “It seems a little odd a surprise to see him back with Krejci. when you’ve got a (94)-point team. But we’re trying to prepare a no- 7. Could Jack Studnicka or Trent Frederic help in the playoffs? stone-unturned type of thing with our lineup.” It would be a big ask. Studnicka is a first-year pro. In 17 NHL games, Cassidy has no doubts about his first line. And he knows Tuukka Rask Frederic’s most noteworthy contribution was to fight in his debut. will start in goal. Both have been noticeable in Providence this season. It could be that But there are other questions Cassidy would like to answer between now Studnicka, 21, could help either as a bottom-six center or right wing. and the second week of April. Frederic, 22, appears to be a fourth-line NHL player at left wing or center. 1. Who will be on the fourth line? Even if neither dresses, it would be good for their development to accompany the big boys during a playoff run. Cassidy’s first choice is for Sean Kuraly to center Joakim Nordstrom and Chris Wagner. In theory, the straight-line speed and physicality on the 8. Where will Bjork end up? wings complement Kuraly’s kamikaze style. At this point, however, that The third-year pro was a healthy scratch in Long Island on Saturday, setup has offered disappointingly few assurances it will be ready for an punishment for his defensive-zone adventures with the puck against assignment against an opposing first or second line in the playoffs. Dallas last week.

Kuraly looks far more engaged at left wing, with his leash loosened. That Once Bjork returns to uniform, he’ll likely be back on the No. 3 line. But is would put Par Lindholm in the middle. It’s possible Karson Kuhlman he stronger at left wing or right? Bjork played well as No. 3 left wing with could work himself into the right-side mix because of his straight-line Coyle in the middle and Kuhlman on the right. Bjork also didn’t look out of game. Wagner, however, deserves first dibs. That would leave place on Coyle’s right when Kuraly took a left-wing twirl. Nordstrom and Anton Blidh on the outside. 9. When will the chain-pullers get their rest? 2. Who are Ondrej Kase and Nick Ritchie? It’s a good bet that the graybeards will see suit-and-tie time. There are Cassidy will give the ex-Ducks players every shift possible to determine only two games in April, so Cassidy might get a head start on load their capabilities and optimal placement. Kase’s speed, strength on the management by leaving some of the veterans home on their three-in-four puck and willingness to shoot make him a good possibility to stay on California trip this month. David Krejci’s right side. “Will we have the luxury to do that? That’s still a little bit down the road,” It may not be as straightforward with Ritchie. After fighting plane legs in Cassidy said. “But it would be great if we did. Sort of pick and choose, his debut against Calgary, Ritchie scored a goal and had an assist get guys in to keep them fresh. Our success going forward these next against Dallas. The left wing did not have a shot in Saturday’s 4-0 win two to three weeks will dictate that.” against the Islanders. Injuries, of course, are the wild card. Carlo, for example, had a season- If Cassidy wants more speed on Krejci’s left side, he will put Jake ending concussion in Game No. 82 in 2016-17. The following season, in DeBrusk back on the No. 2 line. Ritchie’s landing spot could be as Game No. 77, Carlo broke an ankle. Charlie Coyle’s third-line wing. Or, if Cassidy wants all-out speed, Ritchie could be the odd man out. If and when bodies start to fall, Cassidy will adjust his to-do list. He’d be thrilled if it doesn’t have to change. 3. Who will be the right-side defenseman on the third pairing? The Athletic LOADED: 03.03.2020 The first five defensemen are locks: Zdeno Chara, Charlie McAvoy, Torey Krug, Brandon Carlo and Matt Grzelcyk. The last spot has a few candidates.

Jeremy Lauzon has played well on his off side. Cassidy would like to evaluate Lauzon in the Bruins’ upcoming game against the Lightning to see how he responds against the possible second-round opponent.

After that, Cassidy will have to give Connor Clifton a look on Grzelcyk’s right side. Clifton last played on Dec. 29. He will need time to regain his timing. Clifton has some advantages over Lauzon. He is a better skater. He is a right shot. Clifton has 18 games of playoff experience. But two- plus months is a long time to be inactive.

4. Who could be a temporary replacement for David Pastrnak?

It is inevitable that the No. 1 line experiences smothering in the playoffs. Contingency plans might be required.

Cassidy may stick with the trio even through tough times because of their drop-of-a-hat flammability. But if Cassidy believes he’s better off busting up the top line, he’ll have to determine who will ride with Brad Marchand 1179543 Buffalo Sabres

As disappointing trip closes, Ralph Krueger wants Sabres to maintain intensity

By Mike Harrington Published Mon, Mar 2, 2020|Updated Mon, Mar 2, 2020

WINNIPEG – Coach Ralph Krueger has spent lots of time this season pushing aside all the negative history surrounding the Buffalo Sabres and trying to forge new chapters. He's about to have his biggest test yet.

The Sabres' playoff chances are nil, barring some major winning streak. They've annually been one of the NHL's worst teams in March in recent years, and the the month that comes in like a lion starts here Tuesday night against the Winnipeg Jets. Krueger said he is expecting his team to have the same roar it has shown at times in all three games it has lost on its current road trip.

"It's just really important we keep communicating," Krueger said after practice in Bell MTS Place. "Lots of communication going on between the coaches and the players and the players and each other. And we keep everybody active so nobody starts feeling sorry for themselves and loses their eye on the ball. And the ball is that we're developing a culture here. We're developing an identity and we all believe in that."

This was a trip that could have kept the Sabres in the playoff race well into March. Instead, they lost at Colorado and Vegas when both games were tied at the second intermission. Then they fell apart Saturday in Arizona as a 2-0 lead turned into a 5-2 defeat.

"One of our pieces we need to learn right here and right now," Krueger said, "is managing games and managing momentum in games when it's on our side, like it was for us in both those games and we let it slip away. ... It was probably us wanting it too much."

Krueger said his club's defensive breakdowns on the trip have been a product of pushing too hard at the offensive end of the ice.

"We've felt comfortable in the games but instead of maintaining the defensive stance, we've been pushing too hard to score to force the wins in Colorado and Vegas, especially," Krueger said. "And we slipped defensively, instead of continuing to frustrate the opposition by neutralizing them defensively and letting the offense grow out of that."

While the Sabres' forward lines will stay the same for Tuesday's game, meaning Michael Frolik will remain the healthy scratch, there could be a change on defense.

Krueger wasn't ready to reveal his plans but Lawrence Pilut, a healthy scratch the last two games after a recall from Rochester, was paired with Rasmus Ristolainen at practice and could be getting back in the lineup. Colin Miller and Henri Jokiharju were sharing shifts with Jake McCabe, and Miller could be scratched in favor of Pilut. If Miller plays, it would be his 300th career NHL game.

The Sabres are 6-3 in their last nine games against the Jets, including their 2-1 win Feb. 23 in KeyBank Center. They have not played here in more than 15 months, since a 2-1 shootout win on Nov. 16, 2018. That came in the midst of Buffalo's 10-game winning streak that tied the franchise record.

Winnipeg is in the thick of what is a ridiculous race for the Western Conference wild cards. When play started Monday, there were five teams within three points and the Jets were tied for the second spot with Nashville – but the Predators had three games in hand.

Winnipeg winger Patrik Laine did not practice Monday due to a lower- body injury and his status will be determined at Tuesday's morning skate. Laine is third on the team this season in both goals (26) and points (59).

Top-pair defenseman Josh Morrissey, a late scratch for the last week's loss in Buffalo, is back at practice and said here Monday he should be fine for Tuesday night.

Buffalo News LOADED: 03.03.2020 1179544 Buffalo Sabres Olofsson collided with Arizona's Brad Richardson and hobbled off the ice with no weight on the ankle he sprained Jan. 2 that cost him 15 games. It was much like when Jack Eichel suffered a similar issue in 2016; players Good news for bedraggled Sabres: Victor Olofsson, Linus Ullmark return returning often tear scar tissue and go into a brief shock thinking they to practice have reinjured their foot.

"I felt good yesterday on the day off, felt like I was able to practice today and felt good on the ice," Olofsson said. "I'm good to go. It happens once By Mike Harrington Published Mon, Mar 2, 2020|Updated Mon, Mar 2, in a while. It's just you have to be a little bit more cautious. We didn't 2020 want to force anything."

"It looks like he felt good today and we're really pleased," Krueger said. "We all had no idea which way this was going to go, and it's gone in the WINNIPEG – The standings tell a depressing tale, but the Buffalo Sabres right direction. ... There is some synergy evolving in the lines so we want still had plenty of life at practice late Monday afternoon in Bell MTS to leave them together. Getting Victor back in the lineup is a big bonus Place. for us." There was speed, chatter, spirit and byplay throughout the 45-minute Buffalo News LOADED: 03.03.2020 workout as the team came directly to the rink off the plane from Arizona. Coach Ralph Krueger said newcomers Wayne Simmonds and Dominik Kahun have added life to help the group dynamic, and the team was also buoyed by the presence of two other players on the ice nobody expected to see here.

Winger Victor Olofsson was in his normal spot on a line with Jack Eichel and Sam Reinhart, a surprising development after most observers thought his season might be over when he hobbled to the bench during Saturday's loss to the Coyotes.

And goaltender Linus Ullmark was on the ice with the team for the first time since suffering a right leg injury when he caught his skate in a crease rut during the Jan. 28 loss to Ottawa.

Olofsson will be in the lineup Tuesday night against the Winnipeg Jets. Ullmark, meanwhile, was just undertaking the next step in his return-to- play progression and is not ready for game action.

The Sabres, of course, would love to get Ullmark back as soon as they can. The goaltending tandem of and Jonas Johansson has simply not been good enough on this trip, posting a mediocre .890 save percentage in losing all three games.

Ullmark, meanwhile, was playing some of the best hockey of his career. Until the injury, he was 5-3 in January with a 2.17 goals-against average and .929 save percentage. He already has a career-high 16 wins.

"Especially off breakdowns and second chances, he just stayed strong and solid and calm, and we loved that about his game," said Krueger. "We need to find that back really quickly."

Krueger said the Sabres wanted Ullmark to get back into practice to take shots from NHL players, something that's not possible while working with the club's rehab team. Ullmark agreed with that notion but said the trip here was a big mental boost for him as well.

"It's more to being around the boys; that's the biggest thing for me right is to be around the guys socializing," he said. "When you're injured, you're kind of in your own bubble trying to work on things you need to do to get back as soon as possible so you don't really hang around the boys now. That's one of the things I really enjoy doing. We're all sociable people. It's been a challenge, so it's nice to be back."

Ullmark's injury came on a freak play, as he crumbled in the crease trying to push off when no other player was near him. Losing five weeks of the season at crunch time was difficult to accept.

"Obviously every injury is tough. Doesn't matter how big or how small it is," he said. "You want to be in the game, playing games, helping the boys out and you want to win. Once you get injured and you're sitting there watching and not being a part of it, it's tough.

"I had good conversations with the medical teams at all times what to expect, what to work on going forward. I just took it day by day. ... I have a lot of gratitude towards the guys who helped me during this time."

Krueger said Ullmark will take more shots Tuesday morning and again at practice on Wednesday. Thursday's home game against Pittsburgh still seems a bit premature for a return, but perhaps the club pushes for Saturday's game in Philadelphia or next Monday's visit by the Washington Capitals.

"I don't know. You take it day by day. This is my first team practice," Ullmark said. "We'll see how tomorrow goes, the next day after that and we'll take it from there." 1179545 Buffalo Sabres

Victor Olofsson, Linus Ullmark return to Sabres practice

By Mike Harrington Published Mon, Mar 2, 2020|Updated Mon, Mar 2, 2020

WINNIPEG – After losing the first three games of their road trip, the Buffalo Sabres are in the market for any good news they can get and there's definitely some of that late Monday afternoon in Bell MTS Place.

As the team's practice started just before 5 p.m. EST, goaltender Linus Ullmark was on the ice with the team for the first time since injuring his ankle in the Jan. 28 loss to Ottawa. And winger Victor Olofsson, who appeared to suffer a serious right leg injury Saturday night in Arizona, was also a surprise participant.

Ullmark suffered a freak injury in the goal crease against the Senators, getting his skate caught in a rut and going down without colliding with any other player. He had established himself as the team's No. 1 goalie, posting a 16-14-2 record with a 2.72 goals-against average and .914 save percentage. Coach Ralph Krueger said Ullmark is here to get shots from NHL players and won't play in Tuesday's game against the Winnipeg Jets.

The Sabres host Pittsburgh on Thursday, play Saturday at Philadelphia and host Washington on Monday. It is realistic for Ullmark to play at some point in that stretch?

"I don't know. You take it day by day. This is my first team practice," he said. "We'll see how tomorrow goes, the next day after that and we'll take it from there."

Asked how close to normal Ullmark felt, he said, "Not that close to normal yet but better than I thought it would be. Definitely."

Olofsson, meanwhile, collided along the boards in front of the Arizona bench with Coyotes forward Brad Richardson and was immediately left with searing pain in his right leg. He hobbled to the bench and teammates helped him over the boards before he went down the tunnel to the locker room and did not return.

"I felt good yesterday on the day off, felt like I was able to practice today and felt good on the ice," Olofsson said. "I'm good to go. It happens once in a while. It's just you have to be a little bit more cautious. We didn't want to force anything."

Olofsson was skating in practice on his normal spot with Jack Eichel and Sam Reinhart. He had just returned to the lineup Feb. 13 after missing 15 games with a high ankle sprain.

Even with that prolonged absence, he's third on the team in goals (19) and points (40). He's also third among NHL rookies in goals behind Chicago's Dominik Kubalik (29) and Los Angeles' Denis Gurianov (20), and is fourth in points behind defensemen Quinn Hughes of Vancouver (51) and Cale Makar of Colorado (47).

Buffalo News LOADED: 03.03.2020 1179546 Buffalo Sabres myself. To get those (injuries) out of the way, it feels good, it feels back to how I felt in college and before that.”

A year ago at this time, Malone had just returned from a five-week West Seneca native Sean Malone slowly regaining Sabres' prospect absence and hadn’t scored a goal in more than two months. status “He had a lot of injuries and he just couldn’t find that groove,” Taylor said. “And every time he kind of got back for two or three games he got injured By Bill Hoppe Published Mon, Mar 2, 2020|Updated Mon, Mar 2, 2020 again. I think just staying healthy this year gave him that consistency that he needed. But he worked hard all summer for it.”

Malone said this season compared to last one is “like night and day.” ROCHESTER – It took much longer than Americans center Sean Malone anticipated to reach this stage in his development. “I went through a little mental battle, got in contact with the right people and sorted it out,” said Malone, who wouldn’t reveal with whom he spoke. Last year, fresh off a strong rookie season, injuries nearly derailed the “I’m just feeling good this year and grateful to have another opportunity West Seneca native’s career. The physical toll and accompanying mental with Rochester.” anguish sapped his confidence and left him searching for answers. He added: “It was really tough for me mentally, and to able to get past After appearing in only 38 games as a second-year pro, the Buffalo that, I think that makes me a better person. I just feel like my character’s Sabres did not offer Malone a contract. Instead, the Amerks signed him a little bit better.” to an deal. Buffalo News LOADED: 03.03.2020 But Malone, 24, has enjoyed a comeback campaign, morphing into one of coach Chris Taylor’s most trusted forwards.

“I love the game again,” Malone said.

While Malone said he never lost his love for hockey, missing so much action last season and rarely feeling like himself when he managed to play wore heavily on him.

“I know I had another gear, and I just wasn’t able to turn it on,” said Malone, who has stayed healthy all season. “I think stepping away and working on the issues I had this summer and coming back stronger is really paying off.”

Malone has 11 goals, a career-high 28 points and a plus-14 rating in 54 games.

“Maybe I’m developing a little later than I would’ve imagined,” said Malone, who has the highest rating among Amerks forwards.

While Malone is in his mid-20s and doesn’t have an NHL contract, he could be earning back his prospect status.

“He’s really coming back to what we thought he was going to be as a player,” Taylor said. “He’s opening up not just his coaches’ eyes, but his peers’ eyes. Everybody that’s around him understands (not only) how good of a player he is, but how much he’s grown and how (dedicated he) has been this year. He’s getting rewarded for it.”

Taylor has rewarded Malone with an expanded role. In last Wednesday's 3-2 shootout loss to Utica, Taylor utilized him on the power play, to take a critical faceoff in the waning seconds of overtime and in the shootout.

“It’s nice being relied on in important situations,” Malone said. “Even today out there I went on the three-on-three to take an important faceoff with 15 seconds left. It’s things like that, I think, that separate me from some guys. I want to keep doing that.”

Taylor said Malone’s confidence handling the puck has been his biggest area of growth.

“He’s just not just throwing pucks in to get it in deep,” he said. “He’s making plays, he’s making really good plays, sound plays. He’s reliable on the defensive side of the puck, too. He’s always underneath it supporting.

“He’s one of those guys I can trust putting out in all different situations.”

Malone, a sixth-round pick by the Sabres in 2013, 159th overall, seemed to develop quickly earlier in his career.

He earned a spot on the U.S. National Development Team as a teenager, played four years at Harvard and jumped directly to the NHL just days after his college career ended.

But other than one game he played with the Sabres just hours after signing his entry-level contract in 2017, he has stayed in Rochester.

Following a strong rookie campaign with the Amerks in 2017-18, Malone injured a knee in the Sabres’ preseason opener last season before battling upper- and lower-body injuries.

“A couple of the injuries I had really set me back,” said Malone, who said he underwent a “procedure” during the offseason. “I didn’t feel like 1179547 Buffalo Sabres The center has two goals, no assists and is minus-5 during the five games he’s played with the ailment.

“Everybody sees he’s competing like crazy,” Krueger said. “He is also Sabres six-pack: What’s worth watching as Buffalo marches toward the taking care of his body at the same time, in a way that doesn’t allow him finish line to be 100 percent all the time, but we feel that that’s being managed. He’s been a fighter through this whole phase here.”

By John Vogl Mar 2, 2020 While Eichel certainly would like to play as many games as possible and establish a career high, there may come a time when it’s not worth it.

3. Will Jeff Skinner avoid a career low in goals? Ah, the month of March. When the Sabres come in like lambs and go out like sacrificial lambs. By scoring in back-to-back games over the weekend, Skinner boosted his total to 14. His worst full season was 2014-15, when he scored 18 No lyin’. times.

Once again, Buffalo didn’t live to see the NHL’s most competitive month. It stands to reason he can score five times in 17 games. Of course, The promise of “meaningful games in March” disappeared with losses in considering he entered the weekend with one goal in 25 games, maybe Colorado, Vegas and Arizona. reasoning should be tossed out the window.

The Sabres know it. And when they know it, things usually get worse. Skinner obviously won’t come anywhere near last season’s 40-goal total, but avoiding the ignominy of a new low after signing a $72 million Since 2013-14, Buffalo is a putrid 24-50-12 in March. That’s 24 wins in contract would be beneficial for him and the organization. 86 games, making it the time when players and fans check out for good. Who can blame the fans? 4. Can Rasmus Ristolainen finish as a plus player?

2018-19: 2-12-2 Yes, we all know plus/minus is a flawed statistic. But Ristolainen sits at plus-1 and can be a positive player for the first time in his seven-year 2017-18: 5-8-1 career. 2016-17: 6-7-1 Last season, the defenseman was worst in the NHL at minus-41. From 2015-16: 7-4-4 2013 to 2019, his cumulative total of minus-143 was at the bottom of the league by a whopping 46 goals. 2014-15: 2-8-3 So, pooh-pooh the statistic all you want, but a positive number would still 2013-14: 2-11-1 mean something for Ristolainen and his game.

With that in mind, there’s got to be something — anything — worth 5. Will Rasmus Dahlin join the elite list of 50-point defensemen? watching as the Sabres head to the finish line. Here’s a six-pack, which is probably what most people could use right about now. The 19-year-old is on pace for 48 points. He’s been on a hot streak, putting up 16 points in his previous 21 games. 1. Will there be a fall guy? The only defensemen who’ve ever recorded 50-point seasons under age The recent stumbles down the stretch have helped claim the jobs of Dan 20 are Phil Housley, Larry Murphy, Ray Bourque and Rick Hampton. The Bylsma, Tim Murray, Phil Housley and a host of assistants. Are jobs on first three are Hall of Famers, so reaching 50 would be an incredible the line? milestone for Dahlin.

Ralph Krueger is safe. There’s no doubt about that. But with the league’s 6. Can Dominik Kahun match Daniel Briere? worst penalty kill — a unit that is worse than any in Buffalo history — will assistant coach Steve Smith have to go? He’s a longtime friend of This isn’t meant to compare the two players. That’s nowhere close to fair. Krueger’s, who has never before made offseason decisions. How will the But with points in each of his first two games with the organization, coach handle the employment process? Kahun has made a positive impression.

And what about Jason Botterill? All signs pointed to letting him remake So did Briere. When the Sabres acquired him at the deadline in 2003, the roster this summer, with a ton of cap space and roster spots at his Briere rattled off seven goals and 12 points in 14 games. It created a disposal. buzz that carried into the following season.

But at the height of the Duane saga, word leaked out of the Pegula Kahun scored in his debut and added an assist Saturday. Can he keep it empire that there was discontent with the general manager. The owners, up? after all, had let Botterill spend over the cap all season and weren’t It’s also worth watching where the Sabres use Kahun. He’s playing wing, getting a product worth the money. Was there even a plan? which is where he skated in Chicago and Pittsburgh. But Krueger’s son, However, the Botterill whispers reeked of a diversion tactic. Ownership Justin, played with Kahun on the German national team. Ralph Krueger was under extreme fire, so why not create a smokescreen to shift the saw Kahun as a two-way center overseas, so he might give him a shot in attention away from them? Thus, the words were treated as such and the middle down the stretch. filed away. It’s understandable if beleaguered fans don’t want to give the Sabres a It will be worth watching (and listening) during the next month. If word of shot. This month has typically been a death March. But this six-pack Botterill’s job security resurfaces, there could be something to it. Of might help the season go down. course, with the stench of the Sabres’ season-ticket price increase The Athletic LOADED: 03.03.2020 hanging in the air, it could be a diversionary tactic yet again.

All is not well.

2. Can Jack Eichel play long enough to set a career high in points?

The center has already set a personal best with 35 goals. With 77 points, he sits six shy of a new mark.

But there are doubts he can (or should) play all of the final 17 games. He’s been fighting through a painful injury for nearly two weeks. Though Krueger listed it as a lower-body injury, a source maintained Sunday that it’s a midsection/abdominal injury. That fits in with the rehab gear that encircled Eichel’s waist before Saturday’s game. 1179548 Calgary Flames Then, they came back to Calgary and lost two of three games, including an 8-4 stinker against the Chicago Blackhawks.

“We’ve got to find a way to play the same way,” Lucic said. “Maybe we Flames begin crucial homestand, must bring road game to the Dome need to stay at a hotel or something the night before a game or on game days. Honestly? We can’t really over-think it.

Kristen Anderson, Postmedia “Home or away, our game needs to remain the same.”

And, starting this week, their game must simulate something close to what kind of team they plan to be in playoffs. The road to the 2020 playoffs will, inevitably, go through the Scotiabank Saddledome. If not, the calendar could turn to April and the Flames could be out of the picture entirely; the situation is dire. And it’s been no secret how the Calgary Flames have performed on home ice as of late and, predominantly, for the 2019-20 regular season. “Right now, we’re down to a 15-game race and we’re one of the teams that is right there,” Ward said. “For us, it’s about looking ahead to what’s If you’re just tuning in — what, with the spring-like temperatures hitting there and looking forward to it, understanding that it’s the best time of the city on Monday and all — and are curious about the local NHL club’s year. post-season potential, know this: their home record has been less-than- stellar. “We’re playing meaningful games right now and there’s a lot as a group and as a team that we can gain from every opportunity that we get these That’s not an encouraging statistic when considering 11 of the team’s next 15 hockey games.” remaining 15 games are in front of the ‘C’ of Red, including this upcoming five-game stretch starting Wednesday against the Columbus Calgary Sun: LOADED: 03.03.2020 Blue Jackets (6:30 p.m., Sportsnet 360, Sportsnet East, Sportsnet Ontario, Sportsnet West, Sportsnet 960 The Fan).

Their 14-12-4 record is not the worst in the league but it is certainly not the best, and internally, no one is exceptionally thrilled with their play on home ice.

“We have to be way more aggressive at home,” said Flames captain Mark Giordano, following Sunday’s 3-0 win over the Florida Panthers. “Lately, we’ve been a little bit tentative. We’ve been OK with being tied at home (but) we have to dictate more. We’ve got two days before our next game. We’ll work on that. We have to go on a big run.

“We’re at home for pretty much the rest of the season.”

Apart from a three-game road trip to the New York area on March 16, 17 and 19, and a one-off against their Pacific Division rivals, the Vancouver Canucks on March 27, it’s all about their home cookin’ and nothing is guaranteed.

The standings change on a nightly basis and heading into Monday’s action, the Flames were 34-26-7 which had them sitting third in the Pacific Division. They were a point behind Edmonton before the Oilers paid a visit to the Nashville Predators, one point ahead of Vancouver, and a stone’s throw away from being outside of a Wild Card spot.

The Western Conference really is the Wild West this season, and it’s been like that since the calendar flipped to January.

“You’re obviously checking every once in awhile to see who won and lost, but at the end of the day if we just worry about ourselves we’ll have no problem getting in,” pointed out Flames forward Johnny Gaudreau.

That’s exactly what the Flames did by collecting seven of a possible 10 points on their longest road trip of the season, a five gamer that saw them in Detroit, Boston, Nashville, Tampa Bay and Florida.

They did their part, the stars looked like stars, they were resilient, and while it wasn’t perfect — see portions of Saturday’s 4-3 loss to the Tampa Bay Lightning — they took care of business.

“Looking back at the trip as a whole, I think it was a successful trip,” said Flames forward Milan Lucic. “I know, going into it, it was probably our toughest trip of the season. Point-one seconds away from it being eight out of 10 points. So I think it was a great trip for us.”

Confidence-wise, too.

“If we put our game on the ice the way that we can play it, we can play with anybody,” said Flames head coach Geoff Ward. “We saw that over the course of the road-trip. We had some strong games. And I think going home now, we can generate some real confidence off the road.

“We’re down to 15 games now and the fact that we’re showing that we’re playing some of our best hockey of the year right now is positive, but we need to keep going so that it’s happening on a nightly basis.”

But it all means nothing if they can’t follow it up by dominating at home.

The Flames found that out the hard way in February when they claimed six out of eight points on the road in Vancouver and through California. 1179549 Calgary Flames Gustafsson is currently auditioning as the quarterback on Calgary’s top power-play unit. He notched an assist in his first outing in the Flaming C, starting a snappy sequence that ended with Sean Monahan’s game- Flames’ deadline-day additions ready to get settled in Calgary winning re-direct in Boston.

The 27-year-old earned another helper during a Leap Day matinee in Tampa but was also guilty of a late change, still huffing and puffing on Wes Gilbertson the bench when Alex Killorn capitalized on an odd-man break that he was partially to blame for. That, too, turned out to be a GWG.

Over the past four contests, Forbort has logged more shorthanded ice Now one of Calgary’s winter warriors, Derek Forbort has already time than any other Flames rearguard. experienced its famous summer shindig. Also 27, he’s racked up eight hits and seven blocked shots already. On “Yeah, I’ve been to Stampede,” Forbort said, his grin suggesting there is the not-so-good side, he accidentally deflected a puck past his own much more to this story. “I’m almost scared to tell you guys this, but it masked man against the Lightning. was Drew Doughty’s bachelor party.” “They’ve fit in with our group really well,” said Flames interim coach Geoff This time, he’s not travelling with a sworn enemy. The opposite, actually. Ward of the deadline-day arrivals. “I think they’ve played to their When the Calgary Flames returned home late Sunday from a gruelling strengths. Gus is showing some really good skill on our power-play. With five-game getaway, Forbort and fellow Erik Gustafsson him up top, the power-play now is starting to generate more. Forbs is real were arriving in Cowtown for the first time as two of the good guys. good in our end. He’s good at the net-front, blocks shots. He’s good on the penalty-kill. He can kill cycles. He moves pucks forward. Both were acquired a week ago at the NHL’s trade deadline — Forbort from the Los Angeles Kings, Gustafsson from the Chicago Blackhawks. “So we’re happy with both players. They give us some real solid depth on the blue-line with the rest of our group, and that’s going to be important. Wearing Nos. 20 and 56, respectively, they have logged four Because it’s amazing how in demand defencemen are, especially at this appearances so far with their new squad, all in away rinks. Their time of year when you’re bound to get some bumps and bruises and Saddledome debuts come Wednesday, when the Flames open a five- injuries happen with how hard the game dictates that you need to play. game homestand against the Columbus Blue Jackets (6:30 p.m. MT, Sportsnet West/Sportsnet 960 The Fan). “We’re happy with the defencemen that we have. We feel it’s a real deep group, and those guys are fitting right in.” “Joining the team on the road, it just kind of feels like you’re on a normal road-trip with the boys,” Forbort said. “That has been the best part — Soon, they should feel right at home at the Saddledome. everyone is together, everyone is going for team dinners and stuff like Forbort’s close friend is Public Enemy No. 2 in the Stampede City — the that, so you get to know the guys pretty easily. way that we see it, Doughty has been bumped down that depth chart by “I think it will probably set in a little more when I go home to Calgary Zack Kassian — but the next time he attends the chuckwagon races, he’ll instead of California. But I’m loving it right now. It’s a great group of guys, be recognized as one of the locals. and they have welcomed me and Gus with open arms. They’ve all been Gustafsson, too. awesome.” “I think it’s going to feel more real when we come to Calgary,” Gustafsson The Flames were finally homeward-bound after Sunday’s shutout victory said prior to Sunday’s inbound flight. “It’s going to be incredible. I know over the Florida Panthers, certainly satisfied after collecting seven of a every time we play there, it’s always packed, and fans in Canada are possible 10 points on their longest sojourn of the season. crazy. So, to be on the other side, it’s going to be a lot of fun.” While Forbort and Gustafsson were simply switching hotel rooms, they Calgary Sun: LOADED: 03.03.2020 can settle into this one, utilizing the dresser drawers and hanging their suits and winter jackets.

“I don’t even know what I packed,” Forbort chuckled, reflecting on the frenzy that followed word that he’d been traded to the Flames — and was booked on a red-eye flight that night to join the team in Boston. “I have this huge suitcase, and it’ll be pretty interesting to see what I put in there.”

Gustafsson, too, scrambled to stuff a Samsonite, but his better half Hannah was left to box up the dolls and diapers.

“It’s not just thinking about me — I have a wife and two kids, too,” Gustafsson said. “They’re back home in Chicago.”

He catches himself.

“Well … not home. They’re in Chicago right now.”

Calgary might not be home for long — both blue-liners are slated to become unrestricted free agents this summer — but the new guys need to be comfortable for this push for a playoff spot and for what the Saddledome supporters hope will be an extended spring run.

On Gustafsson’s shopping list are a pair of itsy-bitsy Flames jerseys — one for two-year-old Jamie and another for her little sister Celie, who was born in September.

“It’s my first time being traded, and it’s a lot of stuff to do,” Gustafsson said during the roadie. “I need a visa for my wife and for myself, too. So it’s a process, a lot of papers that have to be signed and stuff like that. And then, where are you going to live? Apartment? House? Hotel?

“And then you have a new team, new guys, new details in playing on the ice, too. So it’s a lot of things to go through, but everyone here is helping me out. Coaches, players … They’re making it so much easier for me.”

The on-ice adjustment, it seems, has been relatively smooth. 1179550 Calgary Flames 31. Calgary | 15 gm, 4-9-2, 10 pts, .333 PT%

Wow.

5 reasons why Calgary can turn their home-ice disadvantage back to an How does a team go from best in the NHL to worst? What’s changed? advantage What specifically are they not doing at home, that they previously had been doing successfully?

By Darren Haynes Mar 2, 2020 Here are five areas that jump out.

1. Goals for/game

Editor’s note: This story has been updated. A previous version included Before – 3.88 (2nd) an offensive comparison that has been removed. We apologize to our readers. Lately – 2.80 (20th)

The Calgary Flames have put themselves in a good spot. Calgary simply isn’t putting the puck in the net with anywhere near the same regularity as they have been, or as now-disgruntled home game An excellent spot, in fact. attendees had gotten accustomed to.

Big afternoons on Sunday from Johnny Gaudreau and Cam Talbot Individually, to his credit, the points-per-game rate of production from helped Calgary return home from a difficult road swing — that many Gaudreau before (1.23) and lately (1.13) hasn’t been markedly different. feared would be the final nail in their coffin — with an improbable but Same for Elias Lindholm (0.91 versus 0.80), it’s been the rest of the big necessary seven of 10 possible points. As a result, they’ve risen from the guns who have seen their production curtailed considerably. dead, climbing from fourth in the Western Conference wild-card race at the outset of the nine-day trip through Detroit, Boston, Nashville, Tampa Monahan, 1.09 versus 0.53 | -0.56 Bay and Florida, to now, sitting third in the Pacific Division. Giordano, 1.02 versus 0.55 | -0.47

Why they’re set up for a strong finish is over the next five weeks, they will Tkachuk, 1.22 versus 0.87 | -0.35 spend just five nights in a hotel bed. In two weeks, they head out East for visits with the Rangers, Islanders and Devils — three games in four days. Ryan, 0.58 versus 0.31 | -0.27 They also have a single-game overnight trip to Vancouver. Backlund, 0.74 versus 0.53 | -0.21 Other than that, it’s home, sweet Dome the rest of the way with 11 of the Reason for optimism club’s 15 remaining games taking place at 555 Saddledome Rise SE. That high-octane offence has certainly been abundant over the last four All the curmudgeons cracking lines about home-ice disadvantage aren’t weeks. Since losing all three games in regulation on a homestand that wrong, given the Flames have lost six of their last seven at the opened February, Calgary has amassed 52 goals in its last 12 games for Saddledome, but important to note is there is a heavy dose of recency an average of 4.33 goals/game. The Flames are second over that span bias in their simmering discontent. to Philadelphia (4.55). A long way back in third are the New York How soon we forget, but not that long ago, the Saddledome was still very Rangers (3.58). Up until that point in the season, Calgary’s sleepy attack much a feared barn for opponents. It seems like decades ago, not had been 27th at 2.60 goals/game. months ago, but Calgary was very good at home to start the season, Mikael Backlund’s torrid streak has certainly been a big contributor lately. picking up points in 12 of their first 15 games (10-3-2) and that was With four goals on the road trip, it looks like Sean Monahan is heating up merely a continuation of the club’s home-ice prowess. In the previous at the right time, too. Monahan had racked up just four goals in his season, they went 26-10-5. previous 19 games. Meanwhile, in his third game back from his From the start of 2018-19 and through Dec. 13 of this season, Calgary hamstring injury, Giordano put up his first three-point effort of the season had compiled the third-best record on home ice, behind only the Boston on Sunday. Last year, he registered three or more points eight times, five Bruins at TD Garden and the Tampa Bay Lightning at Amalie Arena. of those games coming in front of the home fans. The club’s oldest player at age 36 (next is Derek Ryan at 33), perhaps the three weeks he just 1. Boston | 59 gm, 41-10-8, 90 pts, .763 PT% had off will turn out to be a blessing and the reigning Norris Trophy 2. Tampa Bay | 59 gm, 40-13-3, 86 pts, .741 PT% winner will be reinvigorated down the stretch. If Monahan and Gaudreau can find that old spark, if Giordano gets back to playing young and fresh 3. Calgary | 56 gm, 36-13-7, 79 pts, .705 PT% and if the Backlund-Tkachuk-Mangiapane line keeps on rolling, there are four of the five biggest contributors to the recent Saddledome power 4. NY Islanders | 56 gm, 36-15-5, 77 pts, .688 PT% outage covered right there.

5. Washington | 57 gm, 33-14-10, 76 pts, .667 PT% 2. Score first, keep the lead

Over that span, they were the best team at home in the West by a Before – 23-1-1, .920 PT% (1st) substantial margin. Second was Dallas (36-18-5, .653 PT%) Lately – 3-4-1, .286 PT% (30th) Since? Well, that’s a completely different story and it’s why skeptics and cynics have come together as one. It’s interesting that percentage-wise, Calgary has scored the first goal at the Saddledome more frequently lately (8 of 15 times) than over that Starting with Calgary’s 4-0 loss to Carolina during that oddly-timed late more-successful previous stretch (25 of 56 times). But where things have afternoon game on Dec. 14, all hints of home-ice swagger have fallen off the tracks recently is their inability to protect the lead or better completely disappeared. Three of the four wins in the last 15 games have yet, build on it. All last season and two-plus months into this one, the come against non-playoff teams. Three of the wins have been by one- Flames’ ability on home ice to score first and then lock it down and put goal — the deceiving two-goal margin of victory in the other included an the game away was unparalleled. Those 25 times Calgary drew first empty-net marker. blood, they went on to pick up at least one point in 24 of them, getting the How bad have they been? full two points in 23 of them. Lately, it’s been an entirely different story — losing in regulation in half of the games in which they scored first. The worst. No exaggeration. Yes, even poorer than Detroit, Getting to the intermission with the lead has also been a winning formula. NHL home records since Dec. 13: Before, Calgary was 17-0-2 when leading after one and 23-1-0 when leading after two. Lately, the records are OK when leading after the first 27. Anaheim | 15 gm, 6-7-2, 14 pts, .467 PT% (2-1-1) or second (2-0-1), they just haven’t had such a lead nearly 28. Los Angeles | 13 gm, 5-7-1, 11 pts, .423 PT% enough and that’s been a big part of the problem. That inability to expand on leads, instead almost always giving up the next goal, has allowed 29. Montreal | 18 gm, 6-9-3, 15 pts, .417 PT% opponents to get back into the game.

30. Detroit | 16 gm, 5-10-1, 11 pts, .344 PT% Reason for optimism On its official Twitter channel, Calgary runs a first-goal contest every At first glance, dropping from 20th to 31st in goals-against rankings at game. Maybe it should be the second-goal contest instead as that’s the home may not look like a massive drop, but it’s bigger than you think decisive tally that has been elusive of late. Whenever Calgary takes the because that goals-against ranking at home lately is 31st with a bullet — lead, it always seems to be short-lived. Heck, there’s been more that 4.20 number blows away the next-worst team of Florida (3.88) and spottings around town lately of the endangered burrowing owl than two- then there’s another huge gap before you get to 29th place Edmonton goal leads for the Flames. (3.47).

But this was not an issue last week. Milan Lucic gave Calgary the 2-0 Why are the Flames losing so much at home lately? They’re surrendering lead early in the second on Sunday, it was Monahan’s goals 72 seconds way too many goals and that’s partially team defence and the apart in the second period that gave the Flames a pivotal 3-1 lead in aforementioned increase in the number of shots allowed per game, but Boston. To start the road trip, the club went to the attack early and took a it’s also a reflection of some pretty subpar goaltending from the likes of 2-0 first period lead in Detroit. Might this be a sign of things to come? David Rittich and Talbot, who in this recent stretch at home, have put up save percentages of .851 (50th) and .900 (35th) — Rittich’s home 3. Shots against/game numbers is by far the worst in the NHL over this period (second-worst is Before – 27.4 (1st) the Islanders’ Thomas Greiss, .874).

Lately – 33.0 (25th) Reason for optimism

Hot take incoming: When you spend more time with possession in the Talbot is coming off his second shutout in the last four starts. His 38 offensive zone than in the defensive zone, you give up fewer shots. stops in Florida comes after he stopped all 44 pucks directed at him on During the club’s prolonged stretch of home-ice success, all 19 skaters Feb. 13 in Anaheim. Meanwhile, the reason Talbot didn’t appear in the (to play a minimum of 20 games) were above 50 percent in SAT% (or four games of the trip was the bounce-back performance from Rittich, Corsi). That means while each player was on the ice at 5-on-5, Calgary who after going a week without playing, had superb outings in Detroit and was generating more shot attempts than they were giving up. The top Boston and was phenomenal for 54 minutes in Nashville, before he let five in SAT%: Roman Josi’s tying goal slip past him. It should be a good battle for the net the rest of the way and considering what’s at stake, may the best 1. Czarnik, 58.3 goalie play.

2. Giordano, 57.8 5. Power play

3. Tkachuk, 57.8 Before – 23.7 (6th)

4. Frolik, 56.7 Lately – 20.0 (19th)

5. Backlund, 55.9 In a league where one-goal games are the featured entree every evening, the power play can be the great equalizer. Don’t have your “A” Even the last two names on the list – Oliver Kylington (51.6) and Garnet game one night, a well-timed power-play goal or two can help you bag Hathaway (51.5) — were still in the black. two points you otherwise had no business getting. Are you locked in a Those six additional shots Calgary is giving up lately as a team — that’s tight back and forth game? Which team takes advantage of its 5-on-4 an extra two shots per period — is naturally going to translate to more opportunities can make the difference between a one-goal win and a goals against and that’s when you start losing hockey games. The one-goal loss. assumption that you’re now spending more time in your own zone is A good power play doesn’t just contribute goals either. A productive validated in the fact that during the club’s recent struggles, only nine of power play that puts the opposition on its heels can turn a game’s the 18 most-regular skaters have been above 50 percent. You’ve had momentum in your favour, perhaps leading to the decisive goal later on. impressive possession games from Mangiapane (57.1), T.J. Brodie Similarly, a poor power play that can’t get set up or generate any (55.5), Giordano (54.9), Backlund (54.7) and Tkachuk (54.4), but at the pressure has a way of killing momentum and swinging the advantage opposite end, there are four guys below 48. back to the opposing team. 15. Kylington, 46.5 Calgary’s power play needs to be better than it has been, where it’s been 16. Jankowski, 46.2 knocking on the door of the bottom-third of the NHL.

17. Dube, 45.9 Reason for optimism

18. Ryan, 45.0 Often, power plays surges and slumps coincide with the performance of a team’s best players. During this tougher patch at home lately, while Also in the red are Noah Hanifin (49.9, 10th), Travis Hamonic (49.5, typical PP1 fixtures Monahan, Tkachuk and Giordano have been colder 11th), Rasmus Andersson (49.1, 13th) — notable in that those are all than in the past, it is no surprise to see the power play suffer. But lately players frequently deployed in Calgary’s top four on the blue line. all of the above have been going, add in Backlund and Mangiapane’s scoring prowess carrying over onto PP2 and the Flames two power-play Reason for optimism units are both rolling. In an attempt to address their defensive shortcomings, one week ago at Don’t forget Gustafsson either. Calgary’s gone 3-for-6 on the man- the trade deadline, Calgary brought in former-Blackhawk Erik Gustafsson advantage since the trade deadline. Gustafsson is a high-skilled player, and ex-King Derek Forbort. They played together their first night as who thrives on the power play and whether it’s running PP1 or PP2, his featured in this shift-by-shift video recap, and they’ve remained together. arrival has made Calgary much better in this area and there’s no reason Their addition does a couple of things. Firstly, they hope that Forbort, in to believe his prowess won’t carry over at home starting when he (and particular, a heavier stay-at-home presence will help stabilize the Forbort) make their Flames home debuts on Wednesday against the defensive zone presence of the third pairing. A thick guy at 6-foot-4 and Columbus Blue Jackets. 219 pounds, the team likes his ability to play physical and break up While the schedule suggests Calgary is sitting in a great spot for the cycles, limiting extended stretches of pressure by the opponent. stretch run, you can’t blame fans for the seeing-is-believing attitude, Secondly, with the experience they each have including special teams — especially scarred season ticket holders, who have had an expensive Gustafsson on the power play, Forbort as a penalty killer — their up-close look at the club’s recent futility at home ice that has hardly presence should allow Calgary to ease off the minutes of its top four and instilled much confidence that this next, crucial stretch of games on home that reduction in wear and tear could positively impact their game-by- soil is going to go any different. game performance. But regression to the mean always happens and after one of the worst 4. Goals against/game stretches of home-ice hockey in franchise history, Calgary is poised to Before – 2.93 (20th) bounce back just on the law of averages alone. Add in the arrival of Gustafsson to boost the power play, Forbort to aid the penalty kill, Lately – 4.20 (31st) Monahan and Gaudreau heating up, the dominance of the MMA line, Giordano back, there are variables in the home-ice equation that were absent over the previous two-plus months.

We’ll find out beginning on Wednesday when the Blue Jackets are the first of five opponents to visit over a well spaced out five-game, 13-day homestand. The Coyotes on Friday, the Golden Knights next Sunday will be a pair of huge four-point games. After three days off, the Islanders and the Jets visit.

They just set the bar for what a productive five-game stretch looks like by going 3-1-1 on this road trip. On this homestand of the same length, can they be even better than that? Absolutely. Will they? That’s the wait-and- see part, but there are reasons for optimism.

The Athletic LOADED: 03.03.2020 1179551 Calgary Flames From a hockey perspective, however, the assignments had some heft.

Opening with a so-called trap game against the NHL’s worst team, the Detroit Red Wings. A pair of games against Eastern Conference Emotion stirs Flames as they gallop down the homestretch heavyweights, the Boston Bruins and Tampa Bay Lightning. A wild-card showdown in Nashville. And a soggy-legged finale against the Panthers.

By Scott Cruickshank Mar 1, 2020 And, oh, the trade deadline was crammed in there somewhere.

It added up to one heck of an odyssey.

SUNRISE, Fla. — Playing their sixth game in 10 days, their fifth game in How long were the Flames on the road? The day they left home, no one eight days, their third game in four days, the Calgary Flames must have had even heard of David Ayres. been bushed. But the Flames were solid — the only groaner being Saturday’s loss to No doubt about that. the Bolts — and return to Calgary with seven of a possible 10 points.

So they needed a lift Sunday — from any corner of the dressing room. “We have confidence now in the fact that if we put our game on the ice the way that we can play it, we can play with anybody,” Ward said. “I And, in spectacular fashion, the Flames received two boosts, leading think going home now, we can generate some real confidence off the them to a 3-0 triumph over the Florida Panthers at BB&T Center. road. We’re down to 15 games now and the fact that we’re playing some of our best hockey of the year right now is a positive.” Cam Talbot, the team’s underused backup goalie, blocked 38 shots. The Flames’ recent road work should be instructive. They’re 16-5-2 over And Johnny Gaudreau? Despite playing with a heavy heart — or the past 23 dates away from the Saddledome. because he was — the winger singlehandedly introduced energy into the matinee. Afterward, he explained to reporters that his paternal A chunk of the recent success had been due to a rejuvenated top six — grandfather died. He got the news Saturday after the Tampa Bay game. just in time — and a remade blue line.

“Kind of a tough day,” he said. “It sucks losing people.” Led by Mikael Backlund, the first and second units contributed 31 scoring points over five games. After scoring in the opening period — zipping a wrist shot past goalie Sam Montembeault for what turned out to be the game-winner — And Calgary’s back end — by returning its 1A, Giordano, to action and by Gaudreau had celebrated with uncharacteristic vigour. adding an instant third pairing on deadline day — features a fresh look for the final push. “I was pretty pumped up to get that one for him,” Gaudreau said. “He watched a lot of my games and was always a big supporter of me and Backlund & Co. my brother (Matthew) playing hockey, so it was a special time to find the net there.” The Swede continued his strong play, totalling three goals, eight points and six stitches (from an errant practice puck). Said Milan Lucic: “I’m sure that goal is going to mean a lot to him for the rest of his life.” Ward, at one stage, referred to Backlund’s spree of goodness as Selke Trophy-worthy. Later in the first period, Gaudreau earned a penalty shot — he was foiled by Montembeault. Later, he cranked the post with a wrister. “He was awesome, absolutely awesome,” the coach said after the overtime loss to Nashville. “He’s been playing really well. That line’s been “Well, it’s an emotional time,” Mark Giordano said. “I mean, we have a good. We’re relying a lot on them. They’re doing an awful lot of good really tight-knit group and … you could see how crushed he was things for us.” (Saturday) on the bus. You feel for him as a teammate. I like to look at him as a little brother, to be honest. We’ve been around each other for so In his past 13 outings, Backlund has 19 points. long. Not surprisingly, his wingers are also flourishing. Andrew Mangiapane “For him to show up today and put that effort in, I thought he was great. I has 10 points in nine games, while Matthew Tkachuk has collected 18 thought for him to come in and score, that’s really cool and something I’m points in 17 games. sure he’ll share with his family tonight.” Monahan & Co.

Geoff Ward called Gaudreau’s display “inspiring.” On a difficult day, the There are always lots of narratives swirling around centre Sean young man delivered — a peppy presence from his opening shift. Monahan.

“We have an inner voice, all of us — kind of a voice that we listen to,” the That, because he’s not dynamic, he’s not suited for springtime hockey. Flames coach said. “It’s different people. It could be your wife. It could be your girlfriend. It could be your dad, could be your mom. Maybe for him, it That, perhaps with that deficiency in mind, he’s revamped his style. (He was his grandfather, I don’t know. But you have special people and when has been credited with 64 hits through 67 games. Last season, he something like that happens, it hurts. registered 36 hits total. Also his faceoff-winning percentage, 52.7, has never been higher.) “For him to come and play the game that he did, I thought it was a great performance by one of our best players. But his one undeniable feature— he scores. Monahan cashed in at Detroit. His first of two tallies in Boston gave him his seventh consecutive “He led us in a lot of ways tonight.” 20-goal campaign. He added a power-play conversion in Tampa Bay.

As did Talbot, who recorded the 22nd shutout of his career after watching Lindholm finished the trip with four points, Gaudreau with five. David Rittich get the nod for the first four games of the trip. Talbot stopped 13 (!) shots against Mike Hoffman and Jonathan Huberdeau. “A multi-point game, a good game for him,” Ward said of Gaudreau’s output Sunday. “We like the fact that he was able to do what he wanted, “He was unbelievable,” Giordano said. “Right from the start, you could tell and that was play a real good game for his grandfather.” he was reading plays, fighting through screens. Obviously, he was probably the biggest reason why we won the game. He was dialed in Changing face(s) of the blue line from start to finish.” Giordano, after missing 10 games with a hamstring injury, groused about Talbot’s handiwork allowed the Flames to return home with a 3-1-1 his rustiness in his first two games back — Nashville and Tampa Bay. record. Sunday, the captain picked up three helpers. If you were a travel agent, it would have been easy to spin this itinerary into an appealing junket. Stops in Motown and Music City. A weekend in “He looked like the old Gio, much more than he had in the first couple of the Sunshine State. A couple of days in historic Beantown. Not bad. Not hockey games,” Ward said, “and that’s a great thing for us moving bad at all. forward.” But Giordano’s appearance was only part of the makeover.

The Flames, after all, had opened the trip with the following duos:

Noah Hanifin-Rasmus Andersson

T.J. Brodie-Michael Stone

Oliver Kylington-Alexander Yelesin

And finished with this upgraded array:

Mark Giordano-T.J. Brodie

Noah Hanifin-Rasmus Andersson

Derek Forbort-Erik Gustafsson

Few would dispute that it’s better now. (Yelesin was returned to Stockton, while spare Brandon Davidson was shipped to the San Jose Sharks.)

The price of the Flames’ improvements was a third-round pick (Gustafsson, a power-play specialist) and a conditional fourth-rounder (Forbort, a surly sort).

Both newcomers turn 28 this month. Both, too, are pending unrestricted free agents. So the Flames, potentially losing Brodie and Travis Hamonic to the open market, can get an extended peek at the incoming pair of lefties.

The Athletic LOADED: 03.03.2020 1179552 Carolina Hurricanes Then, he came back. Williams on Jan. 7 signed a one-year, pro-rated $700,000 contract that can include up to $1.3 million in bonus money. He has earned the $150,000 bonus for playing more than 10 games and How does the Canes’ Justin Williams rate his comeback? could pick up $250,000 should the Canes reach the playoffs again.

Through 16 games, Williams has three goals and three assists. He’s getting 13:24 in ice time per game -- he averaged 17:27 in 82 games last BY CHIP ALEXANDER MARCH 02, 2020 03:30 PM season, when he had 23 goals and 53 points -- with a high of 16:10 against the New York Rangers on Feb. 21.

“I think he’s just getting more and more comfortable as we move along RALEIGH-No one knew how it was going to go. here,” Brind’Amour said. “I think his play has been really good and Justin Williams didn’t know. Rod Brind’Amour didn’t know. The Carolina obviously we need that to continue.” Hurricanes players didn’t know. The beginning, for Williams, was pure storybook. Williams had the The assumption was that Williams, after sitting out the first three months shootout winning goal in his first game, Jan. 19 against the New York of the season, would easily transition back into the Canes’ lineup after his Islanders, then two goals in his second game and another shootout decision to return in January. Throw his gear in the locker room, get in a winner in the third. Brind’Amour called him “clutch” and he was. few practices, jump back into the lineup and pick up where the veteran “Willy is a gamer and he knows how to play,” forward Teuvo Teravainen forward left off last season, albeit without being the team captain — a said. team leader, for sure, but not the captain. But Williams went the next seven games without a point. After a two- How has it worked out? assist game against Nashville on Feb. 18, he was without a point the “As soon as he came back he was so familiar with us,” forward Warren next four games as the Canes went 6-5-1 in that 12-game stretch. Foegele said. “He brings that leadership and he brings that ultra There were questions if the adrenaline burst of the first few games had competitiveness to the ice. He’s super competitive, super smart and worn off and Williams was beginning to feel the effects of the inevitable super skilled. We knew what he could bring and it was like adding a grind of practicing and playing. Joining the lineup past midseason -- forward a little bit earlier than the trade deadline.” Williams missed the first 48 games -- can’t be easy at any age given the And Williams’ report card on himself? speed and competitiveness of the games, regardless of how fresh you might feel. “It’s been fine,” he said. “I feel like myself out there. I mean I wish I could be able to contribute a little more offensively but I know if I keep pushing “It felt like starting the season, for me, with everybody else a couple of and I keep trying and I keep working those things will come. steps ahead,” Williams said. “Just playing catch up, putting the work in, was the only thing I needed to focus on.” “I need to be more of an impact offensively. I know that. And I feel like I can be. I feel fine on the ice. It’s just a matter of getting more chances.” Williams, with a smile, did say there was one challenge to making a comeback months into the season. Jaxon now is old enough to critique Asked if the comeback, at age 38, was tougher than he expected, his father’s play, and does. Williams said, “No, about what I expected. Definitely what I expected. Ups and downs and now I’m just looking for an up trend here and I can “He’s always asking when I’m going to score again, so that doesn’t help,” push that through the playoffs.” Williams said, laughing.

That’s what the Canes want and a big reason Williams returned: another News Observer LOADED: 03.03.2020 shot at the Stanley Cup playoffs. A year ago, the Canes got their first taste of postseason since 2009, reaching the Eastern Conference finals, and did not want it to be a one-and-done thing.

During a February appearance on a Canes Corner broadcast, Williams told host Mike Maniscalco there would be some really good teams not make the playoffs this year, adding, “But it’s not going to be us.” That was a week before the Canes lost defenseman Brett Pesce and goalies James Reimer and Petr Mrazek to injuries against the Toronto Maple Leafs.

The Hurricanes (35-24-5) are 0-2-1 in their past three games and might have been 0-3 had Williams not redirected a shot for a goal Saturday against the Montreal Canadiens. The Canes, after trailing 3-0 in the game, tied the score 3-3 on Williams’ goal with 1:17 left in regulation but then lost 4-3 in overtime.

While the Canes Bash was being held Sunday night at PNC Arena, the annual fund-raiser for the team’s charitable foundation, the Columbus Blue Jackets put up four third-period goals for a 5-3 comeback win over the Vancouver Canucks. The Blue Jackets held a three-point lead over the Canes for the second wild-card playoff spot, although Carolina has three games in hand on Columbus.

“I’m confident in our group ... as long as we remember how hard you have to work to get there,” Williams said. “There’s no yellow brick road that you just waltz down to get to the playoffs.”

That message, that kind of positive reinforcement, is to be expected from a three-time Stanley Cup winner, the first with Carolina in 2006. It’s a reason Brind’Amour’s first decision as a head coach last season was to make Williams the captain, why Brind’Amour urged his old friend and former Canes teammate not to retire and to take a few months off before making a decision on this season.

Brind’Amour named Jordan Staal the captain just before training camp began. But he stayed in constant contact with Williams, who spent a chunk of the fall coaching his son, Jaxon, in youth hockey. 1179553 Carolina Hurricanes

Zamboni driver unlikely to spur NHL to change goalie rule

BY TIM REYNOLDS AP SPORTS WRITER MARCH 02, 2020 02:04 PM

BOCA RATON, FLA.-NHL general managers seem unlikely to suggest changes to the emergency backup goaltender policy, even after 42-year- old Zamboni driver David Ayres became one of the biggest stories of the season by winning a game for Carolina last month.

The issue was among the discussion points Monday, the first of three days of GM meetings, but the apparent consensus was that emergency goaltenders are called upon so rarely that any reaction now would likely feel like an overreaction.

“It’s such a rare occurrence,” Vegas general manager Kelly McCrimmon said. “It’s only news because it recently happened.”

Ayres became a sensation last month when he was called on by the Hurricanes in a game at Toronto after injuries to Carolina goalies Petr Mrazek and James Reimer. Ayres stopped eight shots and became the first emergency goalie in NHL history credited with a victory.

Under NHL rules, when a team’s two goalies are hurt or otherwise incapacitated the club “shall be entitled to dress and play any available goalkeeper who is eligible.” In Carolina’s case, that became Ayres, who often gets on the ice at Leafs practices when the team needs an extra goalie.

“We’re comfortable with the way that it is,” McCrimmon said.

Winnipeg general manager Kevin Cheveldayoff said he originally wasn’t planning to watch that Carolina-Toronto game on TV, flipping to it only when word broke that a Zamboni driver was in net.

Like other GMs who spoke Monday, Cheveldayoff indicated he likes the rule as is.

“A lot of guys have played college or junior,” Cheveldayoff said. “Being in the market that we’re in, we have certainly an opportunity to have lots of players that fit that criteria. In some places, there are tryouts. ... Fortunately in Winnipeg, we have a lot of former college players and the like.”

Florida general manager Dale Tallon has been through the emergency situation a couple of times in recent years — once with the team on the cusp of putting goaltender coach Robb Tallas into a game, another three years ago where a team account executive was summoned.

Neither got into the game. And while Tallon said he was nervous for Ayres on his big night, he also wasn’t inclined to call for change.

“The better team won that game. That’s the reality of that night,” Tallon said. “It happened to us three years ago. Three times it’s happened in 50 years. Do you change the whole thing? ... I think we did a good job of fixing it and it turned out for the better.”

News Observer LOADED: 03.03.2020 1179554 Carolina Hurricanes zone entries and then saying, “But when you dump the puck in it doesn’t really go anywhere … Can I confirm that? Can I actually try to figure out what’s going on?” That’s appealing to the way I think about things. I want Q&A: Neuroscience plus hockey makes good analytics sense for the to know those answers and get into the details. I understand not Hurricanes everyone does think that way or enjoy it. So part of it is I can make an argument about why analytics is important, but for me, it is also genuinely very fun. It’s a great, useful utility and we should be paying attention to that — but also I want to be doing it, it’s not this huge drudgery to me. By Sara Civian Mar 2, 2020 Is that your role with the Hurricanes, the incessantly asking “But why?”?

I’ve only been here for a month, so partially were still figuring it out. Right The past few years have been a fascinating time for hockey analytics, now it’s a lot of exploration, and luckily everyone is both realistic and considering the powers that be have started taking them seriously as one patient. But the big motivation of the hiring of both me and (Data of many tools to improve a hockey team. Engineer) Matt Walter is the event of tracking data coming soon. That’s Wow, what a concept. just really going to be a huge transformation in how we deal with data and analysis and how we think about things. Matt’s job is figuring out how As relatively new analytics departments are popping up in many NHL we deal with and organize all this new data and the logistics, and my end front offices, those with the particular set of skills to fill them are trickling is then thinking about a lot of the “Well, OK, how do we get useful things in from an array of backgrounds. out of the information?” There’s going to be so much more information and so much more data which is good, but there’s more work you have to Hurricanes VP of Hockey Management and Strategy Eric Tulsky was a do to get at (the heart of) it. Hockey statistics right now are very event- nanotechnologist before he made the jump to the front office, but he had based — goals, shots, very concrete things. A lot of what happens in a prominent, public presence in bringing analytics to the mainstream hockey happens between those events. You don’t want to just know beforehand. there’s a shot — how did that shot get set up, who contributed? Hopefully Margaret Cunniff, Ph.D., had been quietly paying attention. tracking data helps with that. My end is answering: How do we use all that information in a smart and creative way? An avid hockey fan, a Twitter connoisseur and an eventual Doctor of Neuroscience via the University of California at San Francisco, Cunniff Margaret Cunniff has a doctorate in neuroscience and combined with her kept tabs on the narrowing gap between the sport she loves and the way interest in hockey, found her way onto the Hurricanes analytics staff. her brain works as she was figuring out what she wanted to do with her (Sara Civian / The Athletic) life. How has your short time with the Hurricanes been? She saw a “Data Scientist” job opening in the Hurricanes front office in It has been great, I’ve really enjoyed it so far and everyone’s been really light of incoming tracking data revolution. She felt her skill set aligned in great. Eric (Tulsky) is fantastic. He’s very, very smart and very good at an almost “comically absurd” way, so she applied. his job, but he’s also a very good person and has been great to work with Now she’s almost two months into her tenure as a full-time Carolina so far. We have our little analytics department of four people (Tulsky, Hurricanes Data Scientist. Learn more about the New York native’s Kan, Walter and Cunniff), and everyone has been super helpful, patient journey and the Hurricanes’ vision below, but only if you promise to drop and interesting. some vegetarian-friendly barbecue recommendations in the comments. I understand this is a lot, but what’s your goal for the organization? How did you get to the other end of this phone conversation? (Stole this I think our goal as an organization is to try and have the highest skill one from Craig Custance) hockey team as we can, and my goal is to try to help us figure out how to Somewhat accidentally — some good timing and some good luck. I’ve do that. (Basically) evaluating players, evaluating play and figuring out been a hockey fan for a long time, but it honestly wasn’t something I how we can use the data at our disposal to ice the best team possible. thought I would end up professionally in as recently as a year and a half What’s your experience been like as a woman in a male-dominated field? ago. I just finished my Ph.D. in neuroscience. I was sort of at the time at the end of grad school where the end was in sight but what was next It’s definitely something I’ve thought a lot about when I was taking this job wasn’t yet clear — a fun time for everyone. I was considering a couple of and something I considered, and so far it’s been fine. But it’s like, it’s options, then this job was posted and it was a weirdly really fortuitous notable— there certainly have been plenty of times where I’m the only match of my personal interests and professional skill set. It was to the woman in the room. So everyone’s great and at the same time I am the point where it was almost comically absurd. I thought about it a little bit only woman in a lot of meetings. and figured it was worth applying because I thought it was really exciting and seemed like too good of an opportunity. I totally get that, this is why I hate when people ask me that question.

That whirlwind seems disproportionately common in hockey analytics, It’s a weird balance, because I think about it all the time but I don’t want right? to be thinking about it all the time. In some small way I hope to whatever extent that me being here, adding one more person to the list, makes it It will be interesting to see the background of analytics people currently less notable. Certainly, there’s no shortage of great women doing public and then in a couple years. I haven’t done any hockey work publicly, but I analytics work, there’s no shortage of talent. I hope it gets increasingly followed analytics closely, whereas (Hockey Operations Developer) less notable. Kevin Kan and Eric Tulsky built up these online resumes. To see how that will evolve in a couple years as people recognize the value of these Who was your favorite player growing up and why? specialized roles where the skill set isn’t always the classic, traditional Henrik Lundqvist. I was a field hockey goalie so I always loved goalies, (hockey mind) will be interesting. and my dad was a big Rangers fan. And … It’s Lundqvist. So if not publicly, how did you get into hockey and how did your love for The Athletic LOADED: 03.03.2020 science intertwine?

I started watching with my dad and liked it a lot, but it’s one of those things that’s hard to describe, right? Why you like a sport. That’s been interesting as I’ve tried to explain to my neuroscience colleagues why I’m making this move. As far as analytics, just following hockey Twitter as people started writing about these things and there’s been an increasing interest. Unsurprisingly given my background, thinking about (the game) this way makes intuitive sense for me. (I loved seeing) smart people with similar intuition doing the work to carry that out. (A lot of this stuff) in general is just incessantly asking “But why?” and then trying to figure it out, and that’s how I think. So that can be doing research or diving into the numbers and trying to pick apart what’s actually going on, looking at 1179555 Chicago Blackhawks high-five. Steinmiller’s attention is focused on the game’s Three Stars, one of whom he’ll grab for the in-house interview to cap the evening.

“It’s part of what makes the United Center Blackhawks experience so The goal-horn operator. The ‘Split the Pot’ seller. The Zamboni driver. exciting,” he said. “It’s a cool hockey tradition.” Meet 8 behind-the-scenes people who make things go during Blackhawks games at the United Center. Steinmiller and his team constantly watch for and react to news during a game in order to provide updates to the dozens of media members working on a given night. The staff can prepare for potential milestones, By JIMMY GREENFIELD CHICAGO TRIBUNE |MAR 02, 2020 | 7:00 AM but it’s the unexpected events — such as an injury or trade — that alter his responsibilities the most.

The in-game experience also includes making sure TV outlets have Fans attending Blackhawks games at the United Center look at the video players to interview during intermissions, which also are shown on the board, hear the game horn and gaze adoringly at the ice. United Center video board. It can be cumbersome when local and national broadcasts take place simultaneously. But they don’t know who programs the video board or how it’s done, who pushes the button for the game horn or how the ice is kept in such Steinmiller consults with the broadcasting team to determine which pristine shape. players make sense, then approaches them after the period.

The working people who make the United Center go night after night “We always work together and make sure it’s appropriate for the player,” might not be as famous as the players, but they play a huge role in he said. "We don’t want it to be Patrick Kane every time. Part of our job is creating a memorable experience for the 21,000-plus people who attend getting every player exposure and attention here and there. We want to games. spread it around and make sure it’s good for the fans, it’s good for the people in the arena and it’s good for the players. We know their time is Here’s a look at the game-day experience through the eyes of eight precious, especially in-game. people whose work touches fans — but whom you might not necessarily see. “A lot of them, they’re ready for it. They understand that it’s part of it and it’s another way for the fans to have an inside look during the game. ... Mike Horn, Goal-horn operator It’s very unique.” If you conjured a cartoon image of how the goal horn goes off at the Mitch Kerzner, NBC Sports Chicago producer United Center, you would have a hard time coming up with something better than the real thing. Mitch Kerzner’s game day at the United Center begins around 10 a.m. and ends at about midnight, and unlike the players, he doesn’t get to nap First of all, the name of the man who hits the horn is ... Mike Horn. No after the morning skate. joke. As producer of the NBC Sports Chicago Blackhawks telecasts, Kerzner The button Horn pushes when the Hawks score is large, red and says gets to the stadium early enough to watch coach Jeremy Colliton’s post- “Goal!” on top, and the urge to give it a push the second you see it is morning-skate news conference and make sure he’s aware of the best enticing — which is partially why the button is “protected” in lockdown storylines for the evening telecast. mode until needed. His crew arrives by 1 p.m., and the team heads to its production truck Mike Horn says of his goal-horn button: "It’s turn the key and go. I’ll cheat located just outside the building. Over the next few hours, the group sometimes if it looks like it’s going to be a good opportunity for us — I’ll builds video packages and prepares graphics. About 45 minutes before have it halfway there so I’m ready to go.” the game, broadcasters Pat Foley and Ed Olczyk rehearse their opening A key is required to activate the button, and Horn is very careful about segment. not turning it before the time is right. “Director picks cameras,” Kerzner said. “What I do is between the “You’ve got to be pretty sure about it when you go,” Horn said. “It’s turn whistles — what replays we’re doing, what sponsorships, are we going to the key and go. I’ll cheat sometimes if it looks like it’s going to be a good commercial or not. Talking to the announcers, letting them know what’s opportunity for us — I’ll have it halfway there so I’m ready to go.” coming so there’s that two-way dialogue. It looks like it’s seamless, but there’s a lot of talking going on.” Being the keeper of the goal horn is just one of Horn’s duties. As the team’s senior manager of game presentation, he plays a pivotal role in Kerzner is in his first season with NBC Sports Chicago but has been what appears on the video boards all around the United Center and calls producing NHL games for 25 years and said the United Center is among for certain replays of game action if he sees a need. the best in the league for a production team to work.

The main rule for replays — one the NHL put forth — is not to show “I know when visiting teams come in, they’re happy because they’re like anything that might incite the crowd and create a hostile environment. a kid in a candy store to work with, camera-wise,” he said.

“We can show them, but they don’t want us to repeatedly show it,” Horn Kerzner has 16 to 17 cameras to choose from throughout the arena, he said. “In other words, if a guy gets cross-checked in the face and he’s said, including the overhead and in-net cameras. Some people have a lying on the ice and they don’t call anything, I can’t show that four times better shot at getting on TV than others. because all that’s going to do is incite the crowd.” Patrick Kane wasn’t the only person upset his parents were snowed in The horn isn’t used exclusively for goals. It also gets blasted every time and couldn’t get out of Buffalo, N.Y., to see him register his 1,000th Hawks players come out on the ice to announce their presence. And not career point in Chicago. Kerzner said he would have made sure he knew all goals are created equally. A shootout goal gets just one blast, while where they were sitting so the director could cut to them at the right time. regulation and overtime goals get three blasts with varying lengths Most likely to get some TV time? Kids. And least likely? between them, depending on the situation — and all at Horn’s discretion. “If a guy’s got 20 beers sitting in front of him, it’s probably a good idea not “I put some emotion into it, that’s for sure,” Horn said. “If we’re down two to shoot him,” Kerzner said. goals and score two to tie it up real quick, you can believe that the goal horn for that second goal is going to be longer than it would be if it was a Chase Agnello-Dean, Team photographer first-period goal. That’s just me as a fan. When (Patrick) Kane got his 1,000th point, it was a lot longer then.” As the players, officials and youth hockey players stand at attention during the national anthem, it’s hard to miss team photographer Chase John Steinmiller, Media relations manager Agnello-Dean at work.

At the end of every Blackhawks win at the United Center, John With a camera in one hand and one or more draped over his shoulders, Steinmiller is ready to leap into action. this gentle giant moves along the ice capturing the moments for posterity. And he’s also doing his best not to slip. Standing behind the bench, he keeps a watchful eye on the players as they exit the ice after giving Jonathan Toews a traditional post-victory “I’ve fallen twice,” Agnello-Dean said. “It was not graceful.” The seemingly simple task of photographing the day’s events at the and his team of 22 people tell the story of the game to the 21,000 fans United Center is actually complex, requiring two photographers — Bill below. Smith is the other — and a team of interns. At the end of a game day, roughly 3,000 photos are taken. Wherever they are inside — or outside — the stadium, Lozano can reach them with the push of a button. Chase Agnello-Dean, one of two Blackhawks team photographers, says he knows when to give players space — and he stays out of the coaches “When we score a goal, our goal animation is going everywhere,” Lozano room. "That’s their area," he says. "Leave it be.” said. "It’s going outside, it’s going on the marquee, it’s going on the concourse. When we win, our win graphic and the score of the game is Agnello-Dean’s favorite moments? The 2010 Stanley Cup championship going outside. banner-raising ceremony and when Duncan Keith scored the go-ahead goal in Game 6 of the 2015 Stanley Cup Final — the only one of the “That’s kind of neat that when we score a goal, if you happen to be three titles from the last decade that the Hawks clinched on home ice. outside or driving by, you can see the Blackhawks scored a goal.”

“After Duncan scored, you can see it (was going to happen),” he said. As the senior director of scoreboard operations, Sergio Lozano and his “The building was alive.” team of 22 people tell the story of the game to the 21,000 Blackhawks fans at the United Center. “We look at our audience as different than if Agnello-Dean has near carte blanche to shoot what he needs to preserve you’re at home watching TV,” Lozano says. what takes place at the United Center. He has developed an intuitive understanding of how to give the players privacy when they need it. Lozano, 51, has been a scoreboard operator at the United Center since it opened in 1994 and is on his third scoreboard. The current one, in its “The players and I over the years have struck an unofficial agreement, I rookie season, is far more powerful than the first two, and the team still is suppose,” he said. “There’s some times when I just don’t go in the room, learning new and creative ways to use it. and outside of that, I’m kind of free to roam. But ultimately Lozano tries to provide fans with updated statistics and "I stay out of the coaches room — that’s an old-school thing. That’s their video pouring in from the 24 camera angles at his disposal that are area. Leave it be.” mostly different from what TV viewers see.

Agnello-Dean fortuitously joined the Hawks before the 2009-10 season “We look at our audience as different than if you’re at home watching and shot the three subsequent Stanley Cup title runs. He realizes his TV,” Lozano said. “So the audience here at the arena has a different pictures will be around long after he and everyone else currently in the experience, whether we’re showing more replays or fan shots or just organization are gone. different shots of players.”

“It’s not just now; it’s 20, 30, 40, 100 years down the road when One thing Lozano doesn’t need to worry about anymore is how to Blackhawks hockey is still playing,” he said. “We can look back on this improve the experience for people sitting closest to the ice. The new era and reminisce, enjoy, celebrate. And we’ve shot the hell out of it.” scoreboard has video screens underneath, so those fans can see replays. Joelle Kearns, Game presentation coordinator “The inner ring underneath is a game-changer for everyone at the 100 Within seconds of the whistle blowing to end a period, a dozen kids in full level,” he said. “We never had (anything) like that. We have statistics hockey uniforms ready to skate in a relay race magically appear on the there and the feed of the game. And anyone in the arena can see some United Center ice. Only it’s not magic. kind of video feed, and that’s what’s important when you’re in the arena.”

It’s the result of Joelle Kearns and her team’s meticulous planning — Danny Ahearn, Zamboni driver/ice technician right down to the second. Danny Ahearn feels at home at the United Center, which sometimes “A lot of people, when they come to the game, they don’t think (about) really is home. what’s going on to get to this point,” Kearns said. “So when I tell people what I do, they’re like, ‘Oh, that happens?’ From doors opening to game Ahearn, one of the UC’s ice technicians and Zamboni drivers, is ending, logistically you’re planning that out.” responsible for preparing the ice for Hawks games, a process that sometimes doesn’t begin until whatever event taking place the night As game presentation coordinator, Joelle Kearns oversees the in-game before is over. entertainment for the Blackhawks. "It’s a constant go,” she says. After Bulls games, for instance, that means getting home around 2 a.m. Time is precious when officials take TV timeouts, giving Kearns two after the transition is complete. But cleaning up after concerts is more minutes to make sure everything gets done before play resumes — time consuming, and occasionally it makes sense for Ahearn to stick which is why she moves constantly. During the course of a game day, around after getting the ice ready. she walks seven miles — yes, she has tracked it — around the United Center to make sure everything runs smoothly. Dan Ahearn is the Blackhawks' lead ice technician and one of their Zamboni drivers. "Doesn't bother me at all," he says of wheeling around Among her responsibilities, she spends time in the stands with the in- the ice in front of a packed United Center. game hosts as they play games on the video board with fans, moves to the ice for the shoot-the-puck contest and then to the hallways to wrangle “A lot of people say, ‘You’ve got the greatest job in the world,’ ” said the youth hockey players. Ahearn, 62, who has been an ice technician since 1980, when the Hawks played at Chicago Stadium. “I tell everybody, we’re here all day, not just “Fans are seeing the relay race,” she said. “But they’re not seeing (me) for the game, and sometimes we’re here all night. If there’s a concert, lining the kids up in the back of the hallway, screaming that they have to that’s the worst because once the concert’s over, we can’t start working get off the carpet because the refs are coming through (and telling them), until they get out of here. ‘OK, make sure you stay in line when you get out there.’ ” “Sometimes we have to stay here (all night) because there’s not enough When the Hawks honored Patrick Kane for reaching the 1,000-point time to go home.” milestone, fans witnessed an emotional pregame ceremony with Kane, his parents and sisters, Stan Mikita’s wife, Jill, and Denis Savard, among Fans attending Hawks games see the United Center ice resurfaced three others. It was Kearns who instructed every person on the ice — Kane times — after warm-ups and during the intermissions — but that’s a included — where and when to go and made sure they followed suit. fraction of the work done to keep it in pristine shape.

“It’s a constant go,” Kearns said. “But your adrenaline gets going, and the An early morning crew comes in on a game day for some resurfacing and fun part for me is that it’s exciting and you want to keep moving.” prep work, then Ahearn arrives between 9 and 10 a.m. to start his day. On a game day after the Hawks have a morning skate — and even if Sergio Lozano, Scoreboard operator they don’t — Ahearn and the crew resurface hourly, he said, and take A massive amount of information is constantly delivered to video boards care of any necessary maintenance. throughout the United Center, and it all comes from a secure room high The invention of the Zamboni in the 1940s made it possible to complete a atop the building. It’s in this room with dozens of video screens and resurfacing in minutes, but ice sheets still require more hands-on enormous panels full of buttons that scoreboard operator Sergio Lozano attention. Between periods, technicians scrape ice off the corners of the boards to try to keep the entire surface even for when the Zamboni makes its rounds.

Ahearn takes a lot of pride in maintaining the United Center’s two Zambonis year-round. The current ones are 3 years old, having replaced a pair that lasted 18 years.

Ahearn is a smooth operator — he has a perfect Zamboni driving record, in part because he never gets nervous wheeling around the ice in front of 21,000 fans.

“Doesn’t bother me at all,” he said.

Lola Jefferson, ‘Split the Pot’ seller

The United Center’s “Split the Pot” raffle tickets don’t sell themselves. They require energetic and ubiquitous hawkers such as Lola Jefferson, who has been selling the tickets for 20 years, starting with the Bulls before adding the Hawks nine years ago.

Jefferson would stop, but where else can she feel as if she single- handedly raises $100,000 a year for great causes?

“I cannot give $100,000 to charity no matter how well I do,” she said.

Lola Jefferson sells ticket for the "Split the Pot" raffle during Blackhawks and Bulls games at the United Center. "You’re meeting a lot of fun, energetic people," she says.

The Hawks and Bulls raise money at each home game for their respective charitable foundations with the “Split the Pot” raffle, in which half the proceeds go to a single winner and half go to the foundation. Tickets are available online, but Jefferson and other sellers walk up and down the aisles during games, just as vendors do selling beer and hot dogs.

Jefferson has sold the winning ticket multiple times, which she loves. And she has developed a relationship with her “regulars.”

A fan once grabbed her sign and started selling tickets for her. Another time, one wanted her to take a break so they could have a meal together. Another fan attempted to feed her some chocolate ice cream.

“That was the weirdest probably,” Jefferson said. “It was nice, it was friendly.”

The experience selling the “Split the Pot” tickets has changed Jefferson’s life — one of her customers helped her land a job in real estate, an industry in which she still works. So for Jefferson, it’s not really about making a few extra bucks. It’s about giving back and being in an environment that usually oozes positivity.

“You’re meeting a lot of fun, energetic people who love the Blackhawks,” Jefferson said. “It’s just fun to see. You feel that energy. It’s not just selling.”

Chicago Tribune LOADED: 03.03.2020 1179556 Chicago Blackhawks “It’s more about reading the game and getting a feel for certain situations,” Crawford said. “I’m getting a little bit more patient. I’m not playing like it’s a rush to get saves and get into games.”

Blackhawks thankful for home-heavy March schedule after nomadic He won’t have to rush through his game-day routine now, either, with the February Hawks finally back home.

The Hawks played 11 of 14 games in February on the road, but will now Chicago Sun Times LOADED: 03.03.2020 play 11 of 15 games in March at home.

By Ben Pope Mar 2, 2020, 3:30pm CST

Home games have been rare for the Blackhawks over the past month and a half.

Coach Jeremy Colliton laughed when asked Monday what is the best part about being back at home.

“Should be your family, right?” he said with a grin. “Kids. Wife. Is that a trick question? I’m confused. Absolutely.”

Colliton finally has been reunited with his family, and his team will soon be reunited with the United Center, which has been their home arena in name only for the past month and a half.

The Hawks have played just three home games in the past 40 days while trudging through a February schedule with 11 road games, including separate five- and four-game road trips.

But in March, they’ll play 11 of 15 games at home, including two this week: the Ducks on Tuesday and the Oilers on Thursday. Better yet, they’ll never spend consecutive nights on the road all month.

That should help the team settle back into a rhythm.

“You’re in your hometown, you know where everything is, you have a ton of different options,” said Drake Caggiula, who added he’d never before experienced a month with that much travel at any level of hockey. “You’re not in a hotel. You have your family and your loved ones around you. You’re in your own locker room. It makes it way easier when you’re home.”

“Sometimes it’s nice to get on the road, because you have way less distractions, but when you’re gone for that long, it gets repetitive and boring.”

Sunday’s off day in Chicago and the relatively short practice Monday — the Hawks worked on defensive-zone coverage and breakouts for only about 40 minutes — indeed seemed to lift the group’s collective spirit.

Colliton was laughing about the “trick question,” Corey Crawford was smiling ear-to-ear about being back with his two-year-old son, Cooper, and Patrick Kane was making fun of Alex DeBrincat.

“It’s good to see my boy again, and my wife,” Crawford said. “It’s time for Daddy time now. That’s nice.”

“It’s nice not seeing DeBrincat every day,” Kane joked. “Having to go eat with him and hang out with him, so it’s nice to get away from a few hours.”

Kane also alluded to the return of faint playoff hopes, and statistics bear that out: The Hawks have upped their chances to a slim-but-not- impossible 10.4 percent (per Moneypuck) after closing February with consecutive wins.

The Hawks might be best served not taking those too seriously yet, but they will need to focus on improving their 13-13-4 home record, which ranks third-worst in the NHL by points percentage.

Caggiula identified stronger starts as one key to improvement.

“Sometimes we’ve been getting off to slow starts at home, and by the time we get going, it’s a little bit too late and we come up just a goal short,” he said. “If we can get off to a good start and get our fans into it right from the start, it goes a long way.”

Crawford’s continued stellar play in the net also could help.

