SPORT-SCAN DAILY BRIEF NHL 11/24/2019 Anaheim Ducks Chicago Blackhawks 1163005 ‘We quit,’ says Getzlaf after Ducks fall to Lightning in finale 1163031 Blackhawks fall to the Stars 2-1 in a shootout for their 3rd of trip consecutive loss 1163006 Ducks right wing Troy Terry learning to cope with 1163032 Red-hot Patrick Kane is staying on point, and his frustration importance to the Blackhawks never has been greater 1163033 Blackhawks’ Drake Caggiula put on injured reserve with Arizona Coyotes 2nd concussion in less than a year 1163007 Arizona Coyotes workman-like in win over Los Angeles 1163034 Alex DeBrincat’s playmaking evolution takes another step Kings in Blackhawks’ shootout loss 1163008 Who were those imposters wearing Arizona Coyotes 1163035 Blackhawks notebook: Updates on Dominik Kubalik, uniforms against the Toronto Maple Leafs? Drake Caggiula, Connor Murphy 1163009 Arizona Coyotes G Eric Comrie re-joins team after AHL 1163036 This You Gotta See: Bears play two, Bulls-Warriors and a stint Blackhawks-Avs back-to-back 1163037 Blackhawks’ next five games provide chance to prove Boston Bruins legitimacy in Central Division race 1163010 Bruins want to see Charlie McAvoy do more shooting 1163038 Stars edge Blackhawks 2-1 in shootout for 6th straight win 1163011 Torey Krug’s OT goal caps Bruins’ comeback win over 1163039 Four takeaways: Blackhawks pick up point, but Stars win Wild sixth straight 1163012 Mike Babcock wasn’t given enough runway in Toronto 1163040 Johnny Oduya joins Blackhawks All-Decade Team 1163013 Bruins come back late, Torey Krug wins it in OT against 1163041 The Wraparound: Tough calls lead to a tough loss for the Wild Blackhawks. How will they respond? 1163014 Bruins notebook: David Backes back skating 1163042 ‘That definitely makes you happy’: Marian Hossa humbled, 1163015 Former Bruins forward Ryan Donato’s fate in his own surprised to be in the 2020 Hall of Fame conversation hands 1163016 Jack Eichel, Sabres trying to get back on track Colorado Avalanche 1163017 Bruins pregame notes: Wild test to end strong week 1163043 Avalanche’s rally falls short against Maple Leafs 1163018 WATCH: Torey Krug's overtime winner caps Bruins' 1163044 Chambers: Western Conference giant Calgary has fallen amazing comeback on tough times 1163019 Quiet David Krejci, as usual, makes a loud impact in 1163045 Tyson Barrie got a hero’s welcome home from the Avs … Bruins’ comeback and 2 points in the Leafs’ win 1163046 Nazem Kadri talks life after the Leafs: ‘At first, I was a little Buffalo Sabres bit bitter’ 1163020 Chris Taylor leaves Sabres to resume duties as coach of 1163047 Kadri and Barrie both find the scoresheet in first meeting Rochester against their former clubs 1163021 Mike Harrington's NHL Power Rankings 1163048 Avalanche fall 5-3 in Barrie’s return to Colorado 1163022 With Kyle Dubas in charge and the team struggling, Mike 1163049 A reunion with old roommate Alexander Kerfoot tonight will Babcock was toast in Toronto be special for both Tyson Jost and J.T. Compher 1163023 Sabres goalie prospect Erik Portillo reaching 'another 1163050 Avs Game 23 Grades: Sloppy ten minutes costs Avs level' in Dubuque 1163051 Leafs win ‘Battle of the Exes’ as Barrie shines in Colorado 1163024 Sabres Mailbag: Should Jeff Skinner play on a line with return Jack Eichel? Columbus Blue Jackets Calgary Flames 1163052 Paul MacLean drawn to work with Blue Jackets coach, 1163025 Flames rally to reward Rittich, end losing skid young players 1163026 Alexander Yelesin hungry to show his worth in Flames 1163053 Jets 4, Blue Jackets 3 | Late Jets goal kills Jackets’ earlier lineup momentum 1163027 GameDay: Calgary Flames at Philadelphia Flyers 1163054 Portzline: ‘Oh, Elvis,’ and nine other observations from the Blue Jackets’ loss to Winnipeg Carolina Hurricanes 1163028 Canes rally from early deficit to top Panthers 4-2 Dallas Stars 1163029 ‘It starts with Dougie’: An unlikely leader, a Calder Trophy 1163055 Bolstered by return of Roope Hintz and John Klingberg, candidate, 2 brutal sequences and Edmundson’s men Stars beat Blackhawks 2-1 in shootout for 6th straight 1163030 Bag of Jerks: Latest on Justin Williams, assessing the 1163056 ‘Best player in the game’: In win over Blackhawks, Anton goaltending situation, OT success and Jordan Staal’s fl Khudobin reinforced just how impressive Stars’ goalte 1163057 Stars 20/20: Anton Khudobin. What else needs to be said? Detroit Red Wings New Jersey Devils 1163058 Game thread: Red Wings lose to Devils, 5-1 1163095 Devils score final 5 goals to polish off win over Red Wings 1163059 Why Detroit Lions' Justin Coleman proudly wears a Gordie 1163096 Devils’ lines, pairings vs. Red Wings (11/23/19) | Brett Howe No. 9 Red Wings jersey Seney in after call-up; Jesper Bratt, Pavel Zacha out 1163060 Another defensive lull costs Red Wings in loss to Devils 1163097 4 observations from Devils’ loss to Penguins | ’We’re 1163061 Red Wings impressed with progress, dedication of Jack Jekyll and Hyde’ right now Hughes 1163098 Devils crush Red Wings in Eastern Conference basement 1163062 Red Wings lose Anthony Mantha, fall to Devils battle 1163063 Red Wings fall to Devils, 5-1 1163099 Devils rip Red Wings behind new backup goalie Louis Domingue Edmonton Oilers 1163100 Maple Leafs’ dysfunction, Devils’ Taylor Hall idea full of 1163064 Edmonton Oilers big guns firing in victory against Vegas intrigue 1163065 A superstar shines, a goaltender stands tall and a ‘road hockey’ power play helps the Oilers return to form New York Islanders 1163066 Lowetide: Why Dave Tippett’s deployment is a sign the 1163101 Islanders fall to Sharks in OT but keep point streak alive Oilers need a No. 3 centre 1163102 Islanders lose to Sharks in overtime but extend point 1163067 A Jesse Puljujarvi trade is an opportunity of which only streak to 17 games one NHL team gets to take advantage 1163103 Barry Trotz praises rookie Otto Koivula and keeps him in the lineup Florida Panthers 1163104 For Anders Lee, more power plays hasn't meant an 1163068 Hurricanes defensemen Dougie Hamilton and Brett Pesce increase in production score as Panthers’ three-game win streak comes to an end New York Rangers 1163105 Rangers come back from down 4-0 to stun Canadiens Los Angeles Kings 1163106 Rangers’ David Quinn rewarded for not pulling Alexandar 1163069 Kings fall to Coyotes 3-2 despite a heavy shot advantage Georgiev 1163070 Kings thwarted again by Arizona goalie Antti Raanta 1163107 Rangers make miraculous comeback to stun Canadiens 1163071 Kings prospect Gabe Vilardi got a ‘passing grade’ in his 1163108 Postgame analysis: After another slow start, NY Rangers return and came out smiling respond with memorable comeback 1163072 TUCSON 3, ONTARIO 2 – VILLALTA, FRK, STOTHERS 1163109 Jacob Trouba's goal caps Rangers' rally from four down in 1163073 NOVEMBER 23 RAPID REACTION: COYOTES 3, KINGS victory over Canadiens 2 1163110 Rangers goalie Alexandar Georgiev settles down after 1163074 GAME 23: LOS ANGELES VS ARIZONA rough start vs. Canadiens 1163075 PREVIEW – ONTARIO @ TUCSON, 11/23 1163111 Rangers building a strong base through AHL's Hartford Wolf Pack Minnesota Wild 1163112 With his famous father in the stands, Brendan Lemieux 1163076 Special-teams play comes back to bite Wild in overtime shows toughness and talent in Rangers’ frantic comeback loss to Bruins 1163077 Wild-Boston game recap Ottawa Senators 1163078 Bruins rally late, beat Wild 5-4 in OT on Krug's goal 1163113 SNAPSHOTS: D.J. Smith has a tough decision on who 1163079 Wild crumbles late, loses 5-4 in overtime to Boston start to in Columbus 1163080 Coach Bruce Boudreau has a plan for Wild goalie Kaapo 1163114 The Ottawa Senators are surprising everybody but Kahkonen's NHL debut themselves 1163081 Wild GM Bill Guerin is evaluating roster, but how far away 1163115 Senators' Scott Sabourin back on ice, but no timetable for is change? his return 1163082 Wild returns to the road, kicks off three-game trip in Boston Philadelphia Flyers 1163083 Wild collapse down stretch in frustrating 5-4 loss to Bruins 1163116 Flyers let one get away in 3-2 shootout loss to Calgary 1163084 Wild winger Ryan Donato relishes homecoming against 1163117 Pregame notebook: Shayne Gostisbehere a healthy Bruins scratch for Flyers against Calgary 1163085 From bad to familiar worse for the Wild: a late collapse, 1163118 'Process' of inconsistency drags on for trusty Flyers another overtime loss 1163119 A solid November could be better as Flyers go to shootout yet again, fall to Flames Montreal Canadiens 1163120 Flyers' Shayne Gostisbehere serves as healthy scratch vs. 1163086 In the Habs' Room: Offence came alive, but then we got Flames sloppy, Julien says 1163121 Flyers need more progress on finishing offensively 1163087 Canadiens blow commanding 4-0 lead as Rangers roar 1163122 Flames reassure South Jersey’s Johnny Gaudreau they’re back to win 6-5 not trading him 1163088 Liveblog replay: Habs crippled by Rangers after catastrophic comeback Pittsburgh Penguins 1163089 Canadiens Game Day: Call it the dreaded four-goal lead 1163123 Minor league report: Penguins’ winning streak snapped for Habs 1163124 Penguins struggle to replace Sidney Crosby on faceoffs 1163090 New York Rangers at Canadiens: Five things you should 1163125 Penguins assign Joseph Blandisi to Wilkes- know Barre/Scranton 1163091 It is incumbent on the Canadiens to show their loss to the 1163126 Penguins send Joseph Blandisi back to Wilkes- Rangers will not come to define them Barre/Scranton 1163092 Video Review: An embarrassing loss to the Rangers puts 1163127 Penguins' new-look top line shows instant chemistry in its an end to an embarrassing week for the Canadiens first week together Nashville Predators 1163093 Predators coach Peter Laviolette on hit on Viktor Arvidsson: 'It's dirty' 1163094 Predators snap 6-game losing streak with 4-2 win over Blues San Jose Sharks Vegas Golden Knights 1163128 Couture does it again, as Sharks top Isles in OT 1163155 Golden Knights can’t contain McDavid, Draisaitl in loss to 1163129 Have the Sharks found a temporary fix for fourth line Oilers issues? 1163156 Golden Knights’ Ryan Reaves doesn’t care about CFL’s 1163130 Sharks takeaways: What we learned in 2-1 overtime win Grey Cup over Islanders 1163157 Maple Leafs search for identity after Mike Babcock firing 1163131 Why Peter DeBoer, Sharks have open mind to skating just 1163158 Golden Knights on wrong end of goalie battle in overtime 11 forwards loss to Sharks 1163132 Tomas Hertl’s absence might have helped Sharks find 1163159 Edmonton Methodically Grinds Down VGK In 4-2 Win their identity Before 18,319 Saturday 1163160 LVSportsBiz.com Photographer Tyge O’Donnell Meets St Louis Blues Pope Francis In Japan To Honor His Dad’s World War II 1163133 Nashville starts fast, holds on to beat Blues Photo 1163134 Blues notebook: While Brouwer waits, Kostin gets another chance — and scores Washington Capitals 1163135 Brouwer's return to Blues relives a great moment 1163161 Capitals fall to Canucks after long shootout stalemate 1163136 Blues caught flatfooted early in 4-2 loss to Predators 1163162 In battle of the goalies, Capitals fall to Canucks in shootout 1163137 Rivalry renewed: Blues looking past Predators' recent 1163163 The sound of the Capitals’ season: Ping! struggles 1163164 Vrana is dangerous, Panik is struggling and the Caps are 1163138 Nashville takes on Western Conference-leading St. Louis taking too many penalties 1163165 Caps lose goalie duel in a 7-round shootout Tampa Bay Lightning 1163166 A wish granted: Cancer survivor Brock Witmoyer spends a 1163139 Lightning’s Andrei Vasilevskiy makes franchise history weekend with T.J. Oshie and the Capitals against Ducks 1163140 The Lightning are getting one of their superstars back Websites tonight 1163178 The Athletic / A Jesse Puljujarvi trade is an opportunity of 1163141 Lightning’s ‘Hockey Fights Cancer’ night slated for which only one NHL team gets to take advantage Monday 1163179 Sportsnet.ca / Maple Leafs' Tyson Barrie gets hero's 1163142 Louis Domingue gets win for Devils in first post-Lightning welcome in return to Colorado NHL start 1163180 Sportsnet.ca / Oilers rebound from loss with playoff-style win over Golden Knights Toronto Maple Leafs 1163181 Sportsnet.ca / Canadiens' defensive issues the root of 1163143 Maple Leafs sink Avalache to move to 2-0 under new 'unacceptable' loss to Rangers coach Sheldon Keefe 1163182 Sportsnet.ca / Canucks' Markstrom honours late father 1163144 Defenceman has a Barrie nice homecoming as Leafs win with heroic effort vs. Capitals straight game under Keefe 1163183 Sportsnet.ca / Flames back Rittich with gutsy comeback to 1163145 Nazem Kadri is the same player he always was, which snap miserable slide might be what the Leafs are missing 1163184 TSN.CA / Nazem Kadri reflects on time in Toronto ahead 1163146 Barrie scores again, Leafs hang on for second win in as of first game against Toronto Maple Leafs many games under Keefe 1163185 TSN.CA / Five Takeaways: Canucks vs Capitals 1163147 SIMMONS: The sometimes sad and remarkable journey of Sheldon Keefe Winnipeg Jets 1163148 Kadri grateful for tenure with Leafs, was 'a little bitter' 1163167 Short-staffed Jets bail hard in gritty win when traded to Colorado 1163168 NHLers raise money to fight cancer – 'a pervasive part of 1163149 KOSHAN'S GAMEDAY: Maple Leafs at Avalanche our life,' Jets coach says 1163150 Mirtle: Identifying the key early changes Sheldon Keefe is 1163169 Jets lose pair of defenceman and a goalie, but win over trying to bring the Maple Leafs Jackets suits 'em fine 1163151 Leafs Report Cards: Tyson Barrie now has two goals in 1163170 GAME DAY: Blue Jackets putting winning streak on the two games under Sheldon Keefe line vs. Jets 1163152 Nazem Kadri talks life after the Leafs: ‘At first, I was a little 1163171 ‘I think we’ve found something’: Jets’ wild win over the bit bitter’ Blue Jackets could be a season-defining moment 1163153 Sheldon Keefe shaped Adam Brooks. Now the Marlies 1163172 Four observations from Jets’ past five games: Blake forward wants to follow him to the Leafs Wheeler’s milestone, power play change and more 1163154 Tyson Barrie got a hero’s welcome home from the Avs … and 2 points in the Leafs’ win SPORT-SCAN, INC. 941-284-4129 Vancouver Canucks 1163173 Ed Willes: Maybe it's too early to talk playoffs, but Canucks are in conversation 1163174 Canucks Post Game: Markstrom's moment, penalty kill plaudits, Miller 'pushed' to limit 1163175 Canucks 2, Capitals 1 (SO): Special teams prove point in impressive victory 1163176 Super Markstrom helps Canucks to shootout win over Capitals 1163177 The Armies: The Boost, The Don’t Watch Club and Jacob Markstrom’s emotional win 1163005 Anaheim Ducks

Orange County Register: LOADED: 11.24.2019

‘We quit,’ says Getzlaf after Ducks fall to Lightning in finale of trip

By ELLIOTT TEAFORD | [email protected] | Orange County Register

PUBLISHED: November 23, 2019 at 7:08 pm | UPDATED: November 23, 2019 at 9:19 PM

TAMPA, Fla. >> The Tampa Bay Lightning shredded the Ducks on Saturday at Amalie Arena. Then the Ducks shredded themselves in a scathing review of their play during a 6-2 loss to the opportunistic Lightning that highlighted their many shortcomings during a stretch in which they have lost eight of nine.

After a victory over the defending Stanley Cup champion St. Louis Blues to start their trip, the Ducks sandwiched lopsided defeats to the Washington Capitals and the Lightning around an overtime loss to the Florida Panthers in which they squandered a four-goal lead.

The Ducks’ Derek Grant (shorthanded) and Rickard Rakell matched goals from the Lightning’s Brayden Point and Nikita Kucherov as Saturday’s game neared its midway point. The Ducks dominated play, controlling the puck for extended stretches.

Suddenly, the momentum and the game shifted in the Lightning’s direction. Point scored a tiebreaking power-play goal at 12:39 of the second period, ex-Duck Pat Maroon made it 4-2 a little less than two minutes later and it was pretty much game over.

“It’s disappointing when we play so well,” Ducks captain Ryan Getzlaf said, referring to the final score. “I thought we started the game properly. Worked hard. Battled hard. Got some adversity when they got a power play that was kind of a chintzy call and they scored a goal and then we quit.

“Simple as that. I don’t know if we’re feeling bad for ourselves, but we quit.”

No question, the Ducks didn’t get the saves they needed from goaltender Ryan Miller, who gave up five goals on the first 15 of the Lightning’s 27 shots by game’s end. They didn’t clear the front of his net for rebounds well enough and they certainly didn’t get to rebounds in front of the Lightning’s net.

The Ducks outshot the Lightning by 17-5 in the decisive second period and 38-27 overall.

The Ducks didn’t capitalize on their scoring chances but the Lightning did, turning what was a tight game into a rout after Anthony Cirelli and Ondrej Palat scored power-play goals in the third.

“That was the difference in the game,” Ducks coach Dallas Eakins said. “We had lots of shots at their net, shots on net, but if they take 27 or 28 shots or whatever they had, I bet you 12 or 13 were second whacks. They were inside our ‘D.’

“As much as we had great zone time and had lots of shots at their net … we would have had maybe half of those second attempts. You look at any game and whoever controls that eight (feet) by eight (feet) area right in front of that net, that’s who usually wins.

“We had control of that game except we didn’t have control of that area.”

Ducks defenseman Hampus Lindholm returned to the lineup after a six- game absence because of an unspecified lower-body injury. He was penalized for hooking at 12:22 of the second period, which set up Point’s power-play strike that gave Tampa Bay a 3-2 lead.

“Overall, I felt pretty good out there,” said Lindholm, who formed a defense pair with Erik Gudbranson and was credited with one shot on goal in 19:42 in his first game since Nov. 6. “A little rusty maybe in some areas, but overall I felt pretty good out there.”

Lindholm did not hold back when asked for his opinion of the Ducks’ play.

“We looked a little bit off,” he said. “It feels like we have a lot of guys who want the other guy to do it. But everyone knows in this league nothing is for free. You have to push someone away to get that scoring chance. You have to get inside someone to get that goal.” 1163006 Anaheim Ducks “It was hard to keep my focus. It was a really special night.”

Ducks right wing Troy Terry learning to cope with frustration Orange County Register: LOADED: 11.24.2019

By ELLIOTT TEAFORD | [email protected] | Orange County Register

PUBLISHED: November 23, 2019 at 4:10 pm | UPDATED: November 23, 2019 at 4:10 PM

TAMPA, Fla. — It wasn’t punishment. He wasn’t banished. He wasn’t in the dog house for any reason.

Coach Dallas Eakins scratched Troy Terry from the Ducks’ lineup for the simple reason that the 22-year-old right wing needed a break from the routine, which had become a source of frustration. Terry hadn’t lost his confidence, but Eakins could tell a six-game scoring drought was wearing on him.

So, Terry sat out the Ducks’ 5-2 loss Monday to the Washington Capitals. He watched the game from the press box and gained a new perspective beyond the obvious one that the game looks a good deal easier from high above the ice than it does while you’re actually skating on it.

Terry returned to the lineup re-invigorated. Although he didn’t record a goal or an assist in the Ducks’ 5-4 overtime loss Thursday to the Florida Panthers, he was a far more active participant than in recent games. The puck seemed to be following him around instead of the other way around.

He was credited with three shots on goal and another that was blocked in 15:37 of ice time.

“In all honesty, I have felt pretty confident,” Terry said Saturday. “You can call it puck luck. It’s also me not bearing down on chances or whatever the case is. I feel confident. I think I’ve been watching my video and I see myself doing a lot of good things and creating a lot.

“The best way to say it is I haven’t been losing my confidence, I’m just getting frustrated with not having the results. I think being scratched kind of allowed me to take a step back and not be so results focused. The last game in Florida, I felt like I played really well. No results to show for it.

“That’s how it goes. I’ve just got to keep building on it. I’m young. It’ll come.”

Terry went into Saturday’s game against the Tampa Bay Lightning with two goals and two assists.

The re-emergence of right wing Ondrej Kase and left wing Nick Ritchie as offensive threats was among the few highlights of what turned out to be a pretty rough night Thursday, when the Ducks squandered a four- goal lead against the Panthers and lost in overtime.

Kase scored for the only the second time in 17 games and Ritchie had a goal for only the third time in 21 contests. Each player has been asked to raise the level of his play this season, but so far hasn’t lived up to expectations.

Eakins was pleased by their production Thursday.

“For it to slip away like that, it’s just such a punch in the gut,” Eakins said of the loss to Florida. “But the reality is we did some good things. We had our looks. The right guys were getting the chances. It was great to see Ondrej score and for him to have a couple of other Grade A chances.

“Nick Ritchie also. Those are guys we need to produce.”

Pat Maroon has moved around quite a bit since playing 204 games with the Ducks between 2011-12 and 2015-16. He’s played with the Edmonton Oilers after a trade from the Ducks, then the New Jersey Devils, St. Louis Blues and now the Lightning.

St. Louis remains his hometown and he received a rousing welcome back when he and the Lightning visited the Blues on Tuesday. He was, after all, a key figure on the Blues’ Stanley Cup championship team before signing with the Lightning as a free agent this past summer.

“It was a really special year for me, being from St. Louis,” Maroon said. “I tried to hold back tears there because that was a really special night. Thanks to the fans. They gave me an unbelievable ovation there. It kind of game me chills watching the (tribute) video. 1163007 Arizona Coyotes

Arizona Coyotes workman-like in win over Los Angeles Kings

Richard Morin, Arizona Republic

Published 4:49 p.m. MT Nov. 23, 2019 | Updated 5:50 p.m. MT Nov. 23, 2019

The Coyotes grinded out a 3-2 win over the Los Angeles Kings on Saturday at Staples Center.

Although stifled for the most part offensively, the Coyotes managed just enough production to back a massive effort from goaltender Antti Raanta, who made 43 saves in the win.

“The whole year," Coyotes forward Vinnie Hinostroza said, "both our goalies have been unreal so anytime either of them is in the net we have all the confidence in the world.”

The Coyotes (14-8-2) received goals from Phil Kessel, Lawson Crouse and Christian Fischer.

Kessel opened the scoring with a power-play goal in the first period. He entered the offensive zone with speed before dishing to Clayton Keller, who drove the net and showed intent to shoot on Kings goaltender Jonathan Quick.

However, Keller made a slick feed at the last second to Kessel, who crashed the net and finished it off for a tap-in goal.

The Kings evened it up in the second period when captain Anze Kopitar also converted on a power-play chance, and it supplied a ton of momentum for the home team.

“I liked our third (period), second (period) I didn’t like," Coyotes head coach Rick Tocchet said. "As a coach, the result is great, the win, but we’re still a work in progress. The second period wasn’t good. A lot of teams are going to muck and grind against us, we have to have that mentality, we didn’t get a shot for the first eight minutes."

The Coyotes were hemmed into their own end for much of the second period before finally breaking through for a greasy goal to retake the lead. Hinostroza found a trailing Crouse for the initial shot, but it was Carl Soderberg who willed the puck back to Crouse, who finally finished it off.

Fischer scored an empty-netter for the Coyotes' third and final goal, although the Kings made it a 3-2 game in the final seconds.

“I thought we did a good job starting out with our game and our game plan," Fischer said, "but ... it’s a little different playing at 1 p.m., ice wasn’t that great, a lot of factors but I thought we held our own, we knew when we were turning the puck over, that’s how they were creating their offense, and I thought coaches did a good job explaining that to us and I thought we fixed it up pretty well in the third (period)."

Crouse left the game with an upper-body injury in the third period when he experienced an ugly crash into the end boards.

Arizona Republic LOADED: 11.24.2019 1163008 Arizona Coyotes Thursday's loss highlighted just how thin the Coyotes' margin for error right now. Without their highest-paid players delivering, they need passion and grit, especially defensively. Without that, they look like they Who were those imposters wearing Arizona Coyotes uniforms against did on Thursday. the Toronto Maple Leafs? For now, Tocchet isn't inclined to think Thursday's game was anything more than a good team having a bad night. This season, the Coyotes have rebounded from bad nights to play well, and Tocchet is trusting they Kent Somers, Arizona Republic will do it again.

Published 11:37 a.m. MT Nov. 22, 2019 So, Tocchet isn't ripping into his team. Nor is he scheduling long, grueling practices. "The boys," as Tocchet calls his players, produced a dud

Thursday night. In coaching, like parenting, there often are hundreds of decisions to Tocchet can handle that. As long as one bad night doesn't become two. make every day. But few, if any, are more important than this:

How big of a deal do I make of the small stuff? Arizona Republic LOADED: 11.24.2019 Not every incident is worthy of turning into a life lesson. Yet, the small stuff can lead to major problems if left unaddressed.

That had to be going through the mind of Coyotes coach Rick Tocchet after his team’s listless performance in a 3-1 loss to Toronto Thursday night in Glendale.

On display was everything the Coyotes have not been this season. Apathetic. Dull. Sleepy. All adjectives under "lazy" in a thesaurus applied.

At least publicly, Tocchet was reluctant to attach much significance to the loss beyond calling it a "dud," which even the best teams produce during an 82-game season.

"If we play to our identity, we're a good hockey club," Tocchet said. "If we don't, that's the stuff you'll see out there. So we got to be careful we don't throw those types of games up again."

The Coyotes earned that benefit of the doubt with the way they played over the first quarter or so of the season. They are second in the Pacific Division, fifth in the Western Conference and, at 13-8-2, are off to their best start in four years.

They accomplished that despite a brutal November road schedule that severely limited practice time.

There's a lot to like about the Coyotes this season. With exceptional goaltending by Antti Raanta and Darcy Kuemper, stout defense and timely scoring by so-called "secondary" players, the Coyotes are legitimate contenders to make the playoffs for the first time since 2011- 12.

And they easily could improve.

Forward Phil Kessel, obtained in a trade with Pittsburgh last June, has just three goals and 13 points. Forward Clayton Keller, signed to an 8- year extension in September, has only four goals and 13 points. Center Derek Stepan’s impact has been negligible. Defenseman Oliver Ekman- Larsson, the captain, is an unusually extended funk. Defenseman Niklas Hjalmarsson is expected to return from a cracked fibula after the first of the year.

Coyotes and Maple Leafs players battle for the puck during the first period of a game Nov. 21 at Gila River Arena.

If you follow the money, the Coyotes aren't getting much from the $26 million or so in salary they are paying those five players this season.

It's unrealistic to think all five will suddenly produce at the same time. But at least two or three should, and with the schedule easing up, there's a good chance the Coyotes will improve and end the seven-year playoff drought.

That is predicated on doing more on game night than just showing up on time. After the anthems were played Thursday night, those in Coyotes uniforms looked like imposters of the ones who filled them the previous 22 games.

"We can dissect every play," Tocchet said. "I didn't know what team this was. When you don't have energy and you look slow out there, that's what happens."

Center Brad Richardson summed up Thursday's performance when asked if it could be chalked up to one of those games in the course of a long season.

"Definitely hope so." 1163009 Arizona Coyotes

Arizona Coyotes G Eric Comrie re-joins team after AHL stint

BY MATT LAYMAN

NOVEMBER 23, 2019 AT 10:19 AM

The Arizona Coyotes announced Saturday that the conditioning assignment of goaltender Eric Comrie has come to a conclusion and he has re-joined the NHL club.

For the past two weeks, Comrie has been with the AHL Tucson Roadrunners on a conditioning loan.

Conditioning loans, according to the NHL’s collective bargaining agreement (CBA), are a way for teams to send players to the minor leagues without necessarily meeting other requirements that would normally be required for a minor league assignment, namely, having to clear waivers.

The catch, though, is that it can only be used in a situation where a player needs playing time to get back to NHL readiness, and the assignment is temporary, lasting no longer than 14 days. Additionally, the player has to agree to such an assignment.

That 14-day period expired for Comrie, so he’s back in the NHL.

Comrie, 24, was with the Coyotes all season before his conditioning assignment, though he hadn’t played in a game for the NHL club and was scratched most nights. Arizona’s tandem of Darcy Kuemper and Antti Raanta has taken all of the playing time.

Arizona acquired Comrie just before the start of the regular season, claiming him off of waivers from the Winnipeg Jets. It was in Winnipeg that he played five NHL games over three seasons.

Arizona Sports LOADED: 11.24.2019 1163010 Boston Bruins the guy it runs through initially, but once he draws some people to him, finds a seam . . . then it’s whoever has it in the best spot. A little bit of that is him being deferential, but some of it now is probably recognizing Bruins want to see Charlie McAvoy do more shooting that the right thing is to shoot a little more often. Not all the time, but a little more.”

Slow recovery By Kevin Paul Dupont Globe Staff It was three weeks ago Saturday (Nov. 2) that veteran winger David Updated November 24, 2019, 12:34 a.m. Backes exited the Boston lineup, following a big collision with the Senators’ Scott Sabourin. The collision brought the sellout crowd to

pindrop silence because Sabourin, knocked cold on his feet, crashed Charlie McAvoy was still looking for his first goal Saturday night when the face-first to the ice. Bruins faced the Wild at the Garden. His next goal, No. 1 of 2019-20, will Backes, with a substantial record of concussions, promptly made his way be the 15th of his career, and the 21-year-old knows the only way to get to the dressing room when Sabourin was stretchered off the ice. He only it is to keep on shooting — something he’s been more conscious of in made it back to practice Saturday morning, though he was decked out in recent games. a red sweater, exempting him from any body contact. “Yeah, I’m trying,” McAvoy said prior to puck drop on Causeway Street. According to Cassidy, a date for Backes’s return to the lineup remains “It’s funny, because there are games when it doesn’t happen. Like last unknown. game [against Buffalo], I think I might have touched the puck one time — or maybe a couple of times — in the offensive zone. But at the point, like “A scary situation there for both players, obviously,” said Cassidy. “He’s one time, and I was trying to keep a play alive — so I went around with it. taken some time away from the rink and he’s checking the boxes to get Third period, [Jack] Eichel was coming so I just ripped it.” back in the lineup — one of them is to get back on the ice, so it’s Step 1.”

Entering the night against the Wild, the Bruins’ 23rd game this season, Cassidy noted that players who’ve incurred “a few head injuries” must be McAvoy’s line read 0-7—7. He is more conscious of shooting these days, careful and that the Bruins, sitting atop of the Atlantic Division, don’t need in part because coach Bruce Cassidy is calling for all his defensemen to to rush anyone, “no matter who it is,” back into the lineup. be more active in the offensive zone, but he had landed only 4 shots on net over the five games prior to the Wild’s visit. The next step for Backes will be to take some knocks during practices, but Cassidy said he is not certain when the date will arrive. Soon after arriving with the Bruins, it was obvious that McAvoy was a reluctant shooter, despite owning a robust shot. His reasoning: Often on Twice as nice the ice as support to the club’s No. 1 line, he felt obligated to find an Marchand, 1-1—2 for the night, now has recorded 2 points or more in 12 open forward, a sensible approach when feeding the likes of Patrice of his 23 games. He now has 39 points, 3 more than Pastrnak, for the Bergeron, Brad Marchand, and David Pastrnak. team lead. Pasta was kept off the scoresheet for a second time in the last “I think I trust myself more now,” he said before Saturday night’s 5-4 six games. He has been blanked only six times all season . . . Bergeron overtime win over the Wild. “I know I can score, though I haven’t been (four assists) had not picked up more than one assist in all his games this able to do it for whatever reason. But it’s not for lack of opportunity. I season . . . The 3 points for Torey Krug also established a personal best think it’s just a matter of time before it goes in . . . this is the stuff that this season . . . Jaroslav Halak was the expected starter, but he was ill happens and I’m not really worried about it. I feel like lately I’ve really upon arriving at the rink late in the afternoon, necessating the move to found my game and I’m happy with where I am, as far as defending, and start Tuukka Rask for a third straight game — the most he has strung playing. I feel like I’ve got my legs. I’m feeling it. It’s going to come.” together this season. Provided Halak recovers in full, he and Rask will split the next two games, though Cassidy left the building uncertain which McAvoy again did not factor in the scoresheet, but attempted four shots of his tenders will get the start Tuesday night in Montreal . . . Cassidy and landed two. He came close to scoring when he came out of the also moved Steven Kampfer back into the lineup, the first game since penalty box late in the first and joined in what beame a 2-on-0 rush vs. Nov. 2 for the club’s reserve blue liner. He swapped in for Connor Clifton. Alex Stalock. It was only the third game this season for Kampfer.

Marchand, eagerly trying to help McAvoy record his first goal, probably overapassed in his feed in front of the net. And Stalock made the doorstep chance one of his 34 saves on the night. Boston Globe LOADED: 11.24.2019

Some of McAvoy’s overall approach to offense began to get wired in as a kid growing up in Long Beach, N.Y., playing from age 6-12.

“I played for the Long Island Gulls,” he recalled, “and we had this coach who taught us all really how to play. If you watch kids when they start, they all chase the puck and they want to shoot and score. But his thing, what he stressed over and over, was always to look for the extra pass. Always look for that extra pass to the guy free at the back door. So that’s what we’d do . . . back door to back to back door . . . overpass.

“So I grew up on that, making the extra play and setting people up — and I got to the point, I was more excited by making a sick backdoor pass than I was about scoring. Not that I didn’t care about it. Everyone loves scoring. But from then, it was like there’s nothing better than finding your teammate for that backdoor goal.”

Entering Saturday, Boston defensemen scored 12 of the club’s 78 goals, a fraction better than 15 percent of the haul. As of Saturday morning, only two NHL clubs had more goals, including Washington (90) and Florida (84). Combined, their defenseman scored 24 of those 174 goals, or 13.8 percent.

By Cassidy’s eye, McAvoy has been more inclined to shoot of late.

“Some of it has evolved from 5-on-5 play,” noted Cassidy. “He’s a little more active. I think with that second [power-play] group that he’s predominantly on, [the offense] runs through [David Krejci] a lot, so we’re trying to get Charlie to, ‘Listen, get him the puck in certain spots, but once we’ve moved it around, it doesn’t matter who shoots.’ Maybe he’s 1163011 Boston Bruins Cassidy rarely mentions officiating, but he could seen jawing on the bench a number of times at the beleaguered guys in stripes.

“I’ve never seen a game like that where, you are [facing] seven penalties Torey Krug’s OT goal caps Bruins’ comeback win over Wild when it’s a close game,” added Cassidy, addressing the imbalance of the calls. “Typically it’s because the game gets out of hand. You get roughing calls, you start acting goofy. But it seemed there was stuff going on each By Kevin Paul Dupont Globe Staff way. We got flagged on it. But we got our calls in the end.”

November 23, 2019, 9:58 p.m. Bergeron, who finished with four assists, picked up helpers on Krejci’s two in the third and also on Krug’s GWG. Krug was next with three

points. Jake DeBrusk and Marchand each chipped in with two points. Every season should have some magic, a little bit of wonderment, “I didn’t see the puck go in,” said Krug, recreating the final moments of pixiedust sprinkled Tinkerbell-like over a moment to suspend reality, or at the win. “I just heard the crowd and heard Bergy and Marchy scream. least interrupt what can be the monotony of a grinding, seemingly And all of a sudden someone is off the bench and hugging me — right unending season. there, when you score those goals, it’s just natural emotion and energy. Tinkerbell showed up late on Causeway Street on Saturday night and That’s what you saw.” emptied out her 55-gallon drums of wonderment. Next up for the Bruins: a visit with the Canadiens on Tuesday night at the Down by two goals with less than two minutes left in regulation, the Bell Centre and a stop in Ottawa on Wednesday. They aren’t back on Bruins rallied back to tie with a pair of David Krejci goals (each with home ice until Friday for their 1 p.m. holiday matinee against the goalie Tuukka Rask pulled) 48 seconds apart and then won it, 5-4, when Rangers. Torey Krug raced the length of the ice and finished off with a dramatic Perhaps by then, the Garden bull gang will have cleaned up the pixie doorstep backhander with 2:19 remaining in the 3-on-3 overtime. dust. Krug, just back after missing five games with injury, began the play from “It’s not often you see a defenseman go end to end in overtime,” said a his own goal line, just to the left of Rask, and galloped like a Triple Crown smiling Marchand, “and split their guys and dance the goalie. So great for champion through a porous Wild trio of Zach Parise, Luke Kunin, and him to get, and great for us and a lot of fun.” Brad Hunt. Rare is there such open ice in today’s buttoned-down and oft- robotic NHL, even in the open acreage that overtime affords, and Krug ate up every inch of space in his 200-foot tour de force that delivered Boston’s ninth win on home ice this season. Boston Globe LOADED: 11.24.2019

Bruins fans of a certain age — Boomer Alert! — will recall when Bobby Orr made such wizardry de rigueur on Causeway Street during his legendary career. Krug is no Orr, because no one can recreate that time, that talent that duende, but the winning rush was of near-No. 4 caliber.

The Wild defense, soft as Charmin and quickly flushed, disintegrated like a sand castle taken asunder by a rising tide on a hot summer afternoon on Crane Beach. And the opportunistic Krug, eating up ground the way a kid dreams of in street hockey and pond hockey, zipped right down Broadway and tucked his trickery through the pads of defenseless Wild tender Alex Stalock.

Game over, the Bruins left sitting pretty, and comfortable, atop the Atlantic Division with a 15-3-5 record and still the only team in the Original 31 yet to endure a regulation loss on home ice (9-0-4).

‘I obviously wanted to come up [ice] a little bit slower,” said Krug, the 5- foot-9-inch dynamo who remains on course to be an unrestricted free agent on July 1 next year. “See what my options were. Came up the left side to mess with Parise’s gap — once I took a couple of hard strides, I realized I could beat him.”

The pixie dust, now dropping in big flakes from the Garden rafters, was about to create raging blizzard before the home crowd of 17,850.

Parise, who badly misread the attack, suddenly was chasing in Krug’s vapor trail. Opportunity then turned into hilarity when Krug hit the offensive blue line and found Kunin and Hunt farther apart than the Republican and Democrat parties. Clear entry. Zero resistance.

“Parting of the sea,” said a subdued Krug, who finished with a 1-2—3 line, who had Brad Marchand and Patrice Bergeron with him on the rush. “Marchy and Bergy drew some attention as well — and all of a sudden I was in alone.”

None of it would have been possible without the late third-period drama that had Krejci erasing Minny’s 4-2 lead with his back-to-back strikes, the Bruins skating 6-on-5 for the first one and then 6-on-4 for the equalizer, the second coming with 67 seconds remaining in regulation.

For much of the night, the Bruins found it nearly impossible to find a foothold in the game, in part because of a rash of minor penalties that by the end of the night had the Wild a lopsided 7-3 differential in power plays — amounting to 11:56 of man up time vs. 4:24.

“Peel and Kozari were arguably [Minnesota’s] two best players tonight,” said a sardonic coach Bruce Cassidy, referring to referees Tim Peel and Steve Kozari. 1163012 Boston Bruins Lamoriello bolting for Long Island, where he has resurrected the risible Islanders.

The current Leafs roster is top heavy in elite and semi-elite, highly- Mike Babcock wasn’t given enough runway in Toronto expensive talent up front, including a $40 million-plus cap hit in four forwards: Mitch Marner, John Tavares, Auston Matthews, and William Nylander. Anyone would want them on their roster (remember, the Bruins By Kevin Paul Dupont Globe Staff pursued Tavares as a UFA in the summer of 2018), but at what price? Their cap drain is horrendous and compromising in a fixed-cap system. November 23, 2019, 12:59 p.m. The Leafs have what at best could be labeled a highly-ordinary defensive unit, and they don’t have a suitable backup to allow No. 1 goaltender Frederik Andersen to take a blow. Much like Vegas, every act grows old in coaching, and a voice gone stale was part of the reason why the Maple Leafs on Wednesday sent Mike Dubas, with Shanahan watching over him, has engineered a pricey, Babcock packing some four-plus years into his record eight-year/$50 compromised, gritless squad designed around winning with today’s million pact to turn around the Blue and White. standard model of speed and skill. That’s a fine model, backed with a trove of analytics, but it’s talented men and not Corsi-lovin’ As measured by rounds won by the Leafs in the playoffs (zero), mathematicians who win games. Babcock’s coaching tenure in Toronto was an abject failure. But that would be an unfair portrayal of his full tenure behind the bench, an The Bruins inherited by Cassidy had Anton Khudobin as a competent impressive 173-133-45 (.557) regular-season mark that included a pair of backup to No. 1 Tuukka Rask. They had captain Zdeno Chara as the 100-point seasons and three playoff berths (8-12 record) the last three unique shutdown lynchpin to a defensive corps that included the likes of seasons. Kevan Miller and Adam McQuaid as extra steel wool to smooth out, shall we say, rough spots. They had Patrice Bergeron, who that June would The Leafs, let us not forget, had DNQ’d for 9 of 10 postseasons prior to pick up his fourth Selke Trophy as the game’s best defensive forward, as Babcock’s arrival. They had morphed into Canada’s version of the pre- the NHL’s consummate 200-foot player. Mike Ilitch Dead Wings. To date, they still haven’t won a playoff round since 2004. A full generation of Leafs fans, among the most avid in the From here, albeit some 500 miles southeast, there appears to be no Original 31, now have lived without the sweet springtime intoxication of a quick fix for the Leafs on par with Cassidy’s 18-8-1 igniter switch. Beyond Cup run in Southern Ontario. the different voice behind the bench, which they may or may not have needed, they have to build some will and temerity around that slick Now, did Babcock deserve to get whacked? Both his bona fides forward group, find a first- or second-pairing defenseman who at least (including a Cup in Detroit, a pair of Olympic golds with Canada) and his can increase level of play back there from a C-minus to a B, and also find overall mark across four seasons with the Leafs say no. He is the same a suitable (read: NHL capable) backup so Andersen, 30, isn’t assigned to solid, smart, determined bench mentor that led Leafs leadership, assisted living by early March. including team president Brendan Shanahan, to bring him aboard when he became a free agent in Detroit in the spring of 2015. Easy enough to blame Babcock. In a span of 40 years now, the Leafs have turfed their coach eight times with the season in progress. They But again, acts age out, voices lose their pitch, and perhaps more critical remain without a Cup since 1967. Not even five years after hiring in this case, the 56-year-old Babcock lacked the equity (protection) that Babcock to close the championship gap, today they only look further from postseason success typically builds. If not for that mega contract, which the goal. lifted the pay level for coaching brethren across the league, he might have been turfed with no playoff success after only three seasons on the Vegas goaltender Marc-Andre Fleury made a dazzling, Cirque de Soleil- job. That’s just the way it works. The equity of the ’11 Cup and a trip to like save Tuesday night, springing backward from the top of his crease, the ’13 Final helped to keep Claude Julien on the job in Boston even twisting and flashing his glove (Ole!) to snare a Nic Petan backhand through the back-to-back playoff DNQ’s of 2015 and ’16. sweep that was all but certified for delivery to the top shelf. Just watching Fleury’s gyrations triggered back spasms in your aged, faithful puck Fact is, if not for back-to-back Game 7 flip-of-the-coin knockouts at the chronicler. hands of the Bruins the past two Aprils, perhaps Babcock is still on the job, even despite his tepid (9-10-4) start this season. Coaching, forever “I think those saves that make you feel you scored,” Fleury, 34, told the dirty work, even for guys with 700 career wins and a trophy case of shiny media following the 4-2 Golden Knights’ win over the Leafs. “Those are hardware (albeit one surprisingly lacking a Jack Adams Award as Coach the saves I love to play for.” of the Year). The stop, with less than four minutes to go in regulation, kept Vegas in Hard to envision a quick turnaround for Sheldon Keefe, newly-installed front, 3-2, and Cody Eakin sealed the deal with 21 seconds to go. It as Babcock’s successor, but many (hand high here) said exactly that in turned out to be Mike Babcock’s final night behind the Leafs’ bench. February 2017 when Bruce Cassidy was promoted to the No. 1 gig. As for Fleury’s stop, quickly labeled on the Internet as the “Superman Cassidy took control when the Bruins were doddering along at 26-23-6, Save,’’ yes, it was stupendous. An absolute must-see on YouTube. But both feet firmly planted on a path to a third consecutive DNQ. Cassidy’s at the risk of sounding like a curmudgeon, it also served as yet another combination of change in offensive approach and overall messaging reminder how equipment innovations — specifically the lightweight leg (read: new voice) delivered a galloping 18-8-1 finish and a date with pads, in this case — have diminished dramatically the ability for shooters Ottawa in the playoffs. to score. The game has grown simply too far weighted toward the So it can happen, and Keefe, 39, much like Cassidy, helped channel goalies. upward of 10 current players to the Leafs’ varsity during his stellar four- The light, streamlined leg pads have been in vogue for 30-plus years. So plus seasons in charge of the AHL Marlies, including a Calder Cup title in many fans of the current game don’t recall the days, well into the 1980s, ’18. Babcock is known as an old-school, no-nonsense taskmaster, when tenders wore heavy leather pads stuffed with animal hair (be it though one laced with some keen wit. Keefe, long ago a fringe forward horse, deer, or otherwise). Those old pads absorbed sweat and ice with the Lightning, will begin with a lighter message more like Cassidy’s, shavings, adding weight and restricting mobility. emphasizing a slight change in the offensive attack and an overall less rigid, narrow game plan. Goalies have made dazzling saves, some even greater than Fleury’s masterpiece, dating before the time of vulcanized rubber. When I started “He lets us be more creative,” Marlies back liner and first-round pick, this gig in the late ’70s, my game stories often centered on a holy trinity Timothy Liljegren told Sportsnet when the change was made present in most games: a great goal, a great save, and a great fight. Too Wednesday. often now, games are minus all three, particularly the fighting (a good A key difference, though, when comparing the Leafs of November 2019 thing) and the dazzling goal (a tissue for an old man, please). Great and the Bruins on February 2017 is the overall structure and competence saves? Because of the butterfly style, the state of the art in modern (i.e talent level) of the rosters. From the start, Babcock was handed a goaltending is more blocking than saving. Not much thrill in a block. lineup riddled with holes, one that only became more porous amid the Without those lightweight pads, chances of Fleury making that stop on front-office transition that left Kyle Dubas standing as GM and Lou Petan would have been all but zilch. Yes, he could have sprung back, but the heavy pads would have left his legs anchored to the ice like dock moorings. He might have snared the shot with an old leather glove, but All subsequent “Grapevine” episodes will post on Mondays throughout those models were vastly smaller than today’s outsized Venus flytraps. the hockey season. “I’m glad,” added Cherry, “I’m going out on my shield.” . . . Only one coach, Pat Burns, has won three Adams Awards as Prime scoring chances should have at least an equal chance of going in Coach of the Year: Burns, who won it with the Bruins in ’98, also won it in the net as the goalie has of keeping them out of the net. It’s simply not Montreal (’89) and Toronto (’93). When Burns won his one Cup with the the case. If Fleury’s dazzling save doesn’t prove it, the shootout alone Devils in 2003, it was against Babcock’s Mighty Ducks . . . Lingering should be proof. Slightly more than two of every three shooters fail to image of the ’03 Cup Final: the Scott Stevens monster truck hit on Paul score in the shootout. Kariya in open ice. Thankfully, we see fewer of those seek-and-destroy Time to scale back the gear and at least make it a 50-50 proposition. explosions in today’ game, in large part because of rulebook changes that came in the wake of Matt Cooke’s predatory head shot on Marc Jacques Plante was the father of the goalie mask, wearing it in an NHL Savard. Kariya dished the puck as he approached his offensive blue line, game for the first time 60 years ago (Nov. 1, 1959) when he backstopped admired his pass for a second, and got sent to Palookaville (shoulder to the Canadiens. head) by the menacing Stevens. It took that hit on Savard some seven years later (March 2010) for the Lords of the Boards finally to decide to The innovator of the lightweight leg pads? Ex-Bruins netminder Reggie punish hits that primarily target a player’s head . . . Scary scene at Lemelin, who came to Boston in the summer of 1987, just months after Flames practice a week ago Friday when TJ Brodie collapsed to the ice he first started using the sponge-like leg coverings in his days as a in convulsions. A week-plus later, the Flames have released few details Calgary Flame. regarding the condition of the popular 29-year-old blue liner. They went “The first ones were like gold-and-strawberry colored,” Lemelin recalled 0-4, outscored 17-2, in their next four games . . . Nice touch by the the other day when reached by phone. “Heck, they were talking about me league last weekend, announcing that the Jim Gregory Award will be everywhere — not for my saves, but for how I looked.” given each season to the NHL GM of the Year (currently Don Sweeney for 2018-19). The OHL decided to do the same in October, just after The revolutionary pads, recalled Lemelin, were the brainchild of Jim Gregory, the one-time Leafs GM, died at age 83. Lowson, an inventor/designer from Mill Valley, Calif., who initially approached Flames goalie Mike Vernon about the idea. Vernon, some eight-plus years younger than Lemelin, didn’t have his interest piqued Boston Globe LOADED: 11.24.2019 when Lowson made his sales pitch one day at practice.