Colliton said Monday he’d “have to really work to go back to find” a game where Crawford didn’t play up to par, as the Hawks’ now clear-cut No. 1 goaltender has allowed three or fewer goals in 14 of his last 15 starts. 1179557 Chicago Blackhawks Scouting report

Blackhawks vs. Anaheim Ducks, 7:30 p.m. at United Center

Corey Crawford likes the new view from top perch TV: NBCSCH • Radio: WGN 720-AM

Blackhawks goaltender Corey Crawford, the no-doubt-about-it starter, The skinny: Anaheim (26-31-8) is 2-4-1 over its last seven games, has played exceptionally well of late. although those victories came against Edmonton and Pittsburgh. … Anaheim, with just 163 goals, is the third-lowest scoring team in the league. Ryan Getzlaf (13G, 27A) and Adam Henrique (24G, 15A) are the John Dietz leading scorers. … The Ducks have been shut out five times and held to 1 or 2 goals 29 times. … Anaheim's power play is 7-for-54 (13.0 percent) over the last 23 games. The Hawks' PP is 6-for-23 (27.3 percent) over the last six games. … Anaheim defensemen Cam Fowler and Hampus Corey Crawford's feeling more relaxed. Lindholm are both out with injuries. … David Backes made his debut for More at ease. More himself. the Ducks during a 3-0 loss to the Devils on Monday after being acquired from Boston. Backes, who spent most of his career with St. Louis, has 1 And it's really showing on the ice and in the postgame box scores. goal and 2 assists in 17 games this season. … The Hawks have dropped both games to Anaheim this season, one in overtime. After Robin Lehner was traded to Vegas last week, Crawford became the Blackhawks' slam-dunk No. 1 goaltender, and it should remain that way Next: Edmonton Oilers, 7:30 p.m. Thursday at United Center for at least the next couple of weeks. Daily Herald Times LOADED: 03.03.2020 After practice Monday at Fifth Third Arena, Crawford admitted sharing time with Lehner probably affected his play at times this season.

"It's hard when there's two older guys that are No. 1s to share time and to be at the top of your game," Crawford said. "I mean Lenny played great and even for him it was tough not to get more ice time. It's a hard situation.

"You can look at it two ways: It's good for your team, but it's also tough too."

Crawford went 7-13-2 with a .906 save percentage and 3.09 goals- against average in his first 23 appearances.

Since then the veteran has started 12 of the Hawks' last 18 games, going 6-5-1 with a .932 save percentage and 2.39 GAA. That stretch includes stopping 74 of 78 shots in victories at Tampa Bay and Florida late last week, as well as a sensational 31-save effort in a tough 2-1 loss Feb. 23 at Dallas.

The only rough outing the past month came at St. Louis when Crawford was hung out to dry numerous times in a 6-5 setback Feb. 25.

Overall, Crawford is reading and reacting better, especially on one-timers where he has to go post to post to keep the puck out of the net.

"When you're not playing you feel like it's a rush to get saves and get into games," he said. "Now it's just sit back and read plays a little bit more."

Said coach Jeremy Colliton: "He's been excellent, coming up with big saves when we needed them. ... I'd have to really work to go back to find one where we didn't like his play. So it's a big boost for our group."

It's a group that just completed a rough month in which 11 of 14 games were on the road. Now the Hawks have 11 of their next 15 contests at the United Center, beginning with tilts against Anaheim Tuesday and Edmonton Thursday.

There are some relatively easy opponents down the stretch, with the Ducks (26-31-8), Red Wings (15-47-5), Sharks (28-33-4), Senators (23- 31-12), Sabres (29-28-8), Kings (25-35-6) and Canadiens (30-28-9) all either under .500 or currently struggling. There are also divisional matchups against Minnesota (twice) and Nashville.

The Hawks (29-28-8) probably need to go something like 12-5-0 down the stretch to have any prayer of reaching the postseason, but just the fact that it's possible is a good thing for Alex DeBrincat, Dylan Strome, Dominik Kubalik, Kirby Dach, Adam Boqvist, and other young players.

"That's the only way you're going to get better is if you play in the big games," Crawford said. "If you're getting beat every time by wide margins you're not getting better. ...

"If you're in tight games and games you need to win to stay alive, that's the way you improve."

He said it:

"Should be your family, right? Kids. Wife. Is that a trick question?"

A smiling Jeremy Colliton on what he misses most about Chicago when the Hawks are on the road. 1179558 Chicago Blackhawks

Jonathan Toews' shootout heroics nothing new to Patrick Kane

By Scott King March 02, 2020 8:00 PM

Jonathan Toews wowed Patrick Kane with his shootout prowess before the franchise cornerstones were even teammates.

"We've seen it since World Juniors when he went 3-for-3 against us in that semifinal game," Kane said.

Kane was referring to the IIHF World Junior Championship bout on Oct. 10, 2007 when Toews scored three shootout goals for Team Canada — who faced elimination in the shootout as many times — against USA for the victory. Canada advanced to the gold medal game, beating Russia and Toews would land with the Hawks a few months later.

The Blackhawks captain and Kane, now an alternate captain, have long been a clutch one-two punch for the Blackhawks when a regular season game goes beyond overtime.

On Saturday, with the contest tied 2-2 against the Panthers in Florida, Toews scored five-hole on goalie Sergei Bobrovsky to set the table for Kane, who did the same. Corey Crawford stopped both Florida shooters he faced and the Hawks walked away with two straight wins to close out a four-game road trip and get back within six points of a Wild Card spot.

"He's got a lot of different tricks up his sleeve," Kane said of Toews. "He seemed like he was scoring five-hole there for the longest time where he was shooting it in between the stick and the pad and now he's got plenty of moves to be really deceptive out there and [keep] the goalie guessing."

Toews became the first NHL player to reach 50 shootout goals after his turn on Saturday and has an incredible 49.5 career shooting percentage in shootouts.

"He's been so clutch at it for the longest time," Kane said. "To be the first guy to reach 50 (shootout goals), I know he's been doing it for a long time and he's been really successful at it, so not surprising."

Kane's 47 shootout goals rank third all-time and Frans Nielsen of the Red Wings is in second with 49.

The NHL debuted the shootout at the start of the 2005-06 season.

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Blackhawks prospect Alec Regula named OHL defenseman of month for February

By Charlie Roumeliotis March 02, 2020 5:10 PM

Blackhawks prospect Alec Regula was named the Ontario Hockey League's Defenseman of the Month for February after recording 11 goals and seven assists for 18 points, guiding the London Knights to a 9-2-0 record.

The 19-year-old blue liner registered at least one point in 10 of 11 games and had multi-point outings in six of them. He also had a plus-10 rating over that span.

Regula's highlight of the season came on Feb. 21 when he became the first Knights defenseman to score a hat trick since March 2009. He started the month with a two-goal performance in a 5-2 win over the Sarnia Sting on Feb. 1 and ended with a two-point effort (one goal, one assist) in a 4-2 win over the Soo Greyhounds on Feb. 28.

Regula, who serves as co-captain for the Knights, leads all OHL defenders in goals (26) and ranks sixth in points (57) across 53 games this season.

Regula was acquired by the Blackhawks in October 2019 in a trade that sent Brendan Perlini to the Detroit Red Wings, who originally drafted Regula in the third round (No. 67 overall) of the 2018 NHL Draft. He signed a three-year, entry-level contract in November and could make the jump to the pros next season.

Comcast SportsNet.com LOADED: 03.03.2020 1179560 Chicago Blackhawks

Sports books currently have Dominik Kubalik at 50/1 for Calder Trophy

By Kelly Twardziak March 02, 2020 4:29 PM

One thing Blackhawks fans can agree on is that despite a rough season overall, rookie winger Dominik Kubalik has been a constant bright spot in the lineup and as a player to watch. It isn’t just Chicago that has been impressed by the 24-year-old Czech Republic native, for he made it to the final four of the NHL Calder Trophy. If Kubalik were to win, he’d be the tenth player in franchise history to do so.

Sports books are projecting Kubalik having 50/1 odds of winning the Calder Trophy as of March 2nd. Cale Makar (Avalanche) is considered the favorite, with -130 and Quinn Hughes (Canucks) is in second with +100. Kubalik and Victor Olofsson (Sabres) are considered long shots, with +5000 and +6600, respectively.

Kubalik was drafted by the Kings and acquired by the Blackhawks via trade in May of 2019 on a one-year contract. He made his NHL debut with the Blackhawks this season, playing 63 games and accumulating 44 points. He recently achieved his first NHL career hat-trick during the Blackhawks win against the Tampa Bay Lightning.

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Avalanche beat Red Wings 2-1, extending two winning streaks

By THE ASSOCIATED PRESS |PUBLISHED: March 2, 2020 at 8:53 p.m. | UPDATED: March 2, 2020 at 9:44 p.m.

DETROIT — Make that a fine nine.

Captain Gabe Landeskog withstood a crunching hit while making a pass that sprung Logan O’Connor for a breakaway goal in the second period, and the Colorado Avalanche beat the Detroit Red Wings 2-1 on Monday night for their season-high seventh straight victory.

Even better, it was the Avs’ ninth consecutive road victory, a club record.

Vladislav Namestnikov also scored for the Avalanche. Anthony Mantha had the only goal for Detroit.

With the score tied at 1, Landeskog was just inside his own blue line when he took a hit from Detroit’s Robby Fabbri. As he was clocked, Landeskog released a pass up the ice to O’Connor, who was behind the defense at the other blue line.

Can the Avalanche win the Stanley Cup in 2020? Here’s what one oddsmaker says.

Pavel Francouz, “salt of the earth,” is the man for the job in Avalanche net

“That was a selfless play. That’s why he wears the `C’ obviously,” O’Connor said. “That was a great pass by him — great look that set up the whole opportunity there.”

O’Connor went in and beat goalie Jonathan Bernier for his second goal of the season.

Mantha converted off a goalmouth scramble to open the scoring in the first, but the Avalanche equalized before the period was over. Ryan Graves took a shot that slipped through Bernier, and Namestnikov kicked the puck to himself in the crease and then stuffed it in the net with his stick.

O’Connor was called up from the AHL on Saturday, and Namestnikov arrived from Ottawa in a recent trade.

“I think that’s Vlad’s best game since he’s been here,” Avs coach Jared Bednar said. “I think that’s his third one. It looked like his first game he was thinking too much. Second game he got a little bit better, a little more involved.”

Colorado is a point behind St. Louis for the Central Division lead.

The Red Wings are 3-18-2 in their last 23 games.

Colorado outshot Detroit 21-10 through the first two periods. The Red Wings put on occasional pressure in the third, but goalie Michael Hutchinson, the fifth Colorado player to play that position this season (also a club record), did enough to hold them off. Hutchinson finished with 17 saves.

Avalanche rookie defenseman Cale Makar sat out the game with an upper-body injury. He is considered day to day.

Nathan MacKinnon got his 53rd assist of the season on O’Connor’s goal. MacKinnon also tied Alex Tanguay for seventh on the franchise list with 488 points.

“Could have went either way. I like the way we battled until the end there,” Detroit’s Dylan Larkin said. “We’ve just got to find ways to generate more shots still, and make it harder on the goalie over there.”

The Avs put their seven-game winning streak on the line 7:30 p.m. on Wednesday night at the Pepsi Center against the Anaheim Ducks. Then Colorado hits the road again, looking for its 10th in a row away from home Friday night at the Vancouver Canucks.

Denver Post: LOADED: 03.03.2020 1179562 Colorado Avalanche

What’s behind the Avalanche’s club-record winning streak on the road? Bonding and chemistry, Erik Johnson says.

The Avs take a eight-game road winning streak into Monday’s game at Detroit

By MIKE CHAMBERS | March 2, 2020 at 1:30 p.m.

The playoff-bound Avalanche takes a club-record eight-game road winning streak into Monday’s game at Detroit, the NHL’s worst team. There’s a good chance Colorado extends that streak, and also wins its seventh straight overall.

What’s been the Avs’ secret on the road? Veteran defenseman Erik Johnson said it’s team bonding and chemistry.

“The road has been good to us. I think that is just a sign of a team that really enjoys each other, gets along and has a lot of fun together,” Johnson said after Saturday’s 3-2 win at Nashville. “You get to spend a lot of time on the bus and on the plane, going to dinner and going to movies or having beers together or whatever.

“It’s just a team that has a lot of fun together and really enjoys each other and I think that just makes it that much better for us on the road when you enjoy each other’s company and you want to play that hard for the guy next to you.”

The Avs have put winning streaks together without some of their best players.

Second-line center Nazem Kadri will miss his 11th game Monday with a leg injury, and first-line winger Mikko Rantanen will be out for his seventh straight with an injury to his shoulder area. Colorado has also played without key forward Matt Calvert for the previous seven games and second-line winger Andre Burakovsky has missed three of the last four with an illness and lower-body injury and will again be out Monday.

Goalie Philipp Grubauer (lower-body) is on injured reserve and will miss his eight-straight game Monday. Grubauer’s opening-night backup, Pavel Francouz, has been spectacular in net recently — riding a six-game winning streak and going 6-0-1 in his last seven — but will not start against the Red Wings.

The recently acquired Michael Hutchinson will start and make his first appearance with the Avs, who return home for Wednesday’s game against Anaheim before beginning a three-game West Coast trip Friday at Vancouver.

Denver Post: LOADED: 03.03.2020 1179563 Colorado Avalanche

Kiszla vs. Chambers: Are Avalanche destined for Francouz-vs.-Grubauer goalie controversy?

By MIKE CHAMBERS and MARK KISZLA PUBLISHED: March 2, 2020 at 11:34 a.m. | UPDATED: March 2, 2020 at 12:13 p.m.

Kiz: OK, he’s not David Ayres, emergency goalie and idol of every weekend warrior on skates. Pavel Francouz has got real game and he doesn’t drive the Zamboni. But Francouz might be the most remarkable story of this feel-good hockey season in Colorado. A 29-year-old who never started an NHL game until joining the Avalanche has taken control as the No. 1 goalie for the team in the wake of Philipp Grubauer‘s lower- body injury during the outdoor game in Colorado Springs. Is there any way Grubauer gets the starting job back?

Chambers: Not if “Frankie” keeps playing as he has. But when and if Grubauer gets healthy, yes, there are going to be some tough decisions for coach Jared Bednar. But I think the Avs are bound to stick with Francouz if he continues to produce wins by allowing less than two goals a game. I would imagine Bednar and his staff are hoping Grubauer is an option over the next month and into the playoffs if for no other reason than depth. Right now, if Frankie blows a hammy, the team must turn to trade-deadline rental Michael Hutchinson, who was the Toronto Maple Leafs‘ fourth-string goalie. So, make no mistake, the Avs want to have the Francouz/Grubauer option.

Kiz: Since being forced into duty for a contender already hampered by injuries on the offensive end, all the important stats for Francouz have been spectacular. But know what impresses me most about Francouz? His demeanor. Grubauer has a troubling habit of blaming teammates or the system when he struggles to stop the puck. And I would guess that can rub some of the boys in Colorado’s room the wrong way. Francouz never gripes. But even with his new, well-earned contract, can a $2 million goalie really be trusted to win 16 playoff games for the Avs?

Chambers: If this was a popularity contest, Francouz would win hands- down. The guys love playing for Francouz — partly because he is such a great teammate. But to answer your question: Can Francouz lead the team to 16 wins in the playoffs? Sure, why not? Jordan Binnington did it a year ago. The no-name Blues goalie led St. Louis to the Cup.

What’s behind the Avalanche’s club-record winning streak on the road? Bonding and chemistry, Erik Johnson says.

Can the Avalanche win the Stanley Cup in 2020? Here’s what one oddsmaker says.

Kiz: I think everyone with eyes can agree the outstanding play of Francouz should make him the No. 1 goalie until further notice. But here’s what could be a juicy development. Let’s assume Grubauer will get fit in time for the postseason. During the dramatic ebb and flow witnessed in almost every playoff series, the starting goalie experiences a rough game. Will Bednar stick by Francouz, whose NHL resume lacks gravitas, when the going gets tough?

Chambers: That’s the biggest question, and I’m curious to see what Bednar and his staff do. But one thing is clear: If Francouz is suddenly benched after a tough loss and a questionable performance, the Avs know he’s not going to pout and make waves. I don’t expect Grubauer to make waves when/if he returns and is the backup, either. But Grubauer is going to want his job back and Francouz is bound to have a tough game. If Grubauer gets his shot and plays as he did a year ago down the stretch and into the playoffs, the Avs will ride him.

Denver Post: LOADED: 03.03.2020 1179564 Colorado Avalanche

Avalanche goalie Pavel Francouz named NHL’s third star of the week

By JOE NGUYEN | March 2, 2020 at 11:01 a.m.

Another week, another honor for the Avalanche’s Pavel Francouz.

Colorado’s goaltender was named the NHL’s third star of the week Monday after going 3-0-0 with a .946 save percentage and 2.00 goals- against average.

Francouz, 29, was named the league’s first star last week after leading the Avs to a 3-0-1 record. He is on a six-game winning streak entering Monday’s game.

On the season, he has a 19-5-3 record with a 2.24 GAA and .929 save percentage.

Denver Post: LOADED: 03.03.2020 1179565 Colorado Avalanche

Can the Avalanche win the Stanley Cup in 2020? Here’s what one oddsmaker says.

By JOE NGUYEN | The Denver Post March 2, 2020 at 6:00 a.m.

Colorado Avalanche goaltender Pavel Francouz deflects a shot during the second period of an NHL hockey game against the Los Angeles Kings Saturday, Feb. 22, 2020, in Los Angeles.

A six-game winning streak and stellar play from a hot goaltender has the Avalanche’s Stanley Cup chances climbing, according to one oddsmaker.

The Avs, as of Sunday night, have the third-best odds to win the Stanley Cup at 8-to-1, according to Bovada. Colorado is tied with Vegas Golden Knights. Tampa Bay and Boston were tied as favorites at 6/1.

Colorado is third to win the Western Conference at 15/4 behind Vegas and St. Louis, both 7/2.

Entering the season, the team was rated fifth best by the oddsmaker at 12/1.

In the last six games, goaltender Pavel Francouz — who’s filled in for the injured Philipp Grubauer — has compiled a 6-0 record, allowing just 1.3 goals a game and a .957 save percentage.

— Joe Nguyen, The Denver Post

What’s on Tap?

Avalanche: At Detroit Red Wings, 5:30 p.m. Monday, KDVR-20, NHL

Nuggets: Golden State Warriors, 7 p.m. Tuesday, ALT

TV/RADIO: Here’s what sports are airing today.

Denver Post: LOADED: 03.03.2020 1179566 Colorado Avalanche professional campaigns he has logged with the Avalanche and the Colorado Eagles.

“I think when we have all lines firing, we’re a hard team to stop,” Add it up: Nathan MacKinnon isn’t putting in goals, and the Avs are O’Connor said. “I think that’s been the case throughout this stretch here. winning There’s been guys going down, but everyone’s been contributing and doing their part to come up with the wins.”

By Ryan S. Clark Mar 2, 2020 Nathan MacKinnon wins a puck battle against Patrik Nemeth. (Raj Mehta / USA Today)

Hutchinson, Namestnikov and O’Connor were surrounded by cameras DETROIT – Seven in a row. That is the winning streak the Colorado and recorders afterward because of their performances. All of them wore Avalanche are on, and they have done it without Nathan MacKinnon smiles, knowing they had just helped their team to another massive win scoring a goal. during a stretch when many wondered if the injuries would be too much for the Avs to handle. Escaping a three-game trip with a 2-1 win Monday against the Detroit Red Wings at Little Caesars Arena added to what the Avalanche Even so, they weren’t the happiest people in the room. That distinction continue to achieve under bizarre circumstances. The latest twist: star belonged to MacKinnon. rookie defenseman Cale Makar’s unexpected absence from warmups because he suffered an upper-body injury that will keep him out for an “It’s great. We’re finding ways to win, and I am really happy for Hutchy,” undetermined period. The Avalanche indicated that his status was day to MacKinnon said. “It is a big win for him. He had a couple tough games day. and I think people turned on him, and it’s nice to see he hasn’t lost his confidence. He looked awesome tonight.” Sure. It’s another short-term injury, or maybe a long-term one. And yet it once again set the stage for others to make an impact. Goaltender MacKinnon didn’t stop there. He had even more to say about Michael Hutchinson grabbed his first win in more than a month, and on Namestnikov, O’Connor and the team as a whole. his 30th birthday. Vladislav Namestnikov got his first goal with his new “Vladdy is a really smart player, and O’C? It’s just so awesome to see team on the same day he was moved to the top line. And Logan him score, too,” MacKinnon said. “It’s just great to have so many different O’Connor’s second career NHL goal was also his first winning goal at this guys step up when we’ve needed them. It’s been our theme this season. level. It’s been a little bit of a grind, but we’re playing good defensive hockey. I All those players joined the team on the same day, Feb. 24. think we’re one of the best defensive teams.”

So let’s get this straight: The Avalanche have won seven consecutive You’re third in the league in goals allowed, he was told. games. Without four of their top five points leaders. While their superstar “I mean, that’s the whole season,” MacKinnon said. “I’d like to see us center has not scored a goal in two weeks. With the latest victory riding over the last 10 games. I’m sure we’re the best or have to be up there.” on the backs of three dudes who weren’t here a week ago. You had the league’s best defense in February and gave up the fewest How do you even sum all that up? goals of any team in the NHL.

“I don’t even try to, to be honest with you,” coach Jared Bednar said, “That’s great,” MacKinnon said. “We’re playing great team hockey, and at grinning. “I think guys are just stepping in and they’re playing hard. the end of the day, we all get paid to get wins.” They’re playing hard for one another and they want to keep this thing going, and it’s sort of that ‘next man up’ attitude and mentality that our MacKinnon might not be scoring goals right now, but he does have 15 team has, and we know the points are valuable, and we want them and points over his past 10 games. And he’s still fifth in the league in points we’re finding a way again. and tied for eighth in goals, all while being one of the primary reasons the Avalanche are a Stanley Cup contender. When he goes this long without “I didn’t think tonight was the prettiest game, and it wasn’t our best one a goal, however, some might wonder whether the Avs can sustain this we have seen our team play. But we’re finding a just to grind out points sort of success. and try to defend as hard as we can to give ourselves a chance to win the hockey game.” As it turns out, the Avalanche can win without MacKinnon scoring goals. Actually, they have won a lot of games without a goal from him this Consider the circumstances: Hutchinson, much maligned in Toronto and season. under fire for a lack of consistency, was one of the constants for his new team in his first start. The Avalanche traded for Namestnikov because The 2017-18 season was when he went from former No. 1 pick Nathan they wanted a two-way forward who could be used in a top-nine role MacKinnon to Nova Scotian Thanos Nathan MacKinnon, whose Infinity while doing what he can at the low slot and net front, where 93 percent of Gauntlet was his fast feet, quick wrists and a killer instinct. his goals originate. That number went up Monday because that’s exactly how he scored the tying goal. And the winning goal, provided by That was also the season that saw the Avalanche go from having the O’Connor at 14:31 of the second period, was a prime example of what he NHL’s worst record in the salary cap era to being a team that secured a can provide. playoff berth in the final regular-season game. MacKinnon finished second in Hart Trophy voting that season, and his production was a Avalanche captain and star left winger Gabriel Landeskog held crucial component to the Avs’ success. And yet, the Avs won 17 games possession just long enough, took a punishing check, then played a pass and lost 23 when he did not score a goal. that led to O’Connor getting into an ocean of space for a breakaway. He took his chance and converted. It was a sequence so quick that the A year later, MacKinnon enhanced his place among the game’s elite arena scorekeeper initially gave MacKinnon credit — likely because of players with a career-high 99 points. But the Avalanche still needed him the quick-strike nature and the sight of a player with a 20-something to score goals if they were to win more often than they lost. They went number speeding into the zone with ease. 15-30 when he was without a goal.

Such plays are why the Avalanche felt as though they needed O’Connor. But this season has been quite different. The Avalanche are 23-11 in They signed him right before he started what would have been his senior games when MacKinnon does not have a goal. So what has changed? season at the University of Denver. O’Connor agreed to a two-year Simple: the roster, whether wracked by injuries or in full health. For an contract because Joe Sakic and the front office liked the potential out of exhibit, just see what Hutchinson, Namestnikov and O’Connor did an undrafted free agent who possessed a two-way presence coupled Monday. with what has commonly been described as “world-class” skating ability “It’s awesome to have such great players on the team and we’re grinding from several others within the organization. right now and every game is 2-1 or 3-2. So it’s not as fun, but a win’s a Seeing him score like that further reinforced a roster decision that has the win,” MacKinnon said. “We’ll take Mikko (Rantanen), (Matt Calvert), potential to pay dividends. The 23-year-old scored 35 goals over his five (Colin Wilson), (Andre) Burakovsky, Cale and Kadri. I mean, it’s exciting, seasons with the Sioux Falls Stampede in the USHL and in college with though. When we’ve got our team back, we’re scary. I think with our full the Pioneers. His latest tally gives him 33 goals in the nearly two full lineup, I think we’ve lost under eight games or so. “It’s great. We’re finding ways to win.”

The Athletic LOADED: 03.03.2020 1179567 Colorado Avalanche game absence due to illness. … Valeri Nichushkin left the ice halfway through the pregame warmup after taking a puck to the face but was back in time for puck drop. … Colorado will play 12 of its remaining 17 By Aarif Deen - March 2, 2020 games on home ice, where it is 17-9-5, compared to a league-best 23-9- 2 on the road.

Three Stars DETROIT — Colorado Avalanche captain Gabriel Landeskog made perhaps the most selfless play one can make in hockey—by taking a hit Gabriel Landeskog: He didn’t have much time to make that play before to make a play—to set up the eventual game-winning goal Monday in a getting hit, but his pass was certainly the play of the game. 2-1 victory over the Detroit Red Wings. Logan O’Connor: Was playing in the American Hockey League a week The Red Wings, who haven’t beaten the Avs in three seasons, were ago and now has his first game-winning NHL goal. celebrating ‘90s night’ at Little Caesars Arena. But make no mistake Michael Hutchinson: First game with a new team. First win with a new about it, this is not those same 90s Red Wings. team.

Far from it, actually. Next up

Colorado (40-18-7) got the game-tying goal from Vladislav Namestnikov Colorado hosts the Anaheim Ducks on Wednesday with a chance to in the first period before Landeskog’s setup to Logan O’Connor to win its pass the Blues for first place in the Western Conference. season-high seventh straight game and ninth straight on the road. milehighsports.com LOADED: 03.03.2020 Landeskog received a pass from center Nathan MacKinnon at the Avalanche’s blue line and quickly turned and sent the puck up to O’Connor, who sprung in on the breakaway. But just as Landeskog made the play, he was leveled by Detroit’s Robby Fabbri.

“I kinda saw Fabbri coming late,” Landeskog said. “But I still had time to see that O’Connor had his guy beat at the blueline. I wasn’t trying to make a great tape-to-tape pass but that was just how it ended up working out.”

O’Connor joined the Avalanche the same day that Namestnikov and goaltender Michael Hutchinson were acquired. And all three of them were catalysts in Colorado’s victory. Even with all the faces, there was still an appreciation for one of the team’s longest-serving players.

“Gabe taking a selfless play there to take the hit and lead to my breakaway was awesome,” O’Connor said. “Just little plays like that have really snowballed this team ahead.”

Landeskog’s assist pushed his point streak to five games. He has eight points in eight games since right winger Mikko Rantanen was injured. Those efforts have helped the Avalanche pull to within one point of the St. Louis Blues with a game in hand for first place in the Western Conference.

“For that play to come from our leader is not really surprising,” Avs coach Jared Bednar said. “We needed someone to do it and we’ve had different guys step up on different nights.”

Namestnikov’s goal was important for a few reasons. It was not only his first goal. But it was a game-winning goal that clinched a six-game winning streak where each victory has been decided by one goal.

Colorado surrendered the first goal of the game, something it’s done just 22 times this season, but the newcomer capitalized on a loose puck in the crease to make it 1-1 late in the first period.

The winger was paired with MacKinnon and Landeskog while the Avalanche continues to play without their two highest point-producing wingers in Andre Burakovsky and Rantanen.

“That’s Vlad’s best game since he’s been here,” Bednar said about Colorado’s trade deadline acquisition. “It looked like his first game he was thinking too much. Second game he got a little better and more involved and we’ve been playing him with Landeskog and MacKinnon now. I thought he made an impact with us tonight.”

The other acquisition at last Monday’s deadline, Hutchinson, celebrated his 30th birthday with a victory in his Avalanche debut. The former Maple Leafs goaltender made 18 saves, including eight in the third period with Colorado holding onto a one-goal lead.

“I think they scored on their first scoring chance,” Bednar said about Hutchinson’s performance. “But as the game went on I can see him get a little more comfortable and a little more confident.”

Footnotes

Rookie defenseman Cale Makar was listed as day-to-day after being ruled out with an upper-body injury. … Samuel Girard was paired with Makar’s usual partner, Ryan Graves, and Mark Barberio was inserted into the lineup and paired with Nikita Zadorov. … Burakovsky missed his second straight game with an injury after returning on Friday from a two- 1179568 Colorado Avalanche 2. Commit to fixing tix mngr?

— BobInBoulder (@BobInBoulder) February 17, 2020

Passing the Buck: Nuggets and Avs fans pick up the tab for big contracts To make a long story short, and get to the point, my seats had gone up and missing television revenues by $30 per game (or 17.65 percent) and I had to decide whether I wanted to pay for them quickly.

The hook, for better or worse, is that if I chose to continue, I’d get the first By Doug Ottewill - March 2, 2020 shot at playoff tickets at season ticket holder prices – still higher than the price of a regular season ticket, but lower than the price for non-season ticket holders or for current season ticket holders who’d decided not to This morning, sports fans Colorado will wake up with a smile, knowing commit to the 2020-21 season. In essence, the playoffs – a should-be that their local NBA and NHL teams are good. Damn good. reward for a loyal patron – are being leveraged to obtain my business (at an increase price) for next season. The Denver Nuggets currently sit in second place in the NBA’s Western Conference. The Colorado Avalanche sit in second place in the NHL’s Naturally, I emailed my ticket rep (two of them in fact). I got an auto- Central Division while also possessing the second-highest point total in response, essentially letting me know they were receiving a high-volume the Western Conference. For both teams, when it comes to the playoffs, of email inquiries (I’ll bet) and would respond in the order in which emails it’s no longer a matter of “if” but instead “how far.” It’s a nice change for a were received and as soon as possible. fan base that’s hasn’t been rewarded very often of late when it comes to the playoffs. Not including last season, the Avalanche only made the Turns out, there must have been a ton of other emails; and “as soon as postseason in three out of 10 years; the Nuggets missed the postseason possible” wasn’t very soon. I got my first response Friday at 3:25pm and for five straight seasons. have yet to get the second. Having more questions (both for pricing clarity and for purposes of this article), I chose to aim higher up the food Relatively speaking, the on-court and on-ice products offered at Pepsi chain, so I sent an email late Friday night to team executives. To their Center are excellent. Any complaints about them are born of new and credit, I received detailed answers Sunday at 4:25pm. I didn’t love the exciting expectations. answers, but they were answers nonetheless.

But you know the old saying. “When evaluating pricing for the 2020-21 season, we took into consideration several different ticket sales data points, these included You get what you pay for. primary market sales, secondary market sales, and sell-through of Well, sort of. In the world of professional sports, or at least the ones various ticket products, among other data points. It should be noted that played inside Pepsi Center, you pay for what you get. It’s a subtle that Nuggets season ticket pricing is below the NBA average. There were difference, but it’s true. When the Nuggets or Avs are bad, nobody ever some areas of the arena where prices stayed level with the 2019-20 offers a refund. But now that they’ve been good of late, it’s time to pay average ticket price,” wrote David Burke, KSE Executive Vice President, up. Chief Ticketing and Strategy Officer.

This was never more evident than on Thursday night, when I received an How many seats that remained static in terms of pricing, or the location email that contained a number that made me do a double take, the kind of them, was not specified. that jumps off of a credit card statement like a Jerami Grant dunk. I poked around some more. As a member of a family that’s had Nuggets “That can’t be right,” I thought, trying to do the math in my head. The season tickets (all or part of a four-seat purchase) since 1993, I was not number was nowhere near the typical charge that appeared as part of my pleased. A night out with friends or family had just gone up in price to the season ticket “auto-pay.” The other thing that stood out was a date – tune of $120. I learned, too, that Avs season ticket holders were in the March 1 – upon which the first installment would be charged, just one same boat. business day and three days from getting the email. One friend I asked, a courtside (see “Club Lexus”) season ticket holder Now, to be fair, earlier notices were sent. When I inquired about this, I who wished to remain anonymous, had this to say: “The increase, in the was told that I’d received such correspondence, but failed to open the range of 15%, seems fairly steep given the amenities that are provided to link that outlined some of the details. I’m sure that’s true, as I get plenty courtside members. The food quality in the Lexus club has declined this of emails from the Nuggets regarding promotions, offers, events and year and an increase in ticket costs is not supported by this aspect of the games (admittedly, they’ve become white noise, as so many “auto- total offering. The product on the court, the Nuggets, which is honestly emails” do). Nowhere in the body of the previous emails could I find an why the 15% increase is even a possible ask of season ticket holders, actual dollar amount – that was only available through an embedded link looks like a solid entertainment package with a lot of potential for the that redirected to my account. I was never contacted by phone, either, a 2020-21 season. One item of note is that I have been told that KSE is practice that has taken place in past seasons. I’m not saying the only trying to “meet prices in other markets.” If they are comparing to information was unavailable or even dishonest, but it also wasn’t highly markets other than LA, San Francisco, Miami, Chicago, Boston and New publicized or easily found (that’s just my opinion), but I was not alone in York/Brooklyn, that is fine as a comp, but to include those incredibly high- being surprised. priced locations in any comps of locations is simply not a reasonable comparison. Some increased transparency as to the basis of their One season ticket holder I spoke with said, “I never saw the amount in an comparisons to determine that a 15% increase in prices is required to email prior to the most recent notice. I don’t open all of them. As soon as keep up with comps, when general market inflation is in the low single I did though, I called my ticket rep. I have a feeling the calls and emails digits, seems appropriate.” into the team will really pour in as soon as people notice the charge on their credit card.” We talked at length about the increase.

More yet tweeted their surprise reactions. It’s a matter of supply and demand, we said. If the team is good, someone is willing to pay. We both questioned how willing we still were, The @nuggets really out here trying to price gouge exsisting season especially since bumping prices from year to year – at least at this level – ticket holders. Almost a $500 price hike???And sending out the invoices is not a common process for either team (I don’t recall getting any emails less than a week before payments are due is not a good move. like this when Brian Shaw was at the helm).

— ČANČAR SZN (Dez Kochis) (@DezKochis) February 27, 2020 It felt like, we said, that the revenue lost from Comcast and DishNetwork subscriptions was coming into play. While the teams that play at Pepsi And Avalanche fans did too. Center, and the hard-working folks that cover them for Altitude television Av season ticket renewal is due Feb 27. My tick prices are going up and radio, are accusing local cable carriers of having a total disregard for considerably (15%). Not sure how the Nuggets do it. Would people be fans, somebody, somewhere, decided the best way to reward a fan base willing to drop their Av and Nugget season tickets if KSE does not that hasn’t been able to watch most games on TV this season, would be immediately: to charge them 15 percent more for their season ticket purchase (and who knows how much more for walk-up tickets). 1. Get a TV contract with Comcast. I have no idea how much revenue has been lost because of the Altitude mess (actually I have some idea – call it an educated guess – but there are so many rumors circling the situation, it’s extremely irresponsible to print anything but a fact). I can safely say that it’s a boatload (define that however you like). And nobody likes to miss out on a boatload of money.

Whether Altitude and the Nuggets and the Avs are technically or financially tied together doesn’t really matter – what does is that one entity owns all of them. Cable carriers might have stopped stuffing the left fist full of dough, but it feels like the right hand has suddenly been outstretched, asking fans to pick up the shortfall, or at least some of it.

According to Yahoo!Finance, the Nuggets current average ticket price already ranks 9th in the NBA at $154 per game. Hypothetically, if that price was raised by 10-15 percent – with a capacity of 19,520 for basketball games – the simple math suggests a $300-450K increase for any game that’s sold out. Or, if there’s a season worth of sellouts, that’s like finding $12.3-18.5 million per season in the couch cushions. Assume the Avs bring in similar, maybe slightly lower, numbers, and one might “guesstimate” that raising tickets by 10-15 percent for hockey and hoops could mean an additional $20(?), $30(?), $40(?) million per year coming into The Can. This is all pure, educated speculation, of course, and we know that not every game is a sellout (Hey, it’s Denver and the Nuggets have only ventured into the NBA Western Conference Finals twice… the product isn’t that good just yet), but you can see that a little simple math can make a nice dent in what’s been lost in cable revenues.

Interestingly enough, Nuggets guard Jamal Murray will make $29.25 million next season (and almost $170 million for the next five seasons – compared to just $4.4 this season); All-Star center Nikola Jokic made $1.5 million during the 2017-18 season, but will earn almost $150 million between 2018 and 2023. On the ice, Avs winger Mikko Rantanen just inked a 6-year, $55.5 million contract. Is there a coincidence taking place here? You be the judge, but that’s a lot of money, no matter who’s picking up the tab.

Funny though, it sure feels like we are.

My rudimentary math could be high or low or inaccurate, but that $30 increase per seat is a number I can take to the bank – or out of it, as it were.

It sure feels like the Nuggets and Avs are passing the buck.

To you and me. milehighsports.com LOADED: 03.03.2020 1179569 Columbus Blue Jackets

Blue Jackets’ Josh Anderson has shoulder surgery, is out four to six months

From staff reports Mar 2, 2020 at 9:14 PM

Right wing Josh Anderson underwent surgery Monday to repair a labral tear of his left shoulder, the Blue Jackets said in a news release.

Anderson is expected to make a full recovery in four to six months, Blue Jackets general manager Jarmo Kekalainen said.

Anderson was injured during a game against the Ottawa Senators on Dec. 14.

"When Josh suffered the injury, the options were to have it surgically repaired and miss the rest of the season, or rest and rehabilitate, with a chance to return to the lineup," Kekalainen said. "Unfortunately, the injury has not responded as any of us had hoped to the latter, and the decision was made to have the surgery now so that Josh will be fully healthy and ready to go next season."

Anderson, 25, had one goal and three assists in 26 games this season.

Last season, he set career highs for goals (27), assists (20) and points (47).

Anderson is a pending restricted free agent and had been reported to be on the trading block before the NHL’s Feb. 24 trade deadline. He was not traded, but his contentious history in contract negotiations with the Blue Jackets makes his return to the team anything but a sure thing.

Columbus Dispatch LOADED: 03.03.2020 1179570 Columbus Blue Jackets Columbus Dispatch LOADED: 03.03.2020

Columbus Blue Jackets veterans know playoff opportunities can’t be wasted

Brian Hedger The Columbus Dispatch Mar 1, 2020 at 6:01 PM

The longer guys stick around the NHL, stacking one season on top of the last, there gets to be a point where the perspective changes.

They get older, see the picture with a wider lens and begin to realize something that drives every single veteran currently playing for one of the league’s 31 teams.

Careers, they begin to see, do have a shelf life in the NHL. Games and seasons can pass with a blur, and there are only so many opportunities in a player’s life to compete for the Stanley Cup.

"I remember when I was young and it was definitely a different viewpoint than what I have now, knowing what I know now," said Blue Jackets forward Riley Nash, whose past three seasons in Columbus and Boston were his only postseason appearances in a nine-year career that started with the Carolina Hurricanes. "You don’t get many cracks at it. The first four years of my career, we missed the playoffs every year and we weren’t even close. You never really know how many opportunities you’re going to get."

Welcome to the stretch run of the Blue Jackets’ season, which was teetering precariously on the edge of a proverbial cliff going into a game against the Vancouver Canucks on Sunday night at Nationwide Arena.

The Jackets clung to the second wild card in the Eastern Conference, a single point ahead of the Hurricanes (75 points) and two ahead of the New York Rangers (74), but they’d lost 10 of 11 games (1-5-5) and had played two more games than both teams nipping at their heels.

Coming off their first consecutive regulation losses since early December, both to the Minnesota Wild last week, the veterans inside the Blue Jackets locker room knew better than anybody what exactly was at stake.

"At this point in the season, it’s the older guys who need to show the way and show how we need to play," said defenseman David Savard, who has helped the Blue Jackets qualify for the playoffs four times in his nine- year career with the team. "We’ve got to treat every game right now as a playoff game if we want to get in.

"It’s the older guys who’ve been in that situation before, who need to lead the way."

Things could spiral downward in a hurry if they can’t, which would be a bitter way to end an otherwise impressive season. Despite leading the NHL in man-games lost, a metric that tracks the league’s most injured teams, the Jackets somehow managed to climb back into the playoff race.

Even as their injury list rose to double figures, they went 19-2-5 between Dec. 9 and Feb. 7 to claw back from an 11-point deficit into a playoff spot. But losing defenseman Seth Jones and forward Cam Atkinson on Feb. 8 against Colorado sent them reeling, and then their leading goal- scorer, Oliver Bjorkstrand, suffered a fractured ankle Feb. 20 against Philadelphia.

Belief in the Blue Jackets is low to nonexistent outside the team’s parameters, as it’s been most of the season, but remains high among those healthy enough to play. The Jackets are saying all the right things, but their actions need to speak even louder in their final 15 games.

"We just need to have that urgency," Nash said. "We need to know what’s at stake. We’re right in the thick of things right now. There’s no time to have a pity party or wallow in what’s going on.

"It’s the playoffs, basically, this time of year. It’s just having the intensity each and every play from the drop of the puck and realizing what’s at stake."

Gerbe out with groin injury

Blue Jackets forward Nathan Gerbe will miss one to two weeks because of a groin injury, it was announced Sunday. 1179571 Columbus Blue Jackets the offensive zone and then fed a perfect pass to Murray on the left wing, between the sticks of two retreating Canucks.

Murray then sent a tape-to-tape pass across the ice to Nash, whose fifth Blue Jackets 5, Canucks 3 | The 3-2-1 breakdown goal came off a quick wrist shot that beat goalie Louis Domingue over the shoulder. The puck went into the net through a small window at the top right corner and became the goal that sparked a memorable comeback. Brian Hedger The Columbus Dispatch "It’s just a great play by (Werenski) at the blue line," Tortorella said. "I can’t tell you what I was saying when he didn’t keep the puck in, and then the play he makes to enter the zone, and gives it to (Murray) … not many There was a reason that coach John Tortorella was nearly speechless players can do that. Great shot by Nasher and that gives a team some and Ryan Murray just started giggling during postgame interviews. juice, a team that didn’t have juice." Neither could fully believe what they’d just been part of Sunday night at 2) Power up Nationwide Arena, when the Blue Jackets pulled off a stunning 5-3 come- from-behind victory against the Vancouver Canucks, and they weren’t If there’s a single word that could adequately describe the Blue Jackets’ alone. power play for most of this season and, honestly, most of the previous two, it would be "maligned." Anybody who watched the game probably had similar feelings, because the Canucks were in complete control with just under eight minutes to They had an impressive two weeks back in November, when it seemed play. They’d lulled Blue Jackets fans to sleep, the home team was like every puck they shot during power plays went in, but that came to a headed for its third straight loss and it was because of another screeching halt in December. The Blue Jackets had scored on just 12 of inexplicable, listless effort for most of the game. their previous 98 power-plays going back to Dec. 1, which was a 12.2 percent success rate that ranked dead last among the NHL’s 31 teams in That would’ve been another tough one to take, with players and that span. Tortorella left uttering the same old answers to the same old questions afterward. Going 2-for-2 against the Canucks moved them up to 14 percent since the start of December (14-for-100) and, more importantly, won them a Instead, in a little less than eight minutes, the Jackets turned this game game that seemed destined for another sour finish. into a hockey version of that Moped scene in the comedy "Dumb and Dumber." Werenski’s goal was off a one-timer from the high slot, beating Domingue after a nice pass by rookie Kevin Stenlund (goal and assist). Bemstrom’s Just when it looked like things couldn’t possibly get any worse for the came after a cross-ice pass by Savard, with the puck deflecting off injury-plagued Blue Jackets, who’ve looked like an exhausted team defenseman Oscar Fantenberg on its way into the net. lately, they went and did something like this … and totally redeemed themselves. Still playing without eight injured regulars, which now includes forward Nathan Gerbe (groin), the Blue Jackets must get their power play Back-to-back goals by Riley Nash and Zach Werenski, scored 2:17 apart cranked up for the season’s final month. Offense isn’t exactly easy to in the later stages of the third period, turned a 3-1 deficit into a 3-3 tie, create now, with guys like Oliver Bjorkstrand, Cam Atkinson and Seth the second one capping a power play on Werenski’s team-leading 20th Jones out, but scoring with a man-advantage would certainly help goal. compensate. Another power-play goal 3:17 later pushed them ahead, 4-3, when rookie 3) Another bad start Emil Bemstrom capitalized on the tripping penalty he’d drawn in the neutral zone with his ninth goal of the year. The sight of the Blue Jackets allowing goals after the opening puck-drop is getting to be way too familiar. It happened in both losses to the The arena went crazy, completing a transformation that started on Minnesota Wild last week, leading into this game, and happened again Nash’s goal. It went from a satellite campus of the Columbus Library into Sunday. a satellite campus of the Columbus Zoo in just a matter of minutes and the Jackets weren’t done. The Canucks took a 1-0 lead just 1:00 into the game on a power-play goal by Bo Horvat, with Nash sitting in the penalty box for slashing, and Gustav Nyquist, the grim reaper of empty-net goals, scored his sixth of then Vancouver went ahead 2-0 at 7:08 on ’s 26th goal the season into an empty cage with 11 seconds left and assured a victory of the season. Pettersson had the primary assist on the first goal, after teammates Vladislav Gavrikov and David Savard sacrificed their sending a pass to that Horvat redirected, and he also set up J.T. Miller’s bodies to block three shots with the Canucks pressing during 6-on-5 in goal 1:12 into the second for a 3-1 lead and his third point of the game. the final minute. Horvat’s goal was the result of Nash’s penalty during a Vancouver odd- It also assured the Blue Jackets would stay in the Eastern Conference’s man rush and Pettersson’s capped a long shift in the Blue Jackets’ zone, second wild-card spot for at least one more day, moving them to 78 which was a common sight all game until the crazy finish. points after 67 games with a 32-21-14 record. Still chasing them, each with games-in-hand, are the Carolina Hurricanes (75 points, 64 games), This was the seventh time in the past 11 games the opponent has taken New York Rangers (74 points, 65 games) and Florida Panthers (73 a 1-0 lead on Columbus, with all seven scored within the first 10 minutes points, 66 games). of the game.

"It was pretty special at the end," said Murray, who assisted on the goals "We still have some struggles, as far as our energy level, as far as just by Nash and Bemstrom in his return from a back injury that kept him out our coverages and all that, but to win a game before we go on a trip, in since Dec. 14 in Ottawa (33 games). "In a flash, the momentum was just the way we did it, hopefully that will give us some energy," Tortorella all on our side and the ice started tilting. It was a huge game to finish." said, referring to a three-game road trip this week in Western Canada. "It’s a concern of mine, the team, with lack of energy. It’s a concern of It was one to remember, too, and review. mine, but to score a few goals and come back the way we did here, (it’s) Here’s a 3-2-1 postgame breakdown from Nationwide Arena … three big for us tonight." takeaways, two questions and one more thing: Two Questions Three Takeaways 1) Was Tortorella thinking about replacing Korpisalo? 1) Zach attack The short answer is that, yes, he was. The comeback started with a play by Werenski that initially made The Blue Jackets’ coach didn’t like the goal that got past his goalie off Tortorella utter some choice words on the Jackets’ bench. Miller’s one-timer from the slot to start the second period and briefly The young star defenseman couldn’t hold the puck in the Canucks’ zone toyed with the idea of sending rookie backup Matiss Kivlenieks into the just inside the blue line, watching it squirt away into the neutral zone, but game again. he recovered quickly. Werenski regathered it, sharply turned back toward Joonas Korpisalo was pulled Friday after allowing four of the Minnesota Wild’s five goals in the Jackets’ 5-0 loss, with Tortorella saying it was partly due to his play, but this time the coach was rewarded for letting his starter finish it out.

Korpisalo didn’t allow another goal on the Canucks’ final 24 shots, making several difficult saves in the second and third periods to keep the Blue Jackets within striking distance. Tortorella said Miller’s goal turned out to be a pivotal moment.

"A big point in the game was when they score the third one, I’m not crazy about the goal quite honestly," he said. "I’m not sure what I’m going to do with Korpi at that point, but I thought he battled the second half of that game to keep it 3-1. We chased the play a lot. They had the puck a lot. Korpi made some big saves to keep it there. I think that’s probably the most important note of the game, was just keeping it 3-1."

This was just the third appearance and second start since Korpisalo returned from a torn meniscus Dec. 29 against Chicago. It usually takes goalies a while to get their timing, positioning and puck-tracking back after they’ve been out for long stretches, Korpisalo’s rustiness isn’t a surprise.

Turning things around after Miller’s goal, however, could turn out to be a big step in his effort to re-establish his All-Star form prior to the injury.

"As the game went on, I got settled in a little bit more," Korpisalo said. "There (were) maybe a couple goals I could take back, but it was certainly better than last time."

2) How concerning is the Blue Jackets’ recent lack of energy?

The hope is for this stunning comeback to recharge their batteries, mentally if not physically, but the concern meter should be at a high level for Tortorella and the coaching staff.

The Jackets were listless for much of this game, unable to establish much of anything offensively and, again, unable to extricate the puck from their own end for long stretches of time.

It has caused Tortorella to rifle through different combinations with his forward lines and defense pairings the past couple weeks, including the somewhat drastic measure of putting centers Pierre-Luc Dubois and Alexander Wennberg on the same line mid-game against the Canucks.

The Blue Jackets aren’t exactly teeming with high-end centers and those two are their top offensive options, but the coaching staff is looking for scoring answers up front with Bjorkstrand, Atkinson, Josh Anderson and rookie Alexandre Texier all shelved with longer-term injuries.

Wennberg and Dubois skated with Bemstrom as the top line in the third period, while Tortorella mixed and matched with his other three groups up front.

"We’re spread thin," he said afterward. "We’re missing a lot of offensive players … so, I’m trying to get at least a couple of lines that I think will at least create some offense. We have to find some way to create some more offense and take some pressure off our (defensemen) and have the puck more."

One More Thing

According to stats provided by the Blue Jackets, this was just the fourth time in team history they overcame a multi-goal deficit with less than eight minutes remaining in the third period of a game.

It was also the fourth time they’ve won in regulation while overcoming a multi-goal deficit to start the third period. The Blue Jackets’ most recent win after overcoming multiple goals in the third was April 3, 2018, when they defeated the Detroit Red Wings 5-4 in overtime after trailing by two goals in the third period.

"It has been frustrating a little bit," Tortorella said of a losing skid that reached 1-5-5 in 11 games prior to the win Sunday. "You can just see it wearing on the guys. We talked about it between periods, that we just have to keep plugging away. So, hopefully that will just give ’em a rise."

Columbus Dispatch LOADED: 03.03.2020 1179572 Dallas Stars of them came on the power play Wednesday against Rockford, and the other came on Saturday against Grand Rapids. Dowling figures to re- assume his role as the 13th forward on the roster, and potential injury Despite Anton Khudobin’s excellent season, Rick Bowness says Ben replacement up front. He has played 27 games this season, with three Bishop is still the Stars top goalie goals and three assists in 11:11 of average ice time.

Dallas Morning News LOADED: 03.03.2020

By Matthew DeFranks

FRISCO — To Rick Bowness, there is no question: Ben Bishop is still No. 1.

Backup Anton Khudobin, who leads the NHL with a .930 save percentage, has earned three of the last four starts for the Stars, including Saturday night’s pivotal matchup against the Blues. Bishop, meanwhile, has allowed four goals in each of his last two starts.

“Full confidence in both of them,” Bowness said after practice Monday. “Dobby’s been on fire, as you know. He deserved that start. It’s game to game. Bish is the guy, there’s no question about that. He is the guy, and that’ll never be a debate. But Dobby’s playing as well as he has, he deserves to play. It’s as simple as that. Don’t overcomplicate it and don’t overanalyze it. Dobby’s played great, let’s just leave it at that.”

Bishop (.921 save percentage and 2.49 goals-against average) and Khudobin form arguably the league’s best goaltending tandem, but come playoff time only one likely will own the net. Last year, it was Bishop’s net against Nashville and St. Louis. This year, it looks the same despite Khudobin’s stellar season.

Bishop did not practice Monday morning, and Bowness said it was a maintenance day. Instead, emergency backup goalie Kenny Carroll manned the net opposite Khudobin.

Khudobin has arguably been the best goalie in the league this season and would generate more buzz for the Vezina Trophy if he had started more than 24 games (to Bishop’s 41). With the postseason in mind — and keeping Bishop fresh and clear of injuries — it will be interesting to see how the Stars handle Khudobin’s playing time, and if that has any impact on the form Bishop is in.

Since the beginning of February, there have been 53 goalies play at least five games. Bishop ranks 38th with a .903 save percentage and 42nd with a 3.20 GAA.

Getting offensive: As has been the case with the Stars across the last two seasons, questions have centered around how to create more offense. This season, with 17 games remaining, the Stars rank 24th in scoring per game (2.69 goals per game) and 29th in goals per 60 minutes at 5 on 5 (2.07).

Bowness said the Stars had five minutes of possession time in the offensive zone Saturday in St. Louis, and he has been happy with the chances created recently in the offensive zone.

“It’s making higher percentage plays with the puck as opposed to poor percentage plays, just throwing pucks blind,” Bowness said. “It’s making sure we have good support on the puck and making sure that when we have to protect the puck, we do it the right way. If you combine all those, you can spend enough time in there.

“We’ve been trying to get our defense a lot more involved. Their numbers are down from last year, we’re aware of that. We’re trying to get them more involved and spread out the defensive zone coverage.”

For the most part this season, the Stars’ power play has carried a heavy load for the team. Since the All-Star break, Dallas’ power play has scored on 27.7% of chances, sixth-highest in the league. The Stars are 24-4-3 in games that they score at least one power-play goal.

Injury updates: The Stars will wait until Tuesday to see how defenseman Stephen Johns feels after missing three games with an upper-body injury. During Monday morning’s practice, Johns again practiced on the fourth defensive pairing with Taylor Fedun. Johns has not played since Feb. 23 against Chicago, but Bowness previously said the team expected him to return against the Oilers on Tuesday night.

Forward Justin Dowling returned to practice Monday with the Stars after his conditioning loan to the AHL ended after three games with Texas.

Dowling, who has not played in the NHL since suffering a lower-body injury against Toronto on Jan. 29, had three assists in three games. Two 1179573 Dallas Stars If Gurianov were producing assists at higher rate, maybe he’d be subject to extra shifts the way Tyler Seguin is trusted despite his relative drop in goal scoring this season.

Shap Shots: The Denis Gurianov conundrum and the Stars’ delicate When the Stars were trailing the Boston Bruins last week with less than goalie balance 90 seconds remaining, Gurianov wasn’t on the ice. He was in the rotation of shifts at the end of the game when Dallas tied the game late against the St. Louis Blues, but he wasn’t out in the dying moments when John By Sean Shapiro Mar 2, 2020 Klingberg tied the game.

Gurianov creates for himself on the rush and unloads a bomb of a slap shot from the top of the circle. That’s how he typically scores. Neither I’m going to start this week’s column with an admission: I was wrong scenario has been creating rebounds or passing opportunities for about Denis Gurianov. teammates. During the 2018 Finals, we ran a piece titled “How many This isn’t a justification for the lack of ice time, but it’s a fair explanation of Texas Stars have a realistic chance of reaching the NHL?” I labeled why the coaching staff likely keeps Gurianov on the bench in certain Gurianov as “He could be great, but probably won’t be.” scenarios, even if it hasn’t been publicly admitted. For full disclosure, and public shaming, here was my full take at the time. Gurianov’s game this season, however, has been a strong exhibit of how Gurianov is a lightning rod. The Stars whiffed big when they took him in he can grow and expand his role. He’s not on the list yet, but I would the first round of the draft and some even had him ranked as low as a argue he should be killing penalties sooner than later. While Gurianov third-round pick. When you think about who the Stars could have added, likes to get to the other end of the ice, he’s never been a player who it makes Gurianov’s performance even more frustrating. He was a cheats or ignores the team mantra in principal. The Stars’ penalty kill is healthy scratch in four straight postseason games. After returning from good, but it’s not as stout as the praise we heap on it. Their 80.9 percent the scratch Gurianov hasn’t done much better and still looks lost in the effectiveness ranks 14th in the NHL, so working Gurianov into the mix defensive zone. He has game-breaking speed and all-world talent, but and potentially creating a potent shorthanded breakaway from time to the hockey IQ is lacking and that’s not easy to teach. Because of his draft time isn’t going to upset some untouchable penalty-killing unit. status and his natural skills, Gurianov is going to get more chances than It’s also come to the point where Gurianov should be treated like a risk — most to succeed. At his ceiling, Gurianov could be a top-six forward in not to the Stars, but to the other team. This isn’t a call for Gurianov to the NHL, but the chances of reaching that ceiling have taken a major hit play 18 minutes a game; there is a balance. But the fact he’s only topped during the playoffs and he looks more like a bottom-six forward in the 14 minutes once in the past six games is inexcusable when it comes to AHL. creating better odds of an offensive strike for the Stars. Less than two years later, Gurianov leads Stars with 20 goals. As long as he is healthy, Ben Bishop is going to be the Stars’ starting While I could try to save some face right now and claim that I left his goalie in Game 1 of the playoffs, likely against the Colorado Avalanche. ceiling open, I will admit I had truly written Gurianov off to be another But Anton Khudobin’s recent deployment has been a not-so-subtle shot Scott Glennie. When you’re wrong, you own up to it, right? at the Dallas starter about his current level of play.

When you look back at Gurianov’s journey, the most impressive thing is Stars interim coach Rick Bowness and goalie coach Jeff Reese don’t how much he’s “gotten it.” This isn’t tangible or well-defined, but explain why they make their decisions; they intentionally keep things Gurianov and I have conversations about how things just didn’t stick for close and in-house. Neither goalie is willing to give up much of why they him early in the North American portion of his career. He doesn’t like the started or didn’t — “you should ask Reeser,” is a common response to notion that he had low hockey IQ, but he does admit he wasn’t a such questions — so we are left to draw our own conclusions. complete enough player during the 2018 AHL playoffs when he was Khudobin starting three of the past four games, particularly the game in getting scratched. St. Louis, sends a message that Bishop needs to be better. It’s also a Gurianov always wanted to learn; he would do in-depth film studies with message to Khudobin: Keep playing this way down the stretch, and this the AHL coaches and ask follow-up questions. But the lessons never very much turns into a tandem instead of a starter-backup scenario. took, and it appeared the application wasn’t there. Call it maturity or It’s a mental trigger the Stars wouldn’t have been able to pull before comfort — whatever it was, it just took the young Russian more time to Khudobin arrived before last season. The backup wasn’t good enough to adapt than the typical timeline we apply to first-round picks. force the issue, and the starter wasn’t mentally strong enough to realize Now that my old and cold takes have been exposed, let’s take a look at that he was getting called out and that he could make amends by simply the more hot-button topic as Stars move into the final five weeks of the playing better. regular season. That’s where Bishop is at right now. His past handful of starts haven’t Seventy-three NHL players have scored 20 goals or more this season. been bad by NHL standards, but they’ve been sub-par by the level both When it comes to average time on ice, Gurianov is 73rd with an average he and the Stars come to expect. Bishop knows it — he’s a prideful of 12 minutes, 49 seconds per game. The other 72 20-goal scorers are goalie — and a big button was likely pushed in the right direction when averaging at least 14:11 per game, leaving 82 seconds between 73rd Bowness and Reese announced that Khudobin would be starting a big and 72nd (Chicago’s Dominik Kubalik) on the list. game in Bishop’s hometown.

When we expand the list to players with at least 15 goals this season, All of this is designed around getting the best version of Bishop in April 146 of them so far in the NHL, Gurianov still ranks last in average time on and May, and perhaps even June. That’s why Khudobin plays more ice. In order for Gurianov not to be last in average time on ice, we have games; it keeps Bishop fresher and there is less burnout for a goalie with to expand the list to include the 181 players with 13 goals of more to his injury history. Bishop’s playoff resume is tremendous. The Stars’ key finally find Ryan Donato’s 10:38 mark with the Minnesota Wild. is getting him back to that level now using any tool possible.

When it comes to usage, Gurianov is both one of the NHL’s most QUICK HITTERS effective players at creating goals in limited opportunities as well as the — The drama around whether Jamie Benn did or didn’t score his 300th most underutilized. career NHL goal last Thursday is a reminder of how much players jockey Gurianov’s lack of ice time is often explained in a couple ways: He for points on the score sheet — some much more so than others. While doesn’t kill penalties (which is true) and he takes quick shifts (also true). Benn said he didn’t score, there are many times where players will go to The Stars also want to deploy four relatively balanced lines. scorekeepers or public relations staff to ask for a review of a potential tip or secondary assist on the play. Another thing — which hasn’t been stated publicly but is probably a big factor — is that Gurianov really doesn’t create for anyone other than — He said he never gets enough credit from the local media until the himself. Of those 20-goal scorers, Gurianov’s nine assists rank 72nd on Stars travel to Toronto, so here is a note to let you know about the the 73-person list. Sixty-nine of the 73 20-goal scorers in the NHL have immaculate handwriting assistant video coach Matt Rodell shows off at least 15 assists. when writing opposing lines on the whiteboard in the locker room. — Justin Dowling’s AHL conditioning stint went rather well, as he contributed three assists in three games. It was an important showing for Dowling in an atmosphere where he was being compared to other players who could be called up with the next injury in Jason Robertson and Joel Kiviranta.

The Athletic LOADED: 03.03.2020 1179574 Detroit Red Wings

Detroit Red Wings celebrate early goal, but shots are sparse in 2-1 loss to Avalanche

Helene St. James, Detroit Free PressPublished 10:22 p.m. ET March 2, 2020 | Updated 12:05 a.m. ET March 3, 2020

The once-a-season appearance of the Colorado Avalanche prompted steady reminders of how entertaining that rivalry was, much more so than the product on the ice.

The Detroit Red Wings played better Monday at Little Caesars Arena than they have in the last week, but directing shots on net was a struggle. Jonathan Bernier was pulled with almost two minutes to go for the extra attacker, but the Wings (15-48-5) came up on the short end of a 2-1 final.

The atmosphere was fun, as fans were treated to video clips from the 1990s Wings-Avs games on the Jumbotron. And home fans had something to cheer early, when Anthony Mantha provided a 1-0 lead.

That was leveled by Vladislav Namestnikov before the period ended.

The Wings blew through two straight power plays in the second period, and while Robby Fabbri put a big hit on Gabriel Landeskog, Landeskog had time to make a pass first — a stretch pass that Logan O’Connor turned into a 2-1 lead.

Mantha had a breakaway late in the second period but Hutchinson blocked the shot and the puck went high.

Mantha nets another

Mantha scored his 15th goal of the season, at 5:48 of the first period. He and Tyler Bertuzzi were in front of Colorado’s net. Dylan Larkin fired the puck toward the net, and Mantha scooped the rebound behind backup goaltender Michael Hutchinson.

It was his third goal in six games and ninth point in 11 games. He was leading the Wings with 12 goals when his decision to challenge Toronto’s Jake Muzzin Dec. 21 led to a punctured lung that sidelined him until Feb. 22.

Hutchinson faced four shots in the first period, while Bernier faced 14.

Man disadvantage

Larkin drew a penalty on Mark Barberio to earn the Wings’ first power play at 3:52 of the second period. With 15 seconds to go in that penalty, Ryan Graves was called for high-sticking Sam Gagner. That added up to 3:45 minutes with the man advantage.

Even with that much time, the Wings struggled to generate quality chances and registered just three shots on net. At one point, Dennis Cholowski had the puck at the blue line, only to commit an egregious turnover.

Timashov reappears

Newcomer Dmytro Timashov was able to play in his second game since being claimed off waivers last week. He was able to play Saturday at Ottawa, but couldn’t work in the U.S. until his paperwork cleared.

The thinking is Timashov might be able to inject a sliver of offense into a dry bottom-six forward group.

“One of the intrigues with him is that potentially he could help,” coach Jeff Blashill said. “We’ll give him a chance to prove that over time.”

Timashov was on a line with Frans Nielsen and Justin Abdelkader. He plays with physicality, which is something the Wings also need.

In other lineup news, Adam Erne suffered a broken hand blocking a shot in the Ottawa game and could miss the rest of the season.

Detroit Free Press LOADED: 03.03.2020 1179575 Detroit Red Wings Detroit Free Press LOADED: 03.03.2020

Detroit Red Wings desperate to show growth as season winds down, but playoff-bound opponents loom

Helene St. James, Detroit Free PressPublished 6:25 a.m. ET March 2, 2020

The Detroit Red Wings have put themselves in a position where they have to win every third game to finish with 20 victories — a task all the more daunting considering the schedule features one playoff contender after another.

The Wings are down to 15 games before this dreadful season comes to a merciful end on April 4. They’ve won only 15 times through 67 games and are all but locked into last place in the league.

[ Detroit Red Wings can feel Steve Yzerman: 'He watches everything' ]

The pressure is on to show something — anything — positive these last five weeks. So far about the only bright spots have been how well goalie Jonathan Bernier has played and how well Filip Zadina was performing before a leg injury sidelined him at the start of February.

“We have to try and take a step here before the end of the year, and learn from what we’ve been doing here,” Frans Nielsen said Sunday. “Hopefully take a step that we can bring into the summer. Because this has just been a really, really tough year.

“Last year, even last two years, when we looked at our games, it was 70- 80 percent of them were tied in the third period. We kind of thought that we were good enough to play with every team, and we just had to kind of learn that last little bit about closing games in the third period, not throwing way leads. But then for some reason, and I really don’t have a good answer to it, it’s gone completely opposite this year.”

Dmytro Timashov, whom the Wings claimed off waivers from the Toronto Maple Leafs last week, played Saturday at Ottawa. The team is hoping his visa paperwork is cleared up in time so he can play in Detroit on Monday against Colorado.

Timashov may be slotting into Adam Erne’s spot; coach Jeff Blashill said Erne will “miss some time” with an undisclosed injury. The Wings are hoping the Maple Leafs castoff can add a bit of skill to the bottom-six forward group. The 23-year-old rookie has nine points in 40 games this season.

Zadina, 20, was on the ice early taking shots, but Blashill didn’t have a timeline for when he will start practicing. His injury came at an especially bad time; collective bargaining rules prevented the Wings from making him eligible for the AHL playoffs. The deadline to assign him to the Grand Rapids Griffins was Feb. 24.

The Wings were mathematically eliminated from the NHL playoffs Feb. 21. These remaining weeks are a last chance to show growth.

“We want to do a better job supporting the puck, wanting the puck, but then managing the puck,” Blashill said. “There’s a fine line between those. That’s something we’ve focused lots on over the last little bit and we’ve gotten better at wanting it and going tape-to-tape, but we’ve also turned too many pucks over. The next step in that is to be able to have the puck without turning it over as much. That’s a thing we can grow as a group over the next 15 games.

“You have to have the growth, and the growth has to happen sometime. Why wait?”

[ Detroit Red Wings 'have never seen anything like it' as losses mount ]

It also will be a chance to compete with an array of opponents who are in the playoff picture. The Wings play the Tampa Bay Lighting three times, the Washington Capitals twice, and also the Maple Leafs, Philadelphia Flyers, Boston Bruins, St. Louis Blues and Vegas Golden Knights.

“When you lose to the level that we have lost, it’s hard to keep your belief and focus and understanding,” Blashill said. “We’ve talked about a lot of things over and over and over again, and I get it. But this is the reality that we put ourselves in. The other thing I would say is, we’ve got a really hard schedule, we better show up.” 1179576 Detroit Red Wings

Detroit Red Wings fall to Colorado Avalanche, 2-1, at Little Caesars Arena

Marlowe Alter, Detroit Free PressPublished 5:57 a.m. ET March 2, 2020 | Updated 10:17 p.m. ET March 2, 2020

Detroit Red Wings (15-47-5) vs. Colorado Avalanche (39-18-7)

When: 7:30 p.m. tonight.

Where: Little Caesars Arena.

TV: Fox Sports Detroit, NHL Network.

Radio: 97.1 FM (Red Wings radio affiliates).

Detroit Free Press LOADED: 03.03.2020 1179577 Detroit Red Wings The Avalanche (40-18-7) are going the other direction, winning their seventh consecutive game overall and ninth straight road victory (a franchise record).

Red Wings' snowball of futility keeps rolling downward, skid at 6 after 2-1 “We were ready to play and it’s something we have to build off of,” Larkin loss to Avalanche said. “If we play like that down the stretch, we’ll have a lot of fun and win some games and be a closer group because of it.”

Detroit News LOADED: 03.03.2020 Ted Kulfan, The Detroit NewsPublished 10:21 p.m. ET March 2, 2020 | Updated 11:55 p.m. ET March 2, 2020

Detroit — The Red Wings began a stretch of their final 15 games of the regular season Monday — the toughest schedule in the NHL, based on opponents’ records.

So, chances are, the Wings are going to close out the season much the way this entire season has already gone — with plenty of losses.

It certainly started that way Monday, as the Wings lost 2-1 to the Colorado Avalanche.

The Wings didn’t get much of an offensive attack going — a familiar refrain this season — getting outshot 27-18, including a measly four shots in the first period and six in the second.

But overall, the quality of chances the Wings had, plus the type of defensive game they played, it was an evening they weren’t entirely disappointed about.

“We didn’t give them any opportunities to score, we played solid the second and third periods, we were in their zone, and we had a lot of Grade-A chances,” said Anthony Mantha, who scored the lone Wings’ goal and led with six shots on net. “We’re trying to move forward. We played good. We had great Grade-A chances all over the place.

“We need to keep the grind going and finish the season the way we played tonight.”

Mantha's 15th goal opened the scoring. But Mantha was frustrated on several other chances.

“He was involved with most of our chances,” coach Jeff Blashill said. “His center (Dylan Larkin) was excellent, too. I challenged that line to go against the (Nathan) MacKinnon line for a lot of the night, and that line did a good job.”

Vladislav Namestinikov and Logan O’Connor had Avalanche goals, while goaltender Michael Hutchinson stopped 17 shots to win in his debut with Colorado (acquired at the trade deadline).

“I liked our compete, the way we stuck together, the way we battled,” Larkin said. “It’s a fun game to play against a team like that. We were playing well defensively and Bernie (goaltender Jonathan Bernier) handled everything in front of him. It’s a close game we feel could have gone either way.

“We just have to find a way to generate more shots and make it harder on the goalie over there.”

The Wings went on the power play at 14:14 of the third period when Colorado was called for too many men on the ice. But, again, there wasn't enough sustained pressure, and the Wings completed an 0-for-4 evening with the man advantage.

The Wings pulled Bernier (25 saves) with two minutes left in the game, and Sam Gagner had a scoring opportunity right after coming off the bench, near the hash marks, that Hutchinson stopped.

O’Connor’s goal broke a 1-1 tie at 14:31 of the second period.

Gabriel Landeskog, who shook off a Robby Fabbri check, found O’Connor breaking in alone and the Calgary native beat Bernier for his second goal.

“That second goal, it’s off a change so we lose the guy on the change and it’s right after a huge hit by Fabs, and Fabs played real well in the second and third (periods) that way,” Blashill said.

The loss extended the Wings’ (15-48-5) winless streak to six games, and 10 of their last 11 games. 1179578 Detroit Red Wings ... Goaltender Jonathan Bernier believes it's been his steady workload in practice, going back years since he's been in the NHL, that has helped him put together one of his best seasons.

It's another injury for Red Wings, but Jeff Blashill is used to adjusting on "I've just worked hard in practice, and at some point, when you do that the fly throughout your whole career, good things will happen," Bernier said. "I feel like I've put in the work my whole career and still do every day. I feel like it's paying off."

Ted Kulfan, The Detroit NewsPublished 1:37 p.m. ET March 2, 2020 Detroit News LOADED: 03.03.2020

Detroit – Another morning skate for the Red Wings, and not exactly surprising, news of another Red Wings injury and an adjustment to the lineup.

Monday it was coach Jeff Blashill announcing that forward Adam Erne broke his hand during Saturday’s game in Ottawa, meaning Ernie could miss the remainder of this season, which concludes April 4.

“Adam will miss significant time,” Blashill said. “I don’t have the exact timeline yet, but it will be significant time. It could be the rest of the season.”

Erne played in 56 games this season with two goals, three assists and a minus-24 rating.

With Erne unavailable, and forward Dmytro Timashov likely but not definitely available Monday against Colorado – Timashov was finalizing his immigration and passport details in Toronto Monday morning – Blashill’s lineup was in flux.

That’s how it’s been for a while, what with trades, injuries, and minor- league call-ups.

“The challenge when you have as many guys through our lineup is chemistry, and in just playing as a unit of five,” Blashill said. “Ultimately, what you want to do, is establish your team to where you can go out and play as unit of five and kind of play without thinking, and just react on the habits you’ve built.

“Then chemistry – you’d love to keep your lines together all the time. (But) injuries and losses have forced certain changes in that and so it hurts.

“When you integrate new guys in there, you have four guys who know what they’re doing and one who doesn’t and it’s not his fault, but he just hasn’t been around enough.”

Timashov playing Saturday in Ottawa is a perfect example, not having practiced with the Wings at all while being stuck in Canada since being claimed Feb. 24 off waivers.

“The thing that I generally tell guys like that, and certainly in this case, is maybe a couple keys that I want to make sure he does well,” Blashill said. “Make sure he is finishing his checks and he’s tracking back and stopping in the defensive zone, and offensively just use his instincts.

“In the end, you have to go out and play and do what you think is right and not what you think the coach wants you to do. Come back and get coached, and that’s how it works best.

“He (Timashov) did a pretty good job of it the other night. He seemed to just go out and play.”

Ice chips

The club team in Finland for Wings prospect Otto Kivenmaki said Monday Kivenmaki has been discharged from the hospital. Kivenmaki was on the receiving end of a massive shoulder to head collision Saturday and was hospitalized. It’s unclear whether Kivenmaki will return this season.

... Blashill wouldn't speculate as to whether he'll go with a lineup similar to Saturday's, with 11 forwards and seven defensemen, but hinted it could be possible Monday night.

… Blashill believes Timashov can provide a spark to the Wings’ bottom two forward lines.

“Not having to play top-six minutes, but can provide some skill, can play hard, be good defensively, and bring a physical element,” Blashill said. “He can help our depth.” 1179579 Detroit Red Wings

Red Wings drop sixth in row, falling to Avalanche

Updated 11:09 PM; Today 10:07 PM

By Ansar Khan

DETROIT – It was 90s Night at Little Caesars Arena Monday and fans were reminded, through video highlights, of just how good the Detroit Red Wings were back then and of their fierce rivalry with the Colorado Avalanche.

Times have changed. Have they ever.

Colorado, the worst team in the NHL three years ago, has rebuilt quickly and now is a legitimate Stanley Cup contender. The Red Wings are buried so deep in the league’s cellar that they could win 10 games in a row and still remain last overall.

The Red Wings kept it close but continued their season-long trend of failing to generate much offense in a 2-1 loss.

Detroit (15-48-5) has dropped six in a row (0-5-1), its fifth winless skid of six or more games this season.

The Avalanche (40-18-7) extended several streaks. They have won a franchise record nine consecutive road games. They have won seven in a row overall. They have won their past six games against the Red Wings.

The Red Wings pulled goaltender Jonathan Bernier (25 saves) for the extra skater with nearly two minutes remaining and generated some pressure but couldn’t get the equalizer past Michael Hutchinson.

Anthony Mantha opened the scoring at 5:48 of the first period with his 15th goal in 40 games. He fought off a check at the net front to knock in the rebound of a shot by Dylan Larkin.

Mantha had an excellent opportunity to tie it in the waning seconds of the second period but was denied on a breakaway by Hutchinson.

Prior to that, Colorado scored twice.

Vladislav Namestnikov tied it at 1-1 at 12:50 of the first. He camped out in the crease and swatted in a loose puck.

Logan O’Connor put Colorado ahead 2-1 by scoring on a breakaway at 14:31 of the second period.

Gabriel Landeskog sprung O’Connor free with a terrific pass while getting leveled from Robby Fabbri’s open-ice hit.

Michigan Live LOADED: 03.03.2020 1179580 Detroit Red Wings

Red Wings host hot Avalanche; Adam Erne done for season?

Posted Mar 02, 2020

By Ansar Khan

Detroit Red Wings forward Adam Erne will miss significant time with a broken hand, perhaps the remainder of the season, coach Jeff Blashill told media Monday at the morning skate.

Erne was injured when he blocked Mike Reilly’s shot at 14:51 of the third period in Saturday’s 4-3 shootout loss at Ottawa.

Erne, 24, has appeared in 56 games, picking up two goals and three assists and posting a minus-24 rating. The Red Wings acquired him from Tampa Bay in the off-season for a fourth-round pick in this year’s draft. He is a restricted free agent after the season.

The Red Wings hope to have Dmytro Timashov in the lineup tonight when they face the Colorado Avalanche at Little Caesars Arena (7:30, Fox Sports Detroit). The club anticipated Timashov picking up his passport and arriving in time for the game.

The Avalanche (39-18-7, 85 points) have won a club-record eight consecutive road games. Colorado is riding a six-game winning streak overall.

The Red Wings (15-47-5, 35 points) have dropped five in a row (0-4-1).

Michigan Live LOADED: 03.03.2020 1179581 Detroit Red Wings

How to watch Detroit Red Wings vs. Colorado Avalanche: TV channel, start time, stream, Mar. 2, 2020

Posted Mar 02, 2020

By Lauren Williams

The Detroit Red Wings are a month away from the end of the season and they host the Colorado Avalanche. The Avalanche is second in the Central Division with 85 points and has won its last six games. The Avalanche have just eight goals against in their last six wins, while scoring 15 goals.

Colorado also boasts a strong road record. Four of the last six wins have been on the road and the Avalanche is 22-9-2 away from their home arena.

The Red Wings, however, have won just one of their last six games and have 23 goals against and have scored 11 goals in that time.

The Red Wings (15-47-5) and the Avalanche (39-18-7) face off on Monday, Mar. 2 at 7:30 p.m. at Little Ceasars Arena.

Red Wings Affiliates: Detroit (WXYT-97.1 FM/ 1270 AM); Ann Arbor (WTKA-1050 AM); Grand Rapids (WTKG-1230 AM); Kalamazoo (WQLR- 1660 AM); Saginaw (WSGW-790 AM)

Live Stream: TuneIn Radio

Michigan Live LOADED: 03.03.2020 1179582 Detroit Red Wings

Avalanche win season-high 7th straight, 2-1 over Red Wings

By NOAH TRISTER AP 6 hrs ago

DETROIT (AP) — Gabriel Landeskog withstood a crunching hit while making a pass that sprung Logan O'Connor for a breakaway goal in the second period, and the Colorado Avalanche beat the Detroit Red Wings 2-1 on Monday night for their seventh straight victory.

Vladislav Namestnikov also scored for the Avalanche, who extended a franchise record with their ninth consecutive road win. Anthony Mantha had the only goal for Detroit.

With the score tied at 1, Landeskog was just inside his own blue line when he took a hit from Detroit's Robby Fabbri. As he was clocked, Landeskog released a pass up the ice to O'Connor, who was behind the defense at the other blue line.

O'Connor went in and beat goalie Jonathan Bernier for his second goal of the season.

Mantha converted off a goalmouth scramble to open the scoring in the first, but the Avalanche equalized before the period was over. Ryan Graves took a shot that slipped through Bernier, and Namestnikov kicked the puck to himself in the crease and then stuffed it in the net with his stick.

The Red Wings are 3-18-2 in their last 23 games.

Detroit was outshot 21-10 through the first two periods. The Red Wings put on occasional pressure in the third, but goalie Michael Hutchinson did enough to hold them off. Hutchinson finished with 17 saves.

NOTES: The seven-game winning streak is a season high for the Avalanche. ... Colorado is 20-6-4 against Eastern Conference opponents. ... Nathan MacKinnon got his 53rd assist of the season on O'Connor's goal. He also tied Alex Tanguay for seventh on the franchise list with 488 points.

UP NEXT

Avalanche: Host the Anaheim Ducks on Wednesday night.

Red Wings: Host the Chicago Blackhawks on Friday night.

Macomb Daily LOADED: 03.03.2020 1179583 Edmonton Oilers The Predators should have seen the third period coming, as an upset McDavid is even more dangerous than his usual self. He scored on a sneaky seeing-eye shot from the point to put the Oilers up 4-3 and the flood gates opened from there. Oilers explode in third period to smash Nashville Predators “It was my fault, I thought I was going to spring for one and was trying to get in on the forecheck and the puck doesn’t go in the zone,” McDavid said. “I just tried to stay onside and lost and edge. I’m sure he took the Derek Van Diest worst of it, a big guy falling like that. It wasn’t intentional, but still pretty Published:March 2, 2020 frustrating.”

Updated:March 2, 2020 10:18 PM MST Draisaitl scored to make it 5-3 just 35 seconds after McDavid’s go-ahead goal. Zack Kassian then made it 6-3 just 46 seconds later. Draisaitl scored again to make it 7-3 and, for good measure, potted his fourth 10 seconds into the Oilers’ only power play of the game for the 8-3 final. NASHVILLE — Had the promotion been held Monday, Leon Draisaitl would have come close to making someone a millionaire. “In the third, we just went out with the mindset we were going to play a real solid road period,” Tippet said. “Connor got the one that kind of The Edmonton Oilers centre scored four goals, blowing the game open in opened the flood gates for us, and we capitalized on a few more of our the third period of an 8-3 victory against the Nashville Predators. chances.” In a town they call Smashville, the Predators were hammered in the third TWO OF THREE AIN’T BAD as goaltender Pekka Rinne forgot how to stop a puck. It’s the first time in his career Rinne has given up eight goals in a game. Draisaitl finished Nurse had three points on the night, but was more interested in the two with five points. the Oilers earned in the victory, which pulled them within two points of the Vegas Golden Knights for first in the Pacific Division. “When you score four goals, you feel good, you feel good about yourself, you feel good about your linemates,” Draisaitl said. “Obviously, they The Oilers defenceman was happy with his team’s effort in the first and made some great plays to me tonight and they made it pretty easy for third, but not overly enthusiastic about the second where they blew two me.” leads.

Considered a national broadcast on Sportsnet, the Score and Win “It’s the second game in a row where our second period has to be better,” contest was not part of the game. Had it been, Draisaitl would have had Nurse said. “It’s something to build off of. But our third period we came some lucky contestant on the edge of their seat, just as most Oilers fans out and committed to each other and found a way to capitalize on our were through the first two periods. Things were tense as the game was opportunities.” tied 3-3 going into the final frame. Despite being tied on the road in a traditionally tough building to win, the “I’ve been saying it for five years now, he is an amazing player,” Connor Oilers were a little ornery in the second intermission. McDavid, who himself was impressive with a goal and four assists, said of Draisaitl. “It’s nice that he’s finally getting some credit.” “I think everyone was pretty mad, because we knew thorough our own mistakes we gave them a couple of goals,” Nurse said. “But that’s a good Ryan Nugent-Hopkins had three helpers, as did Darnell Nurse. The team that has a lot to play for two and they’re desperate and made us Oilers scored five goals inside of 10 minutes to chase Rinne in the third pay when we made mistakes. We have to clean those up, but the way we period. Rinne, who at one time couldn’t lose to Edmonton, has found played in the third, we bought in and played our game, we didn’t let the himself on the wrong end of two defeats as the Oilers swept the three- second discourage us.” game season series. Josh Archibald, Kailer Yamamoto and Zack Kassian scored the others for the Oilers in the blowout. Edmonton Sun: LOADED: 03.03.2020

“We got punched in the face pretty good,” said Predators head coach John Hynes, who otherwise has had Nashville going in the right direction since taking over Jan. 7. “If you look at Draisaitl and McDavid tonight, you go into the third period, game on the line and they take their game to a different level. They have that ability when big plays need to be made, when the game’s on the line, these guys just rise to a different level. Their compete level when things are hot and when the game matters, that’s what separates those two guys.”

EARLY TIMEOUT

The Oilers went into the second period in control and up 2-0, but it unraveled in a 14 second span early in the frame.

Roman Josi fired a shot from the left face-off circle which found its way through Mike Smith to make it 2-1. Calle Jarnkrok scored to tie the game, left alone in front to tap in a pass from Matt Duchene.

Oilers head coach Dave Tippett called a timeout to remind his players the second period had started.

“I don’t know if I was that polite,” Tippett laughed. “I just said, ‘Let’s take a breath. We’re going to be fine here. Figure things out in a hurry and get back to work.’ ”

The Oilers regrouped and took a 3-2 lead when Yamamoto beat Rinne with a sneaky shot off an excellent backhand pass from Nugent-Hopkins.

Nick Bonino tied the game with five minutes left in the period on a rebound in front as Smith was hung out to dry.

A SIGN OF THINGS TO COME

Prior to the end of the second period, McDavid collided with Predators defenceman Jarred Tinordi just inside the Nashville blue line. McDavid took his time getting up and was visibly upset on the bench as the period ended. 1179584 Edmonton Oilers Since then, the Predators have managed to claw their way back into playoff contention, going into the game against the Oilers on Monday currently holding the second wildcard spot in the Western Conference.

Archibald back on Edmonton Oilers' top line The Predators did the Oilers a favour last week when they came back and scored with one-10th of a second to tie their game against the Calgary Flames, then won it in overtime.

Derek Van Diest Nashville went in against the Oilers with a 10-5-1 record in its last 16 games. However, things are not going to be easy down the stretch. They Published:March 2, 2020 have five back-to-backs from now until the end of the season. Monday Updated:March 2, 2020 10:22 PM MST was the first of a back-to-back, heading off to play the Minnesota Wild on Tuesday.

“It’s a tough schedule coming up, but this is kind of crunch time for us NASHVILLE — Josh Archibald has become the Edmonton Oilers’ utility here,” said Predators defenceman Dante Fabbro. “Every game means so man, capable of playing anywhere in the lineup. much for us right now and I know all the guys are pretty dialed up into what we need to do and what the job is at hand.” When the Oilers need a winger on the top line, Archibald often gets the call, as was the case Monday against the Nashville Predators. The biggest change since Hynes took over has been in the Predators’ own end. They are a better defensive team than they were at the start of With Andreas Athanasiou dropping to the third line after the recent the year. They have also been tougher to beat at Bridgestone Arena. acquisition was guilty of blowing the zone early on a couple of occasions against the Winnipeg Jets on Saturday, Archibald got the call to play on “Changing that record with how we play at home and how tough we want the top unit. He rewarded Oilers head coach Dave Tippett with the to make it on teams coming in here, we want to continue to play the right opening goal of the game on a setup from Tyler Ennis and Connor way and grow as a team,” Fabbro said. “I think we’ve made huge strides McDavid. in that sense.”

“It’s nice when I can kind of play with anybody,” Archibald said before the Edmonton Sun: LOADED: 03.03.2020 game. “I try to play the same way, be hard on pucks and be predictable for my linemates so they know what they are going to get out of me every night. It’s nice to be able to be thrown up on the first line every once in a while and pitch in offensively and also be able to lock down defensively and be good on the penalty kill.”

Archibald, 27, who is on a one-year, $1-million contract and will undoubtedly be offered a new deal with an appropriate raise. He has 11 goals and 18 points on the season, four off his career best set last season with the Arizona Coyotes.

Playing with McDavid is becoming old hat for Archibald, who has excellent hands around the net. He was looking forward to having Ennis on his line as well, as the Edmonton product was playing his fourth game with the Oilers after being acquired from the Ottawa Senators just prior to the NHL trade deadline a week ago.

“I think the biggest thing right now with him (Ennis) is just to have a lot of talk out there,” Archibald said. “Him being new, he’s still learning systems, but he’s a great player, he knows where to be, he makes plays. I think that’s the easy part, we just have to talk out there and let him know where we are.”

FINDING WAYS TO WIN

The Oilers are doing something they have not done for the better part of the past 13 years, which is finding ways to win hockey games.

Whether they’re getting outstanding goaltending performances, winning the special teams battle or finding contributions throughout the lineup, the Oilers are winning more than they are losing, which is why they are in a playoff spot in the Pacific Division.

“There has been a good mix of resilience and when one line is not getting involved in the game and on the scoreboard, other lines have jumped in and got important goals for us,” said goaltender Mike Smith, who went in against Nashville on an absolute hot streak. “There has been a lot of different aspects of our game that have given us a good chance to be in hockey games to start and to push them along far enough to get some big goals in important parts in games.”

The Oilers are also starting to get bodies back, which bodes well for the stretch drive. Zack Kassian returned from suspension, Kris Russell is back, while James Neal (ankle) and Oscar Klefbom are getting closer.

“I think when one line is not doing well, the other three are,” Archibald said. “I think we just have to find a balance and have everybody playing well and do their jobs. At the same time, you can look back at some of those games and Smitty and Kosky (Mikko Koskinen) have kept us in them and they’ve been real good and we’re getting results out of everybody.”

MEANINGFUL GAMES

The Predators were falling out of the playoff race when head coach John Hynes was hired to replace Peter Laviolette a week into the new year. 1179585 Edmonton Oilers that’s contagious out there and getting a guy back in the lineup like Yamo, he’s been a big part of this team since he’s gotten here, he’s going to be huge for our group.”

Edmonton Oilers welcome Kailer Yamamoto's return to lineup Yamamoto is with the Oilers to stay and has developed great chemistry with Draisaitl, who was named the NHL’s first star of the month for February and is gaining momentum as a favourite to win the Hart Trophy as league MVP at the end of the year. Derek Van Diest “He’s the best player in the world right now and he’s showing it now and Published:March 2, 2020 it’s great to play with him,” Yamamoto said. “I’m glad he’s getting all the Updated:March 2, 2020 8:02 PM MST accolades he’s getting right now, it’s a lot of fun to play with it, and hopefully, we can keep it going.”

Yamamoto is looking to pick up where he left off as a point-per-game NASHVILLE — The late December arrival of Kailer Yamamoto marked player. The Oilers are starting to get bodies back with the return of Zack an important turning point in the season for the Edmonton Oilers, and his Kassian from suspension and the imminent return of Neal and Oscar value was emphasized during a three-game absence with an ankle Klefbom. injury. “I just want to go out there and keep playing my game, keep playing with Yamamoto returned to the lineup Monday against the Nashville a lot of energy and keep working with these guys,” Yamamoto said. “I Predators in the first game of a three-game road trip, to the relief of a have to keep playing the same way. If I slack off, then I’m not the same team who have quickly grown to appreciate his talent. player anymore. I just have to do the same things that I was doing before and I have to keep pushing.” “He’s one of those guys who just makes your roster work,” Oilers head coach Dave Tippett said following the morning skate. “That line has been Edmonton Sun: LOADED: 03.03.2020 really good, but he just gives us another element there. He’s come around and made other players around him better. Hopefully, he can jump right in where he left off. When you can get a guy like that right back into your lineup he gives us a boost.”

Selected 22nd overall in the 2017 NHL Entry Draft, the Oilers always had high hopes for Yamamoto, but his immediate impact this season has been a surprise. No one saw it coming.

Yamamoto, 21, started the year in the AHL with the Bakersfield Condors and was called up to the NHL as the Oilers’ season seemed to be slipping away. He played his first game on New Year’s Eve, when a late defensive play and subsequent empty-net goal kept the Oilers from an embarrassing Miracle on Manchester-type collapse.

The Oilers built a 6-0 lead only to see themselves clinging to a one-goal advantage late in the third period before Yamamoto knocked down a pass and led a rush the other way in a 7-5 victory over the visiting New York Rangers. He has seemingly grown in stature per game and plays much bigger than his five-foot-eight, 158-pound frame.

Yamamoto, Ryan Nugent-Hopkins and Leon Draisaitl have been the Oilers’ best line and are carrying the team to the verge of their second playoff appearance in 13 years.

“We saw the growth a little bit at camp, but then he got hurt,” Tippett said. “I give him credit, he went down and worked hard, worked on his game, waited for his opportunity, and when he got the opportunity, he made the most of it. He’s a good player, he’s a good NHL player. He thinks the game well.

“Anytime you can have a guy that Leon likes to play with — he really likes to play with a guy like that, they like to play with good players — so he’s fit in very well there.”

Yamamoto had nine goals and 21 points in 21 games before rolling his ankle against the Los Angeles Kings on Feb. 23. Despite being able to finish the game, he was listed as week-to-week with the injury.

The nature of the injury had the Oilers concerned Yamamoto could be out for a long time. How long it takes for a player to come back from an ankle injury can be hard to predict.

“Yeah, it was a little weird, I just kind of fell back on my ankle a little bit and got caught a little bit,” Yamamoto said. “It’s been a good process and now I’m feeling good. I was very fortunate nothing too serious happened to it and am excited to be back.”

James Neal is missing his 16th consecutive game with an ankle issue of his own and is hoping to get back in the lineup during the trip.

Yamamoto’s play has allowed Tippett to split up his two biggest offensive weapons in Draisaitl and Connor McDavid. It has also revitalized Nugent- Hopkins, who for years has been trying to find a steady running mate with the Oilers.

“I think he’s been such a big piece to that line and the depth to our whole forward group,” said Oilers goalie Mike Smith. “He just brings that element of the game where he brings energy to the group and I think 1179586 Edmonton Oilers most: The career record of Rinne vs. Oilers or Smith beating the Predators twice this year already.

SPECIAL TEAMS: Edmonton Oilers Game Day: On the road again in Nashville Edmonton — PP 1st (29.2%), PK 2nd (84.2%)

Nashville — PP 25th (16.3%), PK 29th (74.6%) Jim Matheson, Edmonton Journal INJURIES Published:March 2, 2020 PREDATORS Updated:March 2, 2020 3:00 AM MST None.

OILERS Edmonton Oilers vs. Nashville Predators Kailer Yamamoto, Oscar Klefbom, James Neal, Joakim Nygard, 6 P.M., SPORTSNET/630 CHED PROJECTED LINEUPS FIVE THINGS EDMONTON 1. RIDING MIKE Ryan Nugent-Hopkins • Leon Draisaitl • Zack Kassian As long as Mike Smith keeps winning or, at least, not losing in regulation Andreas Athanasiou • Connor McDavid • Tyler Ennis time, the Oilers may have to adjust their democratic rotation in goal. Smith has only lost one regulation game in the last 16, to Tampa Bay. Josh Archibald • Riley Sheahan • Patrick Russell With back-to-back games in Nashville, then Dallas before an off-day in Chicago ahead of the last game against the Hawks, Mikko Koskinen will Jujhar Khaira • Gaetan Haas • Alex Chiasson get one start but Smith has lost one game over 60 minutes in 2020. Darnell Nurse • Ethan Bear

2. REVIVING MICHAEL Caleb Jones •

The unrestricted free-agent, acquired last year for the younger Kevin Kris Russell • Matt Benning Fiala, had an awful start to the season and wasn’t a favourite of coach Peter Laviolette, but Michael Grandlund has clicked even better with his Mike Smith new coach, John Hynes. Granlund had 11 points, including seven goals in February after 10 goals over the first four months. He’s been their Mikko Koskinen hottest forward, for sure. But we won’t get a battle of brothers because NASHVILLE the Oilers’ Markus Granlund was sent back to Bakersfield Saturday. Calle Jarnkrok • Matt Duchene • Victor Arvidsson 3. ALL HAIL YAMO • Kyle Turris • Mikael Granlund Kailer Yamamoto, who twisted his ankle in an awkward tumble in Los Angeles eight days ago, could be ready to assume his right-wing spot Colin Blackwell • • Colton Sissons with Leon Draisaitl and Ryan Nugent-Hopkins after missing three games. He has 21 points in 21 games, including nine goals, since he was put on Rocco Grimaldi • Nick Bonino • Craig Smith the wing next to the NHL’s scoring leader. He’s given that line a different Roman Josi • Ryan Ellis element, a dogged, go-get-the-puck worker, playing much bigger than his 153 pounds. Jarred Tinordi • Mattias Ekholm

4. NORRIS TROPHY FINALIST Dan Hamhuis • Dante Fabbro

Roman Josi probably won’t win the top defenceman award because Pekka Rinne Washington’s John Carlson keeps racking up points with 72, and is Juuse Saros playing big minutes for the Capitals, but the Predators captain has had a terrific season. And he’s played much of it without partner Ryan Ellis, Edmonton Sun: LOADED: 03.03.2020 who got a concussion Jan. 1 from a Corey Perry elbow. He’ll be in the final three in voting. Josi leads the Preds with 60 points, runs their power play, plays against the other team’s best players, and eats up 26 minutes a night of ice time. He’s plus-21 to Carlson’s plus-12.

5. MARCH TO 50

Leon Draisaitl has his second straight 100-point season, one of 43 players to do that in NHL history, but can he hit 50 goals for a second consecutive year? He’s got 39 with 17 games left, so it’s not out of the question. He’s earned 16 goals in his last 22 games, corresponding with the start of 2020, four two-goal games, including the pair against Winnipeg on Saturday. He’s not going to win the Richard trophy because David Pastrnak, Auston Matthews and Alex Ovechkin are waging that battle, but Draisaitl’s one-timer is a sight for sore eyes.

BIG MATCH UP

PEKKA RINNE VS. MIKE SMITH

Rinne lost to Smith 4-2 on Jan. 14 at Rogers place, ending a 12-game winning streak against the Oilers. Juuse Saros played instead in a 3-2 Oilers win, also in Edmonton, three weeks later. But with Saros playing Saturday against Colorado, it’s likely Rinne’s turn again and the Jan. 14 game was a dandy battle between the two six-foot-five 37-year-old goalies. Rinne’s game has dropped off this season with a goals-against average of 3.00 and a .900 save percentage on the way to an 18-13-4 record, but he’s always feasted on the Oilers. We’ll see what matters 1179587 Edmonton Oilers That unit’s dominance even allowed the Oilers to weather McDavid’s six- game absence without losing significant ground (a 3-2-1 record over that span) in a tight Pacific Division playoff race.

Splitting Connor McDavid and Leon Draisaitl saved the Oilers’ season The decision to split McDavid and Draisaitl most of the time has come with a cost, however. The performance of McDavid’s own line has suffered.

By Jonathan Willis Mar 2, 2020 That was unavoidable under the circumstances. Playing with an ever- shifting and often underwhelming collection of secondary wingers, and

while frequently getting the toughest available matchup in terms of It was the end of December, and the Oilers were at their lowest ebb of competition despite it, McDavid’s line has managed a 51 percent the season. After a 16-7-3 start, they had gone 4-10-1 over 15 games. It expected-goal share and outscored the opposition 19-17. It’s a testament was the first time all season the record showed more losses than wins. to the quality of the Oilers’ other superstar, but understandably the club went to some pains to get him help at the trade deadline. Dave Tippett decided to do something that he’d experimented with in December. He separated Connor McDavid and Leon Draisaitl. He’d done So far the results have been mixed. Tyler Ennis has been relatively it before, but always tentatively. To that point in the season, the two had impressive in four games as McDavid’s regular winger, bringing a similar not been apart for consecutive games. element to his line that Yamamoto has to Draisaitl’s. The team’s other forward acquisition, Andreas Athanasiou, has since been bumped down On Dec. 31, Tippett split them. Monday’s 8-3 win over Nashville marked to a makeshift third line with Riley Sheahan and Zack Kassian. It was the 25th consecutive game in which the two spent less than five minutes Edmonton’s worst unit against Nashville, and Athanasiou made a together at five-on-five. The Oilers’ record in those games is 15-6-4, the particularly unfortunate giveaway that quickly found the back of the fourth-best in the NHL over that span. Oilers’ net.

The approach taken by Edmonton’s coaches has had the effect of letting It’s always tricky to know if a deadline addition is going to work. Adapting the Oilers have their cake and eat it, too. McDavid and Draisaitl play to a new time zone, a new city, new teammates and new strategies in the together with the man advantage, powering the league’s best power-play middle of the stretch drive often results in a newly acquired player unit. They also tend to get the odd shift together right at the end of a struggling to fit in. For Athanasiou, coming over after a poor performance successful penalty kill, when the opposition’s best forwards are fatigued with the Red Wings, patience will certainly be necessary. and the rest of the players are often in disarray as a result of regular units being separated for special-teams work. One way or the other, the Oilers need another winger for McDavid, though on Monday he seemed to work with everyone. The rest of the time, they give the Oilers the one-two punch down the middle that Peter Chiarelli used to wistfully talk about in training camp, Zack Kassian, above, scored a goal while briefly reunited with the right before his coach went back to playing them together on one line. Connor McDavid in the third period Monday. (Christopher Hanewinckel / USA Today) Mostly, it’s worked really well for the Oilers, and the game against the Predators was a textbook example. Of Edmonton’s eight goals, Josh Archibald, the wonderfully industrious checker who has been one of McDavid’s line scored three, Draisaitl’s line scored three, and twice Tippett’s favourite fill-in pieces, scored a goal after starting the night on McDavid got the primary assist on a Draisaitl goal. McDavid’s line. Zack Kassian, who just signed a hefty four-year deal largely because of his chemistry with Edmonton’s captain, scored as well There have been myriad benefits to this method of handling the two after getting a third-period look on the unit. Add in Ennis, Athanasiou and superstars. the injured Neal, and that’s most of what Tippett has to work with as he tries to find the best combination. Draisaitl’s game turned around dramatically once Tippett moved him to centre on his own line with a pair of quality linemates. Rewind the season Ideally, the Oilers would have another Nugent-Hopkins-level player to to the end of December and Draisaitl’s Hart candidacy was hard to skate next to McDavid, but even without one, the team is winning games. imagine, despite his scoring. That scoring was coming largely as a running mate to McDavid, and Draisaitl’s defensive game was a mess. McDavid and Draisaitl tore apart a Nashville team that had won 10 of its Over a five-week stretch with and without McDavid, the Oilers had been past 16 and had closed to within four points of Edmonton, and that’s with outscored 26-4 with Draisaitl on the ice at five-on-five. McDavid’s line still a work-in-progress. The Oilers are second only to Colorado in the West since switching to this configuration, and that’s Tippett’s decision to move Draisaitl to the middle eased his matchups while fighting through a brutal run of injuries and mostly without the influx and forced him to skate more and control the game rather than playing a of talent brought in at the deadline. complementary role. How good can Edmonton be in a month, once the newcomers have “We want to get him up and skating in that middle lane,” Tippett said at adjusted to their new environment and a series of injured players (most the time. “When he can control the middle of the ice, those other guys notably top defenceman Oscar Klefbom) have returned to the lineup? (Ryan Nugent-Hopkins and Kailer Yamamoto) are pretty good with him.” Only the playoffs can answer that question definitively, but Monday was one of those moments when the potential seemed incredible. It has been a mutually beneficial arrangement for all three members of the line. Nugent-Hopkins had been struggling to score as a second-line Notes centre playing largely with reclamation project James Neal. Yamamoto was freshly elevated from the AHL, taking his third crack at sticking in the Kris Russell left the game early after blocking a Ryan Ellis shot at 5:06 of NHL after quickly losing his offensive confidence in two previous the third period. Russell caught the puck in the midsection and was attempts. grimacing as he made it to the bench. The timing is especially tough for Russell, who was in just his second game back after missing a month In previous looks at centre, Draisaitl had mostly been given leftovers with a concussion. while McDavid was assigned the best available wingers, but this time Draisaitl was paired with two players who could pass, think and defend. Caleb Jones played 21:48 against the Predators, marking a new high- They have complemented him beautifully and have had the sizeable water mark for 2019-20. It’s the sixth consecutive game in which he’s advantage of playing with an engaged centre who has evolved into a played 18-plus minutes, as the injury to Klefbom gives him the same kind player capable of taking control of a game. of opportunity that Ethan Bear took such advantage of early in the season after Adam Larsson was injured. Jones excelled, making sharp In 25 games spent almost entirely together (Yamamoto missed three passes and aggressive defensive plays. It showed in the results, as the games with injury), the Draisaitl line has a 54 percent share of expected Oilers had a 25-15 edge in shot attempts, a 3-0 edge in goals and a 69 goals and has actually outscored the opposition by a whopping 29-16 percent expected-goal share when he was on the ice. At this rate, he’s margin at five-on-five. Yamamoto has 23 points in 22 games after putting going to be severely underpaid from the moment his new two-year, up just five in his previous 26. Nugent-Hopkins has 36 in 25 after putting $850,000 AAV contract kicks in at the start of next season. up 20 points in his first 35 games of the season. Nashville has had the misfortune of playing all three of its games against the Oilers during their current 25-game run. Edmonton won all three in regulation, and that represents the entirety of the six-point gap in the standings between the clubs.

The Athletic LOADED: 03.03.2020 1179588 Florida Panthers “We’re going to take (Monday) off, recap the tough moment you’re in now and come in with an appetite to be positive and be part of the solution,” Quenneville said.

The Florida Panthers look broken, and time is running out to save their “I still think there is enough time for us to remedy this. We have to put season ourselves in position to win one game, get the momentum from that and go from there. We can’t look at the big picture — we have to narrow things down. We have a couple tough games coming up.’’

By George Richards Mar 2, 2020 “We have left a lot of gravy on the table here at home and that’s the tough part about it,” said head coach Joel Quenneville, top left. “But we

created it, and it’s up to us to fix it.” (Sam Navarro / USA Today) SUNRISE, Fla. — The Florida Panthers have definitely had worse So what happened during this midseason break? No one seems to know, seasons in their 26-year history. but whatever it was, it has infected almost the whole bunch. This one, however, may end up being their most disappointing. Scoring was not a problem for the Panthers until February hit. The Panthers, who kicked off their offseason by hiring future Hall of Sunday’s blanking by Cam Talbot (38 saves) was the third shutout Fame coach Joel Quenneville and addressing what appeared to be their against the Panthers since they came back from their break. every need in free agency, currently look like a broken team. Florida has scored two goals or fewer in 10 of its last 17 games after only A season that once held so much promise feels like it could already be being held to two goals or fewer in 15 of the first 49. The Panthers’ power over with a little more than a month remaining. play, which was one of the best in the league, has converted on just five Sure, they still have 16 games left and are technically only a handful of of 40 chances over the past 15 games. points out of a playoff spot. But this team, the one we have seen for the “We’re not playing anywhere near a playoff team right now,” Brett past month, simply is not good. Connolly said. “The way we’re playing, we wouldn’t do anything. We Does anyone — the players and coaches included — see this Florida need to get that good feeling back.” squad doing what it has to do to make a run at the playoffs? To get to 97 Giving up goals, well, that has always been a problem, and it has points (which may not even be enough to get in), the Panthers would continued since the break as Florida’s opponents have scored four goals have to win 12 of their final 16. or more in eight of the past 17 games. Following Sunday’s 3-0 disaster against Calgary, the team’s seventh Over those 17 games, the Panthers have been outscored a whopping consecutive loss on home ice, Florida has lost five of its last six overall. 61-41 as their goal differential for the season is now even. Sunday against the Flames was the Panthers’ game in hand over Toronto, and they did nothing with it. Not surprisingly, confidence is at an all-time low in their dressing room.

The Panthers remain five points back of the Maple Leafs (who also have “It’s not easy. Everyone is looking for answers, and you work so hard to 16 games remaining) for third in the Atlantic and are still within shouting be in a position to push for a playoff spot after the break, and right now distance of a wild-card spot. we’re fighting it as a group,” said Connolly, a member of Washington’s 2018 Cup team who was brought in on a four-year contract over the But can this Panthers team get it done? summer. “It’s a lot of games,” captain Sasha Barkov said. “All I know right now is “Everyone is frustrated. It’s not fun right now. But we have to keep we have a really good chance. We have a really good group here. pushing and try and find a way to win a game, especially at home. We “Everyone wants to win. It’s not what we want to do on the ice right now. can’t keep losing all these home games. It seems like every game we We’re not winning games, but we all know once we start playing the right keep getting pushed lower and lower into the ground. way, once we start playing simple, skill will take over. Hard work is going “You just got to push through it. Life isn’t easy — in this game, especially. to be there and everything will be fine.” We have to look at the mirror and find some answers. A win would give The Panthers had to be thrilled to finally put February behind them as a us some momentum, and we haven’t found that lately.” 3-2 shootout loss to Chicago on Saturday night capped a miserable At the break, to make the playoffs, the Panthers needed to win just 18 of month in which Florida went 5-9-2 and looked lost most of the time. their final 33 to hit 97 points. Unfortunately for the Panthers, the problems were not just a February Nothing special, just average. But they haven’t even come close to thing as Sunday showed. playing at that level. Now, time is not on their side. Playing against a Calgary bunch on its final stop of a five-game road trip, Quenneville talked when the homestand started Thursday about his team Florida struggled to get anything going as their high-flying offense controlling its own destiny and being in charge of its own fate. remained grounded. Then the Panthers lost 5-3 to Toronto to see their point deficit grow by The Flames had their 3-0 final score by the second minute of the third two points, and only a Mike Matheson goal in the final minutes Saturday period. The Panthers did little to fight back as boos rained down from the salvaged something out of the Chicago game. stands throughout the game. The trade deadline was last Monday and Florida made one big move, The Panthers, it should be noted, have not won a game in their home sending Vincent Trocheck to Carolina for two players (Erik Haula and building since Jan. 16. Lucas Wallmark) and two prospects. When the Panthers went on their 10-day break at the end of January, The Panthers went out and won the following night in Arizona but have they were riding a six-game winning streak and were the highest-scoring lost three since. team in the entire league. General manager Dale Tallon made the deal as much to “shake up” his Today they are a shell of their former selves. team and get them out of their post-break doldrums as anything else. It, Hopes of making the playoffs for only the sixth time in the franchise’s 26 to this point, hasn’t worked. seasons are fading as fast as points have been left to rot on the dock — If the Panthers miss the playoffs again this season, expect more changes or, as Quenneville said, “We have left a lot of gravy on the table here at to come. Perhaps some really big ones. home and that’s the tough part about it. But we created it, and it’s up to us to fix it.” Barkov and the Panthers don’t want to hear about that right now. The trade deadline is gone, and there is no one new coming to save them. Since their midseason break, the Panthers have earned just 12 of a They’re going to have to do this on their own. possible 34 points. They have 32 available to them from here on out. Time is winding down with Atlantic-leading Boston here on Thursday. The home losing streak may continue a bit longer — as will Florida’s odds of making the playoffs.

“I can’t say it’s slipping away,’’ Barkov said. “We haven’t been this close to the playoffs for a while. We all know it. We just need to relax right now, regroup.”

And win. A lot. It still may be too late.

The Athletic LOADED: 03.03.2020 1179589 Los Angeles Kings

NHL general managers decide to keep emergency goalie rules the same

By HELENE ELLIOTT

MARCH 2, 202012:20 PM

NHL general managers decided not to propose changes to the existing procedures for the use of emergency backup goaltenders, a practice that came into question when 42-year-old David Ayres had to step in and play for the Carolina Hurricanes when their two goalies were injured at Toronto on Feb. 22.

Ayres, who drives the ice resurfacing machine at the Maple Leafs’ practice rink, stopped eight of 10 shots to earn the win for Carolina. He promptly became a sought-after guest on major TV talk shows in the United States, a rarity for hockey, and the stick he used in the Hurricanes’ 6-3 win was put on display in the Hockey Hall of Fame.

General managers discussed possible changes on Monday during their annual meetings in Boca Raton, Fla., but they decided to leave the current procedures unchanged. “There was lot of discussions,” Colin Campbell, the league’s senior executive vice president of hockey operations, told NHL.com. “Most important from it is where we’re at and I think it worked.”

The procedure is rarely used and hadn’t been invoked since Scott Foster, an accountant, played 14 minutes for the Chicago Blackhawks on March 30, 2018.

At each game the home team makes available an emergency backup who can step in if needed. Some teams have two emergency backups on hand, one for the home team and one for the visitors.

LA Times: LOADED: 03.03.2020 1179590 Los Angeles Kings “That’s the worst thing you can do, you have too much time to think,” he said. “Tried to stay busy and spend some time with my wife.”

Despite getting unceremoniously thrust from the sport and the league After ‘mourning period’ after departure, Ron Hextall moves on with life, that he loved, Hextall continued to watch hockey, including Flyers games. career That never stopped.

“I care about the people there, and some of those kids I’ve watched since they were 17 or 18 years old,” he said. “I care about those people, and By Kevin Kurz Mar 2, 2020 keep in touch with them to this day.”

It didn’t take very long for other teams to come calling, which is no surprise considering Hextall’s résumé. In the 2019 offseason, the 55- Less than a decade after his outstanding 13-year career as an NHL year-old narrowed his next move down to three potential opportunities goaltender concluded, Ron Hextall was standing at center ice at the then- (not including the Minnesota Wild, who spoke with him about their vacant Wachovia Center for his Flyers Hall of Fame induction ceremony. general manager’s job before hiring Bill Guerin). On Feb. 7, 2008, in the first intermission of a game between the Flyers Hextall eventually agreed on a reunion with the Kings in an advisory role and Capitals, Hextall seized the microphone to address the crowd. After under general manager Rob Blake. For much of this season, Hextall has thanking his friends and family, at times pausing to collect himself, been attending Panthers home games, as he and his wife have a Hextall then succinctly summarized what it meant to him to spend the property about 30 miles from the BB&T Center in Sunrise, Florida. If the great majority of his playing days in orange and black. Kings are playing on the West Coast at 10:30 p.m., he’ll record the game “I was able to follow my passion with a team, an organization, and a city and view it in the morning. that defines the meaning of passion. A team, an organization, and a city, He’s also, of course, made several trips back to Los Angeles to offer his where excellence is expected — where the love of winning is secondary, advice and observations to Blake and the rest of the Kings’ staff. only to the hatred of losing,” Hextall said. “I didn’t want to be out too long,” Hextall said. “I knew the people in L.A., I Where the love of winning is secondary, only to the hatred of losing. He knew they were good people, I knew Rob Blake from his time as a player might as well have been describing himself with those words. with us in L.A. there. I have the ultimate respect for Rob. I had a couple Hextall’s fiery demeanor and ultra-competitive personality were a natural other opportunities, but it just seemed being familiar with the organization fit in Philadelphia and with Flyers fans, beginning in his rookie season that it was the right place. when he took the team to Game 7 of the 1987 Stanley Cup final against “It’s been good. Rob is a first-class guy and an outstanding citizen, so the Edmonton Oilers, winning the Conn Smythe Trophy in the process. that’s been really enjoyable from my standpoint to work with him and the So when he made his way back to the organization in the summer of staff in L.A. I actually just got back, and I’ve been out there numerous 2013, first as an assistant general manager/director of hockey operations times. It’s been really good for me in terms of kind of getting back into it. and soon after as the general manager in 2014, it seemed like Hextall I’m not busy-busy like I was before obviously, but it’s given me some was exactly where he was supposed to be. structure and given me something to do, so it’s been great.” As one of the architects of the Los Angeles Kings’ two Stanley Cup Hextall said he’s trying to focus on learning more about teams that he’s championships, serving as a vice president and assistant general not as familiar with, so that probably doesn’t include the Flyers, as their manager under Dean Lombardi from 2006 to 2013, Hextall was tasked roster consists mostly of players that he was directly responsible for with restocking the Flyers’ development system while concurrently bringing into the fold. working through what was a brutal salary cap situation with many expensive contracts for aging and/or ineffective players. But he’s still keenly aware that many of those burgeoning youngsters are helping the Flyers now, as the club is now pushing for first place in the He didn’t get to see the process to its completion. Hextall was fired on Metropolitan Division thanks to a second-half surge. Players who were Nov. 26, 2018, a little more than four years after he was named the drafted or developed while Hextall was GM like Travis Konecny, Ivan general manager, in a move that shocked the hockey world. Provorov, Travis Sanheim, Scott Laughton, Carter Hart and others are Hextall held a press conference with the local media a few days after he playing key roles in the team’s success. Same for James van Riemsdyk, was let go, but has stayed relatively quiet in the 14 months since. Last whom Hextall signed to a five-year, $35 million contract with the Flyers Friday, though, in an exclusive phone interview with The Athletic, he as a free agent on July 1, 2018. recalled how difficult it was for him to get over the utter disappointment of “I watch enough of the Flyers to have a little bit of a feel for what’s going an abrupt termination that he never saw coming. on,” Hextall said. “The young kids are taking a bigger part of the load “It was extremely difficult,” Hextall said. “I hate to even use this word, but which is always kind of what you need. You need your veteran players, there certainly was a mourning period. It was very surprising to me, I and you need your young players to come up and take a bigger chunk of didn’t expect it whatsoever. I know our team was struggling and things the load. It does take time. weren’t going well. I know that. But we did have a long term vision and “Those kids, at times last year they started to take off, but it certainly probably it was the last thing I expected. It certainly took me a long seems like they’re taking a bigger piece of the pie now. Three or four period of time to get over it. But I’m there now, and ready to move on.” years in, that’s typically the time it happens. They’re doing well, and like I He continued: “I was stunned, make no mistake. We put a plan out there, said, I care for a lot of those people and those kids that were good young and felt like, quite frankly, that we were going to see it through. So it took hockey players or prospects or in the league but weren’t where they me a lot longer than maybe it should have. But like I said, we had a plan needed to be. They’ve taken steps, and they’re doing a heck of a job.” out there, were sticking to it, and felt like we trying to take the Hextall would like another chance to be an NHL GM. Despite how it organization to good places. So, it was shocking what happened.” ended in Philadelphia, he remains confident he knows what it takes to Hextall spent time at his lake house about two hours north of build a winner, having helped the Kings to the ultimate prize and finding Philadelphia and relied on his family to get him through that tough time, and developing good young talent while overseeing the Flyers, too. including his wife, Diane, and four children. “I believed in myself five years ago and I believe in myself now,” he said. “The first thing that I did, and I think a lot of people do, is you’ve got to “I went out there to L.A. (in 2006) and watched that whole thing come take a breath. You’ve been at it hard, and the GM position now is 24-7, together. There’s different ways to build a winning team, but in a cap nonstop,” he said. “If you’re not doing something, you’re thinking about league, you have to be prudent. … You have to think things through and something. The first thing I did was took a deep breath. I’ve got four kids, make the right moves. You’re not going to make all good moves I’ve got grandkids, and the first thing I was going to do was spend some obviously, but you can’t make emotional moves because your team is time with them where I was one hundred percent present. And it helped down. That move might hurt you for five years. me, obviously, being around people that care about you, your family. “I would like to (be a general manager) again. I’m disappointed we That was certainly a godsend at that time.” couldn’t end what we started there in Philly, and I’d like to take another The one thing Hextall didn’t want to do was sit around and mope. go at it, yeah.” The Athletic LOADED: 03.03.2020 1179591 Los Angeles Kings

SPACEK LOANED TO ONT, BRICKLEY TO MAN – CONTEXT WITH SEELEY

ZACH DOOLEYMARCH 2, 2020

The announced a roster move earlier today, as forward Michael Spacek has been loaned to Ontario, from the NHL’s Winnipeg Jets, while defenseman Daniel Brickley has been loaned, by the Kings to the AHL’s Manitoba Moose.

Today is the AHL’s Trade Deadline, and while these transactions were made between two NHL-contracted players, it’s effectively a move to benefit both AHL teams down the stretch and continue the development of the individual players involved.

With recent recalls of forwards Gabriel Vilardi and Martin Frk to the NHL, Ontario was left with just three right-handed shot forwards (Matt Luff, Sheldon Rempal, Jacob Doty) on their roster, and none of which played center – in fact, all three are right wingers. Enter Spacek, who has scored at approximately a half-point-per-game pace in his AHL career to date. Spacek was productive with Red Deer in the WHL with 139 points in 120 games, and represented the Czech Republic at the World Junior Championships for 3 consecutive years (14/15 – 16/17).

Spacek comes into a Reign team that has lost a pair of right-shot centermen to either the NHL (Vilardi) or injury (Rasmus Kupari). The 22- year-old Czech Republic native adds depth for Ontario in its playoff push down the stretch, not only with the roster it currently has now but also as protection against future callups to come, should there be a need at the NHL level. The Kings currently have just 12 healthy forwards on their NHL roster, including Vilardi, which means that any additional injuries would lead to another recall from Ontario up front.

The Czech Republic native profiles as a playmaking center, who passes the puck well and can help the Reign up the middle. Spacek ranked third on the Moose a season ago in assists and points and the move presented a good fit for both sides.

“Right now, a right-handed centerman is something we don’t have,” Ontario Reign General Manager Richard Seeley said. “We have some positive reports on Spacek and envision him helping our group – an opportunity to add some forward depth to our lineup.”

With regards to Brickley, the move is hopefully equally beneficial. Brickley is still under contract for another season with the Kings, and moving to Manitoba could create better opportunities in the interim.

Since he returned from an illness that sidelined him for much of the 2019- 20 season, Brickley found consistent opportunities in the Reign lineup hard to come by as, at one point, one of nine AHL caliber defensemen. Brickley was routinely in and out of the lineup, and the Reign have Chaz Reddekopp and Max Gottlieb, currently in the ECHL with Fort Wayne, as guys ready to step in and play an AHL role.

“We have a lot of young, promising defensemen in our organization and have been forced to rotate some defensemen in and out of the lineup instead of playing them more consistently,” Seeley said. “While it’s a good problem to have, this could help us up front now and allows Bricks the opportunity for a greater role and more consistent ice time.”

Therein lies the decision making behind today’s move – turning a position of strength at the AHL level on defense, into depth up front that could be important down the stretch. Expect Spacek to link up with Ontario late this week, in advance of the team’s back-to-back set against the Colorado Eagles this weekend in Loveland, beginning on Friday evening.

LA Kings Insider: LOADED: 03.03.2020 1179592 Los Angeles Kings

WAKING UP WITH THE KINGS: MARCH 2

JON ROSENMARCH 2, 2020

Sunday’s game furthered the improbable but very clear trend in the L.A.- Vegas rivalry: The Kings definitively lost the scoring chance and possession battles but capitalized on their opportunities, benefited from superior special teams and goaltending, and won the game. That doesn’t usually work against most good teams, but it does against the Golden Knights! Los Angeles, with its 39.4 CF%, 39.0 FF%, 39.6 SF% and 39.7 xGF% in this year’s head-to-head match-ups, claimed 10 of the 17 five- on-five goals and three of the four wins off the back of a robust 12.2% shooting percentage and another excellent night by an L.A. goalie. This time it was Cal Petersen, who won for the second time in as many career starts against Vegas but didn’t walk alone despite what the discrepancy in shots and chances indicates. The Kings did an excellent job of getting in shooting lanes and both blocking shots and forcing attempts wide, leading to 45 of an impressive 88 shot attempts either catching equipment, a post or the end boards. Petersen was no doubt terrific, but the special teams had a hand in expanding and protecting the lead. With a 2-for-2 power play performance and a 3-for-4 night on the penalty kill, the Kings improved to 4-for-5 on the PP and 7-for-8 on the PK in building a three-game head-to-head winning streak; in their loss, on October 13, they were 0-for-3 on both the power play and penalty kill. Los Angeles hasn’t exactly been on top of its competitive cycle since Vegas arrived on the scene, but they’re now 8-4-1 in the regular season against their I-15 rivals. It’s a bit similar to L.A.’s proficiency against Colorado upon the Avs’ relocation, a two-Cup span in which the Kings didn’t always match up well talent-wise but went 15-12-2 against Forsberg, Sakic, Roy and company during their first six years in Denver.

In a very good road first period, some needed Austin Wagner detail paid quick dividends. He jumped into a play quickly and immediately applied pressure that impeded on Vegas’ ability to set up a five-man unit. After the puck was worked high, he beat William Carrier to the net with an efficient straight-line burst of speed that drew a cross-checking minor. The Kings scored on the subsequent power play as Drew Doughty waited for traffic to converge in the crease and unleashed a low shot that Marc-Andre Fleury kicked out behind Kopitar. Showing remarkably smooth hands, Kopitar plucked the puck from behind him and in one fell swoop transferred it to his backhand and lifted a sharp-angle, top-shelf, short-side shot past Fleury. In addition to an excellent performance by the top line, this was also maybe Drew Doughty’s signature performance of the season, a game in which he registered two assists, a plus-two rating and two shots on goal in 23:49 of action. Going beyond the numbers, his hook on Paul Stastny’s hands was needed and probably saved a goal, and by standing Ryan Reaves up at the blue line, he illustrated the best uses of his skating and physicality within the 1-3-1, an evolution that hasn’t always been linear for him personally.

From there, the Golden Knights took over. They took over just as they had in previous Kings wins in their building after falling behind by multiple goals. This isn’t a huge surprise; Vegas is an elite possession team that checks well and works relentlessly to win pucks back after losing them. But Los Angeles – also a good possession and chance-generating team – was out-shot 37-8 over the final 40 minutes, and that shouldn’t happen. Petersen was excellent, as were the shot blockers and those forcing shooting lanes wide of the net, as described above. But for as wide as the shots and scoring chances gulf was, there were an awful lot of Vegas one-and-dones into the L.A. zone, especially in the first half of the game, and the best opportunities were hopping over sticks, fired into shin pads and weren’t consistently being put on net. But Petersen was very good again, and the Kings goaltending as a whole has taken a major step forward, providing the club with a sturdy spine from which its 6-2-1 run has branched out. It’s an inverse of their season as a whole and perhaps just an ol’ fashioned regression-to-the-mean. Though a 47.1% xGF% over their last nine games doesn’t indicate they’re playing well, their .939 5×5 Sv% has been winning them games. Given their character and work ethic in the face of a stiff challenge this season and the lack of reward even when playing well, this market correction is natural and well- deserved.

LA Kings Insider: LOADED: 03.03.2020 1179593 Minnesota Wild

Nashville travels to Minnesota for division battle

By The Associated Press MARCH 3, 2020 — 2:10AM

Nashville Predators (32-25-8, fourth in the Central Division) vs. Minnesota Wild (32-26-7, sixth in the Central Division)

St. Paul, Minnesota; Tuesday, 8 p.m. EST

BOTTOM LINE: Nashville visits Minnesota for a Central Division matchup.

The Wild are 19-16-3 in Western Conference games. Minnesota has given up 45 power-play goals, killing 76.3% of opponent chances.

The Predators are 10-6-1 against opponents in the Central Division. Nashville has scored 34 power-play goals, converting on 16.1% of chances.

In their last meeting on Oct. 24, Nashville won 4-0.

TOP PERFORMERS: Kevin Fiala leads the Wild with 49 points, scoring 20 goals and adding 29 assists. Zach Parise has recorded three goals and five assists over the last 10 games for Minnesota.

Filip Forsberg leads the Predators with 18 goals and has 43 points. Mikael Granlund has four goals and four assists over the last 10 games for Nashville.

LAST 10 GAMES: Predators: 6-3-1, averaging 2.8 goals, 4.7 assists, 2.9 penalties and 6.9 penalty minutes while giving up 2.8 goals per game with a .919 save percentage.

Wild: 6-3-1, averaging 3.6 goals, 6.3 assists, three penalties and 6.3 penalty minutes while giving up 2.3 goals per game with a .915 save percentage.

INJURIES: Wild: None listed.

Predators: None listed.

Star Tribune LOADED: 03.03.2020 1179594 Minnesota Wild

Wild-Nashville game preview

MARCH 2, 2020 — 11:57PM

SARAH MCLELLAN

7 P.M. VS. NASHVILLE • XCEL ENERGY CENTER • FSN PLUS, 100.3- FM

Wild, Preds to be seeing a lot of each other

Preview: This is the first of three games vs. the Predators the rest of the season, a potential make-or-break series since both teams are fighting for the same wild-card spot. Despite seeing its three-game winning streak end Sunday in a 4-3 loss to the Capitals, the Wild played well and didn’t sag in its return home from a two-game sweep on the road. Nashville will be playing the second game of a back-to-back. The Predators won the first two meetings against the Wild in October.

Players to WATCH: Predators G Juuse Saros is 3-0 in his career vs. the Wild. C Matt Duchene has three assists against the Wild this season. … Wild RW Luke Kunin is expected to return Tuesday after missing the past five games because of an upper-body injury. In his past four games, LW Ryan Donato has scored three goals.

Numbers: The 20 goals scored by the Wild over its past four games are tied for the second most in franchise history. Its penalty kill is 22-for-23 over the past 10 contests. … Nashville outscored the Wild 9-2 in its two October victories. Saros’ .976 save percentage against the Wild is his best against any NHL team.

Injuries: Wild D Carson Soucy (upper body) is out.

Star Tribune LOADED: 03.03.2020 1179595 Minnesota Wild

Kevin Fiala vs. Mikael Granlund: The comparison

MARCH 2, 2020 — 7:27PM STAFF

Just over a year ago, the Wild traded Mikael Granlund to Nashville for Kevin Fiala. Here’s how the two stack up since the Feb. 25, 2019, trade:

Fiala Granlund

23 Age 28

79 Games played 74

23 Goals 18

33 Assists 16

56 Points 34

8 Power-play goals 8

3 Game-winning goals 4

Star Tribune LOADED: 03.03.2020 1179596 Minnesota Wild Familiarity with then-general manager Paul Fenton helped, since Fenton was part of the Predators’ management team that drafted Fiala 11th overall in 2014. So did the presence of Dean Evason, who coached Fiala in the minors and was on staff as a Wild assistant before getting Wild's Kevin Fiala gets to show new, improved game to former Predators promoted to interim coach after Bruce Boudreau was fired last month. teammates “Kevin has worked through the process and learned from mistakes and from positive stuff he’s done,” Evason said. “It’s great for him.”

By Sarah McLellan MARCH 2, 2020 — 11:04PM Still, this season got off to a rocky start with Fiala a late arrival to training camp after not agreeing to his contract until a day before players

reported. He also suffered an injury and was a healthy scratch twice. Kevin Fiala needed a change. Fiala isn’t sure if getting sat motivated him, but he regrouped during the He’d been in the Nashville organization for nearly five years, working his time he was hurt and realized he had to be better. And he was, re- way up from prized prospect to an up-and-comer in the minor leagues to emerging as the powerful player he was in the past. eventually a regular in the NHL. During one season he was dynamic, a “I just had to figure things out, how to do it again,” he said. “But there full-fledged goal scorer. But the rest of his time with the Predators played were tough days, for sure. But in my heart, I always knew I could do it out like a never-ending game of chutes and ladders. again.” “It was kind of time to go somewhere else,” Fiala said. Now used to his teammates and confident in his ability to help, Fiala His fresh start with the Wild after getting traded started out similarly to his hopes this is his new normal. tenure with Nashville, bursts of awe scattered among lulls. Then the dips If it is, the timing couldn’t be better. disappeared, and Fiala took off — an ascension that reached a fever pitch Monday when the right winger was crowned the NHL’s first star of The Wild not only is one point behind the Predators for the last playoff the week after recording a league-high nine points during four spot in the Western Conference, but it also squares off two more times consecutive multipoint games. against them after Tuesday’s showdown, including in the regular-season finale. And it’s at this pinnacle that Fiala will get reacquainted with the Predators, a chance to showcase his progress against his former team “Very, very exciting for me,” Fiala said. “More motivated — even more Tuesday at Xcel Energy Center in the Wild’s most meaningful battle of that we’re so close to them, so close to the playoffs right now. It’s going the season so far. to be an awesome game.”

“It’s been great,” Fiala said. “It’s been fun. Tough one at the start, Star Tribune LOADED: 03.03.2020 obviously, and even in the beginning of this season it was a little difficult. But it got better and better, and right now it’s better than it’s ever been in my whole career. It’s been fun.”

Good for both sides

In the year since the Wild and Predators swapped forwards at the trade deadline, never has the deal flattered both sides more than right now.

Mikael Granlund, whom the Wild shipped to Nashville to acquire Fiala, is also rolling — scoring 11 of his 17 goals in the past 24 games. Four of those were game-winners in February, including the overtime clincher Thursday against the Flames that followed Granlund’s game-tying goal with one-tenth of a second remaining in regulation.

What’s next, though, for the 28-year-old Granlund is unclear, because he’ll be an unrestricted free agent after the season. Fiala is five years younger and has another year left on a $6 million contract before he’s eligible for a new one as a restricted free agent.

With how valuable he’s been lately, it’s easy to envision Fiala as a main character in the Wild’s future — especially if he can sustain this productivity.

“I feel very confident with this group,” Fiala said. “Everybody loves each other. We are a big family. I don’t have to be scared to be myself. That helps me to be my best. Everybody accepts me how I am. That’s very positive for me.”

Over his past 14 games, Fiala has chipped in 11 goals and racked up 21 points. He’s already set a career high in points with 49 and is just three goals shy of tying his best output of 23 from 2017-18.

Last week, when he became just the third player in Wild history to record multiple points in four straight games — joining Marian Gaborik and Brian Rolston — Fiala revealed the spectrum of his skills. His five assists highlighted his playmaking smarts, while his finishing prowess was on display in his four goals (tied for the most in the NHL in that span).

There were glimpses of this impact in the aftermath of the trade and earlier this season but nothing substantial, lapses that could help explain why Nashville cut ties.

“It wasn’t easy to get traded,” said Fiala, who was grateful for the opportunity with the Wild but also nervous. “A new system and new teammates. I had to get comfortable.”

‘Had to figure things out’ 1179597 Minnesota Wild

Kevin Fiala remains on fire entering Wild’s ‘biggest game of the year’

By DANE MIZUTANI | PUBLISHED: March 2, 2020 at 2:55 p.m. | UPDATED: March 2, 2020 at 2:58 p.m.

Kevin Fiala could not have picked a better time to be playing the best hockey of his career.

Not only has the 23-year-old winger been, hands down, the Wild’s best player over the past month, he has been one of the best players in the NHL.

Since Feb. 1, Fiala has 11 goals and 10 assists. On Monday morning, he was named the NHL’s First Star of the Week.

Needless to say, Fiala is extremely confident heading into Tuesday’s home game against the Nashville Predators (32-24-8, 72 points), who the Wild (32-26-7, 71 points) are chasing for the final playoff spot in the Western Conference.

“It’s going to be the biggest game of the year,” Fiala said. “We have to be ready.”

After that game at the Xcel Energy Center, there are two more games this season between the Wild and Predators — in St. Paul on March 15 and at Nashville in the regular-season finale on April 4.

“You feel like it’s going to come down head-to-head against those guys,” winger Zach Parise said. “We’re looking forward to those games.”

Adding to the intrigue of Tuesday’s game is the fact that Fiala loves playing against his former team.

After breaking into the league with the Predators, emerging as a bonafide sniper, Fiala regressed to the point that he was sent to the Wild at the trade deadline in February last year for Mikael Granlund.

It was a welcomed change of scenery for the young Swiss skater.

“I think I needed it,” Fiala said. “It was a little difficult after the trade. It got better and better, and right now, it’s better than it’s ever been in my whole career. It’s been fun.”

That much is clear watching the way Fiala has operated over the past month. He is a threat to score every time he has the puck, and on Sunday night, joined Marian Gaborik and Brian Rolston as the only players in Wild franchise history to post multiple points in four straight game.

In some ways, this type of production from Fiala shouldn’t come as a big surprise, especially considering he’s only a couple of seasons removed from posting 23 goals and 25 assists, for the Predators in 2017-18.

“I just had to figure things out,” he said, admitting there were some “tough days” last season when he was struggling. “In my heart I always knew I could do it again.”

As Fiala’s star has started to rise over the past month, so too has the national attention surrounding his dynamic skill set.

“He deserves all the recognition he’s getting,” interim coach Dean Evason said.”If you ask Kevin, I think he’ll tell you it’s a lot because of his teammates.”

Yep, that’s how he feels.

“I feel very confident with this group,” he said. Everybody loves each other. We are a big family. I don’t have to be scared to be myself, and that helps me to be my best.”

Is this the new norm for Fiala?

“I hope so,” he said. “This is such a hard sport, such a hard league. You’ve got to always work hard and always do the right things. Just calm down, otherwise it can go the other way, like last season.”

Pioneer Press LOADED: 03.03.2020 1179598 MontrealCanadiens Petry said his favourite part of the video is from before the game when Boyd sees Suzuki and says to his mother: “Mommy, I said hi to Suzuki!”

“He always talks about (Suzuki) at home,” Petry said about Boyd. “Last Stu Cowan: Jeff Petry's son steals the show in new Canadiens video year, it was Gally … he still likes Gally, but I think he got knocked down a peg. Even when we come out after the games and we’re walking out and Suzuki walks by, he always says: “That’s Suzuki!” I think it’s fun. He’s recognizing players.” STU COWAN, Updated: March 2, 2020 Where does his father rank on Boyd’s list of favourite players?

“I don’t know?” Petry said with a chuckle. “You ask him, sometimes he’ll If you think Canadiens defenceman Jeff Petry is calm and cool on the say me first. But it’s Gally and Suzuki.” ice, you should see his wife off the ice. The sweetest part of the video is when Boyd — the son of American Before just about every game at the Bell Centre, the Petrys’ two oldest parents who met when they were both attending Michigan State sons — Boyd, 4, and Barrett, 2 — can be seen running around outside University — is seen standing with a big chunk of cotton candy in one the Canadiens’ locker room, with the full energy you’d expect from boys hand, singing O Canada in French and English after learning the words that age, wearing Canadiens sweaters with their dad’s name and number from going to so many games at the Bell Centre and watching others on on the back. TV. Standing nearby keeping an eye on the boys while the players go “He’s always singing it in the living room,” Petry said. “I don’t know if he through their pre-game regimens is Julie Petry, holding their third son — knows the American national anthem.” 6-month-old Bowen — with an even more calm presence than her husband displays on the ice. The video will be a priceless memory for the Petry family and years from now when watching it they can debate about who the real first star of that “The third one’s the easiest, so that makes her life a lot easier,” Petry game was. said with a smile after scoring the winning goal Saturday night when the Canadiens beat the Carolina Hurricanes 4-3 in overtime at the Bell My vote goes to Boyd. Centre. Montreal Gazette LOADED: 03.03.2020 Petry grew up as the son of a pro athlete. His father, Dan, was a major- league pitcher for 13 seasons and helped the Detroit Tigers win the 1984 World Series. But Petry was only 3 when his father retired from baseball, so he has no real memories of watching him pitch.

“I don’t remember when my dad was playing and I was running around the field,” Petry said. “But I have videos and pictures that I’ve seen. My (older) brother (Matt) has memories and I think that’s something that’s special. I hope for Boyd to be able to remember this when he gets older.”

With that in mind, Petry and his wife agreed to have the Canadiens put a microphone on Boyd and follow the family around the Bell Centre with a camera for a game against the Florida Panthers on Feb. 1. The video, which was posted online last week, is fantastic and will put a smile on the face of any Canadiens fan during a season that hasn’t provided many happy moments.

The timing of the video was perfect as Petry picked up four assists during the game and the Canadiens beat the Panthers 4-0. Petry was also named the first star. The only problem is that Boyd loves the Panthers.

In locker room after game, Boyd is shown in the video saying: “Dada, I wanted the Florida Panthers to score because I love that team.”

“I know,” Petry responds.

“Dad, why do you got a lot of assistes,” Boyd then says, mispronouncing the word with the cuteness of a 4-year-old, before adding: “Dad, we got some cotton candy.”

The innocence of youth in its full beauty.

As Petry heads to the showers, Boyd says: “When you’re out of the shower can we go and give fist-bumps and high-fives to people?”

When asked after Saturday’s game how Boyd became a Panthers fan, Petry laughed and said: “His team’s the Jaguars and I told him a Jaguar and a Panther are pretty close. So somehow … and he likes the Coyotes, too.”

Among the highlights of the video are Boyd getting a big hug from Brendan Gallagher before the game and then Gallagher playfully crashing into the boards in front of the boy while he’s watching the pregame warmups at ice level with his mother and Barrett. It was Gallagher’s first home game after missing six games with headaches following a concussion.

“I missed him so much,” Boyd tells his mother after Gallagher skates away.

Gallagher was Boyd’s favourite player last season, but now it’s rookie Nick Suzuki, who scored against the Panthers.

“I wanted Suzuki to score, so he scored,” Boyd tells his mother in the video. “I love Suzuki.” 1179599 MontrealCanadiens “He has a bit of difficulty in his own zone,” said Bergevin. “He’s going to score when he has the puck and he will be able to score here but, in a hockey game, the player doesn’t have the puck very long. He still has a long way to go … when he doesn’t have the puck. So he has some work What the Puck: Will Kotkaniemi turn into another Canadiens draft flop? to do.”

It’s the tried-and-true Habs philosophy of the past 27 years — take skilled offensive players, scold them publicly and insist they work on their game BRENDAN KELLY, MONTREAL GAZETTE Updated: March 2, 2020 without the puck. It’s a great formula to sap the life out of a scoring star.

Montreal Gazette LOADED: 03.03.2020 It is possible that Marc Bergevin and his scouting team blew the No. 3 overall pick twice in eight years. If that’s the case, it’s embarrassing.

Bergevin’s first draft pick as Canadiens general manager in 2012 was Alex Galchenyuk. He was selected third overall in a draft that is considered to have been fairly weak but weak draft or not, there is no denying that Galchenyuk was a bust for the Habs. At the time, Bergevin and his colleagues talked about how they had finally found the real live No. 1 centre the team hasn’t had since Vincent Damphousse in 1998-99.

After some initially strong returns, Galchenyuk faltered and head coach Michel Therrien moved him from centre to wing and back again. Eventually, Bergevin said publicly he’d seen enough and Chucky simply didn’t have the right stuff to play up the middle in the NHL. Since leaving Montreal, Galchenyuk has played for three teams and there are no signs he’s a decent top-six player.

In classic pass-the-buck fashion during an interview a few days back with Mathias Brunet of La Presse, Bergevin said he’d preferred Morgan Rielly — who was snapped up fifth overall by the Toronto Maple Leafs — but scouting guru Trevor Timmins wanted Galchenyuk. Bergevin said he went with Timmins’ choice because he had just taken over the job as GM and he didn’t want to ruffle feathers.

The second No. 3 overall pick was, of course, Jesperi Kotkaniemi in 2018. The selection was controversial at the time and even more so today. KK had a decent start in the NHL in fall 2018, but he was running on empty as early as January 2019 and it’s only gotten worse since.

After a lacklustre 36 games this season, Kotkaniemi was demoted to the Laval Rocket where he’s mostly playing centre, though he is also sometimes being used on left wing.

Again, the notion with Kotkaniemi was that he was the great centre the team hadn’t had since Damphousse (it was a bit of a Groundhog Day thing). Now that’s in doubt. It looks like Bergevin and Timmins messed up by taking Kotkaniemi instead of, for example, Brady Tkachuk or Quinn Hughes.

In the Brunet interview, Bergevin takes a couple of potshots at Kotkaniemi, which reminded me of his negative comments about Galchenyuk back in the day.

Bergevin said the Canadiens have issues with Kotkaniemi’s work ethic.

“We’ve had discussions with him,” Bergevin told Brunet. “Within our organization, we sometimes found that there was a bit of resistance from Kotkaniemi. That’s one of the reasons he hasn’t reached the next level.”

Wow. Just imagine how Kotkaniemi is going to feel reading that. Probably just about the same way he felt when Julien benched him last year, saying the kid was tired. Kotkaniemi protested publicly that he wasn’t tired, but to no avail.

If it turns out Kotkaniemi is a disappointment, we shouldn’t be surprised. This is the same scouting department that, in eight drafts under Bergevin, has picked 60 players and of the 60, only four are playing for the Habs. None of the four is particularly distinguished. Artturi Lehkonen, 55th overall in 2013, continues to underperform; Victor Mete, 100th overall 2016, is moving down the defence depth chart; Charles Hudon, 122nd overall 2012, whom most agree is not an NHL player; and Jake Evans, 207th overall 2014, who just joined the big team and may or may not have a future as a fourth-liner in the NHL.

This is a terrible record. Meanwhile all eyes are on the coming draft this June in Montreal, where Montreal has 14 picks. But they only have one in the first round and it probably won’t be a high pick. There is no reason for optimism about the picks given the drafting history under Bergevin.

The other great hope is Cole Caufield (the 15th overall pick in 2019) and I was spooked by Bergevin’s comments about Caufield to Brunet. 1179600 MontrealCanadiens It’s not just good for Kinkaid, it’s good for everyone, and that goes well beyond the AHL.

The shockwave from the failed backup experiment extended into the Rocket Rundown: Finally, a little goaltender consistency in Laval NHL, where Carey Price was run ragged and Charlie Lindgren sat on the shelf for almost an entire month before winning his most recent start versus the Carolina Hurricanes, and the ECHL, where McNiven spent the majority of the season on various teams due to the Canadiens’ lack of an By Marc Dumont Mar 2, 2020 official ECHL affiliate.

But even when he finally made his way back to Laval, the starts were few If there’s one constant in the AHL, it’s that there are no constants. and far between for McNiven because the team was attempting to placate veteran goaltending while trying to find playing time for two Just when the Laval Rocket thought they had found a dominant top line, younger goalies. both Jake Evans and Charles Hudon were recalled to the NHL, whereas Jesperi Kotkaniemi fell victim to the flu. Ryan Poehling, who was briefly “It can definitely be a frustrating thing,” said McNiven. “Especially when promoted to the first line in lieu of the aforementioned players, also you think you can help at that time. But it was something out of my succumbed to injury. Add the void left behind by captain Xavier Ouellet control. All I can do is work hard and be prepared for my opportunity, and Karl Alzner, both of whom are playing in the NHL, and you start to which I was given on Saturday.” understand just how complicated the logistics behind running an AHL Working hard and being prepared for his opportunity is what McNiven club can be. As recently as a few weeks ago, the Rocket had an does best. Despite not playing since Feb.5, he made 28 saves on 30 overabundance of veterans, which meant they had to sit Yannick Veilleux shots on Saturday to earn his second win in as many games this season. despite his strong performances to comply with the league’s It was a crucial win versus a very strong team, the type of development rules. As of Monday, Veilleux was the only veteran left on win the Rocket will need more of as they attempt to qualify for the the team. Alexandre Alain and Otto Leskinen are currently first and playoffs. second in the Rocket scoring race among players who are still left on the team, with 22 and 20 points, respectively. With the 28-save performance under his belt, McNiven now has a .908 save percentage, which pairs nicely with Primeau’s .905 save It’s an ever-changing puzzle that can never be completed. You don’t plan percentage. Those aren’t exactly earth-shattering numbers, but it’s the for the weekend in the AHL, you plan for the next game and hope for the first time since the organization moved their AHL affiliate to Laval that the best. two primary goaltenders have sported a save percentage above .900. To “That’s the reality of our league,” said head coach Jöel Bouchard. “But give you an idea of how shocking it is to see two goaltenders with a save it’s not an excuse. We’re still in the playoff race and that’s all that percentage that doesn’t start with 8, Charlie Lindgren finished the season matters. There’s been a lot of change, but we’re heading in the right with a .893 save percentage in the AHL, whereas Kinkaid had a lowly direction with our young players.” .873 in his time with the Rocket.

He’s right that it’s not a valid excuse because most teams eventually go Now that the goaltending hierarchy has been clearly established, they’re through some of the same challenges the Rocket have faced this year, free to focus on the task at hand. It’s a situation that took much too long though probably not all of them in the same season. However, it does to rectify, but at long last, there’s some consistency for the goaltenders help explain why the results have been anything but consistent in Laval. that carry so much of the franchise’s hopes on their shoulders.

But there is some good news on the horizon for Bouchard and company: McNiven went from living with up to 10 people at a time in a small house the goaltender situation has finally evolved to the point that you can in Norfolk, with beds stuffed in every room, including the laundry room, to consider it relatively healthy. living with his longtime girlfriend Maude and his dog Lola. He’ll make the 15 hour drive back to Norfolk to pick up his truck later in the month, and Well, much healthier than it has been all season, anyhow. And by hopefully, bring home all his belongings. In his short time with Belleville comparison, much healthier than the rest of the lineup. last season, all of McNiven’s pots and pans went missing.

The failed Keith Kinkaid experiment came to an unceremonious end Such is life as a traveling performer. when the veteran was loaned to the Charlotte Checkers. He immediately earned his first win in the AHL since Jan.4, so the Rocket finally have the “It’s nice to be back,” he said with a big smile. ideal goaltending duo in Cayden Primean and Michael McNiven. Not only After an incredibly choppy journey, McNiven and Primeau have set do they offer the team better odds of actually qualifying for the playoffs, anchor in calmer waters. Whether the clarified roles lead to spring-time but they also represent the future in goal for the Canadiens, and hockey is unclear, but it certainly clarifies a situation that desperately ultimately, that’s what you want to see in the AHL: a clear path towards needed clarification, and it also puts the onus of success on the the future. prospects that will eventually have to do the same thing for the On Monday morning there was the little matter of putting the past to bed. Canadiens, just as it should have been all season long.

When it came to Kinkaid, there were two very separate entities at work: The Athletic LOADED: 03.03.2020 the player and the person. The player was incredibly frustrated, and rightfully so. He signed an NHL contract and quickly found himself battling with younger players for starts in the AHL. You’d be hard-pressed to argue that the player did anything to help his cause with his on-ice results, but that only added to his frustration. The person, on the other hand, was quite gracious given the situation, even going as far as texting McNiven following his outburst at practice in early February to apologize for his behaviour.

“Keith was nothing but great to me,” said McNiven. “He was a good guy to have in the room, and he’s a pro. He was definitely frustrated, but after playing X amount of games in the NHL and ending up here, it’s not an easy thing to swallow. I hope he runs with it. and I hope he can turn it around. He was nothing but great with me.”

McNiven’s sentiments were echoed by Primeau, who is now the clear-cut starter for the Rocket, and Bouchard, who made a point of addressing Kinkaid’s professionalism in his post-practice scrum on Monday.

“It’s not easy when you’re facing that kind of stuff,” said Primeau. “It’s a mental thing. So it’s good that he moved on and got a change of scenery.” 1179601 MontrealCanadiens There’s still improvement required in Ylönen’s off-puck offensive game. He lacks the assertiveness without the puck to gain body positioning on a centre lane drive with consistency. But with the offensive zone established, he’s shown better awareness all season long. It’s especially Brown: What the Laval Rocket can expect from new addition Jesse evident in deflection scenarios, where Ylönen recognizes an incoming Ylönen shot and a pocket of space simultaneously. He has so much control over his deflections, consistently able to place the puck in tricky-to-reach spots

for the goaltender. By Mitch Brown Mar 2, 2020 The deflection in the clip above almost went in. And honestly, that’s perhaps the most frustrating part of Ylönen’s game. (*insert “he’ll fit right in with the Canadiens” comment here*). He’s been making goaltenders With six weeks left in the season, the Laval Rocket are getting a big- look way better than they are for years. name reinforcement. At 20 years old, I doubt Ylönen’s finishing touch is going to improve Jesse Ylönen, the No. 35 pick in the 2018 draft, will join the Rocket this significantly. But I want to believe. Sometimes, he hits a one-timer so week, providing a much-needed boost to a team in the thick of the playoff hard that it could’ve broken glass had it not hit the goaltender square in push. the chest. Others, he makes a crafty net-front scoring chance by retrieving a rebound from his legs and firing in one motion. Then there Skating is Ylönen’s defining skill; he could step into the NHL and are the moments he beats the goaltender with a cleverly placed, against- immediately be one of the league’s better skaters. It’s not merely straight- the-grain wrister with a quick weight shift. line speed that makes him so effective, it’s his first two steps. In two steps, Ylönen doesn’t just separate from most players (even at a Below, Ylönen goes against the grain, set-up with a fake drop pass and a disadvantage), he explodes by them. That two-step acceleration makes weight shift through his feet and hip rotation. In that position, that weight him an automatic in breakout and entry; transition drives his value. The shift is faster than the traditional lateral weight shift (shooting off one leg). acceleration allows him to be such a strong defensive player; he can swing down low to help a teammate deter a net-drive, then fly up to One last way that Ylönen’s attacking the slot more often is as a passer. prevent a shot from the point. The acceleration drives his offensive game Not short of passing talent, Ylönen can make grip-altering passes as well, where quick bursts into space and lengthy possession through traffic at top speed. He can find teammates through sticks and sequences complement his shooting ability. skates – but only when it’s his last option. And that’s the issue; he’s not making passes into dangerous areas with consistency. Unlike many fast, young players, Ylönen’s not merely a speedster. He already has the make-up of an effective skater in the NHL. He blends Every now and then, Ylönen does make that high-skill pass. And they’ve energy-efficient, deep crossovers with a stride that maintains near- been more frequent since December. In the clip below, Ylönen intercepts perfection late in shifts (his conditioning is likely off the charts). He thinks a pass, separates from two defenders with a slick hesitation move fast, keeping his feet moving through checks, pass receptions, and jukes, followed by a two-step acceleration. As he moves along the boards – and allowing him to create even more considerable speed advantages. But this is big – he’s looking to pass, and he makes a difficult pass look easy. there’s one major deficiency: he doesn’t get to the inside enough. Underlining this progression is a lack of quality teammates. Ylönen’s That’s starting to change. production took a tumble from 0.51 points per game to 0.42 this season, but his team went from scoring the second-most goals in to being Ylönen is now starting to take the puck to the net when a lane appears. tied for the fewest. He’s more involved in his team’s offence, recording a The net drive didn’t feature much in Ylönen’s game until December, point on 20 percent of the Pelicans’ goals, up from 15 last season. when suddenly he started getting more aggressive. He likes to set up the Ylönen became a high-volume shooter, leading the team in shots on goal net drive with a cutback along the boards, drawing in pressure before and shots per 60 minutes by comfortable margins. This is while taking on making a quick turn followed by multiple crossovers for separation. When a larger defensive role, owning the team’s third-lowest offensive zone executed well, it results in point-blank opportunities. start percentage and a positive relative shot share differential.

While the net drive is impressive, there’s a reason that play isn’t all that From an on-ice perspective, not many teammates can keep up with common in the NHL: defenders are too good. Ylönen’s cutback set-up Ylönen’s high-flying attacks and set him up for chances. I wonder if he’ll will help him get that opportunity on occasion, but getting to the inside be able to generate more transition chances by having higher quality with frequency comes from more subtle maneuvers. linemates in the AHL and NHL. Similarly, it could create more looks for him as a passer, too. Ylönen’s starting to swap out the unpressured long-range wristers with under-pressure mid-range wristers. That is, Ylönen’s taking more shots Considering those factors makes his improvement that much more closer to the net at the expense of receiving increased defensive encouraging. Getting to the inside more isn’t as simple as looking pressure while shooting. With his dexterous wrists, quick release and towards the net every possession; it requires a change of habits, and clever placement, this is a worthwhile tradeoff. that’s tricky. It’s encouraging that Ylönen is improving habits while playing in a sub-optimal environment. In the clip below, Ylönen uses a hesitation move and fake to gain the outside lane, highlighting his immense value in transition. Instead of Don’t expect immediate AHL success from Ylönen. He’s already played a shooting immediately from the perimeter as usual, he cuts toward the full season; this is bonus hockey. Plenty of late-season additions in the five-man defensive unit to gain the top of the circle. Then, he fires a NHL and AHL had instant success, only to falter the following season. heavy wrister aimed short-side with two defenders disrupting his shot. The opposite is true, too. The real value in Ylönen joining Laval is it That’s really impressive stuff. shrinks his adjustment time for next season, getting familiar with his teammates, coach Joël Bouchard and his staff and what it takes to be a When the play isn’t obvious, Ylönen shoots. That’s not a negative, but successful pro in North America. With that said, I wouldn’t be surprised if sometimes Ylönen fires from low-percentage areas when his skill set Bouchard leans on Ylönen early because of his advanced defensive and suggests he could be finding a way inside. More good news: he’s starting transition abilities. to use his hands as a problem-solving tool. He doesn’t dangle through players, instead opting for lower-risk going-around maneuvers, relying on If Ylönen never becomes an NHLer, it won’t be because he lacks skill – his speed and tight handle. This style of handling is so effective in the he has top-six talent, along with impact-level transition skill and a strong slot, as he can quickly navigate traffic with his head up and ready to defensive game. He’ll fail because of inferior execution. That was the shoot. case on draft day, and it’s the case now – but finally, the execution is starting to catch up to the skill. Adding more assertiveness is about making the right play at the right time, not merely getting the puck to the net at all costs. That doesn’t (yet) The Athletic LOADED: 03.03.2020 apply to Ylönen, who’s on the passive end of decision-making. Getting to the slot is still a conscious effort. Sometimes, his head stays down as he circles the net, missing a perfect opportunity to create some havoc in front. Others, he reverts to old habits by playing it safe, but by the time he realizes the missed drive, it’s too late. 1179602 MontrealCanadiens ago when Jesperi Kotkaniemi hit a wall. But I do think Suzuki will get a second wind, depending on whom he plays with. Armia has been MIA for a while (pointless is six games; one goal in his last 11) while Lehkonen looks like he could use a hug. Melnick’s GBU: When a coach’s brutally honest answer is best left unsaid · Special Teams: Slowly sinking to the bottom third of the NHL in power play percentage as the result of a truly horrid performance at the Bell Centre. It was so bad Saturday night against Carolina that following a late second period penalty to Justin Willians for slashing Domi, which By Mitch Melnick Mar 2, 2020 featured a shorthanded breakaway attempt by Vincent Trochek that was stopped by Lindgren, associate coach Kirk Muller held a meeting in the corridor with the Danault line, Jeff Petry and Suzuki. The Williams penalty The 2019-20 Montreal Canadiens are one weird team. expired with just one second left in the period so Muller didn’t wait to get into the room to start talking. Danault, Petry and Gallagher also had Forget some of the obvious weaknesses. Maybe it’s time to listen to the something to say. That’s a rare coach-players meeting in view of a crazies and admit that the Bell Centre is haunted. Maybe there was a camera that they weren’t aware stayed on them. curse put on the place by Murray Baron. Or Terry Ryan. Or maybe it’s Louis Leblanc’s fault. It doesn’t matter if it’s Muller, Dominique Ducharme and/or Claude Julien in charge of the power play, as long as there is no true sniper/triggerman The bizarre home ice portion of this season cannot end quickly enough and proven quarterback it will continue to operate at a middling to flat out for Montreal fans who find themselves heading into the building on game crap level of efficiency. night hoping that the other team scores first. And then hoping there are no power plays awarded to the Canadiens to interrupt the flow of their On the penalty kill, after a brief spurt of success, the Canadiens are strong even strength play. again getting burned on a regular basis. They’re 20th in the NHL at 78.4 percent. Individually they have a group of players who should be much A Go Habs Go! moment has become N0 Habs No! better on the penalty kill than they have been. And there are still six more weeks of this? Somebody’s runaway · Claude Julien: “I don’t know” is a refreshingly honest response to a groundhog is working on a different calendar. question about why his team can’t hold onto third period leads. But THE GOOD overall, it’s not a good look or sound. The inability to pad leads is not necessarily on the coach. Although maybe putting a motivated player · Tomas Tatar: His three-assist night on Saturday pushed him past the who is almost out of time with the Canadiens in a role more suited to his 60-point mark for the first time in his incredibly consistent and productive strengths might provide a spark. Charles Hudon scores 27 goals for NHL career. There are going to be at least a couple of teams that get Laval in the American Hockey League and his reward is to play 10 eliminated in the spring that by summertime might be haunted by their minutes a night on the fourth line instead of alongside an offensive unwillingness to meet Marc Bergevin’s high demands in any potential catalyst – late in a season like this one? As dick coach moves go it’s not deadline deal for Tatar. in Mike Babcock-Mike Modano territory (or Babcock-Jason Spezza), but · Max Domi and Paul Byron: Totally rejuvenated since they were put if it isn’t Julien saying “Sorry Charlie” while looking for somebody else, together. Domi is in the middle of another one of his goal and point- then what is it? No, the real disturbing aspect of this season, the scoring streaks (four goals and six points in six games) that reminds you “unacceptable” part, as GM Marc Bergevin put it publicly, is the that’s what you often get from a number one centre. But then the streak continuous defensive breakdowns inside their own zone. This is ends, and it takes a while for him to get revved up again. And then you’re supposed to be in Julien’s wheelhouse. You can’t teach players how to reminded that he’s not the only talented, young player looking for a score – no matter how often you tell them to “lift the puck” – but you can comfort level of consistency. I’m not afraid to say I was wrong about teach defence, or, as Julien said shortly after he took over from Michel something (such as Alex Galchenyuk is a productive centre-in-waiting if Therrien, “I fix things.” There has been no shortage of key injuries and given the chance. It’s clear he can’t play the position) so here it is – I the Montreal blue line hasn’t been deep enough to win from the moment think Domi is poised for a 2020-21 that’ll be a lot closer to last season. they got Shea Weber. But it seems to have gotten progressively worse. If And then he stays there. And I wouldn’t care if he takes a few (just a few) these difficult on ice moments lead to something much better as soon as more penalties in doing so. It’s fun to see Byron move again at 100 next season, then all of this speculation becomes moot. But before they percent health. Just in case you had forgotten about the spark he often get there, before they draft and trade and sign players, they have to provides. And now Jordan Weal has an opportunity to show people decide, if they haven’t already, if Julien can buck the trend and do a around the NHL that he might be able to fill an offensive role alongside better job behind the bench and in between games, no matter how hard two of the best skaters in the league. he’s worked. It’s not enough to say we don’t have enough talent. I can say that. But you don’t want your coach saying it, repeatedly. Even if it’s · Charlie Lindgren: Impressive win over the Hurricanes on Saturday true. night, punctuated by a couple of game-saving stops, including one at the very last second on Andrei Shvechnikov that otherwise would have THE UGLY turned Claude Julien’s post-game presser into something even darker · Bell Centre: Last five home games. Four losses. Read it and weep. than a Cormac McCarthy novel. If this is who Charlie Lindgren really is, then Montreal doesn’t have to worry so much about a back up to Carey -Feb 10: Arizona 3, Montreal 2 (Habs had 2-0 lead) Price. But Lindgren needs to follow up on this, provided he’s given a few -Feb 15: Dallas 4, Montreal 3 (OT) (Habs had 3-0 lead) more chances to do so. -Feb 25: Vancouver 4, Montreal 3 (OT) (Habs had 2-0 lead) · Brendan Gallagher: The model for Domi and others that are still searching for the combination of productivity and consistency. So there is -Feb 27: NY Rangers 5 Montreal 2 (Habs had 2-0 lead) Gallagher and Tatar and, usually, Phillip Danault too. And then? -Feb 29: Montreal 4, Carolina 3 (Petry GWG in OT after Habs had 3-0 THE BAD lead)

· Brett Kulak: He’s had some good games since being reunited with Jeff Overall, the Canadiens have won just 14 of 36 games at the Bell Centre. Petry but it wasn’t a good week for Kulak, who often looked bewildered in And in their last 18 games on home ice, the Habs’ power play is 2-for-45. the defensive zone both during play and after a goal had been scored against Montreal. Too often Kulak ends up screening his own goalie. And That’s not ugly. It’s revolting. It might even be something evil. Surgical the offensive promise hinted at a year ago (six goals and 17 points in just masks won’t stop it from spreading. 57 games) has been non-existent (zero goals and seven assists in 52 Paging Father Merrin. games). The Athletic LOADED: 03.03.2020 · Nick Suzuki-Joel Armia-Artturi Lehkonen: Maybe it’s the reality of the long NHL schedule hitting Suzuki for the first time or maybe it’s his linemates, but the impressive rookie centre has gone pointless in five straight games. It was at about the same point of the schedule a year 1179603 Nashville Predators

Pekka Rinne allows career-worst 8 goals as Predators fall to Oilers

Erik Bacharach, Published 9:44 p.m. CT March 2, 2020 | Updated 10:42 p.m. CT March 2, 2020

Pekka Rinne was greeted warmly by the Bridgestone Arena crowd on Monday night, his first time playing since Feb. 21.

He didn't make it through the night.

The Nashville goaltender was pulled for Juuse Saros with 10:05 left to play in the Preds' 8-3 loss to the Edmonton Oilers. Rinne's eight goals allowed was a career worst for a single game. It came in his 659th career game.

Rinne allowed three goals through the first two periods before the floodgates opened early in the third period. He allowed five goals in a nightmarish five-minute, 13-second span that allowed the Oilers to turn a tie game into a blowout.

"I hate it. What we did in the third, we just left him (Rinne) out to dry," Predators defenseman Roman Josi said. "It’s just not good enough. We’ve got to be so much better. You hate it for Peks, for sure."