“This guy comes in with these crazy pads,” remembered Lemelin. “He talks to Mike and says, ‘Look, I’ve got this prototype. It’s very light. It’s all foam. But I need to work with somebody to help me develop this.’ Mike is this kid, like 21 years old, and looking at him like he has two heads.”

A disappointed Lowson “got the hint,” noted Lemelin, and headed out of the rink that day, a man with a cause but minus a goaltender.

“He’s leaving, almost with his head down, and I come by and say, ‘Hey, I am Reggie Lemelin, the other goalie,’ ’’ he recalled. “And he says, ‘Oh, I know who you are.’ And I said, ‘Look, you approached the wrong guy — this kid doesn’t give a crap about what you’ve got. He’s just starting his career. But I might. Because I see the potential. I’ll work with you.’ And that’s how it all started.”

During the 1987 All-Star break, Lemelin flew to San Francisco to work out design specs with Lowson, and he finally used the first pair in an NHL game that March. Lowson and Lemelin soon worked with a Connecticut- based manufacturer, and within a year or two of Lemelin arriving in Boston, a handful of other NHL tenders were wearing the groundbreaking Aeroflex lightweight pads. Lemelin dusted off the one pair he kept in January 2016 for the Habs-Bruins alumni game at the Outdoor Classic at Gillette Stadium.

The new pads weighed 2 ½ pounds each and absorbed no water. Lemelin’s old leather pads, stuffed with deer hair, were approximately 6 pounds each when dry, and absorbed another 3 or 4 pounds of water weight during games.

“I got on the scale once after a game,” recalled Lemelin, whose playing weight was approximately 170 pounds, “and all the gear, including the pads, gloves, chest protector and all that came to 32 pounds.”

Kiddingly, Lemelin added that his stand-up style in net was in large part because, “I didn’t want the sweat to drain into my equipment.”

Now a membership ambassador at Ferncroft Country Club in Middleton, where he has worked the past three years, the 65-year-old Lemelin lives in Peabody and suits up as a forward with the Bruins Alumni squad. It takes a few hours for the former goalie’s aches and pains to dissipate each morning.

“Might have been different if those pads were invented a few years earlier,” he said, “the bastards!”

Loose pucks

Out of work less than a week after his abrupt dismissal by Sportsnet, Don Cherry began his career comeback Tuesday with his revived “Grapevine” podcast, joined by son Tim and grandson Del. Had “Grapes” apologized on air for his divisive “you people” comment made on Hockey Night In Canada, the ex-Bruins coach likely could have kept his TV gig. But he wouldn’t budge. “I lived in a vicious world,” Cherry said on the podcast, summing up his long, oft-controversial TV tenure, “and I lasted 38 years.” 1163013 Boston Bruins

Bruins come back late, Torey Krug wins it in OT against Wild

By MARISA INGEMI | [email protected] | Boston Herald

PUBLISHED: November 23, 2019 at 9:50 pm | UPDATED: November 23, 2019 at 10:51 PM

After a week of blown third-period leads and shootout losses, the Bruins ran wild in the final two minutes of regulation on Saturday night.

David Krejci scored twice to force overtime and Torey Krug scored 2:19 into overtime to lift the Bruins to a 5-4 victory over Minnesota. The win is the B’s third in a row and the game is the seventh in a row in which the Bruins have earned at least one point. Krug scored the goal, his third of the season, in his first game back after missing two weeks.

The Wild benefited from seven power plays against the Bruins and scored twice, marking the most power plays the Bruins have allowed to an opponent all season.

The B’s made up for it, though, with the final power play of regulation, when Krejci tied the game at 4-4 with 1:07 left.

Tuukka Rask was a late insert into the starting lineup after head coach Bruce Cassidy initially named Jaroslav Halak the starter. Rask made 31 saves.

Jason Zucker put the Wild on the board 8:53 into the game, and just six seconds into a power play. He buried a rebound off Rask’s pads on a Brad Hunt shot for the 1-0 advantage.

The Bruins didn’t respond until the second period, when Jake DeBrusk netted his fourth goal of the season 4:14 into the frame. Zdeno Chara blasted a shot from the point that hit off the shaft of DeBrusk’s stick to knot things up. The Wild, though, answered back in two minutes.

Victor Rask scored on his last-name doppleganger, with a puck hitting off his skate with 6:14 gone in the second. It was briefly reviewed for a kick, but the officials determined there was no distinct kicking motion.

Minnesota’s power play did the rest of the damage.

Eric Staal popped in a rebound 14:26 into the period to make it a two- goal lead. Zdeno Chara’s stick caught Zucker up high and drew blood to force the Bruins to play shorthanded for four minutes; Staal’s goal came with 17 seconds left on the first power play, so they stayed on the man advantage for two more minutes.

The Bruins killed that, along with a Brad Marchand cross-checking penalty, as they dealt with six consecutive Wild power plays.

Marchand made up for the penalty with three seconds left in the second. Krug fired a shot off the end boards that found Marchand at the doorstep and he put in his 16th goal of the season to make it a one-goal game heading into the final frame.

Instead of using that momentum, the Bruins went to the penalty kill for the seventh time early in the third, and while the Wild didn’t score, it prevented the Bruins from taking advantage of any extra adrenaline.

Kevin Fiala extended the Minnesota lead back to two just 5:19 into the third. He tried to pass to Zach Parise in front of the crease but the puck hit off Krug’s stick and past Rask to make it 4-2.

Krejci made it a one-goal game with 1:55 left and Rask pulled. The Bruins had a golden chance with their third power play with 1:31 left from a Luke Kunin tripping call, and they took advantage. Krejci blasted a shot from the outside of the circle on a pass from Bergeron up high with 1:07 left to tie things up.

The Bruins head to Montreal on Tuesday for the first of a Canadian back- to-back. They’ll skate in Ottawa on Wednesday.

Boston Herald LOADED: 11.24.2019 1163014 Boston Bruins

Bruins notebook: David Backes back skating

By MARISA INGEMI | [email protected] | Boston Herald

PUBLISHED: November 23, 2019 at 6:30 pm | UPDATED: November 23, 2019 at 6:37 PM

David Backes hasn’t played since both he and Ottawa’s Scott Sabourin were injured in a scary collision in a game on November 2, but he took a step closer to a return on Saturday.

For the first time since that game, Backes skated with his teammates while donning a red non-contact jersey during the Bruins optional morning skate ahead of their game with the Wild.

They’re not sure about a timetable for his return, but getting back on the ice is a positive for a guy who’s had a history of head injuries.

“It’s good, a scary situation obviously for both players there against Ottawa,” said Bruins head coach Bruce Cassidy. “He’s taken some time away from the rink and he’s kind of checking the boxes to get back in the lineup now, get back out on the ice. That’s step one.”

Backes had one assist in eight games before he went down during a hit in the first period against the Senators that hospitalized Sabourin and put him on a stretcher off the ice. Backes went off and didn’t return, and while the team categorized it as an upper body injury, all indication has been he’s been in concussion protocol.

“This is an individual decision first,” said Cassidy. “Then you talk with the team, obviously, to make sure everything is done properly because once you’ve had a few head injuries, you’ve got to be really careful. Our situation, we don’t need to rush anybody back right now, no matter who it is, especially in this situation. We’re being as careful as we need to be, along with the individual’s consent. That’s where it’s at. I couldn’t even tell you what’s next until you see him in a practice jersey, which I don’t know when that will be yet.”

After a rough contest against the Sabres, Urho Vaakanainen was sent back to Providence ahead of Saturday’s game with the Wild. He was expendable with Torey Krug returning to the lineup.

The 20-year-old Vaakanainen didn’t add a point in five games and noticeably struggled in his last couple. Krug suffered an upper body injury against the Flyers two weeks ago and had been out since.

Connor Clifton was also a scratch on Saturday, with Steven Kampfer getting into his third game of the season. Clifton is just three games away from being eligible for waivers to be sent down, so some more games off might be in his future while John Moore and Kevan Miller work on returning from injuries.

Par Lindholm was cut during his first shift against the Sabres and didn’t practice on Friday. He was out on Saturday with Brett Ritchie returning to the lineup from dealing with an infection issue, but according to Cassidy, Lindholm may have sat out anyways since Ritchie plays on the right side and Charlie Coyle could move back to center.

“He might have been the guy (out) anyway, but this is a little bit of precaution too, (Friday) not even skating.”

Boston Herald LOADED: 11.24.2019 1163015 Boston Bruins Off the ice, Donato — who went from the South Shore to Dexter to Harvard to the Bruins — is learning there’s life outside of Boston.

“It’s very, very different, I can say that,” said Donato. “It’s a lot less fast. Former Bruins forward Ryan Donato’s fate in his own hands The city-life here, there’s always something going, you’re always doing something. When I’m there, it’s hockey, and then I got back to my apartment and relax. It’s a lot different. Some days I wish it was vice By STEVE CONROY | [email protected] | Boston Herald versa. Some days I wish I could have that fast pace and go out for a great dinner in the North End. You don’t really get that in Minnesota. But PUBLISHED: November 23, 2019 at 4:00 pm | UPDATED: November 23, there are also days when I’m really happy to have my own thing out 2019 at 9:58 PM there.”

As the saying goes, you can take the boy out of Boston but not the There may come a day when the Bruins rue the day they traded Ryan Boston out of the boy. And when the B’s made their run to the Cup final Donato for Charlie Coyle. In a few years, when the B’s are trying to figure last spring, there was no question for whom he was rooting — albeit with out how to replace Patrice Bergeron, David Krejci and Zdeno Chara, some mixed feelings. Donato could very well be using that lightning release and heavy shot to “I think it was difficult in a sense that I would have been jealous not being rip it up for Minnesota Wild. a part of the team and being with all my close buddies,” said Donato. “But But that day is not here yet, nor is there a guarantee it will ever come. for their sake, I truly did want them to win, being a Boston guy and The B’s got the fully formed NHL player they were seeking in Coyle and growing up a Boston fan. I know how much it means to the city and the Wild got a prospect. Still a good prospect, but a prospect having some of my best friends on the team. You never wish anything nonetheless. And while first the B’s and then Wild may have had too high bad on them. And you’d hope it would be the same if it was vice versa. If expectations too soon for the 23-year-old Donato, he is now going about I got traded and we had a chance at the Cup, I’d hope they’d want the the work of making himself a bona fide National Hockey League player. same for me. At the end of the day, it was tough to watch, but I was really It’s not glamorous. excited for them at the same time.”

Donato played his first game back at the Garden on Saturday since being For Donato, meanwhile, the road to becoming an NHL player — one who dealt to the Wild for Coyle last February, and he did so on a fourth line can get the most out of his obvious top six skill — continues. Whether he with Victor Rask and Ryan Hartman. He had 9:13 of ice time, and was a gets there is up to him. plus-1 with no points. In 21 games, he has just one goal and two assists.

It is not what anyone expected of Donato, but in chatting with a couple of Boston Herald LOADED: 11.24.2019 Boston reporters, the ever-polite and articulate Harvard product sounded both confident and patient about his current station.

“I honestly think it’s just to learn the game,” said Donato after the Wild’s morning skate at the Garden. “I think at this point in my career, I’m young enough to learn these lessons at a good age and not make them habits and not have it go the other way. I want to be a guy that sticks around this league for a very long time. To learn these lessons right now is good. I also think the coaches would say that a lot of those things that were creating issues before are getting solved and it’s getting a lot better. For me, I’m just coming in with the mentality of hopefully getting more minutes. But for me, I’m just trying to stay positive and wait for my opportunity.”

For a kid who is used to lighting it up, that is an adjustment.

“Mentally, it’s tough not to see (the stats). It’s tough to judge how you play when you don’t have anything at the end of the game,” conceded Donato. “But for me, it’s learning that it’s more than that. It’s a team game and being in the situation I’m in now I’m learning a lot of lessons. For me, when I start to be one of those guys who creates again, I think I’ll be all the better for it and understanding the game on a much different level.”

Donato is learning that different situations call for different approaches.

“For playmaking-wise and when we’re in the offensive zone, it doesn’t change,” said Donato. “I’m a guy that still wants to shoot pucks and wants to create offense but maybe won’t take as many risks in this position right now to do that. For me, it’s getting pucks deep and then forecheck, then use the offensive abilities that I have.”

Much like he did in his first few games with the Bruins fresh off the Cambridge campus two seasons ago, Donato was very productive in his initial games with the Wild, notching 2-5-7 totals in his first five games. Again, he tailed off, but not so much that the Wild didn’t have hopes of him playing higher in the lineup in training camp. That did not work, however, and when regular season began, his minutes started to come down. The most he’s played was 14:05 in Toronto on Oct. 15, but he’s played less than seven minutes one game and been scratched a couple of times.

But with his team seemingly turning things around after terrible start, coach Bruce Boudreau gave kudos to his fourth line, tempered though they may have been.

“That line’s been doing pretty well,” said Boudreau. “They don’t put up numbers and they don’t play as much as the other lines. But when I showed all the positive clips this morning, I went up to them and said ‘I’ve got to start playing you guys more because you’re in all the positive clips.’ So that’s good.” 1163016 Boston Bruins With the Wild in town over the weekend, it’s the perfect time to revisit their trade with the Bruins made this past February. In that transaction, the Bruins swapped Ryan Donato for Charlie Coyle.

Jack Eichel, Sabres trying to get back on track Since then, Coyle has become an instrumental part of the lineup, moving from center to wing at a moment’s notice and elevating their depth to a new level, helping them reach the Cup Final last season. By MARISA INGEMI | [email protected] | Boston Herald Things haven’t gone as well in St. Paul. November 23, 2019 at 2:00 PM Heading into the game at Boston on Saturday, Donato had posted just one goal and two assists over 20 games for the season. The experiment putting him at center in the preseason failed, and he’s ended up getting History repeats itself — at least for the Buffalo Sabres. fourth-line minutes. After getting off to a torrid start last season, the Sabres still ended up on The Bruins probably already felt like they won that trade when they went the outside of the playoff picture looking in with a measly 76 points. This to the Cup Final, but it’s a move they should feel better about every day, season, they began 9-2-1 before their schedule got tougher. After especially getting to witness Minnesota firsthand this weekend. Thursday’s loss in Boston, the Sabres had dropped 10 of 12. Cale Makar was highly touted well before he made his NHL debut in the The same old Sabres, perhaps. But Jack Eichel, their captain and playoffs last season with the Avalanche, but the UMass product just leading scorer, is still hoping they turn things right back around. After all, keeps getting better. they’ve already shown they have it in them — twice. He’s an early candidate for the Calder Trophy, with his performance on “I think we started well,” said Eichel. “Obviously we’ve faced some offense helping keep the Avs afloat despite injuries to their top line. adversity with a rough patch in this last little bit here but we just have to dig our way out of it.” If he were to win the Calder the year after winning the Hobey Baker, he’d be the second player ever to do it; the other was also an Avalanche Eichel, a Chelmsford native, had his best season a year ago with 82 skater, BU alumnus Chris Drury in 1999. points. That was growth from his 64 the season previous, and 56 and 57 the first two years of his career.

He earned the captaincy at 22 and has become the franchise player for a Boston Herald LOADED: 11.24.2019 Sabres organization desperate for anything to latch onto.

In the offseason, he comes home.

“I work out in Middleton with Mike Boyle,” he said, referencing the former NHL trainer who has several gyms around Massachusetts. Along with working out locally, he also spends time with family and friends when he’s back home during the offseason.

That doesn’t mean playing in front of a hometown audience has lost any luster for the center. He still has friends and family at every game, even if he doesn’t get a chance to get out and explore his home state as much.

After all, it’s still his home when he’s not playing hockey.

“I live here in the summer, so I usually just go see my parents, have dinner,” he said. “Relax a bit, I live here so no need to savor the couple hours I’m here. It’s a short trip so just get in and try to focus on the game.”

Eichel is far from the only local connection with the Sabres; his former Boston University linemate Evan Rodrigues centers the second line, while Melrose native Conor Sheary and Boston local — and Harvard product — Jimmy Vesey are also on the team.

It’s a local affair for that entire group when they come to Boston, but Eichel’s roots run plenty deep as the guy who brought BU to the national championship game as a Chelmsford product and went on to be the second overall selection in the draft after one year of college.

He may get to come home all the time, but he only gets to play at home with his family in the crowd twice a year.

That’s always special.

“It’s nice to play in front of a lot of family and friends,” he said. “Playing in a building I came to a lot growing up, it never loses its shine.”

Zdeno Chara was the only active athlete honored at the 18th annual The Tradition presented by the New England Sports Museum earlier this week.

“It’s a huge honor,” he said. “Very humbled and grateful that I could be here with such an elite group of people and athletes, to be chosen. … I’m very thankful.”

Chara was the Bruins’ honoree while other legends, like former Red Sox slugger Manny Ramirez and Patriots offensive lineman Matt Light, were also there.

“We spend so much time in our sports, it’s very rare to get together and talk about what it was like to play for their teams,” Chara said. “It’s something I (was) looking forward to.” 1163017 Boston Bruins

Bruins pregame notes: Wild test to end strong week

By MARISA INGEMI | [email protected] | Boston Herald

November 23, 2019 at 11:42 am

It’s looking like a good opportunity for the Bruins to get a six-point week.

When looking ahead on the schedule and seeing the Devils, Sabres, and Wild for this week, that would be the hope. The Bruins struggled early against the Sabres but rebounded to topple their divisional foes, but it wasn’t the way they would have hoped to open against a struggling team.

The Wild haven’t had anything go their way this season, but with two straight wins, they’re feeling better than at any other point this season. It’s the start of a three-game east coast trip, and they just defeated a solid Avalanche team.

The Bruins are looking to get back on a streak of their own, though, with two wins already this week and a back-to-back on the road in Canada coming up.

They’re getting healthy with Torey Krug back and Patrice Bergeron in his second straight game after a maintenance day this week. Most of the time, the Bruins have opened well and they struggled in the second period early in the year, but last week blew three leads, including a four- goal lead to the Panthers, in the third period that led to shootout defeats.

It was the opposite against the Sabres, and as a team that prides itself on starting games on time, that’ll be the focus against the Wild.

Not to mention, there’s a bit of a revenge game element with Ryan Donato’s first game back in Boston since being traded there for Charlie Coyle. He’s struggled in his 20 games as a member of the Wild, but maybe there’s an element of motivation there.

Either way, the Wild may have plenty of issues, but given how the Bruins started against the Sabres, it appears doubtful they head into the game assuming their foe will be a pushover.

Game notes

Krug returns to the lineup after missing the past two weeks with an upper body injury. He replaces Urho Vaakanainen. Steven Kampfer also returns, playing instead of Connor Clifton, out as a healthy scratch.

Brett Ritchie (infection issue) is back in place of Par Lindholm, who suffered a cut on his first shift against the Sabres on Thursday night.

David Backes (upper body) skated with the group in a red non-contact jersey for the first time since sustaining his injury. John Moore continued to skate with the group in a full-contact jersey despite being at least a couple of weeks away.

Jaroslav Halak gets the start in net.

About the Wild

The Wild (9-11-2) have won two in a row for just the second time all season with consecutive wins over the Sabres and Avalanche. Now, they embark on a three-game road trip that begins in Boston.

The Wild have had a rough go of it; Minnesota’s 60 goals are the fifth fewest in the NHL, while 72 goals allowed are the eighth most. The Wild’s 636 shots also rank as the fifth fewest in the NHL, and the .893 team save percentage is the seventh lowest.

Eric Staal leads the team with 16 points while Jason Zucker’s seven goals are the most. Donato has just one tally and two helpers.

Boston Herald LOADED: 11.24.2019 1163018 Boston Bruins

WATCH: Torey Krug's overtime winner caps Bruins' amazing comeback

By NBC Sports Boston Staff

November 23, 2019 10:51 PM

The Bruins' 5-4 overtime win over the Minnesota Wild Saturday night at TD Garden was about an 11 on the drama scale.

With two minutes left in regulation and the Bruins trailing by two goals, David Krejci potted two goals less than a minute apart to salvage at least a point:

But that was nothing compared to this incredible sequence from defenseman Torey Krug in the overtime period. Watch here as he goes all 200 feet of the ice and slips one through the pads to send the Bruins home victors for the third straight game:

Comcast SportsNet.com LOADED: 11.24.2019 1163019 Boston Bruins In the second, DeBrusk’s legs and Ritchie’s board work helped set up the Bruins’ first goal. Ritchie helped start the play by pushing the puck out of the defensive zone. DeBrusk finished it by tipping Zdeno Chara’s point Quiet David Krejci, as usual, makes a loud impact in Bruins’ comeback blast.

“We got some O-zone time,” Krejci said. “(Ritchie’s) obviously strong, big. Couple times I lost a faceoff and he was first on the puck and we got By Fluto Shinzawa some O-zone time.”

It remains to be seen whether Ritchie is Krejci’s long-term solution at right wing. The likelihood is that the Bruins will, once again, have to seek It seems downright nonsensical that the ninth-leading scorer in Bruins outside help. history sometimes gets lost in the offense. Such a transaction is not imminent. It will be up to Krejci to drive his line Still, it happens to David Krejci. until more robust reinforcements arrive. On the 2019-20 Bruins, the man with 658 points to his name sits on the On Saturday, he took matters into his own hands. bench when the Bruins start their fearsome power play. Krejci does not kill penalties. So on Saturday, when the Bruins spent 11:56 killing seven Snap Shots penalties, all Krejci did was shiver on the bench. • Rask was supposed to back up Jaroslav Halak. But Halak reported to “It wasn’t easy,” Krejci said of his night. “Definitely frustrated. When my the rink not feeling well enough to play. line was up, it happened that we got penalties. That’s not fun, just sitting on the bench. All you can do is stay with it. Focus on the next shift. Try “Halak showed up sick. Very simply, it’s ‘Tuukka, it’s you or Goalie Bob,’ ” not to get those negative thoughts in your head. Just try to stay positive Cassidy said, obviously preferring his ace to goalie coach Bob Essensa. on the bench.” “He went in and did a great job pinch-hitting.”

That Krejci can explode in limited situations speaks to a talent that is Rask made a doozy in overtime when Brad Hunt’s slapper deflected off sometimes unappreciated. Charlie Coyle. With a strrrrretch of his left pad, Rask kicked out the redirection at 2:15. The Bruins scored a come-from-behind 5-4 overtime win over Minnesota, erasing a two-goal deficit with two minutes remaining before Torey Krug • David Backes, while wearing a non-contact jersey, participated in gave the Bruins two points with an end-to-end, OT rush that he capped Saturday’s optional morning skate. It was the first time he did so since with a backhander through Alex Stalock. banging heads with Scott Sabourin on Nov. 2.

“I wanted to come up a little slower, see what my options were,” said “This is an individual decision first,” Cassidy said. “Then you talk with the Krug, who returned after missing the five previous games because of an team to make sure everything’s done properly. Because once you’ve had upper-body injury. “Came up the left side a little bit to mess with (Zach) a few head injuries, you’ve got to be really careful. In our situation, we Parise’s gap. Once I took a couple hard strides, I realized I could beat don’t need to rush anybody back right now, no matter who it is, especially him. Parting of the sea.” in this situation. We’re being as careful as we need to be along with the individual’s consent.” If not for Krejci, two points would have been zero. It is unknown when Backes will be cleared for contact practice. At 18:05, with Tuukka Rask off, Krejci slipped home a net-front shot to make it a 4-3 game. At 18:53, with Rask off once more and Luke Kunin in • Steve Kampfer replaced Connor Clifton. The Bruins assigned Urho the box for tripping Charlie McAvoy, Krejci struck again. The man who Vaakanainen to Providence to clear room for Krug off injured reserve. prefers to dish found himself on the receiving end of a Patrice Bergeron setup — the No. 1 center had just gotten back on the ice after replacing a broken stick — at the left circle. The Athletic LOADED: 11.24.2019

This is usually David Pastrnak’s office. But Krejci can wire shots on occasion, too.

From a sharp angle, Krejci whistled a one-timer past Stalock to tie the score, 4-4. The 33-year-old Krejci has been around for 867 games. But after scoring two goals in 48 seconds, even a veteran like Krejci pumped his arms a little harder than usual.

“Just tried to shoot it as hard as I could on net for hopefully a rebound or a scramble,” Krejci said. “It worked this time.”

The odds are usually not good when a team has to pull its goalie when trailing by two. All Bruce Cassidy wanted to do was align Rask’s escape with a fresh shift for his preferred six attackers: Krejci, Bergeron, Pastrnak, Krug, Brad Marchand and Jake DeBrusk. This happened with more than two minutes of regulation remaining.

“We’re not as mesmerized by the clock,” Cassidy said. “It’s not, ‘At 2:30, you have to go. Or at two minutes.’ We’d like it around 1:45-ish, two, minute and a half, whatever. But we’d like all six guys to be fresh if possible.”

On his first goal, Krejci made a good play to hold the zone when Jared Spurgeon had a chance to clear the puck. Krejci’s momentum carried him to the right post behind the Minnesota defense. By the time Pastrnak one-timed a shot on Stalock, the Wild were too busy taking up space in front of the net to notice Krejci at the far post. The center had an easy tap-in.

The goals were not Krejci’s only contributions. At five-on-five, Krejci posted a team-leading 93.3 Corsi For rating, according to Natural Stat Trick. After opening the game with Chris Wagner as his right wing, Krejci spent most of the night with Brett Ritchie as his right wing. With Ritchie’s muscle on his right and DeBrusk’s speed on his left, Krejci oversaw a line that had its way with the Wild. 1163020 Buffalo Sabres but that. We enjoyed every minute together and we’re connected still in different roles in the organization."

Defenseman John Gilmour cleared waivers Saturday, allowing the 26- Chris Taylor leaves Sabres to resume duties as coach of Rochester year-old to join Taylor's blue line in Rochester. Gilmour, who signed a one-way contract with the Sabres in July, made the roster following an outstanding training camp in which he played with the pace and structure By Lance Lysowski Krueger requires of his defensemen.

Published Sat, Nov 23, 2019|Updated Sat, Nov 23, 2019 Gilmour, though, appeared in only four games for the Sabres, the last of which as a forward when the Sabres lost to the Minnesota Wild, 4-1,

Tuesday night in KeyBank Center. Gilmour scored 20 goals among 54 CORAL SPRINGS, Fla. – There was one notable absence when the points with Hartford last season in the AHL. Buffalo Sabres stepped on to the ice for practice Saturday morning in the Defenseman Zach Bogosian is expected to return to the lineup Sunday Panthers Ice Den. against Florida or Monday at Tampa Bay. Chris Taylor, who served as an interim assistant coach during Don The 29-year-old defenseman has yet to play this season because he was Granato's medical leave, left the Sabres and will resume his duties this recovering from the multiple setbacks he suffered following hip surgery in week as head coach of the Rochester Americans. Taylor had been one April. Bogosian skated on a defense pairing with Rasmus Dahlin during of three assistants on coach Ralph Krueger's staff since Granato was practice Saturday. The former will be evaluated Sunday morning before a hospitalized with severe pneumonia ahead of the Sabres' season opener. decision is made regarding his status for the first game of the back-to- Granato, though, returned to practice Wednesday in KeyBank Center, back. watched the Sabres' game Thursday night from the TD Garden press box Bogosian had three goals among 19 points in 65 games with the Sabres and will be back behind the bench Sunday against the Florida Panthers last season. No defense pairing played more minutes for the Sabres at 5 in Sunrise, Fla. on 5 in 2018-19 than Bogosian and Dahlin. Granato, who spent 11 days in an intensive care unit at Buffalo General Johansson absent Medical Center, became excitable when asked about his first road trip with the Sabres since the preseason. Forward Marcus Johansson was again absent from practice Saturday in Coral Springs, as he recovers from an upper-body injury that has "It’s great to be around the team," he said following practice Saturday sidelined him for the past five games. Johansson has four goals among afternoon. "Just walking in the room and being part of the team, being 10 points in 17 games with the Sabres this season. able to contribute to the team is all a very good feeling." The Sabres will not have an extra forward if Johansson is out Sunday Granato, 52, encountered a near-death experience when he sustained against the Panthers. an infection in his bloodstream. He underwent successful emergency surgery and faced a long road to returning to his coaching staff.

Taylor, who led the Amerks to consecutive playoff appearances since Buffalo News LOADED: 11.24.2019 joining the Sabres organization, stepped into Granato's role and Gord Dineen was named interim coach in Rochester. When Granato was discharged from the hospital, Krueger and General Manager Jason Botterill agreed to allow him to be part of the Sabres' coaching process.

Granato would watch games from home and send his observations to the staff. The work was more analysis-driven than strategic suggestions. After all, Granato was away from the team and did not want to overstep. The process proved to be therapeutic for Granato during his recovery.

"Very beneficial and Ralph and Jason through that process – it was really great for me to feel like I still mattered and I still could contribute something," Granato said. "For those two guys, 'at your own pace.' I never felt pushed and even when I felt I was comfortable to come back it was me pushing, ‘I am 100 percent, I am ready to go.’ Those guys, again, were concerned for me and my well-being. They were very inclusive."

Prior to joining Krueger's staff in June, Granato spent parts of two seasons on new Panthers coach Joel Quenneville's staff in Chicago. Additionally, Granato worked on the staff of his brother, Tony, at the University of Wisconsin and coached Jack Eichel during his time with the USA Hockey National Team Development Program.

Granato was hired by Krueger to work with the forwards and power play, though each of the Sabres' three assistants are involved in all coaching decisions.

Taylor will rejoin an Amerks team that ended Saturday tied for first in the American Hockey League's North Division, despite being without Rasmus Asplund, Curtis Lazar and Tage Thompson, among others. The experience gained by Taylor could help with the Sabres' player- development model.

Taylor is well-versed on the verbiage and tactics used by Krueger, which will allow for a seamless transition once Amerks are recalled to the National Hockey League.

"Chris is an outstanding coach and friend now," Krueger said of Taylor. "Really filled into a difficult situation here so strongly. Boy, does it ever help us here moving forward to have that connection with Chris now as he’s in Rochester and we’re interacting regularly. I was able to learn from him, having him on my side. I love having coaches there that challenge you, that ask hard questions, that speak the truth and he does nothing 1163021 Buffalo Sabres 30. New Jersey Devils. Hall with just three goals in 21 games. Who's paying him this summer? (28)

31. Detroit Red Wings. Last overall with minus-33 differential. Babcock Mike Harrington's NHL Power Rankings return on the radar? (29)

By Mike Harrington Buffalo News LOADED: 11.24.2019 Published Sat, Nov 23, 2019|Updated Sat, Nov 23, 2019

Through Friday's games. Most recent rankings in parentheses.

1. Washington Capitals. First team to 10 road wins this season. (1)

2. New York Islanders. Not even the four Cup teams of the '80s had a 16-game point streak. (4)

3. Boston Bruins. Rask stole a win against Sabres. (2)

4. St. Louis Blues. With 5 GWG and 21 points, Perron is team's unlikely scoring leader. (5).

5. Edmonton Oilers. A rare dud in 5-1 loss at LA. (3)

6. Florida Panthers. Roared past Ducks for second four-goal comeback in nine days after none in first 23 seasons. (12)

7. Dallas Stars. This is how you figure it out: Are 11-1-1 after 1-7-1 start. (17)

8. Colorado Avalanche. Barrie makes emotional return with Leafs. (8)

9. Montreal Canadiens. Looking at another trial of Domi at center. (6)

10. Arizona Coyotes. Kuemper engaged Flames' Tkachuk in line brawl. (7)

11. Carolina Hurricanes. Big sophomore year for Svechnikov with 24 points in 22 games. (9).

12. Winnipeg Jets. Swept Florida trip, then won in Nashville. (16)

13. Pittsburgh Penguins. Lost three straight OT decisions, two to Islanders. (18)

14. Philadelphia Flyers. Went 4-3 as seven of first 11 in November went OT/SO. (10)

15. Vancouver Canucks. Went 1-1 to start difficult six-game roadie. (13)

16. Vegas Golden Knights. Save-of-the-year entry by Fleury against Leafs. (21)

17. Toronto Maple Leafs. The built-in Babcock excuse is gone. Players have to perform. (19)

18. Anaheim Ducks. Hat trick for Derek Grant, who couldn't put the puck in the ocean as a Sabre. (22)

19. San Jose Sharks. Stunning to see Burns at minus-14. (23)

20. Tampa Bay Lightning. Due to Sweden trip, lone Amalie Arena meeting of season vs. Sabres is set for Monday. (15)

21. Ottawa Senators. An 8-4 November means their loss in Buffalo was an upset. (27)

22. Columbus Blue Jackets. Three-game win streak but that minus-14 differential doesn't bode well. (25)

23. Chicago Blackhawks. Sabres let 18-year-old Dach run wild. (26)

24. Buffalo Sabres. #DoSomethingJason. And waiving Gilmour doesn't count. (20)

25. Nashville Predators. Defensive breakdowns galore in six straight losses. (11)

26. Calgary Flames. Lost five straight, including three by shutout. (14)

27. Minnesota Wild. A 5-1-2 home record means they still have a chance. (31)

28. Los Angeles Kings. Are 7-4 at home but just 2-8-1 on the road. (30)

29. New York Rangers. Lucky to go 2-3-1 while giving up 26 goals in six games. (24) 1163022 Buffalo Sabres Toronto so the Leafs waited to make a move until their 4-2 loss Tuesday in Vegas.

In a year that began with Stanley Cup aspirations, the Leafs are feeling With Kyle Dubas in charge and the team struggling, Mike Babcock was pressure just to make the playoffs. And the heat is also growing in toast in Toronto Toronto due to comparisons with the Raptors, coming off an NBA championship and surprisingly strong again this year even with the departure of superstar Kawhi Leonard. By Mike Harrington The Leafs have already played the most games in the Eastern Published Sat, Nov 23, 2019|Updated Sat, Nov 23, 2019 Conference and are only 4-7 on the road after posting a 3-1 win Thursday in Keefe's debut at Arizona. They still face games Saturday at

Colorado, Wednesday at Detroit and Friday in KeyBank Center before Mike Babcock didn't have a chance. Not with the way he didn't see eye- Keefe makes his home debut Saturday in a rematch against the Sabres. to-eye with too many of his players. Not with his team's record. And not The loss of Babcock is a hit to the Sabres/Leafs rivalry as well. He signed with boy wonder General Manager Kyle Dubas in charge. his eight-year, $50 million deal with Toronto after suddenly spurning the Things came to a head Wednesday in Arizona, when the Toronto Maple Sabres in 2015 when most of the Buffalo front office thought a deal was Leafs fired Babcock as coach and Dubas got the long-awaited green light done. He's a big name in hockey circles who always had interesting to install his own man, Toronto Marlies coach Sheldon Keefe. things to say about how the Leafs had passed Buffalo in their rebuild but respected what the Sabres were trying to do. He noted the chance to "I'm disappointed in myself that coming into the job, knowing Mike was build up a rivalry someday if there was a meeting in the playoffs. the coach, you want everything to work out," Dubas told reporters Thursday in Glendale, Ariz.. "I tried to do as best I could and I'm Now he's gone, replaced by a promising young coach in his first stint in disappointed in myself and only myself that it didn't work out and we the NHL. It's the same thing that happened in Chicago, when Jeremy couldn't become sympatico." Colliton got moved up from the AHL to replace three-time Cup winner Joel Quenneville. Babcock is old school, Dubas is an analytics whiz. Oil, meet water. Sympatico they were not. This one seemed like a matter of time. Babcock, it seems, was too stubborn for his own good in this one. And a new-age general manager was more than willing to push him aside. Now Babcock obviously has quite the resume to his name with a Stanley Cup all the attention falls on Dubas. If the Leafs continue to fail miserably, he'll in 2008, three appearances in the Cup final, Olympic gold medals and a be next to go. He might want to commiserate with Jason Botterill about World Cup of hockey championship. And in Toronto, he took a team at that kind of pressure. the bottom of the NHL and put up the first back-to-back 100-point seasons in franchise history. No-look save

Of course, it didn't mean much when the Leafs got eliminated in the first Tuukka Rask's blocker snare of Evan Rodrigues' shot Thursday night in round of the playoffs in three consecutive years. Last year's seven-game Boston was so out of character for him he didn't even want to watch the loss to Boston was particularly hard to swallow because the Leafs had a replay on the jumbotron, even as TD Garden fans roared in approval. 3-2 lead in the series and couldn't clinch at home in Game 6. They got “I didn’t want to look,” he said. “I’m not used to making saves like that. It buried in Game 7, 5-1, and then had to watch the Bruins go all the way to was tough to — I was fist-pumping, myself. I’m like, ‘That’s awesome.’ Game 7 of the Cup final before losing to St. Louis. I’ve never made saves like that. It was tougher to shake off than a bad Babcock ran afoul of star Auston Matthews last year because he was not goal, you know? I just tried to regroup and focus on the next shot.” as free with his star's ice time as he probably should have been, and Plain or raspberry? traveled to Arizona to make peace with the player in the offseason. Buffalo fans don't want to hear it, but Jack Eichel's defensive deficiencies Sabres' Ralph Krueger: Mike Babcock will 'grow and learn' from dismissal get talked about around the league. NHL Network put Eichel in a spot As for Dubas, there's clearly been a simmering war between coach and shadow Thursday night, highlighting his lack of awareness on the two GM. It was Dubas who waived backup goaltender Curtis McElhinney last goals scored Sunday by Chicago 18-year-old Kirby Dach. year and foisted his man, Garret Sparks, on an agitated Babcock. Host Tony Luftman and analyst Brian Lawton agreed that Eichel needed McElhinney thrived in Carolina while Sparks was eventually waived. to be better but were quick to point out the five consecutive goals he had Dubas didn't fix the backup situation this year either as Michael scored over the two games last week. Analyst and three-time Cup Hutchinson was waived last week after not winning a game. Babcock had champion John Madden was the one narrating the highlights. his favorite players and Dubas dumped several of them. When Dubas Cracked Madden when Eichel's offense was brought up: “It’s like eating signed veteran Jason Spezza in the offseason, Babcock sent a take-that cheesecake and then going and working out.” to his GM when he healthy-scratched the Toronto native in the season opener against Ottawa, his old team. That said, it's still germane to note that the Sabres have no goals by any forward not named Eichel over the last four games (and no goals by any Ultimately, detente could have been reached if the Leafs played well. But forward at all in the last two). Babcock was fired with the Leafs just 9-10-4. Newcomers Tyson Barrie, who had no goals until Thursday, and Cody Ceci were struggling on More Sabre points defense and injuries have cost the club big amounts of time from Zach Hyman, John Tavares and now Mitch Marner. • It still makes no sense why the Sabres traded for Jimmy Vesey, who has no goals, and re-signed both Zemgus Girgensons and Johan Team president Brendan Shanahan is believed to have saved Babcock Larsson but didn't bring back Jason Pominville. The veteran had 16 goals after last season's playoff elimination when Dubas wanted to make the last season and could have still brought some offense this season. For move to Keefe, but the Leafs didn't make Keefe available for interviews those who scoff that Pominville was only good with Jack Eichel, my for teams looking for coaches in the offseason. Keefe was widely thought response would be then to play him with Eichel. How could Pominville be to be on the Sabres' interest list when Phil Housley was fired, but those any worse than what we've seen to date? discussions were never allowed to take place. Vesey and Rodrigues have no goals while Girgensons, Larsson and the It was no secret in Toronto that Babcock was toast with another first- again-concussed Kyle Okposo have one apiece. And all of them are round loss. It was pretty stunning the end came so soon. Shanahan costing a lot more money. Just makes no sense. Another example that finally agreed with Dubas and flew to Arizona on Thursday to personally reeks of not being a Botterill guy. Pominville was reacquired, remember, give Babcock the bad news. because Minnesota sent him along with Marco Scandella in the deal for Tyler Ennis and Marcus Foligno. The Leafs felt they couldn't wait anymore. The team had lost six straight, including a 6-1 embarrassment last week at Sidney Crosby-less And in the 50th anniversary season of the franchise, it seems downright Pittsburgh. In a normal week, Babcock is probably gone after that game. disrespectful to simply cast away one of the franchise's most popular But it was Hockey Hall of Fame weekend and the GM Meetings in players in this manner when he would do anything to play again for this team and its fans.

• To a man, the Sabres were thrilled by Wednesday's return of assistant coach Don Granato from pneumonia and a severe bacterial infection that landed him in the intensive care unit of Buffalo General Hospital and kept him off the ice for more than a month.

Said Vesey: "Everyone was pumped up. No one could have seen that coming. It's very unfortunate and definitely puts things into perspective. We're lucky to do what we do for a living and it can be taken away at any second. It's good to see him healthy first and foremost, good to see him back at the rink."

• Defenseman Brandon Montour on the winning mentality he learned playing in the Western Conference final for Anaheim in 2017: "It's a big thing. The teams that I was on when we were winning, you go on strides where you lose a couple games but you've to get right back into it. You can't be focusing on a bad game you have. You've got to get right up and move forward and get right back on the next game and focus on that."

Around the boards

• Who might be firing a coach next? You wonder how much time Bill Peters has in Calgary or Peter Laviolette has in Nashville. The Flames entered the weekend seventh in the Pacific having dropped five straight while the Predators are sixth in the Central and have lost six in a row.

• NHL general managers meeting in Toronto last week spent plenty of time talking about tinkering with the offside rule and seem to finally be getting closer to recommending a change that should be obvious: Players should not be called offside if their skate is on the air but still not over the blue line. The blue line should have a plane up to the ceiling, just like the goal line in football.

The GMs agreed to take up the topic again in March. The hope here is they push for a change in the rule, albeit one that almost certainly wouldn't be put into play until next season. It would cut back on challenges and foolishly disallowed goals.

• The GMs also unanimously approved the renaming of the award for the top member of their group to the Jim Gregory General Manager of the Year Award, in honor of the longtime Leafs GM and beloved league executive who died on Oct. 30 at 83.

• Buffalo native and St. Joe's product Dennis Gilbert received a two- game suspension from the AHL for an interference penalty he received Saturday for the Rockford IceHogs in a game against Grand Rapids.

Gilbert, 23, will miss Rockford’s games Saturday at Texas and Sunday at San Antonio. Chicago's third-round pick in 2015, Gilbert has no points in seven games for Rockford this season and had none in three games with Chicago. He had five goals and nine assists in 63 games for the IceHogs last year.

Buffalo News LOADED: 11.24.2019 1163023 Buffalo Sabres The biggest challenge is unsuspecting shots, Portillo said. The European ice allows forwards to take their time when entering the offensive zone. Goalies also rarely deal with traffic in front of the net. That makes the Sabres goalie prospect Erik Portillo reaching 'another level' in Dubuque position much easier.

The USHL is an ideal training ground for Portillo. Teams play a more physical game and many of the players are either possible NHL draft By Lance Lysowski picks or future Division I athletes.

Published Sat, Nov 23, 2019 "It’s small technical stuff in the game that’s different," Portillo said. "Like one thing is the readiness. You have to be prepared for a shot as soon

as the puck enters the zone here in North America. On the big ice, you SUNRISE, Fla. – Jason Botterill and his staff did their homework on Erik have a little bit more time to get set for a shot. Here the puck can get Portillo ahead of the NHL draft in Vancouver. thrown to the net at any moment. It’s small stuff like that you have to adjust and learn." Portillo, a 19-year-old goalie, had played the previous season in Frolunda, the same Swedish program that developed Rasmus Dahlin, Portillo has shown steady improvement, but he'll also be tested by the and was committed to Botterill's alma mater, the University of Michigan. Fighting Saints' 62-game regular-season schedule. The physical and mental grind can be difficult for European players, most of whom play Botterill called Portillo a "longer-term project" after the Sabres drafted him approximately 30 games during their junior seasons. An ability to 67th overall in June and expressed excitement for adding a player whom rebound from a difficult performance typically separates elite goaltenders. they view as a future National Hockey League goaltender. Following a difficult performance at world juniors in 2018, Luukkonen Patience will be important, though. Portillo needs one season in Dubuque returned the following year to have a breakout tournament in which he of the USHL, followed by a possible four-year collegiate career. The led Finland to a gold medal. Portillo has shown promise early in transition to the smaller North American ice surface can be particularly Dubuque, recovering quickly from a difficult game against the USA difficult for goalies and their development curve tends to be volatile. Hockey National Team Development Program's Under-17 team. He allowed five goals in 29 shots in a 5-4 overtime loss. However, Portillo has quickly become one of the Sabres' most promising prospects. His 43 saves in wins against Tri-City and Lincoln earned him "His bounce back with us has been excellent," Larsson said. "There’s the honor of USHL Goaltender of the Week, and he entered play Friday only been one game where he’s kind of gotten lit up. We played the U- with the league's second-best goals-against average. 17s. That’s the only game where he had goals he may have wanted back, but he responded with his next start being excellent. His response "I think Erik has been good and then last weekend he took it to another to easy goals or negative events has been really good. Instead of pouting level where he showed he can really close the door and be he’s been really focused. ... I’m sure he can handle it, but it’s going to be unbelievable," Dubuque General Manager Kalle Larsson said. "He’s a test." been great. He’s been everything we could have expected. I think he’s been even better early on than I thought. I still expect him to after Portillo is awaiting word on whether he'll be able to realize his dream of Christmas really hit his stride and be at that top level the whole time. He’s representing Sweden at world juniors. The country's hockey federation is been awesome. He’s a great teammate, he’s a good kid and obviously expected to announce its roster during the first week of December and he’s a heck of a goalie." will likely carry three goalies for the tournament

Portillo called the weekly honor a "big thing," yet he gave most of the Portillo's progress over the past year has him in consideration; however, credit to his teammates. Entering play Friday, Dubuque was second in he's not allowing himself to think about potentially accomplishing his goal. the Eastern Conference with a 10-2-1 record. Portillo was in goal for 10 of those games and entered Friday ranked 10th in the USHL with a .907 "It’s a lifelong dream to be picked for that team, but I’m trying to do my save percentage. best here in Dubuque and do the things I can really affect and do them as good as possible," Portillo said. "I’m trying to stay hungry, humble and The experience is important for Portillo. Like fellow prospect Ukko-Pekka keep on working." Luukkonen, Portillo needs game reps to get accustomed to the increased game speed on the North American ice surface. He was outstanding during the Sabres' development camp in June, but only so much can be Buffalo News LOADED: 11.24.2019 gained from practices and the 3-on-3 scrimmage.

Portillo shone in his first significant test since being drafted. The third- round draft pick played well for Sweden during the World Junior Summer Showcase in Plymouth, Mich., making 32 saves in a 2-1 overtime win over a United States team that included NHL draft picks Trevor Zegras, Arthur Kaliyev and Matthew Boldy, among others.

That might help Portillo secure a spot on Sweden’s roster for the IIHF World Junior Championship, which will be held Dec. 26 through Jan. 5 in Czech Republic. Those who watched him last year weren’t surprised, though.

Portillo was outstanding during his final season in Frolunda, posting a 1.99 goals-against average and .931 save percentage in 26 games for its Under-20 junior team. He credits his goalie coach, Peter Andersson, with that success. Portillo learned the value of communicating with his defensemen and improved his technique.

That caught the eye of NHL scouts during Portillo’s second season of draft eligibility.

“I am always working hard and I’ve done that all my life,” Portillo told The Buffalo News in a phone interview Wednesday. “Last year I had a new goalie coach who came in and really helped me take my game to the next level. That’s what helped me get here and now I’m doing the same stuff. I’m trying to get to another level again.”

In addition to working with Dubuque’s staff, Portillo communicates often with Sabres goalie development coach Seamus Kotyk, who visits Iowa to work with the organization’s latest project. Portillo’s main objective is to continue to get accustomed to the smaller ice surface. 1163024 Buffalo Sabres Cap space quickly disappears when you're talking about potentially committing a combined $14 million to $16 million to Reinhart and Montour, plus Botterill will need to save enough room to sign Rasmus Sabres Mailbag: Should Jeff Skinner play on a line with Jack Eichel? Dahlin to a long-term contract. Still, the Sabres are set up nicely to add through trades and free agency next summer.

We've seen how much can change in one summer. Despite the Sabres' By Lance Lysowski recent struggles, their roster is significantly deeper with Miller, Jokiharju and Marcus Johansson, all of whom were added this past offseason. Published Fri, Nov 22, 2019|Updated Fri, Nov 22, 2019 Justin Dickenson: What are your thoughts on the the Sabres' ability to

target potential players in trades? Detroit seemed to pay a low price for Robby Fabbri.

SUNRISE, Fla. – Ralph Krueger did not take the loss Thursday night in Lysowski: That hasn't been the issue. The Sabres successfully bought Boston lightly. low on Jokiharju and Miller, though it's odd the latter has been a healthy scratch as of late. Additionally, Botterill somehow acquired Montour for The Buffalo Sabres coach described the 3-2 setback as "painful" and Brendan Guhle, who has struggled to stay on the ice in Anaheim. called the performance at 5 on 5 their "best of the season." His players, meanwhile, were not interested in settling for a silver lining. This was the Botterill isn't to blame for this recent slide, in my opinion. I know fans will second consecutive game a forward failed to score and the penalty never get over the Ryan O'Reilly trade, but the Sabres were going allowed a goal for a seventh consecutive game. nowhere with him on the roster. Trading O'Reilly allowed them to acquire Skinner and Miller, among others. The Sabres lacked depth because of Lance Lysowski: There has been some revisionist history with how well former General Manager Tim Murray's impatience. You can't speed up a that line performed last season. Sure, there's no disputing their success rebuild. offensively. The Sabres had a 51.82% shot differential at 5 on 5 and produced 53 even-strength goals with Eichel and Skinner on the ice Fans have every right to be losing patience. However, Botterill has done together last season. a nice job under difficult circumstances. The problem is on the ice. Aside from Eichel, the Sabres' best players have been inconsistent from shift to However, the line was deficient defensively. The Sabres' improved play shift during this recent slide. Neither Botterill nor Krueger can force them without the puck is what separates this team from the one that finished to make better decisions with the puck. 27th in the NHL last season. Nick Alberga: What leads you to believe that the Sabres aren't Sabres- Krueger has prioritized having at least one above-average defender on ing again? each of his forward lines this season, which makes Victor Olofsson or Jimmy Vesey a logical wing for Eichel and Sam Reinhart. Lysowski: This situation is far different than last season. The Sabres were horrible defensively during their 10-game win streak last November. The thinking there is Olofsson or Vesey will free Eichel and Reinhart up You're not seeing the same amount of odd-man rushes or defensive- to take more risks. It might be time to make a change, though. Reinhart zone breakdowns. has the ability to drive his own line. Krueger could pair Skinner with Eichel and have either Olofsson or Vesey at right wing. The Sabres allowed only one 5-on-5 goal during their 3-2 loss in Boston on Thursday night. Their goaltending has also been more consistent. The Krueger does not sound interested in making such a change, but he's biggest question is how they respond to adversity. They seem to lose found ways to use the two star forwards together at 5 on 5. With Eichel energy following a difficult goal against and continue to struggle with and Skinner on the ice together in 27:39 at 5 on 5, the Sabres have consistency. generated 11 more shot attempts than their opponents. The leadership group is stronger than years past, buoyed by the maturity Rob Gregoretti: How likely is it that General Manager Jason Botterill can of Eichel and the addition of a veteran like Johansson. Krueger also make a trade that helps the Sabres now and long-term since he waited appears to be the ideal coach for this group because he has an innate until now? ability to motivate.

Lysowski: The Sabres bolstered their blue line this offseason by adding The Sabres are talented and have shown they have the formula to win, Colin Miller and Henri Jokiharju. That provided them with the depth and yet their play is unpredictable. competition they needed during training camp. Remember, the situation on defense was so dire last season that Matt Tennyson played NHL Janusz Urbanski: Is Eichel the true leader of the team? games for this team. Lysowski: Absolutely. Eichel's effort on the ice can inspire his Rasmus Ristolainen put the Sabres in a very difficult position by publicly teammates. You saw that with his decision to drop the gloves Tuesday expressing frustration, and let's face it, the 25-year-old played poorly last night against the Minnesota Wild. Eichel has also been the Sabres' most season. Botterill wasn't going to settle for a lesser return, and the intent consistent player, having contributed on seven consecutive goals. He's was to compete this season. Selling low on Ristolainen would be also put in the work to improve defensively, and he's starting to shoot the counterproductive. Additionally, Marco Scandella's trade value was quite puck more. low after how he played last season. Sure, Eichel has committed some defensive lapses, and yes, he can The Sabres have a good problem right now, and no one could have commit turnovers when trying to do too much. But Sabres fans have to predicted they would be hit with this many injuries at once. The narrative love the way his game has evolved. Eichel is also quick to defend his is far different if Tage Thompson was able to contribute upon being teammates, and we're not seeing some of the bad body language that called up from Rochester. A trade is inevitable given the salary-cap popped up at times last season. situation and the team's need at forward. Eichel is constantly communicating and encouraging his teammates. However, trades are far more difficult to complete in November. In Scott: Do you think the Sabres would have had more success had they hindsight, the Sabres could have used another forward this offseason, landed Mike Babcock instead of Dan Bylsma? but nothing materialized on the trade front after they acquired Vesey. Lysowski: Yes, I do. Babcock is a tremendous coach. He would have Matt Weiner: Is the cap for the team next year as beneficial for the worked wonders with the Sabres' young core. Bylsma's inability to Sabres as we keep hearing? How much is realistically going to change communicate with players prevented them from adopting the habits that between this year and next? are needed at this level. The hire looked great on paper, though. Lysowski: Yes, the Sabres are projected to have more than $33 million in Bylsma won a Stanley Cup in Pittsburgh and was beloved by the space next season, according to CapFriendly.com. A significant chunk of Penguins during his time there. However, I was told by a former that will likely be paid to Reinhart and Brandon Montour. Additionally, the Penguins player that he and his teammates grew tired of Bylsma, who Sabres could be interested in re-signing Vesey, Conor Sheary, Johan seemed distracted late in his time there. Fit and timing are as important Larsson and Zemgus Girgensons. Casey Mittelstadt and Evan Rodrigues are also pending restricted free agents. as the resume when it comes to coaching hires. Babcock would have checked all the boxes.

Buffalo News LOADED: 11.24.2019 1163025 Calgary Flames After being blanked in 13 consecutive road periods, an agonizing string of four hours and 21 minutes without a lamp-lighting in their whites, Mangiapane finally ended that drought with a wrister early in the third.

Flames rally to reward Rittich, end losing skid Although the Flames still surrendered the opening strike for a franchise- worst ninth straight date, at least they didn’t dig a 2-0 deficit this time.

Wes Gilbertson For a while, it seemed like their goaltender might steal one.

November 23, 2019 9:35 PM MST And when he goofed, they responded.

“That was mentioned on the bench, and that was important,” said Flames coach Bill Peters of the determination to ensure that Rittich’s oopsie PHILADELPHIA — Sometimes, turning-points can come in peculiar wasn’t the difference. “Obviously, he’s been there for us. So has Talbs. forms. It’s time for us to be there for them. It’s time for us to start getting some pucks in the net and reward our goaltenders and maybe get them a little Take, for example, a gaffe by your goaltender. bit of run support.” David Rittich was unquestionably the Calgary Flames’ top performer in Seems like a fair trade-off, doesn’t it? Saturday’s matinee in the City of Brotherly Love, but after he gift- wrapped the go-ahead marker for the other guys with less than four “When Ritter made that last save there in the shootout, we were all just minutes remaining in regulation, his teammates decided enough was so excited,” said Mangiapane, who was wearing a full visor after suffering enough. a broken nose in Thursday’s 5-0 rout in St. Louis. “It’s big that we won.”

Mired in a lengthy losing skid, the Flames were hell-bent on ensuring Added Andersson: “It just feels really good to win again. It feels like a nobody would be pointing a finger at the puck-stopper. long time. We’re all excited in here, and now let’s keep moving.”

They erased the damage with a late equalizer, then ended their six-game The Flames will continue this four-game swing with Monday’s matchup winless skid with a 3-2 shootout victory over the host Philadelphia Flyers. against the Sidney Crosby-less Pittsburgh Penguins (5 p.m. MT, Sportsnet West/Sportsnet 960 The Fan). Crosby is expected to be out “We knew that Ritter and Talbs (Cam Talbot), they’ve been playing great until after Christmas as he recovers from surgery on a core muscle. our whole season so far,” said Flames left-winger Andrew Mangiapane. “We knew that they’ve been bailing us out, and we have to bail them out. It’s time for us to help Ritter out there. Obviously, it was a tough one — I don’t think he felt good about it — but we knew we had to bail him out. Calgary Sun: LOADED: 11.24.2019

“And good thing we did.”

Good thing, indeed.

For the past two-plus weeks, the losses had piled up. This has been a down-on-their-luck bunch.

So when Flyers centre Kevin Hayes scored a gimme after a puck- handling blunder by Rittich behind his own net, it seemed the Flames had found another way to beat themselves.

Not so fast.

With No. 33 pulled for an extra attacker, Flames defenceman Rasmus Andersson hammered a slap-shot just wide of the net and Elias Lindholm buried the rebound off the end-boards to knot the score with only 1:23 left on the clock.

Rittich made three more saves during overtime — running his total tally to 36 — and denied a hat-trick of opponents in the shootout.

Matthew Tkachuk was the only successful sniper in the skills competition to lift the Flames to their first victory since Nov. 7.

“Mistakes happen, but as soon as a goalie does a mistake, it’s a little more obvious for the crowd and for the people,” Lindholm said. “Ritter played a great game for us, and we just wanted to grab those points for him … I think he kept us in it, and we wanted to pay it back there.”

Every struggling squad is hoping for a galvanizing moment.

After three straight shutout losses on the road, after Thursday’s players- only meeting in St. Louis, after their general manager insisted that he deserves the blame, perhaps Saturday’s Win-It-For-Rittich rally can get the Flames (11-12-3) back on track.

Andersson, for what it’s worth, wanted to wear the Flyers’ second goal, saying he was late tying up Hayes when the puck squirted out front. Flames captain Mark Giordano, who was trying to support his goalie as he was pestered by Flyers rookie Joel Farabee, was probably kicking himself, too.

“I thought Gio was going to stay in the corner and I’m going to pass it to him, but he came to me and I hit him in the skates,” Rittich explained. “It was a bad bounce for us, but a really good thing we scored at 6-on-5. We didn’t quit. We still worked hard.”

This was hardly a work-of-art for the Flames, but there was finally reason to smile Saturday. 1163026 Calgary Flames “He’s a tremendous person, and you can tell how much he cares and how much he wants to get better. That’s the thing that stands out every day.”

Alexander Yelesin hungry to show his worth in Flames lineup Ever since he was a kid in Yaroslavl, Yelesin been dreaming of an opportunity to stand out at the NHL level.

Wes Gilbertson If he gets a crack during this call-up, don’t expect him to simply blend in. That wouldn’t be very Scott Stevens-esque. November 23, 2019 1:26 PM MST “The first thing that describes him is that he’s really competitive. He plays with edge and every play matters for him, and that’s a really good thing,” said MacLean, the head coach for the Heat. “He is full-on intense, he will PHILADELPHIA — As a youngster in Russia, Alexander Yelesin be physical on bodies and will win a lot of races to puck. He’s pretty remembers watching coverage of the Stanley Cup finals — and the effective in that respect. Rock’Em Sock‘Em video series — and taking a shine to this bruising blue-liner. “It would be easy for him to sit back and try to take everything in and not make a mistake and just play it safe, and Alex is not that type of person. “My favourite player? Scott Stevens from New Jersey Devils,” Yelesin He wants to get better. He wants to be aggressive and play in a way said with a grin. “He’s tough, but it’s not just hits. I think he has a good where he’s going to be denying time and space from people. He’s good shot. He can make good passes. He played smart.” at it. There are elements of his game that he’s still learning in North Yelesin is anxious to prove that’s all part of his package, too. America, just certain scenarios where he is learning how to apply it on this different-sized ice surface, but he’s not the type that’s just sitting Just two months into his first campaign with the Calgary Flames back and surveying the situation. organization, the 23-year-old defenceman is now getting a taste of life in the big leagues. “He’s going after it, and that’s been a real positive, I think.”

Signed last spring after spending the past two seasons with his hometown team in the KHL, Yelesin was summoned from the AHL’s Calgary Sun: LOADED: 11.24.2019 Stockton Heat for this road-trip, although he was a healthy scratch in both St. Louis and Philadelphia.

“This is my dream,” he said. “I’m so happy to be here because I think about NHL all my life.”

Yelesin remains a relative unknown for Flames fans, but he could soon have an opportunity to change that.

Although his stats won’t jump off the page, the new guy in No. 45 was selected to skate in the KHL’s all-star game last winter as part of a four- goal, 10-point campaign for Lokomotiv Yaroslavl.

During the skills showdown that weekend, the 6-foot, 195-lb. rearguard won the hardest shot competition with a wicked rip of 164.22 km/h. That is in triple digits in miles per hour, too.

As a few AHL opponents have learned the hard way, it’s not just his slapper that might leave a mark.

“This guy, for his size, he hits extremely hard,” said Flames assistant general manager Brad Pascall, who oversees the farm club in Stockton. “He hits from the toes. He can stand guys up. He finishes his hits, and he finishes them with authority.”

The Flames likely would have preferred that Yelesin had more time in the minors to adjust to the North American-sized ice surface before his first call-up, but their defensive depth has been stretched thin by TJ Brodie’s health scare — good news, he joined the team in Philly and will soon resume practising with his pals — and an injury to Travis Hamonic, both guys who typically work on the right side.

Brandon Davidson and Oliver Kylington are currently working together on an all-lefty third pairing, but the right-handed Yelesin would be next up. (Brodie’s timeline to return to action remains unknown, while Hamonic is still back in Calgary.)

In 15 outings with the AHL’s Heat before his recall, the Russian newcomer contributed one goal and one assist while also carving out a role as one of Stockton’s lead penalty-killers. Off the ice, he has been busy sharpening his English, and his grasp of the language is better than he seems to give himself credit for.

“Other than a couple of games where you chalk it up as a learning experience, he has been very, very good for us down there,” Pascall said. “I think the transition that he had to learn from Europe and the KHL to here is sometimes simple is good. At first, you want to impress and you want to do everything at once and show everything that you can do. So at times, I think you saw in development camp and early in the season, he would be skating all over and not really playing into the system, but just trying to do everything at once. But I think (Heat coaches) Cail MacLean and Joe Cirella have done a good job with him of learning that, ‘Hey, simple is good.’ 1163027 Calgary Flames

GameDay: Calgary Flames at Philadelphia Flyers

Wes Gilbertson

November 23, 2019 8:00 AM MST

One is hot, one is not. Giroux piled up four points to help his squad snap out of a four-game winless skid with Thursday’s rally in Raleigh. That’s the sort of performance that the Flames need from Gaudreau right about now. The crew from Calgary owns an ugly 0-5-1 record in their past six skates and Johnny Hockey has struggled mightily during that stretch, with just one measly assist and a minus-11 rating. The 26-year-old left- winger was raised just outside of Philadelphia in Carneys Point, N.J., and will want to put on a show for family and friends in Saturday’s matinee.

FIVE STORYLINES FOR THE GAME

FLAMES IN A FUNK

The Flames are in a free-fall. After Thursday’s 5-0 thumping from the defending Stanley Cup champions in St. Louis, Johnny Gaudreau, Mark Giordano & Co. have now suffered six consecutive losses (0-5-1). They’ve been out-scored by a 23-5 margin during this dreadful stretch. The leaders called a closed-door, players-only meeting after the rout at Enterprise Center, and perhaps that tough talk can get them back on track.

ROTTEN RECORD

The Flames made some unfortunate franchise history in their latest loss. They have now struggled through 357:54 of action since they last owned a lead. According to Sportsnet’s stat-digger-uppers, that is the longest such stretch in Calgary’s club lore. Their previous worst — 345:26 without a lead — was set during the 1996-97 season by a sad-sack bunch that managed just 32 wins.

ROAD-BLOCKED

The Flames have now been blanked in three straight road games, skunked in both Arizona and Vegas before Thursday’s shellacking in St. Louis. That’s another franchise first. Their last snipe away from the Saddledome came back on Nov. 3, when Elias Lindholm tickled twine late in the opening stanza in a loss to the Capitals in Washington. They have been shut-out in 11 consecutive road periods since.

BOUNCING BACK

The Flyers were winless in four — albeit, with a pair of loser points over that span — before Thursday’s 5-3 victory over the Hurricanes in Carolina. It wasn’t an ideal start, with the boys from the City of Brotherly Love trailing 2-0 after just five minutes, but captain Claude Giroux sparked the comeback and eventually capped a four-point outburst with the game-winning tally in the third.

THIS N’ THAT

Flames winger Andrew Mangiapane suffered a broken nose on Thursday’s hellacious open-ice hit by Vince Dunn and was sporting a full visor for Friday’s practice … Flyers centre Scott Laughton is expected to return to the lineup after missing 13 dates with a broken finger … The Flames notched a 3-1 victory over the Flyers in an Oct. 15 clash at the Saddledome and have also prevailed on their past two visits to Philly.

Calgary Sun: LOADED: 11.24.2019

1163028 Carolina Hurricanes The Canes needed a quick answer to the Panthers’ burst and got one -- from Pesce. The D-man unloaded a heavy slapshot from the left point for his third goal of the season, Teravainen with the primary assist.

Canes rally from early deficit to top Panthers 4-2 “I closed my eyes and shot it as hard as I could,” Pesce quipped.

Make it three goals in a span of 59 seconds. Game on.

BY CHIP ALEXANDER It was the Canes’ annual Hockey Fights Cancer night at PNC Arena, and the crowd of 18,159 was rumbling after Necas tied the score 2-2, on a NOVEMBER 23, 2019 09:37 PM one-timer from the left circle off a Hamilton pass.

The Panthers lost defenseman Keith Yandle late in the first, the veteran leaving the game after catching a puck in the mouth. That shortened the RALEIGH Panthers bench although the Yandle, who appeared to have some teeth No team in the NHL has gotten more goals out of their defensemen this knocked out, returned in the third. season than the Carolina Hurricanes. The Canes have a Sunday matchup in Detroit with the Red Wings to The Canes got two more Saturday, from Brett Pesce and Dougie complete the back-to-back set. Brind’Amour did not say which goalie Hamilton, against the Florida Panthers. That’s 20 for the season -- 10 by would get the start -- Mrazek, who once played for the Wings, or James Hamilton -- and were a big part of the Canes’ 4-2 comeback victory at Reimer, although the nod could go to Reimer. PNC Arena.

Forwards Martin Necas and Andrei Svechnikov also scored for the News Observer LOADED: 11.24.2019 Canes (14-8-1), Svechnikov with an empty-netter, and goalie Petr Mrazek had a number of high-quality saves among his 21 stops in the victory over one of the Eastern Conference’s most improved teams.

Pesce’s goal was badly needed after the Canes fell behind 2-0 in the first period. Hamilton’s, at 17:45 of the second period, pushed the Canes ahead 3-2, setting up an intense, physical third period.

“They got a couple and it didn’t go our way, but I just love the fact it didn’t change one bit what we were doing,” Canes coach Rod Brind’Amour said. “It doesn’t always work out that way, but to get right back in it after we got down two ... that was a big goal (by Pesce), just kind of we’re OK. I thought everybody contributed tonight. It was just solid.

“I thought our D played exceptionally well. That was really the difference. They really shut down the other team.”

The Panthers, averaging 33.9 shots a game, were limited to 23 and outshot 16-7 in the third period. The Canes had 38 scoring chances to Florida’s 15 in the game according the Natural Stat Trick, the hockey analytics web site.

“As the game went on the third period was their best,” Florida coach Joel Quenneville said.

Hamilton, named the game’s first star, scored after Teravainen forced a turnover in the defensive zone. Teravainen, who had three assists, then made a crisp backhand pass to Hamilton on the other end and Hamilton got the puck through goalie Sergei Bobrovsky’s pads for the lead -- the first NHL defenseman to reach 10 goals this season.

“Just reading and reacting and hoping the puck would somehow find me,” Hamilton said of the play that had him come off the bench and find a soft spot in the zone. “Turbo (Teravainen) has really, really good vision and made a great pass to me.”

The Canes had consecutive power plays in the third after Florida’s Brian Boyle was called for tripping and then the Panthers for having six men on the ice. The Panthers (12-6-5) killed off both penalties, keeping it a 3-2 game, but Svechnikov’s empty net goal sealed it with 1:02 left in regulation after Florida pulled Bobrovsky for an extra attacker.

The Canes were coming off a disappointing 5-3 loss to the Philadelphia Flyers that had them jumping to a 2-0 lead in the first five minutes and then losing the lead and the game. This night, it was the Canes rebounding against a team that had won three straight and five of its last six games.

The Panthers scored twice in 18 seconds in the first period. Defenseman Aaron Ekblad walked through the Canes defense to beat Mrazek after a faceoff win by Florida, and Boyle then got inside position on Canes forward Ryan Dzingel in front to score.

Brind’Amour elected to leave his fourth line and third defensive pairing on the ice after the Ekblad score. That backfired, but the Eetu Luostarinen line bounced back for the Canes with some strong shifts to help swing the momentum.

“That was a tough shift where we gave up two quick ones but we played a good game,” Hamilton said. “We executed, got in their zone and rumbled around down there a lot.” 1163029 Carolina Hurricanes Makar TOI/GP: 20:03 Hughes TOI/GP: 20:17

Necas TOI/GP: 13.46 ‘It starts with Dougie’: An unlikely leader, a Calder Trophy candidate, 2 brutal sequences and Edmundson’s menorah And notorious for his passing, Necas actually has the best shooting percentage among the top seven rookies at 17.6 percent.

He has the underlying stats, nothing handed to him, and a dozen game- By Sara Civian shifting moments, like this equalizer from the cubicle that is now being Nov 24, 2019 shared.

The only hole Botch could poke at is that Necas spent last season in Charlotte as a conspiracy for the Calder. The theme of the Hurricanes season so far is the importance of knowing when to “take a breath.” “He’s definitely comfortable now,” Brind’Amour said. “That year last year was interesting. We debated a lot whether we’d keep him, ’cause he Despite the 18 seconds of breath-taking the team did leading to two might’ve got to it, but I think it helped him to get a little more mature.” goals against, Carolina came back with four unanswered goals to win 4-2 in some of its best hockey in recent memory. Necas was fantastic postgame:

As always with this team, it has to start with the blue line. “Compared to last year, I’ve got one year experience — it was a good run in the AHL with the playoffs, more comfortable, more confidence.” “That was about as good a game as you’re going to get,” head coach Rod Brind’Amour said. “That’s one of the best teams in the league, and “And when you feel the coach trusts you, believes in you to make some we didn’t give them much.” plays …”

The great, the miraculous and the ugly: On scoring like that from the circle: “That was my first one here, so hopefully it’s going to keep going. I try to practice these shots a lot … it’s The great the same puck, it’s the same stick (as other leagues), so it’s not a big difference when you get it here. I hope I’m gonna keep it up and try to The great things about this game left me with more questions than score those goals.” answers — and more good problems for the Carolina Hurricanes. Question 3: Could Dougie Hamilton win the Norris? Question 1: Is Brett Pesce one of the most consistent defensemen in the league? I don’t know if it even matters.

“Yes, I would agree,” Brind’Amour said. “I mean, we love him and he’s This unprompted quote from Pesce is my quote of the night because underrated. He plays a ton of minutes. Doesn’t play the power play, but Hamilton has won the Hurricanes’ defensive core’s respect. he could. He’s been rock solid.” “It starts with Dougie,” Pesce said. “He’s been unbelievable. It’s Pesce was third on the Canes with 18:06 of five-on-five time Saturday impressive, to me, how well he’s playing defense. Kudos to him for just and none of the power-play glory. He scored the all-important bomb that stepping up big time.” stopped the concerning two-goals-against-in-20-seconds bleeding … A source that provides analytics for at least one NHL team says Hamilton “I’m probably going to frame that stick, to be honest with you,” he said, leads the league in a ratio of high-danger chances for and high-danger laughing. “I’m never going to shoot that hard again … it’s pretty scary out chances against. there, so I just (close my eyes) and try to shoot it as hard as I can.” A teammate like Pesce will point to either Hamilton’s blocked shot that That’s why — although arguably the most momentous moment of the almost took him out of the game in Chicago or the huge hit he laid game — it wasn’t what makes Pesce so Pesce. tonight.

It was close, and he had a strong penalty kill, per usual. But my favorite Either way, he’s showing up in his own end and teammates are vocally Pesce moment of the game was actually the penalty he took. respecting it.

41. Brett Pesce The good

42. Connor McDavid The Checkers won their first game against Calder Cup champion coach Mike Vellucci (now coach of the Wilkes-Barre/Scranton-Penguins) 1-0 off “What is ‘five-on-five time on ice among all NHL skaters so far this a solid Alex Nedeljkovic performance and a Chase Priskie power-play season?’ Alex.” goal. Expect that to grow. Andrei Svechnikov is riding a seven-game point streak after his most This whole conversation is expanded on as I joined Adam Gold on his recent multipoint performance. Podcast postgame. We’re at the point where we worry if Teuvo Teravainen doesn’t have at Question 2: Uhh … is Martin Necas going to win the Calder? least two primary assists per game.

My late mentor, the great Jason Botchford, used to get on me for even Shayna Goldman for providing all the videos you see and all the good attempting to make a case for Andrei Svechnikov’s Calder campaign last vibes. season. He’d point to empty-netters, on his own clear campaign for the Hockey Fights Cancer night was just fantastically done. Kudos to the extremely deserving Elias Pettersson, and he wasn’t wrong. Hurricanes for the attention to detail and the names of the lost, the He rarely was. fighters and the survivors projected on the ice pregame. None of this game analysis really matters. The best mentors don’t hype you up; they make you think of all the possible holes in your argument before you dare proceed, and it’s The miraculous understood that the time they take out of their lives to do this is a hype-up A small child a few feet below the press box was screaming for minutes in itself. about a secondary assist as if it were a double-OT Game 7 snipe. I’ve been thinking a lot lately about the holes Botch would’ve poked in the “Steady Eddy! Steady Eddy!” argument for Necas’ Calder campaign, and I haven’t found one. This wasn’t just any secondary assist, though. This was Joel Necas’ 16 points (six goals, 10 assists) are third among all NHL rookies Edmundson’s own personal Hanukkah, and so far he’s kept the light alive — behind only Cale Makar (25) and Quinn Hughes (18). Makar’s power- for a career-best six games (two goals, six assists from No.v 11 through play points: 10. Hughes’ power-play points: 13. Necas’ power-play points: Nov. 23). 2. The bad

The ice stunk. Blame Ariana Grande.

The two goals in less than one minute allowed stunk. Blame the fourth line.

This is all we talk about if they lose but forgotten if they win. Regardless, I don’t expect the same fourth line rolled out tomorrow night based on these plays alone. But I’ve been wrong several times before.

The Athletic LOADED: 11.24.2019 1163030 Carolina Hurricanes and Minnesota are concerning, as are the two-goal let up in the third period against Chicago and the most recent blown lead against the Flyers that resulted in a loss.

Bag of Jerks: Latest on Justin Williams, assessing the goaltending It’d be different if this were a team full of veterans, but the pattern mostly situation, OT success and Jordan Staal’s flow seems like a young team taking risks and trying to figure out how far they can take it and when to take their breaths.

Which leads us to … By Sara Civian Probability of a Justin Williams return? — Chris C. Nov 23, 2019 My sense right now is that it’s more probable than not that he will return. That’s all I will say.

Overtime wins, blown leads, “Doogie” Hamilton and rising young stars — Jake Gardiner hasn’t really found his game yet. Do you think this is folks, we are Experiencing Canes Hockey. another 2018-19 Doogie (as in it’s tough for D men to figure out how to fit into Rod’s ultra-aggressive system), or do you think there are systematic The 101-point pace is one this 13-8-1 team will take through the first issues with his fit? — Shlomo R. quarter in a heated Metro Division, but it hasn’t come without blunders. First of all, I’m not sure the ultra-aggressive system is Brind’Amour’s We discuss most of it in November’s Bag of Jerks. brainchild as much as it is just a product of him playing to his team’s Coming into the season, a lot of questions were asked about how the strengths (which is extremely valuable in itself). goalie situation would hold up. How would you assess it so far? — Alex Second of all, Gardiner has always been an offensively aggressive player K. — that’s why he’d been a Justin Faulk-esque scapegoat to a degree in A quarter of the season gone, and I would assess the goalie situation as Toronto, and that’s what enticed the Canes about him. a giant shrug. Moreover, Hamilton played through a broken finger through much of the Petr Mrazek has taken the brunt of the starts as expected, with a 10-4-1 first half of last season, then he was in timeout on power play two. record, 2.68 goals allowed average, .902 save percentage and two I digress … shutouts. This is a textbook system that should work for Gardiner. There’s also a James Reimer is 3-4-0 in seven, with a 3.07 goals allowed average and a logjam where it could “work” for him, and his mistakes are always going .904 save percentage. to look worse than most others because he plays a game of risk. I shrug because this is basically league average right now and there So, through 22 games he’s amassed only one goal (that overtime goal) hasn’t been a performance either particularly inspiring or concern- and five assists. His shooting percentage is in the bottom-five of the team warranting from either goaltender IMO. The two goals in four seconds at 3.7 percent with 27 shots. Not that big of a deal, but the past few Reimer allowed in Ottawa was probably the biggest eyebrow-raiser, but games there have been some pretty blatant miscues in his own end. He he followed that full-team disaster up with a solid performance at also has 16 giveaways. There’s been 10 goals for and 19 goals allowed Minnesota — especially when the rest of the team was falling apart when he’s on the ice this season. around him in the second period. I think part of it is adjusting to life on the third pairing. He’s not getting the I feel like Mrazek has had a few of those Mrazzle-Dazzle moments, but minutes he’s used to on a team that builds from its blue line. they’ve been canceled out by some instances he could’ve “stole a game” and didn’t. I feel like complaints about him are a little over-exaggerated — maybe because the hype was real — but I do think he’ll find a way to make his There’s also that “goalie of the future” Alex Nedeljkovic and newcomer new role work. I also think he’s better on a pairing with Brett Pesce and Anton Forsberg both had slow starts. Both have steadily improved and he needs to play with someone that can support his high-event style, but there’s no urgent need to pull them out of that situation when things are I get the demotion when he hasn’t been blowing minds and Joel fine for now in the NHL. Edmundson is on his miraculous points streak. It was also a mess there So we’re left with a shrug and a need to see more before we start for a hot minute with the 11-7 structure. Will be interesting to see the wondering who would be the best backup for a potential playoff run. usage of those two fluctuate as the season goes on.

Please help us emotionally process Jordan Staal getting a haircut and When do you think Erik Haula will be back? — Nick L. losing the flowing dad captain locks? — David Z. This is a tough one. The status of his injury — knee “soreness” — I think we all need to go through the stages of grief at our own pace changed from day-to-day to “definitely not day-to-day” to “he’s not playing before we collectively accept this. I will check back next month. anytime soon” real quick.

The Canes look really good at 3×3 hockey. It’s fun and exciting, He’d returned from day-to-day status to play a limited role in the first two especially since the Canes were PAINFULLY bad in OT/shootouts over games on the most recent road trip, but it was obvious in hindsight that the last decade. What do you think is the key to their success in OT? — he wasn’t playing like his usual self, AKA the Hurricanes former leading Peter W. goal-scorer.

We’ve been talking about this a lot lately, with two of the past four games That was probably a test run, then Haula was honest about how he felt, decided in extra time (and the third one coming dangerously close). then the Canes didn’t want to take any chances.

The Hurricanes’ 4-1 record in overtime this season comes down to the The good news is Brind’Amour said it isn’t a structural issue and won’t skill they’ve added and developed, and a bit of random luck. require surgery. It’s obvious that they’re trying to prevent it from becoming a structural issue, and that means playing it as safe as “It’s talent,” head coach Rod Brind’Amour said. “At the end of the day, it’s possible. guys making plays. You’ve got to have playmakers. That’s who plays in overtime.” Why won’t the Metro Division calm the hell down? — Bernie P.

That’s also consistent with the system of activated defensemen Seriously, can we talk about the Islanders?! I’m sure we all predicted the Brind’Amour has implemented. You obviously can’t take a breath in Metro popping off this season once again, but I, for one, did not expect overtime or the play passes you by — Brind’Amour has an array of the Islanders to be 16-3-1 right now. mobile, skilled defensemen in his arsenal for overtime. They aren’t going Then this fantastic tweet just about sums up the Penguins … to play it safe or bide time to give the forwards a breather. No passengers. That’s working. It’ll be a bloodbath ‘til the end. Brind’Amour always talks about the importance of banking these early season points for that reason. We do have to ask ourselves why the Canes are finding themselves in these situations to begin with. The consecutive blown leads in Buffalo If Dougie Hamilton continues to lead the league in goals by a defenseman, do you believe he will win the Norris Trophy? — Christopher L.

Will he? Probably not.

Should he? There’s an argument to be made, but it’s not even all about his points. He’s been spending more time on the penalty kill than he ever has in his career, and he’s looked better in his own end the majority of the time this season.

So we have established The Magic that is present between Svech and Dougie. Are you seeing chemistry between the others beyond what we are seeing on the ice? With some key guys being out already (Martinook, and somewhat even Haula), how are you seeing the chemistry or unity develop among the team as the season progresses? — Jessica K.

All the guys are getting along, from what I see at least. It was cool to see how quickly the new guys fit in. The Hurricanes front office takes that stuff seriously.

That said, they are definitely happy to have Martinook back.

When we went to interview him upon his return, Svechnikov was screaming “Yeah, Marty! Woo!”

He can hype them up like no other.

The Athletic LOADED: 11.24.2019 1163031 Chicago Blackhawks Chicago Tribune LOADED: 11.24.2019

Blackhawks fall to the Stars 2-1 in a shootout for their 3rd consecutive loss

By JIMMY GREENFIELD

CHICAGO TRIBUNE

NOV 23, 2019 | 10:16 PM

DALLAS

The Blackhawks were hanging tough in a difficult building against the hottest team in hockey Saturday night to start a key run of five straight divisional games.

At the very least, they needed to walk away with a point. And that’s what they got.

Joe Pavelski and Tyler Seguin scored shootout goals to give the Stars a 2-1 victory and send the Hawks to their third straight loss. The Hawks moved to 9-9-5. Stars are 13-1-1 in their last 15 after starting 1-7-1.

Robin Lehner stopped 40 shots for the Hawks, who play host to the Stars on Tuesday at the United Center.

Patrick Kane had a breakaway midway through the overtime but was denied by Stars goalie Anton Khudobin. Seconds later, the Hawks were called for their second penalty of the game for having too many men on the ice, giving the Stars a 4-on-3. But the hosts couldn’t convert.

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The Hawks thought they had the go-ahead goal with three minutes remaining in regulation, but it was ruled Dylan Strome’s stick was above his shoulders when he deflected in a shot from the point.

The Stars got on the board first when a John Klingberg shot from the blue line deflected off Roope Hintz and past Lehner to make it 1-0.

Roope and Klinger were skating together a lot coming back from injury.

However, before the first period was over, Olli Maatta finished off a 2-on- 1 with Alex DeBrincat to tie it up with 2 minutes, 36 seconds remaining. It was Maatta’s first of the season and gave Hawks defensemen eight goals in their last six games.

Kane had an assist on the goal to extend his point streak to 12 games.

Duncan Keith put on a defensive clinic during one first-period sequence. He slid on his stomach and used his stick to break up a 2-on-1 pass. Seconds later, Corey Perry was alone in front of the net with the puck and Lehner out of position, but Keith skated through the crease behind Lehner and distracted Perry enough to force his shot wide.

The Stars didn’t get their first power play until midway through the second period after a difficult shift for Erik Gustafsson. He turned the puck over in the defensive zone, then took a holding penalty after the Hawks couldn’t clear the puck.

That didn’t hurt the Hawks, and neither did the Stars’ second power play near the end of the second. The Hawks were called for having too many men, but seven seconds later, the Stars’ Joe Pavelski went off for elbowing.

Less than a minute later, great work by Jonathan Toews in the offensive zone drew a penalty, and the Hawks ended up with an excellent power- play opportunity to start the third period. But they couldn’t convert despite 46 seconds of 4-on-3 time, seven seconds of a 5-on-3 and about a minute with a traditional 5-on-4.

The Hawks nearly went ahead shortly afterward when Andrew Shaw slapped a puck across the slot to Dominik Kubalik, who appeared to have an open net. But Khudobin was able to get over in time to make the save.

A scrum ensued, and the Hawks thought they had put the puck in, but the referee ruled no goal. A lengthy video review confirmed the call on the ice. 1163032 Chicago Blackhawks “I’m put in a position to produce,” Kane said. “I play a lot of situations where I’m counted on to produce offensively, whether it’s power play or offensive-zone faceoffs or just playing with offensive guys. So when that comes, you just want to make sure you take advantage of the Red-hot Patrick Kane is staying on point, and his importance to the opportunity.” Blackhawks never has been greater Few players train or work as hard to improve their game as much as Kane, who at 31 isn’t showing any signs of slowing down. Andrew Shaw spent five seasons marveling at Kane’s play earlier in his career before By JIMMY GREENFIELD rejoining the Hawks this season. Shaw would offer an opinion on what it’s CHICAGO TRIBUNE like to see Kane go through a slump — but that’s not something he has witnessed. NOV 23, 2019 | 7:52 PM “I don’t think I’ve ever really seen it,” Shaw said. “He’s rarely off the score sheet, and if he is, I know he’s going to work harder in practice and pregame skates, and he’s going to focus. That’s just the type of player he DALLAS is, the type of person he is.” A split-second after discussing Patrick Kane’s latest double-digit point To illustrate just how important Kane is to the Hawks since they last won streak, Dylan Strome offered words of wisdom. the Stanley Cup in 2015, look at their record when he’s in the slightest bit "Don't ask Kane about it," Strome cautioned. "It's bad luck." of a scoring slump.

That presented a dilemma, because the two main topics of this story are Kane’s longest droughts in each of the last five seasons, including the Kane and a point streak that hit 12 games Saturday night against the current one, are three games, two games (four times), five games, two Stars with a first-period assist. games (three times) and three games.

Heeding Strome’s warning probably would have been wise had it The Hawks' record in those games: 3-20-2. involved anybody besides Kane. But here’s a truth: Whenever Kane’s As Kane goes, so go the Hawks. streak comes to an end, it’s a lock another will start. “He’s a top player in the league and gives the team a lot of confidence Kane is in the midst of his sixth point streak of 10-plus games, the that he’s going to come through,” coach Jeremy Colliton said. “Especially second-most of any active player behind Sidney Crosby’s nine. Kane has when he’s playing as he is. The fun thing about him is, I’m pretty sure had two streaks of 20 games or more, including a high of 26 in 2015 and he’s not satisfied at all. He wants more.” 20 last season.

Streaks do matter to Kane, but the topic isn’t on his mind before games. Chicago Tribune LOADED: 11.24.2019 “It’s not like you’re thinking going into the game tonight, ‘Hey, I want to extend my point streak,’ ” Kane said. “You’re just playing the game, but when it happens, you’re like, OK, I’m at this number, let’s keep it going. Let’s keep building it.”

The only other current Hawk with a 10-game streak in his career is Jonathan Toews, who oddly enough had a point in the first 10 games of his career but hasn’t had a streak that long since. Granted, the Hawks are a young team, but even a notoriously streaky player such as Alex DeBrincat managed a high of only nine straight games last season.

“When you see a guy going on a point streak, it’s really carrying everyone else and helping everyone get in the play,” DeBrincat said. “For (Kane), he’s been on a few of these point streaks before, so it’s good for him and good for the team to get that momentum.”

Point streaks can capture the imagination of fans as excitement builds game by game. But Kane also is really good at keeping another streak to a minimum: pointless streaks.

The main reason Kane builds long scoring streaks is because he rarely goes more than few games without one.

That was a bit of an issue during his first two seasons, when he scored at a similar rate as he has since but had two of the three longest scoring droughts of his career. Kane had a five-game scoreless streak as a rookie — matching one during the 2017-18 season — and one that lasted seven games during his second season.

“After you get into the league and establish yourself, that’s one thing I’ve always wanted to do is be consistent and produce night in and night out,” Kane said. "Especially because that’s something I thought I struggled with early on in my career.

“I’d have hot streaks then cold streaks and wasn’t as consistent my first two years, maybe. After that I just really wanted to work on my consistency and be a player that can be counted on every night.”

After having a four-game pointless streak during his third season, Kane never went more than three games without a point over the next seven seasons, spanning 496 games. During the 2016-17 season — when Kane played all 82 games — he didn’t go more than two games without a point.

It’s a remarkable feat for any player, especially one who is being watched like a hawk by opponents. 1163033 Chicago Blackhawks

Blackhawks’ Drake Caggiula put on injured reserve with 2nd concussion in less than a year

By JIMMY GREENFIELD

CHICAGO TRIBUNE

NOV 23, 2019 | 10:42 AM

DALLAS

The Blackhawks placed forward Drake Caggiula on injured reserve Saturday after suffering his second concussion since last February.

It’s not clear when Caggiula was hurt. He hasn’t played since Nov. 10 against the Maple Leafs. Three days later, Hawks coach Jeremy Colliton revealed that Caggiula had been placed in concussion protocol.

No corresponding move was announced by the Hawks, who are carrying 12 forwards, seven defensemen and two goalies on their roster. They are in Dallas to play the Stars on Saturday before returning home for two games next week.

Caggiula also missed a month last season with a concussion after being boarded by the Ducks’ Rickard Rakell on Feb. 27. He returned to play the final five games of the season.

Chicago Tribune LOADED: 11.24.2019 1163034 Chicago Blackhawks

Alex DeBrincat’s playmaking evolution takes another step in Blackhawks’ shootout loss

By Ben Pope@BenPopeCST

Nov 23, 2019, 11:24pm CST

DALLAS — Blackhawks wing Alex DeBrincat passed to defenseman Olli Maatta, corralled a return pass and bore down on Stars goalie Anton Khudobin on a promising two-on-one rush in the first period.

The old DeBrincat would have shot — every time. The new DeBrincat passed again.

The pass was right on the money, and Maatta put the puck through Khudobin’s five-hole in what proved to be the Hawks’ lone goal in a hard- fought 2-1 shootout loss Saturday.

‘‘That [defender] cheated over toward me a little bit, so [Maatta] was wide-open over there,’’ DeBrincat said. ‘‘If he was staying in the middle, maybe it was a little different play. But he was inching toward me, so I gave it over there. Luckily, it went in the net.’’

The overall performance was one of the Hawks’ best of the season, especially defensively. The offensive showing would have looked better, too, if not for two potential goals upheld as non-goals on review.

The Hawks’ Robin Lehner and Khudobin put together a brilliant goaltending duel, combining for 78 saves on 80 shots before Lehner was beaten in the shootout by Joe Pavelski and Tyler Seguin.

‘‘It was a really good game, back and forth,’’ Lehner said. ‘‘There’s a few things we’ve got to clean up, [and] they got lucky on a couple of plays.’’

The division foes will play again Tuesday at the United Center, so the Hawks quickly will have an opportunity for revenge. And DeBrincat will have another chance to end his eight-game drought without a goal.

DeBrincat has scored only five goals in 23 games this season, a paltry 18-goal pace that pales in comparison to his 41-goal eruption last season. Even worse, he has scored only twice during five-on-five play.

‘‘It’s a little bit frustrating,’’ he said. ‘‘But at the same time, there’s other things you can do to help your team win. Focus on those, keep working hard and you’re going to get a chance you’re not going to be able to miss.’’

While waiting for the goals to come, DeBrincat has turned to playmaking. His pass to Maatta was his eighth assist in the Hawks’ last seven games. His 13 assists this season trail only Patrick Kane (18) for the team lead, and he’s on pace for 46 this season. That would be a big step up from his 35 of last season.

‘‘[Playmaking is] something I needed to work on, to see the ice as well as I can shoot,’’ DeBrincat said. ‘‘I’d rather be doing both at the same time rather than one or the other. But it’s good I can help the team when I’m not scoring.’’

DeBrincat’s shot generation has declined significantly in recent weeks, probably reflecting the drought getting in his head. (He admitted that has been the case.)

Still, there’s no doubt he also has been the victim of opposing goalies, who have a .917 save percentage on his shots this season, compared with an ugly .828 in his first two seasons. DeBrincat won’t keep scoring this infrequently in the long run.

‘‘He’s getting chances,’’ Hawks coach Jeremy Colliton said. ‘‘We know he can finish, and when he does get one, he’s likely going to get a bunch more. Just keep working away from the puck and putting himself in good situations. Hit the net.’’

In the meantime, he’s picking up more assists, which have become so much more familiar of late.

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Blackhawks notebook: Updates on Dominik Kubalik, Drake Caggiula, Connor Murphy

By Ben Pope@BenPopeCST

Nov 23, 2019, 4:56pm CST

DALLAS — Blackhawks rookie Dominik Kubalik returned to the lineup Saturday against the Stars.

Kubalik was a healthy scratch for the second time this season Thursday against the Lightning, part of an odd switch in roster composition by coach Jeremy Colliton. But the shift to 11 forwards and seven defensemen backfired, and Colliton reinserted Kubalik back into the lineup against the Stars and removed defenseman Slater Koekkoek.

Still, Colliton said he hopes Kubalik will learn from the scratch and from some coaching lessons that accompanied it.

‘‘It’s a long year, and it’s a challenge for young players to keep that consistency night in and night out,’’ Colliton said Friday. ‘‘It’s nothing against him, and he knows that. And he’s gotten feedback on it, and he’ll respond.’’