It was only the second time in Predators history that they've allowed eight goals in a game at home, the first time coming in a 2006 against the Chicago Blackhawks.

Rinne declined to comment after the game.

"We didn’t come out with any intensity," Predators coach John Hynes said of his team's effort in the third period. "No emotion. Lackadaisical with the puck. Soft in puck battles.

That’s something we’re going to have to discuss (Tuesday), how we come out in a tie game at home and have zero passion, focus, intensity level, (with the) game on the line. Lots of time you like to give your opponent credit, but I thought the third period for us was no good."

Tennessean LOADED: 03.03.2020 1179604 Nashville Predators Josi’s goal kick-started the Predators offensively in the second period. Fourteen seconds after his score, Matt Duchene won a faceoff and

assisted on a goal by Calle Jarnkrok. Oilers 8, Predators 3: Three observations as Pekka Rinne allows career- Just like that, the Preds had tied it up, and the Bridgestone Arena crowd worst 8 goals was loud again.

After Kailer Yamamoto scored to put Edmonton back ahead, Nick Bonino Erik Bacharach, Published 9:40 p.m. CT March 2, 2020 | Updated 10:44 scored on assists by Craig Smith and Rocco Grimaldi to tie the score at p.m. CT March 2, 2020 three with about five minutes left in the period.

Nashville scored on three of their seven shot attempts in the second period. The Bridgestone Arena crowd was back in it. The Predators had fought their back into Monday's game against the Edmonton Oilers, poised to Tennessean LOADED: 03.03.2020 get back on track in their push for the postseason.

And then it all unraveled, completely and dramatically.

All at the expensive of Pekka Rinne.

With the score tied early in the third period, the floodgates opened, a five- goal barrage in a five-minute, 13-secord span serving as Nashville's undoing in its 8-3 loss to the Oilers.

The eight goals were the most allowed in a single game by Pekka Rinne in his career.

Defenseman Roman Josi said the Preds "left (Rinne) out to dry. It’s just not good enough. We’ve got to be so much better. You hate it for Peks, for sure."

Predators coach John Hynes said he didn't like his team's effort over the course of the entire game, not just the third period.

"Tonight’s intensity level, passion level, engagement level … we played an easy game," Hynes said. "Looked like we wanted an easy game, and that’s not going to win this time of the year. So we got punched in the face today pretty good and certainly got what we deserved. If we show up to play like we played tonight, that’s lots of times what the result is going to be this time of year."

The Predators (32-25-8) remain in the second wild-card spot in the Western Conference with 72 points.

Here are three observations:

Pekka Rinne returns ... and implodes

For the first time since Feb. 21, Pekka Rinne was back in net. Juuse Saros had started 11 of the last 16 games for the Preds.

It began inauspiciously.

On Edmonton’s sixth shot on goal, Rinne allowed Josh Archibald to score about six minutes into the game.

But the real dagger came with just over 28 seconds left in the period with a one timer from Leon Draisaitl. Rinne was in front of the shot, but allowed it to go under his arm, sending the Preds into the break on a sour note.

Rinne buckled down in the second period, only to implode early in the third as the Oilers scored five times before Saros replaced him with 10:05 left in the game.

"I think at that point," Hynes said, "enough was enough."

He finished the game with a .742 save percentage, allowing eight goals on 31 shots.

Roman Josi inches closer to one-upping himself

Roman Josi has been competing with himself all season.

He now stands at 61 points for the season, tying a team record for most points by a defenseman in team history that was set in 2015-16 by … Josi.

And the defenseman still has 17 games to work with this season.

His point Monday came in a big moment. With the Preds trailing 2-0 early in the second period, Josi scored to pull Nashville to within one.

Josi, playing in his ninth NHL season, also established a new career high for goal in a season with 16.

Big second period 1179605 Nashville Predators

Nashville Predators, MTSU team up for student veterans looking to earn college degree

Mealand Ragland-Hudgins, Published 3:03 p.m. CT March 2, 2020 | Updated 3:18 p.m. CT March 2, 2020

NASHVILLE — As the Nashville Predators salute the military this week, the organization has chosen to work with MTSU and Country Music Hall of Fame member Charlie Daniels to raise funds and awareness for student veterans in distress.

Predators President and CEO Sean Henry stood alongside MTSU President Sidney A. McPhee and Daniels Monday at Bridgestone Arena to announce the creation of General’s Fund.

The fund targets veterans whose educational benefits have run out or expired while they pursue their degrees. It is named in recognition of retired Army Lt. Gen. Keith Huber, a former Green Beret who serves as MTSU's senior adviser for veterans and leadership initiatives.

All student veterans attending the university are able to rely on the Charlie and Hazel Daniels Veterans and Military Family Center in some capacity as they transition to life as a civilian.

Officials said assistance will be given to student veterans with the greatest financial needs. About 20% of the 1,100 military-connected students at MTSU no longer have access to the educational benefits they earned while serving in the armed forces.

“The General’s Fund that we are establishing today will help fill that gap,” Henry said.

The Predators and Bridgestone Arena will help raise money for The General’s Fund for the remainder of this season and will support it going forward.

McPhee said the partnership was deeply appreciated.

In addition to the namesake center at MTSU, Daniels founded The Journey Home Project in 2014 along with his manager, David Corlew.

Monday's game against the Edmonton Oilers was slated to feature several military-themed pregame and in-game presentations, as is Thursday's game against the Dallas Stars.

Tennessean LOADED: 03.03.2020 1179606 Nashville Predators

Predators vs. Edmonton Oilers: Game time, TV, streaming info

Nashville TennesseanPublished 6:00 a.m. CT March 2, 2020

Predators vs. Edmonton Oilers

When: 7 p.m. Central, Monday, March 2

Where: Bridgestone Arena

Radio: 102.5 FM

TV: Fox Sports Tennessee (Click here for channel information and radio affiliates)

Streaming: ESPN+ (subscription required); Fox Sports app; NHL.TV (subscription required)

Tennessean LOADED: 03.03.2020 1179607 Nashville Predators The transition from Laviolette’s man-to-man coverage in the defensive zone to Hynes’ zone scheme is a work in progress, as the animated graphic of the Predators’ five-on-five defense over the course of the season, created by Micah Blake McCurdy, attempts to show. (Hynes’ first Are we witnessing the end of the Pekka Rinne era in Nashville? game was Jan. 7.)

Because of Rinne’s standing within the organization as its longest- tenured player, Hynes has handled the situation delicately. By Adam Vingan Mar 2, 2020 “I know how he feels about his game, and he’s played well,” Hynes said.

“I think he understands that he has a partner there in (Saros) that’s By the time Pekka Rinne sat down at his locker Saturday morning, Juuse playing really well. He’s finding ways to win games. (Rinne) is team-first. Saros was already gone. He wants to get into the playoffs, and he wants to compete. At the same time, I don’t think we should not recognize how well he’s played. He Saros, 24, was starting for the Predators that night against the Colorado played fantastic against St. Louis (on Feb. 16). He played really well Avalanche, his 11th in the past 16 games, so he was quick to leave the against Vegas (on Feb. 1). I thought the game against Vancouver (on morning skate. For the past month, Rinne, 37, has mostly been a Feb. 10) was not on him; it was on the guys in front of him. As the coach, spectator, leading to conversations about whether the inevitable passing- you really feel comfortable that both guys are playing at a high level, and of-the-torch moment has come. hopefully that continues.”

“You want to play, that’s for sure,” Rinne said. “But at the same time, I The Predators will need both goaltenders in order to make the playoffs. think you consider the time of the year and time of the season and where Ten of their remaining 18 games this season are part of back-of-back we’re at as a team and how many games (are) left and what’s the sets, starting Monday and Tuesday against the Edmonton Oilers and situation. We’re pretty much in the playoffs right now, so in that sense, I Minnesota Wild. think if we (were) 20 games into the season, I would be probably saying different things, but I think now it’s different, and it really is what’s best for When it is time for Saros to truly replace Rinne, whether or not that is the team. already happening, there will be no coronation or elaborate send-off. Even if the Predators are in the midst of a franchise-altering change, one “But at the same time, of course I think anybody who’s (at) this level has thing that won’t is Rinne’s unconditional support for Saros. always played a lot of games. Of course I want to play, but at the same time, like I said, where we’re at at (this) time, at this moment, when it’s “He’s being tested, and he’s being leaned on, so it’s a new situation (for my turn, I just try to do my best. Right now, my turn is to support (Saros) Saros),” Rinne said. “For sure, of course I’m trying to provide any help and be a good teammate and try to do the right things and have the right that I can give and be here for him.” mindset.” The Athletic LOADED: 03.03.2020 Rinne is the consummate team player. If he is upset over the situation, he will never say so. But as he addressed it Saturday, he looked and sounded deflated. Lately, Rinne has been noticeably less jovial. (He was ill last week, which affected his playing time and perhaps his mood, but he had become more subdued before then.)

“I wouldn’t say I’m frustrated,” Rinne said when asked if that were the case. “I think it’s a learning process for me. I’ve always (played) a lot of games, so I think it’s an adjustment mentally, but I wouldn’t say I’m frustrated, no.”

No one would blame him if he were, though. For more than a decade, Rinne has been the Predators’ backbone. Since 2008, two goaltenders — Henrik Lundqvist (680) and Marc-Andre Fleury (657) — have started more regular-season games than Rinne (644). The same applies to the playoffs; Rinne’s 89 starts since 2010, when he debuted in the postseason, are tied for third behind Lundqvist’s 98 and Fleury’s 91. (The last Predators goaltender other than Rinne to start a playoff game was Dan Ellis in 2008.)

“Our goalie rotation is not exactly equal, but it’s certainly getting more equal than it’s ever been in past years,” Predators general manager David Poile said last week. (Rinne is on pace to start 44 games this season.)

Earlier this season, when Rinne dressed as the backup in three consecutive games for the first time since December 2008, that felt like a big deal, so the decision to rely more on Saros, especially during a highly competitive playoff race, seems even more significant.

Rinne has not played poorly in limited action over the past month. Saros has just been better.

GOALTENDER RECORD (SINCE JAN. 29) GAA Sv% GSAA GSAx

Juuse Saros 8-3-0 2.47 .926 0.89 3.9

Pekka Rinne 2-2-1 3.12 .915 -0.89 1.2

Source: Evolving Hockey

Overall, the Predators’ goaltending has improved since John Hynes arrived; Rinne and Saros have a combined 91.4 save percentage in all situations, according to Evolving Hockey, up from 88.92 before the coaching change. That is despite an increase in expected goals against per 60 minutes, which measures shot quality, from 2.61 under Peter Laviolette to 3.06 under Hynes. 1179608 New Jersey Devils Hey, Devils fan — stay on top of breaking news, scores and analysis with our Fire & Ice app — find it on the App Store & Google Play.

On the Schneid What the NJ Devils are seeing from Jesper Bratt since benching Schneider has played three of four games on this road trip. He's won two of them and kept the team in another, which was an overtime loss in San Jose. The Devils aren't exactly facing teams high in the standings but Abbey Mastracco, Published 6:00 a.m. ET March 2, 2020 Schneider has been encouraged by his ability to make saves that he was not making before his demotion to the American Hockey League while

the coaches have been encouraged by the net-front defense in front of ANAHEIM, Calif. — Pavel Zacha and Jesper Bratt are good friends off him. the ice and used that connection on it to score twice and help the New "He's in control," Nasreddine said. "He looks in control right now. I've Jersey Devils defeat the Anaheim Ducks 3-0 on Sunday night at Honda always said this about a goalie: When they make saves look easy then it Center. gives you a lot of confidence and it gives your team a lot of confidence." Zacha scored twice on the power play and Bratt had the primary assists Schneider's confidence has been rebuilt as well. This isn't the time to on both goals. The Devils did lose Zacha late in the game to an apparent speculate about his long-term future with the team but for now, the Devils injury but Nico Hischier scored his 14th goal of the season to put it away will benefit from a healthy and effective Schneider. and help Cory Scheider record his first shutout of the season (34 saves) and his first in the NHL since February 21, 2019. Bergen Record LOADED: 03.03.2020 The Devils extended their point streak to six games (4-0-2).

"Shutouts are nice but it usually means you win," Schneider said. "The winning part is fun for me but I view shutouts as a team effort."

How they won

The Devils woke up at the end of a lackluster first period when Zacha converted on the power play at 17:06. P.K. Subban started the play behind the Devils’ net and found Bratt in the neutral zone. Bratt blew past two defenders and cut to the net, where he slid a feed to Zacha for the one-timer past goalie John Gibson (32 saves).

Bratt again set up Zacha on the power play 3:48 into the second. With Miles Wood screening in front, Bratt found Zacha in the left circle and he beat Gibson with the wrister to make it 2-0.

Schneider made the score stand up. He withstood strong pressure in the third period and two late power plays before Hischier deflected a shot by Connor Carrick past Gibson with 6:04 left in regulation.

Bratt has been on an absolute tear as of late with six points over his last six games. This comes after a brief one-game hiatus in the pressbox as a healthy scratch. Bratt was benched four different times this season with the Devils citing a need for more "consistency."

This last time around, he was scratched so the Devils could put Jack Hughes on the top line and try him as a winger. The experiment has continued throughout the last seven games but maybe the more successful experiment was putting Bratt on a line with Zacha and Gusev. They were an effective line against Anaheim at 5-on-5 and on the power play.

"With that line, it looks like it's all skill, but it's calculated," interim coach Alain Nasreddine said. "I liked the fact that tonight there were no turnovers, there were no high-risk plays, everything was under control and they made the right decisions."

When it comes to Bratt, the Devils are seeing a more confident playmaker and a stronger two-way player. While the team believes this could be a result of that recent reset, some players say they've seen this player all along.

Hischier even laughed at the notion of trying to defend him.

"I wouldn't want to defend him because he's so shifty," Hischier said. "He can protect the puck really good, he's such a good skater with such good hands and vision. If you're out against him you've got to keep an eye on him."

Maybe Bratt is proving that he didn't need that benching (he had a goal and an assist in the three games prior) or maybe the powers that be in New Jersey effectively sent whatever message they intended to send to the third-year winger. Either way, the Devils are pleased with his play.

"Absolutely," Nasreddine said. "You look at tonight, on a back-to-back and that's not easy, but that line is feeling it and Bratter is a huge reason for the success that they're having. He's on pucks, he's winning his puck battles and even away from the puck. I've always said when he plays his game that line is going to get the puck more often. And tonight was a good example." 1179609 New Jersey Devils “The first game is hard enough,” Gerry said. “But I think this was a harder game for Joey. He was probably more excited for Mikey. I think it was probably a harder game for him to play. But your first game as a defenseman has to be incredibly difficult with everybody here and against When your sibling’s a Devil: Anderson brothers battle on the ice in Kings’ his brother. I thought they both did great considering the circumstances.” win Kings coach Todd McLellan was impressed with the way Mikey handled the big occasion, saying: “I don’t think you can write it any better for any young man.” By Lisa Dillman and Corey Masisak Feb 29, 2020 The tradition of having a rookie take the solo lap to start the pregame

warmup extended to both players, a nice tweak. LOS ANGELES — Of course there were tears on Saturday afternoon “It was really cool. I didn’t expect for them to do that,” Joey said. “I figured when Kings defenseman Mikey Anderson made his NHL debut, playing he would get something. It was pretty cool to be able to do it together. against his older brother, Joey Anderson, of the New Jersey Devils. He’s worked his tail off to get here and he deserves all of this.” How could there not be? Said Mikey: “When I came out, I took a quick look and he (Joey) was the Dana Anderson acknowledged there were tears shed. Husband Gerry first guy I saw and he (passed) a puck to me. That was the first puck I Anderson nodded. shot too, so it’s pretty cool.”

Their daughter, Sami, was worried she was going to cry during the game Once the game started, the parents found themselves in a curious at Staples Center, which the Kings won, 2-1, on Adrian Kempe’s goal at position. 1:58 of overtime. “Not cheering for a team,” Gerry said. “I actually held it together,” said Sami, who played college hockey at St. Dana added: “That’s weird.” Scholastica in Duluth, Minn. “It hits you sitting alone. It’s like, ‘Wow, this is happening.’ We’d talk about it. We’d joke about it. It was never going to Understandably. be a real thing, and then his first game, and both together. We all had the opportunity to be here. It is a lot. It’s very overwhelming.” The brothers — Joey is 21 and Mikey is 20 — have been teammates through most of their hockey careers, not opponents. They played Meet the Magnificent Andersons. together at Minnesota-Duluth and in high school, and Mikey thought they had played against each other in a game only twice before Saturday. Mikey, paired with Matt Roy, played nearly 19 minutes, had one shot on goal and one blocked shot. The battles between the brothers when they were growing up and even in college at practice in Duluth were legendary. “You’re not going to notice him,” said Kings assistant coach Trent Yawney, who handles the defense. “But that’s a big positive. Tomorrow “Growing up in the backyard rink, Joey always had the puck,” Mikey told (against Vegas) will be a good test for him. In the last minute (today), I The Athletic in May. “I was a little smaller than him, so I could never get it had no problem — I was very comfortable putting him out there.” away from him. So, I just learned how to defend. My dad thinks that’s part of the reason why I became a defenseman.” Joey, a forward, played 15:23, on a line with Travis Zajac and Miles Wood. In that same story, Gerry and Dana retold a memorable fight between the boys when they were 11 and 10, sparked by a dispute in a Monopoly “We’re used to it,” Mikey said. “We’ve done it a lot growing up. Obviously, game. Sami, the older sister, was in the middle of it too. it’s a different setting, but it was pretty fun being able to start the game with him.” “I will admit,” Sami said, smiling, on Saturday. “I stirred the pot a fair amount too.” Presumably, some of the jitters eased when they quickly found themselves in a puck battle in the corner. The Athletic LOADED: 03.03.2020 “At that point, it was game on,” Mikey said. “It’s just playing the game. It’s pretty special, like I said, both being in the starting lineup for the game. It made it that much more special.”

Said Joey: “It was awesome. Obviously we would have liked a better result, but just being able to see him firsthand play in this league is really special and something I’ll cherish forever. I didn’t think we were out there against each other a whole lot. I thought he played well, so it was a good start for him.”

This was Joey’s 47th NHL game and Mikey’s first. Mikey was the Kings’ fourth-round pick (No. 103) in 2017 and he turned professional in April after winning consecutive national titles with the University of Minnesota- Duluth.

The odds of the brothers playing against each other in Mikey’s NHL debut were rather incredible, but Gerry must have had a superior sixth sense when he purchased tickets for the entire family to come from their home in Minnesota to California.

He bought them in early January.

At the very least, they figured they could catch the Devils’ California swing and maybe take in a game or two in Ontario, watching Mikey play with the Reign in the AHL. The weeks passed and the Kings traded two defensemen, Alec Martinez to the Vegas Golden Knights on Feb. 19 and Derek Forbort to the Calgary Flames on Feb. 24.

Things were quickly falling into place for the Andersons.

On Thursday, Mikey’s afternoon nap was interrupted by a phone call from Kings general manager Rob Blake, informing Mikey that he was being called up to the Kings. Then Joey got the big news about his younger brother before the Devils game against the Sharks in San Jose. 1179610 New York Islanders

Ailing ‘identity line’ at center of Islanders’ struggles

By Mollie WalkerMarch 2, 2020 | 5:15pm | Updated

Injuries have forced the Islanders to scramble in more ways than one this season.

From AHL call-ups, last-minute deals at the trade deadline and sifting through a million-and-one line combinations, the Islanders, losers of seven of their last 10 games, are actively trying to get back to their brand of hockey.

General manager Lou Lamoriello patched up the loss of defenseman Adam Pelech (out for season with torn Achilles tendon) with a trade for Andy Greene on Feb. 16 and brought in Jean-Gabriel Pageau days later to make up for the extended absences of forwards Cal Clutterbuck (wrist) and Casey Cizikas (leg laceration).

Clutterbuck returned to the lineup in Saturday’s 4-0 loss to the Bruins after missing 30 consecutive games, but Cizikas is expected to be out longer than his initial 3-4 week prognosis. That has put the fourth-line, deemed the “identity” line that Trotz has been itching to get back, on hold.

“Itching?” Trotz quipped following Monday’s practice. “It’s a rash right now. A big rash.”

The identity line, which usually consists of Clutterbuck, Cizikas and Matt Martin, has played in less than 20 games together so far this season. Considering the trio has been skating on the same line since the 2014-15 season, Clutterbuck’s first with the club, the chemistry they bring to the ice is invaluable.

The loss to Boston was the third time the Islanders have been shut out since Cizikas was cut by Flyers defenseman Ivan Provorov’s skate blade on Feb. 11. The Islanders have gone 2-5-2 without Cizikas, who has still yet to resume skating since sustaining the injury.

“We went on the front end and they dug in a little bit and it’s probably a little aggressive, if you will,” Trotz said of Cizikas’ injury. “But at the same time, he’s a freak when it comes to injury. You don’t think he’s going to play and then he’s ready in like two days. I’ve seen it a couple times this year, where he was supposed to be out for a lot longer and he came back. This one is a little bit of the reverse right now.

“He’s got such a big heart and a drive train that when he’s capable of going, he’s knocking on my door… But he’s not there yet.”

With Cizikas still out indefinitely, Trotz’s ability to roll with all four lines is limited and the team’s intensity has been impacted. Martin acknowledged that injuries are something that all teams in the league are dealing with at this point in the season, but he said that playing alongside Clutterbuck Saturday felt slightly odd without Cizikas at center.

“It’s so easy [playing with Clutterbuck and Cizikas] because you just know the mindset and what we want to do,” Martin told The Post Monday. “You know pucks are going to be going in certain areas, so you kind of get a head start on it. It makes everyone look faster.

“You know where they’re going to be all the time. It’s different playing with different guys.”

New York Post LOADED: 03.03.2020 1179611 New York Islanders

Coach Barry Trotz says Islanders are close but need to 'stay in the fight'

By Andrew Gross

Updated March 2, 2020 9:04 PM

The Islanders raised their level of play much earlier this season, rattling off a franchise-record 17-game point streak (15-0-2) from Oct. 12-Nov. 23.

That has not been the case in the thick of the playoff race, though. Instead, they’ve stagnated while other teams have improved.

“We have another gear in us,” said. “It’s just, at this time of the year, it’s your will against their will.”

The Islanders, who will face the Canadiens on Tuesday night at Barclays Center, hold the first wild-card spot in the Eastern Conference and are two points behind the struggling Penguins for third place in the Metropolitan Division. But they are in a 2-5-2 rut dating, not coincidentally, to losing Casey Cizikas to injury.

Still, coach Barry Trotz said several times this past week that his team is “close” to playing with the consistency it needs.

“It’s close in that we’ve played some really good teams and we’ve put periods or parts of periods together where you’re going toe-to-toe in a man’s game,” Trotz said after Monday’s practice in East Meadow. “So if you stick with it, I know it’s turning. If the group decides maybe we should try something else, this is getting really hard, then it won’t turn.”

“I think he’s right, I think it’s close,” defenseman Ryan Pulock said. “We just need to find that next level. Everyone has raised their level at this time and we’re playing some really good hockey teams. We’ve been in the games. We just haven’t been able to find that extra push that can get the momentum or make a difference in the game. That’s the difference right now. The good part about that is it doesn’t take a lot to figure out.”

Trotz played somewhat of a stern taskmaster at Monday’s practice, no doubt reflecting the urgency he needs to see in his team. The Islanders have dropped three straight (0-1-2), including Saturday’s 4-0 loss to the NHL-leading Bruins at NYCB Live’s Nassau Coliseum, which followed Thursday’s 3-2 overtime loss in St. Louis to the reigning Stanley Cup champion Blues.

He stopped the first drill immediately — twice — when the players didn’t follow instructions. He stopped a later drill to admonish the players to make more precise passes.

“Boston was dialed in, they won those loose puck battles,” Trotz said. “We didn’t have a lot of zone time because we didn’t sustain stuff. We didn’t stay in the fight long enough.

“Just because you get punched in the nose doesn’t mean that you throw in the towel,” Trotz added. “You get punched in the nose, you bleed a little bit and you get up and you punch back. We need to punch back a little more, stay in the fight a little longer.”

Notes & quotes: Anders Lee and Cal Clutterbuck were excused from Monday’s practice for personal reasons. Trotz said he expects both to be available against the Canadiens . . . Trotz had no update on Cizikas (left leg laceration) other than he has not resumed skating yet.

Newsday LOADED: LOADED: 03.03.2020 1179612 New York Rangers

Ryan Strome’s Rangers punishment is short-lived

By Peter BotteMarch 2, 2020 | 11:09pm | Updated

Even a career-best offensive season couldn’t spare Ryan Strome from being benched Sunday, but that temporary punishment already is behind him and Rangers coach David Quinn.

Strome sat for the entire third period of Sunday’s loss to the Flyers after taking two bad penalties in the first 40 minutes. Quinn said he will be back between wingers Artemi Panarin and Jesper Fast for Tuesday’s home game against St. Louis.

“One-hundred percent. We kissed and made up today,” Quinn said after Monday’s practice. “He’ll be back in the lineup. We talked before practice today like I would do with any player. Letting the guy wonder isn’t good for anybody. He’s back at it and we’re gonna need him, and he’s been a great player for us.”

Strome ranks third on the team with 58 points (18 goals, 40 assists) this season, but he was whistled for “two penalties that he can’t take” against the Flyers, according to Quinn, leading to two power-play goals.

“It is what it is. He’s the coach. If your boss calls you off work or says you’re not going, you’re not going. That’s just the way it is,” Strome said. “I think he’s got a good way of coaching and I think he’s done a really good job this year.

“He’s definitely challenged me a bunch, and this is no different. I think it’s what he felt was the best thing for the team. I think I’ve done more good than bad this year, but it’s his call. It’s about how we respond. I think the team did a really good job in the third period and, hopefully, we can just build on that [Monday].”

Quinn said Alex Georgiev will start in goal against the Blues, a game after Henrik Lundqvist — who turned 38 Monday — allowed five goals on 26 shots against the Flyers in his first start since Feb. 3.

Quinn said Igor Shesterkin (ribs) faced shots before practice for the second consecutive day and is “making a lot of progress.”

New York Post LOADED: 03.03.2020 1179613 New York Rangers understanding how he likes to play and how we’re going to make it work in a short period of time. I think it will be fine.”

New York Post LOADED: 03.03.2020 Phil Di Giuseppe gets chance to fill Rangers’ Chris Kreider void

By Peter BotteMarch 2, 2020 | 9:37PM

With no firm timetable on Chris Kreider’s return, the Rangers know there isn’t much time to figure out how best to replace him at left wing on Mika Zibanejad’s line.

“It’s not about giving [anyone] looks,” David Quinn said after practice Monday in Tarrytown. “It’s about who’s gonna allow that line to have success.”

Phil Di Giuseppe is getting the first crack on the unit, with Pavel Buchnevich on Zibanejad’s opposite flank. Quinn said he’ll remain there to start Tuesday’s home game against the defending Stanley Cup champion St. Louis Blues.

The 26-year-old Di Giuseppe played three seasons at the University of Michigan before signing with Carolina in 2014. He appeared in 147 games for the Hurricanes over four seasons and three games for Nashville in 2018-19 before signing with the Rangers as a free agent last summer. He totaled 14 goals and 26 points this season for AHL Hartford, but he’s scored just once in 15 games with the Blueshirts.

“I love his pace. He plays a lot like [Jesper] Fast. He’s got that hardworking mentality. He gets to the net. He plays at a pace and he can create room for Buchy and Mika,” Quinn said. “We’ll start it that way [Tuesday] and see how it goes.

“Obviously, with Kreids out, you’re kind of a little bit in a feeling-out process of who might grab that opportunity. I talked with Mika and Buchy and our staff, and we agree this is what we’re gonna do right now.”

Kreider suffered a fractured foot while blocking a shot during Friday’s loss in Philadelphia, a few days after he’d signed a seven-year contract extension worth $45 million. The Rangers haven’t revealed a projected time frame, but Quinn said Monday that the winger is not expected to require surgery.

“He thinks he’s gonna come back next week, so we’ll see,” Quinn joked. “He’s in a boot. How quickly he heals is going to [determine] when he comes back.”

Di Giuseppe skated in Kreider’s place alongside Zibanejad and Buchnevich for much of Sunday’s 5-3 loss to the Flyers, logging an even rating over 13:44 of ice time. His linemates accounted for all three Rangers goals.

“Any time you have a chance to play with them, you just gotta bring your best and hope you can help them out and make their job a little easier,” Di Giuseppe said. “I know what I bring to the team, just trying to work hard every shift and take it shift by shift and be heavy on the forecheck and move my legs and be responsible in the D-zone. Just stick to the same kind of script.”

Zibanejad was named the NHL’s Second Star of the Month for February, behind Edmonton winger Leon Draisaitl. The center tied for first in the league with 11 goals for the month and ranked second in points (20), notching at least one point in 12 of the Rangers’ 15 games (11-4-0).

Zibanejad then opened March with two goals and an assist Sunday against the Flyers, giving him a career-high 32 goals in just 52 appearances to tie Artemi Panarin (32-58-90) for the team lead.

Despite the successive losses, the Rangers (35-26-4) are four points removed from the No. 8 playoff position in the Eastern Conference with 17 games remaining.

“I think we shouldn’t change too much,” Zibanejad said of Kreider’s absence. “Obviously, Kreids is a unique player and there’s not many guys like him in the league. But I think just to keep playing the way we have been, I think system-wise and everything like that, it’s not going to change.

“[Di Giuseppe] skates well. He works. In this situation that we’re in, we need to work. I thought he was good [Sunday]. It’s a little bit different than Kreids, but that’s maybe not the easiest thing to get a full 1179614 New York Rangers 4/2 at Pittsburgh * 4/4 vs. Chicago ^

Pavel Buchnevich #89 of the New York Rangers controls the puck during With 17 games remaining, what does the NY Rangers path to the NHL the second period of their game against the Washington Capitals at playoffs look like? Madison Square Garden on Nov. 20, 2019 in New York City.

It's pretty obvious that the path to the playoffs won't be easy, especially Vincent Z. Mercogliano, NHL WriterPublished 10:38 a.m. ET March 2, given the recent injuries to Igor Shesterkin (rib) and Chris Kreider (foot). 2020 | Updated 10:40 a.m. ET March 2, 2020 Of the 17 remaining games, there are three the Rangers "should" win, four toss-ups and 10 against teams that are at least five points better. That's not to say they'll go 3-10-4, but the point is they'll have a difficult With 17 games left to play in the next 32 days, the New York Rangers schedule to deal with down the stretch. have entered crunch time. But if this second half of improvement has taught us anything, it's that This didn't seem possible a month ago, but they came roaring out of the these Baby Blueshirts shouldn't be counted out. This team has evolved all-star break by winning 12 of the next 15, including a stretch of nine into something much different from what we saw in the first half of the wins in 10 games. They pushed themselves to within two points of a season. playoff spot in the Eastern Conference until back-to-back losses to the Philadelphia Flyers over the weekend halted their momentum. Coach David Quinn has repeatedly made reference to the Rangers believing in themselves when few others did. Now we'll see if they can Entering play Monday, the Rangers sat four points behind the Columbus continue to defy the odds. Blue Jackets and the rival Islanders for the two wild card positions in the East. "By no stretch of the imagination are we anywhere near where we need to be," Quinn said last week. "There is a lot of work to do. But we've put Translation: They still have some to work to do. ourselves in a position late in the hockey season where our season is still very, very meaningful. Figuring out what they'll need to do to leapfrog those teams — as well as the Carolina Hurricanes, who sit one point ahead of the Rangers, while Bergen Record LOADED: 03.03.2020 keeping the pesky Florida Panthers at bay — is an inexact science.

Last year, the final team to make it in from the East had 98 points. That's a good number for the Rangers to shoot for, even if it still might not be enough.

In order to reach 98, the Rangers, who are 35-26-4 with 74 points, would need to win 12 of their final 17 games, or average roughly 1.4 points per game. A 10-3-4 record would add up to the 24 points need, just as it would if they go 12-5. (We can save the conversation about the silly NHL points system for another day.)

With that in mind, I looked at the remaining 17 games for the Rangers and placed their opponents into three categories.

If they're playing a team that's at least five points better than them, who in theory should be favored in the game, I put a * next to the opponent.

For teams that are within five points of the Rangers, I marked # to indicate it's a toss-up.

And if it's a team near the bottom of the standings that the Rangers should beat, you'll see a ^.

Of course, current standings won't determine which team wins each game, but this felt like a fairer interpretation than simply making predictions.

NY Rangers remaining 2019-20 schedule

Tuesday vs. St. Louis *

Thursday vs. Washington *

Saturday vs. New Jersey ^

3/10 at Dallas *

3/11 at Colorado *

3/14 at Arizona #

3/16 vs. Calgary #

3/18 vs. Pittsburgh *

3/20 at Pittsburgh *

3/22 at Buffalo ^

3/24 vs. Columbus #

3/26 at Washington *

3/28 at Tampa *

3/30 at Florida #

4/1 vs. Philadelphia * 1179615 New York Rangers

Rangers' Phillip DiGiuseppe gets rave reviews in place of injured Chris Kreider

By Colin Stephenson

Updated March 2, 2020 7:14 PM

GREENBURGH, N.Y. – Phillip DiGiuseppe is no Chris Kreider, but the 26-year-old Toronto native, who signed a one-year, $700,000 contract with the Rangers last summer as a free agent and spent the first half of the season with AHL Hartford, got the first crack at plugging the giant hole on the Rangers’ top forward line, created when Kreider suffered a broken foot Friday.

“I love his pace,’’ coach David Quinn said Monday of DiGiuseppe, who started Sunday’s 5-3 loss to Philadelphia in Kreider’s spot at left wing with No. 1 center Mika Zibanejad and right wing Pavel Buchnevich. “He plays a lot like [Jesper] Fast. He's got that hard-working mentality; he gets to the net, plays at a pace. He can create room for ‘Boochie’ [Buchnevich] and Mika."

Quinn said Sunday, and repeated Monday, that filling Kreider's spot will be something that often will be dependent on the situation. Late in Sunday’s game, for instance, with the Rangers trailing, Quinn put the team’s leading scorer, Artemi Panarin, together with Zibanejad. Julien Gauthier and Kaapo Kakko got shifts with Zibanejad over the last two games, and Brendan Lemieux is an option as well. Quinn also noted he always has the option of shifting a right wing – like Buchnevich – to the left side, and promoting a right wing, like Kakko or Gauthier.

At practice Monday, though, it was DiGiuseppe taking line rushes with Zibanejad and Buchnevich. That’s how they’ll start Tuesday against the St. Louis Blues at the Garden, Quinn said.

“He skates well,’’ Zibanejad said of DiGiuseppe. “He works. And, you know, in a situation that we're in, we need to work. I thought he was good [Sunday]. A little bit different than ‘Kreids,’ but… I'm sure it'll be fine. We talked today and during practice, and I'm trying to get an understanding [of DiGiuseppe’s game] and just go from there.’’

DiGiuseppe’s game isn’t complicated. He works the boards; he drives the net, and he shoots the puck.

“I know what I bring to the team and just try to work hard every shift and take it shift by shift,’’ he said. “[I try to] be ‘heavy’ on the forecheck; move my legs, and be responsible in the ‘D’ zone. So just stick to the same kind of script, and then, whoever I'm with, just try to work for them and let them do their thing.’’

Notes & quotes: Ryan Strome, who was benched in the third period Sunday, was back at center with his regular linemates, Panarin and Fast. “We kissed and made up,’’ Quinn said. “We need him, and he's been a great player for us.’’ … Quinn wouldn’t give a timetable for Kreider’s potential return. “He thinks he's going to come back next week,’’ Quinn said, while noting Kreider is wearing a protective boot on his foot… G Igor Shesterkin (broken rib) skated again before practice. Quinn said Shesterkin’s return “might be sooner, it might be a little later. This type of injury is very free flowing, and how quickly can you recover. He's feeling better.’’… G Alexandar Georgiev will start Tuesday. Quinn would not speculate whether Henrik Lundqvist will get another turn soon. “I just go game by game,’’ he said. Lundqvist turned 38 Monday.

Newsday LOADED: LOADED: 03.03.2020 1179616 New York Rangers last two games already, which offers a reality check on what still needs to be done to progress this rebuild).

Not only have the Rangers hit some bad luck, but they’re running out of Rangers trending report: Evaluating the team’s ups and downs entering time too. With just 17 games remaining, if they’re going to reach the March postseason — which again, is not what is going to define this year — they have to get back in the win column and stay there as much as possible. And even then, it’s still not guaranteed.

By Shayna Goldman Mar 2, 2020 Trending up: Pavel Buchnevich

Buchnevich was shooting and creating scoring chances over the last few months, but didn’t have the tangible results to show for it. There were February was an interesting month for the Rangers. Speculation about also questions about his consistency. Chris Kreider’s future swirled all the way until his trade deadline day extension. But along the way, this building team became one to watch as Between December and January at 5-on-5, despite Buchnevich being on they pushed themselves into the playoff mix after going 11-4-0 in their 15 the ice for 53.8 percent of the expected goal share, the Rangers only games played. scored 42.5 percent of the actual goals share when he was deployed.

Let’s dive right in with the trends for the Rangers over the last month. In February, though, his luck turned and the results started to come. Through 13 games played, primarily with the KZB line, he scored five Trending up: Playoff Chances goals and six assists for 11 points in all situations. And at 5-on-5, there The Colorado Avalanche (11-3-1) and Rangers led the league with 23 was less of a disparity between expectations (52.7 percent of the xG points in February. New York collected 73 percent of the available points share) and results (50.9 percent of the goals share). this past month, which ranked fifth in the league. Because of their While it’s going to be a challenge without one third of a combination progression in the standings, they’ve actually become a factor in the that’s been so key for the team, Buchnevich’s progress trended in the playoff picture. The problem is the competition. There’s a battle in the right direction this past month. Metropolitan Division for the eighth seed and second wild card spot. Trending up … but actually down: Shots against Let’s talk numbers. The Rangers allowing a high volume of shots against really isn’t anything Entering March 1, The Athletic’s Dom Luszczyszyn gave the Rangers a new. It’s become a part of their identity over the last five years. And to 34 percent chance of making the postseason. With a projected 93.4 open this season, they were bleeding shots against. points on the season, Luszczyszyn has them falling just outside of that coveted eighth spot in the East to the Carolina Hurricanes (95.8 As the year has continued, how they’ve controlled play at even strength projected points). has improved, particularly because of their offense. Adjustments made along the way, individual improvements, and top players leading the If we head over to HockeyViz, Micah Blake McCurdy gives the Rangers a team all contributed to that. 41 percent chance or reaching the postseason and a 93.5 point projection (again, just falling short of Carolina with 94.7 points that would Chart via HockeyViz land them in eighth). But over this last stretch, they’ve trended in the wrong direction. Their 5- Chart via HockeyViz on-5 offensive generation has dipped and their shot volume against has spiked. MoneyPuck is the lowest on the Rangers chances, though it’s worth noting that their projections are as of their March 1 loss to the Flyers. Another way to look at this is with an animated heat map from Here, New York has just a 29.6 percent chance of making it and a final HockeyViz. The red represents where more shots against are allowed, projection of 92.1 points. while blue areas show where offense is suppressed.

Viz via MoneyPuck There were improvements in January, as the patches of blue show. But the red really started to take over midway through February and What does it all mean? encompassed the front of the crease by the end of the month. The Rangers’ chances are really low because of the competition around The Rangers have proven to be resilient, making third period comebacks them. But that’s not what should be focused on — it’s the fact that they’re after a lackluster 40 minutes. Score effects really come into play for this in the mix at all in a building season that wasn’t a ‘playoffs or bust’ year. team, considering how much they improve offensively and defensively New York didn’t buy at the deadline and weren’t going to – they stayed (okay, it’s still bad, but better) when they’re trailing. But when the game is the course. This young group just has something unexpected to strive tied or they have a lead, there’s such a negative swing in their production for, and they’re battling every game for that. as these HockeyViz heat maps show.

Trending down: Luck Chart via HockeyViz

The Rangers have overcome hurdles to get to this point, but how much The problem is that in some instances — such as Sunday’s March more do they have in them – especially when dealt with two more over opener against the Flyers — the hole is too deep to dig their way out of. the last week. The comeback wins aren’t sustainable with this style of play and can’t be relied on. Losing Igor Shesterkin hurt, but the Rangers still have two capable goaltenders in Alexandar Georgiev and Henrik Lundqvist. But they don’t Trending up: Lindgren-Fox have another Chris Kreider, who is out with a fractured foot sustained in Fox has been a highlight of the 2019-20 season. His puck distribution, the first period of Friday’s game in Philadelphia. vision, poise, and play in his own zone have shined throughout the year We explored how different the Rangers’ roster looks without Kreider. — enough so, that he should be in consideration for the Calder Trophy. There’s a clear difference because it forces depth — something they In about 60 percent of his 5-on-5 minutes, he’s played alongside lefty finally are more settled with — higher in the lineup than it belongs. So, Ryan Lindgren, who is a quieter, more defensive defender. Improved how much more can the Rangers take moving forward without one of skating has helped his game, as has playing with the right-handed Fox, their leading wingers? whose strengths can lead the pair and allow Lindgren to play to his advantages. The Rangers are led by their best players: Artemi Panarin is elite, Mika Zibanejad is having a fantastic season, and Adam Fox has been stellar Of the Rangers’ mainstay defense pairs, Lindgren-Fox rates the highest on the blue line. But Kreider’s contributions, especially since early because of how well they click together. Individually, Fox has a better December, have been pivotal. Without him, they’re going to have to find offensive impact, but both decreased the Rangers’ shot and scoring a way to replace his production and hope that their lack of depth doesn’t chance against rates relative to their teammates. expose them too much over this next stretch (spoiler alert: it has over the They opened February on different pairs after being temporarily split. Fox skated with Brady Skjei and Lindgren with Jacob Trouba. But since New York’s Feb. 5 meeting with Toronto, they’ve reunited and remained together.

Since being put back together, the Rangers have generally driven play at 5-on-5 through with them on the ice. They’ve created shots and chances for in the offensive zone and limited quantity and quality in their own end. As a result, their ice times have trended up as well. The rookie pair has made a case for the coaches to lean on them more moving forward because they’ve been one of the more solid and consistent pairings, despite their inexperience at the NHL level.

The Athletic LOADED: 03.03.2020 1179617 NHL squad in that upper echelon, trailing Chicago, Toronto, the New York Rangers, Boston and Montreal.

It’s not a stretch to envision NHL Seattle averaging right around $100 per NHL Seattle’s season-ticket prices will likely cause some sticker shock — game — No. 5 Montreal is at $105 — just like their expansion but there’s a reason for it predecessor. That’s $4,100 per ticket for a full season and $8,200 for a pair.

Throw in the aforementioned beer, soft drink and hot dog and it’s March 2, 2020 at 2:05 pm Updated March 2, 2020 at 5:01 PM $120.46 per game or $4,938.86 per season on one ticket and $9,877.72 per pair.

But that’s all speculative for now. We’ll know actual pricing come By Geoff Baker Tuesday and whether discounts within season tickets will lower costs below $100 per game.

Two years ago this past Sunday, NHL Seattle took deposits of $500 and We’ll also find out whether the team requires multiyear purchase $1,000 from fans for future season tickets, securing 10,000 the first 12 commitments. As we’ve seen, a pair of seats plus concessions averages minutes and more than 32,000 over 31 hours. near $10,000 in the league’s upper echelons and a commitment of three years — as NHL Seattle club seats required — would raise that around On Tuesday, the vast majority of depositors finally get to start picking the money typically spent on a midsized car. seats as NHL Seattle begins general season-ticket sales. We’re about to find out plenty about NHL Seattle’s ticket pricing approach, as well as just But hey, KeyArena isn’t paying for itself. how much local hockey fans will stomach to see the team in person. Worth noting from the Matchday study, the six highest-priced NHL teams No matter how often we tried to brace fans about NHL pricing before play in venues built or rebuilt entirely with private money just like those October, when higher-end club-level season tickets were released, many rebuilding KeyArena for $930 million. So yes, users of those facilities will fans couldn’t hide their astonishment. Some expressed disbelief on ultimately pay a premium — by choice. online message boards and even predicted the team would struggle to Star Times boys basketball: First, state for O’Dea’s Paolo Banchero. unload inventory. Next, the world? Well, they were wrong. NHL Seattle not only sold that inventory, but the The disparities between some of Seattle’s teams couldn’t be more success led team officials to organize their general season-ticket release glaring. NHL Seattle and partners are spending nearly $1 billion to in similar fashion. rebuild KeyArena, $80 million for the Northgate Mall training center, $40 Instead of thousands of fans ordering seats through an online portal, the million for city transportation upgrades, including the monorail, and other team is now giving the option of coming to their ticket preview center for projects. a guided showroom tour and personalized meeting with a sales Meanwhile, the Mariners play in a $517 million stadium 72% financed by representative. Depositors start getting appointment calls Tuesday based taxpayers. Despite this, King County in 2018 approved $135 million in on priority list ranking. taxpayer money for ballpark upgrades and maintenance instead of the But be forewarned: Even those going in on tickets with multiple buddies team covering it. are likely to find the price much higher than they’re used to locally. For context, that $135 million would pay for NHL Seattle’s entire practice A couple of weeks ago, website Canada Sports Betting published a facility and pledged transportation upgrades. “Matchday Cost Comparison” study breaking down the major North Going off our town’s history of paying for sports infrastructure, this is the American professional sports leagues. It looked at ticket prices along with best it’s ever wrung out of a pro team, and it’s not even close. It may go the cost of a beer, soft drink and hot dog at the event. down as one of the more civic-friendly deals in the history of North Not surprisingly, an NFL game was the priciest total at an average of American sports. $121.76. But the NHL was second highest at $98.17, followed by the But now, NHL fans must pony up. NBA at $88.10 and MLB at $50.16. And we’re about to find out just how much they love hockey. And here’s the catch: The NFL plays only eight regular-season home games, while the NHL has 41. So, paying for all those games — as Seattle Times LOADED: 03.03.2020 season-ticket holders must — quickly becomes a test of the hockey fan’s inner fortitude.

If we break out the ticket portion alone, the study showed NFL fans paying $103.22 per game, while NHL tickets were $77.71, NBA was $67.60 and MLB $34.63.

Spread over an entire regular season, NHL fans lead the bunch in paying $3,186.11 on average for tickets to all 41 home games. It’s $2,805.03 to see all 81 home games in MLB, $2,771.60 for 41 home contests in the NBA and $825.76 for eight in the NFL.

Now, I know what you’re thinking: Those prices seem low. Go on StubHub or SeatGeek and you’ll sometimes pay $800 for a single NFL game — never mind a season’s worth.

Also, those paying for NHL Seattle club seats were dishing out four times the study’s average ticket costs.

But remember, those Matchday prices are for an average ticket. And for every NFL success like at CenturyLink Field, there’s a Paul Brown Stadium in Cincinnati with empty seats.

Same in the NHL, where Chicago Blackhawks tickets average $152.50 while Florida Panthers tickets average just $64.25.

So, this largely depends on where you think NHL Seattle will rank pricing- wise within the league. The recent expansion Vegas Golden Knights sat sixth highest in pricing at $95 on average — the only non-“Original Six” 1179618 Ottawa Senators Evan Rodrigues – Teddy Blueger – Brandon Tanev Patrick Marleau – Jared McCann – Dominik Simon

Defence GAME DAY: Senators versus Penguins Jack Johnson – Kris Letang

Marcus Pettersson – Justin Schultz Ken Warren Juuso Rikola – Chad Ruhwedel Published:March 3, 2020 Goaltending Updated:March 3, 2020 12:05 AM EST Tristan Jarry

Matt Murray Ottawa Senators at Pittsburgh Penguins Sick Bay: Nick Bjugstad, Jake Guentzel, Brian Dumoulin, John Marino, Tuesday, PPG Paints Arena, 7 p.m. Zach Aston-Reese TV: TSN5, RDS2. Radio: TSN 1200-AM, 94,5-Unique-FM THE BIG MATCHUP FIVE KEYS TO THE GAME: Sidney Crosby versus Bobby Ryan: Remaining calm amid the storm: The Senators should expect nothing Crosby is the best player of his generation and 10 years removed from less than an explosive start from the Penguins, who are on a six-game leading Canada to Olympic gold in Vancouver, but he’s not pleased with losing streak, including a 5-0 spanking at the hands of the San Jose his own game at the moment. He’s pointing the finger at himself for sub- Sharks Saturday. par play during the Penguins six-game losing streak. He has gone Ice time equals opportunity: In a different year with a more competitive pointless in his past three games and has only one goal and no assists squad, players such as Jayce Hawryluk and Matthew Peca wouldn’t be during the Penguins slump. An angry Crosby could spell major difficulty receiving regular shifts on the Senators forward lines. Now’s the time to for a Senators squad which has limited depth on defence. make a mark, in the hopes of staying in the NHL. Ryan, who was chosen second overall, behind only Crosby, in the 2005 Keeping up the hot scoring touch: Artem Anisimov is fresh from scoring NHL entry draft, is aiming to close out the season on a positive note after twice, plus the shootout game winner, in the Senators 4-3 victory over spending most of the season in the NHL/NHLPA’s substance abuse Detroit Saturday. Injured for an extended stretch early in the season, program. After registering a hat trick last Thursday against Vancouver, he Anisimov has an outside shot at hitting the 20-goal mark. came up empty against Detroit on Saturday, but is seeing big minutes on a Senators squad with limited offensive punch. Opening the door for the injured to return: The potential return of Anthony Duclair and Colin White from the sidelines should give the Senators Ottawa Sun LOADED: 03.03.2020 additional scoring threats against a Penguins squad that can score in waves.

Lining up against the best: The Senators continue to ask Thomas Chabot and Brady Tkachuk to lead by example, but what a challenge it is for the relative youngsters, charged with seeing the 1-2 centre punch of Sidney Crosby and Evgeni Malkin over and over again.

Special Teams

Ottawa: PP 15.3 (28th), PK 76.9 (25th)

Pittsburgh: PP 20.3 (15th), PK 81.7 (10th)

Senators Lines

Forward:

Brady Tkachuk – Artem Anisimov – Bobby Ryan

Anthony Duclair – Chris Tierney – Connor Brown

Nick Paul – Colin White – Jayce Hawryluk

Rudolfs Balcers – Matthew Peca – Mikkel Boedker

Defence

Thomas Chabot – Ron Hainsey

Mike Reilly – Nikita Zaitsev

Andreas Englund – Christian Jaros

Goaltending

Craig Anderson

Filip Gustavsson

Sick Bay: Anders Nilsson, Mark Borowiecki, Marcus Hogberg (personal)

Penguins Lines

Forward

Jason Zucker – Sidney Crosby – Conor Sheary

Bryan Rust – Evgeni Malkin – Patric Hornqvist 1179619 Ottawa Senators NILSSON WAITING TO RETURN Goaltender Anders Nilsson, who was on the ice with the club for two

days last week, is still sidelined with a concussion and there’s no SNAPSHOTS: Senators know they're in tough with Penguins trying to timetable for his return. Nilsson did skate Monday morning with goalie end six-game losing skid coach Pierre Groulx but it’s not known when he’ll play again.

Nilsson hasn’t played since he was diagnosed with the concussion on Dec. 16 and Smith, who retired from his career because of a head injury, Bruce Garrioch said the organization is going to give him as much time as he needs.

Published:March 2, 2020 “Everyone deals with their own issues dealing with it (post-concussion syndrome),” said Smith. “It’s hard to communicate what they are and how Updated:March 2, 2020 7:9 PM EST you feel but people know if they’re not 100%. When you’re not 100% with that injury, especially in net, there’s nothing you can do about it.

Maybe the Ottawa Senators are catching Sidney Crosby and the “The hardest thing is it’s not like a broken arm and there’s a timetable of Pittsburgh Penguins at the right time. when you’re going to return. You have an x-ray, they say it’s healed and you can go. There’s no science to (a concussion) to say when you’re Or maybe not. ready to go. It’s one of the harder injuries. It’s tough on the players, it’s tough on the family, so our support is with him.” With the Penguins in the midst of a six-game losing streak and coming off a 5-0 loss to the San Jose Sharks Saturday night to wrap up a THE LAST WORDS Western road swing, the Senators will have their hands full as they face Pittsburgh Tuesday night at the PPG Paints Arena. Expect to see centre Colin White return to the lineup against the Penguins but that may not be the case for winger Anthony Duclair. White, The Penguins have been battered by injuries and they’re determined to who missed three games after taking a hit against Columbus last Monday get back on track. on the road, sounded like he’s good to go while Duclair is likely questionable. Duclair blocked a shot against the Jackets and hasn’t “They’ve lost six straight, they have some of the best players in the world, played since but did take part in the club’s skate Monday. “I’m 100% so they’re good at home and they’re going to come out (strong),” said I’ll play (Tuesday) night. It felt good out there,” White told reporters … Ottawa coach D.J. Smith Monday. “They need these two points and I’m Defenceman Mike Reilly, acquired from the Montreal Canadiens in sure they don’t care who they’re playing against.” January, will suit up for his 200th NHL game against the Penguins … The last time the Senators went to Pittsburgh the club dropped a 5-2 Belleville’s Josh Norris was named the AHL’s player-of-the-month for decision to the Penguins. No, they can’t shut Crosby, Evgeni Malkin and February. the Penguins down, but they can try to slow them down. Ottawa Sun LOADED: 03.03.2020 Pittsburgh Penguins star centre Sidney Crosby. Dennis Schneidler

“It’s a big challenge,” said defenceman Thomas Chabot . “(Crosby) is probably the best player in the league and everything has done in his career is impressive. That makes those games fun for us because it’s always a big challenge.

“They’re going through a tougher stretch right now, so they’re going to need those two points, but for us, as a young group, if we want to build and build our identity for next year, those are the games that you want to show up for and make a good show for yourselves.”

GLAD TO GET THE CALL

Filip Gustavsson was happy to get summoned from the club’s AHL affiliate to dress as the backup against the Penguins Tuesday night.

Nobody is sure how long he’ll be here, but the 21-year-old goaltender has been having a solid season with Belleville. He was named the AHL’s goaltender-of-the-month for January and has compiled a 15-5-3 record in 23 appearances with a 3.28 goals-against average and .895 save- percentage.

“It’s been good after Christmas,” Gustavsson said. “At the beginning of the year I had some bad performances with some bad goals and that’s kind of how the first half of the season went. I think since after Christmas I’ve been playing solid and had some good performances.

“My game is at a good point where I can play solid every night.”

Gustavsson said he hasn’t been working on any part of his game in particular but is striving to be consistent. He and have been working with Belleville goalie coach Kory Cooper daily

“I’ve just been trying not to get into some bad habits during practice,” Gustavsson said. “It’s easy to get bad habits after half of the season when you don’t do as much goalie related stuff in practice. It feels like we’ve been working hard down there. We have skills every Monday and Tuesday and we try to work hard on our details every day.”

Gustavsson said he isn’t sure who will start for Belleville in the playoffs but noted the team has a good chance to have success.

“It feels like the whole team helps us out, so if Joey and I have a decent game then the team is going to step in and score some goals for us,” Gustavsson. “Its a little different than last year when you had to stand on your head to win the game almost. This year, the team can carry you with a normal game from our perspective.” 1179620 Ottawa Senators approach or how I focus on the season from a day-to-day basis. I’ve just tried to enjoy the games I’ve gotten in and the practices with the guy and I’ve just enjoyed coming to the rink and the camaraderie.”

Craig Anderson ready to enjoy what's likely his final season with Ottawa So, will Anderson relish this final five weeks of the season? Senators “More so this year than any other year because the future is unknown,” he said. “When you don’t know what the future holds you try to enjoy the moment more. Bruce Garrioch ‘In years past when you get towards the end, it was kind of like, ‘All right, Published:March 2, 2020 there’s always next year’ and you know someone said to me a long time ago when I was in the minors and you’re in the playoffs and you lose out Updated:March 2, 2020 5:20 PM EST and everyone’s like, ‘There’s always next year’. Well, someone once said, you run out of next years and you don’t know when that time might be. Craig Anderson will just try to enjoy the ride because he isn’t sure what tomorrow will bring. “It might be this year, it might be next year, you just don’t know. The unknown is sometimes scary. For me, I have to stay in the moment as The 38-year-old Ottawa Senators’ goaltender is under no illusions about best as I can and enjoy the ride.” his future with the club as he prepares to face Sidney Crosby and the Pittsburgh Penguins Tuesday night at the PPG Paints Arena. Ottawa Sun LOADED: 03.03.2020

The franchise leader in wins with 200, Anderson knew when he came into the final year of his contract that he’d have to be prepared to pass the torch to the likes of Anders Nilsson and Marcus Hogberg this season. With the trade deadline gone by, he’s pleased that he’s going to get the opportunity to finish out the year with the Senators.

General manager Pierre Dorion never approached Anderson about the possibility of trading him to a contender before the deadline and he sounded like he was relieved that was the case.

“I’ve spent so many years here, my relationship with the community, my relationship with the organization, it’s a good fit here and I like it here,” Anderson said before the club left for Pittsbrugh Monday afternoon. “There’s a lot of positives here. There was no desire to jump so to speak.

“It was one of those things where if they wanted to come to me and there was something great but I wasn’t out looking for anything. The grass isn’t always greener on the other side. For myself, this has been a great spot for me and I want to enjoy every last moment that I possibly can. As far as the last 16 games, I just want to enjoy the fans, the community, my teammates and when the season ends we’ll cross that bridge.”

There was speculation before the deadline Anderson might be an attractive option for a team that was looking for a veteran backup. The Florida Panthers and Colorado Avalanche were mentioned as possibilities, but in the end Anderson stayed put. He’s been with the Senators since he was dealt here in Feb., 2011 from the Avs and wasn’t looking for a change of address

Anderson appreciates that the organization has given him the opportunity to have longevity here and he knows other players have gone through it.

“I would have been sad to go. It would have been a very emotional day for me to go,” Anderson said. “I’ve got a lot of ties here. Chris Phillips and Chris Neil crossed the same bridge here at the end of their careers. What’s it worth to try chase it or go somewhere that you don’t know how things operate?

“I know this is a good fit for me. I know that it’s been a great ride but I’m going to continue to enjoy it.”

Anderson knew coming into this season that his role was going to change so he was prepared for that. He’s been professional in his approach and is ready to play when called upon. He was well aware of the reality of the situation and that he wasn’t going to be the guy that would be in the net every night. In many ways, this has been a transition year for Anderson.

With Nilsson sidelined for the last three months with a concussion, Anderson has made 30 appearances this season. he has a 9-15-2 record with a 3.21 goals-against average and a .901 save-percentage.

“It’s how the cycle goes,” Anderson said. “I knew coming into this year what was expected of me and what my role was by fighting for ice time and bringing the guys along. That was the biggest thing was to push these guys. I’ve got a lot of experience but what can I pass along?

“We’ve been rewarded all year with guys playing well, whether it’s Anders, Marcus or myself, and when you’re playing well you get rewarded with playing. Nothing changes as far as my outlook or 1179621 Ottawa Senators

Senators' goaltender Marcus Hogberg leaves team for personal reasons

Bruce Garrioch

Published:March 2, 2020

Updated:March 2, 2020 4:46 PM EST

The Ottawa Senators will be without goaltender Marcus Hogberg for the next little while.

The club recalled 21-year-old Filip Gustavsson from its AHL affiliate in Belleville Monday morning. Hogberg had left the team to return to Sweden after the club’s 4-3 shootout victory over the Detroit Red Wings Saturday at the Canadian Tire Centre.

“Marcus Hogberg went home for family reasons and we’ll know more here shortly,” coach D.J. Smith told reporters before the club left Monday afternoon for Pittsburgh.

While Gustavsson has had a strong year in Belleville, there’s no plan to give him the net right now and Smith confirmed that 38-year-old Craig Anderson will carry the ball for the time being.

“He’s here to backup but if we see a chance to get him in there we will but, in saying that, it’s Andy’s net for now,” Smith said.

Hogberg, who has a 5-7-8 record with a 3.04 goals-against average and a .904 save-percentage, has started four the club’s last six games, and that victory against the Wings was his first in the shootout.

Ottawa Sun LOADED: 03.03.2020 1179622 Philadelphia Flyers Some others: Boston: 6/1.

Tampa Bay: 6/1. Soaring Flyers will try to shut down Alex Ovechkin again in critical game in Washington Vegas: 8/1.

Colorado: 9/1. by Sam Carchidi, Washington: 10/1.

Pitt: 12/1.

With a 9-2 record since a clunker against New Jersey nearly a month STL: 12/1. ago, the Flyers have been the NHL’s hottest team. Dallas: 14/1. Their surge has propelled them into second place in the Metropolitan Division and set up a showdown Wednesday in Washington, as the first- Toronto: 16/1. place Capitals hold a three-point lead over the Flyers with 17 regular- — Sam Carchidi (@BroadStBull) March 2, 2020 season games left. Philadelphia Inquirer / Daily News LOADED: 03.03.2020 “The general theme with us lately is to stay hungry,” defenseman Matt Niskanen said after the Flyers’ 5-3 win Sunday over the Rangers, “… Keep pushing for more.”

After dropping a 5-0 decision to the visiting Devils on Feb. 6, the Flyers were (barely) out of a playoff spot. Now, they’re fighting to finish first or second in the Metro and trying to get home-ice advantage for at least the opening round of the playoffs.

The Flyers have won a season-high six straight, during which they have outscored opponents, 27-13.

“We’re playing hard, trying to play the right way, and obviously our power play lately has been a big weapon for us. It’s gotten big goals at big, big moments,” said coach Alain Vigneault, whose team went 3-for-5 on the power play Sunday in Madison Square Garden.

During their winning streak, the power play, which has been much sharper with Claude Giroux back on the left side, has clicked at a staggering 46.7% rate (7-for-15). The power play is 10-for-23 over its last eight games and has climbed to 11th in the NHL, clicking at 21.6%.

“We’re starting to get in a groove; we have a lot of set plays, a lot of options,” center Sean Couturier said. “We’re using them right now, and we’re executing. It’s good to get our confidence back, and now we just have to build on that and keep going.”

The players had a day off Monday while the coaches went over video.

“Our players will obviously reenergize. We’ll have a good practice [Tuesday] and get ourselves to Washington and expect a real good performance,” Vigneault said.

The Flyers are 2-0-1 against the Capitals this season, including a 7-2 win in their last meeting, Feb. 8 in Washington — their first game after the loss to New Jersey. The Flyers scored three unanswered second-period goals against Caps goalie Braden Holtby and pulled away from a 1-1 tie.

Couturier had a pair of goals and Giroux had three points in the victory, one in which the Flyers got goals from all four lines. Three of their goals were scored from players on the third line (James van Riemsdyk) or fourth line (Michael Raffl, Nic Aube-Kubel). Aube-Kubel became the first Flyers rookie since Eric Lindros in 1993 to have a Gordie Howe hat trick (goal, assist, fight).

Goalie Brian Elliott won that game, but Carter Hart, who has been superb since returning from an abdominal injury, is expected to get the call Wednesday.

“Our last game there, we were good, we were sharp,” Vigneault said. “We’re going to need to be the same way. Obviously, [the Caps] will be fired up. It’s going to be a great hockey game.”

The Flyers have had success against Washington because they have virtually shut down its dangerous power play, holding it to one goal in 12 chances. They have also held superstar Alex Ovechkin without a goal in the three meetings, thanks in part to Couturier’s strong defensive play.

Ovechkin has 45 goals, tied with Toronto’s Auston Matthews for second in the NHL. Among the seven opponents that have faced the Caps at least three times this season, the Flyers are the only team to hold him goalless.

The #Flyers were 33 to 1 to win the Cup a month ago, according to Betonline; they are now 16 to 1. 1179623 Philadelphia Flyers

Flyers’ Carter Hart has found rhythm since returning, likely to start in Washington on Wednesday

by Sam Carchidi,

After being sidelined for nearly a month, Flyers goalie Carter Hart has found his rhythm.

Since returning to the lineup Feb. 10 from an abdominal strain, Hart is 7- 1 with a 2.14 goals-against average and .923 save percentage.

That makes it likely that coach Alain Vigneault will turn to Hart in Washington on Wednesday, showing the 21-year-old goaltender he has confidence in him in a big spot.

The Capitals (40-19-6) are atop the Metropolitan Division standings, three points ahead of the second-place Flyers (38-20-7). Both teams have 17 regular-season games remaining. Pittsburgh (37-21-6) is three points behind the Flyers and has a game in hand.

The Flyers have won a season-best six straight, with Hart in the net for five of those victories.

“We’re just having fun and playing hard,” said Hart, whose team has one more win than its final victory total last season. “But we don’t want to get ahead of ourselves, either.”

Hart won two of his last three road starts, including Sunday’s 5-3 victory over the Rangers at Madison Square Garden.

The Flyers are 2-0-1 against the Caps this season. Brian Elliott was in goal in the latest win, a 7-2 victory in Washington on Feb. 8. It was the Capitals’ worst loss of the season, and Claude Giroux ended a 13-game goalless streak.

Hart played in the other two games against the Caps, both at home. He made 35 saves but dropped a 2-1 shootout decision on Nov. 13. He made 25 saves in a 3-2 win Jan. 8, a game in which the Flyers’ penalty kill was 5-for-5.

“We know they’re a good team. We’ve played them already three times this year, and we know we can play with them,” Hart said.

Washington’s power play is 1-for-12 against the Flyers this season; the Flyers’ power play is 3-for-11 in those three games.

Konecny sizzling

Right winger Travis Konecny, who will turn 23 on March 11, leads the Flyers with 60 points, including a goal and an assist in the win Sunday at Madison Square Garden.

Flyers right winger Tavis Konecny (11) leads the Flyers with 60 points.

Flyers right winger Tavis Konecny (11) leads the Flyers with 60 points.

Sunday, he became the third Flyers player in the last 21 seasons to reach 60 points during a season in which he was 22 or younger, according to the NHL. Konecny joined Simon Gagne (66 points in 2001- 02) and Mike Richards (61 points in 2007-08).

In his last 11 games, Konecny has 16 points (six goals, 10 assists).

Breakaways

After playing in Washington, the Flyers will have six of their next seven games at home, where they are 23-5-4. They are 15-15-3 on the road. … The Caps are 18-9-5 at home, 22-10-1 on the road. … The Flyers have scored at least four goals in each of their six victories during their current winning streak. … Matt Niskanen, a former Capital, has 14 points (three goals, 11 assists) and a plus-13 rating in his last 16 games.

Philadelphia Inquirer / Daily News LOADED: 03.03.2020 1179624 Philadelphia Flyers

Wells Fargo Center’s fancy new club level will relocate some Flyers season-ticket holders

by Christian Hetrick,

The Wells Fargo Center will relocate some Flyers season-ticket holders to make way for an expanded club level, adding upscale dining, oversized leather seats, and high-end bars with fireplaces.

The arena, owned by Comcast Spectacor, revealed details on Monday about the club level redesign, which will take place this summer as part of the Wells Fargo Center’s multi-year, $300 million renovation.

The overhaul will turn the club level’s current multi-box structure into an open-concept layout, featuring a VIP lounge and exclusive upscale bars, including a vaulted wine cellar. It will also move some club-level seats closer to the action, with sections that extend four rows deeper into the lower bowl.

The 13,000-square-foot expansion will affect roughly 150 seats held by season-ticket holders, according to the Flyers. Those fans were contacted last month and offered comparable alternatives within the lower bowl, if they didn’t want to sit in the new club level.

Fans who relocate to more expensive seats will be “grandfathered” into the price they currently pay, the Flyers said. In addition, affected fans will be at the front of the line during an annual event when season-ticket holders can explore other seating options.

The Wells Fargo Center, which opened in 1996, has undergone a transformation in recent years as Comcast Spectacor opted to pay hundreds of millions of dollars to upgrade the arena instead of building a new one. Those changes include renovations to its mezzanine and main concourse; a massive, fire-breathing, $15 million scoreboard; and a standing-room-only section with cocktail bars and a room to smash stuff with a sledgehammer.

Among other amenities, the new club level will feature a local celebrity chef program meant to showcase Philadelphia’s culinary community. Four food stands on the level will feature specialty menus from area chefs.

“Philadelphia has put itself on the map as a marquee destination for craft food and cocktails,” Valerie Camillo, the Flyers president of business operations, said in a statement. “Instituting a refined, local culinary program to the club level is an exciting way for fans to enjoy the best of both the booming food culture in the city and the appeals of Wells Fargo Center sports and entertainment.”

The club level has a semi-private seating option, called “Club Loge,” that includes four “Captain’s Chair Ultra Comfort” seats crafted with Spanish leather. These seats are 23 rows from the arena floor and feature televisions that double as on-demand, in-seat service touchscreens.

Philadelphia Inquirer / Daily News LOADED: 03.03.2020 1179625 Philadelphia Flyers “Lydia already plays and the younger one will too,” said Eric Shelov, a Philadelphia physician. “It’s great for them to see these women. Those are former Olympians out there and it’s some really serious hockey. Their mother played Division I hockey at Yale and she said this was better than Women’s hockey stars promote their sport, look to grow the pro game any hockey she played.” beyond the NWHL No plans for WNBA-type league

Still, despite the crowd’s enthusiasm, despite a streaming agreement by Frank Fitzpatrick, with ESPN.com, and despite tour sponsors like the Flyers, Sharks and Maple Leafs, there’s no sign of a workable league on the immediate

horizon. In her lone National Women’s Hockey League (NWHL) season, Kendall While the NHL recently has made overtures — inviting women to Coyne-Schofield earned $7,000, arrived at game sites the night before, participate in All-Star Weekend events, hiring a few female assistants slept on air mattresses in friends’ apartments, and then, without having and scouts, backing the tour — it also has indicated there are no plans practiced, played for the Minnesota Whitecaps. for any affiliated, WNBA-type league. “It was extremely challenging,” Coyne-Schofield, 27, a member of the The WNBA recently provided the PWHPA with an emotional boost when gold medal-winning U.S. hockey team at the 2018 Olympics, said Friday. its players agreed in January to a new collective-bargaining agreement, “When young girls would look at you and say, `I want to be you,’ I felt like an eight-year deal that sets the average salary at nearly $130,000 and it was hypocritical to look back and agree with them. I don’t want them to gives top players the chance to earn up to $300,000. be professional hockey players making $7,000, sleeping on air mattresses and not attending one team practice. That’s not professional. “I couldn’t think of anything more fueling and inspiring for us during these That’s not how it should be. That needs to change.” long days than when we saw the WNBA announce their new CBA,” said Coyne-Schofield. “It shows it can be done.” That enforced poverty explains why Coyne-Schofield and dozens of other North Americans — many of them Canadian and U.S. Olympians — are Although the American and Canadian Olympians consistently have boycotting the NWHL, the five-year-old pro league with teams in provided compelling action at the Winter Games, without a league for Minnesota, Boston, Connecticut, Buffalo and Monmouth, N.J. them to graduate to, public interest invariably waned.

The boycott is the work of the Professional Women’s Hockey Player “People see us and want to talk about us during the Olympics,” Coyne- Association (PWHPA), an organization the rebel players formed after the Schofield said. “So how do we create a platform and infrastructure that other pro circuit, the Canadian Women’s Hockey League, shut down in provides us to continue to showcase the best of women’s hockey? That’s May. Its stated goal is “a league that fairly compensates the best female what we hope to do.” hockey players in the world.” In between tour stops, Olympians like Coyne-Schofield, Kessel and To spread that message and to raise awareness of their sport, the Haley Skarupa practice and play with the national team and work with PWHPA has embarked on a “Dream Gap Tour” of several NHL cities NHL clubs. But most of the 80 touring women must support themselves across North America. After visits to Toronto and San Jose, this weekend with non-hockey jobs. they came to the Flyers’ Skate Center in Voorhees, where they put on clinics, proselytized and performed in four sold-out games. “People want to say the national team players work hard,” said Coyne- Schofield. “Well the non-national team players work harder. They’re the “It’s been received incredibly well,” said Coyne-Schofield, an Illinois-born ones working 50 hour weeks as nurses, teachers, doctors, lawyers. They Olympian who’s been doing some broadcasting for the San Jose Sharks, do that by day and they’re hockey players by night. That structure needs some community work for the Chicago Blackhawks and who, in 2019, to change. took part in the NHL All-Star Game’s skills competition. “A lot of places we’ve gone, the buildings have been sold out. What really touches us is “It’s 2020. Why shouldn’t talented, committed professionals be to see a lot of young hockey players there wanting our autographs, compensated as professionals? If you’re a professional, woman or man, wanting to hear our stories.” you should be compensated properly for your job. And for us, that job is hockey.” ‘Lack of opportunity’ Philadelphia Inquirer / Daily News LOADED: 03.03.2020 Women’s hockey, which burst onto the international scene at the Nagano Olympics in 1998, finds itself wrestling with an odd dichotomy. While its participation numbers are growing rapidly — up more than 18 percent since 2010 — there’s no viable landing spot for its best players once they’ve finished college.

“There’s a lack of opportunity in our game,” said Coyne-Schofield, “but it’s not at the grassroots level, it’s in the professional realm.”

There are youth leagues for girls at the Skate Zone and elsewhere in the Philadelphia area and many of their players turned out this weekend to watch women stars like Coyne-Schofield, Amanda Kessel, Hillary Knight and Jocelyn Lamoureaux-Davidson.

The PWHPA’s logo portrays the hope it wants to convey to the generations following them in the sport — a silhouette of a female player in uniform gripping the hand of similarly clad young girl.

When she discovered the game while watching an older brother play almost 25 years ago, Coyne-Schofield said, the only girls involved in the sport were those with hockey-playing brothers. That was the case with almost all the U.S. Olympians in 2010, 2014, 2018, she said. But now it’s the success of those Olympic teams that is luring young girls to hockey.

“That’s the importance of us being visible and accessible to the communities when we go to these cities,” said Coyne-Schofield. “This tour isn’t about the players people will see on the ice this weekend, it’s about inspiring the next generation.”

Two girls from that generation — Lydia Shelov, 9, and sister Joanna, 4 — attended the early Saturday game with their parents. Walking to a snack bar after a fast-paced first period, their eyes were as wide as pucks. 1179626 Philadelphia Flyers

'If they can see it, they can be it,' PWHPA and Dream Gap Tour inspires all

By Brooke Destra March 02, 2020 4:55 PM

The Professional Women’s Hockey Players Association and the Dream Gap Tour made their way to Philadelphia over the weekend and it was a huge success. From the turnout, to the excitement in each game played and the events in between, it seemed like everyone was enjoying women’s hockey.

Out of the entire weekend, that was the one thing that stood out the most — the amount of fans that were there to show their support. People of all ages came to watch some of the top players in the world at what they do best.

More importantly, it gave younger girls who are a fan of hockey or play the sport an opportunity to see their role models right before their eyes. It’s one thing to watch it through a screen, but to experience it in person opens a brand new door of opportunities. It helps them believe that they’re able to accomplish anything they set their minds to.

The athletes more than anyone know just how important their platform is.

If you can see it, you can be it.

Next up, the PWHPA Dream Gap Tour is headed to Arizona Mar. 6-8. You can purchase tickets here and learn more about the PWHPA and their mission here.

Comcast SportsNet.com LOADED: 03.03.2020 1179627 Philadelphia Flyers

NHL playoff odds: Things are looking up for the Flyers

By Brooke Destra March 02, 2020 2:00 PM

It’s certainly an exciting time if you’re a Flyers fan. The cautious optimism that once was has been replaced with pure excitement and thrill whenever the puck drops for Philadelphia.

It’s been quite some time since a playoff push seemed tangible and now it’s right within reach. The city has gone from hoping to grab that second wild-card spot to having a legitimate chance to finish first in the Metropolitan Division.

After Washington beat the Wild Sunday night, it still has three points on the Flyers. If anything, that makes Wednesday night’s matchup against those top two division teams even more meaningful.

With the Flyers riding a season-best six-game winning streak, they will be heading back to Washington — a location where they already won this season — looking to add even more fuel to their fire.

This team is fun to watch. Plain and simple. And now, in addition to Philadelphia fans realizing this team could be something special, the Flyers are being recognized more on a national level, as well.

According to Moneypuck.com, as of March 2, not only do the Flyers have a 99.9 percent chance of making the playoffs … they have a 12.7 percent chance of winning the whole thing.

That’s right, the Flyers have the best odds to win the Cup (according to this model, of course).

Now, while it’s only a single model and there’s a ton of hockey left to play — when is the last time you can recall the Flyers getting any sort of hype when it comes to the Stanley Cup? That alone should bring a level of excitement to Philadelphia.

Pinch yourself in case you think you’re dreaming … you aren’t.

Comcast SportsNet.com LOADED: 03.03.2020 1179628 Philadelphia Flyers Depending on how far the Flyers go in their playoff run, acquiring Grant for a minor-leaguer and a fourth-round pick could look like a brilliant move.

In new situation with Flyers, Derek Grant building on career season Courier-Post LOADED: 03.03.2020

Dave Isaac, Cherry Hill Courier-PostPublished 2:50 p.m. ET March 2, 2020

NEW YORK — Less than a week into his tenure with the Flyers, Derek Grant stood in the visiting locker room at Madison Square Garden Sunday wearing a shiny helmet and giving a short speech to teammates he barely knows.

Grant joined the Flyers at last Monday’s trade deadline. He wasn’t familiar with anyone on the roster when he arrived and three games into his career in orange and black was given the player of the game helmet by Friday’s hero, Jake Voracek, after Grant had his first goal and assist with the Flyers in a 5-3 win over the New York Rangers.

“It’s always fun to jump into those rivalries, especially early on here,” Grant said. “They have a good team over there and we played well against them those last two games.

“We stuck together and we made it hard on them down low. We had to move fast on them and get pucks deep against them. Our power play does such a good job the last couple games. They led the way for us.”

Grant’s goal was the only one of the eight in the game that came at even strength. It was his 15th of the season, which is three more than his previous career high when he was with the Anaheim Ducks two seasons ago. He also drew a Rangers defenseman to him on a 2-on-1 and passed to Michael Raffl for a shorthanded goal.

He has already fit in rather well considering his lack of familiarity with the Flyers’ roster and coach Alain Vigneault not knowing where to put Grant in the lineup at first. He can play both wings and center, and so far has played in the middle on a line with James van Riemsdyk and Tyler Pitlick.

As the Flyers hope for a long playoff run, it appears as if their latest trade deadline acquisition is fitting in.

“I think they both have, honestly, Thommer and Grant,” said Kevin Hayes, referring to fourth-line center Nate Thompson as well. “They bring something to this team that we needed and they’ve done their jobs exceptionally well. The locker room we have, if you’re a good guy it’s pretty easy to kind of just jump right in.”

Thompson’s role was clearly defined. The 35-year-old pending unrestricted free agent has played fourth-line center for a while now, won faceoffs and pitched in on the penalty kill wherever he’s gone.

Vigneault didn’t know quite what to do with Grant, though. The 29-year- old forward has changed organizations seven times in the last seven seasons and has had a pretty solid year to this point. With the Ducks he was usually on a line with Carter Rowney and Nicolas Deslauriers, who leads the NHL in fighting majors. Rowney and Deslauriers have 10 goals combined and Grant was starting 70 percent of his shifts in the defensive zone before the trade. He still had a career high with 14 goals in 49 games.

His new linemates in Philly have 26 goals between them, so seemingly more skill to play with and definitely a deeper and better team. Perhaps it just took a while for things to click for Grant. Perhaps scoring on 17.2 percent of his shots this season (only Scott Laughton, 17.6, and Travis Konecny, 17.3, are higher on the Flyers) isn’t an anomaly and he is finally able to tap into offensive potential in the NHL.

“It’s pretty much the same for the most part,” he said of his role with the Flyers as opposed to the Ducks. “There’s a few things system-wise but playing a little bit less D-zone starts and with playing like JvR and Pitter, they’re always in the right spot. If you can get them the puck, with us being close and being tight and supporting each other, it makes everyone’s job a little bit easier.”

Albeit in a small sample size, Grant isn’t starting in his defensive zone as much with the Flyers (46.7 percent, according to hockey-reference.com) and that could give him a boost. He is also playing slightly more per game with the Flyers (14:16 per game) than the Ducks (13:52). 1179629 Philadelphia Flyers “That’s the worst thing you can do, you have too much time to think,” he said. “Tried to stay busy and spend some time with my wife.”

Despite getting unceremoniously thrust from the sport and the league After ‘mourning period’ after departure, Ron Hextall moves on with life, that he loved, Hextall continued to watch hockey, including Flyers games. career That never stopped.

“I care about the people there, and some of those kids I’ve watched since they were 17 or 18 years old,” he said. “I care about those people, and By Kevin Kurz Mar 2, 2020 keep in touch with them to this day.”

It didn’t take very long for other teams to come calling, which is no surprise considering Hextall’s résumé. In the 2019 offseason, the 55- Less than a decade after his outstanding 13-year career as an NHL year-old narrowed his next move down to three potential opportunities goaltender concluded, Ron Hextall was standing at center ice at the then- (not including the Minnesota Wild, who spoke with him about their vacant Wachovia Center for his Flyers Hall of Fame induction ceremony. general manager’s job before hiring Bill Guerin). On Feb. 7, 2008, in the first intermission of a game between the Flyers Hextall eventually agreed on a reunion with the Kings in an advisory role and Capitals, Hextall seized the microphone to address the crowd. After under general manager Rob Blake. For much of this season, Hextall has thanking his friends and family, at times pausing to collect himself, been attending Panthers home games, as he and his wife have a Hextall then succinctly summarized what it meant to him to spend the property about 30 miles from the BB&T Center in Sunrise, Florida. If the great majority of his playing days in orange and black. Kings are playing on the West Coast at 10:30 p.m., he’ll record the game “I was able to follow my passion with a team, an organization, and a city and view it in the morning. that defines the meaning of passion. A team, an organization, and a city, He’s also, of course, made several trips back to Los Angeles to offer his where excellence is expected — where the love of winning is secondary, advice and observations to Blake and the rest of the Kings’ staff. only to the hatred of losing,” Hextall said. “I didn’t want to be out too long,” Hextall said. “I knew the people in L.A., I Where the love of winning is secondary, only to the hatred of losing. He knew they were good people, I knew Rob Blake from his time as a player might as well have been describing himself with those words. with us in L.A. there. I have the ultimate respect for Rob. I had a couple Hextall’s fiery demeanor and ultra-competitive personality were a natural other opportunities, but it just seemed being familiar with the organization fit in Philadelphia and with Flyers fans, beginning in his rookie season that it was the right place. when he took the team to Game 7 of the 1987 Stanley Cup final against “It’s been good. Rob is a first-class guy and an outstanding citizen, so the Edmonton Oilers, winning the Conn Smythe Trophy in the process. that’s been really enjoyable from my standpoint to work with him and the So when he made his way back to the organization in the summer of staff in L.A. I actually just got back, and I’ve been out there numerous 2013, first as an assistant general manager/director of hockey operations times. It’s been really good for me in terms of kind of getting back into it. and soon after as the general manager in 2014, it seemed like Hextall I’m not busy-busy like I was before obviously, but it’s given me some was exactly where he was supposed to be. structure and given me something to do, so it’s been great.” As one of the architects of the Los Angeles Kings’ two Stanley Cup Hextall said he’s trying to focus on learning more about teams that he’s championships, serving as a vice president and assistant general not as familiar with, so that probably doesn’t include the Flyers, as their manager under Dean Lombardi from 2006 to 2013, Hextall was tasked roster consists mostly of players that he was directly responsible for with restocking the Flyers’ development system while concurrently bringing into the fold. working through what was a brutal salary cap situation with many expensive contracts for aging and/or ineffective players. But he’s still keenly aware that many of those burgeoning youngsters are helping the Flyers now, as the club is now pushing for first place in the He didn’t get to see the process to its completion. Hextall was fired on Metropolitan Division thanks to a second-half surge. Players who were Nov. 26, 2018, a little more than four years after he was named the drafted or developed while Hextall was GM like Travis Konecny, Ivan general manager, in a move that shocked the hockey world. Provorov, Travis Sanheim, Scott Laughton, Carter Hart and others are Hextall held a press conference with the local media a few days after he playing key roles in the team’s success. Same for James van Riemsdyk, was let go, but has stayed relatively quiet in the 14 months since. Last whom Hextall signed to a five-year, $35 million contract with the Flyers Friday, though, in an exclusive phone interview with The Athletic, he as a free agent on July 1, 2018. recalled how difficult it was for him to get over the utter disappointment of “I watch enough of the Flyers to have a little bit of a feel for what’s going an abrupt termination that he never saw coming. on,” Hextall said. “The young kids are taking a bigger part of the load “It was extremely difficult,” Hextall said. “I hate to even use this word, but which is always kind of what you need. You need your veteran players, there certainly was a mourning period. It was very surprising to me, I and you need your young players to come up and take a bigger chunk of didn’t expect it whatsoever. I know our team was struggling and things the load. It does take time. weren’t going well. I know that. But we did have a long term vision and “Those kids, at times last year they started to take off, but it certainly probably it was the last thing I expected. It certainly took me a long seems like they’re taking a bigger piece of the pie now. Three or four period of time to get over it. But I’m there now, and ready to move on.” years in, that’s typically the time it happens. They’re doing well, and like I He continued: “I was stunned, make no mistake. We put a plan out there, said, I care for a lot of those people and those kids that were good young and felt like, quite frankly, that we were going to see it through. So it took hockey players or prospects or in the league but weren’t where they me a lot longer than maybe it should have. But like I said, we had a plan needed to be. They’ve taken steps, and they’re doing a heck of a job.” out there, were sticking to it, and felt like we trying to take the Hextall would like another chance to be an NHL GM. Despite how it organization to good places. So, it was shocking what happened.” ended in Philadelphia, he remains confident he knows what it takes to Hextall spent time at his lake house about two hours north of build a winner, having helped the Kings to the ultimate prize and finding Philadelphia and relied on his family to get him through that tough time, and developing good young talent while overseeing the Flyers, too. including his wife, Diane, and four children. “I believed in myself five years ago and I believe in myself now,” he said. “The first thing that I did, and I think a lot of people do, is you’ve got to “I went out there to L.A. (in 2006) and watched that whole thing come take a breath. You’ve been at it hard, and the GM position now is 24-7, together. There’s different ways to build a winning team, but in a cap nonstop,” he said. “If you’re not doing something, you’re thinking about league, you have to be prudent. … You have to think things through and something. The first thing I did was took a deep breath. I’ve got four kids, make the right moves. You’re not going to make all good moves I’ve got grandkids, and the first thing I was going to do was spend some obviously, but you can’t make emotional moves because your team is time with them where I was one hundred percent present. And it helped down. That move might hurt you for five years. me, obviously, being around people that care about you, your family. “I would like to (be a general manager) again. I’m disappointed we That was certainly a godsend at that time.” couldn’t end what we started there in Philly, and I’d like to take another The one thing Hextall didn’t want to do was sit around and mope. go at it, yeah.” The Athletic LOADED: 03.03.2020 1179630 Pittsburgh Penguins

Penguins defenseman Brian Dumoulin, John Marino close to returning

SETH RORABAUGH | Monday, March 2, 2020 10:04 p.m.

The Pittsburgh Penguins’ practice Monday looked different.

Mainly because of the venue.

Because of a charity function, they had a rare practice at PPG Paints Arena instead of their facility in Cranberry.

Another notable difference?

A full complement of defensemen.

Veteran Brian Dumoulin and rookie John Marino participated without restrictions during practice. Dumoulin skated on the top defensive pairing with Kris Letang, and Marino worked on the second pairing with Marcus Pettersson. Marino also worked on the second power-play unit.

Coach Mike Sullivan labeled each of them as game-time decisions for Tuesday’s home contest against the Ottawa Senators.

Dumoulin has been sidelined since Nov. 30 because of lacerated tendons in his left ankle. Despite having spent most of his recovery off ice, he is confident it won’t take long to shake the rust off his skating.

“I feel good out there,” Dumoulin said. “It’s coming back quick. I’ve been able to watch a lot of hockey and been able to simulate some skating off the ice. I felt good on the ice.

“The only way to test that is through battling and through playing the game. You can simulate a game through practice, but it’s nothing like when you’re out there (in a game) with the pushing and the pulling and people coming at you.”

Dumoulin and Marino traveled with the team during its recent four-game swing through Washington and California.

“It was good to go on that California trip with them and skate with the team a little bit,” Dumoulin said. “So it’s been good this last week to try to get back with them and get up to game speed. Obviously, the pace of play is something that you need to adjust to, but the best way to do that is to get back in to games.”

Marino has not played since Feb. 6 when he was struck in the face by a puck and suffered broken bones. Wearing a shield during practice, he still has some bruising near his left eye.

Having worn a shield as recently as last season at Harvard, the extra protection is not a drastic adjustment for him.

“Obviously, the little things you kind of notice. Looking over your shoulder, it’s a little tougher,” Marino said. “I didn’t wear it too long ago, so, hopefully, the adjustment isn’t too much of an adjustment.

“Hopefully, I don’t have to wear it too long.”

Forward Nick Bjugstad also participated fully in practice but will remain sidelined for Tuesday’s game. He has not played since Nov. 15 because of a core muscle injury.

“I haven’t had an injury like this, as lengthy as this one,” said Bjugstad, who has played in 10 games and has one goal this season. “I’ve had a few injuries where I’m out a month or a month and a half. … The (training) staff does a great job of keeping you in shape in the meantime.”

Tribune Review LOADED: 03.03.2020 1179631 Pittsburgh Penguins We’ve faced it all year long with different things. It’s a good test and a good challenge for us.

“You look at it a game at a time. We’ve done some pretty good things Penguins will try to shake off losing streak at home against Senators over the course of these games that we haven’t won but not enough. We’ve got to find a way to get over that hump, get that first one under our belt and build from there.”

SETH RORABAUGH | Monday, March 2, 2020 7:13 p.m. Tribune Review LOADED: 03.03.2020

Justin Schultz is no stranger to the occasional multi-game losing streak.

Having been a member of some dreadful Edmonton Oilers teams during the previous decade, it could be argued he endured a four-season losing streak with that franchise.

The veteran defenseman appears to have a pragmatic approach to the Penguins’ ongoing six-game stretch without a win, including three consecutive losses to teams in California.

“It (stinks),” Schultz said. “It’s a tough trip, but the sun still came up today. Just glad to be home and getting this thing turned around.”

The Penguins will try to prevent their losing streak from extending to seven games Tuesday at PPG Paints Arena when they host the Ottawa Senators.

While the Senators are the NHL’s third-worst team with a 23-31-12 record and 58 points, the Penguins’ most recent three losses came against the league’s second- fourth- and fifth-worst squads: the Los Angeles Kings, Anaheim Ducks and San Jose Sharks, respectively.

Even under ideal circumstances, they realize they can’t overlook any opponent. That is why their practice Monday at PPG Paints Arena was a vigorous, energetic, intense and, perhaps most importantly, positive affair.

Players performed drills with emphasis but in a jocular mood. Coaches acted more as classroom instructors than drill instructors.

“Everyone came in with the appropriate mindset, a professional mindset,” defenseman Jack Johnson said. “There’s not doom and gloom because there’s no reason to feel sorry for yourself. You’ve just to get back to work.”

“We’re not going to sit around and mope about it,” forward Jared McCann said. “It’s just going to dig yourself deeper. It’s real easy to be negative in situations like this. It shows the type of person you are, the character you have if you’re positive through everything. We have guys that have been through a lot worse than this. We’re going to stick with it, keep pushing forward. That’s all we can do.”

The Penguins don’t seem to think much needs to change schematically. They just need to execute better.

“There’s nothing missing,” defenseman Kris Letang said. “I can tell you that because everything is in our room. Every good team hits a rough patch every once in a while. Usually, the reflex is try to do more and try to do too much almost. Sometimes, you can actually make it worse. I don’t think it’s a lack of effort or commitment or anything like that. We just have to go back to what gave us success. Maybe just do our own job, and support each other and play that way.”

Added coach Mike Sullivan: “When you go through a stretch where you’re having trouble finding the back of the net, part of the solution is just to simplify and just making sure we put pucks to the net and go to the net. We look for those second and third opportunities. Maybe sometimes, when you put the puck to the net, some of them actually go in. We’re talking a lot with our group right now just about simplifying the game out there in all three zones. But offensively, we certainly want to shoot the puck more than we have.”

The Penguins’ most recent seven-game losing streak happened eons ago, at least by hockey standards. In 2005-06, they lost seven straight in late January and early February.

Earlier that season, they endured losing streaks of 10 and nine games as well.

Captain Sidney Crosby was a rookie then.

“You go through points of the season where it comes a little easier than other points,” Crosby said. “We’re facing some adversity right now. 1179632 Pittsburgh Penguins

Penguins forward Dominik Simon sidelined long term

SETH RORABAUGH | Monday, March 2, 2020 2:08 p.m.

Penguins forward Dominik Simon will be sidelined on a “week-to-week” basis because of an undisclosed injury according to coach Mike Sullivan.

Simon was injured during Saturday’s 5-0 road loss to the San Jose Sharks. At 11:59 of the third period, Simon was engaged in a puck battle with Sharks defenseman Radim Simek and fell awkwardly to the ice.

(Video courtesy NHL)

One of four players who have appeared in all 64 of the team’s games this season, Simon has 22 points (seven goals, 15 assists).

Notes:

• Injured defensemen Brian Dumoulin (left ankle) and John Marino (face) and forward Nick Bjugstad (core muscle) each participated in practice at PPG Paints Arena on Monday in a full capacity.

Sullivan labeled Dumoulin and Marino as “game-time decisions” for Tuesday’s home game against the Ottawa Senators. Bjugstad will remain sidelined according to Sullivan.

• Forward Patrick Marleau was absent from practice to attend to a family matter.

• Defenseman Zach Trotman was assigned to Wilkes-Barre/Scranton of the AHL.

• The Penguins’ lines and pairs in practice were:

Jason Zucker — Sidney Crosby — Conor Sheary

Nick Bjugstad — Evgeni Malkin — Bryan Rust

Evan Rodrigues — Jared McCann — Patric Hornqvist

Brandon Tanev — Teddy Blueger — Sam Lafferty

Brian Dumoulin — Kris Letang

Marcus Pettersson — John Marino

Jack Johnson — Justin Schultz

Jusuo Riikola — Chad Ruhwedel

• The top power play unit included Crosby, Hornqvist, Letang, Malkin and Zucker. The second unit was composed of Marino, McCann, Rust, Schultz and Sheary.

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Penguins assign Zach Trotman to Wilkes-Barre/Scranton

SETH RORABAUGH | Monday, March 2, 2020 12:45 p.m.

The Penguins have assigned defenseman Zach Trotman to Wilkes- Barre/Scranton of the American Hockey League.

Trotman, 29, has appeared in eight NHL games this season and has no points. In 23 AHL games, he has 11 points (three goals, eight assists).

He has been recalled from Wilkes-Barre/Scranton twice this season.

Trotman’s departure coincides with injured defensemen Brian Dumoulin and John Marino participating fully in practice at PPG Paints Arena on Monday. Dumoulin (left ankle) and Marino (face) each skated without any apparent limitations with regards to contact.

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Tim Benz, Brian Metzer: No Penguin is without blame during recent tumble

TIM BENZ | Monday, March 2, 2020 6:25 a.m.

No “Madden Monday” podcast this week. It’s a “Metzer Monday” instead with Brian Metzer of the Penguins Radio Network.

What a good time to get him on the podcast, anyway.

Because the two of us spare no horses when it comes to criticism of the Penguins. They now have a six-game losing streak, thanks in part to a rotten trip through the Pacific Division which saw them lose to three of the worst teams in hockey (the Los Angeles Kings, Anaheim Ducks and San Jose Sharks.)

The power play was 1-18 during the three losses in California. So, yes. It stinks. But so do the people on it. It’s not just the entity. It’s the individuals. So let’s give them guff.

That includes Sidney Crosby (one point during the losing streak, with a minus-7) and Evgeni Malkin.

At least Malkin had five points during the six games. Unfortunately, he also totaled 12 minutes in penalties.

Sure, defensemen such as Jack Johnson, Juuso Riikola and Chad Ruhwedel deserve to get beaten up for their play. But, frankly, they are being overexposed and overleveraged.

Meanwhile, Kris Letang had one point and was a minus-6 during the losing streak. Justin Schultz has just one point since returning from injury on Jan. 31 and is a minus-11 on the season.

Hence, the goaltending isn’t getting much help. But how much are the goalies truly helping the team?

Can’t they break this losing streak on their own with one shutout or one standout 2-1 type of win? For one night, just be better than the guy in the other net.

As for the new trade acquisitions, Conor Sheary, Evan Rodrigues and Patrick Marleau have yet to register a point since joining the Penguins. Mike Sullivan has yet to figure out the best way to incorporate them. And he hasn’t managed to stop the bleeding on the bench.

Plus, don’t look now, but the Penguins (80 points) are now in third place in the Metro Division, six points back of Washington (86 points) for first. And they are only two points in front of the New York Islanders and Columbus Blue Jackets (78 points) who currently hold the final Eastern Conference playoff spot.

Aside from that, things are going swimmingly at PPG Paints Arena.

Metzer and I dissect everything that’s going wrong. We try to advance a few ideas about how to fix matters. And we look at the bright side — The Primus/Wolfmother/The Sword concert at Stage AE is now less than four months away.

So there’s that!

Tribune Review LOADED: 03.03.2020 1179635 Pittsburgh Penguins Playing with Johnson has seemingly dragged down Letang’s play, as well. Letang has played a very similar amount of time with Johnson (528:21) as he has without Johnson (534:16), but the results are strikingly different. Brian Dumoulin and John Marino are nearing returns, and it's not a moment too soon According to Natural Stat Trick, the pair was on the ice for 115 of the opposition’s high-danger chances while creating just 80 together at 5-on- 5. The numbers are basically flipped when Letang played with Dumoulin or Marino, as he was on the ice for 112 high-danger Penguins chances MIKE DEFABO and just 70 against. MAR 2, 2020 10:10 PM The Penguins can cast Johnson in a more fitting role once everyone officially returns from injury. Perhaps his numbers will look more like they did over the first two months of the season when he was a plus-7. A game-time decision. Meanwhile, with Letang back next to Dumoulin, he’ll be playing next to a Officially, that’s the status for injured defensemen Brian Dumoulin and partner with whom he’s built great chemistry, even if it takes a couple John Marino when the slumping Penguins host the Ottawa Senators on games to get back up to speed. Tuesday at PPG Paints Arena. Unofficially? All of the signs are looking positive. “It’s been good this last week to try to get back with them and get up to game speed,” Dumoulin said. “Obviously pace of play is something that The swelling on Marino’s left cheek is going down each day and he’s you need to adjust to. The best way to do that is to get into a game.” readjusting to wearing a full cage again. Dumoulin, who lacerated tendons in his left ankle Nov. 30, has three full-team skates under his belt Meanwhile, with Marino back in the fold, he can form a pairing with and said he expects to be back at some point this week, maybe as soon Pettersson that looked promising during a small sample size. They were as Tuesday. on the ice together for 50 high-danger chances for and 50 against, while also sticking together during penalty-killing duties. Perhaps most telling of all, both defensemen skated with their regular defensive partners during Monday’s practice. Dumoulin was matched That leaves Johnson and Justin Schultz to form the final pairing. At least with Kris Letang and Marino played alongside Marcus Pettersson. that’s what the signs are from practice.

Sabres center Dominik Kahun (95) skates with the puck against Arizona But how exactly will those defensive pairings shake out and how will they Coyotes center Nick Schmaltz (8) during the second period Saturday, perform? You’ll have to wait until game time. Feb. 29, 2020, in Glendale, Ariz. Post Gazette LOADED: 03.03.2020 “It’s real encouraging to get these guys back and participating in a full capacity,” Penguins coach Mike Sullivan said.

When that “game-time” decision turns into a full go, it won’t come a moment too soon.

Just two weeks ago, on Feb. 18, the Penguins moved into sole possession of first place in the Metropolitan Division with a 5-2 win over Toronto. They haven’t won since.

Stuck on 80 points, the Penguins tumbled into third place in the Metro standings behind the Washington Capitals (86 points) and Philadelphia Flyers (83). So what’s wrong?

“I think it’s been different things,” Penguins captain Sidney Crosby said. “That’s probably why we’ve gone that many games.”

The captain is not wrong. When a team keeps finding creative, new ways to lose, there’s bound to be enough blame to go around a locker room. The power play is just 1-for-18 during the stretch. The secondary scoring is non-existent, with all eight goals coming from the Crosby and Evgeni Malkin lines. Puck luck has been brutal.

But the defensive corps, in particular, is near the top of the list, as the Penguins have felt the full brunt of suboptimal pairings.

Penguins center Dominik Simon battles for loose puck in front of Canadiens goaltender Carey Price, Friday, Feb. 14, 2020, at the PPG Paints Arena in Uptown.

During this six-game losing streak alone, Pettersson shouldered the blame after he contributed to two goals in a 5-3 loss in Washington. Zach Trotman, forced to play his off side, had two pucks go off him and into the net during Friday night’s loss in Anaheim.

But really, it starts at the top.

With few other options, the Penguins had been playing Jack Johnson in the top pairing with Letang. Whether you’re grading by eye test or advanced metrics, neither one has been satisfactory.

Before Dumoulin’s surgery on Dec. 1, Johnson averaged 17:55 minutes of ice time – mostly on the third pairing and the penalty kill – recording a solid plus-7 rating. Since the New Year, he’s been asked to play about four more minutes a game and in many more high-leverage situations, posting a minus-9 rating.

On Saturday in San Jose, for example, Johnson batted one goal in off his stick and contributed to another when his shot from the hash marks sailed wide to create an odd-man rush the other way. 1179636 Pittsburgh Penguins The second power play unit featured Rust, Marino, Justin Schultz, Sheary and Jared McCann. Bjugstad also took some reps in place of Sheary on the second unit during segments of practice.

Penguins' Dominik Simon week-to-week with upper-body injury Trotman reassigned

With Marino and Dumoulin nearing returns, the Penguins reassigned defenseman Zach Trotman to Wilkes-Barre/Scranton. Trotman, 29, has MIKE DEFABO played in eight games with Pittsburgh this season, his latest Friday against Anaheim. In total, Trotman has seen action in 91 NHL games MAR 2, 2020 7:05 PM spanning six seasons with both Boston and Pittsburgh.

Fall Classic returns Adding depth to the forward corps was one of the goals this trade The DICK’S Sporting Goods USHL Fall Classic will return for the fifth season, when the Penguins acquired four new players in the span of a straight season to UPMC Lemieux Sports Complex in Cranberry, the couple weeks. Now, just days after the deadline, it’s time to show it. USHL and Penguins announced on Monday. Dominik Simon is week-to-week with an upper-body injury, coach Mike Scheduled for Sept. 24-28, the Fall Classic is expected to draw more Sullivan said Monday. than 400 scouts from the NHL and college and junior teams to the region. The forward, who left Saturday’s loss in San Jose in the third period, has Dan Marr, director of NHL Central Scouting, has called it a “priority event” tallied seven goals and 15 assists this year while playing on a number of for NHL scouts. All 16 USHL teams will play two regular season games different lines. During an injury-ravaged season, he was also one of just during the four-day event. four Penguins who played in all 64 games. The others are Brandon Post Gazette LOADED: 03.03.2020 Tanev, Teddy Blueger and Marcus Pettersson.

Even before Simon was injured, there were questions as to where he would fit into the Penguins’ new-look lineup that has added new faces and returned several players from injury. His puck possession skills and ability to navigate in tight spaces makes him a complementary piece when paired with Sidney Crosby, even if his finishing ability leaves something to be desired.

Penguins defenseman John Marino goes through drills during afternoon practice Monday, March. 2, 2020, at PPG Paints Arena.

However, with Conor Sheary back in the fold after a trade from Buffalo, Simon had slid from Crosby’s right wing down the lineup. With Simon out, Sheary remained on Crosby’s line during practice Monday. Patric Hornqvist would be one likely candidate to join Crosby on the top line should the Penguins opt to make a mid-game change.

Injury updates

In other injury news, defenseman John Marino and Brian Dumoulin are game-time decisions for Tuesday night’s game against the Ottawa Senators after participating in a full-contact practice Monday.

Forward Nick Bjugstad skated with contact Monday for the first time since his core muscle surgery. He’s been ruled out for Tuesday’s game but is tracking in the right direction and nearing a return.

As Bjugstad’s recovery dragged on, the big question was when he might return. Now, the question becomes: Where might he play? He’s split time between wing and center since he was acquired last February. With Jared McCann showing a comfort level at third-line center, it could ultimately bump Bjugstad to the wing like it did on Monday’s practice, when he skated on Evgeni Malkin’s left wing.

“I don’t necessarily have a preference,” Bjugstad said. “I grew up playing center like mostly every forward in this locker room. I’ve been fortunate to play a little bit of both.

“You’ve got to play the game a little differently. It’s a lot of wall play on the wings. With the centers we have, you try to get them the puck and keep the play moving. That’s definitely a focus. Wherever I am, I’m happy to be playing regardless.”

Penguins center Sidney Crosby passes the puck against the San Jose Sharks during the first period of the NHL game in San Jose, Calif., on Feb. 29, 2020.

Power play shake-up

There’s a long list of reasons the Penguins have dropped six consecutive games. But one of them, as identified by captain Sidney Crosby, is special teams.

The Penguins are just 1-for-18 with the man-advantage during the current six-game slump. Perhaps a minor shakeup is coming Tuesday against Ottawa. During Monday’s practice, recent acquisition Jason Zucker skated with the top power play unit in place of Bryan Rust. The other members of the top power play were Crosby, Malkin, Patric Hornqvist and Kris Letang. 1179637 Pittsburgh Penguins

Five things to know about the Penguins' four opponents this week

ADAM BITTNER

MAR 2, 2020 4:14 PM

The Penguins will get four chances to get back on track this week when they face Ottawa (Tuesday), Buffalo (Thursday), Washington (Saturday) and Carolina (Sunday.) Here are five things to know about those squads.

1. The Senators traded their leading goal scorer last week — Not that you were too worried about their offense in the first place. Ottawa enters the week at 25th in the NHL in scoring at 2.68 goals per game. Still, Jean-Gabriel Pageau was one of the biggest names to move before the NHL’s trade deadline, so his absence should be noticeable. He’d scored 24 goal and notched 16 assists before he was sent to the New York Islanders for a package of draft picks, adding to what was already a significant stockpile selections the Senators hope will bolster their rebuild in the coming years.

2. Domimik Kahun is on the board for the Sabres — The former Penguins winger scored in his Buffalo debut Friday against Vegas.

He also added an assist Saturday at Arizona to give him an average of a point per game since the Penguins sent him away in the deal that netted Conor Sheary and Evan Rodrigues, both of whom are still searching for their first points with their new team. It’s obviously way too early to judge the trade based on that production, but the early results, at least, are definitely favoring the Sabres.

Penguins defenseman John Marino goes through drills during afternoon practice Monday, March. 2, 2020, at PPG Paints Arena.

3. Washington has rebuilt its division lead — The Penguins and Capitals were dead even at 80 points in the standings when they last met Feb. 23. Since then, the Capitals have won the head-to-head meeting and two of their next three to take a comfortable six-point lead on their rival in the Metropolitan standings. Surging Philadelphia is now the nearest threat, three points back, and travels to face Washington on Wednesday in a game that will have significant implications for the Penguins’ ability to stay in the race.

4. Carolina’s offense is dangerous — The Hurricanes are easy to overlook because they start the week sixth in a strong Metropolitan Division. Their scoring profile really isn’t dramatically different from the Penguins’, though. They’re 12th in the NHL in goals per game at 3.16, one spot above the Penguins (3.14.) They’re 11th in goals against at 2.86, right behind the eighth-pace Penguins at 2.78. And their prolific trio of Sebastian Aho, Teuvo Teravainen and Andrei Svechnikov — all of whom have at least 58 points — rivals anything the Penguins can throw at them statistically. Not a team the Penguins can afford to take lightly.

5. Goaltending is the weakness — Only Philadelphia has allowed fewer shots per game than Carolina this season, but that hasn’t translated to similarly stellar goal prevention because Petr Mrazek and James Reimer haven’t been very good. Neither ranks better than 26th in save percentage or 24th in goals against average. Injuries, of course, have been a factor. Zamboni driver David Ayres famously stood in for both in an emergency capacity Feb. 22 in a win over Toronto. Alex Nedeljkovic and Anton Forsberg have filled in since and are winless in three starts, so perhaps the Penguins will be able to take advantage of the musical chairs regardless of whether Reimer and/or Mrazek return this week or not.

Post Gazette LOADED: 03.03.2020 1179638 Pittsburgh Penguins puck than did Crosby during the past week or so, but make no mistake, this wasn’t a great month for him either.

Sidney Crosby: C- Yohe: Brace yourselves for the Penguins’ February individual report I hate being too critical of him because returning from sports hernia cards surgery isn’t pleasant. And he still put up a point per game in February — 13 points in 13 games — and while that’s not quite to his customary level, it’s not horrible. But let’s also consider that Crosby was a minus-7 By Josh Yohe Mar 2, 2020 in February and managed only six even-strength points in those 13 games. He missed wide open cages in each of the Penguins’ past two

losses and was uncharacteristically critical of himself after the loss in San SAN JOSE, Calif. — This might get a little bit ugly. Jose. I think he’d probably agree with this grade. Crosby had nine points in a three-game stretch in the middle of the month, and we can’t ignore The Penguins just finished a bad February with a particularly horrendous that. He also has one point in his past six games. conclusion. They headed home from California on Sunday while dealing with a six-game losing streak. To blame this streak on one person would Dominik Simon — D- be foolish, so let’s blame it on a lot of people. Because many are to He doesn’t have a goal in his past 12 games and had only two points in blame. February despite playing much of the month with Crosby. That’s just not Here’s the individual report card for the Penguins in February. And let’s good enough. The Penguins need more from him. He got hurt in San keep in mind, these grades are based on expectations as much as they Jose, so the beginning of his March could be in jeopardy. are performance. We know Sidney Crosby is more talented than Chad Jared McCann: D- Ruhwedel. These grades are where expectation meets performance. Yikes. Not good enough. Not at all. He’s gone 17 games without a goal It’s not pretty. Away we go. and hasn’t been the two-way threat that the Penguins need him to be. Forwards They’ve made him the No. 3 center and perhaps it will be good for McCann so that he knows what his position is. This is a good player and Patric Hornqvist: A- a kid who really wants to be good. He works hard. I suspect he’ll bounce back. But it was a bad month. In 13 games in February, Hornqvist managed four goals and 10 points. He was a plus-3. He also was impressive away from the ice. The Zach Aston-Reese — Incomplete leadership on display from Hornqvist during a very difficult time for the Penguins was impressive to see in California. After Patrick Marleau’s first He was playing at a fairly high level before sustaining an injury that has game with the Penguins, Hornqvist waited in the locker room until forced him to miss seven games and counting. The defensive work has Marleau was done with his interviews so the veteran wasn’t alone while been outstanding. You’d still like to see some more offense. answering questions. Little stuff like that goes a long way. He’s playing Conor Sheary — Incomplete well and handling this losing streak as well as could be imagined. The burst of speed and playmaking remains. So does this inability to win Jason Zucker: B+ many puck battles or to keep his feet. You know what you’re getting with He was acquired to score goals and, in 10 games with the Penguins, Sheary. He might not be the strongest or most physical player, and he Zucker has produced five goals and seven points. It’s hard to be critical has always been streaky, but this is a speedy and skilled player who will of him. He certainly was quiet in a couple of games this month, but the do some good things with the Penguins. numbers are what they are. This is a good player who has contributed a Patrick Marleau — Incomplete goal every other game in his brief Pittsburgh career. So far, so good. Loved his game in Los Angeles, didn’t like his game in Anaheim, thought Teddy Blueger: B he was pretty good in San Jose. All things considered, there’s a lot to like Two goals, five points and a plus-2 for the month. Can’t complain about even though Marleau didn’t manage a point in his first three games. that. This has become a reliable, durable player for the Penguins, a fine Evan Rodrigues — Incomplete fourth-line center. My only gripe with him: He really needs to get better at faceoffs. Still, this is a positive player in a negative month. Can’t give him a grade yet. Some skill has been on display, but I haven’t been blown away yet. Brandon Tanev: B- Defensemen He hasn’t scored a goal in his past 12 games, so you’d like some more production. But I won’t be too critical of this guy. He brings it every night, Chad Ruhwedel — A is one of the NHL’s best penalty killers and has been a steady contributor all season. I think he’s been the Penguins’ best defensemen. Really. He is quite limited offensively and didn’t have a point in February. Still, he was a plus Sam Lafferty: C player during February and was the team’s most solid player in the defensive zone during the past month. This is a solid defenseman. He He scored a really big goal in the victory in Washington on Super Bowl took one penalty all month. Sunday. He’s been fine in general all season and was decent in February. I’d like to see something more from him, though. He’s got NHL Marcus Pettersson — C wheels. He could use a little more jam in his game. He was OK. I like that Pettersson had six assists this month. It’s an Bryan Rust: C indication that his puck skills are better than you think and that he’s getting more comfortable in the offensive zone. Nothing wrong with that. He had only two goals to February, so it would be easy to suggest that He did have a particularly bad game in Washington last week, which Rust deserves a worse grade, given his importance to this team. But hurts his grade. that’s not fair. Rust is a really, really good player, but he’s not a 40-goal scorer. He just isn’t. Some regression was inevitable. He still plays hard Juuso Riikola — C every night and makes a positive impact in almost every game. It wasn’t a great month for him but he was fine. He didn’t have a point in eight games and his lack of offense has been a little disappointing. You watch the way Riikola skates in practice and the Evgeni Malkin: C way he can shoot the puck, and you feel like there should be more offense. His defensive work has been spotty. It hasn’t been bad, but he’s Malkin had only 10 points in 12 games this month and was a minus-3. He been guilty of a few screw-ups that have drawn the coaching staff’s ire. didn’t have Crosby’s fluctuations during February, which is interesting. Usually Crosby is the more steady of the two while Malkin’s game Kris Letang — C- apparently deals with peaks and valleys. He felt more dangerous with the This is a tough grade to figure out. He did score three goals this month and he’s playing with a defense partner (more on this in a moment) who just doesn’t fit well with him. This isn’t Letang’s fault. However, that doesn’t mean that Letang can’t be better and that he can’t better adapt his game to his surroundings. His decision making was really bad at times this month, and he lost his temper on a couple of occasions, which didn’t help matters. He needs to be better.

Jack Johnson — D

It wasn’t a great month for Johnson. He had only one point and was a minus-7 in February. He was responsible for a good number of goals against and just isn’t the answer on the top pairing. Granted, Mike Sullivan’s options are limited. Johnson will be much, much better suited playing with either John Marino or Justin Schultz. He and Letang aren’t good together, and Johnson is playing too many minutes. Johnson is a polarizing figure for the fan base and there are always strong reactions regarding his performance. This month wasn’t his finest hour. I do believe he has been significantly better this season, but he’s struggled with heightened responsibilities in recent weeks.

Justin Schultz — D-

Schultz only had one point all month and was a defensive liability at times. His play is a problem. The Penguins need to figure out who will be his defensive partner down the stretch, and they need to get Schultz comfortable. He’s an important player for the Penguins and simply has been out of sorts all season.

Zach Trotman — Incomplete

He’s played only three games in February, so I won’t give him a grade. But let’s give him a break about what happened in Anaheim. OK, two pucks went off Trotman and in the net. It happens. He’s limited as a skater but doesn’t look out of place at the NHL level.

John Marino — Incomplete

Where have you gone, John Marino? A city turns its lonely eyes to you.

Goaltenders

Matt Murray — B

I thought he was good this month. That .899 save percentage in February doesn’t look so great, but let’s consider something: Murray played twice in Washington in February, twice against the Lightning (one of those games was in Tampa) and once in Toronto. That’s a seriously high degree of difficulty behind a team that isn’t playing very well right now.

Tristan Jarry — B

He was really superb in a couple of games in February, especially his performance in Florida. He’s lost three straight but I actually thought he was pretty good in most of those games. Goaltending isn’t the issue for these Penguins.

The Athletic LOADED: 03.03.2020 1179639 San Jose Sharks He would go on to play in 161 more NHL games from 2014-2019 with Edmonton, Montreal, the New York Islanders and Chicago. He was hampered by an injury last season with the Blackhawks, but even though he’s been healthy this season, played just seven games with Calgary, New Sharks defenseman explains how he became Joe Thornton’s spending most of his time in the AHL with Stockton. houseguest “I had surgery last season where I didn’t know if I was going to be able to compete as well as I have in the past,” Davidson said. “I pushed myself mentally and physically and got myself to a place where I feel happy with By CURTIS PASHELKA | PUBLISHED: March 2, 2020 at 3:52 p.m. | where I’m at and my game. UPDATED: March 2, 2020 at 4:00 p.m. “It took some games in the minor leagues, took some games in the

National League. But I’ve definitely gotten to a place where I feel SAN JOSE — Monday was moving day for new Sharks defenseman comfortable and feel good about my game.” Brandon Davidson. Davidson, listed at 6-foot-2 and 208 pounds, played a little more than 12 Out of Joe Thornton’s house. minutes per game in his time with Calgary. Before his injury last season, though, he was averaging roughly 16 or 17 minutes per night. “Yeah, Jumbo took me in,” Davidson said Monday. “Hell of a man. I have a lot of words to describe him, actually.” “He seems like a great guy,” Sharks interim coach Bob Boughner said of Davidson. “Excited to be here and he works hard. He’s in great shape. Davidson, who was acquired Feb. 24 from the Calgary Flames, will likely I’ve watched him play a little over the years and I think he’s going to be be in the lineup Tuesday — filling in for the injured Jake Middleton — able to help us.” when the Sharks host the Toronto Maple Leafs. Middleton is considered week-to-week with a lower body injury he suffered Saturday against the Davidson, a one-year, two-way deal, will be an unrestricted free agent at Pittsburgh Penguins. the end of the season.

After the trade, Davidson threw together some belongings and traveled “I take these last games as a tryout, and I think everybody should as from Boston, where the Flames were, to Philadelphia to meet his new well,” Davidson said. “For me, personally, I just want to play some team. hockey, I want to play to the best of my ability. Hopefully if I can do that, I think that I’ll be able to maybe get a job here for next season and Davidson and Thornton have a mutual friend in former Sharks forward establish myself in this organization.” Devin Setoguchi. Davidson and Setoguchi, both from Taber, Alberta, are good friends and spoke to each other about the Sharks after the deal. San Jose Mercury News: LOADED: 03.03.2020

“Devin had known I had been traded and (he) called me right away,” Davidson said. “I think he called Jumbo and just told him about me, and that’s kind of how we got introduced, anyway. Friend of a friend.”

Thornton later asked Davidson where he was staying in San Jose. Davidson replied that he was probably going to be at a hotel.

“And he just said, ‘No, you’re not.’ He didn’t give me a choice,” Davidson said of Thornton. “I mean, I wouldn’t have said no anyways. Joe basically said, ‘No, you’re not, you’re coming with me.’

“His wife and kids were actually in Switzerland, so he had a little bit of a empty house and I don’t know if he was lonely or just looking after me. He gave me no choice and it meant everything to me, just to be able to meet one of my favorite hockey players and also stay at his house and have him just to show me around and introduce me to everybody.”

Davidson said he stayed with Thornton for about five days. With Thornton’s family returning Monday, he figured it was time to move out.

“He was phenomenal,” Davidson said. “He took me into his home and gave me a bed and looked after me, just until I got my feet underneath me. It’s guys like that that make this league what it is.

“Jumbo Joe needs no introduction. He’s the man, and he took very good care of me. It was nice to spend a few days at his place and get settled in.”

Davidson said he went into Feb. 24, the day of the NHL’s trade deadline, expecting to remain with the Flames. But Calgary acquired two defensemen right before the deadline, trading for Erik Gustafsson from Chicago and Derek Forbort from Los Angeles.

Suddenly the Flames had a glut of defensemen, making Davidson expendable.

“I could kind of see the writing between the lines. But I never expected to be traded at all,” Davidson said. “It did come as a bit of a surprise, but to say the least, a good surprise.

“I couldn’t have landed in a better place with a better opportunity.”

Davidson, who was paired with Tim Heed for Monday’s practice, looks at the trade as an opportunity to rejuvenate his NHL career.

Davidson was diagnosed with testicular cancer in Oct. 2012, right as he was starting his first full professional season in Oklahoma City with the Edmonton Oilers organization. He persevered, and later made his NHL debut with Edmonton on Dec. 10, 2014. 1179640 San Jose Sharks

San Jose Sharks lose another defenseman to injury

By CURTIS PASHELKA | March 2, 2020 at 2:17 p.m.

Jacob Middleton is considered week-to-week with a lower body injury, but Sharks interim coach Bob Boughner said Monday he is hoping the defenseman has not been lost for the season.

“There’s no promises there because it’s week-to-week,” Boughner said. “I’d like to think he’d probably be back before the end of the season, yes.”

Middleton, 24, was injured in the third period of Saturday’s game with the Pittsburgh Penguins.

Middleton and Penguins forward Patric Hornqvist were in the front of the Sharks’ net when Hornqvist shoved Middleton in the upper chest. Middleton fell back while he skates remained on the ice, bending his leg in an awkward manner.

Middleton reached for his lower left leg as he fell. He briefly stood upright after the play but could not put any weight on his left leg. He then made his way toward the Sharks bench with one leg before he was helped off the ice and into the Sharks’ dressing room.

Middleton had played in six straight games on the Sharks’ third defense pair after Brenden Dillon was traded Feb. 18 to the Washington Capitals.

The Sharks are also without Erik Karlsson, who suffered a season- ending thumb injury Feb. 14 when he blocked a shot in a game against the Winnipeg Jets. Karlsson recently had surgery.

“It’s a tough one because I thought he was playing really well and was finally getting his opportunity,” Boughner said of Middleton. “But the games he did play I was pretty happy with him.”

The Sharks have 17 regular season games left and host the Toronto Maple Leafs on Tuesday.

In Monday’s practice, Brandon Davison, who was acquired by the Sharks on Feb. 24 from the Calgary Flames for future considerations, was with Tim Heed on the third defense pair.

Davidson, 28, played in seven games this season for Calgary. He also had 20 points in 34 games this season with Stockton.

In 169 career NHL games with Calgary, Edmonton, Montreal, the New York Islanders and Chicago, Davidson has 23 points and has averaged close to 17 minutes of ice time per game.

“I think that coming here is kind of a good opportunity for my career to kind of re-eestablish myself and really just to play some bigger minutes,” Davidson said Monday. “So hopefully I get the chance to do that tomorrow.”

“He seems like a great guy,” Boughner said of Davidson. “Excited to be here and he works hard. He’s in great shape. I’ve watched him play a little over the years and I think he’s going to be able to help us.

“Midds, even though a young guy he was getting an opportunity I thought he brought us that physicality we were looking for on the back end. Hopefully (Davidosn) can do the same. He’s a pretty simple player, a big guy with a big reach, and I hope he can provide some physicality, as well.”

San Jose Mercury News: LOADED: 03.03.2020 1179641 San Jose Sharks

Report: Sharks, Radim Simek agree to new four-year deal

By CURTIS PASHELKA | PUBLISHED: March 2, 2020 at 1:20 p.m. | UPDATED: March 2, 2020 at 2:41 p.m.

SAN JOSE — The Sharks and defenseman Radim Simek have reportedly agreed to terms on a four-year contract extension worth around $8 million.

Simek said after the Sharks’ Monday practice that the contract has not yet been signed, although the framework of a new deal is in place. The Sharks had not confirmed any new contract for Simek as of early Monday afternoon. Doug Wilson is attending the NHL general manager meetings in Boca Raton, Fla.

The initial report came from iSport.cz of the Czech Republic, Simek’s home country.

Simek, 27, is in the final season of a two-year, $1.35 contract extension he signed with the Sharks in April 2018 and was slated to become an unrestricted free agent this summer.

Simek’s reported deal would run through the 2023-24 season.

Simek has eight points this season, as he’s averaged 16 minutes and 41 seconds of ice time in 43 games.

Simek, a left shot defenseman, suffered a torn anterior cruciate and medial collateral ligaments in his in March of last year in a game against the Winnipeg Jets. Simek, who also damaged his meniscus in the accident, returned to the Sharks’ lineup Nov. 5.

Simek played 16 games until Dec. 7 before he had to sit out seven games to deal with irritation related to his meniscus.

The Sharks are 23-16-3 this season with Simek in the lineup, although they are 12-13-2 with Simek since Dec. 27 when he returned.

Simek has spent much of the season with Mario Ferraro on the Sharks third defense pair. After Brenden Dillon was traded to the Washington Capitals on Feb. 18, Simek has played with Brent Burns for the last six games.

Against the Pittsburgh Penguins on Saturday, a 5-0 Sharks win, Simek had two hits and three blocked shots in 21:34 of ice time.

“If it’s true, I’m a big (Simek) fan,” Sharks interim coach Bob Boughner said of the reported deal. “I think an example is the Pittsburgh game, how hard he plays and he’s not a fun guy to play against.

“You get him and you get (Ferraro) and you get guys like that on your back end, that just gives you a little more sandpaper and makes it hard on the opposing forwards. Part of that identity that we’re trying to create.”

Simek was initially signed to a one-year contract by the Sharks out of the Czech Republic in May 2017.

Simek spent the 2017-18 season with the Barracuda before he made the Sharks roster out of training camp the following season. After spending the first two months of the season as a healthy scratch, Simek got a chance to play in early December 2018 and, paired with Burns, became a mainstay of the Sharks’ blue line.

San Jose Mercury News: LOADED: 03.03.2020 1179642 San Jose Sharks the second period. ... Penguins D Brian Dumoulin and John Marino, and F Nick Bjugstad all skated before the game but remain sidelined.

UP NEXT Sharks hand Penguins 6th straight loss, 5-0 Penguins: Host Ottawa on Tuesday.

Sharks: Host Toronto on Tuesday. Josh Dubow, Ap Sports Writer Updated 11:11 pm PST, Saturday, San Francisco Chronicle LOADED: 03.03.2020 February 29, 2020

SAN JOSE, Calif. (AP) — Sidney Crosby takes full responsibility for the Pittsburgh Penguins' current rut.

Evander Kane had a goal and an assist, Martin Jones made 30 saves in his 24th career shutout and the San Jose Sharks sent the Penguins to their first six-game losing streak in eight years with a 5-0 victory on Saturday night.

“I put it on myself,” Crosby said. “I have to step up in key situations. When you're down like this and losing games, you need big plays and big performances. I haven't done that. That's on me.”

Crosby has one goal, no assists and a minus-8 rating during the team's first six-game skid since the 2011-12 season. Pittsburgh has been outscored 24-8 with all the losses in regulation, falling from first place to third in the Metropolitan Division.

The Penguins even went winless on a California swing against the bottom three teams in the Western Conference, having lost to Los Angeles and Anaheim earlier in the week.

“I think we're fighting it,” Crosby said. “When you get down in games, you can force it a bit. When it's going your way, all those things fall into place. Right now, it's happening. If we can get a lead and put ourselves in a better spot that way it goes along way.”

Logan Couture, Joe Thornton, Timo Meier and Joel Kellman also scored to give the Sharks back-to-back wins following a five-game losing streak.

The Sharks jumped on top late in the first period when Marc-Edouard Vlasic fed Kane with a stretch pass for a breakaway. Kane split two defenders and beat Tristan Jarry for his 22nd goal of the season.

“They’re a team that’s obviously pushing to make the playoffs and with the position we’re in you kind of have to try to take the attitude of ruining some people’s seasons,” Kane said. “I just tried to contribute to that tonight.”

San Jose then struck twice in a span of just more three minutes in the second period with Meier scoring from the circle just after a penalty to Pittsburgh defenseman Marcus Pettersson ended and then Kellman following with another from a similar spot in transition.

Things got a little heated shortly after that between San Jose defenseman Radim Simek and Pittsburgh forward Patric Hornqvist. Simek even pushed a linesman after the run-in, but there was no additional penalty handed out for that infraction.

Couture and Thornton added goals in the the third period.

“We just weren't very good tonight,” Penguins coach Mike Sullivan said. “It's my responsibility to try to get this team to play to its capabilities. We know we're a good team when we play the game the right way. We got away from that tonight.”

The game provided a homecoming for longtime Sharks star Patrick Marleau, who was traded on Monday to Pittsburgh for a conditional 2021 draft pick.

The 40-year-old Marleau played 1,551 games for the Sharks but was traded away for a chance to win his first Stanley Cup with San Jose out of contention. Marleau said before the game he could envision returning to San Jose next season when he would have a chance to break Gordie Howe's career record for games played.

Marleau got a warm ovation during a stoppage of play in the first period by an appreciative crowd that included his wife and four children, who wore their new Penguins No. 12 jerseys for the occasion.

NOTES: Sharks D Jacob Middleton left with an apparent left leg injury in the third period. ... Linesman Tony Sericolo left late in the first after being clipped by Sharks F Noah Gregor near the boards. Sericolo returned in 1179643 San Jose Sharks

Sharks hope defenseman Jacob Middleton won't miss remainder of season

By Ali Thanawalla March 02, 2020 6:15 PM

The Sharks' blue line took another hit with the news that Jacob Middleton will miss time with a lower body injury that he sustain Saturday against the Pittsburgh Penguins.

Sharks interim head coach Bob Boughner told the media Monday that the defenseman is considered "week-to-week."

But with five weeks left in the regular season, Boughner isn't so sure Middleton will be able to return during the final 17 games.

“There’s no promises there because it’s week-to-week,” Boughner said, according to The Mercury News' Curtis Pashelka. “I’d like to think he’d probably be back before the end of the season, yes.”

With Erik Karlsson out for the season and Brenden Dillon traded to the Washington Capitals, Middleton was finally getting a chance to play consistent.

After appearing in four games over the first three months of the season, the 24-year-old played in the last six games for the Sharks. During the six-game span, he's registered two assists.

Middleton's injury occurred during the third period against the Penguins. Middleton got tangled up with Pittsburgh forward Patric Hornqvist and had his legs bent in an awkward way.

Middleton is someone the Sharks want to take an extended look at, so the team is hopeful that he can return at some point over the next five weeks.

Comcast SportsNet.com LOADED: 03.03.2020 1179644 San Jose Sharks “Everyone put their head down,” Nollenberger said when the word retirement was uttered. “And then as soon as he said he was going to join the coaching staff … everyone erupted.”

How John McCarthy's Barracuda career changed course after health McCarthy says Barracuda general manager Joe Will, and Sharks general scare manager Doug Wilson offered whatever time and resources he needed to succeed, in a transition from the ice to behind a bench.

It still didn’t make hanging the skates up any easier. By Brodie Brazil March 02, 2020 7:00 AM “It’s very hard, because being a hockey player is part of your identity,” McCarthy admitted. “It was awkward at first, I’ll be honest. It was strange to be in the locker room and literally the next day, in the coaches room. I The first two months of this season were routine for San Jose Barracuda went from equipment to a track suit in practice.” captain John McCarthy. In his 11th professional year of hockey, the veteran of 88 NHL games with the Sharks was feeling strong and healthy It’s amazing to consider the irony. One of the worst ways a door could as ever. That was a sharp contrast to how he felt when he woke up on close on a playing career was actually another door opening to a second Dec. 10. avenue with hockey.

“The left side of my body felt weird,” McCarthy recalled. “It’s the only way “When it first happened, I was kind of down,” McCarthy said. “Rightfully I can describe it. It felt off, just pins and needles.” so. Disappointed, struggling with the decision. And now after a couple months of coaching, and seeing that there’s an opportunity for a second McCarthy's concerning symptoms quickly got worse, so he made some career — that’s kind of a good way to turn things around for me.” immediate phone calls. As McCarthy works alongside co-coaches Jimmy Bonneau and Michael The first call went to his wife, who suggested skipping hockey practice Chiasson, he has an inherent connection with players only few can that day to seek medical attention. understand, considering he was one of them just three months ago. The next call went to the Barracuda's trainer. “If you asked a lot of players there is not a major difference,” said “My speech was completely slurred, he could barely understand what I Nollenberger. “John’s still there to bounce questions off of, to support.” was trying to say,” McCarthy said. Relating to those players is easy, but getting them to the next level is all The third call went to the Barracuda's doctor. he really cares about.

“He didn’t say the word stroke, I’m sure he knew what was going on and “That’s basically what drives me, is getting them the chance to play in the probably didn’t want to scare me,” McCarthy said. NHL,” said McCarthy. “That’s what it’s about for me now, and I hope the message comes across that way.” The prognosis wasn’t clear, but what needed to happen was: McCarthy took an Uber to the hospital where he was barely even able to describe As for McCarthy’s health, that story isn’t completely over. Later this his condition upon arrival. month, a healing device planted in his heart will be re-evaluated. The hope is that the device did what it was expected to do. “My brain was fine, crystal clear,” McCarthy said. “For whatever reason the signal from my brain to my mouth wasn’t working, and I couldn’t say “I should be able to come off the blood thinners and live a normal life, the words.” which would be good," McCarthy said.

McCarthy underwent a CT scan, and was quickly administered a “clot- Comcast SportsNet.com LOADED: 03.03.2020 buster” blood thinner. Doctors expected a stroke, and it appeared they were correct. His symptoms subsided almost quickly as they came on.

After two full days of evaluation at the hospital, everyone started to see the bigger picture.

“It turned out that I had a hole in the wall between the ventricles of my heart,” McCarthy described. “And for whatever reason, a blood clot that most likely originated in my legs went through my blood stream, into my heart. And instead of getting cleaned out in my lungs, it went through the hole in my heart and got shot out with the blood that pumps out to my extremities. It went into my brain.”

At 33 years old, the healthy hockey player suffered an Ischemic stroke.

After corrective surgery, and the realization McCarthy would be able to continue living a normal life, there was another issue to address.

“It wasn’t out of the question that I could come back and play,” McCarthy said.

But McCarthy also realized the rest of the 2019-20 season was a bust, and nothing after that was guaranteed.

And then came the ultimate signal.

As McCarthy laid in his hospital bed, he learned via television that the Sharks had fired Pete DeBoer as head coach, and promoted longtime Barracuda coach Roy Sommer. Meaning that San Jose’s AHL team would have some coaching roles open.

“There was a little bit of an opportunity there,” McCarthy explained. “And I figured it was the right time to transition. Being 33, playing in the minors long as I have, coupled with an opportunity to start a second career and gain some experience. It was too good to pass up.”

Days later, Barracuda broadcaster Nick Nollenberger was inside the team dressing room when McCarthy shared his intentions to become an assistant with the group. 1179645 San Jose Sharks “(Kellman) is a very smart, 200-foot player,” Boughner said after the Sharks’ 5-0 win over Pittsburgh on Saturday. “He understands the defensive part of the game and he plays hard. He’s in the right position all the time.” Sharks post-deadline FAQs: replacing Barclay Goodrow; should Aaron Dell return? Kellman will turn 26 in May, so he’s older and more experienced than most of the other players in the system. If he can continue playing well, it should minimize the loss of Goodrow heading into next season.

By Kevin Kurz Mar 2, 2020 So what are the Sharks likely to do with their extra draft picks in the 2020 draft?

A few minutes after the deadline, I asked Wilson at the Sharks team hotel When the Sharks take the ice against Toronto at SAP Center on Tuesday in Philadelphia if it felt good to get back into the first round. The Sharks night, it will be exactly one month and one day until their 2019-20 season will go to the annual event in Montreal with Tampa Bay’s first-round pick, unceremoniously concludes. The trade deadline, and the intrigue that their own second, as well as Colorado’s second (via Washington in the comes with it, has come and gone, with some pieces sold off for a Dillon trade). handful of draft picks. “It’s not just the first-round pick, it’s the two seconds,” Wilson said. “We Now that the dust has settled following the Sharks trading Patrick think we can identify some guys in the draft that are some talented Marleau, Barclay Goodrow and Brenden Dillon, there are still a few forwards that we’re probably looking for to add to our group. But, we also important storylines to monitor between now and the season finale match that up with some potential availability of players that could be against Anaheim on April 4. available in trade prior to the draft, too.” Let’s take a closer look at five frequently asked questions I’ve seen on My guess is that means the Sharks would prefer to package that first- social media lately: round pick they got for Goodrow for a player that can help immediately, Can someone fill the void left by Goodrow? whether it be a forward or a goalie. It’s probable that Wilson has already had discussions with other teams about a potential deal in the offseason, Just a few minutes before the noon deadline, word started trickling out as trade deadline talks with other general managers are often as much that the Sharks were getting a first-round pick in return for the depth about offseason transactions as they are immediate deals. forward. That generated a pretty significant buzz — how in the world is a 24-point scorer who has played mostly on the fourth line in his career The Sharks are no strangers to moving around in the draft, particularly worth a first-round draft pick? since Doug Wilson Jr. took over running the event. Last year in Vancouver the club made five separate trades, moving up and down It wasn’t quite that simple, of course. To make the deal happen, the before selecting five total players. They traded down from 41st overall to Sharks had to surrender a third-round pick in the 2020 draft that they 48th to take defenseman Artemi Kniazev and later traded up for the 55th acquired from Philadelphia last summer in exchange for Justin Braun. overall pick, which they used to select forward Dillon Hamaliuk. Considering where the Lightning and the Flyers are in the standings, what the Sharks essentially did was trade up about 60 places. This year’s draft could be just as active for the Sharks, as the Wilsons and assistant general managers Tim Burke and Joe Will have plenty of Further, I would surmise that many of those questioning the Lightning work to do to make this team competitive again. They’ll have to find giving up a first-round pick for Goodrow weren’t quite aware of just how players that are ready to play right away in 2020-21. valuable a player he was to the Sharks this season, playing up and down the lineup, keying the league’s best penalty kill, standing up for his Aaron Dell wasn’t traded, so what happens with the goalies? teammates, and showcasing a generally hard, reliable two-way game on Dell admitted that the trade deadline, for him, was “a little stressful.” what is a bad team. Stanley Cup finalists St. Louis and Boston both had outstanding fourth lines last season, and Goodrow should make Tampa “I was kind of refreshing Twitter just to see what happens,” he said Bay’s depth better. Saturday. “Whatever would have happened, it was out of my control. But it is what it is. I’m glad I’m still here.” “Definitely leaves a hole,” interim coach Bob Boughner said on Monday. “With (Logan Couture) coming back it obviously replaces that hole, but it A pending unrestricted free agent, it seems more likely than not that Dell would be nice to have Goodie underneath him.” will move on in the offseason. Although he’s played better than Martin Jones this season, the Sharks are probably stuck with the four years Boughner continued: “Barclay never took many nights off. Always did all (and $5.75 million cap hit) that remains on Jones’ deal, at least right now. the little things. I think that’s very valuable for the young guys to watch I would be surprised to see a buyout of Jones, as that would mean the that. In our lineup, he was playing probably more than he should have Sharks would carry a salary-cap penalty for the next eight seasons. been, but he was a net-front guy on the power play, the first guy off the They’re better off trying to get him right, and lately, there have been bench on the penalty kill, he played against top lines. It gets hidden a some positive signs, as Jones has allowed just seven goals in his last little bit in the fact that Cooch is back, but that’s where you miss a guy five starts including a pair of shutouts. like that.” But even if they both play well from now until April 4, I just can’t envision Optically, of course, it looks great for Wilson to get back into the first a situation in which both Dell and Jones return as the tandem in round, considering that their pick that belongs to Ottawa from the Erik September. This is the second straight season that the most important Karlsson trade will probably end up in the top five. Wilson and his staff position on the ice has been an issue. Entering Monday night’s games, deserve credit for turning an undrafted free agent like Goodrow into trade the Sharks’ team save percentage of .901 during 5-on-5 play is still dead bait for a first-round pick, too, and the general manager was last in the NHL. understandably effusive in his praise of the organization’s system for developing the 27-year-old into a true NHL-level talent. Finding a new goalie won’t be easy, of course. Perhaps Wilson has the New York Rangers’ young goalie prospect Alexandar Georgiev on his But Wilson has said many times that he expects the Sharks to compete radar, or maybe he’ll try to ink one of the pending unrestricted free for a playoff spot next season, and replacing Goodrow — whose cap hit agents like Braden Holtby, Robin Lehner or Jacob Markstrom. Or, maybe is just $925,000 through next season — won’t be as simple as some the Pittsburgh Penguins will try to move pending restricted free agent have made it out to be, in my opinion. Until we see what Wilson does Matt Murray. with that first-round pick, we can’t fairly judge the trade. In other words, I’m not ready to declare it a grand slam like some others have made it This is going to be Wilson’s biggest challenge this offseason. out to be. What about the other pending UFAs who weren’t dealt? The frontrunners to replace Goodrow appear to be Alexander True and Joel Kellman. Lately, it’s been Kellman making more of an impact, with It was reported by a Czech outlet on Monday that Radim Simek has points in three straight games headed into Tuesday night. True, agreed to a four-year, $8 million contract extension. Simek said that he meanwhile, was a healthy scratch on Saturday and likely will be again hasn’t physically signed anything but indicated the terms were in place. against Toronto. That shouldn’t be all that surprising, as we reported here previously that the two sides were working toward an extension. The other pending unrestricted free agents include Dell, Joe Thornton, Melker Karlsson, Stefan Noesen, Tim Heed, Dalton Prout and Brandon Davidson.

Thornton would like to continue his career, and while there’s already been speculation that he could move on in the summer after he wasn’t traded before the deadline, he could wait out July 1 and the start of free agency to see what moves the Sharks make. If he believes they have what it takes to return to the playoffs, my guess is he’ll be a Shark again next season. If not, another team out there would surely ink him to a cheap contract.

Karlsson and Noesen haven’t had any discussions about an extension yet (as of late last week), but the Sharks will surely be looking for some cheap depth wingers. Noesen is open to a return, while Karlsson would like to stay, as well. If the Sharks do retain Karlsson, though, it will have to be on a much cheaper deal than the three-year, $6 million contract that is set to expire.

Heed is a tough one. He seems to like it here. He doesn’t make a fuss when he’s a healthy scratch. Depending on what the Sharks do with their blue line this summer, he could end up back on another cheap one-year extension.

Prout is unfortunately still dealing with concussion symptoms, and recently experienced a setback in his recovery. I don’t see him returning.

Who’s the new guy, Brandon Davidson?

Davidson, a journeyman 28-year-old defenseman, will get a shot beginning on Tuesday when he takes the place of an injured Jake Middleton, who is week-to-week with a lower-body injury. He joined the team in Philadelphia on Feb. 25 after he was acquired from Calgary for future considerations.

In 169 career NHL games with the Oilers, Canadiens, Islanders, Blackhawks and Flames, Davidson has 23 points (9g, 14a) and 78 penalty minutes. He played seven games for the Flames this season, going scoreless with a minus-2 rating, spending most of the season with AHL Stockton.

“I take these last games as a tryout,” Davidson said on Monday. “For me, I just want to play some hockey, I want to play to the best of my ability. Hopefully, if I can (do) that, I’ll be able to maybe get a job here for next season and establish myself in this organization.”

One scout familiar with Davidson said: “For me, he is just a call-up, a depth defenseman, can fill a hole short term as your sixth defenseman. Very limited player, has to keep it very simple with the puck. Defending is OK, but has trouble when defending speed outside.”

Davidson is also a cancer survivor, getting diagnosed with testicular cancer in 2012.

He mentioned he had groin surgery last season, and “didn’t know if I was going to be able to compete as well as I have in the past. I pushed myself mentally and physically and got myself to a place where I feel happy with where I’m at and my game. It took some games in the minor leagues, took some games in the National League but I’ve definitely gotten to a place where I feel comfortable and feel good about my game.”

Incidentally, with no home to stay in San Jose after the trade, Davidson was welcomed to crash at one of his new teammates’ places in the meantime.

“Joe (Thornton) asked me where I was staying, and I said I was staying at the hotel. And he just said, ‘No, you’re not.’ He didn’t give me a choice,” Davidson said.

“I mean, I wouldn’t have said no anyway. Joe basically said, ‘No, you’re not, you’re coming with me.’ His wife and kids were actually in Switzerland, so he had a little bit of an empty house. I don’t know if he was lonely or just looking after me. He gave me no choice, and it meant everything to me just to be able to meet one of my favorite hockey players and also stay at his house and have him just to show me around and introduce me to everybody.”

Thornton’s wife and kids returned over the weekend, so Davidson planned on vacating Thornton’s place on Monday.

“I figured I’d give them their space. But I was there for about five days, and it was a vacation.”

The Athletic LOADED: 03.03.2020 1179646 St Louis Blues elusiveness at getting away from defenders — you just be in an area around him, he’ll get you the puck. He’s that good of a passer.”

For younger players — really all players — it’s about building trust with At age 20, Thomas is coming of age for Blues the head coach when it comes to getting ice time and having a meaningful role. A couple of things have happened recently to show that Berube has growing trust in Thomas.

Jim Thomas 12 hrs ago 0 Seven games ago, coinciding with the start of the latest win streak, Berube placed Thomas on the Blues’ second line centering wingers Zach

Sanford and David Perron. This Blues season began with the Stanley Cup afterglow, complete with And as was seen against Dallas on Saturday and the New York Islanders ring banquet, banner-raising and a White House visit. on Thursday, Thomas has been getting a steady diet of work in 3-on-3 Then came the potentially traumatic loss of Vladimir Tarasenko to overtime play. shoulder surgery in Game 10, an injury that has sidelined him for most of “Always got room to improve,” Thomas said. “I think I’ve taken some the season, although a return is nearing. good steps up to this point. I still gotta work on my defensive side a little Three weeks ago came real-life trauma, when veteran defenseman Jay bit more. And getting in the right spots and stuff like that. That’s my next Bouwmeester collapsed on the bench because of a cardiac episode. step for me, and just keep on building.” He’s out for the season, and his career may be over. But he’s alive Now that he’s playing more center, Thomas is taking more faceoffs. He’s thanks to the work of trainers, paramedics and doctors. already taken 282, compared with 220 all of last season as a rookie. He’s In between was an All-Star game on home ice. All sorts of winning at a 42.6% success rate, which has to come up. streaks, including a current one of seven games, as well as one long “When you don’t take ‘em for a while, it takes a little bit to kind of get slump — a 2-7-3 dip from mid-January through mid-February. back in your rhythm,” Thomas said. But if you’re looking for the best underlying storyline of the campaign, it He has been working with Ryan O’Reilly after practice to improve his just might be the growth and development of Robert Thomas. Right faceoff success. before our eyes, the second-year center has come of age. “Obviously, he’s one of the best in the game,” Thomas said. “And just And that’s saying something, because his age is 20. He can’t buy a drink being able to learn from that really goes a long way.” legally in the United States — not until July 2. Since the Sanford-Thomas-Perron line has been together, its three The numbers are up across the board for Thomas — not dramatically, members have combined for five goals and eight assists. In three of but noticeably. With 16 regular-season games still to be played, Thomas seven games together, the trio has gone pointless, but they almost has 10 goals, 30 assists — for 40 points — in 61 games. Through all of always get their share of scoring chances. last season, he had nine goals, 24 assists for 33 points. “I think he’s really finding his game this year,” Sanford said of Thomas. He’s plus-10 this season; a year ago he finished minus-2. He’s getting “Seeing him on the rushes and breakouts and finding those spots, and about 1½ more minutes of playing time per game, and growing. But most the way he hangs onto pucks down low and keeps plays alive. It’s really noticeable of all is his improved puck possession and passing. fun to be part of.” A lot of this is a result of Thomas’ diligence, coupled with growing And the fun is just beginning. confidence. But the Blues’ coaching staff deserves a chunk of the credit for their work with Thomas and their patience. Blues at Rangers

“Definitely the coaches work with him,” coach Craig Berube said. > Up next: 6 p.m. Tuesday at Rangers, FSM “(Assistant coach) Steve Ott’s put in a ton of time with him, with video and teaching and things like that. St Louis Post Dispatch LOADED: 03.03.2020

“He’s obviously more involved this year than he was last year as a player. He’s playing in a different role this year, and he’s relishing it.

“The more ice time you give him, the better he plays. He’s getting more time this year, different looks, things like that, and he’s a tremendous player. He’s only gonna get better.”

Thomas could always skate. His father, Scott, said that was noticeable almost from the moment Thomas started skating at age 3 on the backyard rink at home in Aurora, Ontario, outside of Toronto.

The athletic prowess, as well as the high hockey IQ, apparently come from his mom’s side of the gene pool.

“She’s a really good athlete,” Scott said. “That’s one of the areas where she’s done well is that kind of sport IQ thing. She played a lot of football actually.”

“Football” as in soccer?

“No. ‘Football’ football,” Scott said. “Flag football.”

Debbie Waechter, she kept her last name when married, plays quarterback and wide receiver in rec leagues back home.

Her son plays a hockey version of quarterback, distributing the puck all around, although he’s occasionally on the receiving end as well. It’s hard to get the puck away from Thomas if you’re a defender — and that wasn’t really the case last season.

And if you happen to be playing on the same line, have your stick down. The puck could be headed your way at a moment’s notice.

“Be ready,” Berube said. “Because you never know when you’re gonna get it. I mean, it’s about positioning and being ready. His cutbacks and 1179647 St Louis Blues Of course, what makes the Blues are the Blues — the team-ness of the team. The unafraid, hard-nosed hockey they play. And for fans who haven’t followed closely since last year’s playoffs — they’re actually good now on the power play! The boys are currently on a seven-game win Hochman: Can Blues become the darlings of the NHL? Are they already? streak … for the third time this season. They’ve never done that three times, in all their years.

“We don’t want to get ahead of ourselves, we’re not the second coming 14 hrs ago and we’re not the be-all-and-end-all, but we’re making progress and Benjamin Hochman becoming a stronger and stronger organization,” Stillman told the Post- Dispatch on Sunday by phone. “We’re seeing some rewards that come from that. …

The St. Louis Blues are this merry band of skaters who dominate but “Everybody always talks about character, and that’s a big part of it, but aren’t indomitable, who win with experience, but often after experiencing sometimes I think we too quickly run past the fact that they are very whirlwinds. talented and skilled players, to begin with. Then you combine with that a lot of hard work and probably, more important than anything, that they They have the second-most wins in hockey and are second in wins after play as a team, for the team and for each other. Especially through the trailing, tallied on morehockeystats.com. They are an imperfect perfect experiences of the second half of last season and all through the hockey club, currently first in the Western Conference, defenders of Lord playoffs, they really learned how to win — and a lot of different ways, Stanley’s Cup. They’re just really likable. Charming, even. They’d make even when they’re not playing their best. It’s a team that really sticks for a great political candidate. They’d win over those undecideds with together and cares about each other.” their real-ness and grit, their wealth of confidence but lack of cockiness. It’ll take at least a second Cup to become a force of an era. But with All- The beloved Blues are doing so well these days, you could make a case Star and their All-Stars, the Winter Classic and the summer parade, the they’re even more popular than the BattleHawks. Blues have become the team of the present. But here’s an actual comparison and question — are the Blues becoming St Louis Post Dispatch LOADED: 03.03.2020 the NHL’s new Blackhawks?

Yes, yes — the Blackhawks won three Stanley Cups during their run this century, the Blues have won their one. Yet without a superstar — their most-talented guy is injured, and they don’t have one player in the top-20 in goals or points — the Blues have become the darlings of this league. They won the Stanley Cup in the most storybook way possible … and this season, they have the most points in the conference. They hosted the Winter Classic in 2017, and they were tabbed to play in the marquee event in 2021 (they don’t put the Blue Jackets in these games). And the Blues and St. Louis just hosted an All-Star weekend for the ages.

“We do our due diligence when selecting host sites for our tentpole events — it is no coincidence that we have entrusted so many of them to the Blues,” NHL commissioner Gary Bettman told the Post-Dispatch via message on Sunday. “That is a tribute to Tom Stillman’s outstanding stewardship of the franchise, the organization he and Chris Zimmerman have built and the team on the ice that they have constructed with Doug Armstrong. …

“That St. Louis is a hockey town has long been clear — and was demonstrated again and again by the passion Blues fans have displayed each time the League has visited. However, the club’s recent run of success would not have been possible without the kind of leadership Tom has provided — and his commitment to upgrade Enterprise Center and serve the city of St. Louis.”

As for the “new Blackhawks,” we mean the latest, cool winning team in the league. It’s not to say that the Blackhawks are a template. That would be difficult for any team to replicate, considering the Blackhawks won with Patrick Kane and Jonathan Toews, two transcendent stars of the league. Then again, that’s how the Blackhawks are stuck in the pickle their currently in — by overpaying for those two, and some others, too, the team is imbalanced. Chicago sits in last place of the Central Division. Last year, they were second-to-last. And, two years ago, last.

That’s the cool thing about these Blues — they appear equipped to win for years. They don’t just have a handful of blossoming (and affordable) prospects, they have a whole goalie gloveful. They have their key top players, the captain notwithstanding, under contract for the coming years. And, no, defenseman Justin Faulk hasn’t wowed St. Louis the way his surname namesake did for the Rams, but here’s thinking he’ll play better in his second season; he was thrust into things this year. This isn’t to say that Justin Faulk is better than Alex Pietrangelo. This is simply to say that Armstrong made a shrewd deal to nab Faulk, in case St. Louis loses the free agent “Petro.”

And while the Blues don’t have a Kane or Toews, they do have some rather popular players. Consider that Vladimir Tarasenko is second in the NHL in jersey sales in 2019-20, trailing only Sidney Crosby, ahead of Alex Ovechkin. And the Blues had four All-Stars — Pietrangelo, David Perron, Ryan O’Reilly and goalie Jordan Binnington, who is one of the best stories in sports, albeit Bieber shenanigans on social media. 1179648 St Louis Blues O’Reilly, for example, is averaging 20 minutes 40 seconds per game; last season, he averaged 20:46.

For Brayden Schenn, it’s 18:33 this season to 18:35 last. For Jaden Before heading to Big Apple, Blues hold an actual ... practice Schwartz, it’s 18:10 this year to 18:08 last.

On defense, Alex Pietrangelo is averaging 24:08 this season; last season it was 24:05. Colton Parayko is at 22:58 this season; he was at 22:47 last Jim Thomas 15 hrs ago season.

The only noticeable difference among the “war-horses” is David Perron, who’s up 1:20 this year at 18:26 per game, compared to last season's It has been a while since the Blues practiced at Centene Community Ice 17:06. Center. For that matter, it’s been a while since the Blues practiced — a full-scale practice, that is. The workload management isn’t just for the team’s skaters.

But such was the case Monday morning, before the team headed east “That includes the goalies, too,” Berube said. “You know, we gotta for a three-game road trip that begins Tuesday in the Big Apple against manage these goalies. They’re both gonna play here down the stretch the New York Rangers. because we need ‘em both to play and do well.”

“I thought it was a good tempo and pace out there,” coach Craig Berube For example, Berube kept Jordan Binnington off the ice for Friday’s said. “It wasn’t too long but it was good to get some practice time in, for optional skate. sure. Our guy, (Marco) Scandella hadn’t practiced with us yet.” “Yeah, he didn’t need to go on (that day),” Berube said. “He’s played a lot Yes, it was Scandella’s first full Blues practice since being acquired from of games, and he can get just as much out of watching video and things Montreal on Feb. 18. Until Monday, the veteran defenseman’s practice like that. And rest.” time had been limited to morning skates and optionals. SICK BAY: KYROU BACK, PARAYKO ILL So did he know what to do, when it came time for drills? After missing Saturday’s game against Dallas because he was sick, “He was excellent out there,” Berube said. “He was really good.” Jordan Kyrou was back at practice Monday.

MANAGING MINUTES But defenseman Colton Paryako missed Monday’s practice because he’s now sick. Parayko accompanied the team on the road trip and is This time of year, as the games pile up and the playoffs near, most expected to play Tuesday. teams lighten up their practice routine anyway. The difference with the Blues is they’ve monitored their practice time from the start of the “He’s not feeling good,” Berube said. “He should be fine tomorrow.” season, mindful of the fact that they played all the way to mid June in pursuit of the Stanley Cup. As for Kyrou ...

“I’d say that most teams probably practiced a little bit more than we did “He looked good today, so I think he’s getting close to being healthy,” and did different things through the first few months of the season,” Berube said. Berube said. “But this time of year there’s not a lot of practice for But it’s still possible that de la Rose plays in his place against the anybody. I think most teams ... it’s not a lot of practice going on.” Rangers, as was the case Saturday against the Stars. Berube has listened to his players all season, particularly the team CUP ODDS leaders, to get the pulse of when the squad may need a little down time. Only Boston has more points than Blues in the standings, yet Blues are “Guys are feeling good,” Berube said. “Overall, the energy’s been pretty now 12/1 to win the Cup, according to the BetOnline's monthly Cup odds. good. ... I don’t think that when I talk to guys or I’m watching, that our They were listed at 10/1 at the start of February. team looks like they’re drained. We find a way to muster up some energy when we need it” This month Boston (6/1), Tampa Bay (6/1), Vegas (8/1), Colorado (9/1) and Washington (10/1) all have shorter odds. (Pittsburgh also is 12/1.) Judging by the standings, with the Blues atop the Central Division and the Western Conference, the season-long plan to manage practice time BLUES PRACTICE LINEUP and also manage minutes in-game has worked so far. Forwards “I don’t think that we overused our players very much this year,” Berube said. “I guess there’s times where I probably overused Ryan O’Reilly in Schwartz-O’Reilly-Schenn certain situations where I would’ve liked not to, but he’s an all-situations Sanford-Thomas-Perron guy for us. The faceoffs and the penalty kill and stuff. But I think the (defensemen) minutes have been spread out. I think the forwards’ Steen-Bozak-de la Rose minutes have been pretty spread out all year, which is nice.” Blais-Barbashev-Sundqvist In the rare games where the Blues have a big cushion, Berube spreads the minutes and rolls four lines up front. Obviously, it’s a different Extras: Brouwer, Kyrou, MacEachern, Tarasenko situation in tight games. Defensemen

Although it’s largely due to injuries, Berube also has made a conscious Gunnarsson-Pietrangelo effort to get his depth players in the lineup. Be it a Jacob de la Rose, or a Mackenzie MacEachern, or a Robert Bortuzzo/Carl Gunnarsson. Scandella-Faulk

“We’ve had a lot of injuries this year, with Vladi (Tarasenko) out all year, Dunn-Bortuzzo we’ve had to plug in new guys here and there the whole year,” Berube said. “Our young guys have done a great job. Not demanding more Extras: Parayko (not at practice/sick) minutes, but earning more minutes which they have. Robert Thomas, Goalies (Sammy) Blais when he’s healthy. (Ivan) Barbashev, (Oskar) Sundqvist, all these guys. Binnington

“(Jordan) Kyrou coming in. (Zach) Sanford. They’ve earned more Allen minutes — they’ve played good hockey.” St Louis Post Dispatch LOADED: 03.03.2020 But when you look at the playing time of the team’s top veterans, the “war-horses” as general manager Doug Armstrong calls them, it’s amazing how similar the playing time is this season compared to last season. 1179649 St Louis Blues Streaking BluesWith Saturday’s 4-3 shootout win over Dallas, the Blues became only the second defending Stanley Cup champion in NHL history to have three consecutive winning streaks of seven or more games in the following season. Blues noteboook: Bouwmeester issues brought back flashbacks for de la Rose The only other team to do so, the 1977-78 Montreal Canadiens, went on to repeat as Cup champions. Actually, it was Cup No. 3 in a string of four consecutive NHL championships.

Jim Thomas Mar 1, 2020 St Louis Post Dispatch LOADED: 03.03.2020

After he was traded to the Blues in early November, forward Jacob de la Rose said he no longer thought about the surgery he underwent last April to correct an irregular heartbeat.

That changed, obviously, on the night of Feb. 11 in Anaheim, when teammate Jay Bouwmeester collapsed on the bench because of a cardiac episode. Medical officials revived Bouwmeester on the spot, he was rushed to a nearby hospital and subsequently underwent surgery to insert an ICD (implantable cardioverter defibrillator) in his chest to monitor and control his heartbeat.

“Yeah, for sure it did,” de la Rose said. “Obviously, his was a little more serious. I was awake for the whole time and stuff like that.

“It’s scary when it’s the heart. You don’t really know a lot about it either. Like we’re not really educated in that stuff. But when it’s the heart, you realize right away that it’s super-serious. So it was really scary. Obviously we’re all excited and happy that (Bouwmeester’s) back here with us and that he’s doing fine.”

Playing for Montreal at the time, de la Rose first experienced a cardiac episode in a preseason game last season in Ottawa. Once he was cleared to play, the Canadiens placed him on waivers and he was claimed by Detroit on Oct. 17, 2018.

De la Rose went on to play 60 games last season for the Red Wings until he experienced another cardiac episode, again an accelerated heart rate, in a March 19 game at the New York Rangers. Unlike Bouwmeester, de la Rose never lost consciousness but had to leave the game, and eventually needed surgery.

De la Rose’s procedure is known as a cardiac ablation.

“You go in through the veins and you burn nerves,” he said. “I had to burn some nerves in the upper chamber. It’s complicated. I don’t even know how to explain it all for you.”

The procedure scars or destroys tissue in the heart that trigger or sustain an abnormal heart rhythm.

“Mine wasn’t as serious obviously, so after the procedure I was fine to come back and play,” de la Rose said. “I had all summer to kind of recover.”

De la Rose and Bouwmeester did, however, have some common ground to discuss.

“We kinda had to go through all the same testing and stuff like that, so we talked a little bit about that, me and him,” de la Rose said. “Like I said, I’m just happy that he’s back with us here and that he’s doing good.”

On Tuesday, de la Rose returns to Madison Square Garden and a game against the Rangers, 11½ month after the incident that resulted in surgery.

Surging San AntonioWhile the Blues are riding a seven-game winning streak, their American Hockey League affiliate also has a little streak of its own. The San Antonio Rampage extended their season-long winning streak to five games with a 3-0 victory over the visiting Rockford IceHogs on Sunday.

In the process, the Rampage (24-21-12) moved past Rockford and into playoff position in the AHL’s Central Division. Jordan Nolan, who appeared in 14 games for the Blues last season, scored for the third game in a row and now has 10 goals this season.

Austin Poganski, who appeared in the Blues’ Dec. 10 game against Buffalo, scored his 10th goal of the season. And Dakota Joshua added an empty-net goal for this third goal.

Goalie Ville Husso continued his recent hot streak with a 19-save shutout, his fourth shutout of the season. Over his past 10 starts, Husso is 7-3 with a 1.62 goals-against average and a save percentage of .940. 1179650 Tampa Bay Lightning Like I said earlier, this isn’t close to being the end of the road for Stamkos. The NHL’s all-time scoring list is cluttered with players (Brett Hull, Alex Ovechkin, Steve Yzerman, Teemu Selanne, Luc Robitaille) who didn’t win a Stanley Cup until they were in their 30s. Why Steven Stamkos’ latest injury feels so ominous So there is no reason to fear that his best days have already passed him by.

By John Romano But this franchise, more than most, knows how precious a shot at the title can be. The Lightning won the Cup in 2004 and then had the next

season wiped out by labor strife, followed by a new collective bargaining TAMPA — You watch him skate, and you still see a young man. Maybe agreement that tore the guts out of a special team. not the fresh-faced wonder from your memories, but an elite-level scorer The Lightning eventually regrouped and reached the conference finals or with a shot that is envied by most of the NHL. the Stanley Cup finals in three out of four seasons from 2015 to 2018 but Steven Stamkos is far from finished and his final legacy is yet to be kept falling a little shy. And then came last year’s historic regular season written. and subsequent playoff flop.

So why then, does this latest injury feel so ominous? The point is you have every right to feel a little gloomy.

Stamkos, 30, will miss the rest of the regular season and, quite likely, the Stamkos is no longer the best player on the ice when the puck is first round of the playoffs after his scheduled surgery on Monday for a dropped, but his offensive presence, faceoff skills, and calm voice in the core muscle injury. locker room should not be minimized.

The official word is that he will miss six to eight weeks, but that’s both You know that because you’ve seen what has happened without imprecise and probably a little hopeful. Sports core injuries, which Stamkos in the past. commonly involve abdominal-area muscles and tendons tearing or Tampa Bay Times LOADED: 03.03.2020 pulling away from the bone, are fairly common in hockey but not necessarily easy to project.