Kubalik, 24, has maintained decent production throughout the season and had points in consecutive games before a subpar performance Tuesday against the Hurricanes prompted him to be scratched against the Lightning.

But he said he knows he must do more without the puck, too.

‘‘I’ve just got to be more active, skate more, get the pressure going,’’ Kubalik said Friday. ‘‘Because when I’m doing that, I can get a lot more pucks back from forechecking.’’

Winger Drake Caggiula’s absence Saturday made it six consecutive games he has missed since suffering a concussion Nov. 10 against the Maple Leafs.

The Hawks finally put Caggiula on retroactive injured reserve Saturday. They didn’t put him on long-term injured reserve, however, so his salary- cap hit remains on the books and he’s eligible to return at any time.

It’s a curious decision. The only tangible benefit of this transaction is an extra roster spot, but the Hawks weren’t at the 23-man limit even before Saturday, and Colliton said they don’t plan to call anyone up in Caggiula’s place.

Defenseman Connor Murphy, the one Hawks player who has endured a stint on long-term IR this season, is more than a week removed from his return.

Murphy has been paired with Olli Maatta of late — not Duncan Keith, like in October — so his playing time hasn’t returned to its 24 minutes-a-night level. Still, he thinks he has regained his rhythm.

‘‘I didn’t miss too much time to really be out of the flow,’’ he said. ‘‘Really just took a game to get back in and feel comfortable with the little changes that we made.’’

Chicago Sun Times LOADED: 11.24.2019 1163036 Chicago Blackhawks

This You Gotta See: Bears play two, Bulls-Warriors and a Blackhawks- Avs back-to-back

By Steve Greenberg@SLGreenberg

Nov 23, 2019, 8:00am CST

Detroit Lions v Chicago Bears

SUN 24

Giants at Bears (noon, Fox-32): Our crack research team has done a lot of digging and, lo and behold, it turns out neither the Giants, losers of six straight, nor the Bears, losers of five of their last six, are in last place. See that? It only seems like these are the respective dregs of the NFC’s East and North divisions.

Packers at 49ers (7:20 p.m., Ch. 5): Quick show of hands, people — who had the Niners at 9-1 and leading the NFC in both scoring offense and scoring defense heading into Week 12? No one? Didn’t think so. The 8-2 Packers are no slouches, but you won’t catch us admitting that in public.

MON 25

Ravens at Rams (7:15 p.m., ESPN): Even as Lamar Jackson was locking down the Heisman Trophy at Louisville, there were doubts — loads of ’em — about his ability to translate his skills to the next level. No one was more must-watch then, and the same is true now of the quarterback of the top-scoring team in the NFL. That would be Baltimore, for those of you scoring at home.

WED 27

Bulls at Warriors (9:30 p.m., NBCSCH): Look, we’re no Bulls apologists, but look how far they’ve come! They have a better record than the three- time champs and at last can hold their own in the talent department with them. The words “Finals preview” almost come to mind, do they not?

THU 28

Bears at Lions (11:30 a.m., Fox-32): Will the Bears see Matthew Stafford back under center for the Lions, or will it be another outing against backup QB Jeff Driskel? One is a dynamic playmaker capable of turning a game on a dime with his massive talent. The other is Stafford. But we kid our division rival.

FRI 29

Avalanche at Blackhawks (3 p.m., NBCSCH): It’s the first game of a back-to-back against one of the top teams in the Western Conference. If that sounds like an invitation to Andrew Shaw to blast Nathan MacKinnon into the boards a time or two, well, it is.

Wolves at Rockford (7 p.m., My 50): We’re back at that weird intersection where Chicago’s AHL team meets the Hawks’ AHL affiliate. Who’s a guy supposed to heckle?

SAT 30

Northwestern at Illinois (11 a.m., FS1): We could be looking at the Wildcats’ last chance to win a Big Ten game. We will be looking at the Illini’s last chance to improve upon their bowl destination. However it shakes out, roughly 100 times more people will be watching Ohio State at Michigan. And speaking of which …

Ohio State at Michigan (11 a.m., Fox-32): There are run-of-the-mill rivalries, and then there are the great ones that utterly define college football. The Iron Bowl. Bedlam. The Civil War. The Holy War. And, indeed, the annual Buckeyes-Wolverines skirmish known simply as The Game — although the nickname Another Jim Harbaugh Loss seems to be gaining

Chicago Sun Times LOADED: 11.24.2019 1163037 Chicago Blackhawks “I don’t think we’ve lost the momentum — I think we know what we can do,” Jonathan Toews said Thursday. “Back on the road this weekend, so back to that same mentality of playing simple hockey.”

Blackhawks’ next five games provide chance to prove legitimacy in Central Division race Chicago Sun Times LOADED: 11.24.2019

By Ben Pope@BenPopeCST

Nov 23, 2019, 6:55am CST

Despite their much-improved play in November, the Blackhawks will enter the weekend 11 points behind the Central Division-leading Blues and only two points ahead of the last-place Wild.

Such is the nature of parity in the NHL. The margins are small — every team in the Western Conference has between nine and 14 wins right now. But overcoming those margins is hard.

The Hawks, though, have a rare chance to do so in the next two weeks.

“It’s perfect timing actually,” Robin Lehner said Friday. “I don’t think the standings are anything outrageous right now. Perfect time to go on a roll.”

After facing division opponents in just three of their first 22 contests (going 1-1-1 in those), the Hawks’ next five games are all against Central foes: at Dallas on Saturday, then vs. Dallas, vs. Colorado, at Colorado, and vs. St. Louis.

It’s their first time playing consecutive home-and-home series since 2010, and both home-and-homes are against teams the Hawks (with 22 points so far) are chasing. The Stars are the league’s second-hottest team, owning a 12-1-1 record since Oct. 19, and have climbed to 28 points. The Avalanche, living up to expectations as one of this year’s breakout teams, also have 28 points.

But four or five wins in this stretch could change the complexion of the division standings substantially — and prove the Hawks’ legitimacy in this race.

“It’s very big,” Jeremy Colliton said. “An opportunity to pull teams in or put distance between us and them. It’ll certainly look different in the standings after this week, depending on how the results go.”

Colliton said he doesn’t change the strategy much for a home-and-home, even though both teams will get very accustomed to each other over 120 minutes of hockey, but it does make it especially likely the Lehner-Corey Crawford goalie rotation will continue.

The main focus will be returning to the high-flying, speed-based style that led to the recent four-game winning streak, and making small adjustments to disrupt the Stars’ and Avs’ pre-scouting. The Hurricanes and Lightning seemed to know what to expect from the Hawks, and how to stop it, better than the opponents right after Colliton’s schematic switch.

“Obviously we’re chasing playoff spots, and we caught up quite a bit, and now we lost two,” Lehner said. “The next five, we can just turn it around and go on a roll here. When you win against division opponents, you climb a little bit faster.”

This stretch will obviously bring back memories of a momentous weekend last February, when the Hawks played well but lost home games against these same Stars and Avalanche teams, dealing what proved to be a fatal blow to their playoff push.

Colliton said over the summer that that weekend — despite the on-paper disappointment — gave him “a lot of hope moving forward,” because he saw the Hawks playing playoff-caliber hockey.

If they want this season to contain actual playoff hockey, though, they’ll need to succeed both visually and on the scoreboard during stretches like this.

The Hawks’ postseason odds had surged to 55 percent on Monday, per Money Puck, but have since slid back down to 43 percent. Such odds are far from vital this early in the season, and with this level of parity throughout the conference, but the next five games could nonetheless make a large and lasting difference. 1163038 Chicago Blackhawks

Stars edge Blackhawks 2-1 in shootout for 6th straight win

Staff Report

Associated Press

Posted

11/24/2019 7:00 AM

DALLAS -- Joe Pavelski and Tyler Seguin scored in a shootout, and the surging Dallas Stars beat the Chicago Blackhawks 2-1 on Saturday night for their sixth consecutive victory.

Dallas is 10-0-1 during an 11-game point streak.

Stars goalie Anton Khudobin stopped Jonathan Toews and Patrick Kane in the tiebreaker. Khudobin equaled his season high with 38 saves, including one on a breakaway by Patrick Kane in overtime.

Roope Hintz scored for Dallas and Olli Maatta for the Blackhawks in the first period.

Chicago had two possible goals disallowed in the third.

Just 2½ minutes into the period, a long video review confirmed a call of no goal after Khudobin stopped a close-up wrist shot by Dominik Kubalik and two other attempts to poke in the puck by David Kampf and Andrew Shaw.

With three minutes to play, Dylan Strome redirected Maatta's shot from the left point into the net. The ruling that the puck went off a high stick was upheld following a review.

Chicago goalie Robin Lehner had 40 saves.

A pair of Stars just off injured reserve combined for the game's first goal at 14:08 of the first period. In front of the net, Hintz deflected John Klingberg's shot from the blue line past Lehner to become the first Dallas player with 10 goals this season.

Maatta tied it with his first at 17:24. He took a cross-ice pass from Alex DeBrincat in the left faceoff circle, and Maatta's wrist shot went in off Khudobin's left leg.

Nobody scored in the second period, even though each team had two power plays. It ended with two Stars and a Blackhawks player in the penalty boxes. Shots on goal for the teams over the first two periods were 25 each.

Khudobin also stopped a snap shot by Zach Smith on a 2-on-1 break with nine minutes to play.

By then, the game had swung back in the Stars' direction. Chicago killed a penalty, and with 5:39 left Dallas' Jason Dickinson shot wide from short range.

Daily Herald Times LOADED: 11.24.2019 1163039 Chicago Blackhawks Comcast SportsNet.com LOADED: 11.24.2019

Four takeaways: Blackhawks pick up point, but Stars win sixth straight

By Charlie Roumeliotis

November 23, 2019 10:15 PM

Here are four takeaways from the Blackhawks' 2-1 shootout loss to the Dallas Stars at American Airlines Center on Saturday:

1. Blackhawks pick up point, but Stars get the second

Going into the weekend, the Blackhawks had only three divisional matchups in their first 22 games and two of them were against Nashville. Saturday opened a stretch of five straight against Central Division opponents and they kicked it off by going up against one of the hottest teams in the NHL.

After starting the season 1-7-1, the Stars have been on an absolute tear and that continued with a shootout win over the Blackhawks, who lost their third in a row (0-2-1) after winning four straight. The Stars have now picked up 27 out of a possible 30 points over their last 15 games for a record of 13-1-1.

A rematch between the Blackhawks and Stars awaits on Tuesday at the United Center.

2. Defense shores things up after leaky first period

The Blackhawks have made a conscious effort all season long to limit the high quality scoring chances against, but Saturday was a struggle for them in that department. At least in the first period.

The Blackhawks gave up 19 scoring scoring chances and 10 high-danger chances in the opening frame alone, all of which came during 5-on-5 play, per Natural Stat Trick. They bounced back in the second period by giving up only four scoring chances and zero high-danger chances, and finished with 31 scoring chances against and 15 high-danger chances against for the entire game at 5-on-5 action.

The most 5-on-5 high-danger chances the Blackhawks had given up in a game this season prior to Saturday was 15, which happened in the season opener in a 4-2 loss to Philadelphia and on Nov. 2 in a 4-3 overtime loss to Los Angeles.

3. A terrific goaltending battle

The Blackhawks and Stars entered Saturday's matchup tied for fourth in the NHL with a team save percentage of .920. Both clubs have two No. 1-type goaltenders and we saw it in this game.

Robin Lehner stopped 40 of 41 shots for a save percentage of .976, but fell to 8-22 for his career in shootouts after going 0-for-2. The only goal Lehner allowed came on a John Klingberg shot from the point that went off Roope Hintz's shin pad and in. Lehner was sensational yet again, and now ranks first among all goaltenders with a .938 save percentage on the season.

Anton Khudobin was just as good on the other end. He turned aside 38 of 39 shots for a save percentage of .974, with his most important stop coming against Patrick Kane on a breakaway in overtime. Khudobin went 2-for-2 in the shootout.

4. Olli Maatta on the board

After going 22 straight games without a goal, Maatta is finally on the board with the Blackhawks. He finished off a nice 2-on-1 with Alex DeBrincat by sneaking a wrist shot past Stars netminder Anton Khudobin from 18-feet out to even up the score at 1-1 at the 17:24 mark of the first period.

Maatta became the seventh defenseman to score a goal for the Blackhawks this season, joining Adam Boqvist, Calvin de Haan, Erik Gustafsson, Duncan Keith, Connor Murphy and Brent Seabrook.

It's the 26th goal of Maatta's career, and just the second since the start of the 2018-19 season (two goals in 82 games). The Blackhawks now have eight goals from their defensemen in the past six games after only three in their first 17. 1163040 Chicago Blackhawks

Johnny Oduya joins Blackhawks All-Decade Team

Staff Report

By NBC Sports Chicago

November 23, 2019 4:25 PM

Throughout the 2019-20 season, NBC Sports Chicago will be unveiling its Blackhawks All-Decade Team. The roster will feature the 14 forwards, 7 defensemen and two goaltenders that made the biggest impact on the franchise from the 2010 through 2019 seasons.

Parts of five seasons, two Stanley Cup titles.

Johnny Oduya had one heck of run with the Blackhawks after coming over in a deadline day deal with the Winnipeg Jets in February 2012. The defenseman made up half the Blackhawks' dynamic Swedish duo, alongside Niklas Hjalmarsson, his longtime partner.

Oduya was a consistent presence on the Blackhawks' blue line and head coach Joel Quenneville leaned on him heavily during the 2015 Stanley Cup Playoffs. Oduya averaged 24:45 time on ice per game, No. 4 on the team behind fellow defensemen Duncan Keith (31:07), Brent Seabrook (26:17) and Hjalmarsson (26:02).

Defense aside, Oduya also had several big playoff moments in the offensive zone during his Blackhawks tenure. He:

-Scored the go-ahead goal in the third period in Game 1 of the 2013 Western Conference semifinals vs. the Detroit Red Wings, and

-Scored the tying goal in the third period in Game 1 of the 2013 Stanley Cup Final. The Blackhawks went on to win the game in the third overtime period.

Oduya was one of many Blackhawks salary cap casualties during the six- year championship run. He departed in free agency after the Blackhawks won the Stanley Cup in 2015, joining the Dallas Stars on a two-year deal. The Blackhawks brought him back in February 2017 for a 15-game cameo, however, acquiring him from Dallas five years and a day after they acquired him from Winnipeg.

Oduya played a major role in two Chicago Stanley Cup championships. For that, he's earned a place on our Blackhawks All-Decade team on the third defense pairing.

Comcast SportsNet.com LOADED: 11.24.2019 1163041 Chicago Blackhawks the ice and plays it, one of those situations. It had nothing to do with where the puck was.”

Colliton called it a “tough one to swallow.” The Wraparound: Tough calls lead to a tough loss for the Blackhawks. Having two overturned goals didn’t help the Blackhawks’ psyche, either. How will they respond? The second one, a redirect by Dylan Strome of a Maatta shot, was pretty clearly a high stick. Even Maatta said as much. But the first one, a wild sequence in Khudobin’s crease, was far murkier. It started with a By Mark Lazerus spectacular split save by Khudobin on Kubalik. David Kampf then took two whacks at the puck, but Khudobin kept those out, too. Then came a Nov 23, 2019 diving Andrew Shaw. On the one hand, there’s virtually no way the puck didn’t cross the line the way things played out. On the other hand, there was no clear replay of it. And because the referee immediately waved it DALLAS — Bring back ties. off, the call on the ice stood after the replay.

OK, maybe that’s a bit extreme, but if any game deserved to end in a tie, Had the call been a goal on the ice, that probably would have stood also. it was Saturday night’s taut goaltending duel between the Blackhawks and the Dallas Stars, a game that ended in a 2-1 Stars victory in a “It’s like offside calls,” Toews said. “When there’s a couple calls that are shootout. Robin Lehner was terrific, making 40 saves. And his debatable, why do you have to wave it off so quickly? Can’t you give it a counterpart, Anton Khudobin, was even better with 38 saves, several of chance and let it go to the review and check it out? Hard to turn those them spectacular. over when they wave it off right away.”

At the very least, the game was an argument to extend three-on-three 3. What’s wrong with Alex DeBrincat? overtime to 10 minutes, to allow such a well-played game to end in some Nothing, really. With 18 points through 23 games, he’s still producing at a semblance of hockey, rather than a silly skills competition. high level, albeit not quite as high as last season (0.78 points per game, “I mean, I guess I’m selfish and biased because I get out there a lot compared with 0.93). But with just five goals through 22 games, the guy three-on-three, so it doesn’t hurt to have more chances if the game’s not who scored 41 goals last season isn’t even on pace to score 20 this settled after five minutes,” Jonathan Toews said. “Most overtimes are season. In fact, after deferring to Maatta for a two-on-one goal — now being settled in three-on-three, so it’d be nice to see. Who knows?” there’s a sequence of words you don’t expect to read — in the first period Saturday night against the Stars, DeBrincat has more than twice as many And who knows how the Blackhawks will respond to this one? On the assists (13) as goals. road against a division opponent riding a 9-0-1 streak, the Blackhawks put together one of their best all-around efforts of the season and still “Yeah, that’s usually not what happens with me,” he said before the didn’t win. If not for Khudobin making acrobatic saves on Dominik game with a laugh. “But I’m still trying to contribute any way I can, and Kubalik, turning aside a Patrick Kane breakaway and perhaps getting a whether it’s assists, points or just creating energy, I’ve got to figure out couple of breaks from the officials — the Blackhawks had two apparent what’s going to help the team win and do that.” goals immediately waved off in the third period — the Blackhawks would When you’ve averaged nearly a goal every other game in your NHL have gotten a much-needed two points. Instead, they get one and a third career — not to mention nearly 0.9 goals per game over three years in straight loss to temper the enthusiasm and momentum built from their 5- the OHL — any goal drought seems like a crisis. But looking back at 0-1 run. DeBrincat’s first two seasons, it’s nothing new. He’s always been a “Obviously, you want the two points,” said defenseman Olli Maatta, who streaky scorer. Sure, he had 10 goals at this point last season, but he had the lone Blackhawks goal. “But I think you’ve got to look behind the had just one in a 13-game stretch between late October and mid- score sometimes and see stuff you can build on. And I think today the November, just like this current stretch. He also had a six-game drought effort, the compete, was there. We did a lot of good things. So I think and a four-game drought over the course of the season. He did the bulk that’s something that’s really important.” of his scoring in December, January and February, when he never went more than two games without a goal. Jeremy Colliton, for one, was confident the Blackhawks wouldn’t go into some sort of spiral after such a gut-punch of a loss. That said, he knows And as a rookie, when he scored 28 goals, he had a 13-game drought, how important the return match is Tuesday at the United Center. And he an eight-game drought and two seven-game droughts. In fact, he had feels they’re mentally equipped to handle it. just one goal in his first 12 NHL games.

“We need to be,” he said. “If we’re going to go anywhere at all, we need Eventually, he figures it out. to be mentally tough enough to take the point with us, take the “I just haven’t buried my chances,” he said. “I don’t know, there’s a lot of performance with us, and come up with an even better performance in things that can go wrong, and it has been going wrong. Hopefully we can the next game. That’s what it’s going to take for us to climb back. We’re get going here, keep shooting the puck. Hopefully it’s going to go in, and in the race, but we want to be in a spot and not just chasing.” then I can get hot.” 2. The Blackhawks fancy themselves a dynamite three-on-three team, Thirteen of DeBrincat’s goals last season came on the power play, with and for good reason. When you can trot out three Conn Smythe winners him lingering in the left circle and burying seam pass after seam pass in Toews, Kane and Duncan Keith to open up the overtime, you have to from Kane. Three of his goals this season have come with the man feel pretty good about your chances. advantage, but he’s been just a tick off on his one-timers — either the So Toews was particularly upset about a too-many-men call that went puck sails wide or high or he doesn’t get all of it. against the Blackhawks in overtime. Neither Toews nor Colliton (nor a It doesn’t help that the Blackhawks have been trying to force the seam handful of reporters) saw the violation, and TV cameras didn’t catch it, pass through the slot and opposing penalty-kill units have keyed in on either. that. The same thing happened to Artemi Panarin, DeBrincat’s Toews was fuming afterward. predecessor in Alex Ovechkin’s office, in his second season with the Blackhawks. “Was it an obvious call in overtime?” he asked a pair of reporters after the game, both of whom didn’t see it. “So it’s not like something you have The Blackhawks entered Saturday’s game 28th in the league with a 13.2 to call because it’s so obnoxiously obvious. I try not to make excuses and percent conversion rate. complain about calls to the media, but in overtime you’re going to throw “I thought the power play’s been pretty good the last few games, but it one like that on us? hasn’t gone in,” DeBrincat said. “If we keep getting those looks and “Good on the guys to kill off the two-minute penalty four-on-three in getting a lot of shots on the power play, it’s going to go in and our totals overtime, but that hurts our chances trying to win the game. We like our will go up. We’ve been moving it around pretty well and maybe just trying chances three-on-three. … I didn’t see enough, either, and that’s why I’m to make one play too many. We just need to settle down, shoot the puck asking. I mean, it’s not like we’re saving a scoring chance, like they were and it’s going to go in.” going the other way and the puck’s (by) the bench and the guy jumps on His coach isn’t terribly worried, either. “Stick with it,” Colliton said. “He’s getting chances. We know he can Crawford’s not pulling out his pocket schedule and mapping out his next finish. And when he does get one, he’s going to get a bunch more. So start or anything like that. keep working away from the puck, put himself in good situations and hit the net. He’ll come through.” “To be honest, I don’t know. I don’t know,” he said. “It’s just game by game right now.” DeBrincat isn’t a tinkerer, so while he might mess with his tape job in a practice, he uses the same stick and the same setup every game. After 6. Scoring goals isn’t anything new for Brent Seabrook. He has 103 of all, he’s scored 236 goals over the last five seasons (OHL and NHL) with them in his NHL career and 20 more in the postseason, including one of that stick. Goal scorers always want to score goals, but DeBrincat’s not the biggest goals in team history: a Game 7 overtime winner against worried. Not yet, at least. Detroit in 2013. Just four years ago, he had a career-high 14 goals.

“Yeah, it’s a little bit frustrating,” he said. “At the same time, there are But he’s never scored goals like this. other things you can do to help your team win. Focus on those, keep On Nov. 16 against Nashville, he swept through the slot and floated a working hard and you’re going to get a chance that you’re not going to be pretty little backhander past Pekka Rinne. And on Thursday against able to miss.” Tampa Bay, he swooped in below the goal line and banked a ridiculous 4. Lehner is bad at shootouts. He’s the first to acknowledge it. As good shot off the back of Curtis McElhinney’s head and in. as he is on breakaways during game action, he’s helpless during So since my colleague Scott Powers has the Kane goal project, I figured shootouts. The way a skater can slow down and take his time just throws I’d do a (likely) one-time-only version of the Seabrook goal project. him off his rhythm. In his career, he’s now lost 22 shootouts, allowing 45 goals on 94 attempts for a .521 save percentage (the average goalie is in On the Nashville goal: “I’m just trying to take what’s given to me. The the .700-.800 range). Joe Pavelski and Tyler Seguin scored on Lehner, Nashville goal, I think, was just sort of a play up the middle. Kaner made while Toews and Kane came up empty. a hard pass; I was trying to find something to do with it and didn’t really see any options, so I just tried throwing it on net.” There was no need for a third round. On the Tampa Bay goal, which was very much a Kane-esque goal: “I Corey Crawford has a .713 career save percentage in the shootouts, with was in the league before Kaner. A lot of people don’t understand that I a 31-24 record. taught him that. Just kidding. No, it’s the same kind of thing. I tried to Is it even conceivable to make a goalie switch at that point, when shoot; I tried to get it to the net. We had three guys going to the net off Crawford had been sitting on a stool in the tunnel for the past two and a that faceoff, and the play was sort of for (Brandon Saad) to shoot it quick half hours? off the faceoff, and Tampa came out pretty hard on him. I just tried putting it at that side of the net, and maybe it would get kicked in or “That’d be tough,” Colliton said. “Listen, Robin played really well. I don’t tipped in or get a rebound created or something. I was blocked and just think it’s fair to talk about the shootout, as well as he played for the rest sort of had it, and I was looking in front of the net, trying to make a play, of the 65 minutes. He was really good.” make a pass, and didn’t really have anything. So I just tried to chip it up there. Worked.” 5. It took Crawford a long time to crack the NHL for good. Aside from a couple of cups of coffee with the big club, the 2003 second-rounder didn’t In all, the Blackhawks have eight goals from defensemen in the past six become a full-time NHLer until the 2010-11 season, after five seasons in games. This, after having just three in the first 17 games. Norfolk and Rockford. 7. Drake Caggiula, who missed his sixth straight game in concussion But once he got there, it didn’t take him long to become a No. 1. He protocol, was put on injured reserve retroactive to Nov. 10. Why? Who outplayed Marty Turco and ended up playing 57 games that 2010-11 knows? season, including the last 34 in a row. “Doesn’t really change anything,” Colliton said. “Just for the roster.” So Crawford’s never really been a backup. Hell, other than Scott Darling’s memorable run in the first round of the 2015 playoffs, The Blackhawks already had an extra roster spot because they were Crawford’s never even been in a timeshare. So his partnership with carrying only 22 players. And they didn’t call anyone up from Rockford Lehner — which has pretty much become an every-other-game rotation even though the IceHogs were just a few hours away, set to play the — has taken some getting used to. Texas Stars. Injured reserve, unlike long-term injured reserve, doesn’t provide any salary-cap relief, either. So, uh, yeah. Caggiula’s on IR. After a stellar effort in Las Vegas, I asked Crawford if he was becoming Maybe someone in the front office just likes filling out paperwork. more comfortable with the rotation. His answer: Not really.

“I don’t know, it’s a little bit easier when you keep playing games in a row,” he said that night. “Little details just come quickly.” The Athletic LOADED: 11.24.2019

After his brilliant 33-save performance against Buffalo last Sunday, I asked him again. He seemed more at peace with it by then.

“I don’t know, Robby’s been playing so good,” he said. “Obviously, I want to try to get as much ice time as I can, but when you have another goalie that’s playing so well, why not just go back and forth? But I think we’re both wishing to get a few in a row. But it’s working right now, so can’t complain.”

It’s certainly been working lately. After a tough start when it looked like Lehner might relegate Crawford to a backup role, Crawford has posted a .933 save percentage in November, going 3-1-2. Lehner has been terrific all season and entered Saturday night’s game with a .934 save percentage.

Lehner took Saturday’s morning skate off, as he was starting that night. So I again asked Crawford how he’s coping with his first timeshare.

“I don’t know,” he said yet again. “It’s just trying to make sure you’re ready, trying to get the little details at the beginning of the game, trying to get into it as quick as you can. I don’t think it’s been that bad. It’s just something you have to get used to. I’m not the one calling the shots, so you just have to stay ready and try to work as hard as you can in practice.”

It’s been seven games now that the two have alternated, after Lehner took back-to-back starts against Vancouver and Pittsburgh. But 1163042 Chicago Blackhawks The Athletic LOADED: 11.24.2019

‘That definitely makes you happy’: Marian Hossa humbled, surprised to be in the 2020 Hall of Fame conversation

By Scott Powers

Nov 23, 2019

The Hockey Hall of Fame never crossed Marian Hossa’s mind as he was setting goals for his professional career.

Growing up in Slovakia, he came up with three things in hockey he’d like to achieve. He didn’t set the bar low, either, just none of them was as high as reaching the Hall of the Fame.

“To tell you the truth, since I was playing during my career, I never thought about it at all,” Hossa said by phone Friday. “My goal was to be drafted, second to make my position strong, be one of the top guys, the third to win the Stanley Cup. That was my goals, but I never thought I was going to be in the Hall of the Fame.”

The fact Hossa achieved those goals, especially the last two, is what could get him elected into the Hall of Fame one day.

And that day could come sooner than later. As The Athletic’s Pierre LeBrun recently reported, the NHL has decided to make Hossa eligible for the Hall of Fame in 2020 despite his being under contract through the 2020-21 season. The NHL instead opted to align Hossa’s Hall of Fame eligibility with when he actually finished playing hockey. He stepped away from the ice for good after the 2016-17 season because of a skin allergy.

Hossa wasn’t exactly sure of the Hall of Fame eligibility rules and thought there was a chance he might have to wait three years after his contract expired. The NHL pushed up Chris Pronger’s eligibility in a similar fashion.

“I don’t know how it works,” the 40-year-old Hossa said. “I’m kind of surprised it’s that quick. We talk to the people who were deciding on the Hall of Fame, people who they’re selecting. I’m honored to be one of those guys. Even though I know nothing is 100 percent sure until you’re selected to the Hall of Fame, that definitely makes you happy. I’m humbled by my name being mentioned.”

Hossa isn’t one who likes to bring any sort of attention to himself, so he’s definitely not the type to say whether he deserves to be in the Hall of Fame. He felt weird even answering questions about it.

Selection committee nominations are due April 15 and will be voted on at the annual elections meeting in June. The induction ceremony is held in November. The 2019 Hall of Fame class was recently inducted and included Guy Carbonneau, Hayley Wickenheiser, Vaclav Nedomansky and Sergei Zubov as players and Jim Rutherford and Jerry York as builders.

“Obviously, I hate to talk (about this),” Hossa said. “I told the media back in my country, look, I’m not a big talker of something that doesn’t happen. But I’m definitely, this news, my name was mentioned between the other (Hall of Fame) guys, that make me really happy, also surprised. That happened pretty quick, my name between those guys. Definitely that type of things make you happy. It doesn’t mean you’re going to be a Hall of Famer, but mentioning your name is nice.”

A lot of people around hockey do feel like Hossa will make it into the Hall of Fame. Over 19 seasons with Ottawa, Atlanta, Pittsburgh, Detroit and Chicago, Hossa produced 525 goals, 609 assists and 1,134 points in 1,309 regular-season games. He evolved into an elite two-way forward and was often among the league leaders in takeaways. He also came through in the playoffs, appearing in five Stanley Cup finals and winning three of them with the Blackhawks.

The Athletic’s Eric Duhatschek, who was previously on the Hall of Fame selection committee, said he believes Hossa could be voted in on his first try.

“My own view is that he is a Hall of Famer,” Duhatschek said. “There’s a chance he’ll get in on his first year of eligibility. (Jarome) Iginla is probably more of a lock than he is. But if I had to haphazard a guess, he and Iginla have a real good chance of getting in of the first-time eligible.” 1163043 Colorado Avalanche

Avalanche’s rally falls short against Maple Leafs

By MIKE CHAMBERS | [email protected] | The Denver Post

PUBLISHED: November 23, 2019 at 8:00 pm | UPDATED: November 23, 2019 at 8:57 PM

Nathan MacKinnon looked more aggravated than disappointed Saturday night after the Avalanche’s late comeback fell short against the visiting Toronto Maple Leafs, who survived a late onslaught by the Avs and won 5-3 after scoring an empty-net goal with a second remaining at the Pepsi Center.

The Leafs were relatively healthy, sans Mitch Marner. The Avs were not, perhaps more beat up in the key-player department than at any time in the last 15 years.

MacKinnon, who scored on his first shift, stated the obvious: Colorado is just trying to survive without top-line wingers Mikko Rantanen and Gabe Landeskog plus important role-playing forwards Colin Wilson and Matt Calvert. They’re each out with injuries, with Rantanen missing his 14th game Saturday, Landeskog and Wilson out 12 consecutive and Calvert his third.

With those veteran forwards in the lineup, maybe the Avs don’t allow four unanswered goals within an eight-minute span to end the first period. And without question, the Avs would have had much more offensive firepower to climb back from their 4-1 deficit with those four guys.

“We had a really good first shift and after that the period was theirs. It was a good (final) 40 minutes. We’re battling,” MacKinnon said. “We’re weathering these injuries as much as we can. This is not our (expletive) team. It’s not an excuse. But we’re missing 200 points from last year. Just trying to keep grinding, getting better, before those guys get better and we have a big second half.”

The Avs have gone a respectable 5-3 in their last eight games.

Former Avalanche defenseman Tyson Barrie, playing for the first time at the Pepsi Center since his July 1 trade to Toronto, had a goal and an assist to lead the Maple Leafs to their second-straight win with new head coach Sheldon Keefe, who took over for the fired Mike Babcock on Wednesday.

Barrie, Colorado’s all-time points leader among defensemen, assisted and scored first-period goals as the Leafs rallied from a 1-0 deficit. The Avs got goals from Andre Burakovsky (power play) and Valeri Nichushkin to get within 4-3 but Colorado’s big push in the final two minutes with goalie Pavel Francouz pulled for a sixth attacker failed to produce, and Zach Hyman scored on the empty-net at 19:59.

Francouz replaced starter Philipp Grubauer to begin the second period. Francouz stopped 12-of-12 shots during a time Colorado outshot Toronto 29-13.

Barrie and the Avs’ Nazem Kadri were the key players in the multiple- player trade on July 1. Kadri, who spent his first nine seasons with the Leafs, had two assists — the first coming on MacKinnon’s goal 31 seconds into the game.

“I think the first period was a bit of a write-off. We didn’t show up,” Kadri said. “Dug ourselves a hole and it was too much to climb out of. Second and third period, we were definitely the better team. But first period hurt us.”

The Avs and Leafs meet again Dec. 4 in Toronto, in Kadri’s second game against his former team.

“It was odd, for sure. It was weird,” Kadri said of his first game against the Leafs. “Had to check down on jersey to make sure I was playing for the right team a couple times. But it was fun. We competed hard but didn’t get the result we wanted.”

Denver Post: LOADED: 11.24.2019 1163044 Colorado Avalanche

Chambers: Western Conference giant Calgary has fallen on tough times

By MIKE CHAMBERS | [email protected] | The Denver Post

November 23, 2019 at 6:02 PM

The Calgary Flames are in a fiery situation in one of Canada’s hotbeds.

Upon walking out of the Scotiabank Saddledome last week, following the Avalanche’s 3-2 victory that stretched Calgary’s losing streak to five games, I remember having similar thoughts last spring, when Colorado eliminated the Flames relatively easy in a first-round playoff series:

The Avs are on the way up, and the Flames are on their way out.

Calgary is the defending Western Conference regular-season champion, having produced 50 wins and 107 points in 2018-19. But since Game 80 last season, the Flames have won just 12-of-31 games (12-16-3). They took a six-game losing streak into Saturday’s game at Philadelphia, where they won 3-2 in a shootout, and were outscored a whopping 25-7 in that seven-game stretch.

Calgary is last in NHL scoring (2.31 goals-per-game) after finishing second last season (3.52) behind the President’s Trophy champion Tampa Bay Lightning (3.89).

How quickly things can change in the NHL. Suddenly, Flames superstar Johnny Gaudreau could be on the trade block and Bill Peters could become the second NHL coach fired this season.

About face. Within an eight-day span, the Avalanche lost defenseman Nikita Zadorov and forward Matt Calvert to head injuries. Both inadvertently blocked shots with their face. Zadorov sustained a broken jaw and Calvert a concussion. They both bled.

That’s hockey. It can be a bloody sport. But blood is better than broken necks, which is why full facial protection should never be required at hockey’s highest level. The NCAA requires its players to don a full plastic shield or metal cage. That’s dangerous. The full facial protection is too much protection, eliminating the respect for the opponent’s head.

It might be hard for non-hockey players to understand that, but having played the game, coached the game, had a son who played at a high level with and without full facial protection, and most importantly, covered college hockey and the NHL for more than 20 years, the game is safer and more respectable at the highest levels when half the face is exposed.

A player with an exposed face is more prone to keep their stick down and respect the head. Zadorov and Calvert, as well as most NCAA and NHL coaches, wouldn’t argue that point. They would tell you that full facial protection belongs in youth hockey, but something you must out-grow the longer you play.

Familiar faces. Four prominent former Denver-area players are rostered for the Toronto Maple Leafs, and three returned to the Mile High City with the team on Saturday. Defenseman Tyson Barrie, of course, was the major piece going to Toronto in the multiple-player trade that brought forward Nazem Kadri to Colorado on July 1. Barrie was sent to the Leafs along with forward Alex Kerfoot, who, like Barrie, started Saturday. And Toronto forwards Nick Shore and Trevor Moore each played three seasons at the University of Denver.

Shore, a Denver native, was a fourth-line right winger Saturday but Moore is on injured reserve (shoulder) and presumably not on the trip.

Denver Post: LOADED: 11.24.2019 1163045 Colorado Avalanche Keefe’s tenure is only two games old, yet Barrie has succeeded. He was moved to the first-team power-play unit and had a goal in a 3-1 win Thursday against the Arizona Coyotes to snap a six-game Toronto losing streak before adding the two points Saturday. Tyson Barrie got a hero’s welcome home from the Avs … and 2 points in the Leafs’ win Here’s how Barrie compiled them:

• It was a 1-1 tie when Barrie held possession at the right point before sliding the puck to superstar center Auston Matthews in the high slot. By Ryan S. Clark Matthews had the time and space to unleash a wrist shot that beat Avalanche goaltender Philipp Grubauer with 9:04 remaining in the first Nov 23, 2019 period.

• Toronto was on the power play when Matthews carried the puck into the DENVER — Enough was in place to suggest Tyson Barrie might not zone before sending it to John Tavares only to recover possession in the have found the best way to say “thank you” to his old team for making corner. Matthews then found William Nylander and began skating toward him a tribute video while also receiving a standing ovation from the net. thousands of fans, all in his honour. All four of Colorado’s skaters concentrated on Nylander while Barrie Or maybe an argument could be made that how Barrie performed was skated to the low slot. Nylander held on until the last second, then fitting after all. delivered a pass to Barrie for a one-timer and a 3-1 lead with 6:38 left in the opening frame. Barrie did Saturday what he has done throughout his nine-year career: He created for others. He created for himself. Above all, he created “I’m on that side as a one-timer just trying to be a threat,” Barrie said of problems for his opponent. Yet what was so different about his 509th the goal. “It was a great pass by Willie and felt really good to get that one NHL game was it came against the team he played for on 484 occasions. here. Not that there’s any ill will with this team. But just coming home in front of all the familiar faces, it’s nice to get one.” The Toronto Maple Leafs defenseman, traded by the Avs in the offseason, went from having five points in his first 21 games to suddenly Barrie scoring a power-play goal was something Avalanche fans have being on a four-game point streak, one that continued in a 5-3 victory seen before. In fact, they watched him do it 12 times at Pepsi Center and Saturday against the Avalanche at Pepsi Center. Barrie finished with two 19 times altogether while he wore the No. 4 in a burgundy-and-blue points — a goal and an assist — for his first multipoint game in a Leafs sweater. Those goals and assists coupled with his community work made sweater. him a fan favorite in Denver.

When was the last time Barrie had a multiple-point performance in the One fan, Taylor Worlton, actually created a custom book she planned to regular season? It was April 2, 2019, at — you guessed it — Pepsi present to Barrie after the game as a way of showing thanks for all he Center, when his two points helped the Avalanche get closer to clinching had done in his time with the Avalanche. the final Western Conference wild-card berth with a 6-2 win over the Barrie’s former teammates all spoke fondly about the impact he had on Edmonton Oilers. their lives. He was a mentor to younger players such as J.T. Compher, And for those scoring at home, Barrie’s last goal at Pepsi Center was Samuel Girard and Tyson Jost. He welcomed new players, including April 4, when he scored the first of three unanswered against the Mark Barberio and Ian Cole, in a way that made them feel instantly Winnipeg Jets, which helped the Avalanche secure that final wild-card comfortable. spot. And Barrie remains MacKinnon’s best friend. “That’s amazing,” Barrie said of the reception and video tribute he Scoring 75 goals while creating 232 more for 307 points is how Barrie received from his old club. “You know, I wasn’t sure how I was going to became the Avalanche’s all-time leader in goals, assists and points feel coming back here and whatnot, but it’s been an amazing place to call among defensemen. home the last eight years, and that really topped it off. It’ll always be special to me, and these fans are great. It’s a great hockey club over Most of his tribute video was filled with those offensive exploits. In a way, there, so it’s going to be fun to watch these guys for a lot of years.” it was a fitting prelude to what he showed on the ice Saturday.

Colorado drafted Barrie in 2009 as part of a seven-player class. Barrie, Yet to see him do it in a Maple Leafs sweater while wearing No. 94 and Matt Duchene and Ryan O’Reilly were members of a group expected to benefitting the opposing team — that was definitely different. lift the Avalanche out of the basement and return them to NHL prominence. O’Reilly was traded after six seasons, and Duchene moved Barrie was asked about the bizarre nature of the day. He’d never been a on after nine years. visitor to Pepsi Center.

Barrie was the last member of that class to remain with the Avalanche. “Well, I definitely know where to go in the arena,” he said with a laugh. He became a foundational player in the team’s rebuild under general “It’s been a crazy, crazy day. Yesterday was a lot of fun. I got to catch up manager Joe Sakic. Barrie grew with what was perennially one of the with a lot of guys and have some friends waiting for me after here. It’s youngest rosters in the NHL, headlined by such promising talents as been a great day and kind of everything I could hope for.” Gabriel Landeskog, Nathan MacKinnon and Mikko Rantanen. Perhaps the most important question Barrie was asked in his short media He played a significant role as the Avalanche went from possessing the session related to what he has done over the past two games under worst record in the salary-cap era in the 2016-17 campaign to helping Keefe’s direction of the team. them reach the postseason in back-to-back seasons for the first time in It is a valid query. The Leafs marched to a 4-1 lead at the end of the first. more than a decade. That prompted Avalanche coach Jared Bednar to pull Grubauer for the Those playoff games against the Calgary Flames and San Jose Sharks first time this season in favor of backup Pavel Francouz. The Leafs, aside last season ended up being Barrie’s last in an Avalanche sweater. from a Zach Hyman empty-net goal, were limited the rest of the game.

The rise of rookie defenseman Cale Makar, coupled with Sakic’s They were held to three shots in the second period and 10 in the third. contention that it would have been financially unfeasible to re-sign Barrie The Avalanche, meanwhile, had 13 shots in the second and 16 in the after the last year of his contract, prompted rumors about Barrie’s Denver third. future. He and center Alexander Kerfoot were traded to the Maple Leafs “Just confidence,” Barrie said. “Just the way that we’re playing with the in exchange for center Nazem Kadri and defenseman Calle Rosen on puck. I think tonight we got up early and had a lead and figured out how July 1. to play with that swagger when we’re up, and we’re trying to lock it down Several months have passed since the trade. Kadri has flourished as the a little bit. That’s going to be a challenge for us, but we’re an excited second-line center the Avalanche have needed for several seasons, group and we’re going now.” while Barrie struggled out of the gate under coach Mike Babcock. Leafs management decided earlier in the week to make a change and fired Babcock, replacing him with Sheldon Keefe. The Athletic LOADED: 11.24.2019 1163046 Colorado Avalanche Q: At the time, did you spend much time thinking about why they moved you?

Kadri: “Yeah, a little bit. Obviously with the (playoff) suspensions it was Nazem Kadri talks life after the Leafs: ‘At first, I was a little bit bitter’ obviously maybe an option. But it was indicated to me that they weren’t trying to shop me around. So I was expecting to suit up as a Leaf this year. But I understand the business. I understand how things change. An offer gets thrown at you and maybe it’s tough not to accept one or two of By James Mirtle ‘em. So, ah, no hard feelings.” Nov 23, 2019 Q: Do you think about how far the Leafs could have gone if you hadn’t been suspended?

DENVER – Nazem Kadri was preparing to play his first-ever NHL game Kadri: “Yeah, I mean… Mark (Masters), I don’t know how many times against the Maple Leafs on Saturday, after nearly 600 games in the you’re going to ask that question. But of course, of course. I try to see it league. as a compliment. Because if I had have played, people might have expected us to move on. So, that’s a compliment for me, being a player With that came a lot of mixed feelings. to have that big an impact to maybe potentially move on in a series, especially against a team like Boston. Obviously I’m regretful for how it Kadri met with the Toronto media here at Pepsi Center before the game. went down. In my opinion, I was playing some of my best hockey in that He was his usual talkative self and even got a little emotional when series. So it was tough how it ended. But that’s how it goes.” asked about everything he misses in Toronto and if he has any regrets about the way his tenure with the Leafs ended. Q: What do you miss most about Toronto?

Here were his thoughts prior to puck drop. Kadri: “I miss the fans, I miss the city, I miss the guys over there. I was able to catch up last night and go out for some dinner, and hear about all Kadri: “Going to be a bit of a weird one, but that’s just part of the game. the stories. I miss those guys over there. They’re very easy to get along I’ve obviously been looking forward to it and matching up a few of my with. friends for the first time. So should be interesting.” “Obviously I’ve watched those younger kids grow in their first few years in Q: What do you take the most out of all the years in Toronto, being a high the league. Mo (Rielly) obviously being there from day one. Definitely a draft pick and everything? few guys that are going to be missed. But like I said, those types of Kadri: “I mean we’ll be here forever if I get going on that. I mean I came friendships kind of last forever.” in as an 18-year-old kid, left at 28. Those are pretty significant years of Q: How are you feeling about drilling them tonight? your life, under the microscope, so I am very appreciative of everything the city has given me, just that opportunity.” Kadri: “I told them I was coming after every single one of them. So I don’t think they’d be surprised at all. Obviously I’m kind of stuck between a Q: What’s been the biggest adjustment for you in a new city? rock and a hard place, going after a few of my buddies. But I’m all about Kadri: “Just getting to know everybody. Obviously being in the same winning. If that’s what it takes, that’s what it takes.” place for so long, which I was fortunate to do, guys coming to your team, it’s a little bit different, they have to get to know you as the new guy, it’s kind of the opposite. Just trying to get to know my teammates, the staff, The Athletic LOADED: 11.24.2019 try to sit down and learn everybody’s names, that sort of thing. As of so far, it has been going great.”

Q: Babcock had a big influence in your career obviously. What did you think when he got let go this week?

Kadri: “Obviously tough to see. I think any team that is struggling, obviously looking for a spark and a change. And I think that’s what the team was looking for. I personally think Babs is a great coach. He’s helped that team over there get to the next step. They felt like it was a time for a spark.”

Q: Any regrets about the way your time in Toronto ended?

Kadri: “Yeah, a little bit. It’s tough to beat yourself up over that. It’s an emotional thing. Obviously I would have enjoyed another opportunity at redemption, but that being said, I gave it everything I had every single night for a lot of years so I’m sure the organization and the fans would be proud of that.”

Q: Unique situation you have with Tyson Barrie (and switching homes). How’s that working out for you here (living in his house)?

Kadri: “It has been great. He is a great guy. Very easy to get to know and to get along with, so I’m sure the guys over there are loving him and a bit of unique situation, but for both us, it couldn’t have worked out any better.”

Q: Who’s got the better condo?

Kadri: “He has a house, I got a condo, but it’s definitely two different lifestyles living in the heart of the city as opposed to the suburbs. But I can get used to either one.”

Q: Were you disappointed in the way Kyle broke the news to you of the trade during the summer?

“Yeah a little bit. When it happened at first I was a little bit bitter towards it. But now as time goes on, time heals all. So I got over that pretty quick. It was unfortunate. Obviously it was a phone call that I’ll never forget.

“But that being said, ending up in Denver was a blessing in disguise.” 1163047 Colorado Avalanche

Kadri and Barrie both find the scoresheet in first meeting against their former clubs

By Aarif Deen

November 23, 2019

After being traded for each other in July, Avalanche forward Nazem Kadri and Maple Leafs defenseman Tyson Barrie switched homes, literally. Kadri rented out Barrie’s Colorado home in the suburbs and Barrie now resides in Kadri’s downtown Toronto condo.

“It’s been great,” Kadri said. “He’s a great guy, very easy to get to know. I’m sure the guys over there are loving him. It’s been a bit of a unique situation but for both of us I don’t think it could have worked out any better.”

While the house swap worked out great for both, the game tonight went a little better for Barrie. His power-play goal was instrumental in helping Toronto fend off the Avalanche’s late-game comeback, winning 5-3 after adding an empty-net goal in the final second.