Sidney Crosby had core muscle surgery in November and the Penguins said he would miss a minimum of six weeks. He ended up missing almost nine. Teammate Nick Bjugstad had surgery a week after Crosby and the team said recovery time would be a minimum of eight weeks. It’s been more than 14 weeks, and Bjugstad just now returned to practice.

The severity of the injury and individual circumstances clearly have an effect on how soon an athlete can return but, no matter how you view it, this is a fairly significant setback.

And that’s troubling for a player whose career, at times, has felt both blessed and haunted.

Only 10 players in NHL history have ever scored more goals before the age of 30 than Stamkos, and the eight who are eligible are all in the Hall of Fame. In other words, Tampa Bay fans have been fortunate to watch one of the league’s greatest scorers perfecting his game from the time he was a teenager.

And yet for all that glory, there is a twinge of melancholy. A nagging realization that Stamkos’ prime years have yet to translate to a Stanley Cup championship. Sometimes, the causes were unavoidable. Other times, like last season, they were more infuriating.

This is the seventh season in the Jon Cooper era in Tampa Bay, and it will be the fourth time that a major Stamkos injury will have an effect on the Lightning’s postseason aspirations.

There was the broken leg that kept him out of the lineup for four months in 2013-14 and, although he returned a month before the playoffs, he wasn’t the same player. In 300-plus games since 2009-10, Stamkos had averaged 1.17 points per night. In the first 20 games after the injury, his scoring tumbled roughly 25 percent to 0.85 points per game.

A blood clot sidelined him for almost two months in 2016 and, with Stamkos playing a grand total of 12 minutes in the postseason, the Lightning finished one victory shy of reaching the Stanley Cup finals.

A knee injury in 2016-17 wiped out nearly the entire regular season for Stamkos and it’s the only time in the Cooper era that Tampa Bay failed to reach the postseason.

So, are you worried yet?

There’s almost no chance the Lightning will fail to qualify for the playoffs next month, but don’t feel guilty about fretting over whether Stamkos will get meaningful playing time in the postseason.

Best-case scenario? The Lightning learn to play a tighter defensive game during Stamkos’ absence and his return in the postseason gives them a shot of momentum.

Worst-case scenario? Take your pick. He doesn’t come back at all, and the Lightning do not recover. Or he comes back too soon and risks further injury while adding little to the lineup. 1179651 Tampa Bay Lightning — Some offside reviews are disputable because a player’s skate might be in the air, making it unclear even on replay. Coach’s challenges are down after a rule change making an unsuccessful challenge a penalty, but this is more about officials getting it right. Emergency goalie protocol talk on tap for NHL GMs meeting “The offside rule I think is going to be discussed again where just breaking the plane would make it a little bit easier to view it on the video,” Rutherford said. “It’s always hard for the linesmen regardless which way By Mike Sherman we do this because everything’s happening so fast." Published Yesterday — A few seasons into hybrid icing, Rutherford is concerned there are too many icing stoppages because players are skating back slower to get the call from linesmen. When a 42-year-old Zamboni driver entered as an emergency goaltender and won an NHL game, it became one of the best stories in sports. “It appears to me that we now have more icings than are necessary where a guy going back for a puck may turn the opposite way where he But David Ayres going from practicing with the Toronto Maple Leafs to could've got the puck or he may just play the opposing player at the blue playing against them in the thick of a playoff race also generated debate line when he could've got the puck,” he said. “I have to find out if other about what should happen in those rare instances. So emergency goalie GMs feel the same way, but if we do, maybe tighten that up a bit.” protocol will be a significant topic of conversation when general managers open their annual March meeting Monday in Boca Raton, — Commissioner Gary Bettman said recently the NHL isn’t planning to Florida. make radical changes to its playoff format like the NBA is considering. But with two of the top three teams in the league -- Boston and Tampa “This was a perfect storm,” Dallas Stars GM Jim Nill said. “You never Bay -- playing in the same division, the current divisional format of those think it's going to get to the point where you get two guys hurt, but it did teams potentially facing off in the second round might again be happen. ... Is it something that happens once every 20 years? Is it a questioned. great story? That's what we'll have to discuss.” “We were in 1 to 8 (in each conference) and there was a disparity in Ayres is not employed by the Maple Leafs and works as operations travel and so we went to this format,” Armstrong said. “There's going to manager at the former Maple Leaf Gardens in Toronto. He has for years be pros and cons to whatever decision is made. I understand the logic of been one of the organization’s on-call practice goalies and even backed talking about 1 to 8, but that's an easy talk in the Eastern Conference. It's up for their top minor league affiliate during a game. a difficult talk in the Western Conference.”

Despite going in for Carolina in a blue and white mask and equipment, — In-arena medical procedures worked when Blues defenseman Jay Ayres stopped eight of the 10 shots he faced to help the Hurricanes beat Bouwmeester collapsed on the bench earlier this month with a cardiac the Maple Leafs. Because of that result, Pittsburgh Penguins GM Jim event. Because of the success of those protocols in situations involving Rutherford didn’t think much about the oddity of the situation. Jiri Fischer, Rich Peverly and Bouwmeester, it’s not an area that needs immediate attention but will continue to be looked at to see what can be “I guess if the result of the game had’ve gone the other way, I might’ve better. put more thought into it,” Rutherford said. “What’s going on now is everybody’s talking about what if, a lot of what ifs. We can talk in circles “It’s not something that I think anyone looks at and says, ‘OK, this is about what ifs and everything. I don’t have an issue with what just took perfect’ because it’s such an important thing,” Armstrong said. “It’s not place. But, like always, I’m open to listen to everybody’s thoughts and something that will just stay stagnant. We’ll always try to evolve to make what everybody’s ideas are. sure player safety and fan safety is at the forefront of our game.”

The current rule of each arena making an emergency goalie available for Tampa Bay Times LOADED: 03.03.2020 a game stemmed from 2015 incident in Florida that almost caused an assistant coach to put on the pads and play. Because an emergency goalie has only been required to play twice — Ayres and Scott Foster for Chicago in 2018 — executives and officials might find the current protocol better than the old-school notion of making a skater go in net.

“We said it's unfair to the guy on the ice to have to go in there,” St. Louis Blues GM Doug Armstrong said. “It didn't make any sense. So, now we said let's see if there's someone locally that can go in the net. It's difficult to find 31 A-plus goalies that go to 41 home games a year. There's always ways to try and see if we can improve it.”

Armstrong said he wouldn’t be in favor of the expense of carrying a third goalie all season, which would also be impractical. One possibility calls for each team to have a full-time employee at home and on the road ready to serve in goal if needed.

“What, do you go find a guy that's not too bad of a goalie that can practice every day and work in your marketing department or wherever he's working?” Nill said. "He's got to travel with the team all the time. We look at those scenarios. With everything, there's CBA issues involved, there's labor laws involved, so just different things that you have to check off the boxes before you can decide what to do.”

Deputy Commissioner Bill Daly said the NHL has to work with the Players’ Association on collective bargaining concerns, like determining who counts as a player. Those complications make it no easy fix with perhaps no perfect solution.

“Obviously we want what’s best for the game, and we want to make sure people aren’t putting themselves in danger by playing goal in a National Hockey League game,” Daly said. “That’s obviously something we have to continue to work through.”

Some other topics that could come up when GMs meet Monday- Wednesday: 1179652 Tampa Bay Lightning on “how well teams turned fans’ money into wins.” The Lightning came out on top.

“The hero of the story was Jeff Vinik,” said Leiweke, current president How Jeff Vinik turned the Lightning from bottom-dweller to elite in 10 and CEO of Seattle’s NHL expansion franchise. years Vinik gives the credit to Leiweke and Griggs for developing the brand and connection with the community, and to Yzerman, who developed the hockey team, starting with the AHL affiliate in Norfolk. By Diana C. Nearhos “It was more broken than I had thought,” Leiweke said. “The turnaround Published 42 minutes ago was exhilarating as heck. It was a community that needed the right owner to believe in. It’s a team that is now built with a winning pedigree. The

organization is held up as one of the best in the NHL.” TAMPA — The Lightning might not be the franchise we know, a In a conversation about Lightning coach Jon Cooper, NBC analyst Pierre perennial Stanley Cup favorite, if it weren’t for a conversation at a 2008 McGuire brought up Vinik, saying he is the best owner in sports. That’s holiday concert in Lowell, Mass. how it goes around here — you can start any conversation about the Jeff Vinik, approaching his 50th birthday, attended KISS 108’s Jingle Ball Lightning’s success and end up talking about Vinik. at Tsongas Center with a friend. The fans do it as well. Owners are rarely beloved, often hated, even with “What am I going to do for fun the rest of my life?” Vinik asked. “I don’t winning teams. But when season-ticket holders get their complimentary like playing golf. I need to do something fun. That’s it, I’m going to buy a jerseys every year, there are always a few who put Vinik’s name on the hockey team.” back.

Exactly 10 years ago Tuesday, Vinik bought the Lightning. And he hasn’t That comes from the Lightning’s connection with the community, which is played a round of golf since. what Vinik is most proud of. He wants that relationship to be in the organization’s DNA, not an added thought. The Community Hero When Vinik bought the team, the Lightning were six seasons removed program, which reached the $20 million mark on Saturday, is the obvious from winning the Stanley Cup. On the ice, the team was a bottom dweller example, but the relationship runs deeper. with a few good building blocks. Off the ice, the organization was hemorrhaging money. Members of the organization serve on boards around the area. (Vinik is part of FBN Partners, a group of local investors who have loaned $15 It wasn’t a franchise many people wanted to be a part of, but prospering million to Times Publishing Co., which owns the Tampa Bay Times.) organizations are rarely up for sale. A study showed the Lightning had a very weak fan base, but that there were fans in the market of other teams The team is building street hockey rinks around the region. Players make was seen as an encouraging sign. And the Florida weather was a bonus appearances in hospitals and at various events. Many of the biggest for Vinik, who was living in Boston. names, like Steven Stamkos and Victor Hedman, have been accessible to fans, whether at events or just stopping to sign autographs after Just how bad were things? Bad enough that current Lightning CEO Steve games. Griggs’ first trip to the arena made him wonder if he should have kept his job in Orlando. It all starts with Vinik, even though he doesn’t make day-to-day decisions.

Griggs had left an executive vice president job with the Magic and was His philosophy in all his businesses, which include a sushi company (and visiting the Tampa arena for an NBA exhibition between the Magic and he doesn’t like sushi), is to hire good people and get out of the way. the Miami Heat. Current Lightning general manager Julien BriseBois communicates with He found a building in disrepair. Seats seemed to be rusting off the Vinik regularly, sometimes daily. When he’s considering a major move, hinges and he wasn’t sure the thermostat worked. The Oct. 22, 2010 BriseBois reaches out to Vinik more to keep him in the loop than because game was canceled an hour before scheduled tipoff due to slippery court he needs the owner’s approval. conditions. About half of an expected sellout crowd of 22,000 was in the “The key is having full confidence in the people,” Vinik said. “If I didn’t building when the cancellation was announced. believe they were exceptional, trustworthy and a hell of a lot better than “I got back on the bus with my Magic people and I’m sitting there thinking me at their craft, then I would have wanted to micromanage. But you ‘I wonder if I can get my job back,’ ” Griggs said. “But now you sit here don’t want me picking hockey players and you don’t want me making today and see that life is a journey. Jeff was true to everything he said he sponsorship deals.” was going to do.” NHL commissioner Gary Bettman felt Vinik’s response to last year’s Vinik pitched his first CEO Tod Leiweke, first general manager Steve playoff collapse demonstrated Vinik’s strengths. Yzerman and Griggs on a world-class organization. He pledged the same “He was very, very upset, angry and disappointed,” Bettman said. “At the to the fans. same time, he was patient. While it was as jarring to him as it was to the To Vinik, that means more than a winning product on the ice, though fans, he didn’t do anything that was rash.” clearly that’s part of the formula. He wants to present an enjoyable in- Watching how an owner deals with setbacks tests their strength and arena experience beyond the game. Most of all, Vinik wants the Lightning commitment. Bettman felt Vinik passed with flying colors. He allowed his to be an organization the community is proud of. hockey operations team to do its job and now the Lightning are back in The franchise he bought wasn’t. the hunt.

“To buy a team that’s not doing well in a smaller market that’s not doing Ten years ago, Vinik didn’t know a lot about owning a professional sports well and think you can turn it around takes courage,” said Jac Sperling, a franchise. He researched, read a lot, talked to people and committed former member of the Minnesota Wild ownership group and an advisor resources, financial and otherwise, to create an elite organization. Now, who assists in the purchase and sale of professional franchises. “It’s he’s someone to whom Bettman directs new owners. been a tough road. The last five years have not been as bad as the first It’s a good thing Vinik doesn’t enjoy golf. five. The first five were tough.” Lightning’s finishes in full seasons under Vinik The Lightning got a major boost after those first five years. On the ice, they made an unexpected run to the Stanley Cup Final. Off the ice, they Season Points Division finish Playoff finish received recognition beyond hockey. 2010-11 103 Second of five Lost Eastern Conference On Oct. 21, 2016, in the final edition of its annual ranking, ESPN The Final Magazine named the Lightning the best franchise in pro sports. The ranking combined fan surveys on topics like affordability, fan relations, 2011-12 84 Third of five None stadium experience and of course, winning. They added in calculations 2012-13* 40 Fourth of five None 2013-14 101 Second of eight Lost first round

2014-15 108 Second of eight Lost Stanley Cup Final

2015-16 97 Second of eight Lost Eastern Conference Final

2016-17 94 Fifth of eight None

2017-18 113 1st of eight Lost Eastern Conference Final

2018-19 128 1st of eight** Lost first round

* — Lockout-shortened season of 48 games

** — Won Presidents’ Cup, as league’s top team

Tampa Bay Times LOADED: 03.03.2020 1179653 Tampa Bay Lightning — Some offside reviews are disputable because a player’s skate might be in the air, making it unclear even on replay. Coach’s challenges are down after a rule change making an unsuccessful challenge a penalty, but this is more about officials getting it right. Emergency goalie protocol talk on tap for NHL GMs meeting “The offside rule I think is going to be discussed again where just breaking the plane would make it a little bit easier to view it on the video,” Rutherford said. “It’s always hard for the linesmen regardless which way By Mike Sherman we do this because everything’s happening so fast." Published Yesterday — A few seasons into hybrid icing, Rutherford is concerned there are too many icing stoppages because players are skating back slower to get the call from linesmen. When a 42-year-old Zamboni driver entered as an emergency goaltender and won an NHL game, it became one of the best stories in sports. “It appears to me that we now have more icings than are necessary where a guy going back for a puck may turn the opposite way where he But David Ayres going from practicing with the Toronto Maple Leafs to could've got the puck or he may just play the opposing player at the blue playing against them in the thick of a playoff race also generated debate line when he could've got the puck,” he said. “I have to find out if other about what should happen in those rare instances. So emergency goalie GMs feel the same way, but if we do, maybe tighten that up a bit.” protocol will be a significant topic of conversation when general managers open their annual March meeting Monday in Boca Raton, — Commissioner Gary Bettman said recently the NHL isn’t planning to Florida. make radical changes to its playoff format like the NBA is considering. But with two of the top three teams in the league -- Boston and Tampa “This was a perfect storm,” Dallas Stars GM Jim Nill said. “You never Bay -- playing in the same division, the current divisional format of those think it's going to get to the point where you get two guys hurt, but it did teams potentially facing off in the second round might again be happen. ... Is it something that happens once every 20 years? Is it a questioned. great story? That's what we'll have to discuss.” “We were in 1 to 8 (in each conference) and there was a disparity in Ayres is not employed by the Maple Leafs and works as operations travel and so we went to this format,” Armstrong said. “There's going to manager at the former Maple Leaf Gardens in Toronto. He has for years be pros and cons to whatever decision is made. I understand the logic of been one of the organization’s on-call practice goalies and even backed talking about 1 to 8, but that's an easy talk in the Eastern Conference. It's up for their top minor league affiliate during a game. a difficult talk in the Western Conference.”

Despite going in for Carolina in a blue and white mask and equipment, — In-arena medical procedures worked when Blues defenseman Jay Ayres stopped eight of the 10 shots he faced to help the Hurricanes beat Bouwmeester collapsed on the bench earlier this month with a cardiac the Maple Leafs. Because of that result, Pittsburgh Penguins GM Jim event. Because of the success of those protocols in situations involving Rutherford didn’t think much about the oddity of the situation. Jiri Fischer, Rich Peverly and Bouwmeester, it’s not an area that needs immediate attention but will continue to be looked at to see what can be “I guess if the result of the game had’ve gone the other way, I might’ve better. put more thought into it,” Rutherford said. “What’s going on now is everybody’s talking about what if, a lot of what ifs. We can talk in circles “It’s not something that I think anyone looks at and says, ‘OK, this is about what ifs and everything. I don’t have an issue with what just took perfect’ because it’s such an important thing,” Armstrong said. “It’s not place. But, like always, I’m open to listen to everybody’s thoughts and something that will just stay stagnant. We’ll always try to evolve to make what everybody’s ideas are. sure player safety and fan safety is at the forefront of our game.”

The current rule of each arena making an emergency goalie available for Tampa Bay Times LOADED: 03.03.2020 a game stemmed from 2015 incident in Florida that almost caused an assistant coach to put on the pads and play. Because an emergency goalie has only been required to play twice — Ayres and Scott Foster for Chicago in 2018 — executives and officials might find the current protocol better than the old-school notion of making a skater go in net.

“We said it's unfair to the guy on the ice to have to go in there,” St. Louis Blues GM Doug Armstrong said. “It didn't make any sense. So, now we said let's see if there's someone locally that can go in the net. It's difficult to find 31 A-plus goalies that go to 41 home games a year. There's always ways to try and see if we can improve it.”

Armstrong said he wouldn’t be in favor of the expense of carrying a third goalie all season, which would also be impractical. One possibility calls for each team to have a full-time employee at home and on the road ready to serve in goal if needed.

“What, do you go find a guy that's not too bad of a goalie that can practice every day and work in your marketing department or wherever he's working?” Nill said. "He's got to travel with the team all the time. We look at those scenarios. With everything, there's CBA issues involved, there's labor laws involved, so just different things that you have to check off the boxes before you can decide what to do.”

Deputy Commissioner Bill Daly said the NHL has to work with the Players’ Association on collective bargaining concerns, like determining who counts as a player. Those complications make it no easy fix with perhaps no perfect solution.

“Obviously we want what’s best for the game, and we want to make sure people aren’t putting themselves in danger by playing goal in a National Hockey League game,” Daly said. “That’s obviously something we have to continue to work through.”

Some other topics that could come up when GMs meet Monday- Wednesday: 1179654 Tampa Bay Lightning areas are where more shots have been taken from and blue shows where less offensive has been created), while the bottom row is the defensive impact (where blue represents offensive suppression). These depict that his offensive impact is better than the average forward, and How Blake Coleman and Barclay Goodrow make the Lightning better for his defensive impact, this year in particular, is excellent. the playoffs Chart via HockeyViz

That two-way play translates to the penalty kill as well. He was a reliable By Joe Smith and Shayna Goldman Mar 2, 2020 penalty killer for the Devils, not just because of how he defends but because he can anticipate what the team’s power play will do next to

disrupt the play, and push it back into their own zone. That should help The Lightning were in the middle of one of their hottest stretches in years make the Lightning that much more dangerous, even when they’re when the team’s brass and scouts met in January for their annual pre- supposed to be at a disadvantage because they’re short-handed. trade deadline cram session. This HockeyViz heatmap gives us a better look at his short-handed As well as the team was playing — winning 23 of 26 — there was a impact. With Coleman on the ice while the Devils were short-handed this general feeling that they could use another couple of forwards up front. season, New Jersey was able to limit their opponents from shooting in Players who were “heavy, hard to play against,” according to GM Julien scoring areas as represented by the purple. BriseBois. Missing pieces that could make Tampa Bay harder outs in the Not only is Coleman a stout defender, who was leaned on to play playoffs. challenging matchups in key situations in New Jersey, but he has “We needed more tenacity,” coach Jon Cooper said. offensive upside.

The Lightning targeted two players specifically, Devils wing Blake Already in his first few games with the Lightning, Coleman has been an Coleman and Sharks center Barclay Goodrow. Not only were their skill aggressive and frequent shooter. Overall this season, he’s shooting the sets attractive, but so were their contracts, especially with a significant puck at a career-high rate of 16.91 shot attempts per 60, a boost of 1.57 cap crunch coming this summer. from his previous high earned last year. Those shots are reaching the net at a career-best rate of 11.25 per 60. BriseBois said he had to be “really aggressive,” and it worked, with the Lightning dealing their top prospect (Nolan Foote) and two first-rounders “Because he shoots,” Cooper said. “He’s not afraid to come in and shoot combined in both deals. Watching Goodrow and Coleman in their first pucks. When you use the word “selfish,” you want guys to be selfish few games, you can see why Tampa Bay took their big swings at the shooting pucks, and oftentimes the players want to make that extra pass. deadline. So just that alone will get you more goals. He creates his own with his speed and tenacity. He’ll create his own chances.” They’ll certainly bring the kind of depth up front the Lightning need with captain Steven Stamkos out 6 to 8 weeks following Monday’s core At the time Coleman was acquired, he had 87 high-danger scoring surgery. chances, which was tied for 16th in the league with John Tavares and T.J. Oshie (Brayden Point, for example, led Tampa Bay with 77). But these moves were clearly made with an eye on the postseason, knowing the two elite penalty killers would be vital against the Bruins’ and With that shot quality in mind, we can use Evolving-Hockey’s expected Capitals’ potent power plays. Their experience and versatility lengthened goal model, which weighs factors including shot type, distance, angle, the Lightning lineup, knowing it is often the bottom-six that are X-factors and whether it was a rush, rebound, or second-chance effort, to measure in playoff series. In those tight-checking playoff games, you have some how that translates into goal scoring. With the Devils, he was generating more sandpaper and stealth defenders who can close out close games. quality chances at a career-high pace, with 1.1 individual xG for per 60.

“Nothing is going to stop them from getting to a puck,” Cooper said. Coleman had 22 goals last season and already has 21 this year. What’s “They’re not afraid to go to any area of the ice. They’re gritty, tenacious, encouraging is that his individual xG total of 19.86 isn’t far off from his just hard to play against. Skill can be hard to play against as well. But this actual output, so he should sustain his scoring with the Lightning. Though is a part of the game that, especially when you get late and you get he’s joined a deeper team, he’s likely to continue playing somewhere in fortunate to make the playoffs, oftentimes it is that group that pushes you the second-line minute range, especially with Stamkos out, which has across the line.” moved another middle-six player to the first line. Maintaining his ice time and being surrounded by skilled players in Tampa Bay bodes well for With colleague Shayna Goldman, we broke down how the additions of him. So does the fact that his shooting percentage hasn’t taken a Coleman and Goodrow make the Lightning better — and more prepared noticeable spike — it has just steadily increased over the last few years. for a lengthy playoff run. Coleman can also create for teammates, and because of his shooting Boosting two-way play with Blake Coleman and passing, he has helped boost his team’s offensive generation in terms of quantity and quality this season. A great example of that passing Coleman’s first shift in a Lightning uniform was a perfect example of why came on Alex Killorn’s goal to make it 4-2 over the Flames late in the they wanted him. second period Saturday. As Coleman entered the zone, he feathered a The 5-foot-11 winger isn’t afraid to take — and deliver — a hit, and that pass ahead to a streaking Killorn for the much-needed insurance goal. could be seen in the opening minute of the Lightning’s loss to Vegas on “You always hear about 200-foot players, that word is thrown around,” Feb. 20. Coleman took a big hit from 6-foot-1, 225-pound Golden Knights Cooper said. “But he’s been put in situations on the defensive side and grinder Ryan Reaves in the defensive zone before starting a breakout. has excelled. You throw in 20-plus (goals) a year, that’s a pretty good Coleman was relentless, going to the front of the net to battle for position combination.” and trying to make an immediate difference with his new team. Shoring up depth with Barclay Goodrow “I know as a D-man, he’s a pain in the ass to play against,” said Lightning defenseman Kevin Shattenkirk. “He’s always skating at full speed, When the Lightning penalty kill was struggling in late October/early hunting pucks down. He’s physical. He’s a guy who, down the stretch November, they were looking for a bit of inspiration. and come playoff time, will be someone we want in our lineup and will make it harder on teams.” So assistant coach Derek Lalonde showed them clips of the league’s No. 1 unit — the Sharks. And who was right in the middle of the action? Their Coleman’s two-way play makes him such a pain to play against. He’s top penalty killer Barclay Goodrow. one of the top defensive forwards in the league, who helps suppress shots and chances against. Relative to his teammates at 5-on-5, The Lightning didn’t just acquire Goodrow, giving up a first-rounder and Coleman’s teams have conceded .38 fewer expected goals against per forward prospect while netting a third, for work short-handed. BriseBois 60 when he’s on the ice, which is a top-20 ranking in the league among said what struck him the most about Goodrow was his ability to forwards. defensively shut down other team’s top players. Goodrow fit the profile of the big (6-foot-2, 215 pounds), hard-to-play against center Tampa Bay We can take a closer look at his two-way impact with these shot maps coveted. from HockeyViz. The top row represents Coleman’s offensive impact (red “He’s gone up against some really good players and handled it really So, let’s see how they stack up to other Eastern Conference contenders. well,” BriseBois said. “He’s a somewhat underrated player, someone who is now hitting his stride and coming into his peak.” This model may overrate some teams and underrate others, which is the challenge of measuring uncertainty with any projections. But at the very Goodrow doesn’t have the same offensive upside as Coleman; he’s least, it gives an idea of what the Lightning are up against. scored at the rate of a third-liner so far this year, but depth scoring is important for any contender. It’s his defensive play that makes him stand For each team, their current lineup was featured with tweaks for those out. His defensive impact, like Coleman’s, has been much better than the with players who are expected to return from injuries in the near future. average forward’s over the years — even this year on a struggling Those with longer term injuries, like Stamkos, were not included. Sharks team. Even without Stamkos, the Lightning still look like the strongest team, Chart via HockeyViz and their biggest challenge is going to be the Bruins – who they wouldn’t meet until Round 2 if both make it that far. It goes to show what a test Like Coleman, he hasn’t been exposed to easy minutes. Both are leaned this upcoming week will be for this roster that’s trying to blend new faces on to start in the defensive zone more than the offensive zone, and to kill with mainstays and make up for the loss of its captain. penalties. Having a player that coaches trust in their own end, in tight games and in short-handed situations, helps solidify the Lightning’s But bolstering depth at the deadline so far is proving to be a wise choice depth. by the Lightning. While there were struggles in those first few games, they also provided insurance in the case of injuries that give them more Goodrow and Coleman have already shown a sample of what havoc they options, which allow them to roll four skilled lines. can create together on the penalty kill, creating not just one, but two odd- man rushes in the same kill Saturday. Data via Evolving-Hockey.com, HockeyViz.com, and Dom Luszczyszyn.

“We brought guys in here for a reason and that was part of it. They’ve The Athletic LOADED: 03.03.2020 both done that in their careers, they’ve been good at it. But until you coach them and get to see them up close,” Cooper explained. “The instincts have been outstanding. Coleman can really skate, and Goody, you see how many shot blocks he has out there. He has a really good ability to read plays and tip pucks out and put puck in spots where guys can get them.”

“I bring some grit, physicality,” Goodrow said. “I like to take pride in my defensive game. I try to eliminate whoever I’m playing against that night. I play a hard game and do the best I can.”

Goodrow has shown he’s not afraid to stick up for teammates, either. That included earlier this month, challenging Milan Lucic to a fight after the Flames forward ran over teammate Evander Kane.

“He’s a big, strong, physical centerman,” Stamkos said. “He does all the little things right, is a great skater, good on the penalty kill. Anytime you can add that to a lineup, it’s huge.”

How the Lightning stack up to contenders after the deadline

With any move the Lightning make, the question is the same: does this help their chances at winning the Stanley Cup?

Tampa Bay is in win-now mode and seems to have a team capable of going all the way. But that was also thought last year after dominating all season, which is why measures were taken to put them in a better position to succeed this year.

One way to look at the Lightning after their trade deadline moves is with The Athletic’s Dom Luszczyszyn’s game score value added (GSVA) model. GSVA is based on game score, a statistic that combines traditional and advanced metrics for a single value. You can read more about GSVA here and read up on the trade deadline aftermath from Luszczyszyn here.

For our purposes, we’re going to stick to the teams the Lightning likely have to be the most concerned with: the other two teams rounding out the Atlantic Division’s top-three, and their biggest threats in the Metropolitan Division, who they’ll have to keep an eye on if they can make it to the Eastern Conference final (which they have a 32 percent chance of doing).

First, we can look at how the Lightning stack up using GSVA. The point projection noted does not show how they project to finish this year, but how many points this caliber team would be expected to gain in a full 82- game season as a way to compare the total value of each competitor.

With Coleman and Goodrow, the Lightning have a collective forward value of 20.4, which along with their defense and goaltending translates to a projected 112.4 points across a full season. That forward group ranks higher than the average contender, but there are a few key pieces still missing, most notably Steven Stamkos (3.7 GSVA) who is out until at least Round 1 of the playoffs.

Plus, there’s also Ryan McDonagh and Jan Rutta missing from this lineup. With a healthy blue line consisting of Hedman-Rutta, McDonagh- Cernak, and Sergachev-Shattenkirk, the defensive value increases by 1.9 and projected point total is boosted to 115.8 – and that’s still without Stamkos (with him, the point total is closer to 120). 1179655 Toronto Maple Leafs on the better half of it has been a good learning experience for us. And, obviously, we got a handful of games left that are extremely important. So, it’ll be on us to make sure that we’re dialled in here.”

The Maple Leafs are back on top of the wave as they hit the West Coast This trip won’t have the urgency of Tampa and Florida. California games are relaxed now: It’s not a three-contender crucible so much as it’s a chance to walk around outside without a jacket. Backup Jack Campbell starts Tuesday for the first time in seven games; they’re still trying to By Bruce Arthur figure out the goaltending. Mon., March 2, 2020 But all this team can do is build up one day at a time, with the playoff test looming, if they get there. Last week, in the wake of Muzzin’s injury on top of everything else, general manager Kyle Dubas tweeted out the SAN JOSE, CALIF.—A week ago, a short lifetime, the Maple Leafs were parable of the Chinese Farmer, which is basically a lesson about the a laughingstock. Remember? They had lost to a Zamboni driver, if you unknowability of the future, good and bad. He was criticized in some remember, whose stick has since been added to the Hockey Hall of areas for it, but the main idea may have been the right one for this team Fame. The players engaged in self-flagellation. Head coach Sheldon right now: Maybe things can turn. Keefe said, “It’s going to be a tough one here for us to regroup from, it’s going to take a little time.” Most other serious Eastern teams added Toronto Star LOADED: 03.03.2020 pieces at the trade deadline. It all felt very fraught.

Three straight wins — including one against their likely first-round opponent in the playoffs, and one against the only team they need to outrun, a team that has now lost five of six games — and suddenly the public alarm bells have stopped ringing. Through all the ups and downs and sickening lurches into the woods, the Leafs still somehow have the 11th-best record in the NHL, and the fifth-best record since Keefe took over. Injured players are coming back, sooner rather than later. Maybe it’s not so bad.

“Yeah, I think we’re more adept to riding the waves than the fans and the media,” Leafs veteran Jason Spezza said. “I think it’s important when things do happen, like the game against Carolina, that you do take notice of it and you do recognize that you need to bounce back from something like that. But it’s also, you can’t overreact either. There’s a lot of games over a lot of time, we’re still in a position where we control our own fate, and we felt that way the whole time through. And whether people believe this or not when we said it, it’s been the true belief in the room.”

Even if there were bigger dips in confidence than Spezza or any Leaf will allow — Auston Matthews talked recently about how the lows in Toronto are very low, just as the highs are quite high — Florida’s semi-predictable swoon has pushed Toronto into a better place. Moneypuck.com has Toronto at 90% to make the playoffs; Hockey Reference, another website, has it at 88.7%.

And while defenceman Jake Muzzin is still three weeks from his estimated return from a broken hand, the team is inching toward health. Defencemen Morgan Rielly and Cody Ceci and winger Ilya Mikheyev all took part in practice Monday for the first time since their injuries — broken foot, ankle sprain, and skate blade cut to the wrist, respectively. Keefe said that while Rielly and Ceci will not play on this three-game trip, they are expected to be day to day next week, which for Rielly is certainly ahead of schedule.

Mikheyev’s original schedule to re-examine the injury was late March, but Keefe said “it’s very much looking like he’s gonna be back this season, which is really good for us.”

Rielly, tough season and all, is clearly the biggest add this team can make. Keefe noted that Rasmus Sandin would sit Tuesday night because the team is worried about loading too much on its young defencemen, too soon.

“The conversation that I’ve had with them is, it’s important for us to not allow our circumstances to put those guys in difficult spots,” said Keefe. As for Rielly, the coach said, “obviously, very positive for us to see him on the ice, and he just steps right into doing a lot of our drills, a lot of our full-contact drills, and he’s been feeling really good. We’ve just got to make sure that everything continues to have the appropriate amount of time before he gets into the game.”

And on this California swing the Leafs face the teams with the 27th-, 28th-, and 30th-best records in the league, though all three have been playing some unencumbered, dangerous hockey lately. Sometimes life is about opportunities.

“There’s no question there’s been quite a lot of ups and downs, and probably more so than we’ve liked,” said centre Auston Matthews, who is five goals from his first 50-goal season. “But I think it’s just adversity, and something that all teams go through. It’s not just us. And you know, (we) can’t feel sorry for ourselves if this stuff’s not going our way, and the way we’ve been able to battle back and get out of ruts and kind of come out 1179656 Toronto Maple Leafs team’s backroom staff can suit up in a pinch or having a minimum threshold in terms of ability across the board.

But because the emergency goalie could be forced to suit up for either NHL sticks with emergency goaltending rule after wild scene in Toronto team, it’s already in the best interest of the home club to provide the best option available. Ayres practises with the Leafs on a regular basis and has served as a backup in the American Hockey League under similar circumstances. By Joshua ClippertonThe Canadian Press “It’s been in the news and was again here of late,” Vegas Golden Knights Mon., March 2, 2020 GM Kelly McCrimmon said. “But I think everyone’s pretty comfortable with the procedures that we have in place.

BOCA RATON, FLA.—Dale Tallon had a sinking feeling. “It’s such a rare occurrence.”

With his team chasing Toronto for the Atlantic Division’s final playoff spot, Teams are responsible for submitting a list of approved EBUGs to the the Florida Panthers’ general manager — like most fans and media — league — there are 136 currently on file — before each season. cringed when the Carolina Hurricanes lost both their netminders to injury Traditional hockey markets have plenty of options when it comes to in a crucial game against the Maple Leafs last month. finding former junior or university goalies (ex-pros currently aren’t Down the tunnel and onto the ice at Scotiabank Arena that Saturday allowed), but what about in warmer climates? night trudged emergency backup goalie David Ayres, a 42-year-old “There’s probably more than you realize,” said Cheveldayoff, who added Zamboni driver sporting blue gear and frayed nerves. the Los Angeles Kings held tryouts. “Once the word has gotten out, “I thought maybe they’d score 10 goals,” said Tallon, before adding with there’s been a lot of capable guys.” a laugh: “But, you know, I was wrong again.” So the current system remains in place. Ayres was beaten on the first two Toronto shots he faced, but turned “We’re fine with it,” Tallon said. aside the next eight as Carolina, with a suffocating defensive performance, downed the Leafs 6-3 in one of the most embarrassing At least until the next EBUG is called into action. losses in franchise history. Toronto Star LOADED: 03.03.2020 NHL GMs discussed the emergency backup rule Monday as their annual Florida meetings opened at the posh Boca Beach Club, but decided since a team having two goalies go down is so rare, the current protocol of an extra netminder being available to both clubs in each arena remains sufficient.

“It’s a system that is in place for a safeguard,” Winnipeg Jets GM Kevin Cheveldayoff said. “And it’s a pretty good safeguard.”

The system came into existence after Florida was nearly forced to put its goalie coach between the pipes in 2015 when both its crease protectors were hurt in the same game.

An emergency backup goalie, “EBUG” for short, has only been required to play twice — Ayres and Scott Foster for the Blackhawks in 2018 against Winnipeg — in roughly 6,200 games since the Panthers’ incident.

“It happens infrequently,” Cheveldayoff said. “But I was on the other side of it when we lost in Chicago. It was fantastic story for them, wasn’t so fantastic for us.

“Those guys that go in there, they gave their best and the results turned out fine.”

It also could have been a terrible look for the NHL — a billion-dollar business with millions in playoff revenue for individual teams at stake — if Tallon’s prediction of Ayres getting shelled by Toronto had come to fruition.

“We were nervous,” said Florida’s GM. “Very nervous.”

And there’s no way of knowing how these meetings would have unfolded if things had turned out differently.

“It’s an interesting dynamic,” Cheveldayoff said of the emergency goalie. “If you look at where that position evolved from even just a couple years ago where you didn’t have someone in the building, it’s come a long way.

“It served its purpose.”

Ayres, meanwhile, has shot to stardom in the wake of his unusual, feel- good story.

The resident of Bowmanville, Ont., and arena operations manager at what was once Maple Leaf Gardens in Toronto donated his stick to the Hockey Hall of Fame, appeared on “Today” and “The Late Show with Stephen Colbert” in the United States, and was a guest of the Hurricanes at a game last week in Raleigh, N.C.

Ideas bandied about outside the GM meeting rooms since Ayres, who became the oldest goalie in league history to win his regular-season debut and the first EBUG credited with a win, was forced to play nearly 29 minutes for Carolina have included making sure a member of each 1179657 Toronto Maple Leafs The Leafs were impressed, though not too surprised, that prospect Nick Robertson hit 50 goals for the Peterborough Petes on Sunday.

The Leafs’ first pick in the 2019 NHL draft in Vancouver (53rd overall), Rielly, Ceci join Leafs for practice with eye toward returning next week Robertson needed just 43 games to reach the milestone.

“He was pretty noticeable (in camp), fun to watch, plays with a lot of energy,” Auston Matthews said. “He’s skilled and plays with a little bit of Terry Koshan an edge.

Published:March 2, 2020 “We all keep track of other guys in the organization, in the system, and he has been having a heck of a year. Good for him.” Updated:March 2, 2020 10:43 PM EST Said Keefe: “(Robertson) is one we are very excited about. Such a great

find for us in the second round.” SAN JOSE — Morgan Rielly didn’t look a step out of place at Maple TOOTHLESS SHARKS Leafs practice on Monday. The Sharks find themselves in unfamiliar territory as they hit the final Neither did fellow defenceman Cody Ceci, and once the Leafs got off the month of the regular season. ice at the San Jose Sharks’ practice facility, coach Sheldon Keefe had a sense of optimism regarding the status of each veteran. Barring a miracle even the hockey gods couldn’t conjure, the Sharks will miss the playoffs for the first time since 2015. Prior to games on Monday, “Looking at next week for both of them (to return to the lineup),” Keefe the Sharks were 12 points out of the second wildcard spot in the Western said. Conference. Rielly has missed the past 20 games after suffering a broken foot against Since 1997, San Jose has not made the playoffs in just two seasons. The the Florida Panthers on Jan. 12; Ceci has missed 12 games after Sharks advanced to the Stanley Cup final in 2016, losing to Pittsburgh in spraining an ankle against the New York Rangers on Feb. 5. six games, but this is a club that, for now, appears to have had its Cup “I would think that when we get back next week, it will be sort of a day-to- window closed. day type of thing from there, assuming everything goes really well,” “It is tough, not pushing for a playoff spot, but we got a lot of young guys Keefe said, referring to Rielly specifically. “Very positive for us to see him in here that are playing for jobs next year,” goalie Martin Jones said. on the ice. He steps right into doing a lot of our drills, a lot of our full- “They bring an energy to our team and we need that. It’s fun to play contact drills. We just have to make sure that (his recovery) continues to spoiler a little bit.” have the appropriate amount of time before he gets into a game.” For Sharks captain Logan Couture, the goal remains the same, even Also practising was winger Ilya Mikheyev. Since suffering a lacerated considering the season will end on the first weekend of April. wrist against the New Jersey Devils on Dec. 27, Mikheyev has missed the past 27 games. “Win games,” Couture said. “That’s our approach. That’s our focus. When you’re winning games, hockey is fun. We have 17 games left and “It’s very much looking like he might be back this season, which is very we want to make this fun.” good for us,” Keefe said. Toronto Sun LOADED: 03.03.2020 Jake Muzzin, meanwhile, did some skating after practice as he is in the initial stages of recovering from a broken hand, suffered last Tuesday against the Tampa Bay Lightning.

The absences in the defence corps have resulted in Keefe using rookie Rasmus Sandin perhaps a little more than he would have liked. Against the Sharks on Tuesday, the 19-year-old Sandin will be a healthy scratch after playing in 20 games in a row, including 15 in February. Timothy Liljegren will play on the third pair with Calle Rosen.

Does Keefe worry about putting too much on the plate of Sandin, and the 20-year-old Liljegren, in the pressure of a run to the playoffs?

“Frankly, yes,” Keefe said. “It’s important for us to not allow our (injury) circumstances to put those guys in difficult spots.

“While we like what those guys have done for us, we have the ability to give them a little extra time in the gym and ease the pressure of the schedule for them. It’s also a chance for Rosen to take another step in getting comfortable.”

CAMPBELL IN

Keefe surprised the group of reporters when he said that Jack Campbell, and not No. 1 Frederik Andersen, will start in goal against the Sharks.

The expectation was that Campbell would start on Thursday against the Los Angeles Kings, his former club. That still could happen, as it seems doubtful Andersen would play versus Los Angeles and the next night in Anaheim against the Ducks. At the same time, having Andersen sit against San Jose and again two nights later wouldn’t seem prudent.

“(Getting Campbell in against the Kings) was the game we talked about,” Keefe said. “But coming out here, if we looked back to the (previous) four games, including the last one (against Vancouver on Saturday), we wanted to get Jack involved. We didn’t go with that one, and in exchange we’re going to get him in (against San Jose).”

Andersen has started seven games in a row.

FIFTY ROBERTSON CHEERS 1179658 Toronto Maple Leafs

Leafs seeking fourth win a row after losing to Ayres, Hurricanes

Terry Koshan

Published:March 2, 2020

Updated:March 2, 2020 10:14 PM EST

SAN JOSE — Yes, it has been noted in the Maple Leafs dressing room that the club has not lost since the debacle against Carolina on Feb. 22, when emergency goalie David Ayres helped the Hurricanes beat the Leafs.

The Leafs have won three in a row in the aftermath. A victory against the San Jose Sharks on Tuesday night would give Toronto its first four-game winning streak since Dec. 14-27, when it won six in a row.

“It’s important when things do happen like the game against Carolina, that you do take notice of it and you do recognize that you need to bounce back from something like that,” veteran centre Jason Spezza said on Monday. “But you can’t overreact either. There’s a lot of games, over a lot of time, and we’re still in a position where we control our own fate. We felt that way the whole time and whether people believed it or not when we said it, it has been a true belief in the room.

“I think we’re more adept to riding the waves, (more) so than the fans and the media.”

Toronto Sun LOADED: 03.03.2020 1179659 Toronto Maple Leafs While opposing coaches such as Boughner try to devise ways to stop Matthews, the Leafs understand where the prolific centre’s ultimate intentions lie.

Matthews putting more tricks in his bag as his goals continue to mount “He’s a smart-enough kid and knows the team results (come) first, and for Leafs we need him to score so that works out well,” Spezza said. “We want to see him have success and whether he wins (the Rocket Richard) this year, I think there’s going to be one in his future. For him, a lot will be judged on how we do in the playoffs and getting in. I think he realizes Terry Koshan that, and the goals will follow.” Published:March 2, 2020 Toronto Sun LOADED: 03.03.2020 Updated:March 2, 2020 10:02 PM EST

SAN JOSE — Bob Boughner was half-joking, but his point about Auston Matthews was well-made.

“Every time you turn the TV on, he is scoring,” Boughner, the interim coach of the San Jose Sharks, said on Monday. “He probably has the best release in the NHL, I would think. One of them anyway.

“You have to check him tight. You can’t lay off him for a second, fall asleep in the defensive zone. When he gets it on his stick, it’s off very quick. But those (kinds of) great players are going to get their chances.”

With 66 Maple Leafs games in the books, Matthews has put 45 of those chances in the back of the net, thrusting himself into the race for the Rocket Richard Trophy. It’s a three-man sprint with a month remaining in the 2019-20 regular season, with David Pastrnak of the Boston Bruins leading the National Hockey League with 47 goals, followed by Matthews and Alex Ovechkin of the Washington Capitals tied with 45.

When Matthews tries to score for the third game in a row on Tuesday night when the Leafs open a three-game trip through California against the Sharks at the SAP Center, Toronto will have a bit of a different look. Jack Campbell will start in goal for the first time in eight games, while defenceman Rasmus Sandin will be a healthy scratch for the first time since being recalled in mid-January. Timothy Liljegren will be back on the Leafs blue line, forming the third defence pair with Calle Rosen.

The best players continuously find ways to evolve, and in the Leafs’ recent games, Matthews has scored in a couple of ways that aren’t overly common to him.

Last Thursday in Florida, he dumped the puck into the Panthers end from the neutral zone, banged defenceman MacKenzie Weegar into the boards on the forecheck and seconds later put a Zach Hyman pass into the net; on Saturday against Vancouver, Matthews didn’t try to find a better shooting lane as he burst into the offensive zone, instead shooting the puck from a difficult angle to beat Canucks goalie Thatcher Demko.

“There’s a lot that goes into everything that he does,” Leafs coach Sheldon Keefe said. “When you ask him about it and how he breaks it down, he’s very calculated in that sense.”

In the broader view, Matthews has been using his 6-foot-3, 220-pound body more to his advantage.

“I don’t know if blowing guys up on the forecheck is his staple, but I think just the way he protects the puck and he uses his body so well, he’s a hard guy to get the puck off,” Leafs centre Jason Spezza said. “You see it in practice. He makes you work when we do five-on-five drills.”

It’s all about possession and an elevated sense of determination for the 22-year-old Matthews. When he doesn’t have the puck, he wants it, whether it’s taking a pass from linemates Mitch Marner or Zach Hyman, or stripping it from an opponent. Matthews is third in the NHL with 73 takeaways.

“Running around out there with my stick up and trying to kill guys, that’s not really my game,” Matthews said, dryly. “I’d rather have the puck. I think it’s natural to play the way I always have. You try to finish checks, but you’re playing to play with the puck.”

Does Matthews think about scoring 50 goals in the NHL, never mind winning the Rocket Richard Trophy? Yes, but those individual accomplishments don’t consume him.

“It would mean a lot, no question,” Matthews said. “It’s a pretty prestigious award, but not something I think about often. I know I’m a shoot-first kind of guy, so I just look to contribute.” 1179660 Toronto Maple Leafs But what’s going on right now is largely why Dubas, now the GM, keeps Marincin around. The Leafs have already extended him for next season on a one-year deal worth the same $700,000 he’s earning this season.

Monday Morning Leafs Report: Auston Matthews’ hunt for 50, Travis It’s the third one-year contract in a row for Marincin. Dermott Q&A Marincin has served as useful depth for the Leafs since 2015. (Nick Turchiaro / USA Today)

By Jonas Siegel Mar 2, 2020 He popped in for 20 minutes against the Panthers two nights after Jake Muzzin broke his right hand in Tampa — more that night than rookies Rasmus Sandin and Timothy Liljegren and the recently reacquired Calle Rosen. Editor’s note: The Monday Morning Leafs Report is a weekly collection of quotes, observations, stats and notes. Stay tuned each week! There’s something about experience that way, particularly for Sheldon Keefe, who coached Marincin extensively with the Marlies and dished Thatcher Demko stayed frozen in position. him out nearly 21 more minutes in a win over the Canucks on Saturday. It was as though the Vancouver Canucks goaltender couldn’t figure out Marincin even potted only his fifth goal in 224 career games. how, or where, Auston Matthews slipped the puck through him over the weekend. “What a goal, right?” Zach Hyman told reporters after the 4-2 win.

Matthews has puzzled many goalies this season, with 45 goals now It can certainly be an adventure with Marincin. At one point during last through 66 games, the second-most in hockey, trailing only Bruins ball- Thursday’s game in Florida, the now-28-year-old went to retrieve a puck of-fire David Pastrnak (47). behind his own net but struggled to pry it away from the boards. The Leafs soon lost possession. At another point, after a long shift in the Fifty is right around the corner for the 22-year-old, and with it, history for Toronto end, Marincin wired the puck down the ice. That drew a few the Maple Leafs franchise. words from Matthews, who obviously wasn’t pleased with the icing. It’s been 26 years since a Leafs player last got to 50. Marincin takes up space with that flamingo-like 6-foot-5, 200-plus-pound Only three players in franchise history have ever been there before: Dave frame, though. And he’s obviously OK with not playing if need be, skating Andreychuk was the most recent, with 53 during the 1993-94 season; as an extra defenceman during most practices this season while getting Gary Leeman got there once; and Rick Vaive did it three times and holds scratched around 40 times for the second year in a row. He gives the the club record of 54. Leafs security in a pinch, or something close to it, particularly on the penalty kill. Matthews is on pace to top him with 56. He needs 10 in the final 16 games. This is how Marincin earns his coin — and why the Leafs keep bringing him back. Turns out getting to 50 is hard. The vet In fact, the Leafs are one of many teams without a 50-goal scorer in the past quarter century. Some teams have never had a player pot 50. A shaky Frederik Andersen looked like he was one more goal against (Pastrnak will soon become the first Bruin to do so since Cam Neely.) from getting pulled against the Panthers last week. Evidently, it was counsel from Jason Spezza that helped him turn things around and stop Only 12 players, period, have gotten to Mount 50 since the 2005-06 all 18 shots over the final two periods in a win. season. “Spezz was great with me in the first intermission,” Andersen said. “Just Matthews has been burying nearly a goal a game for almost three trying to settle me down a little bit and help get the belief back.” months now, with 29 goals in the past 36 games. He leads with the league with 29 five-on-five goals, topping Pastrnak and Alex Ovechkin. It’s another reminder of what’s made Spezza a valuable buy ($700,000) and why a reunion next season feels possible. He could become the first Leafs player ever to win the Rocket Richard Trophy. Kerfoot questions

Even the 50-goal brigade from Toronto never got all that close to winning One of the more interesting subplots still brewing right now is where to the league race in goals. When Vaive set the team record, he was fifth, play Alex Kerfoot, particularly with injuries up front. 38 goals (!!!) behind league-leader Wayne Gretzky, who had — gulp — Keefe has bounced Kerfoot between centre on the third line and right 92. wing on the John Tavares line. Andreychuk trailed Pavel Bure (60), Brett Hull (57) and Sergei Fedorov The complexities (concerns?) are twofold: (56) during the last 50-goal season for the Leafs. (Leafs president Brendan Shanahan had 52 that year for St. Louis.) If Kerfoot plays centre: Who plays the wing with Tavares and William Nylander? With Ilya Mikheyev out for the foreseeable future and Andreas So while what Matthews is doing has come to feel normal. It’s not. It’s Johnsson done for the year, the Leafs don’t have many viable options. history in the making. You could make a case for Kasperi Kapanen. But he’s looked Useful Marincin underwhelming in past prime-time stints, and if Keefe moves him up, he needs another winger for the third line. Who’s that guy? Keefe tried Denis Guess who the longest-serving Leaf is after Morgan Rielly? Yes, it’s Malgin with Tavares and Nylander straight away after the Leafs acquired Martin Marincin! him from Florida, but that quickly flamed out. Spezza is another option, but at 36, he belongs in a supporting role, not one that requires him to log A few weeks before Shanahan picked Lou Lamoriello to run the Leafs 15-20 minutes against tough competition. front office in August 2015, Toronto’s management team, steered then by assistant general managers Kyle Dubas and Mark Hunter, traded feisty If Kerfoot plays wing: Who plays the middle? It’s what keeps bringing the prospect Brad Ross, along with a fourth-round pick, to Edmonton for the Leafs coach back to Kerfoot there time and again. Spezza isn’t a viable 23-year-old Marincin. 3C solution for a sustained stretch, and Pierre Engvall probably isn’t ready for it as an NHL rookie. Spezza was the new-again option over the Marincin and Rielly, partners to begin the 2015-16 season, are the only weekend, but that was at home when Keefe controlled the matchups. roster players left since then. It’ll be fascinating to see where Keefe lands on this come playoff time. And what a strange existence Marincin has had with the Leafs. (Assuming the Leafs get in.) While he suited up 65 times during that last-place season and was a Kerfoot, part two prominent piece of the Marlies’ 2018 Calder Cup team, he’s not drawn into more than 25 games in an NHL season since. (He’s up to 23 this What’s partly driving this whole thing is how effective Kerfoot has been season.) with Tavares and Nylander. The two stars are obviously a big reason for that, but Kerfoot fits in too. He’s only 5-10 and 185 pounds, but he’s What’s the best part about playing at home? And what’s the worst part slippery along the boards in the offensive zone. “It’s something that I about playing at home? (Dermott is from Newmarket, Ont.) think that I can still get better at, obviously,” Kerfoot said of his board play. “You see guys like (William), obviously. He’s probably the best at it. Parents get to come to every game. That’s probably the best part for me. Mitchy is really good, too.” Worst part? Honestly, I can’t even really say there’s a worst part.

It was their edge work especially that he admired. (Dan Hamilton / USA Today)

“It gives them so much separation to be able to make plays and to be You’re good buddies with Andreas Johnsson. Tell me one fact about him able to get to open ice and find seams-type things,” Kerfoot went on. “I’m I wouldn’t know. (This interview was conducted before Johnsson suffered nowhere near as good as those guys, but it’s something I try to work on.” a season-ending knee injury.)

Kerfoot’s passing skills have probably been overlooked a little this You probably know the ketchup on the pasta. season. He’s second to Mitch Marner with 12 five-on-five assists over the I didn’t know that. previous 30 games and is tied with Nylander, Tavares and Tyson Barrie for the second-most primary five-on-five assists all season (11). Oh, well, there you go. Ketchup on pasta. Crazy play. Psycho, if you ask me. He thinks the game well, with a knack for spotting opportunities: Why would he do that? Over 183 minutes together, the line of Kerfoot, Tavares and Nylander is approaching 60 percent expected goals. I don’t know. He’s crazy. Someone’s gotta put a stop to it. But it still happens. As for playing the wing, “Obviously your game changes a little bit,” Kerfoot says. “When you’re at wing, you can get in on the forecheck a I’ve heard you can play guitar. What’s the best song you can play? little bit more often. You’re up the ice more — you just have less ice to Best song? Hollsy (Justin Holl) and I got some Juice WRLD going, some cover. You have less responsibility in the D-zone, I guess. But other than rap, which is pretty funny. That’s the most recent stuff, which is pretty that, it really doesn’t change that much. Obviously, not taking draws, that funny. type of thing. What’s your favourite thing to do on the team plane? “It’s different. But I feel comfortable, I guess, at wing and at centre.” Play “Super Mario” soccer (with) Hollsy, Marv (Marincin) and Mango Kerfoot gets to show off his speed more in the middle, darting his way (Johnsson). It’s me and Mango versus them two, and we, 90 percent of into the O-zone with the puck in tow. Is he strong enough to handle the the time, win. We’re elite. role defensively, particularly in a playoff series? You’ve got your first contract negotiation coming up. What kind of At some point, the Leafs will have to make that choice. But after a conversations, if any, do you have with your agent, Jeff Jackson, about meandering start to his season and with Mikheyev and Johnsson out, that? Kerfoot has made himself valuable. Not too much. At the start of the season, I was coming back from an Back-to-backs injury, so it was kinda like, “Well, you can sign now and play it kinda safe, The final two sets of back-to-back games are on the horizon this month, as you might get hurt. Or you can wait it out and see if you’re that much including one later this week with the Kings and Ducks in SoCal. better, if you have a good season and you’re strong.” I had a sit-down talk with him. He asked me how I felt health-wise, and I told him I felt Last month, Keefe dropped some insight into his approach for handling great. … We kinda put it off and haven’t really talked about it for a while. the two-in-twos. “I purposely, since I’ve been here, I don’t talk to the team about back-to-backs,” he said. “To me, it’s just another game. I’ve come Most proud moment in the NHL and most embarrassing moment in the from junior hockey and the American League, where you only play back- NHL? to-backs for the most part and three-in-threes and all that kind of stuff, Proud moment is probably still my first goal, when I saw my dad crying and it’s just part of the deal. on the JumboTron. “So, I don’t talk about it,” he went on. “We need to establish the right Most embarrassing moment … I don’t know. I’ve been walked hard a few frame of mind and just go out and be that and not think about anything times. Probably one of those. You can pull up the videos. else that really is irrelevant.” Who was the worst? Under Keefe, the Leafs are 4-2-0 in the first game of back-to-backs and 2-2-2 on the second night. Someone on Boston walked me. As soon as I took a step, he came in and put (the puck) through my legs, and I was just like, “Ahhh!” Talking shop with Dermott I’ll see if I can find the video. Now front and centre on the Leafs defence, Dermott took a few minutes last month to address a wide range of topics — including the status of his I’m sure it’s not hard. (Search) “Dermott sucks!” Oh, there it is. next contract — that wouldn’t often come up in day-to-day chatter. (None that I could find were as egregious as he described.) These are edited excerpts from that conversation: — Stats and research courtesy of Natural Stat Trick, Hockey-Reference What’s your favourite Sheldon Keefe story? and HockeyDB.

I got a penalty for yelling at the ref with the Marlies, and he came down The Athletic LOADED: 03.03.2020 on me pretty good for that one. We laugh about it now, but he came down on me pretty good with the Marlies.

What did you say to the refs?

Oh, I can’t even remember. I just remember Keefer coming in, in front of the whole team — and I was putting my helmet back (on) — and I get this feeling behind me and he was just giving it to me. And I just didn’t want to turn around!

What’s the thing you admire most in Morgan Rielly’s game?

Just how consistent I think he is. He’s always such a pro. He comes to the rink — he’s always one of the first ones here. When you see him, he’s always working on his game, working on his body, making sure he’s limber. And you watch him out there, and pretty much everything he does, you’re like, “Damn, I wish I could do that as well as him.” 1179661 Vegas Golden Knights “He gave me two pucks in the slot there that I should have scored,” Karlsson said. “He looks confident. He’s dangling and challenging guys. He’s playing real good hockey.”

Nicolas Roy earns promotion to 2nd line with Mark Stone injured LAS VEGAS REVIEW JOURNAL LOADED: 03.03.2020

By David Schoen Las Vegas Review-Journal March 2, 2020 - 6:04 PM Updated March 2, 2020 - 6:29 PM

Nicolas Roy played on the fourth line when he was called up during the first half of the Golden Knights’ season and eventually worked his way up to the third line.

Then, when coach Pete DeBoer juggled his lines in search of a spark during Sunday’s 4-1 loss to Los Angeles, Roy was promoted to the second line with leading scorer Max Pacioretty and center William Karlsson.

“I was buzzing in the third (period) there because I was pretty happy to play with these guys,” Roy said. “They help me a lot. They’re such good players, so it’s been fun.”

With Mark Stone out due to a lower-body injury and listed as week to week, the Knights are left with a gaping hole in the lineup.

Roy is not going to replace Stone’s 63 points, but at 6 feet, 4 inches and 200 pounds, he gives the Knights size along the wall and has a surprising scoring touch of his own.

The 23-year-old remained in Stone’s spot at right wing on the line with Pacioretty and Karlsson during practice Monday at City National Arena and is expected to line up there Tuesday when the Knights host the New Jersey Devils at T-Mobile Arena.

“I didn’t know Nicolas Roy as a player until I got here, and I’ve been really impressed,” DeBoer said. “I think he’s just scratching the surface of his abilities.

“He’s a big guy. He’s just growing into his body. He’s just getting some of that strength that you need to be able to create some room for yourself at this level. He’s got a high IQ. He’s highly skilled. He makes a lot of plays. He’s good defensively. He’s got a big upside.”

Roy played seven games over two seasons with Carolina before being traded to the Knights for Erik Haula in the off-season.

He came to his new club with a reputation as a strong defensive player and faceoff man after helping the Hurricanes’ American Hockey League affiliate overpower the Chicago Wolves in the Calder Cup Final.

While bouncing back and forth between the NHL and the minors as the Knights accrued additional salary cap space, Roy has accounted for four goals and eight points in 24 games.

“When you’re starting with a new team, obviously, you want to play good defensively first, and offense comes second,” Roy said. “At this level if you stop moving your feet you’re not going to create anything, so I think I’ve been improving a lot in that aspect.”

Roy played primarily center during his career in juniors and the minors, but said he’s embraced the challenge of playing wing.

Roy showed off his hands in the first period of Friday’s victory over Buffalo. He gathered a pass in the slot from Nick Cousins and made a backhand-to-forehand move around Sabres goalie Carter Hutton.

“His cutback and ability to hang on to the puck in the offensive zone, especially for his size, is right up there with Will Carrier as probably one of the best on the team,” Pacioretty said. “He’s got a lot more offensive potential than I think myself or anyone in this room kind of ever imagined. It’s a really nice thing to see. Last night was a lot of fun playing with him.”

Chandler Stephenson started out on the right wing with Pacioretty and Karlsson against the Kings before Roy moved into that spot for the third period.

Roy darted through Los Angeles’ defense and hit the post in the opening minute. During its brief time together, the Pacioretty-Karlsson-Roy line finished with a 7-0 advantage in shot attempts at 5-on-5. 1179662 Vegas Golden Knights

Robin Lehner still waiting on Golden Knights goalie pads

By Ben Gotz Las Vegas Review-Journal March 2, 2020 - 5:15 PM

Robin Lehner will continue to stick out like a sore thumb during his second Golden Knights start Tuesday.

Lehner’s new Knights leg pads aren’t in Las Vegas yet because of a customs issue. They are expected to arrive Tuesday, according to Ontario-based manufacturer Brian’s Custom Sports, and that doesn’t give him enough time to break them in before playing the New Jersey Devils.

His red and black Chicago Blackhawks pads will have to do for another game. Maybe more, because while Lehner said he is not superstitious, but he’s also afraid to mess with a good thing.

“I just don’t change pads,” Lehner said. “If I’m playing good in the ones that I have I really don’t want to change. Hopefully it’s going to take some time to get into the new ones.”

New armor is done pic.twitter.com/NHnAY6ipY7

— Robin Lehner (@RobinLehner) February 28, 2020

That means Lehner’s fashion could remain mismatched for a few games. His black and red equipment clashed with the Knights’ gray jerseys in his debut Friday, four days after the Blackhawks traded him.

His look may be slightly better Tuesday because his Knights gloves and blockers have arrived. But if he has his druthers the former Vezina Trophy finalist won’t wear a full matching outfit in a game for a while.

“(It’s) probably going to take a little bit to get into (the new pads),” Lehner said.

Special day

The Knights played host to some happy kids Monday.

Six children skated at the end of the team’s practice thanks to Make-A- Wish. They will attend the Knights’ game Tuesday and sound the rally siren.

“It puts a lot of things in perspective,” coach Pete DeBoer said. “You lose a game, you’re not feeling great and you come in and spend some time with these kids.

“It’s just a great day all around.”

Also, a group of young patients from UMC Children’s Hospital participated in a “Player for a Day” event at City National Arena on Monday afternoon. Approximately 20 kids signed contracts with the Knights before receiving hockey and skating lessons.

Pacioretty plays hero

Overlooked in the Knights’ 4-1 loss to the Los Angeles Kings on Sunday was an act of kindness by left wing Max Pacioretty.

He collided with Kings center Blake Lizotte in the third period, causing both to fall to the ice. Pacioretty wrapped his arm around Lizotte’s head as they toppled, shielding his opponent from a potential head or neck injury.

Max Pacioretty prevents a potential head injury for Blaze Lizotte by quickly putting his arm under Lizotte's head after they collided pic.twitter.com/IMx3PUovHr

— Gino Hard (@Ginohard_) March 2, 2020

“You have contact like that, just trying to break the fall a little bit so it’s not too hard on him,” Pacioretty said. “Just an instinct thing.”

LAS VEGAS REVIEW JOURNAL LOADED: 03.03.2020 1179663 Vegas Golden Knights

Golden Knights gain perspective from Make-A-Wish kids visit

By Ben Gotz Las Vegas Review-Journal March 2, 2020 - 4:58 PM

The Golden Knights arrived at City National Arena on Monday morning fresh off their first loss since Feb. 11.

Then some special new teammates helped them take their mind off it. The Knights welcomed six children to practice thanks to Make-A-Wish.

The kids skated with the team, took shots at goaltender Marc-Andre Fleury and helped the organization take its mind off the season for a moment.

“I think the players and coaches are excited to play a role in these young kids’ days,” coach Pete DeBoer said. “It puts a lot of things in perspective. You lose a game, you’re not feeling great and you come in and spend some time with these kids.

“It’s just a good day all around.”

The kids will attend Tuesday’s game against the New Jersey Devils and sound the rally siren before the game. They weren’t the only ones welcomed by the Knights on Monday.

The team also hosted approximately 20 young pediatric patients from UMC Children’s Hospital to City National Arena on Monday. The kids signed contracts with the Knights and then received a hockey and skating lesson.

LAS VEGAS REVIEW JOURNAL LOADED: 03.03.2020 1179664 Vegas Golden Knights in the game because they put up a wall and they protect their goalie and keep those second, third chances away.”

LAS VEGAS REVIEW JOURNAL LOADED: 03.03.2020 Golden Knights’ recent 8-game win streak by the numbers

By Ben Gotz Las Vegas Review-Journal March 2, 2020 - 4:30 am

The Golden Knights didn’t necessarily deserve the 4-1 scoreline that ended their season-long eight-game winning streak Sunday.

Alas, such is life and such is hockey.

The Knights started slow, Los Angeles Kings goaltender Cal Petersen was outstanding and Vegas found itself on the losing end of things for the first time since Feb. 11. Thus ended the second eight-game win streak in franchise history.

Before it gets lost in the rear view mirror, here’s a look back at the Knights’ streak by the numbers:

3 — Goaltenders used

25 — Skaters used

4 — Trades consummated

7 — Players recalled from American Hockey League

33 — Goals scored

20 — Goals allowed

277-184-65 — Current record of defeated opponents

.552 — Knights’ points percentage before streak (17th in NHL)

.597 — Knights’ points percentage after streak (10th)

The last two numbers are the most important.

The Knights began the winning streak in fourth place in the Pacific Division and ended in first. They went from a team battling for a playoff spot to one fighting for home-ice advantage in the first two rounds.

The Knights’ showed genuine improvement in that stretch and made several moves to bolster their roster. The next step is maintaining that progress over their remaining 15 regular-season games.

The streak showed the Knights’ potential. It’s on them to realize it rest of the way.

“It’s frustrating when you lose,” coach Pete DeBoer said. “I think we’ve been on a good run here.”

Roy shines

One obvious bright spot for the Knights on Sunday was rookie forward Nicolas Roy.

He had two shots and three hits in a noticeable performance. He was rewarded for his energetic play in the third period. DeBoer moved him from the third line to the second and had him play with left wing Max Pacioretty and center William Karlsson.

“He might have been our best player tonight,” DeBoer said. “I know I wish I would have gotten him out there a little more, moved him up earlier. I thought, you know, every time he stepped on the ice he had some good jump. He’s got offensive instincts. He’s solid defensively. He’s a versatile guy. You can use him on the penalty kill. I think he’s got power play potential, whether that’s now or down the road. He’s a good player.”

Running up the shot clock

The Knights had 88 shot attempts Sunday, tied for their second-highest total of the season. They allowed 30 shot attempts, the fewest they’ve given up this year.

The team didn’t take much solace in that since the Kings’ early 2-0 lead skewed the numbers.

“I know the shots were kind of lopsided there but they had good looks and they kept everything to the outside and we didn’t do that,” center Paul Stastny said. “When they have a lead like that it’s hard to get back 1179665 Vegas Golden Knights “He’s just a really good player where he’s at that right age where it’s time for decisions to be made, kind of, as to what type of player he’s going to be,” Pacioretty said. “It seems right now the sky’s the limit for him. He’s got a lot more offensive potential than myself, or anyone in this room, Fighting to stay in the NHL, Vegas rookie Nicolas Roy is outplaying kind of imagined. It’s a really nice thing to see.” expectations Roy regularly fends off defensemen while maintaining possession but always keeps his eyes up, looking for a passing lane.

By Jesse Granger Mar 2, 2020 “I would say (my biggest improvement this season) is my skating ability with the puck,” Roy said. “Just keeping my feet moving. At this level if

you stop moving your feet you’re not going to create anything, so I think Golden Knights rookie Nicolas Roy has bounced back and forth from the I’ve been improving a lot in that aspect.” NHL to the AHL all season. When DeBoer took the job in Vegas he obviously didn’t have much time He’s suited up for 24 games with Vegas and 27 with the Chicago Wolves. to familiarize himself with every player in the Golden Knights’ system, Living a brutal travel schedule this season, Roy’s most underrated skill and he’s been pleasantly surprised with what he’s discovered in Roy. might be his uncanny ability to sleep anywhere. “I was talking to George (McPhee) today, and I didn’t know Nicolas Roy “I’m really good at that,” he said with a laugh. “After the first second I’m as a player until I got here, and I’ve been really impressed,” DeBoer said. sleeping, so it’s a good nap. Plane, bus, wherever. After the first second “I think he’s just scratching the surface of his abilities.” I’m sleeping.” Early in the season Roy wasn’t focused on scoring. He entered the year Roy has been sent from one league to the other a whopping 24 times this with only seven total NHL games under his belt, and he knows coaches season, but he could be finally solidifying his place in the NHL for good. put a premium on defensive reliability. The 23-year-old rookie has impressed coaches with his play lately, “When you’re starting with a new team you want to play good defensively showing more offensive skill than expected, and as a result he’s flown up first, and offense comes second,” Roy said. “But I’ve always been good the lineup. offensively in junior and other leagues.” Midway through Sunday night’s game against the Los Angeles Kings, Roy scored more than a point per game in junior hockey, racking up 261 Vegas coach Peter DeBoer moved Roy to the second line, alongside points in four seasons with the Chicoutimi Saguenéens of the Quebec stars William Karlsson and Max Pacioretty. Major Junior Hockey League. As Roy stepped into the faceoff circle he looked to his high profile Now that scoring touch is beginning to show — in small flashes — at the teammates flanking each side of him, and the moment wasn’t lost on highest level. Sunday night he was one of Vegas’ lone bright spots. In him. one period skating with Pacioretty and Karlsson, the trio were an “That’s a pretty good feeling,” Roy said with a smile. “I was buzzing in the absolute force. They held a 7-0 edge in shot attempts, 4-0 in shots on third (period) because I was happy to play with these guys. They help me goal and 6-0 in scoring chances while on the ice. a lot. They’re such good players, so it’s been fun.” “He might have been our best player tonight,” DeBoer said of Roy When the Golden Knights acquired Roy last offseason, in a trade that following the game. “I know I wish I would’ve got him out there a little sent Erik Haula to the Carolina Hurricanes, the expectation was Roy more, and moved him up earlier. I thought every time he stepped on the could carve out a role on the fourth line. At 6-foot-4, 205 pounds, Roy ice he had some good jump. He’s got good offensive instincts and is solid provides a big body with the physicality to win board battles in his own defensively. end and is defensively responsible enough to be trusted on the penalty “He’s a versatile guy. You can use him on the PK. I think he’s got power kill. play potential, whether it’s now or down the road. He’s a good player.” But as he’s received more playing time in the NHL, Roy is proving his Roy’s top-six role won’t be permanent, as he was only filling in for the large frame is equally beneficial in the offensive zone. injured Mark Stone. But perhaps he can climb into that role later in his “His cutback and ability to hang onto the puck in the offensive zone — career. especially for a guy his size — is right up there with Will Carrier as one of For now, he’s soaking in every moment. the best on the team,” Pacioretty said. “He creates a lot of O-zone time, and I think that allows our team to get a lot more possession numbers. “It was so much fun,” Roy said. “Those guys are so good. They help me Often times, especially in the second period, when you’re able to create a lot, and it was a lot of fun.” those long shifts, whether you score goals or not, I think it wears down teams.” The Athletic LOADED: 03.03.2020

The numbers back up Pacioretty’s analysis of Roy’s game, especially as of late.

In nine games since Feb. 1, Roy’s possession metrics are outstanding. In 100 minutes of even strength ice time, Roy’s Corsi percentage is 61.67 (third-best on the team during that span). His shot share (62.75), expected goal share (64.26) and scoring chance share (64.63) are also amongst the best on the team.

That’s because the puck is rarely in the defensive zone when Roy is on the ice. He uses his large frame, long reach and sharp hockey sense to possess the puck for long stretches.

“He’s a big guy, and he’s just growing into his body and getting some of that strength that you need to be able to create some room for yourself at this level,” DeBoer said. “He’s got a high IQ, he’s highly skilled and he makes a lot of plays. He’s good defensively. He’s got a big upside.”

Roy also has the hands to make high-end skill plays around the net, as he showed Friday night against the Sabres.

NIC ROY 1-1 PIC.TWITTER.COM/FVBTPBSE9N

— HERE'S YOUR REPLAY (@HERESYOURREPLAY) FEBRUARY 29, 2020 1179666 Vegas Golden Knights

Golden Knights Super Fan ‘Hulk’ Dies; VGK Fans Left Heartbroken After Hearing Sad News Monday: ‘It’s Like We Lost A Family Member’

By Alan Snel of LVSportsBiz.com

Vegas Golden Knights fans were deeply saddened Monday when they learned that one of the Golden Knights’ most visible and popular fans — John Baratta, the man known as Hulk for ripping his red shirt when the Knights scored a goal — had died.

Sporting the Hulk Hogan-style mustache, Baratta was a well-known fan who was often pictured on the T-Mobile Arena jumbotron tearing his shirt a la pro wrestler Hogan after the Knights scored a goal.

Some VGK fans noted on Facebook that they saw Baratta only the night before when the Golden Knights lost to the Los Angeles Kings at T- Mobile Arena and wrote heartfelt words on the Facebook pages of Baratta and Baratta’s other Facebook page dubbed, “Vegas Hulkamania.” Several reports said Baratta died from a heart attack.

Jessica Nepper, Baratta’s daughter, wrote in a Facebook message to LVSportsBiz.com: “He loved going to every knights game he will be truly missed by so many! He touched so many lives and had a lot of fans himself ”

Golden Knights fan Linda Grandis, who wears Golden Knights-theme jackets and is seen on the jumbotron often, observed, “It’s like we lost a family member.”

Nepper posted this Facebook tribute below to her dad Monday afternoon. She said her dad was born in Omaha, Nebraska and had six kids. “He also had 21 grandkids and 2 great grandkids that he loved dearly,” Nepper said. “He also loved going to the games with his wife Priscilla and traveling to all the away games.”

This was also posted on Baratta’s Facebook page:

Others shared their thoughts on Facebook, too.

Drew Johnson We all knew John from the KnightTron, but I’ll remember him from road games. In places like Winnipeg, DC and Florida, where my wife & I were sure we wouldn’t see a single VGK fan we’d recognize (maybe other than the ever-present and always glittering Tommy & Donna Rocker), John would almost always be there. Whether it was just a quick “hi” or a longer conversation, he was always a joy to be around. Your day was always a little better by having crossed paths with John.

LVSportsBiz.com met Baratta many times at Golden Knights games, even seeing him in Los Angeles for a Golden Knights-Kings playoff game in season one.

LVSportsBiz.com also posted this Twitter item on the “Hulk” this season.

Arena beer vendor Martin Martin wrote to LVSportsBiz.com to say he had the honor of selling Baratta his final beer at Sunday’s VGK-Kings game: “We are the walking beer vendors working every VGK game at the arena. John was one of my loyal and regular customers as my assigned sections are 7 through 9 and I had the Honor, privilege and pleasure of being the beer vendor that sold him his final favorite beer at the Kings game. He loved Estrella Jalisco!”

Another friend, Jerry Smith, wrote and sent a photo, too.

“John had become a wonderful friend and was the ultimate VGK Fan. I’m simply devastated…He was a HUGE part of the VGK comments…

RIP MY FRIEND

VGK FOREVER”

LVSportsBiz.com LOADED: 03.03.2020 1179667 Washington Capitals

Capitals use scene from Tom Hanks hit 'Cast Away' to promote Tom Wilson bobblehead night

By Ethan Cadeaux March 02, 2020 2:40 PM

If you've ever seen the movie Cast Away, actor Tom Hanks had many viewers on the edge of their seats when he swam in the ocean after a floating volleyball named "Wilson," repeatedly screaming the name.

So, to promote Tom Wilson bobblehead night, the Capitals put their own spin on the scene. And it was fabulous.

IT’S WILSONNNN!

All-fan Tom Wilson bobblehead giveaway, courtesy of @CapitalOne on March 24 for #CapsBlues.

https://t.co/NnM4dL2pXn pic.twitter.com/9AsNoQuHvp

— Washington Capitals (@Capitals) March 2, 2020

The Wilson bobblehead features No. 43 with a giant volleyball as his chest, mimicking the skit.

The promotion will take place March 24, when the Caps host the reigning Stanley Cup champion St. Louis Blues. Washington defeated St. Louis on a game-winning overtime goal from Jakub Vrana on the NHL's opening night, the first time the two squads clashed this season.

Wilson notched his 21st goal of the season in the Caps' victory on Sunday night over the Wild. He remains just one goal shy of his career high, one he set a season ago.

Comcast SportsNet.com LOADED: 03.03.2020 1179668 Washington Capitals after a rule change making an unsuccessful challenge a penalty, but this is more about officials getting it right.

"The offside rule I think is going to be discussed again where just Emergency goalie protocol talk on tap for NHL GMs meeting breaking the plane would make it a little bit easier to view it on the video," Rutherford said. "It's always hard for the linesmen regardless which way we do this because everything's happening so fast."

By Associated Press March 02, 2020 10:41 AM -- A few seasons into hybrid icing, Rutherford is concerned there are too many icing stoppages because players are skating back slower to get the

call from linesmen. When a 42-year-old Zamboni driver entered as an emergency goaltender "It appears to me that we now have more icings than are necessary and won an NHL game, it became one of the best stories in sports. where a guy going back for a puck may turn the opposite way where he But David Ayres going from practicing with the Toronto Maple Leafs to could've got the puck or he may just play the opposing player at the blue playing against them in the thick of a playoff race also generated debate line when he could've got the puck," he said. "I have to find out if other about what should happen in those rare instances. So emergency goalie GMs feel the same way, but if we do, maybe tighten that up a bit." protocol will be a significant topic of conversation when general -- Commissioner Gary Bettman said recently the NHL isn't planning to managers open their annual March meeting Monday in Boca Raton, make radical changes to its playoff format like the NBA is considering. Florida. But with two of the top three teams in the league -- Boston and Tampa "This was a perfect storm," Dallas Stars GM Jim Nill said. "You never Bay -- playing in the same division, the current divisional format of those think it's going to get to the point where you get two guys hurt, but it did teams potentially facing off in the second round might again be happen. ... Is it something that happens once every 20 years? Is it a questioned. great story? That's what we'll have to discuss." "We were in 1 to 8 (in each conference) and there was a disparity in Ayres is not employed by the Maple Leafs and works as operations travel and so we went to this format," Armstrong said. "There's going to manager at the former Maple Leaf Gardens in Toronto. He has for years be pros and cons to whatever decision is made. I understand the logic of been one of the organization's on-call practice goalies and even backed talking about 1 to 8, but that's an easy talk in the Eastern Conference. It's up for their top minor league affiliate during a game. a difficult talk in the Western Conference."

Despite going in for Carolina in a blue and white mask and equipment, -- In-arena medical procedures worked when Blues defenseman Jay Ayres stopped eight of the 10 shots he faced to help the Hurricanes beat Bouwmeester collapsed on the bench earlier this month with a cardiac the Maple Leafs. Because of that result, Pittsburgh Penguins GM Jim event. Because of the success of those protocols in situations involving Rutherford didn't think much about the oddity of the situation. Jiri Fischer, Rich Peverly and Bouwmeester, it's not an area that needs immediate attention but will continue to be looked at to see what can be "I guess if the result of the game had've gone the other way, I might've better. put more thought into it," Rutherford said. "What's going on now is everybody's talking about what if, a lot of what-ifs. We can talk in circles "It's not something that I think anyone looks at and says, 'OK, this is about what-ifs and everything. I don't have an issue with what just took perfect' because it's such an important thing," Armstrong said. "It's not place. But, like always, I'm open to listen to everybody's thoughts and something that will just stay stagnant. We'll always try to evolve to make what everybody's ideas are." sure player safety and fan safety is at the forefront of our game."

The current rule of each arena making an emergency goalie available for Comcast SportsNet.com LOADED: 03.03.2020 a game stemmed from 2015 incident in Florida that almost caused an assistant coach to put on the pads and play. Because an emergency goalie has only been required to play twice -- Ayres and Scott Foster for Chicago in 2018 -- executives and officials might find the current protocol better than the old-school notion of making a skater go in net.

"We said it's unfair to the guy on the ice to have to go in there," St. Louis Blues GM Doug Armstrong said. "It didn't make any sense. So, now we said let's see if there's someone locally that can go in the net. It's difficult to find 31 A-plus goalies that go to 41 home games a year. There's always ways to try and see if we can improve it."

Armstrong said he wouldn't be in favor of the expense of carrying a third goalie all season, which would also be impractical. One possibility calls for each team to have a full-time employee at home and on the road ready to serve in goal if needed.

"What, do you go find a guy that's not too bad of a goalie that can practice every day and work in your marketing department or wherever he's working?" Nill said. "He's got to travel with the team all the time. We look at those scenarios. With everything, there's CBA issues involved, there's labor laws involved, so just different things that you have to check off the boxes before you can decide what to do."

Deputy Commissioner Bill Daly said the NHL has to work with the Players' Association on collective bargaining concerns, like determining who counts as a player. Those complications make it no easy fix with perhaps no perfect solution.

"Obviously we want what's best for the game, and we want to make sure people aren't putting themselves in danger by playing goal in a National Hockey League game," Daly said. "That's obviously something we have to continue to work through."