“It was great. I’m on that side as a one-timer and I’m just trying to be a threat,” Barrie said. “It was a great pass by Willy (William Nylander) and it felt really good to get that one there. Not that there’s any ill will with this team, but it just, you know, coming home in front of all of the familiar faces, it’s nice to get one.”

Barrie was drafted by the Avalanche in 2009 and holds the record for most goals, assists, and points among defensemen. He scored 75 goals and added 232 assists during his time in Colorado. His 307 points came in 432 games.

Playing a season-high 23:26, Kadri also found the scoresheet tonight. Right off the opening faceoff, Kadri fed the puck to defenseman Erik Johnson at the point before Nathan MacKinnon took a feed from Johnson and wristed it past goalie Frederik Andersen 31 seconds in. Kadri would later add another assist on Colorado’s power-play goal, giving the Avalanche a chance to pull within two, and eventually one, before surrendering the late empty-net goal after a forgettable first period.

“I think the first period was a bit of a write-off, we didn’t show up, so we just dug ourselves in a hole and it was too much to climb out of,” Kadri said. “Second and third period, we were definitely the better team but the first period hurt us.”

Also drafted in 2009, the former first-round pick played in 561 games for Toronto, recording 161 goals, 196 assists, and 257 points. He was a fan favorite, oftentimes for his physical game and passion both on and off the ice.

Unlike Barrie, Kadri’s homecoming has yet to take place. The Avalanche travel to Toronto in 11 days for a rematch, a game that Kadri has circled on his calendar. Tonight however was step one in closing that chapter of his career.

“It was odd for sure. It was weird,” Kadri said. “I think I had to look down at my jersey to make sure I was playing for the right team a couple of times.”

But at the other end, the homecoming for Barrie was a success. Especially after new Leafs coach Sheldon Keefe instilled new life in a season that was a disappointment before Thursday’s game in Arizona.

“I wasn’t sure how I was going to feel coming back here,” Barrie said. “But it’s been an amazing place to call home for the last eight years and (the standing ovation) really topped it off. It will always be special to me, and these fans are great. It’s a great hockey club over here so it’s going to be a lot of fun to watch for a lot of years.”

milehighsports.com LOADED: 11.24.2019 1163048 Colorado Avalanche

Avalanche fall 5-3 in Barrie’s return to Colorado

By DJ Stanec

November 23, 2019

For the first time since they were traded from the Avalanche, Tyson Barrie and Alexander Kerfoot skated on the Pepsi Center ice. Saturday night’s matchup saw the Toronto Maple Leafs face off against the Colorado Avalanche in an epic reunion game. Despite falling into a three- goal deficit and climbing their way to back within a goal, the Avalanche fell to the Maple Leafs 5-3.

The Avalanche came out flying in the opening frame. Nathan MacKinnon found the back of the net 31 seconds into the game with a wrist shot from the point that beat Frederik Andersen under the glove.

The game changed after a TV timeout just when the Pepsi Center honored Tyson Barrie with a tribute video and a standing ovation. The Maple Leafs took the game over from that point for the remainder of the first period. Four different goal scorers found the back of the for Toronto including Tyson Barrie and Auston Matthews.

The Avalanche turned things around in the second period, getting back some of the momentum that they lost in the period prior. Bednar shook up the lines a little bit, bringing Andre Burakovsky back up to the first line with Joonas Donskoi and MacKinnon and moving Nazem Kadri back to the second line. He also replaced Philipp Grubauer in net with Pavel Francouz.

Burakovsky brought the Avalanche back to within two goals on a beautiful power-play passing sequence started by Kadri. Donskoi found Burakovsky on the far post for a wide-open net to bring the score to 2-4. The teams went into the locker room this way for the second intermission.

Colorado continued their upward trend early in the third period when after a few chances in close succession, Valeri Nichushkin found the back of the net off of a shot that hit the post from Ian Cole.

However, the three-goal deficit was too much of a hole for the Avalanche to climb out of, Toronto added an empty-net goal and Colorado lost the game 5-3.

What did we learn from Saturday night’s loss against Toronto?

An emotional game made for a fast start but a huge letdown. With Kadri facing his former team and Barrie and Kerfoot returning to the Pepsi Center for the first time, the Avalanche started really quickly but their torrid pace quickly became too much to sustain and the Maple Leafs took full advantage. It seemed to take quite a bit of energy to get the momentum back to even begin to crawl their way back into the game. The emotional letdown proved to be too much Saturday night.

Grubauer struggled from the first puck drop. Grubauer has played so well in the past few games for the Avalanche that it was about time for him to regress toward the mean, and it seems he chose the first period to do that. Grubauer let in four goals on 16 shots in the first period and should have saved at least two of them. Granted the defensive play of his team or lack thereof didn’t help, but he needed to make a couple more saves to keep the Avalanche in the game early.

Somehow, the Avalanche are still horrible at getting the puck out of their defensive zone. Now, this is something that a blind eye could have been turned to earlier on in the season, but now that the Avalanche are 23 games into the season, some of the sloppiness of their game should be cleaned up. First and foremost the thing that needs to be cleaned up is their defensive zone exits. The first two goals that Toronto scored tonight, were direct results of Colorado not being able to get the puck out of the zone. If this continues much further into the season, the Avalanche will be in for a rude awakening.

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A reunion with old roommate Alexander Kerfoot tonight will be special for both Tyson Jost and J.T. Compher

By Aarif Deen

November 23, 2019

When forward Alexander Kerfoot signed with the Avalanche in the summer of 2017, he didn’t realize the whirlwind of changes that would follow over the next two years. Kerfoot, who elected to become an unrestricted free agent after playing four years of NCAA hockey at Harvard University, moved in with fellow Avs rookies Tyson Jost and J.T. Compher.

And over the next two seasons, the trio shared an ample amount of memories together.

“It was really fun playing with him,” Compher said. “Me and Tyson (Jost) got to know him really well living with him obviously, we had a great time. It should be fun on Saturday.”

Kerfoot played two seasons with the Avalanche, often in a top-six role. He recorded 43 points in his rookie season and 42 in 2018-19. He was part of Colorado’s two straight playoff appearances, something it hadn’t accomplished in over a decade.

But after the Avalanche’s 2019 playoff run came to an end in a hard- fought Game 7 against the San Jose Sharks in the second round, Kerfoot’s career with the Avs ended with it.

Kerfoot was involved in a blockbuster deal on July 1st, as he was traded to the Toronto Maple Leafs with longtime Colorado defenseman Tyson Barrie and a 6th round pick in exchange for forward Nazem Kadri, defenseman Calle Rosen and a 3rd round pick. He later signed a four- year deal to remain a piece of Toronto’s secondary scoring for the foreseeable future.

“It’s part of the business, trades happen,” Compher said. “Barrie was a big part of this franchise for a long time and Kerfoot for two years.”

Kerfoot returned to the lineup for the Maple Leafs on Thursday after missing three games with an injury. The former Av has five goals and three assists in 21 games and was elevated to the second line in Toronto’s last game by new head coach Sheldon Keefe, who took over for the recently fired Mike Babcock. His return to the lineup means he will dress on Saturday against his former roommates and teammates in the city he called home for almost 24 months.

“It’s gonna be, I don’t even know how to describe it honestly. It’s going to be kind of funny to see Kerfoot out there,” Jost said. “It’ll be cool for me and Compher. I spent a lot of time, a lot my summer with him in Vancouver, we have a really good relationship.”

Jost joined the Avalanche four months before Kerfoot signed his deal. And with so many new faces in the locker room this year, he has grown into one of the Avalanche’s longest-tenured veterans.

The Avalanche are one of the top teams in the Western Conference largely due to the many new faces that were acquired this summer to bolster its depth. But on Saturday, with a couple of familiar faces coming back to town, it’ll be business as usual for the Avs, who look to get back into the winning column.

“It’s going to be weird playing against him, I’m definitely going to have a chuckle with him,” Jost said. “It’s going to be nice to see him and Barrie, but most importantly, we have to take care of business and get a win.”

The Avalanche and Maple Leafs will drop the puck at 5:18 p.m. MST and will be broadcasted on CBC’s Hockey Night in Canada.

milehighsports.com LOADED: 11.24.2019 1163050 Colorado Avalanche Erik Johnson – B EJ had far and away the best possession numbers on the team for the

defenders at over 70%. I only had some small issues with him, like the Avs Game 23 Grades: Sloppy ten minutes costs Avs Barrie goal he got caught flopping. Not a big fan of him when he rushes it up the right wall because it usually doesn’t lead to much, but he played fine tonight. The big question will be how injured he is. He left and came back multiple times, and didn’t look fully comfortable on the bench for the BY EVAN RAWAL rest of the game after the hit from behind by Kerfoot. NOVEMBER 23, 2019 Nazem Kadri – B

Other than the Kadri/MacKinnon pair not having much chemistry together Pierre Edouard Bellemare – B at even strength, I thought Kadri played well. He picked up two assists, and he nearly had a highlight-reel goal in the second period but hit the Bellemare had a good night in the face-off circle and was one of the few post. Another successful game in the face-off circle, but another penalty forwards who was well above positive in terms of possession. He was to go with it. The penalties definitely need to slow down. battling in front on Nichushkin’s goal. Vladislav Kamenev – D Andre Burakovsky – C+ Other than his rush on the power play at the end of the first period that I thought Burakovsky was far too soft on the opening Leafs goal of the nearly created a goal, I thought it was a rough night for Kamenev overall. game. He had the puck come to him twice and failed to clear it out, one He got caught on the ice too long on the first goal by Toronto, and didn’t time not even showing any awareness of what was going on around him. win a single face-off he took. He did pick up a nice goal on the backdoor of the power play, his first power-play goal of the year. Made some nice moves in the second period Tyson Jost – C- to create a chance of his own as well. I still think there are times when Jost was a surprise addition to the lineup, as Bednar announced he was he’s holding onto the puck a half-second too long before shooting. doubtful at practice on Friday. He had a good chance in the first but was Ian Cole – D+ quiet otherwise, and was flexing his upper body a lot during breaks.

I didn’t mind Cole in the offensive zone tonight. I thought he made some Nathan MacKinnon – B- nice plays and was one of the few defenders who could get his shot MacK got the Avs started early and was flying in the first ten minutes, but through to the net. It was the defensive side I did not like. Watching the seemed a little tentative later in the game. A lot of his shot attempts were game-winning breakaway goal for the Leafs again, Cole was cheating getting blocked in this one, five in total. He nearly tied the game up late really far to the left side, which gave them so much room to hit the but had that shot attempt blocked as well. He did have a good night in breakaway pass. Not sure if he was anticipating the puck over there but it the face-off circle as well. left it wide open. Cale Makar – D+ J.T. Compher – F This may be a little controversial, but I thought Makar had an off night, I liked Compher last game a lot, but I thought he really struggled in this and you could see it early as he was fumbling the puck a bit. He fumbled one, outside of the faceoff circle. He was out there for all of the goals the puck off a clean face-off win and gave it right to the Leafs early and it against in this one and gave Matthews way too much room on the led to extended zone time for the Leafs. He ended up with poor second goal of the night. He also pinched terribly while covering for possession numbers overall at 36%, and was negative with every Graves on the game-winning goal, and got burned as he missed the puck defensive partner. I did like him on the power play tonight though. completely. Just a tough night defensively for a guy who the Avs actually use a lot in that role. Valeri Nichushkin – B-

Joonas Donskoi – C- HE FINALLY GOT ONE! Good for him, as he’s been working hard and was rewarded with the goal in the third period. I don’t like seeing such a Donskoi made a great pass to Burakovsky for his goal but had a rougher big man get his stick lifted so easily on the Matthews goal. He’s normally night overall. At one point in the second period, the puck bounced to the good defensively but had some tough moments in this one. front while Donskoi was there, and he just skated off the ice with his stick in the air, not paying attention. It was the end of his shift, but if he’s even Matt Nieto – D paying a little attention, he may have a wide open shot in front. Nieto started the game on the Avs second line, and that’s just a sign of Samuel Girard – D everything that’s going on with this team right now, injury-wise. Another quiet night for him offensively, and was on the ice for a few goals against. I’m still seeing far too many turnovers from Sam, and up the middle too, which is what makes them so noticeable. He still makes plenty of good Logan O’Connor – B- plays on the breakout, but the turnovers seem to have gone up. The big issue with Girard was that every shot attempt he was taking was getting O’Connor seemed to get promoted late, and had his assist taken away blocked. He had five shot attempts get blocked in this one on eight on the Nichushkin goal, but he was battling hard in front. He had some attempts. Only one of his attempts actually got through to the net. good chances in this one too, and ended up with over 10 minutes, so I think the staff was pretty happy with him. Ryan Graves – D- T.J. Tynan – D Graves got pummeled pretty badly in terms of possession, as the Avs only controlled 31% of the shot attempts with him out there. He was out Started the game on the third line and then got demoted and played less there for two even-strength goals, including one where he got caught and less as the game went on. He’s a very quick guy and works hard but pinched in for the breakaway game-winner. I think there was a lot that you can see why there hasn’t been an extended NHL stay for him in his went wrong on that one, and not all on Graves, but when he’s chasing, career, despite his AHL numbers. he has issues. I don’t like how far along the boards he got caught on the Nikita Zadorov – D+ power play goal by Barrie. Z’s issues in front of the net reared their head again on the first goal, but Philipp Grubauer – F other than that he did decent in his own end. The front of the net stuff This isn’t all on Grubauer, but certainly his worst performance to date this though is just confusing with how big he is. When he’s on the ice, it’s year, and he only made it through a period. The Matthews goal, as good clear the other teams don’t want to attempt many controlled zone entries, as his release is, caught Grubauer cheating to the near side and and you could see that even tonight with a skilled team. Had a nice hit Matthews went far side. It didn’t look pretty on the replay. Francouz late in the third to get possession back with the Avs. Did finish on the played well in place of him, but I bet Grubauer plays on Wednesday. He’s positive end of possession numbers, and played well on the shift leading your number one, go back to him. to Nichushkin’s goal.

BSN DENVER LOADED: 11.24.2019 1163051 Colorado Avalanche and third goals but the second goal is definitely one he needs to stop and he stood a chance on a clean breakaway, though I’m not one for dinging a goalie much on giving up a goal on breakaways. It was just the final cherry on top of a poor performance from him where things got away Leafs win ‘Battle of the Exes’ as Barrie shines in Colorado return from the team in front of him and he wasn’t able to bail them out. That’s going to happen sometimes.

Pavel Francouz played the last two periods and was great. He only faced BY AJ HAEFELE 13 shots but did his job well. An encouraging performance for him as he NOVEMBER 23, 2019 will likely get one of the two games in the Chicago home-and-home series next week.

Kadri finished with two assists against his former club and came close to “We have to play a full 60 minutes.” a goal late in the third period when he deflected a puck that Andersen just got across his crease to stop. I thought he was pretty solid overall. One of hockey’s most-repeated cliches is all about how teams have to play a full game in order to come out with the win. What I didn’t get was Kadri playing LW next to MacKinnon for so much of the night. Really odd usage when that combination has never really But the dirty secret is that it isn’t really true at all. worked (despite combining on the opening goal, which was soooooft). Tonight was another example of that as the Toronto Maple Leafs played The appeal of Kadri as the 2C is to give teams a difficult assignment in a very effective 18 or so minutes in the first period, built a 4-1 lead, and matching against him both with their forwards and their D. To stack them spent the rest of the game fending off a slow-building Avalanche made it easier for Sheldon Keefe to run his best options and use his comeback. superior forward depth to make life miserable against Colorado’s other lines. That’s exactly what happened. An oddity from Bednar. It wasn’t that they played a full sixty minutes, it was they played a more effective 18 minutes than the Avs played the final 40 minutes. Burakovsky finished the last three seasons with 12 goals. He already has 11 this year. Facing a 4-1 deficit after the first period, Colorado dominated the rest of the game. They entered that intermission down 16-8 in shots on goal. Colorado has a real problem with their defense. After a solid start, Ryan Graves has hit the wall hard and Ian Cole is clearly a third-pairing From that point on, Colorado outscored Toronto 2-1 and outshot them defender at this point. That’s fine and normal for a team to be in that 29-13. situation but with Erik Johnson and Sam Girard trading games in which It didn’t matter. they struggle (I liked EJ more than G in this one but each had their moments and the spot next to Cale Makar turning into a revolving door, Colorado’s porous first period actually started perfectly with Nathan this group is really struggling right now. It can’t be much longer until MacKinnon scoring just 31 seconds into the game. Conor Timmins gets the call to come and try to help. It just can’t go on.

From there, Toronto took over and beat the Avs up in a battle of the I’ve always been impressed by oddsmakers but this one is an all-timer in exes. Former Maple Leaf Nazem Kadri got an assist on MacKinnon’s my books. Before the season, one betting site placed an over/under on goal and watched as the primary player he was traded for, Tyson Barrie, how many games Nichushkin’s goalless streak would last. It was placed scored a goal and an assist in response. at 92.5 games. Tonight, in game 92, Nichushkin ended the streak. Incredible, both for Nichushkin and for oddsmakers. The flurry of Toronto scoring finished with Kasperi Kapanen scoring on a clean breakaway after he separated from Ryan Graves and then beat Two final notes from here tonight: Avs could use more from J.T. Philipp Grubauer cleanly. Compher. He’s not been bad but he hasn’t really stepped up into the many voids on the roster. He just keeps being who he is, and that’s a Grubauer was pulled after the first period and Pavel Francouz stopped all net-positive player most nights, but it’s tough to see him just…not step 12 shots he faced, some of which were of the spectacular variety. into a void the way Burakovsky/Donskoi have. Lastly, just an appreciation Colorado scored in each of the second and third periods but it wasn’t for the way Matt Nieto thinks a game. If you ever watch him closely for a enough in the 5-3 decision. game, especially live when you see the way he moves around the ice without the puck, he is a joy to watch. Very intelligent. Andre Burakovsky scored in the second period, giving him 11 goals on the year and his first power-play goal of the year.

In the third period, the impossible finally became possible. Ian Cole hit BSN DENVER LOADED: 11.24.2019 the inside of the post and the puck ricocheted to the skate of John Tavares, where it bounced off and right to the stick of Valeri Nichushkin.

Nichushkin made no mistake and put the puck into the vacant net, giving him his first goal since March 4, 2016. It ended a string of 91 consecutive regular season games without a goal for Nichushkin and is his third point of this year.

It was all for naught, however, and the Avalanche comeback was felled by a brilliant save not by Toronto goaltender Frederik Andersen, but much-maligned defenseman Cody Ceci, who laid down and blocked a MacKinnon shot that was destined for the net as Andersen had not gotten across his crease yet.

The pressure was immense for three straight minutes with the goaltender pulled but Colorado couldn’t muster the fourth goal and an empty-net goal by Zach Hyman as time expired counted to bring the final to 5-3.

It’s the second straight loss for Colorado as they head into a much- needed three-day break to rest and heal up.

They return to action next Wednesday when the Edmonton Oilers come to town. I expect the Avs to look a little different than the last time those two teams met last week in Edmonton.

GAME TAKEAWAYS

This was definitely the worst performance of the year from Philipp Grubauer to my eye. I don’t know there was much he could do on the first 1163052 Columbus Blue Jackets tournament in Traverse City, Michigan, in September, co-leading the Jackets with four goals.

After using Texier exclusively on the wing, Tortorella decided to try him in Paul MacLean drawn to work with Blue Jackets coach, young players the middle for partly the same reason he did so in 2017-18 with then- rookie Pierre-Luc Dubois.

“There’s a lot more responsibility, but you’re covering a lot more ice, so Brian Hedger The Columbus Dispatch you’re skating a lot more,” Tortorella said. “I’m not sure how long that goes for. We’ll just see where it goes.” Nov 23, 2019 at 10:48 PM After the Blue Jackets’ 5-2 victory over the Montreal Canadiens on

Tuesday, defenseman Zach Werenski awarded the team’s Civil War-era One foot was solidly into retirement. Kepi hat to equipment manager Tim LeRoy, whose older brother, Bill, died on Nov. 1. Paul MacLean hadn’t coached in the NHL for two-plus years. His life was tilted more toward his family in Nova Scotia, and he began warming to Bill LeRoy, 56, was in his 18th season as video coach for the Grand that lifestyle. Rapids Griffins of the American Hockey League and died while with the team in Winnipeg. “I talked to a couple of teams (last summer) about opportunities, and it didn’t work out,” said MacLean, who was hired by the Blue Jackets on Tim LeRoy went back to Kalamazoo, Michigan, to be with his family after Thursday as a full-time assistant coach specializing in the power play. “I it happened and rejoined the Jackets prior to their game Nov. 15 against turned some things down too, but I always felt I had something to offer. It St. Louis. just had to be the right opportunity.” Getting the Kepi was a total surprise. MacLean, 61, wasn’t going to disrupt his personal life just to get back in “It was incredible,” said LeRoy, who missed the Blue Jackets’ trip to the NHL. It had to be a fit he liked and a situation that attracted his Winnipeg to attend his brother’s funeral services. “I had no idea. I don’t coaching instincts. even have words to describe how that felt. We’re really like a family in “To be honest, you can be a little bit fussy once you’re out there, here because we spend so much time together, so when they did that, it spending time with my grandchildren and with my wife,” said MacLean, a just gave me goose bumps.” veteran coach and former NHL player. “That’s semi-retirement. We Sticking with tradition, LeRoy awarded the Kepi hat to Cam Atkinson after started to build a different type of life than we had in the National Hockey the Jackets’ win Thursday against Detroit — the organization that has the League and really felt that was probably the direction we were going in. affiliation with Grand Rapids. But I always said that I was retired until my phone rang.”

Well, his phone rang a few weeks ago. Columbus Dispatch LOADED: 11.24.2019 Blue Jackets coach John Tortorella wanted to gauge MacLean’s interest in joining his coaching staff. MacLean had known Tortorella for a long time as a coaching colleague and liked what his research turned up about the Blue Jackets’ roster, and that’s ultimately what pulled him out of semi-retirement.

“This opportunity just seemed like it was going to be the right fit for me,” said MacLean, who was an assistant for three NHL teams and the Ottawa Senators’ head coach from 2011 to ’14. “I have tons of respect for John, so the combination of the potential growth (of the team) and the opportunity to work with him was too much to pass up.”

That’s how MacLean became a Blue Jacket, completing a circle that originated when he interviewed for the head-coaching spot in Columbus in 2010, when Scott Arniel was hired.

MacLean isn’t wasting time, either. He joined the Blue Jackets on the ice for their morning skate Saturday at Bell MTS Place and had several conversations with players on the two power-play units.

He’s back in a coaching role, happily, which means that retirement can wait.

“The more and more I dug into it, I was like, ‘This is a great opportunity to teach young players to play in the National Hockey League,’” MacLean said. “And to also have a chance to work with John? I was like, ‘Well, I just have to do this.’”

Tortorella kept his forward lines the same starting out against the Winnipeg Jets, which meant that rookie Alexandre Texier played his second game at center and Riley Nash was a healthy scratch.

Texier, who started the season at left wing, had a solid game Thursday in a 5-4 victory over the Detroit Red Wings. Centering a line with Nick Foligno at left wing and Cam Atkinson on the right, Texier scored the game’s first goal, finished with three shots and won 5 of 8 faceoffs (63 percent).

“Pace,” Tortorella said, when asked what he liked most about Texier’s performance. “Brings pace. He made a couple good plays down low just skating out of the corner with the puck from our defensive end and just skating out of the end zone. It gives him some freedom to get his legs moving all the time.”

Texier has played center most of his career, including stints the past two years in Finland. He also played in the middle at the prospects 1163053 Columbus Blue Jackets

Jets 4, Blue Jackets 3 | Late Jets goal kills Jackets’ earlier momentum

Brian Hedger The Columbus Dispatch

Nov 23, 2019 at 10:09 PM

WINNIPEG, Manitoba — It was headed for overtime, which would have meant at least a fourth straight game with a point.

Things in hockey change quickly, though, which goalie Elvis Merzlikins and the Blue Jackets learned the hard way Saturday night at Bell MTS Place in a 4-3 loss to the Winnipeg Jets.

The Jets snapped a 3-3 tie with 1:54 left in the third period when Andrew Copp gloved Merzlikins’ clearing attempt and put it into the net a second later for the winning goal.

It spoiled a good night otherwise for the Blue Jackets (9-9-4), whose three-game winning ended despite going 3 of 5 on the power play with goals by Pierre-Luc Dubois, Seth Jones and Gustav Nyquist.

"It’d be easy, but lazy to say we lost because of that mistake at the end (by Merzlikins)," Dubois said, "because we have 60 minutes to win a game and it never comes down to just one minute or one mistake."

Merzlikins allowed four goals on 31 shots, and Laurent Brossoit and Connor Hellebuyck combined for the win after Brossoit left the game in the third because of apparent cramping.

The first period ended with a 1-1 tie on goals by Dubois and Blake Wheeler. Winnipeg took a 2-1 lead on Nikolaj Ehler’s goal at 5:19, making the Blue Jackets pay for failing to clear a loose puck, but they stormed back thanks to back-to-back penalties on Jets defensemen Tucker Poolman (hooking) and Luca Sbisa (boarding).

Sbisa was sent to the penalty box nine seconds after the door closed on Poolman, which gave the Blue Jackets 1:51 of power-play time, starting with a 5-on-3 advantage.

Jones tied it on a slap shot at 6:30, ending a 13-game goal drought, and Nyquist put the Jackets in front 3-2 by scoring 47 seconds later off Oliver Bjorkstrand’s rebound.

It was the second straight game the Jackets scored multiple power-play goals — they went 2 of 5 in a 5-4 victory Thursday against the Detroit Red Wings — and it was the first time they’d scored three in one game since April 3, 2018, against Detroit.

Mathieu Perreault tied it at 3-3 for Winnipeg with 5:17 left in the second.

The Blue Jackets also had another good push to start the game, which led to them scoring first for the seventh straight time on Dubois’ team- high 10th goal.

A strong shift by power forwards Eric Robinson and Josh Anderson resulted in Sbisa tripping Robinson to give the Blue Jackets the game’s first power play, and Dubois capped it 25 seconds later from the right- wing circle.

It took the Jets only 3:24 to counter.

Wheeler tied it at 8:23 with a quick shot through Merzlikins’ pads, scoring off a nice pass from Jack Roslovic — who’s from Columbus and played for both the Ohio AAA Blue Jackets and Miami University.

Columbus Dispatch LOADED: 11.24.2019 1163054 Columbus Blue Jackets struggles. (Again, this was a brain cramp, not a getting-to-know-the-NHL mistake.)

3. Too passive in the third Portzline: ‘Oh, Elvis,’ and nine other observations from the Blue Jackets’ Winnipeg lost defensemen Josh Morrissey and Nathan Beaulieu to injury loss to Winnipeg after two periods, meaning the Jets’ blue-liners played every other shift for the remainder of the game.

By Aaron Portzline You wouldn’t have known.

Nov 23, 2019 The Blue Jackets generated only six shots on goal in the third period, and Dubois, for one, thought the Jackets’ approach in the final 20 minutes was all wrong.

Ten observations from the Blue Jackets’ 4-3 loss to the Winnipeg Jets on “They’re down with four D,” Dubois said. “We have to push more. They’re Saturday in Bell MTS Place: about to break. They have four D. I just say we have to push more, try more to get that goal instead of making sure they don’t get it. We can 1. Oh, Elvis push a bit harder. The Blue Jackets were 1:54 away from a guaranteed road point and a “If we take the game in our hands and we push the pace and we play chance to claim their fourth straight win. With the score tied in Winnipeg, how we want to play instead of making sure that nothing happens, I think the puck rolled innocently toward goaltender Elvis Merzlikins. we could break them even more.” You might have heard that Merzlikins is unconventional. We’ve seen The Jets also lost their goaltender, Laurent Brossoit, to cramping midway enough to know he’s got the hint of a riverboat gambler in his DNA. But it through the third period, forcing Connor Hellebuyck into the game cold also has seemed as if Merzlikins was settling into life as an NHL with 10:52 to play. goaltender, drawing ever closer to his first win. It took nearly four minutes before the Blue Jackets made Hellebuyck But then … make a save. Merzlikins gathered the puck, and for reasons known only to Elvis and a “We were trying,” Tortorella said. “They were doing a lot of … they know higher power, sent it screaming up the middle with a clearing pass to no they’re down for D, so they’re trying to protect them all. one in particular. “We were the better team. We were the better team, (and) we found a The puck hit Jets center Andrew Copp, who settled it down, skated to his way to lose.” left and fired the puck toward the net. It glanced off Blue Jackets defenseman David Savard and dribbled wide of Merzlikins’ left pad and 4. Three power-play goals … and a loss into the net. For the first time this season — and the first time since April 3, 2018 — Jets 4, Blue Jackets 3 the Blue Jackets scored three power-play goals.

That’s how it ended, too, despite a furious final-minute push by the Blue Dubois scored at 4:59 of the first off a deflected puck in front to make it 1- Jackets with Merzlikins pulled for an extra skater. 0. Seth Jones scored a five-on-three goal off a slap shot at 6:30 of the second, and Gustav Nyquist scored off his own rebound 47 seconds later Blue Jackets coach John Tortorella declined to comment on Merzlikins to give the Jackets a 3-2 lead. after the game. Actually, he told assembled media in Winnipeg that any question about his goaltender would end his postgame scrum Right now, the Jackets are making it look easy. Over the past 11 games, immediately. Columbus is 11 of 39 (28.2 percent) with a man-advantage, including a power-play goal in each of the past four games. “I’m warning you, I’ll walk,” he was quoted as saying by Judy Owen of the Canadian Press. They’re 5 of 10 since Paul MacLean was hired on Thursday as an assistant coach. And in the process, he spoke volumes. But here’s another unfortunate fact … 2. What was he thinking? For only the fourth time in 1,464 games as a franchise, the Blue Jackets It’s really easy from the press box, the club seats or the living room scored three power-play goals and lost in regulation. They’ve scored Barcalounger to second-guess decisions and ridicule mistakes that are three goals with the man advantage in 38 games, and they’re 32-4-2 in made in a 100-mph league. those games. But Merzlikins’ decision was truly perplexing. Even if that puck connects Memories: The Jackets once scored four power-play goals and lost 6-5 in with a Blue Jackets player, they’re a sitting duck with the puck on their regulation in Nashville. It was Dec. 22, 2011 … back when they could stick, flat-footed in the middle of the defensive zone. never win in Music City. He had plenty of room to the left and the right side of the ice to simply 5. Seth Jones finally breaks through send the puck out of harm’s way, just chuck it into the dead area on the ice. The fact that he sent it into traffic boggles the mind. He wasn’t under The great wait is finally finished. pressure, either. There was plenty of time. Seth Jones, one of the most talented defensemen in the NHL, and a The Blue Jackets did their best to rally around Merzlikins after the game. power-play staple for the Blue Jackets since he came here in a trade with Nashville in the 2015-16 season, ended an almost unfathomable drought. Tortorella, as noted, threw a stiff-arm at reporters before his scrum even started. But center Pierre-Luc Dubois spread the blame about the His second-period power-play goal was his first in 98 regular-season dressing room. games, dating back to April 3, 2018. He scored a power-play goal last spring in the Stanley Cup playoffs, so perhaps this is nit-picking. “It would be easy but lazy to say that we lost because of that mistake at the end,” Dubois told reporters in Winnipeg. “You have 60 minutes to win But 98 games! a game. It never comes down to one minute or one mistake.” “The late payments were coming in on me for a bit,” Jones joked with Fox The Blue Jackets are once again in a tricky situation with their Sports Ohio’s Dave Maetzold after the game. goaltending. Starter Joonas Korpisalo has played well recently, so well that they’ve struggled to get Merzlikins playing time. “It’s nice to see another one go in. I haven’t been shooting probably as much as I want to. I’m just trying to put more pucks to the net and see But with back-to-back games scheduled for another week, it would be what happens.” hard to ship Merzlikins to minor-league Cleveland to work out his 6. The magic of MacLean? Truth be told, the Blue Jackets’ power play started warming before the Finally, the MTS crew came trotting onto the ice with a 10-foot ladder. club announced the hiring of MacLean as Tortorella’s third behind-the- Tools matter, people. Easy fix. bench assistant coach. The crowd roared its approval. Carry on. Tortorella himself took over coaching the unit at least one week before MacLean was brought on to replace Brad Larsen as the coach in charge 10. Timbits of the unit. Blue Jackets defenseman Zach Werenski had an assist on Jones’ power- So what’s changed? play goal, giving him a six-game point streak to match a career-high. … Oliver Bjorkstrand had two assists, his third straight multi-point game. He Blue Jackets coaches have tried desperately to get players to play less has 1-5-6 in his past three. … Gustav Nyquist has scored all four of his rigidly and more instinctively, but MacLean has almost gone the other goals this season on the road. He has 4-6-11 in 10 road games, and 0-3- direction, with an emphasis on simplicity. 3 in 12 games in Nationwide Arena. … The Blue Jackets are off on Sunday. They’ll host Ottawa on Monday. “He wants us in specific spots at specific times, and that’s what’s really helping us out,” Dubois said. “We can make the play with what we see. Alison Lukan’s analytics We can plays, but we know where guys are. That’s what’s doing a good job for us.” The Athletic’s Alison Lukan provided these insights into the Blue Jackets’ loss: Tortorella noted that confidence — so hard to find, and so hard to keep — has taken residence with the Blue Jackets. This is a tough loss. Using Money Pucks’ new ‘deserve to win o’meter,” the Blue Jackets win 76.3 percent of the time after playing a game like “We’re moving the puck well,” he said. “Playing downhill, getting some they did. Columbus earned 55.83 percent of five-on-five shot attempts, shots and looking to get some rebounds. (The power play) was a big part 57.37 percent of scoring chances and the final expected goal total was of us being involved in the game tonight.” 3.76-2.2 in favor of Columbus.

7. Kid Columbus Prior to the Jets’ game-winning goal, the Blue Jackets had a 47.21 percent likelihood of winning the game. Columbus native Jack Roslovic has had his ups and downs in Winnipeg, mostly due to his limited role and limited ice time with the Jets over the The Blue Jackets’ penalty kill was strong in three outings, allowing just past couple of years. .57 expected goals off 10 shot attempts against in 5:28 of time. Conversely, the Blue Jackets’ power play generated .95 expected goals But he’s not complaining now. off 12 attempts and scored three times.

Roslovic has become a fixture in the Winnipeg top six this season. He It was a strong night for Josh Anderson, who finished second among all played 14:58 on Saturday, with two shot attempts (one on goal) and a Jackets’ skaters in five-on-five shot attempts (6) and scoring chances (3). primary assist on the Jets’ first goal. His line, which included Alexander Wennberg and Eric Robinson, also He’s averaging five minutes more per game than he did last season, a had the most offensive impact of all forward lines in shot share (+10), huge climb. scoring chances (+8) and shot quality (81.54 percent of expected goals).

The Athletic’s Murat Ates provided this Q&A with Roslovic earlier this The top performers in terms of game score: Oliver Bjorkstrand (1.87); month. Good stuff. Dean Kukan (1.14); Boone Jenner (1.13); Vladislav Gavrikov (1.05); Gustav Nyquist (.98). 8. About those ‘Costanza’ lines … Data via MoneyPuck.com, Evolving-Hockey.com, NaturalStatTrick.com, It was quite the giggle a week or so ago when Tortorella scrambled his and reflects score and venue adjusted five-on-five play unless otherwise lines in ways he never would have imagined. It was worth a belly laugh stated. when it actually worked.

But one wonders how much playing at home has helped him keep the lines together because the reasons he resisted putting them together are The Athletic LOADED: 11.24.2019 actually legitimate.

Case in point: Playing Dubois, the club’s undisputed No. 1 center, with young wingers Sonny Milano and Emil Bemstrom, has created an offensively creative line.

But can Tortorella play that line when he doesn’t get the last line change? Can he dare get caught with Milano and Bemstrom on the ice when the Jets’ top line of Kyle Connor — Mark Scheifele — Patrik Laine comes hopping over the boards.

Tortorella broke up the line late in the second period, and Milano didn’t play at all in the third period. Bemstrom took one shift in the third period.

The Nick Foligno-Alexandre Texier-Cam Atkinson line didn’t fare well, either.

Foligno was on the ice for all four Winnipeg goals. Texier, in his second game as a center, played just 9:53 and was -3. Atkinson had an assist and tied for the club lead with four shots, but was -2.

9. Carnival games

The object of this game is to use this ill-fitted stick to poke this microphone on a string up and over this 12-foot glass … with 15,000 people watching.

NHL official Garrett Rank borrowed Bossoit’s stick late in the first period when a big hit by the Foligno swayed the glass above the endboards so much that a microphone was jarred loose.

Rank could only get the microphone to the edge of the glass before the string slid off the stick blade and drew an “ohhhh” from the crowd. Within a few seconds, several other players joined Rank — teamwork! — but they suffered a similar fate. 1163055 Dallas Stars Klingberg, like his coach, recognizes that his return will ultimately force others to the press box — although he didn’t want to think too much about Montgomery’s decisions.

Bolstered by return of Roope Hintz and John Klingberg, Stars beat After a slow start to the season for the sixth-year defenseman, Klingberg Blackhawks 2-1 in shootout for 6th straight win made clear that he’s ready to get back to a level he’s proven capable of and not disrupt the Stars’ recent roll.

“We’re playing with a lot more confidence,” Klingberg said. “We’re By Mitchell Gladstone making plays, which builds confidence, and you see a lot more guys going out there trying to make a difference.” 2:08 AM on Nov 24, 2019

Dallas Morning News LOADED: 11.24.2019 It had been three weeks since Roope Hintz played for the Stars. And despite missing the guy who scored nine goals in the first 16 games, their offense has gotten humming to the tune of a league-best 4.1 goals per game sans Hintz.

So while adding the 23-year-old Finn to the lineup creates a bit of a roster conundrum for Stars coach Jim Montgomery, the return of Hintz is nothing but a boon for his team.

“I wish he never got hurt,” Montgomery said of Hintz on Saturday morning. “When a guy is playing as well as Roope was, and he was carrying us as a forward, you just hope he comes back with that same mindset — being aggressive, taking pucks to the blue paint.”

In the Stars’ 2-1 shootout victory Saturday night against the Blackhawks at American Airlines Center, Hintz scored the opening goal on a deflection from a John Klingberg shot, making for a positive start to a night that ended with a stellar late-game showing from goalie Anton Khudobin.

The Stars’ backup netminder made 38 saves on 39 Chicago shots, drawing plenty of oohs from the home crowd.

Still, the good vibes kept on coming for Hintz, who now has 10 goals.

“You just have to work hard,” Hintz said after the win. “I just kept playing the same game I was before and [tried to] not think too much about the difficult things.”

It’s hard to ignore what the second-year winger was doing in the season’s first month before going down with a lower-body injury.

Hintz led the team in goals — and still does, despite missing seven games — and logged 1.4 offensive point shares, a mark only bettered by Miro Heiskanen and Tyler Seguin.

His absurd 27.3 shooting percentage — triple what Hintz did in his 2018- 19 season — is tops in the NHL, putting Hintz above veteran offensive dynamos like Boston’s Brad Marchand, Colorado’s Andre Burakovsky and Washington’s T.J. Oshie.

And Hintz scored three times in his last three games before being sidelined, sparking the Stars’ surge that has Dallas creeping toward first place in the Western Conference.

“I don’t know if it’s easier or [harder,]” Hintz said when asked about jumping back into a lineup that is rolling.

The injury meant time up in the press box, watching the game from a different angle.

Hintz hadn’t dealt with too many challenges in his first year since coming up from the minors, but the last three weeks were a chance to put things into perspective — literally and figuratively.

“The whole team is playing really good right now,” Hintz said. “It was great to watch the guys play from up there. … You can see everything up top, but it’s sometimes different when you’re on the ice, so let’s go and play.”

With Hintz and Klingberg (also returning from a lower-body injury) back on the bench, Montgomery made Denis Gurianov and Taylor Fedun healthy scratches Saturday night.

“It’s really difficult,” Montgomery said when asked about his process in setting the lineup. “We’ll be forced to have to make [our decision] after warmups. There are going to be people coming out of the back end and the forward end that don’t deserve to come out right now.” 1163056 Dallas Stars Dallas Morning News LOADED: 11.24.2019

‘Best player in the game’: In win over Blackhawks, Anton Khudobin reinforced just how impressive Stars’ goaltending depth has become

By Mitchell Gladstone

5:43 AM on Nov 24, 2019

It’s quite rare to have a one-two punch when it comes to goalies.

And even if you do, there’s often somewhat of an obvious gap between the pair.

But just from watching Anton Khudobin Saturday night, you’d be hard- pressed to call him a backup.

With 38 saves on 39 shots against the Blackhawks — including a ridiculous stop as part of a three-shot sequence early in the third period — as well as saves against both Jonathan Toews and Patrick Kane in the shootout, Khudobin made his presence felt to secure a sixth win in his 10th game played this season.

“Best player in the game,” coach Jim Montgomery said of Khudobin. “We’re very fortunate to have [Ben Bishop] as our starter and [Khudobin] as 1B or 1A or whatever you want to call it. … They’re the backbone of this team.”

The only score of the night for Chicago came on a 2-on-1 rush after the Stars were caught deep in their offensive zone.

Other than that, Khudobin led the way, more than matching his counterpart in the Blackhawks’ net, Robin Lehner, who made 40 saves on 41 Dallas shots.

“It was pretty fun,” Khudobin said. “It’s more fun when you’re winning games like that, but losing you feel like you’re empty, to be honest, so that’s why I was pretty pumped after stopping the second shootout [goal].”

Saturday was just the latest in an already impressive season for the 33- year-old Russian.

His save percentage is now up to .929, a mark that’s currently fourth-best in the league, not to mention a goals against average of 2.15 — that number is better than Bishop’s 2.25 through 16 games and is topped by only Arizona’s Darcy Kemper and the Islanders’ Thomas Greiss.

“Really good [performance,]” John Klingberg said of Khudobin. “We have two goalies that are so good, and they give us a chance to win every time.”

“It’s always great when you’re winning,” Khudobin added. “Confidence always goes up, but we have a lot of work in front of us.”

Corey Perry played his 1,000th career game 10 days ago in Calgary, but he had to wait until Saturday to celebrate.

Surrounded by his parents, brother, wife and son, the veteran winger was honored in a pregame ceremony before taking on the Blackhawks. The Stars’ players presented Perry with a golf trip to Oregon’s Bandon Dunes, and general manager Jim Nill gave Perry engraved silver stick.

Shane Doan was also on hand, representing the NHL. He handed out an engraved crystal puck following a video tribute and a message from Ryan Getzlaf, Perry’s longtime teammate with the Anaheim Ducks.

Injury update: Justin Dowling left the game late in the second period and did not return to the bench at the start of the third period. The centerman was later ruled out of the remainder of the game with what was described as a lower-body injury.

Montgomery said afterwards, however, that Dowling was suffering from “nausea” similar to what he dealt with a couple weeks back against the Avalanche.

On the other side of things, Klingberg made his return after missing six games. He logged nearly 24 minutes in 28 shifts on the night, a number topped only by Esa Lindell and Miro Heiskanen.

1163057 Dallas Stars Khudobin is able to reach with the right pad, but the rebound goes right to David Kampf, who tries to shovel the rebound back past the goalie’s pad.

Stars 20/20: Anton Khudobin. What else needs to be said? Kampf was not able to do so and had a second rebound chance, but the whistle blew as Khudobin covered the puck with his body.

The play was reviewed because the puck entered the net after the By Sean Shapiro whistle, but it was ruled no goal.

Nov 23, 2019 As Khudobin said after the game “almost doesn’t count.”

6. We should also mention Khudobin’s save on Kane on a four-on-three penalty kill with the glove, that was huge. DALLAS — The Dallas Stars extended their six-game win streak and 11- game point streak with a 2-1 shootout win against the Chicago We could also mention a handful of other big saves that would typically Blackhawks on Saturday. get their own point, but considering the high bar he set with his other stops, you’ll just have to take our word for it, Khudobin was dominant. 1. Anton Khudobin. 7. Robin Lehner matched Khudobin save-for-save on the other end, he 2. Oh, you needed a clarifier for the first point? was also tremendous in net as he stopped 40 of 41 shots. The Stars back-up goalie, or the 1B if you want to use that term, turned Lehner’s downfall? Shootouts, and the goalie is well aware of it. away 38 shots and made arguably the NHL save of the year in the second period. He added another handful of saves to his personal “I’m not very good at them,” Lehner said. “I don’t know what’s tough highlight reel and after he had secured the first point and forced the about them or not tough about them. I don’t seem to make the save in game to overtime, he secured the second with a breakaway save in the shootout and I do on a breakaway. It’s a little bit different in speed for overtime and stopped both shots in the shootout. me, but it is what it is. Never been good at it, I’ve tried a bunch of different things but it is what it is. Honestly I don’t have an answer for “Best player in the game,” Stars goalie Jim Montgomery said. you.” As a heads up, a lot of this 20/20 is deservedly going to focus on the Joe Pavelski and Tyler Seguin both beat Lehner on wrist shots to the goalie. five-hole, they didn’t seem to have any problems picking apart the Vezina 3. We’ll start from the end and move forward with Khudobin’s night. finalist from a year ago.

In the shootout, the Blackhawks sent out their two best players in This brings up an interesting thought: if you were the coach of the shootouts in Patrick Kane and Jonathan Toews. Toews nearly beat Blackhawks, would you change goalies just for the shootout? Khudobin, but the goalie did just enough to get a poke check on the You have one goalie who is self-described inept at them, while you have Chicago captain and dislodged the puck. Toews shot the rebound into another who has a career .713 save percentage and 31 career shootout the net, but rebounds aren’t allowed in the shootout. wins in Corey Crawford on the bench. Crawford may be coming in cold, Khudobin sealed the game by stopping Kane, getting just enough of the but he’s likely a better option for shootouts than Lehner. puck with his pad before the puck nicked off the post and the goalie 8. In the midst of win streak and lengthy point streak the Stars got back delivered a rather emotional celebration. their leading goal scorer and second-best defenseman in the form of Since the shootout was introduced in 2005, Khudobin has been one of Roope Hintz and John Klingberg. the NHL’s best in the showdown. His .819 save percentage in shootouts Hintz had missed the prior seven games with a lower-body injury, while ranks fifth in NHL history amongst goalies who have faced at least 25 Klingberg has missed the past six with a right knee injury. shootout attempts. And in the first period they combined to score the Stars’ only goal in 4. Before the shootout, Khudobin saved the game on a breakaway in regulation. overtime. Off a faceoff win Klingberg walked the blue line and fired a shot that was It was one of the rare mistakes by Miro Heiskanen that nearly ended up deflected by Hintz’ leg and snuck past Lehner. in the back of the Stars net. Near the end of a shift Heiskanen was stripped of the puck by Kane, who is one of the few players with the Hintz had no idea he scored initially and only knew it was his goal speed to pull away from a tired Heiskanen in a race. because he felt the puck hit his knee.

Kane has been particularly dynamic this year and earlier in the evening Pavelski also provided a bit of the screen on the play and was setup in extended a 12-game point streak. But he couldn’t beat Khudobin as his the high slot as Klingberg fired his shot from the point. shot was denied by the goalie’s pads. 9. Neither Klingberg or Hintz looked out of place in their return to the There’s a difference between a shootout and a breakaway from a goalie lineup perspective, a big one. Klingberg played 23 minutes, 42 seconds and the Stars transition game The speed in a shootout is controlled by the shooter. On a breakaway it’s was smoother since it didn’t have to run solely through Heiskanen from controlled by the situation and with a backchecker typically coming, the the blue line. player is typically under more pressure than the goalie to score in a timely manner. Hintz had six shot attempts and created space with his speed in 16 minutes, 59 seconds of ice time. His faceoffs were still a bit off, he went On Kane’s breakaway Khubodin read that he had to shoot, there was no 1-for-4, but his overall game was rather encouraging. time for a deke with Heiskanen on his heels, and the goalie played the percentages perfectly. 10. Montgomery was in the unenviable position where he had to take two deserving players out of the lineup on Saturday. 5. Let’s turn to the highlight of the night. It’s a decision that would have been easy about a week ago, but in the Let’s watch it again with the overhead camera. past three games all of the candidates for a potential healthy scratch had performed well enough where they wouldn’t have earned the scratch Now let’s break it down frame by frame. based on merit. The play starts with the puck on the side of the Stars net, Dominik “There are going to be people coming out that don’t deserve to come out Kubalik is left all alone as three Stars collapse to one side. right now,” Montgomery said after an optional morning skate. “But we’ve Kubalik has the entire net to shoot at. got to do what’s best for the Dallas Stars. We’re in a good position right now. Just a month ago, we didn’t have the luxury of making this kind of decision.” In the end Montgomery decided that Denis Gurianov and Taylor Fedun Klingberg took over point duties on the second unit from Lindell, who would watch from the press box on Saturday night. At morning skate moved back to the bumper role, while Dowling was in front of the net Montgomery said the decision would be made after warmups, but that before leaving the game. Seguin and Radulov were on the flanks. was a bluff to the media — Gurrianov and Fedun knew before morning skate that they’d be healthy scratches. In total the Stars power play went 0-for-4 and had nine shots on net.

Fedun’s scratch wasn’t that surprising. While he’s been playing well lately 15. Dallas’ penalty kill turned in a perfect 4-for-4 effort. and continues to exceed expectations, he’s still considered the seventh The old hockey cliche, “your goaltender is your best penalty killer,” rang defenseman on the depth chart. true as Khudobin stopped all nine shots on the penalty kill — including Gurianov coming out of the lineup was a bit more surprising, but not three that came from close range. unexpected after Justin Dowling, Jason Dickinson and Mattias Janmark 16. Chicago thought they had taken a 2-1 lead with three minutes have all produced offensively in the past week. remaining when a point shot by Olli Maatta was tipped by Dylan Strome While Gurianov has looked more confident in all-around aspects of the with a high stick. game, his last five games have yielded a single assist and based on his Montgomery said after the game it was clear to him it was a high-stick current competition to stay in the lineup it wasn’t enough. and watching the replay, he’s right.

This, of course, led to quite the debate on social media when I tweeted 17. In a former Stars note, Valeri Nichushkin finally scored Saturday for that Fedun and Gurianov would be sitting out on Saturday afternoon. The the Colorado Avalanche against the Toronto Maple Leafs. loudest comments were about Gurianov and there was a rather vocal grouping wondering why Blake Comeau or Andrew Cogliano wouldn’t Nichushkin infamously set an NHL record last season with Dallas when come out of the lineup. he went 57 games without a goal or a penalty.

Whether you agree or not, Comeau and Cogliano are trusted by It was the first goal in 92 NHL games for the former Stars first-round pick Montgomery. Remember Comeau is the player who Montgomery once and the first since 2016. said would be on the ice with five minutes remaining if the Stars were 18. It’s funny how things work. trying to win a Stanley Cup. On the same night Dallas beat Chicago in a shootout, their respective Both Comeau and Cogliano also play a role on the penalty kill that AHL teams went to a shootout three hours south in Cedar Park as the Montgomery wouldn’t want to sacrifice to try and shoehorn Gurianov into Texas Stars beat the Rockford IceHogs 7-6 in a shootout. the bottom-six. The win ended an 11-game losing streak for the Stars AHL affiliate. 11. Dallas had its healthiest roster of the season. 19. Ok, one last Khudobin point. For the first time in 24 games all of the players on the active roster were considered healthy, and the only players on injured reserve are Stephen If it’s called a “Bish-up” when Ben Bishop sends a stretch pass to a Johns and Martin Hanzal. Hanzal’s career is over, Johns’ long-term forward, what do we call it when Anton Khudobin did that in the second prognosis is still unknown and he hasn’t played an NHL game in two period? seasons. Dobby dobby do? 12. Dowling left the game with 1:07 remaining in the second period and didn’t return with what the Stars called an upper-body injury. 20. Here is how the Stars did when it came to Montgomery’s process:

After the game Montgomery said it was a little nausea that Dowling Average five-on-five shift length of 40 seconds or less: Failed. The couldn’t get rid of. average shift was 42.4 seconds

“Same thing that happened in Colorado,” Montgomery said. Zero undisciplined penalties: Failed.

Montgomery was asked if it was concussion-related and the coach said Three or fewer odd-man rushes: Failed. no. Win net-front battle: Failed. “This is something he’s dealt with for his full life,” Montgomery said. Win special teams: Failed. Based on that synopsis, I wouldn’t think Dowling is dealing with anything long-term at the moment. The Athletic LOADED: 11.24.2019 13. The Stars celebrated Corey Perry’s 1,000th game in a ceremony before the game on Saturday.

Perry’s family was in attendance and joined him at center ice as he was presented a silver stick by the Stars, the customary gift for reaching 1,000 games, and an etched crystal plaque from the NHL, which was presented by Shane Doan. Perry’s teammates also gifted him a trip for four to the Bandon Dunes Golf Course in Bandon, Oregon.

During the game videos were shown congratulating Perry on his accomplishment after he became the 340th player in NHL history to reach 1,000 games on Nov. 13 in Calgary against the Flames.

The videos in the arena included congratulations from Teemu Sellane, Bruce Boudreau, Drew Doughty, John Gibson and Wayne Gretzky. In the third period some of Perry’s current teammates, including Pavelski and Cogliano, shared their congratulations on the video board.

We also can’t forget that Perry’s young son Griffin also was given a Victor E. Green plush to celebrate his father’s achievement.

14. The power-play units were expectedly altered with Klingberg and Hintz back in the lineup.

Heiskanen still ran the first unit from the point, while Hintz was on the flank where Gurianov had been the past couple games. 1163058 Detroit Red Wings

Game thread: Red Wings lose to Devils, 5-1

Detroit Free Press staff

Published 6:00 a.m. ET Nov. 23, 2019 | Updated 9:41 p.m. ET Nov. 23, 2019

Detroit Red Wings (7-14-3) vs. New Jersey Devils (7-10-4)

When: 7 p.m.

Where: Prudential Center, Newark, NJ

TV: Fox Sports Detroit-Plus.

Radio: 97.1 FM (Red Wings radio affiliates).

Detroit Free Press LOADED: 11.24.2019 1163059 Detroit Red Wings “That was a good start with it,” he said of the Howe jersey. “It was nothing specific to it. I just saw the jersey, I liked it. I had no idea I’d end up here, but it just turned out to be a major coincidence.”

Why Detroit Lions' Justin Coleman proudly wears a Gordie Howe No. 9 Red Wings jersey Detroit Free Press LOADED: 11.24.2019

Carlos Monarrez, Detroit Free Press

Published 4:00 p.m. ET Nov. 23, 2019

Justin Coleman had no idea who Gordie Howe was.

But somehow, before the Detroit Lions cornerback had any idea he would end up playing in the same city as the late Red Wings legend and hockey icon known as Mr. Hockey, he was drawn to Howe’s jersey.

This happened in Seattle, where Coleman played for the Seahawks from 2017-18. Coleman grew up in Georgia and he isn’t a hockey fan. He’s never even been to a game.

Yet, somehow, someway and for some unknown and unexplainable reason, Howe’s No. 9 red jersey called to him while he was visiting a sports merchandise store in Seattle.

“I was probably thinking about what type of outfit I was going to wear for the game and then we went to a Fanatics shop,” Coleman said. “They had old hockey jerseys. They had random Mighty Duck jerseys.

“But that jersey kind of stood out. I actually wanted every jersey in there that was a hockey jersey.”

So Coleman bought the jersey in Seattle. He moved to Detroit after he signed a four-year, $36-million deal with the Lions in March. After Sunday’s game against the Dallas Cowboys, Coleman broke out the Howe jersey (or sweater in hockey parlance) in the locker room (or dressing room in hockey parlance) as he departed Ford Field.

The funny thing is Coleman never bothered to investigate whose jersey he was wearing before he arrived in Detroit. He freely admits he’s a neophyte and barely knows anything about hockey or its players. Just imagine how fraught with danger his uninformed purchase was. Instead of Howe, Coleman could have ended up with a Tom McCollum jersey from the bargain bin.

“I mean, I’m not a big fan,” he said. “I don’t know too many names. I only know about three names total in hockey. OK, I know Howe now. I know (Alexander) Ovechkin and — (the third) it’s not catching me right now.”

Even if he’s not a fan of the sport, he’s a fan of the sport’s sartorial sensibility and has become a bit of a collector. He also has Mighty Ducks of Anaheim and Vancouver Canucks jerseys but was a little tight-lipped about some of his others.

Gordie Howe lies in repose at Joe Louis Arena on Tuesday.

“I don’t have that many,” he said. “I just started getting into it. I’ve like 10, 15 of them. It’s just — I don’t know. It’s just something I caught on to that being it’s long sleeves in this cold weather, it’s perfect.”

What also turned out to be perfect was Coleman’s choice of the Howe jersey. It wasn’t until he visited a sports merchandise store in Detroit on a rather interesting errand.

“I was just trying to find one of my jerseys, a No. 27 jersey,” he said. “After I didn’t find one, I just ended up doing a casual shop in the store and thrashing through some hockey jerseys.”

Wait. He couldn’t find his own Lions jersey?

“I’m not famous enough right now,” he said.

Then he spotted the Howe jersey and began asking store personnel questions.

“I’m like, ‘Uh, so what’s up with this jersey? Why is this one like this?’ ” he said. “And they kind of explained who the person is and why they made the jersey a certain way.”

Next up for Coleman? Maybe attending a Wings game. Perhaps attempting to ice skate for the first time. If nothing else, he’s got the clothes for it. 1163060 Detroit Red Wings Butcher pass was tipped by Dennis Cholowski and the puck went to the crease, where it bounced off McIlrath’s skate — he was battling with Kyle Palmieri for position — and into the net.

Another defensive lull costs Red Wings in loss to Devils Then at 6:41, Blake Coleman knocked the puck from Madison Bowey near the slot area, and snapped a shot past goalie Jonathan Bernier giving New Jersey a 3-1 lead.

Ted Kulfan, The Detroit News “For sure we got away from our game when those two (goals) came,” forward Frans Nielsen said. “We started to take chances and turned Published 9:52 p.m. ET Nov. 23, 2019 | Updated 12:00 a.m. ET Nov. 24, pucks over and they created a lot of (offensive) chances. 2019 “That can’t happen, whatever the score is you have to stick with your

game plan.” Newark, N.J. — If you've watched the Red Wings, you've seen the script Taylor Hall clinched it for the Devils (8-10-4) with an empty-net goal at of this game often already this season. 15:23, and Coleman added an exclamation point with 11 seconds left. Off They stayed close for a while, allowed multiple goals in quick fashion, a faceoff victory, Coleman somehow broke in alone on Bernier, to close didn't generate enough offense (that's definitely been a given), and the scoring, his seventh goal. wound up losing. “Bernie (Bernier) was great, he was excellent,” Blashill said. “You look at New Jersey Devils center Kyle Palmieri (21) celebrates his goal with New the goals, he can’t do much on them. It’s a joke we gave up a breakaway Jersey Devils defenseman Sami Vatanen (45) during the second period. on the last shift and he’s got to end up letting one more in, that’s an absolute joke.” Saturday, it was 5-1 to the New Jersey Devils, stretching the Wings' latest winless stretch to five (0-3-2). Taro Hirose and New Jersey’s Palmieri exchanged goals 26 seconds apart in the second period to open the scoring. The Wings (7-15-3) return home Sunday to host Carolina — and will be without leading goal-scorer Anthony Mantha. The Wings were fine through 40 minutes, but saw yet another game drift away in the third period. Mantha only played three shifts in the first period Saturday because of a lower body injury. Coach Jeff Blashill said Mantha will be out “a little bit of “I liked our game until (the third period),” forward Dylan Larkin said. time” and is likely to have a further update Sunday. “Then it’s the same story for us, they score one and things don’t go our way and we kind of go into a shell. It’s pretty frustrating.” Not having Mantha — who leads the Wings with 12 goals — for any length of time would further decimate an already anemic offense.

Adam Erne (hand) also was out Saturday after blocking a shot in the Detroit News LOADED: 11.24.2019 morning skate.

The Wings are likely to recall a forward from Grand Rapids Sunday, especially if Erne can’t play.

The Wings were tied 1-1 heading into the third period, but watched New Jersey score two goals 1 minute, 59 seconds apart, just under seven minutes into the period.

From there, instead of tightening things, the Wings’ defensive game, in particular, disintegrated.

And that bothered Blashill.

“We have to make sure we are playing ‘winning’ hockey, and through most of the year we have been playing (that type of hockey),” Blashill said. “Five-on-five, not giving up tons of chances, and getting our chances. But now we’ve been real porous defensively the last couple of games.

“We gave up 23 (scoring) chances last game and tonight will be the same and that’s not good enough.

“I have to make sure we make clear to our group, both for (Sunday) night and the long term future of this team, we have to play hockey the right way. We have to play great defensive hockey and you get your offense from checking and we have to understand that.”

Blashill has seen some cheating on the defensive end from his team, in an effort to get offense. That was particularly evident Saturday as the game went along.

“It’s a learning process sometimes for players to balance offense and defense and we have to be better at it,” Blashill said. “We have to produce offense while still being good defensively. As we moved through the last few weeks we’ve cheated too much and if we’re a cheating hockey team, we’ll never be good long term, ever.

“We can’t allow that to be OK, and as a coaching staff, we can’t allow guys to cheat. We’ll play the right way for the long term success of the organization. We have to make sure we do that.”

New Jersey’s two goals came swiftly, as they often have been against the Wings this season, and changed the complexion of the game.

Devils defenseman Will Butcher got credit for a goal at 4:42, Butcher’s third goal, breaking a 1-1 tie. 1163061 Detroit Red Wings “He knows exactly what he is, and he’s good at it, so we certainly missed him out of the lineup.”

Underrated Greene Red Wings impressed with progress, dedication of Jack Hughes Blashill had nothing but good things to say about Trenton native, Devils defenseman Andy Greene, whom Blashill coached at Miami (Ohio).

Ted Kulfan, The Detroit News Greene, 37, is the Devils’ captain and has forged an underrated great career, now in his 14th year. Published 3:05 p.m. ET Nov. 23, 2019 | Updated 3:17 p.m. ET Nov. 23, 2019 “His competitiveness was so good every day in practice (at Miami) and he was such a great leader, he was selfless, and I know he is still that,” Blashill said. “He’s not flashy, he’s not super big, not super fast — doesn’t have much hair anymore — but he’s still a very good player. Newark, N.J. — Watching Saturday’s game against New Jersey is surely going to reopen some old wounds for Red Wings fans. “There’s no question he goes under the radar. He’s been an underrated player in this league for a long time. You win with guys like him who win There was a large segment of Wings’ fans wanting the team to their shifts, win individual battles and create more chances than they give completely tank to have the best odds possible to draft Jack Hughes, up.” who starred for the Plymouth Township-based U.S. National Team Development Program.

The Devils ultimately won the lottery and the opportunity to pick first Detroit News LOADED: 11.24.2019 overall, selecting Hughes.

Thus far, Hughes has been progressing steadily, with 10 points (4 goals, 6 assists) entering Saturday’s game.

“He’s going to be a great hockey player because he loves to compete, he loves hockey and he believes in himself and he wants to be a great hockey player,” said coach Jeff Blashill, who coached Jack Hughes and older brother Quinn Hughes (Vancouver Canucks defenseman) at last spring’s men’s world championships. “He’s going to get there. He has the skill set to be that, no doubt about it. He’s already a good hockey player in this league.

“He has a great coach in John Hynes who is going to help him get better in the things he needs to get better at, but he has a great inner drive and competitiveness to be a great player.”

New Jersey Devils' Jack Hughes (86) has 10 points.

Dylan Larkin has played with both brothers at the world championships — Larkin roomed with Quinn in 2018 — and is impressed with the Hughes family.

“Great family,” Larkin said. “I know his mom and dad are passionate about hockey. They’re a big hockey family. I’ve got nothing but the best things to say about the family and both of the guys. They work extremely hard and love the game.”

Larkin is impressed with Jack Hughes’ passion for the game and his playmaking ability.

“The way he can skate and make plays, you see good players and they’re always around the puck and the puck follows him, and when he has it he’s confident with it,” Larkin said. “He plays the game at his pace and that’s how good players play. The puck just seems to follow him around and when he has it, he is getting people out of their seats.”

Some fans are getting antsy because Hughes only has one point (an assist) in the last seven games.

But Blashill cautions the NHL is not an easy place for an 18-year-old player.

“It’s a hard league to learn in and young players that come in like him have to learn in the league and it’s real difficult for anybody,” Blashill said. “There are some guys that are considered great players in this league that are still learning how to be winning hockey players, guys that have been in this league for four or five years.

“It takes a while. It’s a process, and everybody has to have patience.”

Nemeth returns

The Red Wings got defenseman Patrik Nemeth back in the lineup Saturday after Nemeth missed the last five games with a leg infection.

Nemeth blocked a shot, was bruised, and an infection developed. He was originally expected to miss as much as three weeks, but progressed rapidly.

“He’s a great defender, a great penalty killer,” Blashill said. “He’s been one of our top defenders. DK (Danny DeKeyser) has been out a lot this year, so he’s been one of our top defenders. 1163062 Detroit Red Wings

Red Wings lose Anthony Mantha, fall to Devils

Staff Report

By The Associated Press

NEWARK, N.J. — Will Butcher scored the go-ahead goal in the third period, Blake Coleman scored two goals and Louis Domingue made 19 saves in his first start for New Jersey as the Devils beat Detroit 5-1, sending the Red Wings to a fifth straight loss on Saturday night.

To make matters worse for the Red Wings, Anthony Mantha left the game in the first period with a lower-body injury and coach Jeff Blashill said he won’t play Sunday at home against Carolina and will "be out for a little bit of time.”

Mantha leads the Red Wings with 12 goals and 23 points.

Kyle Palmieri and Taylor Hall also scored as the Devils ended a two- game skid.

Taro Hirose scored for the Red Wings, and Jonathan Bernier made 29 saves.

The game featured the two worst teams in the Eastern Conference. Both had only seven wins coming in. New Jersey started the night in 15th place with 18 points, one more than Detroit.

Domingue made his first start for the Devils following a Nov. 1 trade from the Lightning. He last started a game on March 21, winning 6-3 with Tampa Bay.

Domingue’s first appearance for the club was a week earlier, when he stopped all five shots in relief of Mackenzie Blackwood in a 4-1 loss at Pittsburgh.

Domingue immediately won over the Prudential Center crowd, squeezing the pads together to stop the first shot he faced, a drive from the right wing off the stick of Mantha.

He didn’t have much work the rest of the scoreless opening period as the Devils outshot the Red Wings 15-5.

The teams scored 26 seconds apart as the second period ended in a 1-1 deadlock.

Hirose opened the scoring at 3:32, deflecting a pass from Madison Bowey while cruising through the slot.

The Devils wasted little time answering. Hall whipped a backhand pass to Palmieri, who beat Bernier from close range.

In the third, Butcher put New Jersey ahead 2-1 at 4:42 on a goal confirmed by video review. The officials on ice ruled that Palmieri kicked the puck into the net, negating the score. On review, it was determined the centering pass from Butcher glanced off the skate of Detroit defenseman Dylan McIlrath.

It gave the Devils their first lead of the game.

Coleman added an unassisted tally at 6:41.

Hall scored into an empty net at 15:23 as Bernier was already on the bench for an extra attacker.

Coleman scored again in the final seconds.

Michigan Live LOADED: 11.24.2019 1163063 Detroit Red Wings

Red Wings fall to Devils, 5-1

By MIKE FARRELL Associated Press

Nov 23, 2019 Updated 6 hrs ago Comments

NEWARK, N.J. (AP) — Will Butcher scored the go-ahead goal in the third period, Blake Coleman scored two goals and Louis Domingue made 19 saves in his first start for New Jersey as the Devils beat Detroit 5-1, sending the Red Wings to a fifth straight loss on Saturday night.

Kyle Palmieri and Taylor Hall also scored as the Devils ended a two- game skid.

Taro Hirose scored for the Red Wings, and Jonathan Bernier made 29 saves.

The game featured the two worst teams in the Eastern Conference. Both had only seven wins coming in. New Jersey started the night in 15th place with 18 points, one more than Detroit.

Domingue made his first start for the Devils following a Nov. 1 trade from the Lightning. He last started a game on March 21, winning 6-3 with Tampa Bay.

Domingue’s first appearance for the club was a week earlier, when he stopped all five shots in relief of Mackenzie Blackwood in a 4-1 loss at Pittsburgh.

Domingue immediately won over the Prudential Center crowd, squeezing the pads together to stop the first shot he faced, a drive from the right wing off the stick of Anthony Mantha.

He didn’t have much work the rest of the scoreless opening period as the Devils outshot the Red Wings 15-5.

The teams scored 26 seconds apart as the second period ended in a 1-1 deadlock.

Hirose opened the scoring at 3:32, deflecting a pass from Madison Bowey while cruising through the slot.

The Devils wasted little time answering. Hall whipped a backhand pass to Palmieri, who beat Bernier from close range.

In the third, Butcher put New Jersey ahead 2-1 at 4:42 on a goal confirmed by video review. The officials on ice ruled that Palmieri kicked the puck into the net, negating the score. On review, it was determined the centering pass from Butcher glanced off the skate of Detroit defenseman Dylan McIlrath.

It gave the Devils their first lead of the game.

Coleman added an unassisted tally at 6:41.

Hall scored into an empty net at 15:23 as Bernier was already on the bench for an extra attacker.

Coleman scored again in the final seconds.

Macomb Daily LOADED: 11.24.2019 1163064 Edmonton Oilers So, the Oilers, now the hunted not the hunters with their 15-7-3 record, did what they’ve done so often in the last 25 games; not let one bad game roll into another and another like in past years.

Edmonton Oilers big guns firing in victory against Vegas “Teams are getting ramped up and want to beat us now because we’re looked at as a top team,” said Neal. “Good for us but we had to get back to building our game after Los Angeles, push the reset button.”

Jim Matheson, Edmonton Journal After the indifferent effort in LA against one of the NHL’s three poorest teams, Tippett didn’t dwell on it very long. November 24, 2019 1:49 AM MST “Yeah, we did some dissecting but we actually went back to the San Jose

(5-2) game to see all the good stuff we did. I wanted to look more big LAS VEGAS — As somebody who wore a Vegas Golden Knights jersey picture,” said Tippett. for their magical first NHL year, James Neal knows all about how SCHOOLYARD BULLY intimidating, loud and rambunctious T-Mobile Arena can be, but the biggest noise came from his current Edmonton Oilers team Saturday As the NHL’s biggest, baddest guy Ryan Reaves runs around the ice night. steamrolling people — in most cases hard and clean — but he face- planted Oscar Klefbom into the end boards in the second with no penalty “Tough building to play in, great atmosphere … should be an easy game call from the best refreee in the league, Wes McCauley, who should be to get up for,” said Neal, whose Oilers got the proper response from their policing that. That was a penalty 99.9 times out of 100 but Reaves, who worst road game two nights earlier in Los Angeles with the best line in plays like he has total impunity because of how tough he is, might have the league jumping on Vegas early and often for a 4-2 victory. deserved a major there. The Connor McDavid-Leon Draisaitl-Zack Kassian line had a point to “That was a dangerous hit, those are ones where there’s injuries,” said prove after a poor first 20 minutes in LA when they were on for the first Tippett. “They (refs) said Klef put himself in a bad position. I didn’t see it three Los Angeles goals—Draisaitl castigated himself for his mediocre that way.” defensive play— and against the Golden Knights they had five points as a group in the opening 20 minutes and seven on the night. QUICK WHISTLE

Two goals for McDavid, including a clutch power play goal in the third, Referee Frederick L’Ecuyer saw Fleury’s hand on the puck from his spot three first assists for Draisaitl and two helpers from Kassian. behind the net and whistled a stoppage in the first period but the goalie didn’t really have it secured. Neal dug it free and got it over to Ryan “They’re the engine that drives this club and we just follow along,” said Nugent-Hopkins for an empty-netter but the call stood even though goalie Mike Smith, who outplayed Marc-Andre Fleury for his 250th NHL Nugent-Hopkins was furious. win in a major recovery for him as well after getting the hook after 20 minutes and three goals in LA. POWER PLAY IS HUMMING

“I don’t harp on anybody, they all know how they play and players after The Oilers kept their one in three seasonal PP ratio intact with McDavid’s games get emotional and take responsibility,” said Oilers coach Dave goal in the third. Tippett, who made sure to let them out of the barn early. “I had a hunch they would be bounce back … that’s why I started them and just let them “What I liked about it tonight was it came through at a key time (up 3-2),” go.” said Tippett. “They’re that skilled, they get chances. They play best when they ad-lib. As (assistant coach) Glen Gulutzan says they play road Draisaitl fell on his sword in his self evaluation after the game against the hockey.” Kings, and was as unstoppable as McDavid shift after shift. “The one lesson my dad (former pro forward and current Kosice, Slovakia coach ON THE BENCH: Jujhar Khaira, who stopped a Dustin Brown shot on his Peter) always taught me was how you respond. Good players do hand in Los Angeles didn’t play and Patrick Russell took his spot in the that…every player in this league has that and last game was my night. I lineup … The Oilers and Coyotes are the Hometown Hockey game wasn’t happy at all, but I was ready to respond,” said Draisaitl. Sunday (Fort McMurray). It’s their second of the season, the first was in Winnipeg (1-0 shootout loss) on Oct. 20. They’re on Dec. 8 at home Five minutes into the first, McDavid scored off a Draisaitl feed, coming against Buffalo and March 29 at Rogers Place against Anaheim. 20-feet off the boards in about three strides and sliding around Marc- Andre Fleury to give them the early lead.

“I’ve never seen a player who goes from a dead stop to skating like Edmonton Sun: LOADED: 11.24.2019 Connor does,” said Smith, who then watched Draisaitl set up Ethan Bear to give Oilers a two-goal cushion they never relinquished.

McDavid’s goal in the third was his 12th over the last 10 games, and he now has 46 points one back of Draisaitl as their inexorable march to 80 points by Christmas continues almost unabated.

“Great bounce back game from Leon and myself and Kass. We weren’t good enough in LA,” said McDavid, very proud his club refuses to let one loss turn into two, then three and snowball into more than that. “That’s what good teams do. If you’re getting into the playoffs you can’t get into a five-game losing streak. You can’t let points slide by, especially in the (Pacific) division. Did in LA. Not tonight.”

The other Oiler goal came from Markus Granlund, his 100th NHL point, the actual game-winner. Vegas got goals from Cody Eakin (20 seconds left in first) and Shea Theodore, who slithered through the stout defensive pair of Oscar Klefbom and Adam Larsson. But that was all on Smith, who made 25 stops and never looked in any trouble, not like in LA. “Sometimes you try a little too hard and it affects your play,” said Smith, who has a booster in Tippett who saw him for years in Arizona..

“I expected a bounce back, strong in the net and outside handling puck. I’ve known Smitty a long time back and he was very anxious to get back in. We talked long and hard which way to go (Smith or Mikko Koskinen) in goal but with games in two straight nights we were splitting them anyway. I threw Smitty back in and stayed with our rythym,” said Tippett. 1163065 Edmonton Oilers “Fantastic. Both those guys raised the level tonight,” Smith said. “When those guys play like that, everyone plays better.

“They’re the engine that runs our team. When they’re playing up to their A superstar shines, a goaltender stands tall and a ‘road hockey’ power capabilities in all areas of the ice, everyone buys in. Everyone sees it. play helps the Oilers return to form Everyone plays better. That’s just how good they are.”

Linemate Zack Kassian added two assists of his own to move ahead of Klefbom for third place on the team scoring list with 18 points. By Daniel Nugent-Bowman “It was a great bounce-back game for Leon and I and Kass – our line,’ Nov 24, 2019 McDavid said. “We weren’t good enough in L.A. We responded well.”

Tippett said after Thursday’s game that pulling Mike Smith before the start of the second period against the Kings was done more to wake up LAS VEGAS – Now that was more like it. his flatlining team than it was an indictment of his goalie’s play. Forty-eight hours after getting crushed by the bottom-feeding Kings, the Still, Smith was far from stellar in allowing three goals on 12 shots before Oilers were back to their Pacific Division-leading selves against the giving way to Mikko Koskinen. Golden Knights. Tippett went back Smith, just as he did on Nov. 14 against Colorado after “We respond to those bad nights,” Leon Draisaitl said. “That’s a great a poor start against the Sharks two nights previous. Koskinen will start thing to have. We have to continue that.” Sunday in Arizona. “That’s what you have to do if you wanna get in the playoffs,” Connor Smith was determined to make amends. McDavid said. “You can’t go on those three-, four-, five-game losing streaks. You can’t let those points slide by, especially in the division.” “Motivation to be better,” Smith said. “Last game is over and done with. But, coming out of it, you’re not happy with the way it went. Sure, there were hiccups – most noticeably when Vegas defenceman Shea Theodore waltzed around Oilers blueliners Adam Larsson and “It’s nice to get back in there and earn the confidence of the group and to Oscar Klefbom en route to a beautiful goal. play well and get a win.”

But the Oilers held the slight edge in possession and held on in the third Smith stopped 25 of 27 shots and was solid throughout. period to beat the home side 4-2. The victory moved them to 15-7-3 and 2-1 on a pivotal five-game road trip. “He was anxious to get back in there,” Tippett said. “He gave us a real strong game. He was not just strong in the net, he was real key outside “That was as complete a game as we’ve played all season,” goaltender the net. The third period he handled a lot of pucks and took some Mike Smith said. pressure off us.”

Here’s how they managed the feat. The win was the 250th of Smith’s career.

Draisaitl was ultra-critical of his play following the loss to Los Angeles. Power play provides the dagger And for good reason. Saturday’s contest was an intense battle that was mostly a clean affair. He missed his check on two goals against, finished -3 and went pointless for only the third time this season. It was far from a banner night as he There were just three minor penalties called – all against Vegas – saw his 13-game point streak halted. although a fourth could have easily been given to Vegas winger Ryan Reaves for what Tippett called a “dangerous hit” on Klefbom. Saturday was a completely different story. Possible missed call aside, the Oilers had the only three power plays of “That’s the one lesson my dad (Peter, a coach for in Slovakia for HC the game. And while their top unit was a bit out of sorts on the first Kosice) taught me is it’s all about how you respond,” Draisaitl said. opportunity, the group was sure dynamite on the second chance – which “That’s the most important thing. Good players, they respond the game led to the insurance goal. after. “Those goals are always huge,” Draisaitl said. “It happens that you have a bad night, a bad game. Every player in this league has that. The other night was my night. I wasn’t happy at all. I was It was nothing like the outing earlier this month when the Oilers went ready to respond. I thought our line played a solid game.” berserk against the Avalanche on Nov. 14. That’s when the Oilers went 4-for-6 as McDavid recorded a hat trick and six points, whereas Draisaitl If Draisaitl wasn’t the best player on the ice Saturday, he was 1A had five assists. alongside Connor McDavid – just as he has been all season – by recording three assists. However, the power play came through in the clutch.

Draisaitl made a short pass to McDavid, who burst out of the corner to “You know what I liked about it tonight? They scored a key goal at a key score Edmonton’s first goal. time for us,” Tippett said. “That’s what good power plays do.”

He sent one of his signature backhanded saucer passes to Ethan Bear, The Oilers have converted on 23 of 73 chances on the man advantage, a who beat Vegas goalie Marc-Andre Fleury for the second Oilers tally. 31.5 percent success rate and good for second in the league behind Tampa Bay. And, with the Oilers up a goal and on an early third-period power play, Draisaitl was the main reason why they netted an important insurance The 1977-78 Canadiens have the most prolific power play in NHL history marker. at 31.9 percent.

He corralled a loose puck off to the side of the Golden Knights net, got “They have a little bit of structure, but they play best when they ad-lib, around a fallen Brayden McNabb and then flipped a pass over the stick Tippett said. “As (assistant coach) Glen Gulutzan says, ‘They play road of Nick Holden and onto McDavid’s tape. The captain riffled a shot past a hockey.’ When they play road hockey, they’re dangerous.” sliding Fleury. “It’s been humming most of the season. When you put all the great “When they feel like they didn’t play well last game, then chances are players that we have out there together, it makes for a dangerous unit,” pretty good you’re gonna get a good game next game,” Oilers coach Smith added. Dave Tippett said. “You might as well start ’em and let ’em go.”

Draisaitl’s three points moved him back into the lead in the NHL scoring The Athletic LOADED: 11.24.2019 race by one point over McDavid. The dynamic duo came into the game with identical 16-28-44 stat lines.

Draisaitl and McDavid led the way once again. 1163066 Edmonton Oilers Ryan Nugent-Hopkins 12-9 (+3) Riley Sheahan 3-9 (-6)

Gaetan Haas 4-6 (-2) Lowetide: Why Dave Tippett’s deployment is a sign the Oilers need a No. 3 centre Colby Cave 1-2 (-2)

Markus Granlund 0-1 (-1)

By Allan Mitchell The No. 2 line (Nugent-Hopkins) has joined McDavid’s trio on the good side of the ledger. Music! Now, a little about how Tippett got them there. Nov 23, 2019 Using Puck IQ, we can gain a more accurate view of how Tippett is using his centres this year. Puck IQ bins each player’s performance against different levels of competition, allowing us to identify the ask from Tippett The Oilers under Dave Tippett have improved in several areas, including for each centre. Here are the 2019-20 5-on-5 numbers vs. elites, sorted wins, both special teams, save percentage and goals-against per game. by percentage of overall time on ice: In previous seasons, Oilers fans would measure the team’s success in this way: Connor McDavid’s on-ice performance vs. the rest of the Connor McDavid: 153 minutes (38.8 percent of overall TOI); 54.10 roster’s performance with the captain off the ice. That gap, a canyon- DFF%; 12-3 goal differential sized problem, came to represent the Oilers more than any other Riley Sheahan: 51 minutes (27.6 percent of overall TOI); 31.60 DFF%; 2- measure. McDavid on vs. McDavid off became a major theme for Oilers 2 goal differential fans in Years 3 and 4 of the McDavid era. Ryan Nugent-Hopkins: 83 minutes (27.1 percent of overall TOI); 37.80 How are things going now, in Year 5? What is Tippett doing to close the DFF%; 4-1 goal differential gap? Does he need roster help? Let’s have a look. Gaetan Haas: 26 minutes (20 percent of overall TOI); 38.70 DFF%; 0-1 McDavid 5-on-5 on ice goal differential This is McDavid’s fifth NHL season and his on-ice goal differential in This is a small sample size, but there are indications that Tippett is using each one tells a major story. If the Oilers are going to be successful, the the Sheahan trio (most often manned by Jujhar Khaira, Patrick Russell differential must be very high in order to make up for his time off the ice. and Josh Archibald) in a prominent role and against tougher competition. Here are the on-ice goal differentials by year with the captain on the ice That kind of tactic would allow the team to run the Nugent-Hopkins group at 5-on-5: less often against elites and to outproduce the soft parade. 2015-16: 36-35 (+1) What’s next? 2016-17: 77-47 (+30) Credit to Tippett for an innovative approach to the problem of creating a 2017-18: 81-61 (+20) more balanced and productive roster, but he’s going to need some help from general manager Ken Holland in order to take the next step. 2018-19: 77-75 (+2) Sheahan is best suited for a fourth-line role, and frankly that also applies to the wingers currently deployed on his line. 2019-20: 29-20 (+9) In order to strengthen the roster and improve the Oilers chances of We can see where this is trending and that’s a good sign for Oilers fans. making the playoffs, Tippett needs a No. 3 centre. The Bakersfield It’s only part of the story. Based on these numbers (more in a minute), Condors depth chart doesn’t have a strong option, with Cooper Marody we can see that Tippett has McDavid’s line outscoring the opposition injured, Ryan McLeod just starting his pro career and Colby Cave plus handily. At plus-nine through 24 games, it’s possible the captain exceeds Brad Malone being fringe NHL calibre players. A trade would seem to be the 2016-17 number in 5-on-5 outscoring this season. He would certainly the only route and the best options may not shake loose until closer to be expected to match the 2017-18 number. However, the 2017-18 the deadline. season saw him dominate the goal differential at 5-on-5 and the club still missed the playoffs. Jean-Gabriel Pageau of the Ottawa Senators is the perfect fit, but the Sens will no doubt work hard between now and the deadline to find a The McDavid off-ice trends are important and, after 24 games, are a contract number that works. In a season of struggle for Ottawa, Pageau worry. Why? Here are the off-ice 5-on-5 goal differentials by year with has been a bright light. If he does shake loose, it’ll be closer to the McDavid at rest: deadline and my bet is the price will be dear. The Oilers are in a different 2015-16: 98-135 (-37) situation than the contenders, who will need Pageau for the playoffs. Edmonton may need Pageau to make the postseason. 2016-17: 89-93 (-4) Joel Eriksson Ek is delivering strong performances on a struggling 2017-18: 82-115 (-33) Minnesota Wild team, and new general manager Bill Guerin might be in a mood to shake things up as the team heads toward the deadline. 2018-19: 69-103 (-34) Eriksson Ek was on Edmonton’s radar at the 2015 draft before Peter 2019-20: 20-28 (-8) Chiarelli dealt the team’s mid-first selection in the Griffin Reinhart deal. Puck IQ loves him, and he appears to be finally delivering enough That minus-eight may continue to grow as the season wears along and is offence to project into a top-nine role. a cause of great concern. As massive a contribution as the McDavid line makes, it would be a tragedy to (once again) see the rest of the roster Mathieu Perreault of the Winnipeg Jets is emerging as a quality target. squander the enormous gift of McDavid’s minutes. Tippett’s Oilers have Perreault plays 26 percent of his minutes against elites, that’s over 71 the top line heading in a good direction, what’s going on with the other minutes (with good results) this season. He doesn’t play centre in lines? Winnipeg; the organization is flush with options. He could slide into the No. 3 role with the Oilers immediately. His offensive ability would be a Fix it welcome addition to Edmonton’s bottom six forwards and he can help on We know the McDavid line is strong, where is the roster bleeding? How the power play. does that compare to last season? A year ago, McDavid’s minutes were What’s more, Edmonton is now at a point where a defenceman may followed by Nugent-Hopkins (29-37, -8), Kyle Brodziak (15-31, -16) and a shake loose once everyone is healthy and there could be a natural trade series of auditions after Ryan Strome (3-4, -1) was traded. Basically, all fit. I would suggest the Winnipeg Jets are a solid option, with a Kris centres but McDavid were underwater. That isn’t the case this season. Russell for Perreault deal making a lot of sense for both teams. Here is the complete list of centres (when they play centre) and their overall 5-on-5 goal differential in 2019-20: Oilers fans get restless about making a trade after every loss. As Tippett’s deployment of current assets comes into view (with increased Connor McDavid 29-20 (+9) sample size), the need becomes more obvious. If the Pacific Division continues to tighten, and if the Oilers begin to healthy scratch names like Russell and Benning, something will have to give.

Edmonton needs a No. 3 centre. Is it Perreault?

The Athletic LOADED: 11.24.2019 1163067 Edmonton Oilers Puljujarvi’s five power play goals are one back of the league lead. His 147 shots give him sole possession of first place. More importantly his line is laying waste to the opposition: he’s been on the ice for 24 goals for and just six against, and his 63 percent Corsi at 5-on-5 ranks him fifth A Jesse Puljujarvi trade is an opportunity of which only one NHL team among regular forwards, with the other four all playing for HIFK. gets to take advantage In terms of results, there’s not much more an NHL team could ask of a prospective player. In terms of how he’s generating them, Wheeler (correctly) notes that there are some things his team can do to help him By Jonathan Willis succeed in the majors, especially in terms of using him on the power Nov 23, 2019 play. Puljujarvi’s ability as a specific type of right-shot power play finisher goes back to his draft year, and it’s one more mark on the ledger that the Oilers never really tried him in that slot.

The next NHL team to play Jesse Puljujarvi will be taking a calculated It’s also worth remembering that despite his checkered NHL career to risk. The 2016 fourth-overall pick has gone from star prospect to suspect date, Puljujarvi’s major-league results are not inconsistent with evolving to European league standout, and the issue of whether he will ultimately into a top-six forward. His age-20 season was the worst of his career and prove a productive NHL forward remains unresolved. when charted against comparable players at the same age this past summer it produced a list which was nearly an even mix of scoring line The Edmonton Oilers have incentive to answer that question. Scoring forwards, NHL role players, and outright busts. beyond the team’s top forwards has been hard to come by even in a very successful first-quarter of 2019-20. It might not seem that way at first glance, but for an NHL team hypothetically investing the equivalent of a second-round pick or a little Puljujarvi, were he willing, would be a suitable match for team need, more in trade, that’s a pretty good set of outcomes, for a lot of different likely slotting in next to James Neal and Ryan Nugent-Hopkins on the reasons: team’s second line. It would be a good opportunity for the 21-year-old, whose most common linemate the last two years had been Milan Lucic. We’re considering Puljujarvi at his lowest ebb, and as the linked article points out his prior history is better than the majority of the comparables Puljujarvi shows no sign of taking it, telling Finnish media he plans to here. spend the entire year with Karpat. As frustrating as this may be for the Oilers, whose new coach and general manager bear none of the If he’s got a one-in-three shot at being a middle-six-plus winger, and a responsibility for the organization’s mishandling of Puljujarvi, it isn’t two-in-three shot at sticking in the majors in some capacity, that’s a far necessarily a bad thing for the player’s development. He’s enjoying a better profile than the typical return on a second-rounder. wildly successful season overseas, and as springboards to the NHL go, a full year at his current pace is a good one. He’s ready now, or at worst next season, not three or four years down the line. It is probable, though not certain, that he’ll be making that leap with a different franchise. Puljujarvi has been remarkably consistent on that Puljujarvi’s contract status should also add to his appeal. He has burned point, though Oilers GM Ken Holland has been careful to leave the door through his entry-level contract, but even after a one-year show-me deal open publicly. he’ll be a restricted free agent for three additional seasons. A team can bring him in, try him for a year, and if things go well presumably lock him “I don’t think he’s planning on playing for the Edmonton Oilers, but I had up long-term at reasonable dollars. players tell me that in Detroit and they did play for Detroit,” Holland said in his July 1 availability. None of this means that Puljujarvi is guaranteed to have a successful NHL career, any more than that was guaranteed after he was drafted There are a few different instances in that vein over Holland’s tenure in fourth overall in 2016. All we have is probability. His age, productivity and Detroit, but the most famous example is Jiri Hudler. A contested now his Liiga results all point to a player with a reasonable chance at arbitration that could have permanently ruined the relationship between being a good major-leaguer, and who if everything breaks right could be player and team led to him spending all of 2009-10 in the KHL. In 2010 a very good one. he returned and played two more seasons for the Red Wings. It doesn’t always end that way. For the Oilers, the ideal end result would probably be Puljujarvi spending the season overseas and then recanting his desire to go elsewhere. If “In some cases they’ve told me that and they didn’t play and I ended up that doesn’t happen they will almost certainly be trading him at a trading them. Ultimately the most important thing is if I do trade him it’s discount, regardless of how patiently or cleverly Holland negotiates. got to be a deal I feel good about, that I think is in the best interests of this team. If something like that isn’t out there, then Jesse’s going to have There is an opportunity here for 30 NHL teams, though only one will get a to make the decision.” chance to exploit it. Call it one last chance to take advantage of the generosity of Peter Chiarelli’s deposed regime, which in its few short The lack of a trade so far shows that Holland has not yet received a years already gave so much to its various rivals. sufficiently enticing offer. Time is running short for any team hoping to persuade Puljujarvi to abandon his stated plans and return to the NHL this season. The signing deadline for Group 2 free agents is Dec. 1, The Athletic LOADED: 11.24.2019 leaving little more than a week for an interested party to make a trade, persuade the player and get his signature on a contract.

Puljujarvi’s play in Finland is the strongest argument in favour of something changing.

I won’t attempt to improve upon the detailed breakdown of Puljujarvi’s game that my colleague Scott Wheeler put together earlier this month, one which carried plenty of caveats but concluded mostly on an encouraging note.

“Puljujarvi has looked and played like his got his mojo back,” wrote Wheeler. “He looks like the confident, puck-possession, puck-protection, powerful shot-threat he looked like in his draft year… He’d be a low-risk, high-reward gamble on a cheap deal for a team in need of some size and scoring punch down the wing. And while it’s kind of ironic that the Oilers seem to fit that mold pretty well, they’re not alone.”

What we can add to the picture are some updated statistical points, all of which point to a ridiculously dominant player in a very good pro league. 1163068 Florida Panthers

Hurricanes defensemen Dougie Hamilton and Brett Pesce score as Panthers’ three-game win streak comes to an end

By KEN TYSIAC

ASSOCIATED PRESS

NOV 23, 2019 | 10:13 PM

RALEIGH, N.C.

Carolina’s high-scoring defensemen made a big impact again as Dougie Hamilton and Brett Pesce scored to help the Hurricanes beat the Florida Panthers 4-2 on Saturday night.

Hamilton also assisted on Martin Necas' goal, Andrei Svechnikov added an empty-netter and Petr Mrazek stopped 21 shots for the Hurricanes (14-8-1), who won for the fifth time in six games.

Aaron Ekblad and Brian Boyle scored for Florida (12-6-5), which had won three straight.

The Hurricanes encourage their defensemen to contribute on offense as much as any team in the NHL, and it paid off Saturday night. Carolina, which entered leading the NHL with 18 goals by defensemen, got two more as Pesce delivered the Hurricanes' first score of the game and Hamilton broke a 2-all tie off a feed from Teuvo Teravainen with 2:15 remaining in the second period.

Hamilton, who led NHL defensemen with nine goals this season prior to Saturday, has at least one point in 18 of Carolina's 23 games.

Florida took advantage of a pair of defensive lapses by Carolina's fourth line for goals 18 seconds apart in the first period. Ekblad skated in unchecked from the point to lift a backhand past Mrazek 8:36 in, and Boyle made it 2-0 when he slipped behind the defense for a goal off a feed from Colton Sceviour.

Carolina tied it at 2 before the first intermission with goals by Pesce and Necas off cross-ice feeds that originated from the blue line to the left of goalie Sergei Bobrovsky.

Sun Sentinel LOADED: 11.24.2019 1163069 Los Angeles Kings As long as the Kings’ continue to lack that part of the game – their 2.61 goals-per-game is fourth-worst in the NHL – losses like Saturday’s will likely keep piling up.

Kings fall to Coyotes 3-2 despite a heavy shot advantage “While it’s happening, it’s important to not get frustrated,” defenseman Alec Martinez said. “At the end of the day, against a team like that, you’ve got to stay patient, stay playing the game the right way, and you will get chances.” By JACK HARRIS STAFF WRITER

NOV. 23, 2019 5:20 PM LA Times: LOADED: 11.24.2019

Once again, the equation just didn’t add up.

So many of the factors, the variables, the stats were in the Kings’ favor Saturday afternoon.

The NHL’s leader in shot differential, they peppered the opposing goal all game, putting 45 pucks on net to the Arizona Coyotes’ 19. Winners in four of their previous five, the Kings overcame a sluggish start to generate most of the momentum throughout. In the dying minutes, they mounted a comeback charge too.

None of it was enough in a 3-2 loss at Staples Center that keeps the Kings last in the Western Conference.

“We’re not playing to stay close, we’re playing to try to win,” coach Todd McLellan said, adding: “I thought we created more, played with a little more authority. … I thought we had what we needed to give ourselves a chance.”

Indeed, it isn’t structural errors or slacking effort that is dragging the Kings down. They are simply struggling to put the puck in the net enough. Saturday’s loss was perhaps the most extreme example yet.