Some other topics that could come up when GMs meet Monday- Wednesday:

-- Some offside reviews are disputable because a player's skate might be in the air, making it unclear even on replay. Coach's challenges are down 1179669 Washington Capitals

Crazy first period sparks a sloppy win for Capitals

By J.J. Regan March 01, 2020 10:55 PM

The Capitals did not play all that well on Sunday, but escaped Minnesota with a 4-3 win over the Wild thanks to three goals in the first period, including two from Alex Ovechkin. Despite a sloppy performance that saw Washington surrender an early goal, the Caps still managed to take a 3-1 lead, which they rode all the way for the win. Washington has now won three of its first four games.

Here is how the Caps won.

3:38

Washington should not have won this game. The Capitals played terribly in the defensive zone, turned the puck over constantly, had little sustained offensive zone pressure, gave up a goal just 3:01 in...but the game completely flipped on its head midway through the first period when the Caps scored three goals in just 3:38 to take the 3-1 lead. As bad as Washington played in this game, it had a lead to work with and that made all the difference.

A 2-man advantage

After a horrible start in which Minnesota jumped out to a 1-0 lead just 3:01 in, the Wild allowed the Caps right back into the game. Greg Pateryn was called for tripping Lars Eller and less than a minute later goalie Alex Stalock was caught high-sticking T.J. Oshie. That gave Washington 1:18 worth of a two-man advantage.

As bad as the power play has been, that's a long time for a 5-on-3 to work.

Ovechkin fired a one-timer from the top of the circle and it looked like Stalock was there in plenty of time to make the save, but the shot was a knuckler and bounced right off the glove and in.

A neutral zone puck battle

Moving the puck through the neutral zone was a struggle for the Caps in this one. Early in the first, though, they caught a break.

John Carlson passed the puck up into the neutral zone. Jonas Brodin tried to cut off at the wall. A battle began along the boards until Carl Hagelin was able to chip it in the offensive zone. Richard Panik was out of the scrum, pounced on the loose puck then fired a shot to beat Stalock far-side.

The Russian connection

Ilya Kovalchuk was flying all over the ice in this game and that earned him a few shifts on the top line with Ovechkin and Evgeny Kuznetsov. That paid off in the first period as the line got a 3-on-2 opportunity. Kovalchuk carried the puck into the offensive zone, dropped it off to Kuznetsov who fed Ovechkin for the one-timer making it 3-1.

A forced turnover

Carlson fired a shot that went well wide and curled around the boards. Kuznetsov made a very smart play reading it right away and putting pressure on the boards. Ryan Suter tried to tap the puck up to spark a breakout, but Kuznetsov was there to cut it off and pass back to Ovechkin. The turnover caught the Wild completely out of position. With only one defenseman between the net and both Ovechkin and Tom Wilson, Ovechkin fed Wilson who wristed a shot past Stalock, who had already gone down to the butterfly when Ovechkin had the puck in anticipation of the shot.

Braden Holtby

This was a pretty wide-open game with both teams trading chances back and forth. Minnesota ended up firing 40 shots on goal with Holtby picking up 37 saves on the night. Without a sharp game from their netminder, this one could have gotten out of hand in a hurry.

Comcast SportsNet.com LOADED: 03.03.2020 1179670 Washington Capitals

Alex Ovechkin moves into fifth place in NHL history for multi-goal games with 144

By Eric Myers March 01, 2020 9:47 PM

Another week, another goal that vaults Alex Ovechkin further up the NHL all-time leaderboards.

Eight days after becoming the eighth member of the 700-goal club in league history, Ovechkin scored two goals against the Minnesota Wild to give him 144 career multi-goal games, moving him into fifth place in that category.

With two one-timers in the first period against the Wild on Sunday night, Ovechkin jumped into the fifth spot for multi-goal games ahead of Phil Esposito — another member of the exclusive 700-goal club.

The first goal came on a 5-on-3 that Ovechkin capitalized on with a one- timed missile from his "office" on the left wing. good luck stopping that one pic.twitter.com/mo94MlvJNV

— NBC Sports Capitals (@NBCSCapitals) March 2, 2020

The second was a perfectly executed odd-man rush that saw the puck move from Ilya Kovalchuk, to Evgeny Kuznetsov and finally to Ovechkin for the one-timed blast into a wide-open net.

Kovy + Kuzy + Ovi = THAT RUSSIAN CONNECTION pic.twitter.com/FjkhKIZOz9

— NBC Sports Capitals (@NBCSCapitals) March 2, 2020

Sunday's multi-goal effort was the 12th time Ovechkin has found the back of the net at least twice in his 15th season in the league.

Wayne Gretzky tops the list with 198 games with two or more goals. Brett Hull (158), Mario Lemieux and Gordie Howe (147) are the other goal scorers that Ovechkin trails in that category.

Of Ovechkin's 144 multi-goal games, the 34-year-old has 27 career hat tricks, good for eighth all-time on that list.

Ovechkin's season has included a number of milestones, leaderboard ascensions and momentous goals. He could soon be in line for yet another rise on a leaderboard when he secures his next hat trick, which would put him in a three-way tie with Hull and Marcel Dionne for sixth all- time.

Comcast SportsNet.com LOADED: 03.03.2020 1179671 Washington Capitals

Ilya Kovalchuk assists on Alex Ovechkin's goal against Wild for first point as a Capital

By Eric Myers March 01, 2020 8:33 PM

Ilya Kovalchuk came to the Capitals with 615 points, 287 of which came on assists. The veteran forward also arrived with a sense of familiarity because of his Russian connections to countrymen Alex Ovechkin and Evgeny Kuznetsov.

That chemistry gave Kovalchuk his first point as a Capital on Sunday night against Minnesota.

Kovalchuk found himself on the ice with Kuznetsov and Ovechkin when the Capitals played a puck forward with just over nine minutes left in a wild first period. With the opportunity for an odd-man rush, Kovalchuk gained possession in the neutral zone and dropped a pass to Kuznetsov. Ovechkin skated to the left wing, received Kuznetsov's pass and fired a one-timer into a wide-open net.

Kovy + Kuzy + Ovi = THAT RUSSIAN CONNECTION pic.twitter.com/FjkhKIZOz9

— NBC Sports Capitals (@NBCSCapitals) March 2, 2020

The goal was Ovechkin's second score of the first period and Washington's third goal in a span of 3 minutes, 38 seconds.

Ovechkin's two goals, both on one-timers, bring his career goal total to 703 — five goals behind Mike Gartner's 708-goal mark for seventh on the NHL all-time goal-scoring list.

Since the Capitals acquired Kovalchuk on Feb. 23, the veteran has played two games, appearing as the right winger on the third line and featuring on the power play.

With his first point as a Capital in the books, head coach Todd Reirden and the Capitals hope this is the start of significant production from Kovalchuk as the team heads down the stretch and into the playoffs.

Comcast SportsNet.com LOADED: 03.03.2020 1179672 Washington Capitals good luck stopping that one pic.twitter.com/mo94MlvJNV — NBC Sports Capitals (@NBCSCapitals) March 2, 2020

That goal sparked a surge of three goals in just 3:38 for Washington. Ovechkin is right on time, the Russian connection and Kempny is struggling Play of the game

Ilya Kovalchuk got a few looks on the top line which gave us this Russian Connection goal. By J.J. Regan March 01, 2020 11:00 PM Kovy + Kuzy + Ovi = THAT RUSSIAN CONNECTION

pic.twitter.com/FjkhKIZOz9 The Capitals got the 4-3 win over the Minnesota Wild on Sunday for their — NBC Sports Capitals (@NBCSCapitals) March 2, 2020 third win in four games. That's the good news. The bad news is that it was hardly the type of performance that would instill much confidence Stat of the game that the Caps have put their problems behind them. Neat. Check out a recap of the game here. Alex Ovechkin scored his 45th goal last season on March 1, 2019. Observations from the win — Tom Gulitti (@TomGulittiNHL) March 2, 2020 One step forward, two steps back Ovechkin scored 51 goals last season. David Pastrnak has 47 already so Washington earned two points and at this point in the season, that is that probably won't be enough for a Rocket Richard, but that would be a what is most important. It gives the Caps a three-point lead atop the pretty solid total for the 34-year old if he managed the same total as last Metropolitan Division over the red-hot Philadelphia Flyers. But go beyond year. the box score and this game was atrocious. Quote of the game The defensive coverage was awful, there were turnovers galore and the Caps could not manage much sustained offensive-zone pressure. There Todd Reirden on putting the Russian trio of Ovechkin, Evgeny Kuznetsov were too many blind, backhanded passes to count in this game in the and Ilya Kovalchuk together: defensive and neutral zones. It's really maddening to watch. It seemed "That was something that I've been trying. I've done it a couple times for almost as if they knew they weren't playing well defensively so they were just one or two shifts and then they were feeling it. Obviously that's great just blindly trying to fling the puck up the ice regardless of whether they for Kovalchuk to get his first point and kind of get going. ... I wasn't sure connected on the pass or not. how it was going to go. I've done my research on this one, they haven't Sometimes the Caps can get three goals in 3:38, including two goals played a lot together with the national team or anything so that's from Alex Ovechkin, to outscore their issues, but this was not an something that I wanted to see a little bit and we'll see moving forward. encouraging performance. Just some different combinations that I think can keep the opposition on their heels." Let's talk about Kempny Fan predictions Michal Kempny has had a tough season. It's been so tough that at the trade deadline with right defense being an obvious area of need, general I can guarantee with almost 100-percent certainty that we will not see an manager Brian MacLellan elected to bring in the left-shot Brenden Dillon Ovechkin, Kuznetsov, Kovalchuk line https://t.co/oRc3WKQMzU to replace Kempny on the top pair. — JJ Regan (@JJReganNBCS) February 24, 2020

On Sunday, Kempny constantly gave up inside position all game long. !!! Hey, how did this get in here!?! On Minnesota's first goal of the game, it was an offensive zone turnover from Kempny and then a defensive misplay that gave Ryan Donato the Caps 6-2 ... Carly 3 points and kovy gets his first breakaway. When Donato lost control of the puck and was behind the net, Kempny took a horrible angle that took him out of the play allowing — J (@ColtsCaps) March 2, 2020 Donato to maintain possession and bank the puck off of Braden Holtby Kovy scores! and in. Kempny also took a horrendously unnecessary interference call late in the third and the Wild scored on the resulting power play. — Master Shake (@cowgirl_bebop) March 2, 2020

Had the Caps lost this game, that penalty would have been the turning Kovalchuk didn't score, but he did get his first point. point. 4-3 Caps Kempny has been shuffled around the lineup since the addition of Dillon and has not really been able to find a spot that suits him yet. As for now, — Spiritual Life Coach (@SpiritualLifeC2) March 2, 2020 he is not playing well enough to consider putting him back on the top Nailed it. pair. Comcast SportsNet.com LOADED: 03.03.2020 Orlov is a left defenseman

I keep hearing Dmitry Orlov is comfortable playing on the right. He sure does not look like it.

Turning point

The game got off to a horrible start as Minnesota jumped out to a 1-0 lead just 3:01 in. The Caps were playing terribly defensively and it looked like it was going to be a long night. Then the Wild allowed Washington right back into the game.

Greg Pateryn was called for tripping Lars Eller and less than a minute later, Alex Stalock was caught high-sticking T.J. Oshie. That gave Washington 1:18 of a two-man advantage.

As bad as Washington's power play has been, that's a long time for a 5- on-3 to work. Ovechkin fired a one-timer from the top of the circle and it looked like goalie Alex Stalock was there in plenty of time to make the save, but the shot was a knuckler and bounced right off the glove and in. 1179673 Washington Capitals also think Vitek is ready. I think going into training camp, you just say, ‘Boys, it’s yours to win. Battle it out and see where the chips fall.’ So it’s up to them.”

Capitals’ prospect tiers: 11 players to watch for the 2020-21 season Brian Pinho, F: Pinho was the fifth center on the Bears’ depth chart last offseason, which is to say the Bears weren’t expecting much from him. Now he’s a player they can’t do without. The 2013 sixth-round pick has 18 goals and 32 points – up significantly from the four goals and 12 By Tarik El-Bashir Mar 2, 2020 points he posted the previous season. Pinho has proven to be versatile. He’s played wing on the top line, center on the third and has a team-best three shorthanded goals. “He’s been a big surprise,” Helmer said. “He’s HERSHEY, Pa. – The Hershey Bears are leading the AHL’s Atlantic put himself on the map in terms of Washington’s depth chart, for sure. Division and a handful of the Capitals’ prospects, like forwards Garrett Some guys develop later, and I still think he has a window there of a Pilon, Brian Pinho and Axel Jonsson-Fjallby, are enjoying breakout couple of years, at least, to have a chance.” seasons. Pinho added: “It started last year. I had a pretty good playoffs and a Next season, the Caps figure to have a couple of jobs up for grabs in the pretty good preseason in Washington and I’ve just kept it rolling. I’m just bottom-six forward ranks, a spot or two available on the blue line and playing with a lot more confidence and consistency.” perhaps an opening in net, depending on Braden Holtby, who is due to become an unrestricted free agent at season’s end. So Bears’ vice Beck Malenstyn, F: Malenstyn got three games in Washington this president of hockey operations Bryan Helmer was the man to talk to to season and figures to be at the top of the list should the Caps need a big- get the scoop on which players have put themselves in position to earn a bodied banger on the fourth line. job in Washington or, at the very least, push for playing time with the big Daniel Sprong, F: Acquired at the deadline from Anaheim for Christian club next season. Djoos, Sprong scored a goal in his Bears’ debut on Saturday. The soon- Helmer obviously hopes both Washington and Hershey play deep into to-be 23-year-old winger has speed and has already been productive in the summer months. But he’s excited about next September, too. the NHL, recording 19 goals and 11 assists in 97 games with the Penguins and Ducks. A restricted free agent at season’s end, Sprong “Training camp next year is going to be fun,” he said. “There are going to immediately gives the organization some bottom-six depth and, come battles everywhere.” September, could find himself in the mix for a role in Washington.

Based on conversations with Helmer and others, the prospects on Tier III: On the radar but not quite ready Hershey’s roster are broken down into three tiers: locks to make Washington’s roster in October, potential call-ups in 2020-21 and those Bobby Nardella, D: Like Pinho, Nardella wasn’t really penciled into the who have played themselves into the conversation. lineup in the offseason. But like Pinho, Nardella carved out a prominent role for himself. With Djoos now in Anaheim, Nardella is the leading A couple of caveats: For this exercise, prospects are defined as players scorer among Bears’ defensemen with four goals and 24 assists in just the organization considers to be potential solutions at the NHL level and, 37 games. Will the 5-foot-9, 180-pounder play in the NHL? Too soon to thus, not AHL vets who might see spot duty in D.C. Junior prospects say. But his compete level and production has got everyone’s attention. such as Connor McMicheal are also excluded. “If he keeps progressing the way he has this year, he’ll definitely put himself in position if the Caps are looking for a fill-in,” Helmer said. Tier I: On the Caps’ roster next season Garrett Pilon, F: Pilon also overcame a slow start like so many of his Martin Fehervary, D: The 2018 second-round pick has leapfrogged to the Hershey teammates. The 2016 third-round center has 18 goals and 36 top of the Caps’ prospects pipeline and should earn a full-time job in points, which is good for fourth on the team. Pilon is 21 years old; the Washington. The 20-year-old Slovak played six games (on two stints) players ahead of him in points are 26, 27 and 35. “He has really come with the Caps this season and acquitted himself well, all things on,” Helmer said. “He had a tough start to the year but he’s been playing considered. He can skate. He competes. But most important, he can a lot better. It’s all about consistency for him. This summer is going to be really skaaate. “Marty, in my opinion, is ahead of (2018 first-round pick) a big summer. He has to get faster. That’s the knock on him – his foot Alex (Alexeyev) just because he played against men the last couple of speed.” years,” Helmer said of Fehervary. “He’s a pro. He works hard. He does the right things on the ice and off the ice. He’s ready. He could probably Pilon said he often leans on his father, former NHL defenseman Rich play tomorrow for them as a full-time guy.” Pilon, for advice. “He obviously drilled some good habits into me when I was younger,” Garrett said. “But now it’s more taking a step back and Could Fehervary benefit from another year in Hershey? Sure. But if he’s helping me with the mental side of the game. Sometimes I’m too hard on ready, he’s ready. And it definitely appears as though he is. And there myself. He’s a very even-keeled part of my life.” figures to be room. Radko Gudas and Brenden Dillon are due to become unrestricted free agents, and Jonas Siegenthaler will be a restricted free Axel Jonsson-Fjallby, F: Jonsson-Fjallby has taken a big step forward in agent. his first full season with the Bears, racking up 12 goals and 11 assists in 57 games. Among the Tier III players, he’s probably the closest to being Tier II: Potential call-ups in the second group. But he’s still got work to do before he’ll be Alex Alexeyev, D: Alexeyev (three goals, 18 assists) needs more considered as a call-up. seasoning. Could he get a game or two next season? Perhaps. But it Joe Snively, F: After missing time due to injury, Snively recorded his first sounds like the plan now is to groom him slowly and get him ready to professional hat trick last week in a 6-1 win over Charlotte. The local compete for a full-time role in 2022. “There’s definitely something there, product is up to 12 goals and 11 assists in 43 games, and is getting more you can see it,” Helmer said. “He looks like a pro. He’ll get there. I hope comfortable at the pro level with each passing week. To take the next they don’t rush him, which I don’t think that they will. You look at (John) step, though, Helmer said that he’s got to continue to get stronger. “You Carlson and (Karl) Alzner, they were here for a bit.” know he has it in him,” Helmer said. “He’s another guy who this summer Pheonix Copley and Vitek Vanecek, G: Copley has been an NHL backup, is going to be just huge. You look at the Caps, they’re going to be losing winning 16 games as Holtby’s understudy in 2018-19. Vanecek, probably a couple of (forwards). Hopefully he realizes that and he meantime, said he began working with a sports psychologist after a realizes that he has to have a real strong summer off the ice.” rough start to this season and turned things around. Vanecek’s .912 save The Athletic LOADED: 03.03.2020 percentage (entering Sunday’s games) ranked 14th in the AHL. But here’s the real question: Assuming Holtby departs via free agency, will Caps GM Brian MacLellan be comfortable with Copley or Vanecek, both on one-way deals in 2020-21, serving as the No. 2 behind Ilya Samsonov? Or will MacLellan go outside and sign a veteran with more starting experience?

“They are both NHL backups,” Helmer said of Copley and Vanecek. “Pheonix has a step up because of the 16 wins he had last year. But I 1179674 Winnipeg Jets

Morrissey eager to suit up vs. Sabres after missing last four games

By: Taylor Allen Posted: 03/2/2020 8:30 PM

There's been no shortage of storylines surrounding the Winnipeg Jets defensive unit this year.

There were all the key departures in the offseason, Neal Pionk making a name for himself, the constant battles with injuries, patching the blue-line with waiver wire pickups, and of course, whatever you want to call the whole Dustin Byfuglien ordeal.

Winnipeg Jets defenceman Josh Morrissey, left, was a full participant in Monday’s practice and that's good news for a tattered Jets defensive corps.

Yet, the Jets have been able to survive the good and the bad as they find themselves in the thick of the playoff chase with 15 regular-season games left. While their defensive pairings have been constantly shuffled for numerous reasons, the main six defenders at Monday’s practice at Bell MTS Place could be a sign of the Jets finally having some stability on the back end.

Josh Morrissey was a full participant after missing the past four games with an upper-body injury. He was paired up with Dylan DeMelo. Pionk remained with Dmitry Kulikov and the third pairing featured Tucker Poolman playing alongside Nathan Beaulieu.

"We’ve got the health in our lineup that we really haven’t had," head coach Paul Maurice said. "I mean, Luca (Sbisa) is obviously still out, but now we understand Dylan’s game better having seen him with us... and Kulikov and Pionk have played very well together so (we have) some depth now."

Morrissey said missing games at this time of year is a hard pill to swallow, but that he feels "great" and ready to play in tonight’s home matchup with the Buffalo Sabres. Despite it being a small sample size, Morrissey likes the fit with newcomer DeMelo.

"He’s a good defender. He’s got a good stick defensively. He’s very well positioned all over the ice. Just watching the games, you can really see that’s a real strength of his," said Morrissey.

"Even in practice today, albeit practice, but I think we started to sort of read off each other and like I said, I think he’s a real easy guy to read off of, even after one practice. I’m excited to have the chance to play with him."

Monday’s practice also featured a yellow line as Adam Lowry, Mathieu Perreault and Mark Letestu were on the ice in non-contact uniforms. Letestu has missed the past 60 games with a heart condition. Maurice pumped the breaks on any idea of Letestu being ready to go anytime soon.

"He’s at Day 1," said Maurice. "When he was shut down, it was completely shut down. The heart rate couldn’t get over just slightly above active for the longest period of time. So our 30-minute skate would have been all the man could handle. He’s at Stage 1."

Lowry and Perreault are unlikely to be available for the Buffalo game, but Patrik Laine could be a different story. The 21-year-old, who has 26 goals and 33 assists this season, wasn’t on the ice Monday but will be reassessed in today’s morning skate. Laine has been out since blocking a shot in the team’s 3-0 win over the Washington Capitals last Thursday.

"Nothing’s changed. It’s just a bruise and the swelling has to come down," Maurice said.

Maurice also provided an update on Sbisa who’s missed seven games after suffering an injury against the Chicago Blackhawks on Feb. 16. The injury is more severe than they originally thought.

"He’s day-to-day... I don’t know if it is week-to-week," Maurice said. "He’s got a pretty good injury. He’s got to take some time."

Winnipeg Free Press LOADED 03.03.2020 1179675 Winnipeg Jets But, I mean, games played isn’t a huge deal to me. It’s more about what you do with them. Getting this team into the playoffs is my mindset and that’s all I really care about."

Little rest in store for heavy-duty Hellebuyck As for his expectations on how he’ll be used in the final weeks, Hellebuyck wasn’t tipping his hand.

"I’m just ready when my name is called," he said. By: Taylor Allen Winnipeg Free Press LOADED 03.03.2020

Winnipeg Jets goalie Connor Hellebuyck has played 54 games already this season.

The Winnipeg Jets likely wouldn’t be in the playoff hunt if it wasn’t for goalie Connor Hellebuyck.

Now, with 15 games left and the Jets currently on the outside looking in, can the team afford to give their starting goalie a break? Head coach Paul Maurice seems to think so.

"Yes, we can. That’s a big number to run a goalie and Laurent (Brossoit) really played well (with) five of six points in his last three starts, so we can," Maurice said after Monday’s practice at Bell MTS Place.

Hellebuyck, who has played 54 games this season, likely won’t start all 15, but it would be a surprise to see him sit more than once or twice down the stretch. There will be some time to rest as this month’s schedule features four occasions where the Jets have a two-day break between games. The Jets have only one more back-to-back before the regular season comes to a close, with a road game against the Calgary Flames March 14 and a date in Vancouver against the Canucks the next day.

"We’ve paid for it with our schedule. We’ve had a higher number of games and they got jammed in," Maurice said. "The payoff was that we’d get into March this year and be able to have an off day, a full skate, (then) play. After (tonight’s game against the Buffalo Sabres), we get into three games in five days. That’s a real good rhythm you can get into. So, we feel at least we can go into these games rested."

There’s a strong possibility Brossoit won’t see the ice until that back-to- back, meaning he will have sat for at least six straight games.

"The challenge is going to be how long does Laurent stay out before you get him in because your schedule says you don’t have to (start him). You got two-day blocks, especially in these seven days coming up where we got (three) games. So, you know that you can run Connor and keep him fresh. Then, we’ll get into the back to back and start thinking about that."

Whether the schedule benefits the team or not, Hellebuyck said he will make the most of it and if his name is called every night, then so be it.

"I like to think I manage my game pretty well. When I get my rest, I really take full advantage," said Hellebuyck, who has a 27-21-5 record and a 2.67 GAA this season.

"When I’m back at the rink, I’m ready to go full tilt and give it. I like to think my game is in the right spot where I don’t expend any excess energy."

Hellebuyck said he’s always been good at knowing when to preserve his energy.

"Mainly, just don’t oversell yourself. I feel like my positioning is very good and I’m not overselling on pucks that I don’t need to. I think my game has always been like that," Hellebuyck said.

"I’ve taken some pride in not overdoing anything and really making sure my positioning is the main part of my game. That just goes back to as I was watching the game growing up and learning it and depicting it. It was just kind of the way I saw it."

Hellebuyck has proven he can handle a large workload and not show signs of slowing down. The 26-year-old Commerce, Mich., native played 67 regular-season games two years ago and his numbers were nearly identical in 17 playoff games in the team’s run to the Western Conference final. This year, Hellebuyck is second only to Montreal’s Carey Price (55) in games played. With 15 to go, Hellebuyck has a chance at topping his previous career-high: most goaltenders could only dream of numbers that high.

"I guess at the time I didn’t really realize how many games 67 actually was. But, I felt pretty good that year. I was just happy to be in the net... 1179676 Winnipeg Jets going the other way. Mark Scheifele and Kyle Connor were off to the races on a two-on-one, which Smith ultimately foiled.

Wheeler, clearly in some distress, literally crawled on all fours to the Jets played the right way, despite loss to Oilers bench. A snapshot in time, but one that perfectly symbolizes what it takes this time of year.

They’re going to need a lot more of that going forward. Against Buffalo on By: Mike McIntyre Tuesday as a crucial three-game homestand kicks off at Bell MTS Place. Against a red-hot Vegas club on Friday. Against Arizona a few night later.

Again and again and again. EDMONTON — There’s a clear path to the NHL playoffs for the Winnipeg Jets. One that involves finding a way to bottle up and duplicate It’s a big ask, to continue ratcheting up the intensity and managing the the kind of performance that went down late Saturday night here in the inevitable emotional ebbs and flows. But what choice do they have? Alberta capital. Nearly every remaining game is against a team either just ahead, or just behind them, in the Western Conference standings. The opponent is That might strike some as odd given the end result, with the Jets skating likely to be just as hungry as they are. away empty-handed and not a whole lot of regular-season runway left for a team currently on the wrong side of the post-season line. Sure, getting a few injured players back to full health would help the cause. But you can’t just sit around waiting for that to happen. For my money, the 3-2 loss to an equally desperate Edmonton Oilers club ranks right up there with some of Winnipeg’s best games of the The fact is, the schedule sets the Jets up to bring their best every game. season. It was the kind of effort you need when the stakes are high, as There’s plenty of days off between games, and only one back-to-back they are right now. And more often than not, it would have produced a remaining on the docket. That gives lots of time for rest and recovery, well-deserved two points for the visitors. while allowing them to lean heavily on Vezina Trophy candidate Connor Hellebuyck without burning him out. Sure, you can always find some flaws. Giving up the first goal, for the 10th time in 11 games, is less than ideal. Surrendering a pair of power Maurice can also give his big guns big minutes, as we saw Saturday play tallies — in the final day of a month where you’ve owned the best night. The newly reunited trio of Wheeler, Scheifele and Connor have penalty kill in the NHL — also let a bit of air out of the balloon. been very good in their two games together, matching up very well at five-on-five against superstars like Alex Ovechkin, Connor McDavid and But once they found their legs and got going, it was as solid as anything Leon Draisaitl. we’ve seen in a while. They fired 41 shots at veteran goalie Mike Smith while giving up just 22 of their own, and very little during five-on-five play Connor told me prior to the Oilers game they welcome the challenge. where they dominated. Winnipeg also had oodles of other great chances that either missed the net or were blocked. "We want to see the other team’s best. It’s something to look forward to. I don’t think it’s something we’re worried about every single night. When Which is why this one really hurts for the Jets, who are past the point of we play our game we can be productive," said Connor, who has scored taking any solace in a moral victory. in three straight games, leads the team with 33 goals and is one off matching his career high set last season. "It doesn’t matter how you play, you’ve got to get results this time of year," a visibly frustrated Blake Wheeler said in a quiet Rogers Place On Saturday night, Connor and his teammates sure looked like a playoff dressing room following the game. team. And if they can string together 15 more games like that, it says here they will be a playoff team. "To play as hard as we did and then lose, that’s a painful one," added a subdued coach Paul Maurice. Winnipeg Free Press LOADED 03.03.2020 For the Jets, the key here is making this kind of effort the benchmark going forward, while not allowing any sense of feeling sorry for themselves to creep in despite icing a lineup that is currently without key players in Patrik Laine, Josh Morrissey, Bryan Little, Adam Lowry and Mathieu Perreault.

In that sense, might a suggest they go back into the not-so-distant past and recall how they responded to a frustrating 2-1 defeat to Boston back on Jan. 31.

It was the team’s first game back out of the All-Star break, which they had limped into with four straight regulation losses. They poured everything they had into that game against the mighty Bruins — I’d argue it was their most complete game of the season — yet still came up short as the winless drought reached a season-high five games.

With a tough schedule on deck, the Jets were at a bit of a crossroads. Things quickly could have gone off the rails.

Instead, they responded with their winningest February in franchise history, starting with a 4-0-1 run that included a pair of victories over the defending Stanley Cup champs from St. Louis. Overall, they went 8-5-2 for the month, keeping themselves very much alive in the race.

And now, with 15 games left, they’ll need to March forward with similar response if they want to keep playing beyond Apr. 4.

"You’re angry with yourself if you don’t come in with your best. But you’re exceptionally frustrated when you play the way we did and you lose a hockey game because you know the stakes. But the next one’s going to get played, the puck’s going to get dropped, and you should be a hockey team coming into that one knowing your game’s right," Maurice told me late Saturday night when I asked him what the mindset needs to be.

One moment in the Oilers game particularly stood out to me, when the game was still tied during the third period. There was Wheeler stepping into the path of a slapshot, the puck striking him in the leg and quickly 1179677 Winnipeg Jets Jeff Skinner-Curtis Lazar-Wayne Simmonds Zemgus Girgensons-Johan Larsson-Kyle Okposo

Defence GAME DAY: Sabres at Jets Rasmus Dahlin-Colin Miller

Brandon Montour-Rasmus Ristolainen Scott Billeck Jake McCabe-Henri Jokiharju

Goalies WINNIPEG JETS Jonas Johansson Buffalo Sabres (29-28-8) at Winnipeg Jets (33-28-6) Carter Hutton TUESDAY, 7 P.M., BELL MTS PLACE Winnipeg Jets TV: TSN3, RADIO: TSN 1290 Forwards THE BIG STORY Kyle Connor-Mark Scheifele-Blake Wheeler No time for sluggishness Jansen Harkin-Andrew Copp-Jack Roslovic The Jets ended a 2-1 loss to the Sabres last weekend by going the final nine minutes and change without recording a shot on goal. It was one of Nikolaj Ehlers-Cody Eakin-Mason Appleton a number of games this season that the Jets needed more urgency in and didn’t get. Since then, and outside the majority of the first two Gabriel Bourque-Nick Shore-Logan Shaw periods against the Capitals in the first half of their home and home with Defence Washington, the Jets have done well to keep up the pace. With Buffalo all but mathematically eliminated from playoff contention, the Jets need Josh Morrissey-Dylan DeMelo to stick their foot on the throttle and not let off it until the final whistle. Dmitry Kulikov-Neal Pionk FIVE KEYS TO THE GAME Nathan Beaulieu-Tucker Poolman 1. Laine’s status? Goalies Winnipeg’s lethal threat on the power play and one of their best players all season, having Patrik Laine back in the roster after missing all but 23 Connor Hellebuyck seconds of the past two games would be a big boost for the Jets. Laurent Brossoit Winnipeg’s power play seemingly depends upon him and at five-on-five, Laine has been very effective this season. His left foot, and the swelling INJURIES within it, will have to cooperate if Laine is to play. Sabres: G Linus Ullmark, F Tage Thompson, F Vladimir Sobotka 2. Healthy defence Jets: D Carl Dahlstrom, D Luca Sbisa, D Sami Niku, F Patrik Laine, F It’s one of those things you need to see to believe given how this season Mathieu Perreault, F Adam Lowry, F Bryan Little, F Mark Letestu, D has gone in Winnipeg, but the Jets are set to ice their six best Dustin Byfuglien (suspended) defencemen in pairings that make the most sense. That includes Josh Morrissey, returning from a four-game layoff due to injury, and newcomer SPECIAL TEAMS Dylan DeMelo partnering together on the top pair. There’s a lot of POWER PLAY potential there. Sabres: 19.6% (18th) 3. Killer February Jets: 19.7% (17th) If not for two goals allowed on the power play to the Oilers on Saturday, the Jets would have finished atop the league with the best penalty kill for PENALTY KILLING the month of February. More importantly, they likely would have walked Sabres: 74.3% (31st) away from Rogers Place with two points. Alas, they didn’t. But the team’s PK was quite good last month, allowing just four goals across their 35 Jets: 76.8% (26th) times shorthanded. That’s an 88.6% success rate, which ranked third in the NHL for the month. Winnipeg Sun LOADED 03.03.2020

4. Connor knocking on another career-high door

Kyle Connor reached the 100-goal milestone for his career on Saturday. The goal, his 33rd, also put him one shy of 34, his career-best set last season. He already has hit a career high in points, with that 33rd goal being his 67th point of the season. And he’s riding a three-game goal- scoring streak to boot.

5. Scheifele streaking

Yes, his six-game point streak came to an end on Saturday, but Mark Scheifele still has five goals and seven assists in his past seven games. While his defensive play has been suspect in recent times, his offensive output still continues to be elite. Linking back up with Kyle Connor and Blake Wheeler seems to have re-ignited his engagement level, too.

GAME DAY LINEUPS

Buffalo Sabres

Forwards

Victor Olofsson-Jack Eichel-Sam Reinhart

Jimmy Vesey-Marcus Johansson-Dominik Kahun 1179678 Winnipeg Jets “He said, ‘Hey, I’m playing tomorrow night’ and then we did some tests and said, ‘There’s no way you’re playing tomorrow night,’ ” Maurice said. “He’s long day-to-day. I don’t know if it is week-to-week. He’s got a pretty good injury. He’s got to take some time.” JETS NOTEBOOK: Laine's status unknown for Sabres test The defenceman has missed seven games now after getting injured at home against the Chicago Blackhawks on Feb. 16.

Scott Billeck DEMELO HAPPY FOR RYAN’S HAT TRICK

Dylan DeMelo’s face lit up when a question being asked to him included Bobby Ryan in it. Patrik Laine’s status for Tuesday’s game against the Buffalo Sabres is up in the air. The two had been teammates ever since DeMelo arrived in Ottawa nearly two years ago from San Jose, but Ryan had been away from the The 21-year-old sniper has not been seen on the ice since he blocked a team for quite a while. shot with his left foot 23-seconds into his maiden shift in a 3-0 shutout win against the Washington Capitals this past Thursday. The 32-year-old former first-round pick entered the NHL/NHLPA player assistance program in late November and returned to the club just last Subsequent tests revealed that Laine hadn’t broken anything, a big relief week. In his first game back at Canadian Tire Centre in Ottawa, Ryan to the injury-plagued Jets, but had sustained a bruise and quite a bit of notched a hat trick and even got into a scrap in an emotional swelling. homecoming. After not making it out for Monday’s practice at Bell MTS Place, head Not there for the return having been traded before it happened, DeMelo’s coach Paul Maurice said Laine will likely take the morning skate ahead of joy for Ryan hadn’t diminished in the slightest. Tuesday’s game and go from there. “I was teasing him that he couldn’t get the assist (for the Gordie Howe “Nothing’s changed, it’s just a bruise and the swelling has to come hat trick). I texted him right after I saw it,” DeMelo said after Monday’s down,” Maurice said. practice. As was the case in Edmonton, Jack Roslovic took Laine’s spot on the “Just so happy for him. He’s honestly a really good person, a really good power play. human being. He’s been through a lot of tough struggles here, no just The other four who make up the top unit — Blake Wheeler, Kyle Connor, him but his family. Just to see him get a hat trick in his first home game Mark Scheifele and Neal Pionk — had a bit of a huddle at the end of (back), he’s beloved in Ottawa. They really do love him there. The fans practice before running through the man-advantage sans penalty killers love him. Guys love him. Coaching staff loves him. He buys a suite and to get Roslovic more acclimated to his spot in the slot. rents it out to people, he’s just a very giving person and just super happy to see him get that hat trick. “Where they stand on the ice really does matter,” Maurice said. “It’s not as free-flowing. With Jack, two feet in a different spot, Mark is in a “He’s obviously got a new mentality on life and everything and I think he’s different position to take a puck. How they move the puck around, it’s going to be a lot better for it on and off the ice. I’m really happy for him to new for Jack but they are just walking him through where they need him.” obviously get that hat trick but just happy that he’s back. It’s nice to see what he did on the ice but to see him off the ice when he was with us, he THE BIG INJURY UPDATE just looked a lot better, a lot happier and a lot healthier. It looked like he was in a good state of mind. At the end of the day, we’re all human Winnipeg’s fifth forward line on the ice on Monday could be labelled ‘The beings and we’re lucky enough to play this sport. But at the end of the Mustard Line.’ day, he’s a husband, he’s a father first. It was great to see him get that The meaning is kind of two-fold. success. Obviously, he was very emotional and I’m sure his family was emotional, too. It was really nice to see.” The obvious giveaway is the yellow jerseys that Adam Lowry, Mathieu Perreault, and to everyone’s surprise, Mark Letestu, were wearing, a Winnipeg Sun LOADED 03.03.2020 bright indication not to touch those wearing them as they continue to recover from their respective injuries.

The other part of it is that Letestu was seen earlier this year sucking back a few packs of mustard on the bench to ward off cramping during games. We’d later find out that Adam Lowry devours the stuff by the buckets, as Maurice joked. And while Perreault’s mustard-eating tendencies aren’t publicly known, he is French and French’s is a popular brand of mustard so the math works.

Anyway, Lowry and Perreault were out there skating pretty good as both nurse their respective upper-body injuries back to health. They aren’t expected to return on Tuesday as both will need to shed their non- contact jerseys first. But with two practice days scheduled on Wednesday and Thursday before their game on Friday, one or both of their statuses could change before the end of the week.

Lowry has been out since Jan. 19, a span of 18 games he’s spent on the shelf. Perreault, meanwhile, has missed 15 games dating back to Jan. 31.

Letestu’s streak is at 60 games and that number will continue to rise as he recovers from a heart condition.

“He’s at Day 1,” Maurice said of Letestu’s on-ice recovery. “When he was shut down, it was completely shut down. The heart rate couldn’t get over just slightly above active for the longest period of time. so our 30-minute skate would have been all the man could handle. He’s at Stage 1.”

On the Luca Sbisa front, he’s no longer day-to-day. Well, not entirely anyway.

Sbisa’s initial prognosis was wrong, in part, because of the player’s own diagnosis after picking up the knock. 1179679 Winnipeg Jets suggest otherwise since he arrived. That’s good for Morrissey and the team as a whole.

Whereas Morrissey has had to sacrifice some of his game for the Jets set to ice best six defencemen as Morrissey returns to health, paired betterment of the pairing he’s been on in the past this season, having with DeMelo DeMelo alongside should provide No. 44 with the confidence to be more courageous on offence.

“There’s a real consistency to his game,” Maurice said of DeMelo. “And I Scott Billeck think that, for Josh, that’s the piece that will help him the most. He doesn’t have to handle that side of the ice anymore or process that side

of the ice. Dylan will make the quick read. He’ll act on that read and then If the Winnipeg Jets had their way, they’d bubble-wrap all six of the Josh can read… we all read off each other, whoever’s going, you need defencemen that made up their three pairings on Monday before that first read to happen to set the other reads. Josh and he should be promptly storing them, ever-so-carefully, in a padded room for the next able to do that quickly for each other.” 24 hours. It’s all about the reads, and Morrissey said that although it was only a The thought of a supernatural force manifesting itself into the four-letter practice today, the reading was working. word ‘jinx’ may seem like hocus pocus to some, but in the ever- “We started to sort of read off each other,” Morrissey said. “He’s an easy superstitious world of sports, even uttering that the Jets are set to ice guy to read off of, even after one practice. I’m excited to have a chance their best defensive unit this season is, essentially, taunting the very to play with him.” cosmic deity that controls such things. MISSING TIME SUCKS MORE AT THIS TIME OF YEAR Like saying “shutout” when a goalie is riding one entering the third period, you’re tempting fate, like a nerd taunting a gym rat at the bar. Just ask Morrissey.

It’s highly inadvisable. In the thick of the playoff race for one of two wild-card spots in the Western Conference, an injury of unknown origins felled the 24-year-old, But the reality is, and if the divine powers that be allow it, the Jets will, banishing him to the sidelines for four games. indeed, ice their best six defencemen, and all in the spots where the vast majority would have them. “You never want to miss games, that’s your job, that’s what I love to do, but especially at this time of year every game is extremely important,” In a rather rare occurrence at Bell MTS Place on Monday morning, the Morrissey said. Jets had their best cast of blueliners dressed and skating with one another in pairings that didn’t threaten a Twitter meltdown. Morrissey suited up for the pre-game skate in Buffalo last weekend but was then rendered a late scratch. An upper-body issue was the verdict Josh Morrissey, fresh off missing four games with an upper-body injury, following Winnipeg’s 2-1 loss, although it was unclear where the injury was back on the ice and sans the yellow non-contact jersey he had been originated. Morrissey took a big hit 24 hours earlier in Winnipeg’s loss to wearing recently. To his right was Dylan DeMelo, the team’s top add in the Philadelphia Flyers but completed that game. the lead-up to the trade deadline, which passed a week ago. That’s all in the past now, with Morrissey looking ahead to Winnipeg’s 15- The second pairing stayed the same, with Dmitry Kulikov manning the game stretch drive, which begins Tuesday against the visiting Sabres. left side and the dependable Neal Pionk on the right. “I feel great, ready to go tomorrow. All clear and ready to play,” Morrissey The final pair saw a corresponding change thanks to the shuffle on the said. “Try to bring my best game to the team. Just excited to be back.” first pairing, with Tucker Poolman replacing DeMelo to Nathan Beaulieu’s right. Winnipeg Sun LOADED 03.03.2020 With all six stars seemingly aligning in time for Winnipeg’s next must-win scenario, it’s allowing for some much-needed structure as Connor Hellebuyck’s last line of defence.

“We got health in our lineup that we really haven’t had,” head coach Paul Maurice said with his fingers crossed behind his back. Probably.

Health is a big factor here but so, too, is DeMelo’s grasp of the system he’s now operating in.

Tuesday’s test against the Buffalo Sabres will be DeMelo’s seventh in a Jets uniform after being acquired for a third-round pick from the Ottawa Senators two weeks ago. Much of his time has been spent with Nathan Beaulieu, the only familiar face on the team after the two used to train together in the offseason.

Apart from the infrequent overlap, the two have been attached at the hip as DeMelo has integrated himself.

“Now that we understand Dylan’s game better having seen him with us… and Kulikov and Pionk have played very well together, so there’s some depth now,” Maurice said.

DeMelo leaned on Beaulieu a lot as he was guided through the systems. Having graduated that, the prospect of playing alongside Morrissey is an opportunity the 26-year-old is ready to grab hold of.

“Playing with (Morrissey) is going to be a lot of fun,” DeMelo said. “Obviously, he’s an excellent player, one of our top d-men, for sure. I don’t think I need to change much in my game. Our styles probably complement each other’s very well, so I will just do what I do on a nightly basis and try to give him the puck as much as possible. He’s a very good player and makes a lot of good plays out there.”

The move should free up Morrissey to attack more offensively. DeMelo came with the label as a solid, stay-at-home defender and nothing would 1179680 Winnipeg Jets It’s mostly natural. I mean, it’s something that I definitely have worked on, because if you have that strength, you’ve got to be able to keep working on it and get faster and stuff like that. But I was always pretty fast when I was a kid growing up. Subscriber Q&A: Nikolaj Ehlers on inspiring other Danes, soccer, Michael Jackson Why do you tie your skates the way that you do, with the laces wrapped around your ankles? Who did you pick this up from? — Kevin S.

It is something I started doing when I was about 14. I was playing in a By Ken Wiebe Mar 2, 2020 tournament in Sweden with Andre Burakovsky, who plays with Colorado now. His coach came up to me and said I should try this. I did and I’ve

done it ever since. For me, I feel like it gives me a little bit of extra ankle Nikolaj Ehlers had a decision to make, though with the benefit of mobility. I don’t know. It’s something I’ve done for so long that I don’t hindsight, it wasn’t as tough as it probably felt like at the time. notice. I’ve tried doing it normal again — and to do (the laces) all the way up (to the top loop), but it feels weird. So, that’s something I probably Long before he became a speedy forward with the Winnipeg Jets, Ehlers won’t stop doing. was a soccer player of high regard, playing on an elite-level team while his father was coaching in Switzerland. You’re already an elite player, and the Jets have a serious need for more high-level centres. Did you ever play centre and would that be a position “I used to play on a provincial team in Switzerland,” Ehlers said recently. you would try to work on over the course of a summer to try and play “They kind of gave me a choice at the end, to either pick hockey or there at the NHL level? — Andrew B. soccer. It wasn’t a difficult choice.” I played centre a little bit in Halifax (of the QMJHL) during my second It’s fair to say that even with the fancy footwork he displays on the ice, year. But I’ve also played defence in Switzerland when I was younger. Ehlers obviously chose wisely. I’ve played a little bit of everything.

But what type of player was Ehlers on the pitch? You said that you watched every one of your shifts on video from last year during the offseason in order to work on your game. What were the “I was a striker — or used on the flank,” he said. top three things you personally thought you needed to improve on? — When he isn’t handling his day job as a frequent 20-goal scorer and Cody M. nearly impossible-to-stop one-man zone-entry specialist, Ehlers still Get the puck out of the zone when I get it on the wall. How to not get follows soccer. stuck in the O-zone coming up the wall towards the D. Positioning in the Ehlers was kind enough to field questions for roughly 10 minutes on D-zone and using my speed as smart as I can, by confusing the Saturday morning before the Jets faced the Edmonton Oilers and defencemen by not skating and then have them stop skating as well and covered a lot of ground in the latest subscriber/player Q&A for The then just take off. It’s small details like that that I looked into and tried to Athletic. do better. And shooting a bit more.

With only a handful of Danish players in the NHL, how does it feel to Let’s go back to soccer for a moment. Who is your favourite teams and pave the way for young Danes and to represent your country? — Dan. H. players? Who else on the Jets follow the sport closely? — John K.

It’s amazing. Guys like Frans Nielsen, Jannik Hansen and Mikkel Now, I’m a big Chelsea fan, of the Premier League in England. My Boedker, those were the guys that kind of paved the way for me and favourite soccer player used to be Frank Lampard, who played for others like Oliver Bjorkstrand, Alexander True and Joachim Blichfeld, Chelsea and he’s now their coach. My favourite right now would be Eden who are playing now. Being able to be an inspiration for younger hockey Hazard, who used to play for Chelsea and is now at Real Madrid. Let’s players in Denmark and to be their idols is pretty special and it’s go with him. Andrew Copp throws in some comments about soccer, but something that we are pretty proud of. we’re trying to get more guys into soccer. (Copp) is willing to learn. It’s mostly me, Patrik Laine and Sami Niku. (As a follow-up) You recently played your first NHL against San Jose Sharks forward Alexander True, who is your cousin. What was that Do you have a reward food after a good game, similar to Laine with his experience like for you? Smarties ice cream? — Adam S.

It was incredible. We weren’t on the ice against each other too much. But Anything chocolate. Let’s put it that way. I’m watching him play during the game too, which is kind of funny. Our What are your favourite restaurants in Winnipeg? — Alexander H. families were watching and it was a special moment for our family. We got a picture taken before the game. It was pretty amazing. 529 and Hy’s. Freshii isn’t really a (sit-down) restaurant, but I’ll throw that in there. You’ve gotten into more fights this year. Do you consider yourself an enforcer now? How do you know if a line has been crossed and do you The Athletic LOADED: 03.03.2020 think fighting will always have a place in the game? — Jonathan P.

I think fighting will always have a place in the game. Not as much anymore, but it used to be more of a show and some entertainment as well. But, it’s also about being able to stand up for yourself and to stand up for your teammates. It’s not like guys are going in there to injure anyone else. It’s not that I love fighting, but sometimes, you’ve got to get in there.

What’s your go-to cheat meal? — Michael D.

A burger. My offseason cheat meal is a Danish burger, with a bunch of sauces.

What is your dream concert? — Michael D.

That’s a tough one. I would have loved to have gone to see Michael Jackson One. His music, everyone knows it. It doesn’t matter what kind of music you’re a fan of, you know those songs. That would have been cool. But Lukas Graham is one of my favourite artists. He’s from Denmark. I’ve been to one of his concerts.

Do you think your speed comes from natural ability or practice? — Brandon K. 1179681 Vancouver Canucks It helps to have the best player in the world in Connor McDavid, too, plus his incredible sidekick (also NHL scoring leader) Leon Draisaitl.

NEXT GAME Patrick Johnston: Canucks numbers game requires home cooking, more Wednesday views of Hughes Vancouver Canucks vs. Arizona Coyotes

7:30 p.m., Rogers Arena, TV: SNETP; Radio: SNET 650 AM Patrick Johnston But even then, they’re just two points up on the Canucks.

The Calgary Flames, who are a point up on the Canucks but who have In the big picture, there are still plenty of things going well, and the played two more games in the process, have still conceded more goals remaining schedule has lots of good things in it than they’ve scored. Even after a disastrous eastern road trip, the Vancouver Canucks remain Can they really keep themselves ahead of the Canucks? a strong favourite to make the NHL playoffs. That’s why the Canucks’ playoff chances remain so strong. Even in the In other words, look at the cover of your Hitchhiker’s Guide to the Galaxy wild-card mix they’re in a good position. The Coyotes, who were left for and repeat the words there: “Don’t Panic.” dead just a week ago, are still hanging on, just two points back of the Yes, the collapse over the last seven minutes in Columbus on Sunday Canucks but also having played two more games than Vancouver. was terrifying. It’s a similar games-played and points tally for the Winnipeg Jets who, But here’s the thing: In the big picture, there are still lots of things going like the Coyotes, at present trail the Nashville Predators for the second well, and the remaining schedule has lots of good things in it. wild-card spot because the Preds have played fewer games — 64 to the Canucks’ 65 — in this mix. Here are some numbers for your consideration: VAN all-sit. league ranks in february: 10 CF%: 29th The Canucks have 10 home games left. They’ve been a force at home, with a 20-7-4 record at Rogers Arena this season. SF%: 29th

They have 74 points. Conservatively, 10 wins from their remaining 17 xGF%: 30th total games — or 20 points total — almost surely gets them into the GF%: 21st playoffs. sh%: 5th They’re not going to win every one of those remaining home games, but given their record this season they’re going to win most. sv%: 19th

And while they’ve struggled on the road, they’re still not going to lose this is what hitting a wall looks like— ryan lambert (@twolinepass) every last game. March 2, 2020

In other words, 10 wins isn’t an insane target. 3

Playoff chances, West and East. pic.twitter.com/wQ5ek6eV0a— Micah The Canucks won just three games in February in regulation time. Blake McCurdy (@IneffectiveMath) March 2, 2020 There’s no beating about it, the numbers tell us it has not been a good run. They’ve been getting outshot no matter how you count it. 72

According to HockeyViz.com, the Canucks entered Monday with still- And without Jacob Markstrom, their save percentage has hit the toilet. healthy chance of making the playoffs at 72 per cent. The good news is that over the long run, the difference between Thatcher Demko, who is going to play the bulk of the remaining schedule, and That’s down from a high just over a week ago in the mid-80s. Markstrom over the course of the season to date is actually only a handful of goals. The fact remains that the good results they’ve produced this season — even though, yes, there have been a couple swoons (including the Now we know that Markstrom’s been nearly flawless. He’s cut way back current one) — has put them in a strong position. on conceding bad goals against. Demko has had some struggles, which everyone has seen. Canucks season has been defined by a series of good and bad runs: But the odds are those bad goals won’t repeat themselves over this 9-3-2 start remaining stretch. The Canucks played very well in front of Louis 7-12-2 swoon Domingue on Sunday … for 50 minutes.

14-3 run Then the wheels fell off on the penalty kill and at five on five. The Canucks have been asking a lot of their goalies this season. Demko’s 4-7-2 slide performance has been league average.

17 games left, they'll have to answer their recent losing stretch with one And mostly that’s been enough. He’s been working his whole career to more good run to get into the playoffs— Satiar Shah (@SatiarShah) be the guy. Now’s the time. March 2, 2020 4 That the Pacific Division has been so mediocre this season is a truth. No team, until recently, has moved to put their stamp on things. Oddly, while Quinn Hughes has been leaned on to be the Canucks No. 1 defenceman in a lot of scenarios — he’s running the power play, when The Vegas Golden Knights won eight straight before losing to the Los the Canucks are down a goal no defenceman is playing more — he’s still Angeles Kings on Sunday in Las Vegas. That was definitely an not seeing much ice time when the team is leading. unexpected result. But the big picture in Sin City shows Peter DeBoer’s club as strong favourites to win the division. And emotionally, perhaps, you can see why. When you’re leading, it’s a fact that the other team almost always gets off more shots. We call that How the other two spots, plus a wild-card position, shake out in the score effects. No one quite understands why, but it happens. ongoing playoff race remains an open question. The Oilers do look to have a solid claim. Under coach Dave Tippett, the team is playing better In reaction to that, traditional coaching has reacted in an unsurprising from top to bottom. way: they’ve put out defensive specialists. Limit the damage, is the instinct. But the solution here has been to hand more ice time to Tyler Myers. Myers is a handy offensive player, but defensively he’s ineffective. The Canucks would be wiser to give their shutdown minutes to Troy Stecher, who has proven time and again to be a strong in-zone defender.

Or they could throw caution to the wind and play Hughes, who sorts out defensive situations by getting the puck to the other end of the ice and staying there.

Vancouver Province: LOADED: 03.03.2020 1179682 Vancouver Canucks Nikita Tryamkin checks Ryan Johansen of the Nashville Predators through the bench door in February 2017. John Russell / PNG

Nikita Tryamkin Canucks prospects tracker: Podkolzin in prime time, Tryamkin in cold The hits keep on coming for the big Russian defenceman. blood But Tryamkin will probably want one back after a hit from behind landed

him 25 minutes in penalties and a game misconduct in Avtomobilist’s 4-2 Mike Raptis win at Avangaard on Tuesday,

The hit didn’t appear to be intentional. The victim, Sergei Shumakov, turned at the last moment, exposing his back to the six-foot-eight, 254- It’s the latest edition of the weekly tracker, where we tally up the efforts of pound defenceman, whose momentum forced Shumakov face-first into the Vancouver Canucks’ highest-profile prospects: the boards.

Vasili Podkolzin It was a brutal, bloody hit, but Tryamkin wasn’t suspended for it.

The ratings are in: Podkolzin’s a prime-time hit. Tryamkin had a team-leading two hits in the win, despite only getting 3:22 of ice time. The Canucks’ prized 2019 first-rounder notched a primary assist — and nearly another — in his KHL playoff debut, as SKA Saint Petersburg beat In Avtomobilist’s final regular-season game — a 3-0 shutout win at AK Vityaz 6-1 on Sunday to kick off their Gagarin Cup campaign. Bars, Tryamkin had two hits and a plus-1 rating in 19:03 of ice time.

The point gives Podkolzin, 18, nine in his last 14 games — a stretch that Tryamkin finishes a solid regular season eighth overall in hits (110) while has seen the six-foot-one, 192-pound winger go from on-ice cameos to a averaging just under 20 minutes of ice time (19:51). In 58 games, the 25- coveted role in a coming-of-age tale co-starring his world junior year-old had two goals, nine assists and a plus-10 rating overall. linemates. Avtomobilist kick off their KHL playoff campaign on Monday night against #Canucks Vasily Podkolzin had 1A on March 1st in his first playoff game. Sibir Novosibirsk. Big hit from behind at 0:05. OZ entry on the same shift- gets pass through. Wrap around chance at 1:00- great save. Puck protection along #Canucks KHL Gagarin Cup Playoffs boards at 1:10. Pass at 1:41 almost leads to a goal. SKA and Podkolzin Game 1 on March 1st

P(1/2) | :KHL pic.twitter.com/AlMCtKFP5u— Daniel Gee Avtomobilist and Tryamkin Game 1 on March 2nd. (@DanielGScouting) March 2, 2020 pic.twitter.com/KroeDf6ECs— CanucksAbbyFan2 (@Fan2Abby) Podkolzin, Kirill Marchenko and Ivan Morozov combined for two of St. February 27, 2020 Petersburg’s six goals, with Podkolzin’s assist coming on Marchenko’s Tryamkin, 25, is a free agent in the coming off-season and wants to second of the night. return to the NHL. The Canucks hold his rights.

The assist came on the power play to make the score 4-1. Podkolzin, Nils Hoglander can smile again after bumping his 12-game goal-scoring battling defenders in front of the net, slid the puck over to Marchenko for slump. Jason Payne / PNG a short-side snipe. Nils Hoglander Vasily Podkolzin with his first-career KHL playoff point. A primary, power- play assist to Kirill Marchenko. Now that’s how you bump a slump.

This kid line has transformed SKA’s offense over the last month or so. Hoglander ended a 12-game goalless drought in spectacular fashion on #Canucks pic.twitter.com/NLqtqYJ4Ci— /Cam Robinson/ Saturday, scoring a beauty for Rogle BK in a 3-2 shootout win over (@Hockey_Robinson) March 1, 2020 Linkoping.

Earlier in the game, Podkolzin used his strong skating stride to create On the goal, the five-foot-nine, 190-pound dynamo deked to the outside space behind the Vityaz net before sending a backhand pass into the slot past two Linkoping defenders before wiring a wrist shot over a prone for a Grade A chance that was stopped by the goaltender. goaltender.

#Canucks KHL If ever there was a goal to make you feel good about your game, this was it. SKA 1 Vityaz 1 after one period. Nils Hoglander with a gorgeous shimmy, shake and finish. He needed Nice back hand pass from #92 Podkolzin from behind the opposition net that one. #Canucks pic.twitter.com/HiqYFLnIz4— /Cam Robinson/ to set up a scoring chance near the end of the period. (@Hockey_Robinson) February 29, 2020

He had 1 SOG & 1 hit during 6 shifts with a TOI of 4:56. Hoglander, a 2019 second-rounder, dipped into his bag of tricks in the pic.twitter.com/sC9NiqQpLx— CanucksAbbyFan2 (@Fan2Abby) March shootout, pivoting his skates and turning his back to the goaltender at the 1, 2020 top of the crease, trying to fool him with a quick backhanded shot.

He was also on the ice for another Marchenko goal, going a plus-1 with It was turned aside. two shots on net and one hit in 12:25 of ice time. No one will ever accuse Nils Hoglander of a lack of creativity. #Canucks SKA head coach Alexei Kudashov, in an interview with TSN 1040’S Rick pic.twitter.com/0vAzpIgoZo— /Cam Robinson/ (@Hockey_Robinson) Dhaliwal on Saturday, said Podkolzin continues to improve and “is almost February 29, 2020 ready for any league in this world.” Hoglander finished the game with one shot on net and a plus-1 rating in “He is getting better and better. He plays some power play, some penalty 12:10 of ice time. killing, his defensive play I now trust him, he is better at the small details,” Kudashov said. “I trust him in our own end, he also has the players’ trust. Rogle BK general manager Chris Abbott wasn’t worried about He is great in the dressing room.” Hoglander’s scoring slump.

Kudashov on Podkolzin, “He is getting better and better, he plays some “Not at all; this is a tough league to get points. He is playing against men powerplay, some penalty killing, his defensive play I now trust him, he is and is only 19,” Abbott told TSN’s Dhaliwal on Thursday. “I am very better at the small details. I trust him in our own end, he also has the happy with his development.” players trust, he is great in the dressing room. ”— Rick Dhaliwal Nils Hoglander with just 13 points in 34 games in Sweden, GM of his (@DhaliwalSports) March 1, 2020 team in Sweden Chris Abbott isn’t worried : “Not at all, this is a tough Game 2 of the best-of-seven playoff series is on Tuesday, with each league to get points, he is playing against men and is only 19. I am very game played every second day thereafter. happy with his development.” https://t.co/xJIVtjpWlS— Rick Dhaliwal The Windsor, Ont., native may have also made the save of his season, (@DhaliwalSports) February 27, 2020 robbing an Americans forward with a desperate glove save from in close.

Hoglander,19, has eight goals, six assists and a minus-6 rating in 36 DiPietr-OH GOODNESS WHAT A SAVE!!!#UTIvsROC games this season. pic.twitter.com/CBEdezHQyJ— Utica Comets (@UticaComets) February 27, 2020 The Canucks traded Jonathan Dahlen (left) to the San Jose Sharks last February for Linus Karsson (right). Karlsson has been effective lately. DiPietro was lights out in the shootout — stopping all five attempts — @nucksnews / Twitter and was named the game’s third star, stopping 34 of 36 shots.

Linus Karlsson Earlier in the game, breakout rookie defenceman Brogan Rafferty broke a team record with a goal and his 41st point, the most ever for a Comets He’s been the forgotten man. defenceman. He finished the game a plus-1 with one shot on net.

When the Canucks acquired Karlsson last February for the disgruntled .@brogan_rafferty finds the back of the net and his way into the history Jonathan Dahlen, the move smacked of salvaging something for the books with his seventh goal and 41st point of the season!#UTIvsROC once highly touted prospect. Karlsson, a forward with a respectable two- pic.twitter.com/55Yl7n631L— Utica Comets (@UticaComets) February way game, wasn’t going to replicate the offensive abilities that Dahlen 27, 2020 possesses. Instead, he would try to work his way up the depth chart with his good hockey sense and decent scoring touch. In Friday’s 7-3 win over the , DiPietro saved 26 of 29 shots, while Reid Boucher, who leads the AHL in scoring, broke another The season didn’t start as planned for the 20-year-old Karlsson, who was team record with his 26th goal in a five-point effort. Kole Lind had two moved from one Allsvenskan team (second-tier league in Sweden) to assists while linemate Justin Bailey had a goal and two assists. another. But since lacing up the skates with BIK Karlskoga 10 games ago, Karlsson’s game appears to be back on track. .@klind13 threads the needle and Hamilton goes top cheese in tonight's Carbone Honda Highlight of the Night!#TORvsUTI #Canucks prospect Linus Karlsson (#94) has found some improved pic.twitter.com/BPdcP3v7qy— Utica Comets (@UticaComets) February production with his new club, BIK Karlskoga. I put together some of the 29, 2020 better goals and assists he scored since the change. He has 13P in 9GP and actually scored today. Bailey’s goal was his 100th as a professional.

: Cmore pic.twitter.com/opNWW03SW3— Daniel Gee .@JustinBailey95 gets his 27th of the season!#TORvsUTI (@DanielGScouting) February 26, 2020 pic.twitter.com/boVAGF8f12— Utica Comets (@UticaComets) February 29, 2020 Forgotten no more, Karlsson may have had his coming-out party in Friday’s 4-3 overtime win over Vesteras. The 2018 third-round pick of the The Comets played again on Saturday night but weren’t very good, San Jose Sharks had a goal and two assists — including a primary losing 5-2 to Laval. DiPietro got chased from the net early, and about the helper on the overtime winner. only positive for the team was a goal by Jonah Gadjovich, 21, his 13th of the season. His goal was gorgeous, with the six-foot-one, 175-pound centre/winger taking a pass in the slot, pulling the puck through his legs and firing a .@JGadjovich redirects a pass from @carter_camper to cut the lead to 5- quick shot past the goalie’s glove side. 2!#LAVvsUTI pic.twitter.com/PL7Dd3sXL8— Utica Comets (@UticaComets) March 1, 2020 If anything, the goal showed that Karlsson harbours some big-league talent. 2016 first-rounder Olli Juolevi, who had an assist on Wednesday and a plus-1 rating Friday, didn’t dress for Saturday’s loss. He was out due to WOW! Linus Karlsson bjuder på hockeygodis! @BIK_Karlskoga what the team called “load management”. #twittpuck #HockeyAllsvenskan pic.twitter.com/JjWSuLLcRg— C More Sport (@cmoresport) February 28, 2020 Juolevi scratch cited as "load management," per Cull.

The three-point game gives Karlsson 16 points in 10 games for his new That had been mentioned as possibility this season. club. In 46 Allsvenskan games overall this season, he has 13 goals, 25 https://t.co/mfwdlLaj6k— Ben Birnell (@OD_Birnell) March 1, 2020 assists and a minus-5 rating. The Comets are in third place in the North Division with a 31-21-3-2 Oh, and about that Dahlen guy — he has 74 points in 49 games to lead record. the Allsvenskan in scoring after struggling with the Sharks’ AHL farm DiPietro has a 2.89 goals-against-average and a .903 save percentage in team to start the season. He’s also two years older than Karlsson. 38 games this season.

VICTORY KISS FOR MIKEY! pic.twitter.com/hVEDHhuuwU— Utica Lind, a six-foot-one, 179-pound right-winger, has 13 goals, 30 assists Comets (@UticaComets) February 29, 2020 and a plus-4 rating in 57 games.

Utica Comets Rafferty, a six-foot-two, 192-pound right-shot D-man, has seven goals, There’s been chaos in the Canucks’ crease of late, but down on the farm 35 assists and a plus-17 rating in 53 games. He tops all rookie things have been calm with Mike DiPietro tending the net. defencemen in scoring and is third-overall among AHL D-men.

The 2017 third-rounder has grown in his first professional season in Vancouver Province: LOADED: 03.03.2020 Utica. He’s been working on all sorts of stuff, he told the media on Tuesday, whether it’s post integration, traffic management, game management or managing his head space.

“I think my mental side has been a lot better, making sure I’m mentally tough,” he said on Tuesday. “Since the all-star break I like where our game has been heading. For me, it’s about continuing to grow every game.”

Head coach Trent Cull says he didn’t have a projection on the 20-year- old heading into the season, but DiPietro has done a great job.

“His consistency level has been really good,” Cull said Tuesday. “He’s an athletic guy, he’s a calm guy, he’s not flailing away, and I think he’s done a really good job of growing his game this year.”

DiPietro started Wednesday’s contest in Rochester and was exceptional in a 3-2 shootout win for the Comets. 1179683 Vancouver Canucks Stecher wants to stay in Vancouver but he is making $2.3 million this season. In arbitration it’s possible his award could be between $3-4 million if he finishes strong this season and performs well in the playoffs, if the Canucks make it. That’s a cost the Canucks may not be able to Dhaliwal’s Diary: Sorting through the Canucks’ free agent scenarios afford.

Meanwhile, Virtanen is two goals shy of 20; his arbitration case will also be very interesting. By Rick Dhaliwal Mar 2, 2020 Goldobin’s intentions

To say it has been a disappointing season for Nikolay Goldobin is a huge What an offseason it is shaping up to be in Vancouver. understatement. After re-signing with the Canucks last summer, Goldobin The Canucks have big decisions to make on UFAs Chris Tanev, Jacob has played just one game in the NHL this season. Instead of sulking, Markstrom and Tyler Toffoli. They have some RFAs with arbitration rights though, Goldobin has 49 points in 50 games with Utica and he has been like Troy Stecher and Jake Virtanen. And in what is becoming an annual a very positive presence in the Comets dressing room. ritual, the Canucks will try to get rid of some bad contracts this summer Goldobin had interest from 2-3 teams at the trade deadline; sources say as well. a deal with Ottawa was close before the Senators claimed Jayce UFAs Hawryluk off waivers.

The Jacob Markstrom talks are off until the season is over but his injury Goldobin has NHL talent, he just has to put together the rest of his game. won’t affect his value. It’s clear that, like last year, he is once again the And being only 24, he is young enough to keep trying, “He absolutely will Canucks’ MVP. try the NHL again next year,” said a source.

Markstrom has won seven of eight games in which the Canucks have Goodbye Loui? allowed 40 or more shots, two of them by shutouts. The Canucks going There seems to be this feeling that Loui Eriksson will walk away from his 1-3 on their four-game road trip without Markstrom is only going to help contract or will be forced to walk this summer by the Canucks. his agent’s case to get significant term and money in a new deal. Eriksson will get a $3 million bonus on July 1, and then there isn’t much Given that he hasn’t signed yet, the Canucks’ offers are clearly real money left on his two years in Vancouver. inadequate. It doesn’t mean the Canucks don’t want him, just that they have to get rid of some challenging contracts before the offers get better. Eriksson’s agent is J.P. Barry, who had clients Karl Alzner and Andrew Ladd in the minors this season collecting big money. Meanwhile, there have been no talks yet between Vancouver and Tanev’s agent, Wade Arnott, but that doesn’t mean the Canucks don’t The assumption that the Canucks will get Eriksson to walk away or force want to re-sign him. I believe they do but may have to move someone to him to the minors won’t scare Barry, who has dealt with these issues make room for Tanev, who has played his entire career with Vancouver. before and he won’t be bullied in a situation like that either.

A recent poll on TSN 1040 asked fans which UFA would they like to sign If the Canucks send Eriksson to the minors, the cap hit will still be close the most — Markstrom, Tyler Toffoli or Tanev. Tanev finished a distant to $5 million. If the Canucks prefer to move on, it will be easier to trade third. him this summer, but Vancouver would have to agree to take on some of the remaining cap hit. The question I have is: If Tanev walks, how do they replace him? Playing Eriksson and having him show that he’s an NHL player is going Replacing a top-four defenceman isn’t easy. to get him moved quicker than having him sit in the press box. Other Tyler Toffoli has been great since he arrived from the Kings, with six teams will look at him this summer with the lower payout after July 1. points in six games. The Canucks would be foolish not to at least try and Prospects update re-sign him. To get all three UFA s signed, the Canucks are going to have to make tough decisions with other player contracts. Vancouver has no shortage of prospects playing in Europe. It’s time for updates on some of these potential future Canucks. The problem with getting rid of bad contracts is that it takes time and UFAs can start talking with teams a week before July 1. RFAs don’t get F Vasili Podkolzin — St. Petersburg SKA (Russia) — 30 GP, 2 G, 6 A, 8 qualified until after the NHL Draft. So, time will be an issue, and signing PTS all three is wishful thinking with their cap issues. After a slow start to the season, Podkolzin has been much better since The Canucks did sign Alex Edler last year days before he was about to playing for Russia at the world juniors. hit the UFA window period where he could talk to other teams. But that isn’t the norm. Generally, when players get closer to talking to other I talked with St. Petersburg SKA coach Alexei Kudashov over the teams, the agents start licking their chops because there is nothing better weekend and he raved about Podkolzin’s play. “He is getting better and than competition to drive up the price. better,” he said. “He plays some power play, some penalty killing. His defensive play I now trust him, he is better at the small details. He is RFA s playing both ways, I trust him in our own end. He also has the players’ trust — he is great in the dressing room.” It was a tough week for Richmond native Troy Stecher leading into the NHL trade deadline. Being a local kid and having trade rumours swirling The sky is the limit for this kid, says Kudashov. “He is almost ready for makes things so much tougher on the player and his family. any league in this world.”

Sources told me the Stecher family had a tough time with it. Listening to F Nils Hoglander — Rogle BK (Sweden) — 35 GP, 7 G, 6 A, 13 PTS fan and media reaction isn’t always a lot of fun. Hoglander is struggling offensively of late — he has just two points in his It was a grind for all involved but they got through it, and Stecher handled last 15 games. it with a lot of class. Some things to keep in mind when talking about Hoglander: He is 19 and The Stecher for Tyson Barrie rumours never died down but a source said playing against men; he plays on a very good team and it is hard to get it never got close, “There were serious discussions early but not at the points in the league he plays in. end. It never got close but there were significant talks.” Canucks Swedish scout Lars Lindgren tells me that he isn’t worried about Now, what about Stecher’s future? Hoglander. “I saw him a few days ago and we had a good talk,” he said. “Everybody has a slump. You just have to do extra and get out of it. He is Stecher’s agent Eustace King has heard the rumours the Canucks may young and going through ups and downs. I wonder sometimes if Nils will not qualify Stecher just as they did not qualify Ben Hutton last year and it fit better on a small ice surface because he is so good in tight around the doesn’t bother him. “Not at all,” he said. “It is a business and it is all net.” speculation. I have no information from the Canucks that that may happen. There is nothing to talk about.” The GM of Hoglander’s team, Chris Abbott, is also not concerned. “It is not all about points. He is not in the WHL or OHL playing 30 minutes a night. He plays the right way, he has been solid for us. We have a really good team. Nils is dynamic and (has) tons of potential — I have no concern about his points total.”

Hoglander can sign with the Canucks after this season. If he does, where he plays next season will be a great debate. Does he go back to Sweden for one more year or play in Utica?

D Nikita Tryamkin — Yekaterinburg Automobilist (Russia) — 58 GP, 2 G, 9 A, 11 PTS, 61 PIM

I put Tryamkin in this category because Canucks scouts still watch him and have to decide whether they will sign him.

Lindgren on Tryamkin: “I saw him two weeks ago in Russia and he played a very strong game. It was one of the better games I have seen him play.”

The KHL playoffs have started already. A KHL official thinks Tryamkin is ready for the NHL. “Yes I do, he is one of the best players on his team,” he told me. “He has been very strong lately. Nikita has progressed as the games have gotten more important. I expect him to continue that in the playoffs.”

F Linus Karlsson — BIK Karlskoga (Sweden) — 10 GP, 5 G, 11 A, 16 PTS

Karlsson is the player the Canucks got from San Jose in the Jonathan Dahlen trade. He is not signed yet but if he keeps up his hot trend, that could change.

He changed teams this season and has been great playing for BIK Karlskoga. “I am playing with good players,” he told me. “The team believes in me, I am on the power play and get time at the end of games.”

Here’s what Lindgren had to say about Karlsson: “He has good skill and his compete level is great. He will get stronger; improve his leg strength; he will have a good chance.”

F Petrus Palmu — JYP Jyvaskyla (Finland) — 43 GP, 11 G, 20 A, 31 PTS

Here’s Lindgren on Palmu: “Saw him three weeks ago. Good speed. He had 8-10 shots in that game. He gets involved —not big but a strong skater.”

When Palmu’s season is over he could be assigned to Utica.

F Arvid Costmar — Linkoping (Sweden) — 7 GP, 1 G

Lindgren on Costmar: “I saw him last week, he was pretty good. He is a young kid who has a good shot, is skilled and sees the ice well. He is a long-term project who will get stronger and better.”

F Karel Plasek — Kometa Brno (Czech Republic) — 34 GP, 3 G, 3 A, 6 PTS

Lindgren on Plasek: “He has been good in the games I have seen him play. He works hard. He has raised his level of play; another young player who will get better.”

D Toni Utunen — Tappara (Finland) — 30 GP, 3 A, 3 PTS

Lindgren on Utunen: “He was out with a foot problem. The game I saw he was sixth or seventh defenceman because of the injury but this is a smart player — smart with his stick, moves the puck well.”

The Athletic LOADED: 03.03.2020 1179684 Vancouver Canucks playoff spot, the margin for error dwindling further with every loss. It’s also created an abrupt change in perspective, like when the lights at the club go on after last call and everything looks about 70 percent less exciting. Drance: The Columbus collapse won’t define this Canucks team It’s brought into relief the big picture concern, that the foundation of this team’s rise has been built on a knife’s edge anyway.

By Thomas Drance Mar 2, 2020 The Canucks just haven’t controlled play well enough, not since about mid-November and that leaves them more vulnerable to dramatic

changes in fortune. Teams that control play tend to be better insulated, A charmed season of Vancouver Canucks hockey means that a crisis is better able to hobble through brief periods of tough finishing luck or never far away. After all, this is Vancouver. spotty goaltending while still amassing the points required to keep pace. Teams that don’t control play tend to be more brittle. A crisis point is exactly where the Canucks will find themselves on Monday, when they wake up back on the west coast and take a team day The Canucks aren’t a team that has typically controlled play, a fact off. A brutal February has seen the club slip from the surprising perch captured clearly by their cumulative expected goal percentage: they occupied for a month at the apex of their division. They’ve even (Courtesy: MoneyPuck.com) dropped out of the top-three in the Pacific, on total points if not by point percentage. There are 17 games left for this team. It’s March now and these are meaningful games, the sort the club has repeatedly insisted they’re The Canucks have lost three games in a row, including — most looking for. inexcusably — a 5-2 loss to the undermanned Ottawa Senators this past Thursday. If the Senators loss was the gasoline, then the Canucks’ loss If there’s any good news, it’s that the Canucks remain much more likely on Sunday night to the Columbus Blue Jackets — a loss in which they than not to make the postseason and that Rogers Arena has been a blew a 3-1 lead with eight minutes to go in the contest — represents the fortress for the club this season, even as they’ve struggled to cobble struck match. together points on the road.

In the absence of team MVP and starting goaltender Jacob Markstrom, Also, a tough week doesn’t alter the fact that Demko’s track record the Canucks are scuffling. It’s a results-based business, of course, which strongly suggests he’s very good at stopping pucks. He might not be means that on sports-talk radio and Canucks-centric forums across the ready for this level of work or pressure, but if he can reset early this internet, there’s a lot of blame going around. week, Vancouver’s prized young goaltender seems more likely to rebound from this low point in his rookie season than not. Some will point to the fact that under Jim Benning’s leadership the Canucks have pushed a lot of chips into the centre of the table, betting So as the first week of March opens and panic rages in hockey-mad on a team that’s still too permissive defensively and whose best players circles across the Lower Mainland, it’s worth remembering that the are two or three years from hitting the peak of their powers. Canucks aren’t likely to be defined by an ugly collapse in Columbus on the first day of the month. Others will point to Travis Green. The Canucks head coach put himself into the line of fire anyway, declining to give full answers to questions They’ll be defined, rather, by whether they can string together the 20 asked by TSN 1040 reporter and The Athletic podcast host Jeff Paterson points they’ll probably need from their remaining 17 games to punch their over the weekend. That’s unrelated, though, to the usual complaints ticket to the Stanley Cup playoffs and end a five-year playoff drought. Or about various deployment and lineup decisions. Green’s reliance on Loui not. Eriksson in the top six has been a popular local talking point for weeks, though leaving Quinn Hughes on the bench for a seven-minute stretch in Whether they can recreate the type of stingy defensive performance they the third period on Sunday will be the more-discussed decision on put in for 52 minutes on Sunday night in Columbus with enough Monday in Vancouver. consistency to hold the fort until Markstrom returns. Or not.

Still others will point to specific Canucks players. Brandon Sutter had a Whether they can rebound from a devastating performance against the tough third period on Sunday night and took the penalty that led to the Blue Jackets, a performance captain Bo Horvat described as game-tying goal. Antoine Roussel took the penalty that led to Columbus’ “unacceptable” and that Green referred to as being one that “just doesn’t game winner. leave you,” and get their season back on track. Or not.

Me? I’ll take the Occam’s razor approach and point out that the Canucks They’ll be defined by what happens next. have missed Markstrom a lot more than anyone could’ve reasonably And what happens next will be fascinating. anticipated. The Athletic LOADED: 03.03.2020 The extent to which Markstrom’s absence has been felt is plain to the eye and matched by the data.

The numbers are stark. During a 1-3-0 road trip through Eastern Canada and Central Ohio this past week, Vancouver’s goaltending tandem of Thatcher Demko and Louis Domingue combined to post an .869 save percentage. The two Canucks goaltenders surrendered 12 goals at even- strength over the past four games, even as the club in front of them limited their opponents to 7.49 expected goals against, according to naturalstattrick.com.

Largely as a result of porous goaltending, the Canucks wasted a decent road performance against the Toronto Maple Leafs on Saturday night and a stellar performance from the Canucks’ top line on Sunday in Columbus.

Goaltending has been an essential driver of Vancouver’s success to this point and Markstrom’s Vezina-level form has permitted the club to paper over some of its notable defensive flaws. The fact is, Vancouver is among the NHL’s most slack teams when it comes to permitting attempts, shots and scoring chances against. It’s just that so few of those attempts, shots and scoring chances have found their way past Markstrom.

The severe, dramatic drop in the quality of Vancouver’s goaltending poses an existential threat for a team now deep in a scramble for a 1179685 Vancouver Canucks Right, deals get done in this business when the team is being fair and the individual player or his agent feels like they’re doing a fair deal, then a deal’s going to get done. We had Alex Edler last year that was in the same situation, and we started talking to him after the season last year LeBrun: Q&A with GM Jim Benning on injuries, trades and Canucks’ and we got a deal done before July 1. And he’s with our group for playoff push another two years. So we have a couple of players that will fall into that category this year. We’ll see how we finish off, and when we finish off

and we’ll start talking to them once the season ends to try and get By Pierre LeBrun Mar 2, 2020 something done.

In the meantime, it’s an opportunity for Thatcher Demko, maybe not in the way you would have wanted it thrust on him, but it is what it is, it’s the BOCA RATON, Florida — Jim Benning has been GM of the Vancouver NHL and sometimes that’s how you get your chance. Canucks for nearly six years and has presided over a patient retooling of the organization which this year has seen a whole other step in its There’s never an ideal situation. But he’s a guy that we feel we’ve done evolution. right by his development. We drafted him, he played three years at Boston College, he turned pro, we worked with him for two and a half Benning, who signed a three-year extension last August which kicks in years in the minors and then brought him up last year at Christmas time. next season, was hoping before the season began that his team would He played some games for us last year at the end of the season. So I play meaningful games into March — exactly what he’s getting. feel from the development end that we’ve done the right things by him. He was really good for us this year as the backup to Jacob, and when The Canucks sit in a playoff spot in the wide-open Pacific Division but it’s Jacob had to miss time earlier this season with his family situation, going to be a grind to the end, an injury to top goalie Jacob Markstrom Thatcher played and was good for us. You know, it’s a different situation throwing some major adversity Vancouver’s way just as the schedule for him now, being the starter every game and I think there are different hammers them with a crazy, busy month. pressures now especially at this time of year. He’s the type of guy that But for Benning, it’s all part of his team learning from these moments. throughout his playing career has figured out a way to get through that and been successful. I expect him to be no different in this situation. On Sunday afternoon, I caught up with Benning on the eve of the NHL’s GM meetings at the picturesque Boca Beach Club resort: Your team right now is going through a bout of adversity. You’ve had other bouts of adversity early in the season and the team came through it Jim, what’s it like coming to these meetings now that you’ve been on the strongly. So this is part of a team learning to take that next step, right? GM job for six years? I know when you first start coming to the first couple of times, GMs always tell me they try not to be too vocal. Now that Our goals going into the season was wanting to be competitive in the you’ve been around more, do you find yourself saying more in these stretch, we wanted our young guys to play meaningful games in February meetings? and March, we’re in the middle of that right now and our goal is to make the playoffs. I feel that’s important for young players’ development to play I’m a pretty quiet guy by nature. I come to the meetings and I take notes. in playoff games and see what that’s all about and our growth as a team If something affects us, I try to let it be known to either Bill (Daly) or Gary is going to be based on our young players to continually get better. That’s (Bettman) beforehand that I think it’s a hot topic in our market for us. But what we’re trying to do. Nothing is ever easy in this league. On a day-to- I think the veteran guys in the room still hold the strongest voice, the day basis with injuries, travel schedules, nothing’s easy. But so far this younger guys defer to the guys in the room with the most experience, the year, we’ve shown through adversity to figure out a way and work our Lou Lamoriellos, the David Poiles, the Ken Hollands, these guys who way through it. And I expect this time will be no different in that regard. have been doing it for 30-35 years. I think everybody wants to hear what they have to say on certain subjects. The Rangers also had a rebuild just like you guys and last summer they go out and make a splashy signing in Artemi Panarin because they felt it Speaking of hot topics, there’s been some pretty high-profile injuries was time to make that kind of move. You guys last summer, after a around the league, especially in the second half of the season. Your patient rebuild, go out and spend a first-round pick to get J.T. Miller. And team has been hit hard among other teams as well. But you guys have you have to be happy with Miller’s impact this season. But what I find the other factor in terms of the travel. Is that something that you would interesting is when teams decide it’s time to add a piece like that after like to see addressed in some way, any way to improve the scheduling rebuilding around young players. What is it that you feel in your gut that part of it? it’s time for that kind of move?