“The finish part is the tough part,” McLellan said. “That’s a question 31 teams ask themselves throughout the season.”

Few clubs, however, are coming up with as seemingly few answers as the Kings.

They average six more shots per game than their opponents, yet have been outscored by 19. They began Saturday ranked 12th in the league in scoring chances created, yet are second-to-last in shooting percentage. Though their special teams continue to struggle, their five-on-five play doesn’t quite square with their 9-13-1 record either.

“Sometimes it’s having a second or two more with the puck, or a second or two less with the puck,” McLellan said. “Every player is a little bit different. Every player has a different panic point. It’s not carte blanche for the whole team. We’ve got to work with everyone and try to solve it.”

Such struggles sucked the life out of Saturday’s start. After bouncing back from a bad opening shift, the Kings took eight of the game’s first 13 shots. No. 14, however, found the back of their net, with Phil Kessel cashing in on a creative passing sequence during a Coyotes’ man advantage.

The Kings responded early in the second. Anze Kopitar buried a power- play goal of his own to tie the score, clobbering a Drew Doughty pass from the corner with a one-timer near the far-side circle. After that, the Kings kept possession in the offensive end for most of the frame as well.

But one neutral zone giveaway sprung the Coyotes the other way for a rush that ended with Lawson Crouse (who later left the game after a scary sliding collision with the boards) poking a bouncing puck past Jonathan Quick (who stopped 16 shots) to make it 2-1.

“All it takes is one mistake,” center Blake Lizotte said. “Five-on-five we were good, except for 30 seconds. That’s the difference.”

Still, the Kings came back and controlled the third, outshooting the Coyotes 17-7 and testing Arizona goalie Antti Raanta with several chances on a power play. But they couldn’t break through until after the Coyotes tacked on an empty-netter to put the game out of reach, Nikolai Prokhorkin’s consolation tally with 1:35 remaining unable to keep the Kings from falling to 0-11-0 when trailing after two.

McLellan couldn’t identify any quick fixes to the Kings’ goal-scoring struggles. He thinks they’ve been plenty patient and isn’t sure simply throwing more bodies in front is the answer either. Really, there is no perfect formula for finding the back of the net. It requires skill, scoring sense, and little bit of luck. 1163070 Los Angeles Kings Arizona rookie Barrett Hayton nearly reclaimed the lead but his shot from the side of an open net sailed across the crease and wide. Their next near-miss, following a Kings turnover, led to a goal. Center Carl Soderberg shot from a similar position to Hayton but struck the post. Kings thwarted again by Arizona goalie Antti Raanta Crouse was there to mop up the mess and regain the lead for Arizona with 4:31 left in the second.

Crouse later careened into the boards and left the game, under apparent By ANDREW KNOLL evaluation for a concussion. PUBLISHED: November 23, 2019 at 4:05 pm | UPDATED: November 23,

2019 at 5:25 PM Orange County Register: LOADED: 11.24.2019

Antti Raanta might not be Finland’s most famous goalie or even a No. 1 net-minder, but he has certainly had the Kings’ number.

The Coyotes’ backup goalie snuffed the Kings’ five-game home winning streak with a 3-2 victory for the Arizona Coyotes on Saturday at Staples Center.

Raanta limited the Kings to two goals on 45 shots, which, including his following his 3-0 shutout Monday of the Kings in Arizona, brings his total for the week to two goals on 75 shots. A backup for most of his career with Arizona and the New York Rangers, Raanta moved to 5-0-1 lifetime against the Kings with a miserly total of eight goals against and a .957 save percentage.

This year’s, he’s backed up early-season star Darcy Kuemper. The duo has been the league’s best statistically in net.

“The whole year, both our goalies have been unreal, so any time either of them is in the net we have all the confidence in the world,” Coyotes right wing Vinnie Hinostroza said.

The Kings managed to carry play for much of the night, although errors proved costly, including an odd-man rush while they were shorthanded and a turnover that led to goals. There was also a jail break for Arizona during a Kings power play that was narrowly thwarted by a desperate backcheck. Otherwise, the Kings peppered the Arizona net and did so with moderate traffic in front.

“I thought the game today was a much better effort than we saw Monday,” Kings coach Todd McLellan said. “I thought we created more and played with a little more authority.”

Center Anze Kopitar opened the scoring for the Kings on a setup by defenseman Drew Doughty, and right wing Nikolai Prokhorkin deflected defenseman Matt Roy’s wrist shot into the net with 95 seconds to play. That goal proved to be academic as Christian Fischer had added an empty-net goal to make it 3-1 with 3:10 remaining.

Arizona wings Phil Kessel and Lawson Crouse also scored for Arizona, as Kings goalie Jonathan Quick denied 17 of 19 shots.

A low hit on right wing Dustin Brown as the play was blown dead led to a fracas in the corner and a Kings power play with 13:15 to play. The more potent scoring chance, however, came for Arizona as they had a 2-on-0 rush shorthanded that was broken up by a diving, lunging stick check by Tyler Toffoli, who saved a near-certain goal.

After two periods, the Kings trailed 2-1 but held a 28-12 edge in shots on goal.

“Look at our second period. We were all over them,” Kings center Blake Lizotte said. “Continuing that aggressive play into the third was our goal.”

Arizona struck first, scoring on the power play just past the midway point of the first period. Kessel initiated and finished a give-and-go play with Clayton Keller that left Kessel with a tap-in goal off the rush.

“They’re maybe the best defensive team in the league when it comes to 5-on-5, so when you’re down 1-0, it’s tough” Lizotte said.

There was a flash of vintage Doughty and yet another moment in a bounce-back season for Kopitar that evened the game for the Kings.

Their power-play goal 2:25 into the second period was keyed by an end- to-end rush that saw Doughty weave through a labyrinth of Arizona penalty killers to gain the offensive zone. He soon got the puck back in the corner, where he fired it across to Kopitar for a one-timer that ricocheted off the glove and right pad of Raanta. It entered the net for Kopitar’s team-leading ninth goal of the season. 1163071 Los Angeles Kings For Murray, that observation by Vilardi was further proof of his self- awareness and his hockey smarts.

“He’s a special kid. He knows he never goes five-hole, that’s not his Kings prospect Gabe Vilardi got a ‘passing grade’ in his return and came shot,” Murray said. “He knows that part of his game will take a little bit of out smiling time and confidence. That will all come back. He’s only been skating a month, six weeks.

“It’s a natural ability that he has. You can’t necessarily teach the hockey By Lisa Dillman sense part of it. He just has it and now that he’s back playing, that will come out once he gets more reps and games in. It’s great to listen to him Nov 23, 2019 talk. He’s come a long way.”

Murray played in 1,009 regular-season games with the Boston Bruins, Back in December, in the fourth game of Gabe Vilardi’s AHL run with Pittsburgh Penguins and the Kings. He also knows what it is like to have Ontario last season, the Reign were playing in Tucson, Ariz. a hockey career disrupted by injury. In his case, it was an ankle issue that ultimately required surgery after he was done playing. But physically, things seemed amiss that night for the Kings’ highly touted prospect, who was struggling with back issues that ended up One of the smartest moves Vilardi made was going back to Ottawa costing him almost a full season of his young career. The issues didn’t go during the long rehabilitation period, where he lived with his agent, Andy unnoticed by Kings director of player personnel Glen Murray and Reign Scott, and Scott’s young family. general manager Richard Seeley, who were on hand for the game. “I think it helped,” Murray said. “When you’re a hockey player and you’re “We could tell,” Murray said, “because when I went to speak with him, he not able to go on the ice and if you’re around the locker room and around didn’t say any words. It was just that look. You know that look and you and knowing you’re not anywhere near playing, you feel like you’re in the feel bad for him – because you want to try to help him.” way. I feel like he felt he was a burden to everyone. And he wasn’t.

Little did the Kings know that Dec. 7 game would be Vilardi’s last “Naturally, as a hockey player, if you’re hurt and you can’t play, you feel organized game for a long time. In fact, it was 15 days short of an entire you’re in the way. Even though you’re not in the way because you have calendar year before Vilardi returned to duty, a period that involved an your schedule. extensive rehabilitation program. He finally returned to action on Friday “It worked out perfectly for him. He knew he was a long way from playing. with the Reign, coincidentally in the same place, Tucson, where his back It’s not a selfish thing but focus on himself, his body and getting back to problems flared up. The first thing Murray noticed after the game was playing.” improvement in Vilardi’s body language and demeanor. There are many more steps for Vilardi to take before he eventually “Now, to see him last night, he had a smile on his face,” Murray said makes his NHL debut. The Kings plan to manage his usage judiciously Saturday in an interview with The Athletic. “We lost the game (4-1). But during the first stages of his comeback. for him, it was successful. So, for example, even though the Reign are playing Tucson on back-to- “It was a passing grade, for sure. He’s come a long way. It’s been a long back nights, the decision had already been made that Vilardi would be year. He did well. To be off a year – his game legs aren’t going to be held out of Saturday’s game for precautionary reasons. But Friday’s there – but he made some nice plays, won a lot of faceoffs and he had game was an important beginning, the biggest hurdle he’s overcome so this breakaway in the third period last night.” far. The breakaway came against Roadrunners goalie Eric Comrie, who has “He’s on a mission to prove to everyone that he’s a really good hockey been lights-out great, with a 4-0 record in a two-week rehab stint (Comrie player,” Murray said. “He’s 20 years old and he’s gone through a lot the was recalled by the Arizona Coyotes on Saturday). last year and a half. He’s matured from that and now he knows what it’s “Obviously we were all cheering for him to score,” Murray said. “That’s going to take for him to get on the ice to do all these things he needs to what he wants to do and that’s what he’s great at. It was very successful. do. I felt good for him. Getting back out there is the first step and he’s “He’s passionate about it. You can see it when I talk to him. He’s excited. passionate about knowing what he has to do to get back on the ice to “When you haven’t played for a year, no matter who you are, a star or a prepare for a game. That’s part of what he has to do his whole career.” first-year player, you’re going to be a little nervous. You haven’t played for a whole year. He’s 20 years old. I think he looked good. He’s a big kid and he played with (Matt) Luff and (Brett) Sutter.” The Athletic LOADED: 11.24.2019 According to Murray, Vilardi’s ice time was affected by the fact that the Reign “took a lot of penalties last night and it got him out of the game a little bit. But he hit a post his third shift into the game.”

Vilardi was the Kings’ first draft pick (11th overall) in 2017. Throughout Vilardi’s discouraging injury ordeal, the Kings never lost sight of why he was drafted so high — a skill set that should eventually translate into a top-six role in the NHL, once he can get back on the traditional development path.

In the meantime, they’ve been providing the necessary support — on and off the ice — to make Vilardi aware of the organization’s faith in him.

“His awareness, his hockey IQ and his hockey sense when he has the puck in the offensive zone, you could tell he’s a very smart player,” assessed Murray.

Post-game, Vilardi talked about missing the breakaway with Reign Insider Zach Dooley, noting: “That’s not me, I don’t go five-hole, I don’t make that play.”

But the instincts that made him such a dynamic scorer in his final junior season don’t disappear. It’s just rust — rust the Kings believe will eventually flake off once he gets into the rhythm of the season, with regular playing time. 1163072 Los Angeles Kings This is a painful lesson for sure, as the team played as hard a game as we have played all year. You miss your assignment in this league and it costs you games and points….could have been a huge road victory.

TUCSON 3, ONTARIO 2 – VILLALTA, FRK, STOTHERS We are making strides. Baby steps for now but the guys are wanting to learn and improve. [Reporter – It seemed like, in some areas, baby steps on special teams too with the PPG from Kupari, but still 5 PP’s against, which turned into two goals. How does the staff continue to work on that ZACH DOOLEY area with limited time before three games next week?] Discipline and NOVEMBER 23, 2019 video. Busy week coming up for sure, but we will continue to address our shortcomings in a positive way.

As the Ontario Reign dropped their fifth consecutive game, tonight’s defeat was perhaps the most frustrating, disappointing, or whatever LA Kings Insider: LOADED: 11.24.2019 similar adjective you prefer for the group.

For the majority of this evening’s game, Ontario played well. With a 2-1 lead in the third period, the Reign didn’t sit back and try to defend, but rather attacked and came close on a few occasions to getting what would have been a valuable insurance goal. With 3:30 left in regulation, however, the Reign went to the penalty kill and conceded their second power-play goal of the evening, before Tucson won the game through forward Andy Miele with just 66 seconds remaining on the clock.

Penalties against were once again a story, as the Roadrunners went 2- of-5 on the power play as they swept the weekend series against the Reign. Ontario did get a power-play goal of its own, through Rasmus Kupari, but was unable to hold onto a lead down the stretch. The Reign also got an even-strength tally from forward Martin Frk, who was back in the lineup this weekend for the first time since November 6. At 5-on-5, the Reign held their own against the division-leading Roadrunners, but lost the special teams battle in both games.

Credit goaltender Matthew Villalta, who was admirable in his first career AHL start. The 20-year-old netminder made 35 saves on 38 shots, including a few worthy of a highlight reel, most notably a glove save against a 2-on-1 rush and an athletic right-pad save early in the third period. Ontario entered tonight perhaps not knowing exactly what it had in net behind Cal Petersen, who had started the team’s first 17 games. Villalta’s play tonight goes a long way towards some solidity in the backup role, and his effort tonight was commendable.

The two late goals against sting, as it cost the team what would have been perhaps a signature road victory against one of the AHL’s top opponents. The Reign will look to regroup this week with a 3-in-4 on the docket, beginning on Wednesday evening on home ice against Stockton.

For sure. I thought the first two periods we played good, we played better than last night. Again, we took too many penalties, we took one with [less than] five minutes left and they scored on that power play, then it’s 2-2 and they’ve got the momentum going and then they got another one. It’s hard, it’s frustrating for us, everyone’s frustrated. You want to keep winning, you don’t want to keep losing, especially when you play so many games against your opponents in the division, so you’re giving up points. It’s frustrating and we’ve got to go figure it out, because it cannot be like that.

It’s hard, but it’s hard for the PK guys too, right, because they get a lot of minutes there. It’s not fun for them, because they’re getting gassed and then they’ve got to go play after, 5-on-5, and some of those guys play power play too, so it’s hard. For me, yeah, when you sit there for too long, you’re kind of losing the momentum or you’re getting cold a little bit. It’s for sure hard, but we’ve got to figure out how to not take so many penalties and not give them so many chances, play more 5-on-5.

We’ve got to put more pucks on the net, from the forwards, from the D. When we have the chance, sometimes we hold it too long or try to make an extra pass. When you make an extra pass and they caught it or something, you don’t get a puck on the net and there’s no second chance or anything. We talk about it all the time, we have to put the puck on net and good things happen when you put pucks on the net. We’ve got to do better, it gets frustrating when every time we play, they’ve got more shots than us at the end of the game. There’s something we need to improve on and be better. When we don’t shoot, we can’t score.

Mike Stothers on Matthew Villalta’s performance in his first AHL start

I thought Matt played one hell of a good game. He deserved a win, or at the very least, one point. It’s unfortunate that it ended the way it did, but it does not diminish his outstanding performance. 1163073 Los Angeles Kings maybe make a play and we’re shooting, and there are times where we should be releasing and we’re not, and sometimes you’re caught in between, but we’re not the only team in the league that does that. You play for 60 minutes and that happens. When I said ‘patient,’ I meant NOVEMBER 23 RAPID REACTION: COYOTES 3, KINGS 2 holding onto the puck in the offensive zone. That second goal, we tried to force it. We were doing a really good job of rolling around. When the

puck did go to the net, we were able to recover, but as we started to JON ROSEN break them down a little bit, we began to force it. We tried to force it into scoring areas and that’s what I mean by ‘patience.’ We just didn’t take NOVEMBER 23, 2019 what was given to us, we tried to create it or force it, and it cost us going the other way.

McLellan, on getting traffic to the net: Postgame Quotes Well, it’s interesting. When I was in Minnesota, Jacques Lemaire used to Todd McLellan, on the team keeping the score close but not generating talk about ‘get to the net, get to the net.’ When you’re not scoring goals, the desired result: everybody’s yelling and screaming ‘get to the net.’ Well, if I go to the net No, it was certainly not the result we wanted, and we’re not playing to and I take you, there’s two, and if Jon goes to the net and he takes stay close, obviously we’re playing to try and win. I thought the game somebody, there’s four, and all of a sudden somebody else is at the net, tonight was a much better effort than we saw last week or Monday or it’s just a wall of humanity and pucks don’t get through. So, I’d like our whenever we were in Arizona. I thought we created more, we played with group to be coming down on rebounds, but I’d still like somebody in and a little more authority. Didn’t start that way. Didn’t think our start was around the paint occupying the goaltender’s thought process, at least. really energetic or alive, and later in the first we got it. From there on, I You don’t occupy his body, obviously. You’re penalized then. But we’ll thought we had what we needed to give ourselves a chance. The goals look at that and see if we’re doing the right things. that were scored on us, the penalty kill goal, we made a bit of a mistake McLellan, on the difference between playing with and without the lead: and they made us pay, but I thought the second one, we got impatient. We were rolling around, we were doing some of the things we wanted to Tonight’s game was a slow starter, at least in my opinion. I didn’t think do, we forced a puck and had a little bad luck in our end when it went off we were really sharp early, they had a scoring chance 12 seconds in. Ryan and went to them. But after that, they’re the number one team in Didn’t win the draw, didn’t retrieve the rim that they sent in. Right after the league goals-against-wise for a reason. They were able to shut it that we pinched and there was a 2-on-1, that’s all in the first 45 seconds. down, had some good looks but it didn’t go in. We’ll take a close look at So that’s giving you an indication that the group maybe is half-asleep and what we’re doing in and around the blue paint. Are we making it hard on not ready to go, and we had to play our way through that. So that’s the goaltender or are we making it easy? When you’re not producing on tonight’s game. As far as the overall playing with the lead, we knew this that many shots, it’s the first thing you think about. You realize that some would be a 2-1, 3-2 game, that’s just how they play. And obviously are fluff shots from the outside, but the true good scoring chances, are getting the lead against them is one of the keys, but it’s easier said than we making it hard on the goalie in around the paint and being in his eyes, done. or are we peeling off a little too early, and we’ll have to look at that, and if it is the case, we’ll fix it. McLellan, on whether he’s had a chance to spend time with Make-A- Wish participant Jacob Brown: McLellan, on how to improve finishing: I have, yep. We come to play hockey, we come and watch the game, we The goaltender part of it, or the- [Reporter: When you’re in close and pay to be a fan and we have to go work and do all those things, but the finishing off some of those chances.] Well, the finish part is the tough real story – all the kids, especially, but also the adults that are fighting part. The being in the eyes and the pushing back of the goaltender into their own fight with cancer – we play hockey. They fight their battles, and his paint without taking penalties is fixable. That’s done through video, Jacobs one of them. He’s brought a lot of joy to our team. His life hasn’t and sometimes the players need to see it to believe it. The finish part is been pleasant, obviously. He’s had to be a fighter. But when he walked the tough part, and that’s a question that 31 teams ask themselves in, our guys all had big smiles on their faces. A lot of what went on here throughout the season. Sometimes it’s having a second or two more with today was obviously planned. But our players took it a step further. They the puck or a second or two less with the puck. So, every player’s a little wanted him to be part of warm-up. Not just on the bench, ‘get out here bit different, every player has a different panic point, and it’s not carte and skate with us.’ They wanted him in the locker room dressing with blanche for the whole team. So, we’ve got to work with everyone and try them. They wanted him to be a part of the starting lineup, to read the and solve it. lineup in the locker room, and regardless of whether we win games or not, when you’re part of an organization you take a lot of pride in how the McLellan, on whether Arizona is similar at all to Coyotes teams earlier players respond to situations like that, and we might not be first place in this decade: the standings right now but in my mind we’re first place in being classy You want me to talk about what their team has done lately? [Reporter: individuals – at least on this day, and we’re proud of that. Yeah, as a coach-] You should go down the hallway and ask them. Like, Alec Martinez, on where the improvements over Monday occurred: they’re doing a good job and they’ve always been a good defensive team, I think. Their coaches will answer that a lot better than I will. I can I think we didn’t have the start that we needed, and if you ask any guy in tell you what they’re doing well right now – they’re defending, they’re this room, the first period wasn’t good enough. That said, in the second boxing out – but they would be a better group to ask than me. and third I thought that we did a lot of good things. I thought we got in on the forecheck and made it really tough on their D. We got some turnovers McLellan, on Nikolai Prokhorkin adjusting to the smaller ice to make and created some opportunities. Give credit to them – they’re the number plays: one defensive team in the league in terms of goals-against, and they Yeah, that’s part of his game and part of his adjustment period. I think showed that tonight. he’s been here long enough now to have felt it, especially practice-wise, Martinez, on what the Coyotes do well to limit opposing offenses: and he got a good group of games in the American League where obviously playing on the same sized ice surface. I tend to like him a little I think they stick to their system. They’ve got good defensive players, better in the middle. We’ve tried him on the wing here the last little bit, but good smart players. Obviously, they’ve gotten goaltending as well, and he is getting more confident, he shows us a skill level, he’s able to use that always helps. But I think that they just have a pretty good his size, I think his feet, his legs, his skating are improving, but it has to commitment to their team game, their team defensive game. get a little bit quicker and better. But he’s showing signs of being a confident player right now, and as we go forward and get guys in and out, Martinez, on whether it’s frustrating to control the play but lose the game: his job is top stay as ready as he possibly can and stay in the lineup. I mean, yeah, it’s frustrating after the game, but while it’s happening it’s McLellan, on whether he wanted to see more patience early, or if he liked important not to get frustrated. That’s probably their intention. They want the Kings’ chances: to frustrate you, they want to keep limiting your chances or keep shots to the outside. At the end of the day, against a team like that, you’ve got to Every situations’ different. We took 45, 46 shots – I can’t break all of stay patient and just play the game the right way, and then you will get those moments down. There are times where we should hold on and chances. Martinez, on whether he was satisfied with the team’s ability to get bodies and pucks to the net:

Yeah, I mean, that’s something that we talked about, getting pucks to the net. Any time you play a team of that caliber, especially defensively, you can’t score if you don’t shoot the puck. That was a focus point tonight.

Martinez, on Jacob Brown taking warm-ups, and the team’s efforts to make him comfortable:

Yeah, it’s awesome. He’s been a really bright spot to be around. Anytime you have an opportunity to do something like that I think it’s really important, and I think we have an obligation as an athlete to give back. He’s a great kid. You can tell – he was loving every minute of it, and to have a guy out there, you try to give him a couple stick taps or a couple pads on the shins, you have him go ahead of you, take your spot in the shooting or something like that. Obviously, we play a game, and he’s in a bigger fight than the rest of us, and it’s important to acknowledge that and help make peoples’ day just a little bit better.

Blake Lizotte, on the loss:

We came up short which was disappointing, but we battled hard for the last 40 minutes. I didn’t think our first 20 were very good. But the last 40 I thought for the most part we competed hard. I think it’s a testament to our aggressive play. My line tonight, I thought we played well the last 40 minutes. We were aggressive on the forecheck, sometimes they just don’t go in, which was the case tonight.

Lizotte, on carrying play but losing the game:

It’s the best league in the world. All it takes is one mistake. Five-on-five tonight we were good, except for 30 seconds, and that’s the difference. They capitalized on a mistake of ours and that’s the difference. The pucks didn’t go in the net for us tonight, and that’s just the way it goes.

Postgame Notes

— With the loss, Los Angeles fell to 91-105-36 all-time against the Arizona franchise, a record that includes a home mark of 50-48-17. The Kings’ five-game home winning streak was snapped with the loss, which dropped them to 0-2-0 on the season against the Coytoes with games remaining on January 30 at Gila River Arena and March 22 at Staples Center.

— With the loss, Los Angeles fell to 8-9-0 against the Western Conference, 5-5-0 against the Pacific Division, 5-3-1 in one-goal games, 1-10-0 when their opponent scores first, 0-9-0 when trailing after one period 0-11-0 when trailing after two periods and 8-10-0 when outshooting their opponent.

— The Kings fell to 22-11-0 in their silver alternate jerseys, which were used in 2016-17, and, without the gold trim, since the start of the 2018-19 season. The jerseys have been used for Saturday home games. Today’s game ended a string of seven consecutive wins in the silver jerseys.

— Ben Hutton played the 299th game of his career.

— With his team-leading ninth goal, Anze Kopitar (1-0=1) has recorded points in eight of his last nine games (5-6=11) and has at least one point in 17 of 23 games this season.

— Drew Doughty (0-1=1) has seven points (1-6=7) over the last five games.

— Los Angeles attempted 78 shots (45 on goal, 16 blocied, 17 missed). Arizona attempted 36 shots (19 on goal, 10 blocked, 7 missed). All L.A. skaters registered at least one shot on goal, led by Sean Walker, Alec Martinez, Blake Lizotte and Jeff Carter, all of whom tied with a game-high four.

— The Kings won 22-of-56 faceoffs (59%). Adrian Kempe won 1-of-3, Michael Amadio won 5-of-6, Anze Kopitar won 14-of-19, Alex Iafallo won 1-of-1, Dustin Brown won 1-of-2, Blake Lizotte won 4-of-10, Tyler Toffoli won 0-of-2, Nikolai Proklhorkin won 1-of-2 and Jeff Carter won 6-of-11.

Sunday is a scheduled recovery day for the Kings. They are scheduled to practice next at 10:30 a.m. Monday at Toyota Sports Performance Center in advance of their home game against San Jose at 7:30 p.m. that evening.

LA Kings Insider: LOADED: 11.24.2019 1163074 Los Angeles Kings

GAME 23: LOS ANGELES VS ARIZONA

JON ROSEN

NOVEMBER 23, 2019

GAME THREADS

Arizona Coyotes 3, Los Angeles Kings 2

SOG: LAK – 44; ARI – 19

PP: LAK – 1/3; ARI – 1/1

First Period

1) ARI PPG – Phil Kessel (4) (Clayton Keller, Derek Stepan), 10:24

Second Period

2) LAK PPG – Anze Kopitar (9) (Drew Doughty, Adrian Kempe), 2:25

3) ARI – Lawson Crouse (5) (Carl Soderberg, Vinnie Hinostroza), 15:29

Third Period

4) ARI ENG – Christian Fischer (2) (unassisted), 17:50

5) LAK – Nikolai Prokhorkin (2) (Matt Roy, Sean Walker), 18:25

Los Angeles Kings (9-12-1) vs Arizona Coyotes (13-8-2)

Saturday, November 23, 2019, 1:00 p.m. PT

Staples Center, Los Angeles, CA

Referees: #13 Dan O’Halloran, #8 Francois StLaurent

Linesmen: #79 Kiel Murchison, #67 Travis Gawryletz

Fox Sports West, FOX Sports GO, Hockey Night in Los Angeles, LA Kings Audio Network

LAK starters: G Jonathan Quick, D Ben Hutton, D Alec Martinez, LW Adrian Kempe, C Blake Lizotte, RW Austin Wagner

LAK scratches: F Ilya Kovalchuk, D Kurtis MacDermid

ARI starters: G Antti Raanta, D Oliver Ekman-Larsson, D Jason Demersr, LW Lawson Crowse, C Carl Soderberg, RW Vinnie Hinostroza

ARI scratches: F Michael Grabner, D Aaron Ness, G Eric Comrie

LA Kings Insider: LOADED: 11.24.2019 1163075 Los Angeles Kings LA Kings Insider: LOADED: 11.24.2019

PREVIEW – ONTARIO @ TUCSON, 11/23

ZACH DOOLEY

NOVEMBER 23, 2019

GAME PREVIEWONTARIO REIGN

WHO: Ontario Reign (8-7-2-0) vs. Tucson Roadrunners (13-4-0-0)

WHAT: AHL REGULAR-SEASON GAME

WHEN: Saturday, November 23, 2019 – 6:05 PM Pacific

WHERE: Tucson Convention Center Arena – Tucson, AZ

TONIGHT’S MATCHUP: The Reign and Roadrunners are back in action this evening to conclude a back-to-back set in Arizona. Tucson took Round 1 yesterday by a 4-1 final, as it improved to 2-0-0 against Ontario so far this season.

WHAT TO WATCH FOR: Expect some changes for the Reign this evening. The team had approximately two thirds of the team on this morning and here’s what can be expected tonight. First, Matt Villalta! For the first time this season, Cal Petersen is not expected to get the start in net, with Villalta off first this morning in Arizona, in advance of what would be his first career AHL start. While not confirmed, expect Mason Bergh in for Gabriel Vilardi up front and Sean Durzi in for Austin Strand on the backend, with the rest of the lineup expected to remain the same.

DON’T MESS WITH THE JOHAN: Forward Johan Sodergran scored the first goal of his professional career last night with a second-period tally. Sodergran’s goal gives him points in back-to-back games, after an assist last weekend in San Diego, and three points (1-2-3) from 15 games played on the season. Sodergran recently celebrated his 20th birthday on Wednesday, not a bad week for the rookie forward.

FOR PETE’S SAKE: Reign netminder Cal Petersen may finally get a well deserved night off, after he turned in another stout performance yesterday, with 42 saves on 45 shots in a losing effort. Petersen has now faced at least 35 shots in each of his last five starts, as well as seven of his past eight. At 630 shots faced on the season, Petersen has seen more than 100 shots more than the next nearest goaltender. The Notre Dame product also leads the AHL in saves and minutes played on the season.

GABEUT: Forward Gabriel Vilardi made his season debut last night, as he went scoreless in the 4-1 defeat. Vilardi centered a line with Brett Sutter and Matt Luff in his first game action since December 7, 2018, which also came with Ontario in Tucson. As per a pre-determined plan, Vilardi is not expected to play this evening in the second half of the back- to-back. Read more on Vilardi from last night post-game recap.

PAUL IN: Ontario defenseman Paul LaDue collected the lone assist on Sodergran’s goal last night, his fifth assist and sixth point of the season. LaDue’s five helpers are the most among all Reign blueliners, one ahead of both Kale Clague and Tobias Bjornfot. With a +1 rating last night, LaDue is also tied for the lead for active Ontario players with a +5 rating on the season, along with Bjornfot and defenseman Austin Strand.

VILLY, VILLY: As stated above, goaltender Matthew Villalta is expected to make his first career AHL start this evening. Villalta was reassigned to Ontario earlier this week after eight games in the ECHL with Fort Wayne, where he posted a 4-3-1 record with the Komets. The rookie netminder made his AHL debut with the Reign against Tucson on October 12, as he made eight saves in one period of action in relief of Cal Petersen.

SCOUTING THE ROADRUNNERS: Tucson remains atop the Pacific Division with a 13-4-0-0 record after last night’s win. At .765, the Roadrunners have the top winning percentage in the Western Conference and the second-best mark across the entire AHL. With a goal yesterday, forward Lane Pederson leads all Tucson players with 11 tallies and 19 points on the season, with his goal count ranking tied for fifth across the AHL.

1163076 Minnesota Wild

Special-teams play comes back to bite Wild in overtime loss to Bruins

By Sarah McLellan

NOVEMBER 23, 2019 — 10:38PM

BOSTON – What helped the Wild gain an edge on the Bruins and sit seconds away from victory might have actually sparked its downfall.

Up 4-2 in the third period Saturday at TD Garden, with two of those goals coming during seven power play chances, the Wild went on the penalty kill.

The Bruins, who had just one power play up to that point, earned a man advantage at 14 minutes, 39 seconds when center Victor Rask was called for holding. Although Boston didn’t convert on that opportunity, it did minutes later when winger Luke Kunin was whistled for tripping.

That goal by center David Krejci tied it at 4 and came just 48 seconds after Krejci pulled the Bruins within one.

In overtime, the Bruins finished off their rally to hand the Wild a 5-4 overtime loss.

“We had seven power plays,” center Eric Staal said. “They were looking obviously to call one the other way. Unfortunately, [Kunin] got his stick in. … They’re going to call that. It’s just the nature of how it works when you have that many power plays the other way.”

Even before Krejci scored twice to send the game to overtime, it looked like the Wild would be able to hold off the Bruins. Boston outshot the team 15-7 in the third, but the feel didn’t turn helter-skelter until after the Bruins scored their third.

“We were in full control,” goalie Alex Stalock said. “They get a power play. That gives them a little momentum. The building gets up and then from there I think they were rolling out their top guys shift after shift and they got some chances and put them in the net.”

This outcome dropped the Wild to 3-2-2 when leading after two periods, as closing out games remains a work in progress.

“Our Achilles heel this entire year so far has been with a lead, and we’re not able to keep it,” said winger Jason Zucker, who scored his third goal Saturday over his last three games. “So we’ve got to be better at that. That doesn’t fall on the goalies. The goalies have been unbelievable. It's everybody up front. Everyone down needs to be better and finish up these games for those guys.”

Stalock made a season-high 34 saves, one of which in the first period came on a 3-on-0. He managed to get a glove on the shot defenseman Charlie McAvoy.

“Just give yourself a chance,” Stalock said. “Try to figure out who’s going to be the guy to shoot it.”

One of the other memorable matchups of the night was between defenseman Matt Dumba and Boston’s Brad Marchand, as the two crossed paths throughout the game.

In the first period, both went off for roughing after wrestling to the ice.

“Just battles,” Dumba said. “He's a competitor. Same with me. Just fighting for ice. He's coming up that right side all night and me and [Jonas Brodin] saw that. I thought we did a good job against him.”

Star Tribune LOADED: 11.24.2019 1163077 Minnesota Wild

Wild-Boston game recap

Staff Report

NOVEMBER 23, 2019 — 10:10PM

STAR TRIBUNE’S THREE STARS

1. David Krejci, Bruins: The center sent the game to extra time with two goals 48 seconds apart in the final two minutes of regulation.

2. Torey Krug, Bruins: The defenseman capped off the Bruins’ rally with the overtime winner and chipped in two assists.

3. Alex Stalock, Wild: The goaltender racked up 34 saves, one on a 3-on- 0 rush in the first period.

BY THE NUMBERS

3 Penalties drawn by winger Jason Zucker.

4 Assists for Bruins center Patrice Bergeron.

Star Tribune LOADED: 11.24.2019 1163078 Minnesota Wild Minnesota opened the scoring at 8:53 of the first when Zucker, positioned just outside the crease, scored on a backhander off the rebound of Brad Hunt's shot from the right point 7 seconds into a power play. Bruins rally late, beat Wild 5-4 in OT on Krug's goal As Boston defenseman Charlie McAvoy's penalty expired later into the period, he jumped onto the ice and joined in to make a 2-on-none break with Marchand, who fed the puck over, but Stalock came across the By KEN POWTAK Associated Press crease to rob him. McAvoy, still looking for his first goal this season, also NOVEMBER 23, 2019 — 10:20PM charged in for a loose puck early in the third but fired it over the net on a shot that would have tied it.

BOSTON — It was only fitting the Boston Bruins got their first overtime win of the season after a comeback like that. Star Tribune LOADED: 11.24.2019

Torey Krug scored 2:41 into OT after David Krejci had two goals in the final two minutes of regulation, rallying the Bruins to a 5-4 win over the Minnesota Wild on Saturday night.

The Bruins were 0-5 in extra time this season, losing once in OT and four times in the shootout.

"Might as well go down swinging if you're going to a shootout," Krug said, joking. "That's not our thought process, but looking at it you might as well think that way. We were in attack mode a little bit more."

Jake DeBrusk and Brad Marchand also scored to help Boston pick up at least a point for the seventh straight game (4-0-3). Tuukka Rask finished with 32 saves in place of backup Jaroslav Halak, who was scheduled to start.

"We fought through," Marchand said. "It's not always going to be pretty. You're not going to have your best every night, but we're finding ways to win games."

Rask stopped Jason Zucker on a breakaway with about three minutes to play in regulation and made a stop with the toe of his skate nearly doing the splits off a deflected shot in OT before Krug's game-winner.

"We had our chances to put the game away," Zucker said. "I've got to score on that. That's three goals up."

Victor Rask, Eric Staal, Kevin Fiala and Zucker scored for the Wild, who were on the verge of sending Boston to its first regulation loss at home this season but fell to 3-0-2 in their last five games. Alex Stalock had 34 saves.

The Bruins remained the only NHL team yet to lose in regulation at home (9-0-4).

"Sometimes coaches take it a little harder than players. I'll get over it tomorrow," Wild coach Bruce Boudreau said. "We played a team that's played 12 games in their building and hadn't had a regulation loss. Arguably the best team in the league and we played them shot-for-shot, hit-for-hit until the last five minutes. Once they got that feeling it was hard to stop them."

Krug cut between a pair of Minnesota players and slipped a shot between Stalock's pads for the winner.

"In overtime, I don't know what we were thinking," Boudreau said.

Trailing 4-2, Boston started its improbable comeback when Krejci scored his first with Tuukka Rask off for an extra skater with 1:55 to play. Then, with Luke Kunin off for tripping and Rask pulled again, Krejci one-timed Patrice Bergeron's pass by Stalock from the left circle with 1:07 left in regulation.

Trailing 1-0, Boston tied it when DeBrusk, cutting across in front of the crease, tipped Zdeno Chara's shot into the net at 4:14 of the second.

Minnesota moved back ahead exactly two minutes later on Victor Rask's second of the season. Skating in hard for the rebound of Jared Spurgeon's shot from the point, the puck went into the net off the center's right skate as he collided with Boston defenseman Steven Kampfer.

With Chara off on a double minor for high sticking, Staal chopped a rebound into the net from the edge of the crease, making it 3-1.

Marchand shoveled a short shot by Stalock with 3.1 seconds left in the second.

Fiala was credited with a goal when the puck went into the net off Boston defenseman Krug's stick, making it 4-2 at 5:19 of the third. 1163079 Minnesota Wild Although the Bruins inched closer with 4 seconds left in the second when Brad Marchand gathered a bounce off the end boards and scored, the Wild regained a two-goal cushion on Fiala’s tally and had a chance to go up by three but Zucker missed on a breakaway. Wild crumbles late, loses 5-4 in overtime to Boston But what happened next made sure the Wild’s highlights weren’t the only memorable parts of the game.

By Sarah McLellan Star Tribune “For 55 minutes I thought we played outstanding and even in the third period I thought when they were trying to put a push on positionally we NOVEMBER 24, 2019 — 12:15AM were great,” Boudreau said. “Sometimes coaches take it a little harder than players. I’ll get over it by tomorrow.”

BOSTON – Inside the locker room, the vibe wanted to focus on the positives. Star Tribune LOADED: 11.24.2019 Twice the Wild led by two, the team scored a pair of goals on the power play and it earned a much-needed point against one of the top teams in the NHL.

“We played a tight-checking road game just like we wanted,” Matt Dumba said. “We can’t hang our heads about that.”

But outside the players’ quarters, where coach Bruce Boudreau held court, the mood emphasized how what could have been the Wild’s signature victory of the season curdled into its latest collapse — a 5-4 overtime letdown to the Bruins in front of 17,850 at TD Garden that ended the team’s modest win streak at two games.

“We blew a two-goal lead with under five minutes to go,” Boudreau said. “That’s the way I look at it.”

Both takeaways are accurate, and this two-track reality aptly describes the state of the Wild.

Although the team is making strides, going 3-0-2 in its last five, this progress hasn’t translated to the standings where the Wild (9-11-3) is still stranded in the bottom five.

One more point wouldn’t have made much of a difference, but the significance would have been felt rather than seen — an emotional lift that would have continued to validate this improvement.

And despite the outcome, the players felt this performance wasn’t a regression.

“It shows that we’re right there on any given night,” Dumba said. “We just have to execute and have that killer instinct.”

After Kevin Fiala scored on a carom of the Bruins’ Torey Krug at 5 minutes, 19 seconds of the third period, the Wild went ahead 4-2 and seemed primed to close out the game based on how attentively it had been playing.

But with 1:55 to go and an extra attacker on the ice, Boston’s comeback was kick-started by a tap-in from David Krejci. Only 48 seconds later, Krejci extended the action on a one-timer on a Bruins power play.

“We knew that they were going to call a couple on us,” Boudreau said. “That’s just the way the game is played. … Luke [Kunin] tripped him. That’s a penalty.”

In overtime, the Wild had three shots — including one from Brad Hunt that goalie Tuukka Rask kicked aside — but the Bruins prevailed on their lone look: an end-to-end rush by Krug at 2:41.

“In overtime I don’t know what we were thinking,” Boudreau said.

The Wild is 12-31 all-time in 3-on-3 overtime and 0-3 this season.

“You can’t skate untouched right through the middle of the ice,” Boudreau said. “We had lines put together and I changed them at the end. That’s my fault.”

Before fizzling, the Wild was sharp.

Jason Zucker opened the scoring at 8:53 with his backhand on the power play. After Jake DeBrusk evened it 4:14 into the second on a deflection, the Wild responded 2 minutes later when the puck rolled in off Victor Rask’s skate.

During a four-minute advantage after Zdeno Chara high-sticked Zucker, who drew three penalties in the game, Eric Staal whacked in another rebound at 14:26. 1163080 Minnesota Wild Star Tribune LOADED: 11.24.2019

Coach Bruce Boudreau has a plan for Wild goalie Kaapo Kahkonen's NHL debut

By Sarah McLellan Star Tribune

NOVEMBER 23, 2019 — 10:10PM

BOSTON – Alex Stalock handled the Wild’s goaltending duties again Saturday, making a third consecutive start while Devan Dubnyk remains away from the team because of a family issue.

But Stalock could be receiving a break this week.

Kaapo Kahkonen, who’s assumed the backup position during Dubnyk’s absence, might make his NHL debut during this three-game road trip.

“I have no problem playing him whenever the opportunity arises,” coach Bruce Boudreau said.

Boudreau actually has a game in mind for Kahkonen, but he acknowledged his plan could change based on how Stalock performs. After visiting the Rangers Monday in New York, the Wild will be back in action Tuesday in New Jersey before returning home.

Kahkonen was recalled on an emergency basis Wednesday with Dubnyk unavailable and before then, he was 7-2-1 with a .909 save percentage, 2.47 goals-against average and two shutouts for Iowa in the American Hockey League. During one preseason game, he made 18 saves on 20 shots after giving up goals on the game’s first two shots.

“I haven’t heard much about the season, but I’ve seen him play,” Boudreau said. “I’ve seen him play at Traverse City. I’ve seen him play in training camp, and I think he’s a pretty good goaltender. Other than those first two shots against Winnipeg in the preseason, he was outstanding. I think he’s a competitor. He’s one of these guys that’s a gamer.”

This is Kahkonen’s second professional season in North America after previously playing in Finland, and he said he returned for 2019-20 much more comfortable and confident. Overall, through 49 games with Iowa, Kahkonen is 24-16-9 with a .908 save percentage, 2.72 goals-against average and eight shutouts.

“Obviously, you’re going to be ready anytime you get to play — whatever league it is,” Kahkonen said. “That would be really exciting to get my first [NHL] game but right now obviously you try to do your best in practice every day and support the guys and Al and everybody else around the team.”

Winger Jason Zucker’s first game-winning goal of the season Thursday in the 3-2 win over the Avalanche at Xcel Energy Center came on a bizarre-looking play.

After goalie Philipp Grubauer stopped a shot by center Eric Staal, he stood up from his crouch but the puck wasn’t covered. It was resting on the goal line, until Zucker crashed the net to poke it in.

“In my head, at first, I thought maybe it went in and came back out and was kind of sitting there by his reaction,” Zucker said. “But Staalsy didn’t celebrate, and the ref didn’t blow the whistle. So it was kind of an odd play, so I just figured I’d dive in there.”

Making a case

When Boudreau showed video Saturday morning of what the Wild has done well, the fourth line received plenty of airtime.

“I went up to them [and] said, ‘I gotta start playing you guys more because you’re in all the positive clips,’ ” Boudreau said.

Only winger Ryan Hartman, who regularly takes shifts on the penalty kill, has logged more than 10 minutes a game since a fourth line featuring him, winger Ryan Donato and center Victor Rask was created in the aftermath of winger Marcus Foligno suffering a lower-body injury on Nov. 7.

“As long as the coach has faith in them, no matter if they play a little or a lot, the coach can put them in situations and believe in them and that’s the way they’re playing right now,” Boudreau said. 1163081 Minnesota Wild Star Tribune LOADED: 11.24.2019

Wild GM Bill Guerin is evaluating roster, but how far away is change?

Staff Report

NOVEMBER 24, 2019 — 12:08AM

In meeting with reporters two weeks ago, Wild GM Bill Guerin was blunt about how he would evaluate the team going forward:

“We don’t want to talk ourselves into something that we don’t really want to do or think we’re something that we’re not,” he said. “We have to be very honest with ourselves and then move accordingly.”

Here’s the question: How long should the evaluation last before Guerin makes tough decisions?

First take: Michael Rand

It would have been tempting for Guerin to make snap decisions after the team’s tough start, but the biggest obstacle, honestly, is the schedule.

It’s hard to get a perfect handle on a roster when 20 of a team’s first 30 games are on the road. By Dec. 7, the Wild will have played almost half of its road games. And as the schedule has balanced out a little lately, the team has performed at a higher level.

But overly optimistic teams might point to St. Louis as a reason to keep a roster together. The Blues, as has been oft-repeated, won the Stanley Cup last season after entering Jan. 3 with the fewest points in the league. On that date, however, 13 of the eventual 16 postseason teams were already in playoff position.

Sarah McLellan: That tends to be the norm, with the potential playoff picture taking shape as early as Thanksgiving. Most teams in a berth at that point in the calendar tend to hold on to one. This reality isn’t encouraging for the Wild, which has remained near the bottom of the standings despite recent improvements, but the best read on the group might not come until after the holiday break.

Not only is January the start of the second half, but that’s when the schedule starts to become more home-heavy. The results at Xcel Energy Center so far have been encouraging enough (5-1-2) that it would make sense to take the time to see if the woeful October was exacerbated by so many road games against stiff competition. Keeping the evaluation process would help figure that out.

Rand: From Dec. 21 through Feb. 15, the Wild plays 18 home games and just four road games — which I’m sure delights you, Sarah, given how much time you’ll get to spend in Minnesota during the coldest months.

That stretch will lead right into trade deadline season (Feb. 24 is the final day), which I suppose is a double-edged sword: It’ll give Guerin time to evaluate, but strong play at home could be fool’s gold.

Trades are about Guerin’s only option for immediate change, though. Mikko Koivu is the only notable unrestricted free agent this summer.

McLellan: But a quick fix in the trade market is difficult to find, which Guerin also noted in his state-of-the-team address. The most impactful, and long-lasting, change usually comes from the draft. Look at the top scorers in the NHL today; all of them — from the Oilers’ Connor McDavid to the Bruins’ duo of Brad Marchand and David Pastrnak — are homegrown.

Regardless of where the team finishes, identifying and adding promising prospects is vital to the Wild’s growth. Those draft picks could come to define Guerin’s effect on the Wild, perhaps as much as which established NHLers he decides to keep, cut or acquire.

Rand: In that case, he’s probably best off making trades early and setting the Wild up for a high draft pick.

McLellan: Regardless of what happens, the next few months could easily determine what’s in store for the franchise for the next few years.

1163082 Minnesota Wild

Wild returns to the road, kicks off three-game trip in Boston

By Sarah McLellan

NOVEMBER 23, 2019 — 11:41AM

BOSTON – The Wild sealed consecutive victories for just the second time this season Thursday when it shrugged off the Avalanche 3-2, a result that gives the team a chance to extend its win streak to a season- high three games Saturday when it starts a three-game road trip against the Bruins.

“Obviously there's no tougher test than going to [TD] Garden right now the way that team is playing,” goalie Alex Stalock said. “Can we go in there and play a good team game? I don't see why not.”

What could help the Wild in its attempt to take down one of the top teams in the NHL is the momentum it’s built from two prior wins earlier in the week.

After getting by the Sabres 4-1 in Buffalo on Tuesday, the Wild returned home to defeat Colorado – just the first time it’s won back-to-back games since Oct.20 and 22.