You know, we’ve talked about it in these meetings in the past. It’s never What we’re trying to do in building a team is that we’re always looking for … of course we’d like to do things, but it’s a partnership with the players ways to add players who come in and be part of the solution long-term. and the Players’ Association. So we have to figure out from our end what We talked about J.T. Miller, he was still a young player, he’s a different they feel comfortable doing and what works for them. And what works for player than what we’ve had; a guy with his size and skill set, his abilities us. I know last summer, especially for us, we spent a lot of time as an to protect the puck and make plays with it, get to the net. He plays an old organization going through all of our medical team. Do we have enough school game. We just felt that he was still young enough to grow with our massage therapists, do we travel with enough people? We made a real group of young players and help their development. We looked at the conscious effort to be more pro-active in the injury prevention side of pros and cons of it and just felt it was the right thing to do. Some teams things. I think it’s helped a little bit. I don’t think we’re as banged up as we add players at the trade deadline and give up first-round picks. We just were in the last couple of years. But with the speed of the game, our felt like this was a good investment to give up a first-round pick for a travel schedule, playing every second or third night, I think it’s inevitable player we were going to have the whole season and three more after that we’re always going to have some injuries. this. And he’s been excellent for us. On the ice, he’s been good, but off It’s a stupid thing for me to say but while you know you’re going to get the ice, in the room, he’s been a strong leader for our group. He played injuries, you cross your fingers it’s not certain guys and with Jacob for the Rangers and they had playoff success and went to Tampa and Markstrom being out, that’s as tough as it gets for your team right now? they had a good team and playoff success. So he’s been in dressing rooms where he knows what it takes to make the playoffs and be Yeah. He was having an excellent season for us. Last year at Christmas successful. He’s passed that down to our younger players in Vancouver. time he kind of came into his own. He finished off the year really strong last year. He was playing really good for us this year. He’s one of our You made a deal at the deadline in getting Tyler Toffoli, which became better players and he’s hurt, but you look at other teams, Edmonton was even more obvious as far as reasoning after the trade was announced without (Connor) McDavid for three weeks, Arizona was without (Darcy) with the Brock Boeser injury news. But is that a deal necessitated by Kuemper, every team has injuries to guys. You just have to figure out a Brock’s injury or were you looking for secondary scoring anyway? way to get through it and try to keep staying competitive. Yeah, we were looking for secondary scoring. Our team, we’ve faced I know you’ve been careful the last few years not commenting too much adversity throughout the whole year, our team has worked hard and on contract negotiations, so I’ll try to come at it this way: given what competed hard every night, so from the management team’s perspective Markstrom has shown this season and his absence being felt now, is the we wanted to do something to try to be competitive down the stretch and delicate dance between now and July 1 the fact it’s hardly a secret what make the playoffs. We lost Brock, there’s a chance that he’ll be back with he means to you guys, but the cap is the cap, so somewhere in there … a week or two left to go in the season, but it left a big hole in our group scoring-wise. So we tried to learn what it would take in the market to get a deal done and started to negotiate a deal with L.A. and came to a deal we thought we fair. And Tyler is a guy, when we talked to his agent at the time, that he wants to come to Vancouver and see how he fits in and where we end up. We might try to get him signed after the season, too, and he’ll part of our future. We have a lot of decisions to make at the end of the season. But I think the decisions that we’re going to be making are if we’re going to be moving players out that we can recover assets or draft picks or get players back for them. We wanted to put our best foot forward here from now to the end of the year. I felt like our coaches and the players earned that and the deserved that, so that was our thinking at the deadline and that’s why we went out and got Tyler Toffoli.

Not every GM is comfortable answering this question but I will ask it anyway. I remember Marc Bergevin in my first GM Q&A this season back in September didn’t hesitate, he said Shea Weber right away when I asked for his top trade during his time as GM there in Montreal. So I will ask you the same, not just trade, but any move in general. We just talked about how the Miller trade has worked well so well, but I’m thinking drafting Quinn Hughes seventh overall in 2018 would rank right up there?

Well, I think those are the two things I would talk about because they changed the dynamic of our team this year. Drafting Quinn at No. 7 and having him come in and play as well as he has this year changed the look of our blue line. And then trading for J.T. last summer, he’s our top scorer right now, he’s helped on the ice and in the room as we talked about. So I think those two moves would be something that had really helped and speed up the development of our group.

Now you’re here for the GM meetings. It seems like the emergency goalie is the topic du jour. I’m not blaming anyone in particular for this because I think the media, myself included, is part of this, but I feel like we tend to overreact to things that happen right before GM meetings every year. Are you in the camp that wants to look at the EBUG or given that it’s happened twice in like how many years ….

This is something we talk about every year. There’s been a lot of different things that have come up to try and solve this problem. And it’s happened like you said, twice, and both times the goalies went in and their team won. So I don’t know. It’s hard. Even with our emergency goalies in Vancouver, we use the UBC goalies, right? They come to every game, one of the three guys. But you start thinking, if this were to happen to us when we’re on the road, we’re stuck using whoever the other team supplies, you know, would it be nice for us to be able to use your own guy? This is what we talked about in the meetings before. But you know, then you get into a whole other thing that needs to be talked about with the Players’ Association, and the costs involved, and it’s hard because these guys that do that position have other jobs. Or in our case, the kids are going to school. So I don’t think there’s an easy solution to this issue. It very rarely happens. We’ll talk about it again this week. We’ll continue to try to figure it out. But I don’t think there’s an easy answer to it.

The Athletic LOADED: 03.03.2020 1179686 Websites judge them, kind of hoping this tournament you see them play against their own age group and firm up your opinion of them.”

The potential of losing that opportunity is going to mean an adjustment in The Athletic / How the spreading coronavirus is impacting the NHL approach. Already, because of the spread of coronavirus, multiple NHL scouts confirmed they are curtailing international travel individually. According to an NHL source, the league has not formally recommended a complete international travel ban for scouting, instead leaving that By Craig Custance Mar 2, 2020 decision up to individual clubs at this point.

And individual front offices are having those conversations. No general BOCA RATON, Fla. – Around the time the IIHF announced it canceled managers interviewed on Monday by The Athletic said they were four men’s U18 tournaments and two women’s world championship currently banning international travel across the board but planned on tournaments in March because of the spreading coronavirus (COVID-19), monitoring the process and leaning on the league for recommendations. NHL deputy commissioner Bill Daly updated the league’s general “We’re probably going to talk about it. We haven’t done anything like (a managers about the issue on Monday. total ban) yet,” Blackhawks GM Stan Bowman said. “I think in the last The league is closely monitoring the situation by reviewing daily updates week or so it seems like things in the world are ramping up as far as from the Center for Disease Control and Health Canada. The league is concerns about it. We’re going to have to have that conversation.” also in contact with medical experts and shares its findings with all 31 Added Yzerman: “We’ll take the (NHL’s) advice. The NHL does a good NHL teams. job of looking out for us. We’ll heed their advice and their instruction on In a statement given to The Athletic, the NHL stated that regular anything. Right now, to my knowledge, Italy is the only country in Europe communication with clubs monitoring coronavirus goes back to January that they’re advising or instructing us to stay away – ban is too strong a “to ensure that they have latest information from the medical experts and word. That’s the only one I’m aware of and we don’t need to go to Italy that all necessary precautionary steps are being taken. The health and right now.” safety of our players, staff and fans are our highest priorities, and we will If more tournaments are wiped out and scouting travel is seriously implement all necessary safety measures as required.” curtailed, it’s going to shift how the 2020 draft class is evaluated. One The league also planned on conducting a conference call with the NFL, GM suggested an approach heavy on video and going back to review NBA and MLB on Monday to share information. previous tournaments more closely.

Right now, extreme precautions tend to be theoretical. Will games be That would put an extra emphasis on a tournament like February’s 2020 canceled? Will international travel be completely banned? Will games be U18 Five Nations Tournament held in the Czech Republic. Good news if played without fans? you’re a player like Team USA’s Jake Sanderson, who led the tournament in points as a defenseman. Not great, if you’re a player like According to a memo sent by the NHL to its GMs and Board of talented Russian goalie Yaroslav Askarov, who was pretty mediocre in Governors on Feb. 28, NHL events weren’t in danger of being canceled that tournament. Askarov was outstanding in last spring’s U18s, a based on information provided by the CDC, stating: “There is no tournament in which he firmly established himself as a potential top-10 indication that there is any need to consider canceling or postponing any pick. NHL events based on the coronavirus.” The memo did, however, say that the CDC suggests communities begin consideration on how to prepare It’s becoming possible he doesn’t get a chance at a repeat performance. for “various interventions and disruptions,” should they occur. “The more times you see the guy, the more recently you’ve seen them, But one area where it’s not too early to see an impact is in international the fresher in your mind they are and the more certain you are of what scouting. And it is happening at a crucial time in the amateur scouting you think they are,” Yzerman said. “It’s out of our control. There’s no schedule. sense worrying about it. There’s nothing you can do about it. That’s why it’s important to watch them all year long.” The IIHF canceled four U18 men’s tournaments: World Championships Division II Group A (in Estonia), and Group B (in Bulgaria) along with – The Athletic’s Corey Pronman contributed to this report Division III Group A (in Turkey) and Group B (Luxembourg). It canceled The Athletic LOADED: 03.03.2020 two women’s tournaments: World Championship Division 1 Group B (in Poland) and World Championship Division II Group A (in Spain).

The most impactful men’s tournament left on the schedule, in terms of amateur draft evaluation, is the U18 World Championship. Right now, it’s still scheduled to take place, but according to a source, USA Hockey was made aware that it might be in jeopardy of being canceled.

That event, to be held April 16-26 in Plymouth and Ann Arbor, Michigan, is a crucial one in the amateur draft evaluation calendar. Removing that would remove a large chunk of draft prep just a couple months before the 2020 NHL Draft.

“The U18s in Plymouth would be the event that is by far the most valuable on the scouting calendar of the games that remain,” Golden Knights GM Kelly McCrimmon said. “From a hockey standpoint, we’re hopeful that that tournament can remain in place. But that will be a decision made for all the right reasons and that takes priority.”

McCrimmon explained it this way: A final draft list is compiled based on an entire body of work. Nobody should be drafting a kid based on what he does in one tournament. But it can certainly drive home the progression a player has made over the course of their career.

“I’ve likened the (U18) world championships to final exams,” McCrimmon said. “They’re maybe worth 30 percent of your final grade, they’re not worth your entire grade.”

It’s especially important for prospects who might get an expanded role on their national teams compared to what they get in normal league games.

“Some of those kids maybe play in the men’s league that don’t get a lot of ice time,” Red Wings GM Steve Yzerman said. “You’re kind of trying to 1179687 Websites 3. Tampa Bay Lightning (41-19-5, +45) – When we said we wanted them to get into playoff mode, losing four straight wasn’t what we meant.

It was an ugly week, one that included giving up seven to the Coyotes, The Athletic / DGB weekend power rankings: Sorting through trades, and then coming home to lose to the Central’s last-place team and one streaks and one major injury that can’t beat a Zamboni driver. They snapped the losing streak on Saturday by holding on to beat the Flames, but it was still a bad day thanks to the announcement that Steven Stamkos miss six to eight weeks after having surgery today. Everyone immediately did the same By Sean McIndoe Mar 2, 2020 math: even six weeks would mean he could miss the start of the playoffs. And while it’s become routine for NHL stars to come back before their announced timelines, this doesn’t sound like the sort of injury you We’re not going to waste any time with a long preamble on this week’s necessarily just shake off and move on from. If he’s 100 percent in time rankings, because this is one of my favorite weeks of the year. for the first round, great. That doesn’t sound like a likely outcome right now. Most seasons, things start to stabilize around December and January, and by February, it’s mostly the same teams that keep showing up in #TBLIGHTNING COOPER SAID THE DECISION FOR STEVEN roughly the same spots and there isn’t always all that much new to say. STAMKOS TO HAVE CORE MUSCLE SURGERY (MISSING 6-8 But then the trade deadline arrives and things get shaken up. We’ve had WEEKS) WAS RESULT OF A LOT OF TESTS AND TALKS WITH about 30 trades since the last set of rankings, and while they weren’t all STAMKOS/ DOCTORS. TIMING IS TOUGH, BUT "GOOD THING IS blockbusters, that should be enough action to move the needle. WHEN IT GETS DONE, IT'S DONE, AND NOW WE NEVER HAVE TO WORRY BOUT IT AGAIN." So we’d expect to see some changes in this week’s rankings. But even without the trades, this has been a wild week. We’ve got some teams — JOE SMITH (@JOESMITHTB) MARCH 1, 2020 surging, including the top of the Central. We’ve got some teams flatlining, including the top of the Metro. And on Saturday, we found out about a big I still think the Lightning will be fine in the long run, and more importantly, injury that could have implications for the rest of the regular season and I still think they’ll have a long run. But a big chunk of that invulnerability beyond. sheen from a few weeks ago has worn off. And that makes room for a new No. 1. There’s a lot to get to, and we might need to work in a few more teams than usual. So let’s skip the usual intro essay and head straight to the 2. St. Louis Blues (39-17-10, +30) – They’ve won seven straight. They’ve rankings. also won seven of their last twelve. They’re streaky these days, is what I’m trying to say. Road to the Cup They’re also holding down the top spot in the Central, which is the more The five teams that look like they’re headed towards a summer of keg important part. Letting the Stars off the mat in the final seconds to get a stands and fountain pool parties. point on Saturday wasn’t ideal, but otherwise, the Blues are rolling, even as they’re having to constantly check their rear-view mirror for the The March edition of The Athletic’s collective power rankings came out Avalanche. Furthermore, they’ve got a good chance to keep that over the weekend, and you can find them here. As a reminder, in the momentum going, playing their next seven games against teams that are case of any discrepancy between my rankings and everyone else’s, you currently outside of a playoff spot. should assume that mine are right. 1. Boston Bruins (41-13-12, +58) – They finished the week strong, getting 5. Colorado Avalanche (39-18-7, +49 true goals differential*) – They just regulation wins over good teams in the Stars and Islanders and looking keep rolling along, even if they’re not gaining any ground on the Blues or like their old selves after the unpleasantness of last weekend. With all that much on the Stars. The difference between finishing second in Tampa struggling, the Bruins once again look like they’ve got a clear path the division and facing Dallas or finishing first and playing somebody like to the Atlantic crown, and probably the Presidents’ Trophy and home-ice Calgary or Winnipeg feels huge, so there may not be room for two through the postseason. Central teams down the stretch. But for now, we can make it work. This week will be interesting since it includes a pair of games against the I’m still surprised that the Avs had such a quiet deadline given all their Lightning with the Panthers dropped in between. That could bring the cap space, and I’m on board with the theory that Joe Sakic was eying race back to life, or it could end it for good. Either way here’s something Chris Kreider and didn’t have time to work a significant Plan B when the worth remembering for anyone thinking about catching the Bruins down Rangers decided not to move him. This is one of those situations where the stretch: they have a five-game swing in late March that sees them the right answer only becomes apparent in hindsight, so we’ll see if Sakic play the three California teams, the Wings and the Senators all in a row. deserves criticism for not being more aggressive or applause for not That’s a lot of points they should be able to bank fairly easily, so they’re disrupting a winning room. in even better shape than you might think. 4. Vegas Golden Knights (36-23-8, +13) – Well, that didn’t take long. One *Goals differential without counting shootout decisions like the NHL does week after they were getting close, the Knights kick the door down on the for some reason. top five by running their win streak to eight while making what may have been the biggest addition of the deadline. Not ranked: Philadelphia Flyers – It would be wrong to suggest that the Flyers have snuck up on anyone, or that their playoff run has come out of The streak ended last night at the hands of the Kings, but it means that nowhere. They’ve been churning out points pretty much all season long, Vegas has opened up a little bit of breathing room on top of the Pacific. never getting really hot or cold (other than a brief wobble after the holiday It’s only a little, and they’ve still got a ways to go to close this out, but with break) but consistently winning more than they lost. Until this current six- the Canucks and Oilers battling injuries and inconsistency, this now feels game stretch, they haven’t had that monster win streak that makes very much like the Knights’ division to lose. Which is what we all figured it everyone pay attention. They’ve just spent most of the year always would be if they could ever get their entire lineup clicking the way it seeming to be 6-3-1 in their last ten. should; they’re pretty much there now. The thing about 6-3-1 is that it’s more than enough to get you into the I liked the Robin Lehner trade, although I’m not as ready to call it a home playoffs, and that’s where the Flyers are headed. They’re basically a lock run as some are. That’s not a knock on Lehner, who’s been excellent for after sweeping a home-and-home with the Blue Jackets last week and a few years now. Rather, I’m not sure that this will play out as easily as taking out the Rangers this weekend. They’ve blown past the Penguins others seem to think. To hear some of the reactions, the Knights will for home ice. And now, they might make a push for the division if the either see Fleury snap back to his previous Cup-caliber form, or they Caps can’t get back on track. switch over to Lehner and don’t miss a beat. I’m not sure it’s that simple, and we’ve seen teams turn this kind of thing into a Buridan’s ass This weekend’s home-and-home with the Rangers was a fascinating scenario. But it’s still better to have a tough choice than no choice at all, matchup between the only two Metro teams that are any good right now. so the Knights are in better shape this week than last. And that’s enough It was a chance for the Rangers to cap off a great February by pushing to move them back onto our list for the first time since the third week of into an unlikely wild-card spot. It had a playoff feel. And the Flyers swept the season. it in regulation while scoring ten goals. Message delivered. @DOWNGOESBROWN PUT THE FLYERS IN THE TOP 5 YOU 5. Anaheim Ducks (26-31-8, -41) – Honestly, I just penciled in whichever COWARD. team lost last night’s Devils/Ducks game. I didn’t watch, but if you did then congratulations on being related to one of the players. — KYLE GODOWN (@KYLEGODOWN) FEBRUARY 29, 2020 4. San Jose Sharks (28-33-4, -41) – Well, at least we can all cheer on Up next: The Caps, followed by the Hurricanes, which feels like a chance Patrick Marleau’s quest to become this year’s feel-good OGWAC story. to stake a claim as the Metro’s best team. The week after that, they get the Bruins and Lightning, and a chance to do the same for the (The Sharks absolutely destroy the Penguins.) conference. One model already has them as the Cup favorites. That seems extreme to me, but it’s fair to say that by now, everyone is paying You are doing it wrong. attention. 3. Ottawa Senators (23-31-12, -42) – It’s a rebuilding year and the trade Also not ranked: The Penguins or Capitals – By the middle of the week, it deadline just passed, and we all know what that means for a team like was becoming clear that there wouldn’t be room for two Metro teams in Ottawa that is just riding out the stretch run. Still, this stat from Thursday the top five anymore, and I spent a lot of time going back and forth on night was pretty jaw-dropping: who to drop. By the end of the weekend, my consultant had weighed in. 12 OF THE 18 SKATERS THE OTTAWA SENATORS ARE DRESSING Yeah, we’re giving the entire division a timeout. TONIGHT VS #CANUCKS HAVE 1 GOAL OR 0 GOALS IN #NHL THIS The Penguins are the easier call of the two, having lost six straight in SEASON regulation. That would have seemed unfathomable a few weeks ago 1 GOAL: when they were rolling without Sidney Crosby and seemed set to dominate once he returned. They did for a bit, but now they’re a mess, REILLY despite an aggressive deadline from Jim Rutherford. Getting blown out of RYAN the water by the Sharks does indeed seem like rock bottom, and while there’s plenty of time to sort it out before the playoffs, those playoffs ZAITSEV aren’t exactly a sure thing anymore. SABOURIN The Caps were a tougher call; despite a 4-6-1 stretch, they’re still holding down the top spot in the Metro, however tenuously. They’re certainly not HAWYRLUK the same sort of disaster area that the Penguins look like right now. And HAINSEY somebody has to win this division, and unless you’re all-in on the Flyers then you have to figure the Caps have a solid chance. But right now, BOEDKER solid doesn’t get you in the top five, so the Caps vacate a spot for the first time since the end of October. 0 GOALS:

And yeah, the Caps get the Flyers on Wednesday night. That should be NORRIS fun. BALCERS Also not ranked: Toronto Maple Leafs – It’s going to be a long time ENGLUND before the Leafs are back in the circle of trust after, you know, that game. But credit where it’s due, they’ve won three straight since then, including PECA a huge game in Florida. Now they’re off to California for three games against bad teams, which is the sort of swing that could put six more JAROS points in the bank. It’s also the sort of swing that could give this team — JEFF PATERSON (@PATERSONJEFF) FEBRUARY 27, another reason to pat themselves on the back and take their foot off the 2020 gas. That’s been their pattern for much of the year, but maybe losing to a Zamboni driver drove the message home. We’ll see. You can take Bobby Ryan off that list after his emotional hat trick, which was one of the year’s best moments. Also not ranked: Carolina Hurricanes – Hey, speaking of Zamboni goalies … uh, is he still available? The David Ayres story was fun, but it 2. Los Angeles Kings (25-35-6, -39) – After winning in Vegas, they’re happened because Carolina lost both goalies to injury, and they haven’t home for their next nine against an eclectic mix that includes the very won since. The combination of Alex Nedeljkovic and Anton Forsberg good (Bruins, Avs), the very bad (Sens, Ducks) and more than a few hasn’t been awful, but it hasn’t been good, allowing 11 goals in three teams that will be desperately looking to bank points towards a wild-card games, and the Hurricanes are outside of the playoff picture in a year spot. The Kings won’t be in the playoff race, but they’re definitely going to where they really can’t afford to be. have an impact on it.

A lot of us liked the Hurricanes deadline a lot, both for now and down the 1. Detroit Red Wings (15-47-5, -120) – The Wings’ goals differential road. But not getting a goalie for the short-term was curious, and it could continues to be a thing of beauty. Since they just got marginally worse at be costing them. the deadline and have literally nothing to play for because the NHL doesn’t use the Gold Plan to make the stretch run meaningful for Also not ranked: Edmonton Oilers – This section got a little East-heavy, everyone, you wonder how low it can go. Is -150 in range? Probably not, but it’s worth pointing out that the Oilers remain in very good shape in the but there’s a more impressive milestone that they might hit: Being 82 Pacific. Saturday night’s win over the Jets was far from their best game goals below the league’s 30th worst team. That would mean that the Red of the year, or even an especially good one, but it was one they needed Wings would be a full goal-per-game worse than any other team. In the after losing four of five. That sets up a crucial game tonight in Nashville, parity era, that would be amazing, and if it happens I think we should where a win would all but eliminate the Predators as a threat to catch force Detroit to hang a banner for it. Preferably right behind their own net. them. Not ranked: Arizona Coyotes – They flirted with absolute disaster on Also, I think Leon Draisaitl is going to be the MVP even though he isn’t Saturday night, falling behind 2-0 to the Sabres before storming back for the best player on his own team, and I feel like I’m OK with this. a 5-2 win. That was a crucial two points for a team that absolutely can’t Also not ranked: Your team – They were sixth. be throwing away easy wins down the stretch. The Western wild-card race is ridiculously tight, with five teams within three points of each other The bottom five (and the Flames and Oilers still not out of harm’s way).

The five teams that are headed towards the best lottery odds and lots of That means that three teams are going to end up on the outside looking Alexis Lafreniere junior highlight reels. in, and nobody wants that fate. But it’s hard to imagine any team would be more devastated by a playoff miss than the Coyotes, who went big on There isn’t anywhere near as much churn in the bottom of the rankings Phil Kessel and Taylor Hall to signal that it was time to break through as we saw in the top, so we’ll breeze through this relatively quickly. But after seven consecutive years on the outside. Yes, they’ve had injuries, since this is the loser section, please enjoy your regularly scheduled including in net. But if they miss yet again after making the year’s biggest reminder that the loser point is a disgrace and the NHL is lying to you trade and while playing in the worst division … man. There’d be no about why it exists. sugar-coating that kind of disaster. Also not ranked: Vancouver Canucks – I still think they make the playoffs, but … is this good? It doesn’t seem good.

CANUCKS 5-7-2 WITH THREE REGULATION WINS IN THE LAST MONTH

— RYAN LAMBERT (@TWOLINEPASS) MARCH 2, 2020

One of those regulation wins came when they scored nine goals against the best team in the league nine days ago. I don’t understand this league sometimes.

Also not ranked: Florida Panthers – Speaking of playoff droughts, the Panthers haven’t been in since 2016 and haven’t won a round since the original Jets were in the league. (No, really.) They spent big on a coach and goalie this summer, and seemed to have finally drawn their line in the beach sand – they were making their run.

It was not a good week for that line. On Monday, they had a perplexing deadline that saw them get worse in the short-term, but at least finished that day two points back of the spiraling Leafs and holding a game in hand. A week later they’ve lost three of four, used up that game in hand, dropped to five points back and lost that high-priced goalie to an injury of undetermined severity. A furious race to the finish suddenly seems like it’s in danger of ending early. There’s still time, and a head-to-head matchup with the Leafs left. But they’d better start winning soon, and a schedule that serves up the Bruins and Blues this week isn’t helping.

Also not ranked: Chicago Blackhawks – They may be six points back with four teams to pass, but they’re not quitting, they have character and they believe to a man that they’re still in this thing. (Narrator voice: They were not still in this thing.)

Also not ranked: Buffalo Sabres – Hey, that “we’re not sellers, we’re actually going for it” mentality was fun for the few days it lasted, right? The team’s star players probably appreciated the vote of confidence. You’re having fun, right Jack Eichel?

JACK EICHEL STILL IN FULL UNIFORM LONG AFTER EVERY OTHER SABRES PLAYER HAD LEFT THE LOCKER ROOM.

REALIZATION THAT IT’S OVER IS HERE: “BIG PICTURE SUCKS, OBVIOUSLY,” EICHEL SAID.

— JOHN VOGL (@BUFFALOVOGL) MARCH 1, 2020

Yeah, he sounds like he’s having fun.

Also not ranked: Your team – They were somehow also sixth.

The Athletic LOADED: 03.03.2020 1179688 Websites “If you look at he and McDavid tonight, you go into the third period, game on the line,” began Hynes. “There’s just a different level. Those guys are relentless.

Sportsnet.ca / Oilers' Draisaitl, McDavid 'relentless' in pounding of “They have an ability,” he continued, “when big plays need to be made, Predators when the game’s on the line, these guys just rise to a different level. Their compete level, when things are hot and when the game matters? That’s what separates those two guys.”

Mark Spector | March 3, 2020, 12:32 AM In a battle of two 37-year-old goalies, Mike Smith was by far the better ‘tendy, running his record in 2020 to 12-1-4. Darnell Nurse and Ryan

Nugent-Hopkins each had three helpers, while Kailer Yamamoto had 1-1- NASHVILLE — One of the big sponsors of Nashville Predators hockey is 2 in his return. Kris Russell blocked a shot, left the game, and will be a local institution called the Fifth Third Bank. On Monday night in Music examined Tuesday, with Edmonton playing the Dallas Stars that evening City, the Edmonton Oilers took that literally. in the Big D.

The Oilers pounded Nashville with five goals in the third period, breaking “Yamo comes in and he just balances out the whole lineup,” said open a 3-3 tie to bulldoze the Predators 8-3. It was Muscle Beach, sand- McDavid, who had beaten Nashville once in 12 tries in his entire career in-your-face stuff by the Oilers and their two Hart Trophy favourites, as before this season. He downplayed the turnabout. “We’re a little bit Leon Draisaitl (four goals and an assist) and Connor McDavid (1-4-5) better, and they’re still a solid team. But we have a better group than we had 10 points — six in the third period. did in previous years, that’s for sure.”

This was like John Belushi smashing the guitar in Animal House, as the Ya think? Oilers penned a hurtin’ song on Nashville’s playoff chances. Sportsnet.ca LOADED: 03.03.2020 Observed Nashville head coach John Hynes: “We got punched in the face pretty good tonight.”

It should be said, Pekka Rinne wasn’t very good in the Predators’ goal, allowing eight goals for the first time in a career that began as Nashville’s eighth-round draft pick back in 2004. A four-time Vezina finalist and the winningest Finnish goaltender in NHL history, the soul of this club was finally yanked with the score 8-3 and 10 minutes to play.

“It was enough,” Hynes said.

“Hate it,” spat Nashville defenceman Roman Josi. “What we did in the third, we just left him out to dry. It’s just not good enough from us. We’ve got to be so much better. You hate it for (Rinne), for sure.”

Home of the Oilers

Stream all 82 Oilers games this season with Sportsnet NOW. Get over 500 NHL games, blackout-free, including Hockey Night in Canada, all outdoor games, the All-Star Game, 2020 Stanley Cup Playoffs and more.

The Oilers watched the Calgary Flames give up a goal with 0.1 seconds left in this building last week, then lose the extra point in overtime. And they saw the Vancouver Canucks cough up a 3-1 lead with 8:00 to play against the Columbus Blue Jackets on Sunday, tossing away two points in a king-sized tank job.

So, as Edmonton walked out of the dressing room tied 3-3 — on a night when none of the teams it’s battling out West were playing — it was a defining moment.

Five goals in 5:13 defined things, all right. It defined the Oilers, a team that will have James Neal and Oscar Klefbom back by week’s end, as a club that might be better than we thought.

“It’s impressive,” said Draisaitl, after his second five-point night of the season. “All four lines … we probably could have scored a few more, too. Those nights, you don’t score five goals in every period. I wouldn’t get used to it.”

Edmonton sweeps the season series with Nashville 3-0, an incremental sign of where this team has come after years of playing doormat to the Preds. The worm is turning out West — this Oilers team is deep and good, and will take a serious run at the Vegas Golden Knights for the Pacific title, who they trail by two with a game in hand. They also host the Golden Knights at Rogers Place twice more this season.

This was another tour de force by the Hart favourite Draisaitl, with McDavid painting around the edges as he leap-frogged both Artemi Panarin and David Pastrnak into second spot in the NHL scoring race. McDavid has 32-64-94, but didn’t gain an inch on Draisaitl, who beefed up his totals to 43-64-107.

With 14 games to play, suddenly Draisaitl looks good for his second 50- goal, 100-point campaign. He was money on a night when Edmonton scored eight, but went just one-for-one on their league-leading power play. 1179689 Websites He wouldn’t be as effective if he was keeping the puck alive on a fourth line, but they wouldn’t have as many openings to make plays if they didn’t have someone rolling up their sleeves like Hyman does.

Sportsnet.ca / Why Maple Leafs' stars want to play alongside Zach “He’s so good at getting on other the teams’ defence and forechecking Hyman and getting pucks back and, I mean, he’s always around the net,” said Matthews. “That’s where you usually know he’s going to be and obviously he’s banging home rebounds. He’s just an easy guy to play with. You know he’s going to give it his all every night. Chris Johnston | March 2, 2020, 12:27 PM “I think it makes my job easier, Mitch’s job easier, because you know

where and when he’s going to be doing certain things out there.” SAN JOSE, Calif. — Before he was dubbed the “Sidney Crosby of 6-on- He is also consistently counted on to help close out tight games, which 5,” Zach Hyman was simply the guy who played with The Guys. produced a zinger from Matthews following the 4-2 victory over He’s basically earned a standing invite to skate alongside the Toronto Vancouver on Saturday. Hyman picked up his fourth empty-netter of the Maple Leafs most-valuable, highest-skilled and best-paid players since season — and 12th of his career — that night. arriving in the NHL. Hyman was the worker bee who rode shotgun with “They call him the Sidney Crosby of 6-on-5,” said Matthews. Auston Matthews for two seasons and the third member of the Mitch Marner/John Tavares show last year. There’s a hidden compliment buried in that playful jab.

Now he’s playing with Matthews and Marner, and starting to garner some We’ve reached the point of the schedule where will is just as valuable as of his own recognition while posting career-best numbers. skill. And with games tightening and the playoff race kicking into high gear, Hyman has been a key figure during a push that’s seen the Leafs Home of the Maple Leafs pick up wins in four of their last five. Stream 56 Maple Leafs games this season with Sportsnet NOW. Get Hyman missed 19 games to start this season after playing through a torn over 500 NHL games, blackout-free, including Hockey Night in Canada, ACL at the end of last year’s first-round series with Boston, and needing all outdoor games, the All-Star Game, 2020 Stanley Cup Playoffs and to undergo surgery immediately afterwards. more. Now he stands just one goal and five points shy of his most productive That’s partly shooting-percentage driven in a season where Hyman’s NHL season despite being sidelined for all of training camp and more already scored 21 times in 47 games, but a universal truth has emerged than six weeks of action. as he approaches the 300-career game milestone this week: He’s much more than a determined skater who has been fortunate to play with elite He’s also the guy Toronto’s stars want to play with, rather than the other linemates. way around.

Don’t believe me? Ask those elite linemates who they want to play with. Sportsnet.ca LOADED: 03.03.2020 “He’s proven to be a valuable player with good players and now he’s gaining extra confidence with the puck, and making plays, and he’s in demand from our best guys in terms of wanting him with them,” Leafs coach Sheldon Keefe said last week.

They’ve all come to understand that a lot of good things happen when Hyman is on the ice, even if he’s not a true equal in terms of his playmaking or shooting ability.

Plus the confidence Keefe spoke about can be seen in some recent plays where he flashed sneaky skill — such as his 20th goal of the season last Thursday in Florida, when Hyman went forehand-to- backhand while in tight to open up Sergei Bobrovsky.

However, there’s really nothing new about his positive impact on Toronto’s top-six. There’s a reason why he’s remained there through a coaching change and the emergence of other young players behind him.

Going back to the start of the 2016-17 season, each of the Leafs’ top skaters has posted stronger results while playing with Hyman than they did in the minutes without him.

TOI at 5-on-5 with xGF% with xGF% without GF% with GF% without SCF% with SCF% without

Matthews 2,170:06 53.24 50.48 57.92 54.42 54.75 52.47

Marner 1,455:28 54.69 51.2 57.62 54.63 55.53 54.02

Nylander 1,451:58 53.06 49.71 57.81 52.84 55.92 52.56

Tavares 1,225:10 53.74 52.61 56.25 53.16 55.71 53.67

*Courtesy: NaturalStatTrick.com

Those numbers are pretty staggering.

They speak to the value of having complementary skillsets on the ice at any given time. Hyman disrupts defenders and helps extend offensive zone shifts, which in turn gives Marner and Matthews more of an opportunity to work their magic. 1179690 Websites So much of what makes the Canucks go is their young players, specifically Elias Pettersson and Quinn Hughes. And, sometimes, those players can wear down in the face of an 82-game grind with tough travel.

Sportsnet.ca / 5 NHL teams we'll learn a lot about before the playoffs Last year, when the stakes weren’t nearly as high, Pettersson finished with 12 points in his last 22 regular season games. This year he had eight points in 12 February games and then got on the score sheet three times on Sunday. Hughes’ points are still coming in bunches, with 15 in Rory Boylen | March 2, 2020, 5:59 PM his past 14 games, and he’s still one of the better play-driving players in the league. Since Feb. 1 he leads all Canucks defenders in scoring- chance percentage per 60 minutes of 5-on-5 (50.63), shots-for It feels like yesterday the puck was being dropped on a brand new NHL percentage at 5-on-5 (48.83) and goals-for percentage at 5-on-5 (47.62). season. But after five months we’ve seen a number of on- and off-ice The fact those last two are under 50 per cent should lead to greater stories unfold and now we’re heading down the last stretch before the concern about where the Canucks are trending. Stanley Cup Playoffs. Since the start of February, the Canucks as a team rank near the bottom The last day of the regular season falls on Saturday, April 4, so we’ve got of the league in shots-for percentage at 5-on-5, Corsi-for percentage at about five weeks left to go here. Playoff teams will start to clinch before 5-on-5, and goal differential. They’re very similar to the Florida Panthers long, while the last hangers-on will start to fade. in each of these stats — and that team is quickly fading from the East’s playoff picture. Not all of these teams will end up in the post-season, but we’ll learn something significant about each one regardless of the outcome. Here is None of this is a good sign for Vancouver, but hope remains. The a look at five teams I’m looking forward to keeping an eye on in the final Canucks have the best home points percentage in the Pacific and 10 of five weeks to see what they’re able to muster, and who performs for their final 17 games are at Rogers Arena. Their next four games are at them. home, in fact, before they face Arizona on the road, so this next stretch is key to just staying alive and in a playoff position. By the time that Sign up for NHL newsletters Coyotes game is over, we should be talking about Jacob Markstrom Get the best of our NHL coverage and exclusives delivered directly to nearing a return and how he performs off injury will be the next big story your inbox! to watch.

TORONTO MAPLE LEAFS: CAN THEY FINISH THE SEASON NEW YORK RANGERS: IS THE REBUILD OVER? STRONG AND LOOK THE WAY THEY’RE SUPPOSED TO? Sometimes (most times?) admitting you need to take a step back into a After three straight wins, all is good in Leaf Land, right? They’re making rebuild is easy to say and much more difficult to successfully pull off. So their way through California on a three-game road trip this week and that when the New York Rangers took this step in a letter to their fans 25 stretch doesn’t make for such a hellish challenge anymore. By the end of months ago, it could have been the start of a long, dark period. the week Toronto could be “running away with” third place in the Atlantic. Instead, we’re sitting here today wondering if they can actually get into Or, you know, not. the playoffs.

The story with this team is how unpredictable it’s been. Injuries have It’s not as though the Rangers were expected to languish with the been a factor, Frederik Andersen not playing to the same level has as Detroits and Ottawas of the world at the bottom of the standings, but they well. But the primary concern has been effort level more often than not. didn’t really stand out. Through the first two months of the season they And when effort level is a concern, it’s not outside the realm of possibility were a fine 13-9-3, which was the league’s 19th-best mark. There were for a team to follow a winning streak with a few disappointing results various questions about them, too, such as what level of play Henrik against also-rans. Lundqvist could perform at this season, and how likely it was pending UFA Chris Kreider would be dealt by the deadline. Toronto’s western road trip is followed by meetings with Tampa Bay, the surging Nashville Predators and rival Boston, so a poor showing through Kreider signed (though he’s injured now) and Lundqvist has all but been California would turn these next two weeks into a stretch of six difficult replaced by Alexandar Georgiev and Igor Shesterkin. Meantime, career games. If they struggle, this current feeling (dare we call it comfort?) seasons are being put together by Ryan Strome, Tony DeAngelo and would all but vanish and the Leafs’ grip on a playoff spot would be Pavel Buchnevich. Free agent signing Artemi Panarin is third in league tenuous once again. scoring and, if the Rangers make the playoffs, will be neck-and-neck with Leon Draisaitl in the Hart Trophy discussion. Or they could go another way. Maybe, just maybe, the Leafs can finally turn a corner under the very real pressure of playoff-atmosphere games. The team is turning a corner, and fast. Since Jan. 1, New York is 16-10- What if instead of blowing an easy stretch the Leafs overperform a tough 0, which is the ninth-best points percentage in the league and fifth-best in one? If they can just give an effort that looks like the team they were the Eastern Conference. There’s certainly still work to do as the Rangers supposed to be, optimism could sprout again and they could peak just as sit four points back of Columbus for the second wild-card spot, with two the post-season hits. Don’t forget, they’ll be getting healthier with the key games in hand, and are one point back of ninth-place Carolina with one returns of Morgan Rielly and Cody Ceci on the horizon. more game played than the Hurricanes.

A lot can change over two weeks. It was just 14 days ago Toronto But it seems Shesterkin, who has an outstanding .940 save percentage dropped a 5-2 decision in Pittsburgh that was as uninspiring an effort as in his first 10 games and hasn’t allowed more than three goals yet, could we’ve seen. Two weeks from now, we could be calling them Cup be back ahead of schedule. And if it comes down to a tiebreaker the contenders again. Rangers have a huge advantage right now as their 30 regulation wins (the first measure for breaking a tie) is the fourth-highest mark in the VANCOUVER CANUCKS: ARE THEY BEGINNING TO COLLAPSE? league and far better than their direct competitors.

Sunday’s 5-3 loss to Columbus set off alarm bells. Not only are the Blue Pressure will ramp up with each game now, and a lot of players on this Jackets a hurting unit with eight players on the sidelines, but they also roster haven’t felt that at the NHL level yet. You can understand a young had just one win in their previous 11 games. Vancouver held a 3-1 lead team folding in this scenario, so if the Rangers overcome it, they’ll be after two periods and a 3-2 advantage in the final five minutes of way ahead of schedule. regulation, only to leave without a single point. Jeff Marek and Elliotte Friedman talk to a lot of people around the hockey And now the Canucks, who led the Pacific Division on trade deadline world, and then they tell listeners all about what they’ve heard and what day, are holding down the first wild-card spot and are just two points they think about it. ahead of ninth-place Winnipeg. They have a couple games in hand still, but Vancouver has lost three in a row, is 4-5-1 in its past 10 and its NASHVILLE PREDATORS: AN UPSET IN THE MAKING? starting goaltender is still hurt. The Preds backed into first place in the Central last season, were eliminated in the first round by Dallas, and looked like a different team (in a bad way) through most of this season. So questions started being asked: had their window closed? Was 37-year-old Pekka Rinne at the end of the line? Was their core of players, almost all signed long-term, the wrong mix for whatever reason? Should they be sellers at the deadline?

Turns out GM David Poile was uncharacteristically quiet at the deadline, making nothing but depth and AHL moves. He didn’t want to invest more in this team, but didn’t want to give up on it either.

Now Nashville is 6-3-1 in its past 10 games and, behind a defence core that has been excellent all season, the goaltending is coming around. Just not from the source you’d expect.

While Rinne was improved in February, he only played four games because Juuse Saros has taken over the top job. Over the past month, Saros’ .930 save percentage is one of the top marks in the league.

And now the Predators, far from backing into the playoffs, are grinding their way there. If they finish strong and end up in the wild card (because third in the Central is an extreme long shot) Nashville could suddenly become a dangerous first-round matchup.

Senior Writer Ryan Dixon and NHL Editor Rory Boylen always give it 110%, but never rely on clichés when it comes to podcasting. Instead, they use a mix of facts, fun and a varied group of hockey voices to cover Canada’s most beloved game.

VEGAS GOLDEN KNIGHTS: A WESTERN JUGGERNAUT WAKING UP

Vegas was a top contender in the Pacific again this season, though from the start it just didn’t jive as naturally as before. On Jan. 15, they made the shocking choice to fire head coach Gerard Gallant when the team was 24-19-6. They sat fifth in the Pacific on that date despite all the positive underlying numbers that you could want. It just wasn’t working anymore.

In came Peter DeBoer from the rival San Jose Sharks, who let him go about a month earlier, and now the Golden Knights are atop the Pacific again. They’re 12-4-2 since the change, but that includes an eight-game winning streak that was snapped by Los Angeles on Sunday.

Now, this could mean Vegas is fully back and is one of the top teams in the West again. If this is the case, they’re easily the best team in the Pacific Division at least and should be able to play their way through two rounds (though, as previously mentioned, a date against Nashville could be tougher than it looks).

But no team is as bad as they look on an extended losing streak, nor as good as they appear on a long winning streak. So whether or not Vegas really has landed on its feet again will start to show itself later this week. Starting on Friday, Vegas goes on a five-game road trip through Winnipeg, Calgary, Edmonton, Minnesota and Colorado before returning home for one game against Dallas. By the time that stretch is over we’ll know if Vegas has re-established itself as one of the elites.

The biggest challenge Vegas is facing now is that it has to face this stretch without Mark Stone. One of the best two-way players in the game, Stone is also having his best offensive season, but is now considered week-to-week.

And then there’s the underlying intrigue about the potential for a “goalie controversy.” Marc-Andre Fleury has always been their guy and is the favourite to continue that way, but Robin Lehner wasn’t acquired to just sit quietly on the bench. He should at least give Vegas the option to rest Fleury more regularly than it has before, and if Lehner plays well, there could be a temptation to turn to him quicker than with past backups if Fleury flounders. Lehner won a 32-save effort in his first game with the Golden Knights on Friday and has been named the starter for their Tuesday game against New Jersey.

Sportsnet.ca LOADED: 03.03.2020 1179691 Websites For years opponents rolled through Edmonton, complimented the young Oilers on their speed and skill, loved the ice in the old building, and walked out of the rink with two points. It became almost enough in this city to have flashy young players with gaudy stats, even if none of them Sportsnet.ca / Mike Smith locked in as Oilers' No. 1: 'He is a leader and a ever played a game in May. goalie' Well, Smith is the opposite of that. He turns 38 on March 22, his kids are running around the rink every day, and he sees a chance here to win a Stanley Cup that has eluded him over a career that began at the 2001 Mark Spector | March 2, 2020, 12:22 PM draft.

With no goaltender in the pipeline that’s going to be ready next season, NASHVILLE — The race is over, the contest closed. Smith will get another deal in Edmonton this summer. His puck-handling skills save defencemen numerous hits per game, and he’s shown this Tonight’s starter, Mike Smith, is the Edmonton Oilers No. 1 goalie. Mikko team how to embrace big games, like the ones they’re playing every Koskinen a solid No. 2 — full stop. second night this month.

No bad start down the stretch or ugly giveaway is going to turn back the “The words that have come into this dressing room lately are ‘ground and clock on a competition that quietly ended over the past few weeks. pound.’ The standings are so close — every game, the margin for error gets smaller and smaller as you get closer to the playoffs,” Smith said. Forget about age, or Koskinen’s wage. Not only has Smith been given “These are the games you want to play in. two-thirds of the starts since Jan. 1, he’s given his team an 11-1-4 record since the calendar turned to 2020, and the kind of attitude that was on “I’ve played for a long time, and I’ve played in a lot of meaningless display when Leon Draisaitl had this to say to a sold-out barn on the in- games at this time of year and that’s not fun at all. This is when it’s fun house, post-game interview Saturday: and when you want to play and when you want to play your best.”

“You guys are (expletive) phenomenal!” Smith was blistering hot in Round 1 for Calgary last spring, but he was unable to stave off Colorado without a modicum of help from his skaters. Home of the Oilers He’ll get more help in Edmonton, where he’s become the best big-game Stream all 82 Oilers games this season with Sportsnet NOW. Get over goalie since Dwayne Roloson in 2006. 500 NHL games, blackout-free, including Hockey Night in Canada, all outdoor games, the All-Star Game, 2020 Stanley Cup Playoffs and more. Other than a quick two rounds 2017, that was the last time they had big games in Edmonton. Of all the one-year contracts that general manager Ken Holland signed last summer, Smith’s has been the most impactful — and not just Sportsnet.ca LOADED: 03.03.2020 because he’s stopping pucks. He’s given a head-shy organization a backbone, showing its young superstars how to carry themselves with some swagger.

“He is a leader and a goalie,” said Dave Tippett, the head coach who talked his GM into this pick-up. “A lot of times a goaltender just goes in there and does his job, but he is one of the leaders in that room and wears his heart on his sleeve.

“I’ve known him since he walked in as a long-haired rookie in Dallas and have had him in three places now. He is ultra-competitive. You see what he can do when he gets in a tough situation like those last two minutes (in a 3-2 win vs. Winnipeg on Saturday). He made some great saves. Credit to him for keeping us in there.”

When you’ve lost as much as this organization has lost over the past 15 years, one of the qualities that falls furthest down the well is confidence. This is sport — there are times when a little self-confidence, a little cockiness, is OK.

Guaranteed, having the best two players on the ice when the puck drops most nights in Draisaitl and Connor McDavid fuels that confidence, but in Smith they have a walking, talking six-foot-four mound of “(expletive) you!”

“Win,” Smith said after the game, cutting us off when we asked about which goaltending statistics really matter. “If you win you’re better than the other goalie that night. If you do that, you’re playing against some pretty good goalies, so… That’s how it works.

“I couldn’t care less about goals against and saves percentage. I want to win.”

He won that game against Winnipeg on Hockey Night in Canada, grabbing a regulation victory in a game where the Jets outshot the Oilers 41-22. He’s lost once in regulation in his last 15 starts, and even though Tippett would never say it, you watch. He’ll continue to use Smith down the stretch twice for every one start he gives to Koskinen, and likely more come playoff time.

“His battle level?” said Ryan Nugent-Hopkins. “You can tell it playing sewer ball (pre-game soccer). He’s a really good athlete, and those extra effort saves, he gets there because he’s so athletic. All he wants to do is compete.”

It rubs off on the rest of the team, in a way that is as unquantifiable as how a fight raises everyone’s emotions, or a Kris Russell shot block gives everyone an extra step. 1179692 Websites Louis Domingue, the minor-league goalie acquired in a rush before last Monday’s trade deadline just as Markstrom was leaving the team in Montreal, was impressively competent in his Vancouver debut on Sunday right up until he let Zach Werenski’s unscreened 45-footer to go through Sportsnet.ca / Canucks on brink of familiar collapse after three-straight him for the tying goal with 4:54 remaining. losses In Saturday’s 4-2 loss to the Toronto Maple Leafs, Thatcher Demko, the elite backup/prospect who has been given the chance to replace Markstrom, allowed his worst goal of the season when Auston Matthews’ Iain MacIntyre March 2, 2020, 2:58 PM unscreened shot from a sharp angle somehow ripped a hole through the goalie’s right pad. Demko also looked suspect on two other Toronto goals that came on open shots from distance. VANCOUVER – After the Canucks’ lost weekend was capped by Sunday’s shattering collapse in the final eight minutes against Columbus, In Thursday’s 5-2 loss to the Ottawa Senators, Demko opened with a The Athletic’s playoff-projection model lowered Vancouver’s chances of clunker when Connor Brown’s short-side shot rattled through the 23- making the Stanley Cup tournament to 64 per cent. year-old seven minutes in.

But this thorough, highly-scientific model fails to factor in a few key Of course, a lone gunman is never responsible for these things. elements – like memory, fear, insecurity and angst. When these Canucks captain Bo Horvat, for example, inexplicably watched Riley emotions are inputted, the Canucks playoff chances on Monday felt more Nash skate away from him before scoring the goal that started the Blue like about three per cent or here-we-go-again. Jackets’ comeback at 12:39 of the third period. Veterans Brandon Sutter The gnawing sense of impending doom, finely tuned over 50 years in the and Antoine Roussel then took needless penalties the Canucks failed to National Hockey League without a Stanley Cup, is never far from this kill. franchise even when things are good. And Vancouver’s luck has been as bad as its results. Emil Bemstrom’s Its dogged persistence in the market exasperated previous general game-winner for Columbus skipped into the net off Canucks defenceman manager Mike Gillis, whose teams won five division titles and two Oscar Fantenberg. Crazy bounces off the glass and post led the key Presidents’ Trophies but still blew two chances to win one game for the goals for the Senators and Leafs. 2011 Stanley Cup. And it has little to do with current GM Jim Benning But the bottom line is Demko and Domingue gets Ds for their combined and head coach Travis Green, who have transformed the Canucks into a save percentage of .872 the last three games. The three opposing dynamic, up-and-coming team driven by a couple of the best and most goalies were .930 against Vancouver shooters. exciting young players in the game, supported by some solid, mid-career professionals. "There’s nothing to dissect too close," Green said on Sunday. "The game can be cruel sometimes." And yet, on Sunday, when the listing Canucks were desperate for points and in complete control of a 3-1 lead late in the third period against the Yeah, we know. Blue Jackets, whose late surge began with two shots in 12 minutes, Vancouver managed to surrender four goals in the final eight minutes to Sportsnet.ca LOADED: 03.03.2020 lose 5-3.

Hello darkness, my old friend.

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"These kinds of games just don’t leave you," Green admitted. "I think it’s good that we have two days off right now to kind of regroup and get a practice under our belt before we play another big game.

"When you play playoff hockey, you’re going to lose a game, you’re going to lose a game in overtime. And you’ve got to reset and get ready to play. This probably is a lot like that as far as how you feel. It’s like playoff hockey right now, so I’m glad we’ve got a couple of days here."

The team took Monday off — although the coaching staff and team psychologist may have been busy — practise Tuesday in front of the home media and open a four-game homestand Wednesday against the Arizona Coyotes, who have their own problems but are one of the four teams trying to run down the Canucks.

Before the Edmonton Oilers (two points ahead of Vancouver) and Nashville Predators (two points behind) play each other Monday night, the Canucks hold the first wild card spot in the Western Conference and had a two-point playoff cushion. A month ago, it was nine points.

The Canucks are suddenly on a three-game losing streak, part of a 4-7-1 descent over the last 12 games.

What makes these last three feel worse — besides the inconvenient time of year for such a slump — is that it almost perfectly matches the departure from the lineup of starting goalie and most valuable player Jacob Markstrom, who underwent knee surgery last week and is expected to miss 3-4 weeks in total.

The goaltending has been a mess since then and is one more suspect game and loss from becoming a full-blown crisis.

Jeff Marek and Elliotte Friedman talk to a lot of people around the hockey world, and then they tell listeners all about what they’ve heard and what they think about it. 1179693 Websites Ayres signed an amateur tryout contract before entering the game and wasn’t paid for his efforts. He was allowed to keep his jersey. He spent the next week doing the TV and radio talk show circuit around North America and had his stick put in the Hockey Hall of Fame as the oldest Sportsnet.ca / 'The process works': NHL opts not to crush EBUG dreams player ever to win his NHL debut. at GM meetings His moment in the spotlight came on the 40th anniversary of the Miracle on Ice.

Eric Francis | March 2, 2020, 4:41 PM “I think everyone recognized it was a great story for the league,” said NHL executive vice-president of communications Gary Meagher.

“I know there has been some coverage that we were going to take the BOCA RATON, Fla. – Coming to an NHL city near you – NHL tryouts. fun out, and there was never any discussion of that. Everyone Don’t be surprised if sometime next fall there are open auditions for recognized the coverage and how positive it was. It’s also happened just amateur goaltenders to be added to the list of emergency backups twice.” dreaming of becoming the next David Ayres. The only other EBUG appearance came in 2018 when the Chicago Call it Canadian Idol – EBUG edition: Blackhawks Scott Foster also became a household name.

No messy draft process or contract negotiations necessary – just get the The GM meetings continue Tuesday and Wednesday. go-ahead to show up with your gear and a dream. Sportsnet.ca LOADED: 03.03.2020 The opening day of the NHL’s general manager meetings wrapped up Monday with word that after extensive discussion on the league’s emergency backup goalie system, there is still a very real chance the best story of the NHL season could be told again.

The EBUG procedures will not be changed.

“Every team now has got people that are available to perform and do well, so I don’t think there’s any need,” said Florida Panthers GM Dale Tallon, whose club stood to lose ground on Toronto had the Maple Leafs lit up Ayres and come back to win.

“We were nervous, very nervous, but it turned out that it didn’t affect anything. The better team won that game in reality. It happened to us three years ago, and the (two) times it’s happened in 50 years, do you change the whole thing? I think we’ve addressed it in the last few years having goaltenders ready in the building, whereas before we had to find somebody or put your goaltending coach in. I think we did a good job fixing it and it turned out for the better.”

The league made changes to the EBUG protocol in 2015 after Roberto Luongo took a puck in the head and left for a scan at the hospital, only to return to action for backup Al Montoya, who was injured in relief. As Panthers goalie coach Robb Tallas dressed to play, Luongo returned despite being banged up, prompting the league to find better alternatives.

Anyone with pro experience, or employees of teams, were then prohibited from filling in, opening the door for a system in which one amateur goalie is to be made available for either team at every game.

Teams must register those goalies with the league based on whatever criteria they choose. There are currently 136 EBUGs registered, as some teams have more than others.

“Some places have tryouts,” said Winnipeg GM Kevin Cheveldayoff.

“I think in L.A. they had lots of applicants and whittled it down to 30 and had actual tryouts. Fortunately, in a market like Winnipeg, we have a lot of former college and university players. It’s come a long way and has served its purpose. The general feel is we’ve come a long way from where we were a couple of years ago when we didn’t have anyone in the room or the building.”

Ayres, a 42-year-old rink manager and Leafs practice goalie, gained international attention on Feb. 22 when he filled in for both of the Carolina Hurricanes’ injured netminder midway through the second period of a Hockey Night in Canada game against the Leafs. The kidney transplant recipient allowed two goals on his first three shots, allowing the Leafs to tie it 3-3, before settling down in the third period to stop all eight shots in a 6-3 win.

“I called (Hurricanes GM) Don Waddell in the second intermission and said, ‘can’t one of those two guys please come back?’” said NHL vice- president Colin Campbell with a laugh.

“As it turned out, it was a good human interest story and it worked out. I think the process works.”

Campbell said the league immediately contacted game officials that night to remind them that if Ayres was injured and couldn’t continue the only options left were for a team to dress one of its players as a goalie, or simply play with six skaters. 1179694 Websites and two back of Boston's David Pastrnak, who leads the way. Ovechkin has a game in hand on both Matthews and Pastrnak.

"It'd mean a lot, no question," Matthews said. "I mean, it's a pretty TSN.CA / Matthews using brains, brawn to fuel Rocket Richard Trophy prestigious award so it'd mean a lot, but it's not really something that I chase think about too often. You try to keep your mind off it and go out and play hockey and let the rest take care of itself."

Can Matthews reach Vaive's Maple Leafs single-season goal scoring Mark Masters record?

Rick Vaive holds the Maple Leafs record for most goals in a season with 54. Does Auston Matthews have a chance at breaking that milestone this TSN Toronto reporter Mark Masters checks in daily with news and notes season as he sits at 45 on the campaign? That's Hockey weighs in and on the Maple Leafs, who practised on Monday at Solar4America Ice in explains how Toronto's West coast trip will say a lot about the team. San Jose ahead of Tuesday night’s game against the Sharks. Hockey may be the ultimate team game, but the three-way battle to be It looked like a bad goal and maybe it was, but Auston Matthews put the NHL's top goal scorer is generating big-time buzz in the Leafs room. some serious thought into the play that ended in his 45th tally of the season. "It's hard not to know what's going on there," Marner acknowledged, "we want him to win it. For me, obviously, I want him to win it, he's my "A couple times I've taken a similar route and haven't shot the puck," linemate. I'm just trying to find him as much as possible but, at the same Matthews noted after the Leafs beat the Vancouver Canucks on time, try not to overdo it and try not to take myself out of situations where Saturday night. I can score and overpassing. He's getting himself into situations where So, the fourth-year NHLer decided to employ the element of surprise he's not going to miss and when you get it to him it’s pretty delightful to after flying down the wing into the Vancouver zone. watch. It's almost like you know it's going to go in."

"Just kind of throwing in a dead-angle shot, see if you can slide one in With 29 goals in the past 36 games, Matthews has been remarkably there," he said. "I threw it at the net and hoped for the best." consistent down the stretch even as the games get tighter and the pressure builds. His longest goal drought this season has been five No one seemed more caught off guard than goalie Thatcher Demko, who games and it happened just once. peered at the Canucks bench after the puck eluded him wondering, perhaps, if his night was over. "Whether he wins it this year, I think there's going to be one in his future at some point," said Spezza. "For him, a lot will be judged on how we do "That's one of the things he's really good at," observed winger Mitch in the playoffs and getting in and I think he realizes that and the goals will Marner, "just that awkward shot that I don't think goalies think he's going follow." to take and many people don't take and he gets it off so quickly, he gets it in the right spot and it’s a surprise for everyone on the ice." Matthews ups physical play amid Rocket Richard race

Matthews is thinking the game at an elite level and he's figuring it out Auston Matthews' evolution as a more well-rounded player has allowed more and more, game by game. him to become a more lethal scorer, as he showed in his last two goals. Mark Masters has more on how Matthews has learned to use his size Look at goal No. 44 a couple days earlier in south Florida. The Leafs and incorporate an element of surprise to his offensive game. system is all about controlling possession, but Matthews saw an opportunity to shoot the puck into the corner and chase it down with his Slowly, but surely the Leafs are getting healthier. Morgan Rielly (broken powerful skating stride. He dumped, chased and quickly got to the puck foot on Jan. 12), Cody Ceci (high ankle sprain on Feb. 5) and Ilya and bumped MacKenzie Weegar, a six-foot, 200-pound defenceman, to Mikheyev (lacerated wrist on Dec. 27) all practised today for the first time the ice with ease allowing Toronto to regain control. since getting hurt.

And then Matthews beat Weegar to the front of the net. Moments later The initial timeline for Rielly, Toronto's ice time leader (24:15 per game), the puck was on his stick and he's not going to miss from there. was that he'd be out a minimum eight weeks making March 8 the target date. Pump this Matthews Shift into my veins pic.twitter.com/yF26vaajh4 "He's not going to play on this trip and then I would think when we get — Ah yes, the Leafs. (@LeafsAllDayy) February 28, 2020 back next week that it will be sort of a day-to-day thing from there assuming everything goes really well," said coach Sheldon Keefe. "But, Matthews stands six-foot-three, 220 pounds, but physical play isn't a obviously, very positive for us to see him on the ice and he steps right huge part of his hockey DNA. into doing a lot of our drills, a lot of our full-contact drills and he's been "When you need to finish checks you try to do that, but you're playing to feeling really good." play with the puck so running around with my stick up and trying to kill Like Rielly, Ceci won't play in California, but it is possible he returns next guys, that's not really my game," he noted on Monday. "I'd rather have week. the puck." Mikheyev's status for the rest of the season appeared to be in doubt after What Matthews is doing better than ever is realizing the moments when a scary injury in late December. He needed surgery to repair an artery he can use his big frame to gain an advantage. and tendons that were severed by a skate blade. It was announced his "It's just trying to manage the puck and realize when you have space and status would be re-evaluated after 90 days (March 26), but the Russian can carry it in," he said, "and realize when you have to put it in and go rookie appears to be well on the road to recovery. get it. So, managing that and picking your spots and certain areas where "It's very much looking like he's going to be back this season, which is you can get the puck back." very good for us," said Keefe. "He's done a great job this year of using that body," Marner said, "and Rielly, Ceci possible to play next week; Mikheyev on track to return this getting the puck down low and then making another play off that." season "He protects the puck really well," observed veteran forward Jason The Maple Leafs will have defencemen Morgan Rielly and Cody Ceci Spezza. "I don't know if blowing guys up on the forecheck is his staple, back sooner rather than later however it won't be on the upcoming road but the way he protects the puck and he uses his body so well, he's a trip. Head coach Sheldon Keefe explained how Rielly's presence on the hard guy to get the puck off of. You can see it in practice, the way he ice was positive for the team and also revealed that Ilya Mikheyev's makes you work when we do five-on-five drills. He really knows time and return isn't as imminent. space really well." On the ice for both Vancouver goals on Saturday, 19-year-old Rasmus With goals in consecutive games, Matthews is keeping pace in the Sandin will be a healthy scratch in San Jose. Timothy Liljegren, 20, will Rocket Richard Trophy race. He's even with Washington's Alex Ovechkin take his spot on the third pair with Calle Rosen. Is Keefe worried about putting too much pressure on his rookie Campbell starts defencemen? Andersen "Frankly, yes," the coach said. "And that's the conversation that I've had with them. It's important for us to not allow our circumstances to put Power-play units at Monday's Leafs practice: those guys in difficult spots. Sandin, with our team, just played 15 games Barrie in 29 days in the NHL in February, that’s a lot to ask for a young guy and taking on a lot of responsibility here with the injuries." Marner - Tavares - Matthews

The acquisition of Rosen at the trade deadline has given Keefe some Nylander flexibility. Rosen "Now with the addition of Rosen we think, even with the injuries, we have Spezza - Kerfoot - Kapanen the ability to move guys in and out and give some of these younger guys some time off and a little extra time in the gym and ease the pressure a Hyman little bit in the schedule for them." TSN.CA LOADED: 03.03.2020 After starting seven straight games, Frederik Andersen will get a break in California. Jack Campbell gets the call on Tuesday, his first game action since winning in Ottawa on Feb. 15.

"We wanted to get Jack involved," said Keefe, noting there was some thought about starting him against Vancouver on Saturday. "We didn't do that one so in exchange we're going to get him in for this one here. He's comfortable in California, he's won a game here in San Jose this season."

Campbell, who was acquired in a trade with the Kings in early February, stopped 22 of 24 shots during a win at the Shark Tank on Dec. 27.

Martin Jones, who stopped all 30 shots faced against the Penguins on Saturday night, will get the start for San Jose.

Leafs Ice Chips: Sandin sits, Campbell starts in San Jose

Rasmus Sandin just wrapped up a busy month with the Leafs, playing in 15 games in February, which according to head coach Sheldon Keefe, is asking a lot of the young player. Keefe explained why he is opting to give his defenceman some rest against the Sharks and why he is turning to Jack Campbell as he returns to familiar territory.

San Jose centre Joe Thornton declined interview requests on Monday, but teammates say the 40-year-old hasn't changed at all since not being traded at the deadline.

"He's been happy," said Logan Couture. "He's had a good time with the game. He's come in and done a lot of things properly, the way that he's always done it. He shows up early, he works hard, he's great for our young players to learn from. I mean, if you're thinking about taking the day off and you see Jumbo out there going as hard as he can in his 20th year then you better think twice about it."

Last week, Thornton told reporters he had hoped to be traded to a contender in order to have a chance at winning his first Stanley Cup.

"He really, deep down inside, wants to be a Shark," said coach Bob Boughner. "He's been a Shark for 99 per cent of his career so I think he's just happy it’s over. He's really digging in, helping these young guys."

Same old Jumbo Joe since deadline passed: 'Deep down, he wants to be a Shark'

Joe Thornton was not quiet about his desire to be traded at the deadline to have a chance to win a Stanley Cup but as the day came and went, he remained in San Jose. How has his demeanor been since then? His teammates haven't noticed any change and believe he's still bringing the same energy and leadership he's always brought.

Lines at Monday's Leafs practice:

Hyman - Matthews - Marner

Nylander - Tavares - Kerfoot

Clifford - Spezza - Kapanen

Engvall - Gauthier - Malgin

Mikheyev

Dermott - Holl

Marincin - Barrie

Rosen - Liljegren / Sandin

Rielly - Ceci 1179695 Websites Whitmore said that the moment a goaltender leaves the game with an injury a call is made from the Situation Room to Central Registry. Central Registry then passes along the name of the EBUG that is preapproved to dress. TSN.CA / NHL general managers decide against 'Ayres amendment' to emergency goaltending rule “He’ll be in the dressing room. You never see it because it never happens,” Whitmore said. “We don’t march them out to the bench because he has to be ready to play for both teams.”

Frank Seravalli Whitmore stressed: “Don’t judge a book by its cover.”

“These guys are practice goalies, they see NHL shots,” said Whitmore, a nine-year NHL netminder. “Just because I played pro 18 years ago BOCA RATON, Fla. — Any fear that the National Hockey League was doesn’t mean I’d be as good as that guy. That’s why the managers think, set to be the fun police when it comes to the emergency backup ‘Hey, it works the way it is for now.’ You know, it was a good discussion, goaltender (EBUG) procedure has been proven unfounded. The law on but let’s leave it alone.” the books will remain as written. TSN.CA LOADED: 03.03.2020 The dreams of EBUGs everywhere are alive. There will be no Ayres amendment.

After deliberating on Monday to kick off their annual meetings, the opinion of the majority of general managers is that they believe the current EBUG procedure is working as intended. Cooler heads prevailed.

“Our managers are fine with where we’re at on it,” NHL senior executive vice-president Colin Campbell said. “I think the process works. It’s only the second time that it’s happened since we discussed [the procedure] more completely [in 2015].”

Campbell said both of the GMs – Kyle Dubas and Don Waddell – affected when David Ayres was forced into action for the Carolina Hurricanes in Toronto on Feb. 22 explained their view of the situation.

Campbell didn’t exactly hide his own thoughts. He pleaded for one of the injured Petr Mrazek or James Reimer to return to the net after watching Ayres allow two goals on his first two shots faced.

“I called Don Waddell after the second period and said, ‘Can’t one of those two guys please come back?’” Campbell said.

But Campbell came around: “It was a good human-interest story.”

Ayres has become one of the best stories of the hockey season. Recognizing that everyman factor, the one that brought Ayres and the NHL into the mainstream south of the border, plus the rarity of the situation, reduced the impetus for change.

NHL executive vice-president Gary Meagher gave a presentation to the GMs on the league’s history of emergency backups – a provision that extends all the way back to 1917, the year the league was founded – and showed that only two EBUGs have seen game action in the 55 years since rosters were mandated to include two goalies.

That’s two EBUG appearances – Ayres and 36-year-old accountant Scott Foster, who shut out the Winnipeg Jets for the Chicago Blackhawks in 2018 – in more than 6,200 games since the NHL formalized the current EBUG protocol in 2015.

The NHL is willing to take their chances if lightning strikes a third time.

“I know there’s been some coverage that we were going to take the fun out of it and there was no discussion of that,” Meagher said. “I think everyone recognized the coverage and how positive it was and the fact that it’s only happened twice.”

Meagher said that the NHL currently has 136 goaltenders that have been pre-approved to serve as EBUGs this season.

Each team is mandated to have one EBUG in the arena for each home game. They must be an amateur with no prior professional experience and can’t be team employees, so goalie coaches or a front-office employee like Martin Brodeur is ineligible.

Meagher said it’s possible that more teams will choose to conduct annual tryouts for EBUGs prior to the season, like the Los Angeles Kings and four other teams did last August.

But the NHL’s GMs had no appetite to enact standards as far as playing experience or age – and they had no interest in adding a non-roster third goaltender to the travelling party.

“I think the key take out is this: It has happened twice, but it doesn’t mean something isn’t running in the background,” NHL vice-president and goaltending guru Kay Whitmore said. 1179696 Websites loose. That makes it a story to follow for any team in the league – especially those teams in dire need of an upgrade between the pipes.

TSN.CA LOADED: 03.03.2020 TSN.CA / New York Rangers facing tough decisions on crowded crease

Travis Yost

It was two years ago that then-team president Glen Sather and general manager Jeff Gorton sent a letter to the New York Rangers fan base signalling a full-blown rebuild. The front office’s intentions were to strip down poisonous contracts and introduce waves of young talent into the lineup over the course of a few seasons.

Consequently, we expected the Rangers to fall off of the NHL radar a little bit – not dissimilar to what we have seen in markets like Chicago and Los Angeles over the same time period.

But things change. When winger Artemi Panarin became available as an unrestricted free agent last July the Rangers seized on the moment, offering a seven-year, $81.5 million contract. The Rangers believed that Panarin would kill two birds with one stone – a veteran leader to help transition the younger talent who would also lead the team by example. Offering mega-contracts to players in the middle of a rebuild may seem counterproductive, but so far the bet has paid off.

Betting on a player like Panarin has proven profitable this season, and it has also put the Rangers on the precipice of the playoff picture. David Quinn’s team is still well within striking distance in the Eastern Conference playoff race – one estimate has the Rangers at a 41 per cent likelihood to reach the postseason. Even in the simulations where the Rangers miss the playoff cutline, they are still about 20 points better year-over-year. It’s an incredible turnaround.

But that success means tougher decisions. One of the most intriguing situations across the entire league concerns what the Rangers will do in net. Henrik Lundqvist has held down the Rangers net since as far back as the 2005-06 season, establishing himself as one of the best goaltenders of this generation. His production and hardware (most notably, Olympic gold and a Vezina Trophy) will outweigh his name not being engraved on the Stanley Cup, and he will enter the Hall of Fame when his eligibility arrives.

But the Rangers are at a critical decision point with King Henrik. Lundqvist has not had a great season – more on that in a moment – and the team has two unbelievable prospects behind him in Alexandar Georgiev and Igor Shesterkin. In many ways it feels like Carey Price in Montreal over the past few seasons, just without two very competent goaltenders chasing Price from behind.

Lundqvist, 38, has been so exceptionally good for so long, even average play over the course of a season becomes eminently noticeable.

For context: in recent history, Georgiev is eight goals better than average since he entered the league and Shesterkin 11 goals in just 10 professional games.

With one year and change left on Lundqvist’s contract, the Rangers have two decisions approaching quite fast. The first concerns this postseason. Is it possible that the Rangers – if they are able to chase down one of those wild-card slots – wouldn’t start Henrik Lundqvist in the series? It seems borderline blasphemous to type it out, but Lundqvist has been the least effective of the three Rangers goalies this season. His so-so 2019- 20 season has been an extension of a so-so 2018-19 season.

Then there is this summer’s decision point. Lundqvist may not be the same goalie he once was, but he’s still quite capable. He has a no- movement clause, but with one year and an $8.5-million cap hit remaining on his current deal, he is certainly a tradeable asset. The questions here are significant too. Would Lundqvist have any interest in playing elsewhere? Would the Rangers want to see their face of the franchise playing elsewhere? Do the Rangers feel like they are ready to transition from a guy who is closing in on 1,000 games played? Or do they look at trading a prospect – it’s hard for me to believe they would consider shipping Shesterkin, but Georgiev is an intriguing trade candidate – to acquire more assets?

At any rate, one thing seems certain: the Rangers have three goaltenders and two slots. It seems inevitable a goaltender will shake 1179697 Websites The situation put the Maple Leafs in what GM Kyle Dubas later referred to as a “no-win.” Had they won, the Leafs would have been raked over the coals for beating a goalie some viewed as a team employee. Instead, their loss to Ayres was dubbed as one of the team’s most embarrassing TSN.CA / Emergency goaltender rule tops agenda as NHL General among a history full of them. Managers gather Beyond that, the idea itself, which made Ayres’ story so captivating, comes from a dream that even Disney wouldn’t buy.

Frank Seravalli Could you imagine a fan coming in to pitch against Mike Trout? Or a gunslinger stepping out of the stands on Sunday to throw touchdowns as

a third quarterback in the NFL? BOCA RATON, Fla. — As South Florida’s warm, gentle breezes greet No way. the NHL’s 31 general managers here, winds of change are swirling around the emergency backup goaltender (EBUG) procedure. That is why the NHL’s hockey operations department would likely support a refinement or standardization of the EBUG protocol. At this point, it’s too early to determine which direction those winds are blowing. There’s just one problem.

The EBUG is both the primary and the juiciest item on the agenda over “There's no easy fixes to it,” Daly told NHL.com last week. “Particularly, the next three days at the annual GM meetings, on the heels of 42-year- we have to work with the [NHLPA]. Who's a player? Who's not a player? old David Ayres’ feel-good victory over the Toronto Maple Leafs on Feb. What qualifies all of that? But obviously we want what's best for the 22. game, and we want to make sure people aren't putting themselves in danger by playing goal in a National Hockey League game ... So that's The GMs are also expected to revisit a more liberal interpretation of the obviously something we have to continue to work through.” offside rule and study the impact of coach’s challenges, in addition to their usual brainstorming sessions. Let the debate begin.

Taking the temperature of a subset of GMs prior to their arrival revealed TSN.CA LOADED: 03.03.2020 just how polarizing the EBUG question has become.

Since only Ayres and Chicago’s Scott Foster (in 2018) have been pressed into action over the last four seasons – with nearly 5,000 games played during that span – there are some managers who believe the system is working as intended and no changes are necessary. (It should be noted that both Ayres and Foster’s teams won their games.)

There are some who believe that the mainstream coverage that resulted from Ayres’ everyman, once-in-a-lifetime moment was extremely valuable to the sport. Ayres went on a whirlwind media tour after his historic win, appearing on the Today Show in the U.S. and led the open to TradeCentre on TSN.

Then there is a group of managers calling for outright change to the EBUG system, which relies on amateur volunteers with no standards for age, ability or experience. They would like to, at the very least, formalize those standards – if not recommend a mandate to allow a third, non- roster goaltender to be added to a team’s traveling party.

“I think it's a fair question,” NHL deputy commissioner Bill Daly told NHL.com last week. “It's something we've given some consideration to over the years. As recently as last year, we discussed [it] with the general managers. It happens very, very rarely, but when it happens, it obviously raises everybody's attention to the issue and whether there are fixes that need to be made to that particular issue.”

The real consensus of the room may be somewhere in the middle, which may make a vote and/or resolution over these next three days tricky.

It’s just another reminder that even among the stewards of the game – let alone fans of the game – this is not a black- and-white issue.

It is possible, of course, to still celebrate Ayres’ incredible story and recognize that change may be in the best interest of the game.

A rule change does not mean the NHL is sucking the air out of Ayres’ moment. Historically, the NHL has gotten it wrong with replacement goaltenders, with teams often opting for aging trainers in pads back in the one-goalie era before two goaltenders were mandated on the roster some 55 years ago.

This time around, the rules are purposely vaguely written to allow a team to dress “any available goalkeeper who is eligible.” The rule has generally restricted teams to using amateurs; team employees (former professional goalies turned goalie coaches) are not eligible to dress.

The rule as written and the resulting optics are a bad look for the NHL, the premiere professional hockey league in the world, since a 42-year-old Ayres, who had never advanced past the Junior B level, somehow presented as the best option in a market teeming with likely more qualified options.

Ayres, the Leafs’ regular practice fill-in netminder, entered for Carolina wearing blue Leafs pants and a Marlies mask. 1179698 Websites concussions, more cases of depressions, and more instances of “personal tragedies.”

“While the NHL has long known that its players involved in fights were TSN.CA / NHL players encouraged to play through concussion susceptible to brain damage and/or depression and/or substance abuse, symptoms, Montador lawyer says due to the extreme physical and emotional toll fighting placed upon them, [it] failed to put an end to the problem,” Montador’s lawyers wrote. “While unnecessary violence, including brutal fist-fighting, has permeated NHL games, the NHL has been on notice that multiple blows to the head can Rick Westhead lead to long-term brain injury, including but not limited to memory loss, dementia, depression, addiction and CTE and its related symptoms… the NHL said nothing to its players about any of it.” The National Hockey League is deceiving retired, current and future players by continuing to downplay the long-term health risks of repeated The NHL has until March 13 to reply to the plaintiff’s filing. brain trauma, lawyers for the estate of former NHL player Steve TSN.CA LOADED: 03.03.2020 Montador allege in new court filings.

“The NHL is not honest or upfront with its players,” William Gibbs, a lawyer for Montador’s estate, wrote in documents filed Feb. 28 in U.S. district court in Chicago.

The documents were filed in connection with a request made by the NHL in January for summary judgement in a wrongful death lawsuit filed by Montador's family. If the NHL's request is granted, a judge would make a ruling and the case would conclude without depositions or a trial. Montador's lawyers are fighting the NHL’s motion.

Gibbs wrote that multiple scientific studies over the past decades have established a link between repeated brain trauma and neurocognitive diseases and disorders, such as chronic traumatic encephalopathy, or CTE.

“The NHL denies this reality,” he wrote. “Every time that a former NHL player’s brain reveals CTE, the league posits that ‘it’s way premature to be drawing any conclusions at this point; regarding NHL play and CTE.’ Even to this day, after repeatedly informing its players and the public that it is the ‘leader’ in concussion care, knowledge and research, the NHL boldly informs all NHL players, past, present and future, that there is no proven scientific or statistical evidence demonstrating a connection or correlation between repeated impacts to the head sustained in the NHL and long-term neurodegenerative diseases.

“These false proclamations harm NHL players. By inserting doubt into the equation, the NHL implicitly encourages players to disregard the significance of head injuries and play through the symptoms.”

Montador played 571 NHL games during a 14-year pro career that included stints with the Flames, Panthers, Ducks, Bruins, Sabres and Blackhawks. He was 35 when he died on Feb. 15, 2015. Three months after his death, researchers with the Canadian Sports Concussion Project at Toronto’s Krembil Neuroscience Centre disclosed the former defenceman had suffered from CTE.

Montador had 19 documented concussions during his pro and junior hockey career and was repeatedly cleared to return to the NHL by team doctors after four concussions in 12 weeks in 2012, his family says.

Montador’s family sued the NHL in December 2015, alleging the league has promoted violence and profited off of it while not adequately advising players of the risks of repeated long-term brain injuries.

The Montador family’s lawsuit against the NHL was put on hold for four years while the NHL fought a proposed class-action lawsuit filed by more than 100 former NHL players. After a settlement in that case – one that bars nearly 300 former players and their families from pursuing legal action in the future in exchange for a $22,000 (U.S.) per player settlement – Montador’s case moved forward.

The NHL has alleged that any legal claims related to Montador’s injury “may be barred, in whole or in part, from recovery due to his contributory and/or comparative negligence."

"Any injury or damage sustained by [Montador] was caused, in whole or in part, by [Montador's] own lack of due care and fault, and/or by pre- existing conditions; and/or the lack of due care of others for whom the NHL has no responsibility or control,” the league wrote in a July 2019 answer to the Montador family’s lawsuit.

In his Feb. 28 filing, Gibbs referenced an email sent by NHL deputy commissioner Bill Daly on September 11, 2011, to NHL commissioner Gary Bettman and other colleagues after three NHL enforcers — Derek Boogaard, Rick Rypien, and Wade Belak — died in a span of four months. Daly wrote that hockey fighting leads to head injuries and