“It's a tough road trip coming up here,” winger Mats Zuccarello said. “So we need a little confidence before that.”

Stalock will be back in goal for the Wild after he secured two straight victories for the first time since Nov.21-23, 2018.

This is also winger Ryan Donato’s first game back in Boston since he was traded from the Bruins to the Wild last season.

“It’s going to be fun playing against a bunch of my old teammates and friends, and I’m sure I’ll have a bunch of family and friends in the crowd,” Donato said. “So [there’s] going to be a lot of energy and hopefully a lot of positive energy.”

Star Tribune LOADED: 11.24.2019 1163083 Minnesota Wild Unfortunately for the Wild, a bounce off the back boards with less than 10 seconds left in the frame landed right on Marchand’s stick, and he promptly made it a one-goal game heading into the final frame.

Wild collapse down stretch in frustrating 5-4 loss to Bruins That’s where things really got interesting, as winger Kevin Fiala scored for the Wild to make it a two-goal game once again before Krejci put the team on his back down the stretch.

By DANE MIZUTANI | [email protected] | Pioneer Press “It felt like we were in control of the game for a long time,” winger Zach Parise said. “Then they snap a couple at the end, and all of a sudden PUBLISHED: November 23, 2019 at 8:51 pm | UPDATED: November 23, we’re in overtime.” 2019 at 10:02 PM That’s where Krug played hero, going untouched end-to-end midway

through the extra session, before beating Stalock five-hole to end the BOSTON — With the game all but in hand on Saturday night at TD game. Garden, the Wild completely collapsed down the stretch, turning a two- “It was like the parting of the Red Sea,” Boudreau lamented. “You can’t goal lead into a tie game and, eventually, a 5-4 overtime loss to the skate untouched right through the middle of the ice.” Bruins. Still, the fact the game was even in overtime at that point was frustrating, Walking around the Wild locker room in the immediate aftermath, though, considering how well the Wild played for most of the game. it seemed like almost everyone was content walking away with a moral victory, and at least one point in the standings. “I think it shows that we can play with anybody,” Zucker said. “It’s good for us to be able to show that. That said, I think our Achilles’ heel this “You’re not going to win every single game in this league,” goaltender entire season so far has been, with a lead, we’re not able to keep it. We Alex Stalock said. “They are a top-two team in this league points-wise. need to be better at that.” We played them to overtime. Obviously it’s a game we want to win. But we take a look at a lot of the positives. I don’t think we sit there and dwell on any negatives.” Pioneer Press LOADED: 11.24.2019 “They are probably one of the best teams in the league,” added defenseman Matt Dumba. “It shows that we’re right there on any given night. We just have to execute and have that killer instinct.”

That lack of killer instinct is what left coach Bruce Boudreau red-faced as he headed toward the team bus.

“I’ll balance (the good and the bad) tomorrow,” Boudreau said. “As far as right now, we blew a two-goal lead with under five minutes to go. That’s the way I look at it.”

“Sometimes coaches take it a little harder than players,” Boudreau added. “I’ll get over it by tomorrow.”

And honestly, when the Wild wake up on Sunday morning, they should try to latch on to the positives, not the negatives, from the loss.

Despite the fact that center David Krejci netted a pair of goals 48 seconds apart to help the Bruins force overtime, and defenseman Torey Krug netted the game-winner shortly thereafter, the Wild actually did a lot of good things for most of the night.

It was arguably their best game so far this season, well, minus the debacle down the stretch.

“I don’t want it to detract (from the progress we’ve made),” Boudreau said. “That’s arguably the best team in the league, and we played them shot for shot and hit for hit until the last five minutes. It’s just once they got that feeling it was hard to stop.”

That feeling was nowhere to be found early on, as the Wild jumped on the Bruins, taking a lead in the first period as winger Jason Zucker netted a goal for the third straight game.

It felt like a foregone conclusion that the Bruins were going to tie it later in the frame as a bounce near the blue line ignited a 3-on-0 the other way.

With superstar Brad Marchand and highly-skilled blueliner Charlie McAvoy playing hot potato on the rush, with a trailer behind them, Stalock somehow managed to turn away the threat.

He tracked the puck every step of the way, and when Marchand sauced a pass over to McAvoy, he pounced, gloving down the potential scoring chance before quickly covering up in the crease.

If not for Stalock’s incredible save later in the frame, the Wild might have started to unravel. At the very least, the game would’ve taken on a much different tenor.

Instead, there was some margin for error heading into the second period. While the Bruins tied the game with a deflection from winger Jake DeBrusk in front, center Victor Rask quickly helped the the Wild regain the lead, and veteran center Eric Staal made it a two-goal game later in the frame. 1163084 Minnesota Wild

Wild winger Ryan Donato relishes homecoming against Bruins

By DANE MIZUTANI | [email protected] | Pioneer Press

PUBLISHED: November 23, 2019 at 6:12 pm | UPDATED: November 23, 2019 at 6:13 PM

BOSTON — Admittedly, life has been easier for Ryan Donato since relocating to the Twin Cities. Or at least a heck of a lot less hectic.

As a kid born and raised on the outskirts of Boston, the 23-year-old Donato fulfilled a lifelong dream when he was drafted by the Bruins in the second round of the 2014 NHL draft. He went on to make his NHL debut with the hometown team and played 46 games with the Bruins before being traded to the Wild last season in exchange for Charlie Coyle.

“It was hard in the sense that I was born and raised here and my family is here,” Donato said in the hours leading up to Saturday’s tilt between the Wild and Bruins. “That’s definitely the toughest aspect. Just not being able to see them every day.”

That also comes with a sliver lining. No longer does Donato feel inundated with his life away from the rink.

“Now that I’m with the Wild I can have a practice and go back home to my apartment and relax,” Donato said. “When I was (with the Bruins) I might have 10 different things going on at once. I’d have friends and family and everyone that wants to see me. It’s a lot different, I’d say, in a good way and a bad way. You just don’t get to see family and friends as much. There are pros and cons.”

Still, there’s no place like home for Donato, and he was very much looking forward to his homecoming. He was expecting as many as 30 people for Saturday’s game, including his father Ted, his mother Jeannine, his brothers Jack and Nolan, his sister Maddie, and his girlfriend Bradley, just to name a few.

While it was going to be special moment for everyone involved, Donato seemed most excited to share the experience with his father, who played for the Bruins for nearly a decade back in the day. He learned the game from him growing up and went on to play for him at Harvard being turning pro.

“He’s probably going to feel weird,” Donato said. “I’m definitely really excited to have him there.”

It’s been especially helpful for Donato to have his father in his corner this season. He likened it to how New England Patriots wide receiver Julian Edelman has long referred to his father as a mechanic for his brain.

“That’s probably the same way for me,” Donato said. “He settles me down when I need settling down, and he can also kick me into gear.”

That also features some tough love.

“He’s always on my case, and in the right ways,” Donato said. “I’m very lucky to have him. If I disagree with him (about something), he’ll tell me that I’m wrong, and he’ll tell me the reasons, and usually he’s right. He’s been around long enough to understand what are the rights and wrongs of the league. I’m really blessed to have him.”

His biggest piece of advice?

“Just realize it’s another hockey game,” Donato said.”I want to come in every game with the same even-keeled mentality. I might have a little bit more jump in my step tonight, but that goes with the whole situation.”

Pioneer Press LOADED: 11.24.2019 1163085 Minnesota Wild The Wild put forth a big kill, then Jason Zucker, who scored earlier in the game and drew eight minutes in power plays on this night, had a chance to seal the deal on a breakaway with 2:50 left. Tuukka Rask made a great save, and less than a minute later, the Boston goalie was on the From bad to familiar worse for the Wild: a late collapse, another overtime bench for an extra attacker and Krejci scored to make it 4-3. loss Now, with the power plays 7-2, Kunin was called for tripping Charlie McAvoy 24 seconds after Krejci’s first goal.

By Michael Russo “We had seven power plays. They were looking obviously to call one the other way,” veteran Eric Staal said. “Unfortunately, Kunny got his stick in Nov 23, 2019 (and McAvoy) went down. They’re going to call that. It’s just the nature of how it works when you have that many power plays the other way.”

BOSTON — Fifty-eight minutes of solid, fast, hard hockey all down the The TD Garden crowd rose to its feet, sensing what was about to drain in less than two minutes. happen. Rask skated right to the bench for a 91-second six-on-four, the Bruins widened out in the offensive zone, and mayhem ensued for the The Wild were less than two minutes away from their most impressive Wild as the Bruins, almost like a DVR on fast-forward, went into sonic win of the season, less than two minutes from handing last year’s speed and got another Krejci goal just 24 seconds after Kunin’s penalty Eastern Conference champs their first regulation home loss in 13 games and with 67 seconds left in regulation. this season, less than two minutes from a third consecutive win and further validation that things have actually changed for the better during a “You feel like they can turn it on when they want to,” Parise said. month of mostly well-played hockey. The Bruins certainly showed why you should never leave a hockey game And then … a meltdown like few others in Wild history. if your team is down two with two minutes left.

Up by two with less than two minutes left, the Wild somehow Well, maybe if you’re a Boston fan. disintegrated when David Krejci scored twice 48 seconds apart in the “We were in full control. They get a power play. That gives them a little 18th minute of the third period before the Boston Bruins went on to hand momentum,” Stalock said. “The building gets up and then from there I the league’s most godawful, pitiful overtime team its trademarked loser think they were rolling out their top guys shift after shift.” point and a 5-4 loss. The Wild were actually lucky to secure a point in the standings for ending “Any time you lose, it’s not fun. Another overtime loss, which makes it regulation tied because Charlie Coyle missed a pair of nets — one that harder,” said goalie Alex Stalock, who was so, so close to arguably the was wide-open — with 41 and 35 seconds left. most impressive win of his Wild career. “We had our chances to put the game away,” Zucker said. “I had that The Wild lost in overtime for the third time in 10 games and the seventh breakaway (Rask) made a great save on, but I’ve got to score on that. I time in their past eight overtime occasions, and they fell to a league- mean, that’s three goals up with (3:13) to go. It’s hard because Stalock worst 12-31 since the league implemented three-on-three overtime in played unbelievable. We’ve gotta be better for him up front and put that 2015-16. game away.” This time, defenseman Torey Krug, playing for the first time in two Stalock surely deserved better. weeks, went end to end past Zach Parise in the neutral zone and Luke Kunin and Brad Hunt in the Wild zone before sliding a puck through His best save came in the first period. With the Wild up 1-0 on Zucker’s Stalock’s five-hole. eighth goal, Stalock denied McAvoy on a three-on-none as Brad Marchand and McAvoy played catch with the puck. “Split everyone. It was a good play by him,” Parise said. How does a three-on-none even happen? Staal, with McAvoy about to Wild coach Bruce Boudreau wasn’t as forgiving, saying “I don’t know come out of the penalty box, turned the puck over. Hunt pinched, and the what we were thinking” before placing the blame squarely on himself for puck hopped over his stick and out of the zone. Matt Dumba fell as he the players — or perhaps one of the players — he put on the ice. retreated. Ever since Parise played a big part in Minnesota’s first overtime of the But Stalock made the stop. season, Nov. 2 against St. Louis, Boudreau said he planned to change strategy in overtime. The assumption was he planned to no longer use “Just give yourself a chance,” Stalock said. “Try to figure out who’s going some of the Wild’s less fleet-of-foot players, such as Parise, Mikko Koivu to be the guy to shoot it.” and Mats Zuccarello. Jake DeBrusk would ultimately tie the score at 1-1 early in the second, None of those players saw overtime four games ago against Carolina, but the Jordan Greenway-Joel Eriksson Ek-Kunin line had a great shift to but Parise was sent over the boards 2:10 into this one. regain momentum, and Victor Rask scored his second goal of the season for a 2-1 lead. Zucker then drew a four-minute power play, and Staal Maybe last year’s leading scorer was being rewarded for his better play scored on the front half to make it 3-1. in recent games, but Parise committed the first of the Wild’s breakdowns near center ice. A bad Ryan Suter icing led to Marchand’s goal with three seconds left in the second, but the Wild regained control when Kevin Fiala scored early “Parting of the Red Sea,” Boudreau said. “You can’t skate untouched in the third. right through the middle of the ice. But I blame … we had lines put together, and I changed them at the end. That’s my fault.” Still, the Wild, who are 5-2-3 in their past 10, stunningly blew it despite such a strong performance for 55 or so minutes. What’s a shame is it was actually the Wild’s best overtime in recent memory. “I think it shows that we can play with anybody,” Zucker said. “I think it shows that we know how to score goals, I think it shows that we can play Let’s put it this way: At least they had scoring chances for a change, but in any type situation. I thought that was as up-and-down of a game as Tuukka Rask, who wasn’t originally expected to start, made three saves, we’ve played, you know, back and forth with chances. So it’s good for us including a robbery 26 seconds before Krug’s winner on a deflected Hunt to be able to show that. shot that would have dislocated a lesser man’s groin. “But at the same time, I think our Achilles’ heel this entire year so far has What’s also a shame is the Wild were so close to the narrative being been with a lead and we’re not able to keep it. So we’ve got to be better dramatically different after this one. at that. That doesn’t fall on the goalies. The goalies have been But the momentum changed with a little more than five minutes left when unbelievable. It’s everybody up front. You know, everyone down (the Victor Rask was called for a holding penalty. The power plays were 7-1 lineup) needs to be better and finish up these games for those guys.” at that point, so the Wild knew they’d better be squeaky-clean. Kahkonen’s first NHL start coming? No. 1 goalie Devan Dubnyk, who missed Thursday’s home game against Colorado, is not on the trip as he tends to a family health situation. If all goes as planned, he’s expected to practice with the Wild on Thanksgiving Day.

But with the Wild playing back-to-back at New York and New Jersey on Monday and Tuesday, Boudreau indicated that prospect Kaapo Kahkonen’s NHL debut is coming.

“In my mind, I’ve got a game planned for him,” Boudreau said before the game. “But if Al’s one extreme or the other extreme, then it might change.”

Unless Saturday’s outcome alters anything, it would seem the game in Jersey would make the most sense for Kahkonen’s debut.

Kahkonen, 23, is 7-2-1 this season for AHL Iowa with a 2.47 goals- against average and a .909 save percentage. Last season, he was 17- 14-8 with a 2.78 goals-against average and a .908 save percentage, led the AHL with a franchise-record six shutouts and represented Iowa in the AHL All-Star Game.

His claim to fame in Finland is he actually scored a couple of goals as a goalie.

“I’ve seen him play at Traverse City. I’ve seen him play in training camp, and I think he’s a pretty good goaltender,” Boudreau said. “Other than those first two shots against Winnipeg in the preseason, he was outstanding. I think he’s a competitor. He’s one of these guys that’s a gamer. Not much at practice, but he’s a gamer. So, you can’t read a lot into the practices, but I have no problem playing him whenever the opportunity arises.”

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In the Habs' Room: Offence came alive, but then we got sloppy, Julien says

PAT HICKEY, MONTREAL GAZETTE

Updated: November 23, 2019

As the Canadiens’ losing streak reached four games Saturday, coach Claude Julien said his team has found a new way to lose.

“Tonight, it’s a 4-0 lead and it’s much different than the three other games,” Julien said. ”And if I’m going to be honest, I’m going to stick with what I told you guys before tonight. We couldn’t score in the last three games and we had lots of chances. Like I said, I’m going to say it again, we were probably the better team. (in those games).

“Tonight, it’s different than those three other games,” Julien added. “You got a 4-0 lead, you finally are scoring goals, but then you get sloppy and I told the guys after the first period that we were up 3-0 for one reason only. We capitalized on their chances, they didn’t. Because we didn’t dominate the first period. They came to play tonight … they came to play. Even being down 3-0, they came to play. We make it 4-0 and then we get sloppy.

“Our reaction to our defensive play’s not good enough,” Julien said. “The urgency to score is not bad, the urgency to defend is not good enough and that’s where we got to get better.”

The Canadiens took a 4-0 lead early in the second period, but they allowed the Rangers to hang around long enough to tie the game and then win it on Jacob Trouba’s goal at 12:10 of the third period.

Julien said he didn’t want to blame the loss on one player but, without mentioning names, made it clear Jesperi Kotkaniemi was the goat on the winning goal. The Finnish teenager iced the puck and then lost the faceoff, which led to Trouba teeing it up from the blue line with a shot that Carey Price maybe should have stopped.

Kotkaniemi has struggled and it might be time for him to spend some time in Laval, a ploy that helped Victor Mete turn things around last season.

Price had a perfect first period and there were chants of “Ca-rey, Ca-rey” after he made a big save to start the second period, but the bottom line is he gave up six goals on 34 shots, which doesn’t do anything for his goals-against average or his save percentage.

“It’s tough to swallow that,” Price said. “I thought we played pretty well overall. They came to play. They played hard and they started capitalizing on their chances. It was back and forth hockey. I thought both teams played pretty well. It was kind of back and forth the whole night.”

One common denominator is the current losing streak is the absence of Jonathan Drouin and Paul Byron. Julien said it was tough to lose the team’s leading scorer — that was Drouin — and the speedy Byron, but he said you hope other players step up to fill those gaps.

There was a bright spot to be found in the play of the Max Domi line. Domi was back at centre and he scored two goals and added an assist, while linemate Artturi Lehkonen also had two goals and an assist. Nick Suzuki had a pair of assists.

This was Lehkonen’s best game of the season — he also finished plus-4 in the plus/minus rating, but it was difficult for him to take any satisfaction out of his individual performance.

“It was unacceptable,” Lehkonen said of the team’s collapse. “I can’t think about what I did tonight because we lost.”

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Canadiens blow commanding 4-0 lead as Rangers roar back to win 6-5

PAT HICKEY, MONTREAL GAZETTE

Updated: November 23, 2019

The dormant Canadiens offence came to life Saturday with five goals, but it wasn’t enough as the New York Rangers stormed back from a 4-0 deficit and defeated the Canadiens 6-5 at the Bell Centre.

While the offence was good, the defence was horrid and Jacob Trouba’s goal at 12:10 of the third period provided the Rangers with the winning margin as the Canadiens’ losing streak extended to four games.

The Canadiens appeared to have this one locked down when Artturi Lehkonen scored his second goal of the game to give Montreal a 5-3 lead early in the third period. But Artemi Panarin, who had been kept under wraps for most of the game, brought the Rangers back to within a goal when he scored 31 seconds later on his first shot of the night.

Brendan Lemieux, whose father Claude started his 20-year NHL career with the Canadiens, tied the game with a short-handed goal. It was his second goal of the game.

Claude Julien’s decision to move Max Domi back to centre paid an immediate dividend when the feisty forward opened the scoring at 2:04 of the first period. Lehkonen centred the puck from the side boards and Nick Suzuki slid the puck through the crease to Domi.

It was the first of two goals for Domi, who had been moved to the wing to accommodate Suzuki in the middle. The two switched positions again after Julien said it became obvious Domi was more comfortable at centre. He came into the game with only two assists in his last nine games.

The opening goal goal came shortly after Tomas Tatar left the game following a hit to the head from Chris Kreider. There was no penalty on the play and Tatar was sent to the quiet room to go through the NHL concussion protocol. However, he returned in the second period.

Domi scored his sixth goal of the season in the final minute of the first period to give Montreal a commanding 3-0 lead.

Lehkonen, who has struggled to find the back of the net, beat Alexandar Georgiev midway through the period, shooting off the rush after a pass from fellow Finn Joel Armia. It was Lehkonen’s fourth goal of the season and his second in three games.

The Rangers made things interesting after Shea Weber put a slap shot through Gergiev to make it 4-0 with his seventh goal of the season. New York scored three goals in a 3:21 span.

Filip Chytil ended Carey Price’s shutout bid at 6:10 of the second period and the bounce didn’t go Montreal’s way when Pavel Buchnevich was credited with a goal that bounced off defenceman Cale Fleury’s leg.

The Canadiens killed three Rangers’ power plays in the second period, but there has to be an asterisk attached to that figure because Phil Danault was stepping out of the penalty box when Adam Fox’s shot from the blue line deflected off Lemieux in front. Fox had a chance to tee up the shot because Weber fanned on two attempts to clear the puck.

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Liveblog replay: Habs crippled by Rangers after catastrophic comeback

JULIAN MCKENZIE, SPECIAL TO THE MONTREAL GAZETTE

Updated: November 23, 2019

Saturday night’s game was reminiscent of 2008, but in a bad way for the Montreal Canadiens.

The Rangers came back from 4-0 and 5-3 deficits to win 6-5 over the Habs Saturday night at the Bell Centre.

Max Domi’s pair of goals, along with goals from Shea Weber and Arturri Lehkonen, gave Montreal a 4-0 advantage. New York then got three unanswered goals in the second period. The Habs got their fifth and final goal of the game from Lehkonen. The Rangers scored three more goals in the period, including a go-ahead goal from Jacob Trouba with less than eight minutes to play.

Montreal’s winless streak now stands at four.

Back in 2008, the Canadiens were down 5-0 to the New York Rangers only to come back and win 6-5. New York now exacts their revenge.

The Rangers, meanwhile, are coming off a 4-1 loss to the Sens on Friday night. They’ve won twice in their last six games.

Montreal Gazette LOADED: 11.24.2019 1163089 Montreal Canadiens of games last year that when you go through the summer time that would frustrate you. It’s disappointing. The only thing we can do is learn from it and never let it happen again and make sure to a man we have better efforts.” Canadiens Game Day: Call it the dreaded four-goal lead for Habs How do the Canadiens bounce back from this one?

“That’s where you find out what kind of group you have,” Gallagher said. STU COWAN, MONTREAL GAZETTE “Anyone can play well when things are going right. Right now, things aren’t going right for us. Now we find out who we can count on in tough Updated: November 24, 2019 times. A lot of belief in this group, but it’s important for us to show up and be accountable for your teammates and I think this is a really good opportunity for us to show that.” “Apparently a four-goal lead is the worst lead in hockey.” The Canadiens remained in third place in the Atlantic Division after the That’s what Michael Farber tweeted Saturday night when the New York loss, one point ahead of the Toronto Maple Leafs (11-10-4), who beat the Rangers’ Brendan Lemieux scored at 9:30 of the second period to cut the Colorado Avalanche 5-3 Saturday night. The Canadiens hold two games Canadiens’ lead to 4-3 at the Bell Centre after they had taken a 4-0 lead in hand on Toronto. 2:51 into the second period. “I like coaching this team so much. To see how excited they were after On this night, it was the worst lead for the Canadiens, who went on to we won and what they put into it, on and off the ice – it’s a great feeling lose the game 6-5. The Canadiens also blew a 5-3 lead in the third to watch them enjoy the moment.” pic.twitter.com/WTFr2S7Nah— New period. York Rangers (@NYRangers) November 24, 2019

Embarrassing. A timeout, maybe?

Apparently a four-goal lead is the worst lead in hockey.— Michael Farber Julien did use his timeout, but only when there was 57 seconds left in the (@MichaelFarber3) November 24, 2019 third period and the Canadiens were losing 6-5.

Canadiens fans must have had some other choice words to describe it You have to wonder if a timeout called earlier in the game by Julien when on the postgame call-in shows. the lead was slipping away might have been more effective to either settle his team or light a fire under the players. Max Domi and Artturi Lehkonen had two goals each for the Canadiens and Shea Weber also scored as their record fell to 11-7-5 and their “That’s a question … it doesn’t really matter,” Julien said when asked if winless streak hit four games (0-2-2). The Rangers improved to 10-9-2. he thought about calling a timeout earlier. “If I use it, I don’t have it at the end when I need it. So that’s the reason you keep it a lot of times. “It’s unacceptable and we’ll take things in hand and we’ll correct the situation,” Canadiens coach Claude Julien said after the game. “I was able to give my message after the second period (so) that I didn’t have to use a timeout,” the coach added. “Our back-check, a lot of times we had three-on-twos or four-on-threes,” Julien added. “You know what, we can’t get caught deep in the zone What was that message? watching while the other team is breaking out. So we can be better that way. Same thing in our own end. “That’s internally,” Julien said. “I think it’s stuff that you do as a coach. You give your message and then you hope that they come out — and “I would say the biggest thing tonight was our play without the puck. they didn’t respond.” That’s what killed us.” No kidding. That and what will now be known as the dreaded four-goal lead to Canadiens fans. Tonight’s mantra:

This loss won’t be easy to forget. Bad night for Kotkaniemi

What happened? This was not a good night for the Canadiens’ Jesperi Kotkaniemi, who had a team-low 11:00 of ice time and was minus-2. Brendan Gallagher was asked after the game to try and explain what the heck happened. The winning goal by Jacob Trouba at 12:10 of the third period came after Kotkaniemi had iced the puck and then lost the ensuing faceoff to Ryan “You can’t, other than the fact that that’s on us as a group,” said Strome, leading to the goal on a shot goalie Carey Price should have Gallagher, who finished the night minus-2, along with linemates Phillip stopped. Danault and Tomas Tatar. “There’s nothing else to point your finger at. It can’t happen in this league. Too many guys, even when we had the lead Kotkaniemi lost all three faceoffs he took in the game. — I’ll definitely put myself in that category — weren’t good enough. We “What I would tell you right now is, obviously, every team goes through had too many passengers tonight. We had a few guys going but a lot of that … we’ve got a couple of injuries and they happen to be one was our us, for whatever reason, weren’t good enough.” leading scorer (Jonathan Drouin) and the other one a guy that skates so The Canadiens jumped out to a 3-0 lead in the first period on the well (Paul Byron), puts Ds on the other side on their heels,” Julien said. Rangers, who were coming off a 4-1 loss to the Senators Friday night in “An experienced guy. So you always hope that when those things Ottawa. happen, either your better players still play well, hope somebody else steps up, fills the void for the time being and stuff like that. But we got “It wasn’t a 3-0 hockey game,” Gallagher said. “We knew they were some guys right now, tonight especially were struggling. We know that playing hard. They got beat the night before, they were hungry for a win. Max Domi’s line was very good tonight. They did what they had to do. They came hard. They played a better hockey game than us and that’s But after that, we need a little bit more from certain players and people the disappointing part because we had really no reason not to be the are getting opportunities to play bigger roles. Some are getting an better team tonight.” opportunity to play.

Throwing away points “You look at the winning goal,” the coach added. “We got a young player … a young player who’s only 19 (Kotkaniemi). He ices the puck, forces a If the Canadiens end up missing the playoffs for the third straight season, play and he loses a draw clean and it ends up in the back of your net. they might look back at this stretch of four games in which they only Those are costly mistakes. Those guys have to learn, whether they’re 19 earned two points against the New Jersey Devils, Columbus Blue or 30. You have to learn that those are the kind of mistakes you can’t Jackets, Ottawa Senators and Rangers as the reason. And if they keep make. That’s just an example and I’m not picking on him because he’s playing this way, there’s no way they make the playoffs. not the reason we lost tonight. But we need to be better defensively, we “We know the importance … we don’t need people to tell us,” Gallagher need to be better at killing plays.” said. “We understand how tight it is. We understand what we went Price not a saviour through last year. You can’t let points slip away and these are the types You would think that on a night when the Canadiens outshoot the opposition 43-34 and score five goals, they should win the game — especially with Price in goal.

But that wasn’t the case on this night.

“They were playing good hockey,” Price said about the Rangers. “They were generating chances as well in the first period and they started capitalizing on those. It would have been nice to make a few more saves going into the third.

“We were pretty confident going into the third period,” the goalie added. “We just wanted to stay on the gas and I think they came out motivated as well. It’s a tough loss for us, for sure. We’ll be back to work on Monday and analyze what happened and move on to the next game. We can’t dwell on this too long.”

Price’s record is now 10-6-3 with a 2.89 goals-against average and a .907 save percentage.

Something positive

The bright spot on this night for the Canadiens was the performance of the line that had Domi between Nick Suzuki and Lehkonen. They combined for four goals and eight points with Lehkonen finishing plus-4 and Domi and Suzuki both plus-3.

After playing the last three games at left wing, Julien moved Domi back to centre and he scored twice after going the previous nine games without a goal and had only one in 17 games.

“I definitely do enjoy playing centre,” Domi said after practice Friday. “You get your speed going more. Not that I can’t play wing, obviously, but when you have a guy like Suzy you’re kind of playing like a hybrid centre I guess you can call it. Both guys can play low, both guys can take faceoffs depending on who’s hot that night. But I feel you kind of have more free range with your speed and come through the middle of the ice and generate more forehand and backhand and I enjoy it.”

When asked if he had to change his style of play on the wing, Domi said: “Yeah, of course it does. It’s two totally different positions, right? So it changes a lot. You get the puck a little more (at centre) and more opportunity to show your speed. Either way, you got to be ready to play.”

Some stats

Weber led the Canadiens in ice time with 28:39, followed by Ben Chiarot (23:35) and Jeff Petry (20:28).

Domi and Lehkonen both had two goals and an assist, while Suzuki had two assists. Weber and Mike Reilly led the Canadiens with five shots each, while Phillip Danault had a team-leading six hits.

Reilly, playing his first game after being a healthy scratch for the previous six, logged 16:55 of ice time, picked up an assist and was even in plus/minus.

Charles Hudon had an assist was was minus-3 in 12:49 of ice time.

The Canadiens went 0-for-5 on the power play, while the Rangers were 0-for-3. The Canadiens gave up a short-handed goal to Artemi Panarin.

The three stars

The Rangers’ Lemieux — the son of former Canadien Claude Lemieux — was named the first star after scoring two goals on six shots.

Panarin was the second star with a goal and an assist and Domi was the third star.

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New York Rangers at Canadiens: Five things you should know

PAT HICKEY, MONTREAL GAZETTE

Updated: November 23, 2019

Here are five things you should know about the Canadiens-New York Rangers game Saturday at the Bell Centre (7 p.m., CITY, SNE, TVA Sports, TSN 690 Radio):

The matchup: If you’re an optimist, the Canadiens have picked up four points in their last four games but, if you’re are realist, they have lost their last three games to teams that are below them in the standings. The Rangers fall onto that category, but they’ve shown signs of life lately and had a 6-3-1 record in their last 10 games heading into Friday night’s game in Ottawa.

The goaltenders: Carey Price played back-to-back games this week, but managed to collect only one point as the Canadiens lost in Columbus on Tuesday and dropped an overtime decision to the Senators on Wednesday at the Bell Centre. The Ottawa game was one of Price’s better performances this season, but he had no help from the offence, which produced only one goal. Henrik Lundqvist started for the Rangers in Ottawa and that means the Canadiens will likely face Alexandar Georgiev. He and Lundqvist have split the work this season and neither has been very good. The Rangers rank 26th in defence, allowing 3.47 goals a game.

Julien makes changes: Canadiens coach Claude Julien made one change on defence, swapping Mike Reilly for Brett Kulak. Reilly will be paired with rookie Cale Fleury and he’ll also see some action on the power play. Julien also did some juggling on his forward lines and the result is that Nick Suzuki will move to left wing on the second line and Max Domi will return to centre. Suzuki played well at centre against Ottawa, but Julien felt Domi lost some of his speed playing on the outside. Domi has earned only one assist in the last five games.

Armia hits dry spell: Domi isn’t the only player who has struggled of late. Joel Armia notched his seventh goal in Columbus, but he has only one goal and one assist in his last nine games. Fellow Finn Jesperi Kotkaniemi has gone seven games without collecting a point and is stuck on three points for the season. The Canadiens are 0-1-2 with Jonathan Drouin and Paul Byron out of the lineup and other players have to step up.

Panarin on a roll: There were some raised eyebrows during the off- season when the Rangers lured Artemi Panarin away from Columbus with a seven-year, US$81.5-million contract. But the Russian is earning his keep and leads the Rangers with 11 goals and 14 assists. He went into Ottawa on Friday with a 12-game point-scoring streak that produced seven goals and 12 assists. Linemate Ryan Strome has benefitted from Panarin’s presence and has six goals and 13 assists. New York is missing Mika Zibanejad (upper-body injury) and Marc Staal (ankle).

Montreal Gazette LOADED: 11.24.2019 1163091 Montreal Canadiens points slip away. These are the types of games last year, when you go through the summertime, that would frustrate you. It’s disappointing. The only thing we can do is learn from it and never let it happen again and make sure, to a man, we have better efforts.” It is incumbent on the Canadiens to show their loss to the Rangers will not come to define them When Gallagher said “to a man” he was including himself and all the other leaders on this team who did not fully appreciate the gravity of the stakes involved in this one game. Gallagher’s line with Phillip Danault and Tomas Tatar was on the ice for the goal that cut the Canadiens’ lead By Arpon Basu to 5-4 just 31 seconds after Artturi Lehkonen had made it a 5-3 game at Nov 23, 2019 5:20 of the third period, a goal that should have locked this game down. Gallagher was on the ice for the short-handed goal that allowed the Rangers to tie it less than three minutes later.

Season-defining losses in November are relatively rare in the NHL. It’s So, he knows. And he knows how this felt last summer, as he picked not often that at the end of the season you look back at a Saturday night through games like this that ultimately cost the Canadiens a playoff spot game before American Thanksgiving and say that’s the loss that killed a and wondered what he could have done differently in those games to team. change that disappointing outcome. And those thoughts came rushing to the surface after this game, one he knew had the potential to be one of It happens, but it’s rare. those games. But so are blown 4-0 leads. And so are blown 4-0 leads at home. And so “It doesn’t weigh on you, you just never forget,” Gallagher said. “That’s are blown 4-0 leads against a team that played the night before when what experience comes from, playing years in this league. I remember you were rested. And so are blown 4-0 leads against a team sitting near every single year, I remember every single season when you go home, the bottom of the league standings. what it was all about. It was a frustrating summer, something that you Losses like this tend to either linger or serve as a catalyst for something don’t want to have to do again. positive, a realization that perhaps you are not quite as good as you think “By no means do I think we’re falling back into that trap, but for this effort you are, that you can’t get away with long stretches of lazy, sloppy play tonight, it wasn’t good enough.” and hope to come away with a victory, no matter the opponent. It wasn’t good enough from him, but Gallagher wasn’t alone. You could This was something the Canadiens never needed to be reminded of last add Shea Weber, who scored his seventh goal but also failed on two season, because they were too busy trying to prove people wrong to consecutive attempts to clear the puck on the penalty kill before Brendan allow themselves to fall into a lethargic, entitled performance as they did Lemieux scored the first of his two goals just two seconds after Danault’s Saturday night in what they themselves had identified as a must-win second-period penalty expired. It wasn’t good enough for Price, who game. Not must-win in a literal sense, but a must-win nonetheless performed miracles in the first period to allow the Canadiens to carry a 3- because the Canadiens had identified it as such. 0 lead into the first intermission but was unable to get a grip on the A three-game losing streak coming into the game helps create that sense game-winning goal through a screen in front, allowing it to squeak of importance, but so does the fact the Canadiens are in the midst of the through him at the most critical time for his team. most favourable portion of their schedule and over their previous three It wasn’t good enough from a lot of the veteran players. And it wasn’t games, they were blowing that opportunity. good enough from the coach, either, because he failed to acknowledge The Canadiens didn’t want to admit how important this stretch was when that. it began, but their actions and words leading into the game proved there Julien’s demeanor after the game was one of a man trying to explain the was at least some degree of realization that they had to finish the month unexplainable, how his team could seem so woefully unprepared for a of November comfortably in a playoff position, with a very likely surge game he had placed so much importance on. from the Toronto Maple Leafs and Tampa Bay Lightning coming. “I think offensively we’re a pretty good team, but we need to tighten up Claude Julien ran an intense, up-tempo practice Friday to prepare for the defensively,” Julien said in his first answer. “We’re not hard enough, we Rangers, who were preparing to play a game in Ottawa. He knew this don’t kill plays, our backcheck wasn’t good at all tonight. We played stretch of losses against the New Jersey Devils, Columbus Blue Jackets against a team that was hungry even if they played last night, which is and Ottawa Senators had to end immediately. another reason this was unacceptable. After three games without a win, “The message to our players was to not get discouraged and not we should have been hungry to the point we don’t allow something like overreact. We have to react, but not overreact,” Julien said Friday. this to happen.” “Tomorrow is an important game, but we shouldn’t panic because we Julien almost got through his news conference without saying something haven’t been playing that badly.” he might regret. But then he did. So how did the Canadiens react? They reacted by playing badly. Terribly, He had said the day before, after that up-tempo practice, that watching in fact. It could easily be argued the Canadiens played their worst game players who should know better, players who make up his core group, of the season. Under these circumstances. With the level of urgency make mistakes they shouldn’t be making is what causes him to lose placed on it as high as a Saturday night game in November can really get patience at times. for a team sitting in a playoff position. “Our core group, or the majority of our group, knows how to play now a Losses happen. Teams have bad games. Overreacting to them, as Julien certain way,” he said Friday. “So we’re a little less patient when things said, is foolish. But context matters, and the context Saturday made this that they should know by now gets repeated. So you’re a little harder on bad game more meaningful. Unless it wasn’t. And only the Canadiens that.” can prevent it from taking on meaning that lasts until April when the Canadiens are cleaning out their lockers while 16 other teams prepare But then Julien, when asked after this game about those repeated for the playoffs. mistakes, went on a rant. He began by talking about the long-term injuries to Jonathan Drouin and Paul Byron that he announced on No one brought up last year. Brendan Gallagher went there all on his Monday, which is an excuse that shouldn’t be mentioned at this point. own. Because he knows. Teams deal with injuries all the time; the Canadiens are no different. But The reason this stretch of the Canadiens’ schedule is important is then Julien went here. because of last year, because they finished with 96 points and still “You always hope that when those (injuries) happen, either your better missed the playoffs. The reason this game was important was because players still play well, hope somebody else steps up and fills a void for the Canadiens weren’t taking full advantage of this stretch of their the time being, stuff like that,” he began. “But we’ve got some guys right schedule. And Gallagher knew it. now, tonight, who are struggling. We know that Max Domi’s line were “We know the importance; we don’t need people to tell us,” he said, his very good tonight, they did what they have to do, but after that we need a voice barely louder than a whisper and ridden with guilt. “We understand little bit more from certain players. People are getting opportunities to how tight it is, we understand what happened last year. We can’t let play bigger roles; some are getting opportunities to play.” OK, let’s stop him there. It’s already pretty clear he is talking about Jesperi Kotkaniemi and Charles Hudon right there. Kotkaniemi’s literal role may be the same — third line centre — but his importance has clearly increased since the injuries to Drouin and Byron. And Hudon, well, he’s the one who’s getting a chance to play. So we are talking about the youngest player on the team and the player who spent the first six weeks of the season in the AHL with the Laval Rocket.

And just in case that wasn’t clear, Julien made it very clear.

“You look at the winning goal and we’ve got a young player — a young player, he’s only 19 — and he ices the puck, forces a play, and you lose the draw clean and it’s in the back of your net. Those are costly mistakes,” he continued. “Those guys have to learn — whether they’re 19 or 30 — they have to learn those are the kinds of mistakes you can’t make. That’s just an example and I’m not picking on him because he’s not the reason we lost tonight.

“But we need to be better defensively, we need to be better at killing plays. I thought they rushed the puck tonight and we were kind of just more or less trying to kill the play. Our backcheck, a lot of times they had three or four three-on-twos or four-on-threes and it was, you know what, we can’t get caught deep in the zone watching while the other team is breaking out. We can be better that way. Same thing in our own end. I would say the biggest thing tonight was our play without the puck. That’s what killed us.”

If Kotkaniemi is not the reason the Canadiens lost, that seemed like an odd choice of an example for Julien to choose to reflect his annoyance with his team’s mistakes. He is the team’s youngest player, one whose confidence is rather fragile right now, and Julien decided to put the emphasis on that one mistake.

It was borderline unacceptable, to use his word, because this was an opportunity for Julien to really hammer home the importance of this one game by calling out the veterans who underperformed, because it is those veterans — and not Kotkaniemi — who will get his team out of this. Choosing the easy target, the one that has been a punching bag for much of this season, instead of his veteran leaders said something as well. Choosing not to take any responsibility for the loss himself did too.

This is not to say Kotkaniemi should be immune from criticism just because he is 19. He is suiting up in the NHL, and that means you have to be responsible for what happens when you are on the ice. And he legitimately messed up. But when you have so many other mess ups to choose from in a collective mess up like this, making an example out of Kotkaniemi is horribly cheap.

Gallagher openly acknowledged his role in what happened.

“Too many guys, even when we had the lead — and I definitely put myself in that category — weren’t good enough,” he said. “We had too many passengers tonight. We had a few guys going, but a lot of us, for whatever reason, weren’t good enough.”

Price did as well.

“They were playing good hockey; they were generating good chances in the first and started capitalizing on those (in the second period),” Price said. “It would have been nice to make a few more saves in the second going into the third.”

The coach? Not so much.

Earlier this week, we praised Julien and his players for rejecting excuses and being accountable. This was the opposite of that.

The Canadiens host the Boston Bruins on Tuesday, the best team in the NHL. It could be seen as an enormous challenge or an incredible opportunity. An opportunity to show they can handle adversity and turn it into a positive. An opportunity to show they are as good as they think they are. An opportunity to thrive in the face of doubt, as they did all last season. An opportunity to show who they are.

But more than anything else, it is an opportunity to show this moment over the course of a long season will not come to define them as team and will not linger into next summer.

The Canadiens must seize it.

The Athletic LOADED: 11.24.2019 1163092 Montreal Canadiens Will it be the dominant Canadiens? Or will it be the Canadiens that just downed seven bottles of NyQuil?

On Saturday night we got a bit of both. And the sleepiness all started with Video Review: An embarrassing loss to the Rangers puts an end to an a botched play in the neutral zone, forcing the pass when there was no embarrassing week for the Canadiens pass to be made.

The goal, paired with some indiscipline from the Canadiens, was just the beginning of Carey Price’s difficulties on the night. He was clearly off his By Marc Dumont game, helped along by Brendan Lemieux’s super-pest DNA.

Nov 23, 2019 At that point, it was clear the Canadiens were headed for trouble. The coach saw it coming, too.

Here’s how you know Claude Julien is white-hot with frustration: He stops The Canadiens were rested, playing at home and desperate for a win. yelling and goes silent. The Rangers were tired, playing on the road after traveling from their loss on Friday night in Ottawa and quite vulnerable. But Julien might have to look in the mirror for this loss, as it would be unfair to blame it solely on his players. The lack of adjustments It was the perfect opportunity for the Canadiens to put an end to their throughout the game fall solely on Julien’s shoulders. three-game losing streak. And though you can never count out any team in the NHL due to the forced parity in the league, it’s the kind of game the We tend to look at things from just one perspective. If the opponent Canadiens should win regardless of the scheduling implications. If you’re scores, we evaluate which Canadiens player is at fault. But sometimes going to be taken seriously as a contender, you can’t struggle against there’s no blame to be assigned. teams like the New Jersey Devils, Ottawa Senators or New York Rangers. Those are precious points you can’t afford to drop in the race to Sometimes your opponent simply puts together the perfect scoring play. the playoffs. I’d love to toss some blame at the Chiarot-Weber pairing, and they Much like autumn in Montreal, the game started out perfectly for the probably could have played a little tighter in their defensive assignments, Canadiens, quickly leading to a 4-0 advantage for the home side. But but Chris Kreider’s ridiculous between-the-legs pass and Artemi much like autumn in Montreal, the good times didn’t last very long, as the Panarin’s fantastic backhanded one-timer came down to pure skill, and Rangers took revenge for their humiliating loss in 2008 by embarrassing that’s hard to stop. the Canadiens with a ridiculous comeback win of their own, to the tune of Other times, however, it’s quite easy to assign blame. 6-5. Nick Suzuki (No. 14) simply made the wrong decision on the power play. Less is more Instead of attempting to find Brendan Gallagher (No. 11), who was Max Domi is struggling to score, though it’s not for a lack of trying. He’s a covered by the entire Rangers team, he should have taken a shot, or player who feeds off emotion and momentum, but when he stops scoring, remained patient, or returned the puck to the point, or do anything but the same thing that fuels his intensity can also drag him down. It’s what he did. reductionist analysis at its best, but my theory is he’s been trying to force I understand wanting to create offence, and in most cases I applaud the the play and do way too much in recent weeks. cause, but when you’re defending a very fragile one-goal lead, erring on Sometimes you just have to find some open ice and let the goals come to the side of caution is never a bad idea. you. And then the inevitable happened. Price allowed an incredibly weak We should note that even if Domi (No.13) scored by laying off the play game-winning goal, putting the banana peel on top of the garbage and shaking his coverage, he was instrumental in the Canadiens’ sundae that epitomized the Canadiens’ performance in the second and breakout, which is the foundation of their offensive strategy: strong puck third periods. support by forwards in the defensive and neutral zones. With a couple of exceptions — Lehkonen and Domi, to be precise — Speaking of emotion, Domi definitely topped up his fuel tanks Saturday every member of the Canadiens should be embarrassed by their night. performance against the Rangers.

Reilly good stick And the embarrassment shouldn’t be limited to the skaters. Price deserves his fair share of the blame, and so does the head coach, who I don’t mean to take anything away from Artturi Lehkonen’s (No. 62) failed to take a timeout after it was clear the Rangers were mounting a fourth goal of the season. It was a pretty good shot, though certainly one comeback, failed to adapt to the Rangers’ style of play and gave Reilly Alexandar Georgiev could have stopped. six minutes of power-play time, all the while giving Victor Mete absolutely no time on the man advantage. But the key play prior to the goal belongs to Mike Reilly (No. 28), who did a fantastic job defending the blue line by thwarting the Rangers’ zone Though this slide seems like a big red flag on the season — and don’t entry and creating a turnover. get me wrong, it is — it also presents the Canadiens with a good opportunity to finally decide whether they want to be taken seriously as Chiarot of fire one of the better teams in the NHL or if they’re content to remain a With his confidence at full force, Domi scored his second goal by once middle-of-the-pack club with some upside. again participating in the breakout, but much like the previous Canadiens What matters now is how the team reacts to this adversity. It has the goal, it was a defenceman who stood out. potential to lead to very good things for the club or, alternatively, sink This time around it was Ben Chiarot (No. 8), who did well to ditch his their playoff hopes and lead to turmoil within the organization. forecheck coverage and proceed to start the breakout. It’s gut-check time for all involved. When you’re hot, you’re hot, and Shea Weber (No. 6) is certainly on fire in the offensive zone this month. He scored his seventh goal of the year, which means he’s now tied for third in defenceman goal scoring. But The Athletic LOADED: 11.24.2019 once again I’d venture to say Chiarot was instrumental to the play, even more so than the actual goal scorer.

The timing of his pinch and the patience he displayed shortly thereafter were about as good as it gets.

All downhill from here

The question going into every Canadiens game this season has been which team will show up. 1163093 Nashville Predators

Predators coach Peter Laviolette on hit on Viktor Arvidsson: 'It's dirty'

Paul Skrbina, Nashville Tennessean

Published 8:20 p.m. CT Nov. 23, 2019 | Updated 1:05 a.m. CT Nov. 24, 2019

ST. LOUIS -- Viktor Arvidsson's 300th career regular-season game began with an assist on Filip Forsberg's goal 20 seconds into Saturday's game against the Blues.

It ended as quickly as 1-2-3 in what turned out to be a 4-2 Predators victory that ended a six-game losing streak.

Arvidsson found himself on his stomach in the net after the Blues' Robert Bortuzzo deposited him there, then cross-checked him again when he was still down on the ice. After Arvidsson was slow to get up, Blues goalie Jordan Binnington shoved him in the back again for good measure.

Arvidsson disappeared down the tunnel behind the Predators bench and missed the rest game with a lower-body injury.

"It's dirty," Predators coach Peter Laviolette said of the hit after the game.

Bortuzzo earned just a two-minute minor for his hits. He also earned a hearing Sunday with the league's department of safety.

The Predators themselves recognized the cheapshot. But retaliating wasn't forefront on their minds, even for rookie Mathieu Olivier, who recorded his first NHL point Saturday.

Olivier, who is 6-foot-2, 210 pounds, was called up from Milwaukee to add some physical presence.

"We have to keep it smart," he said. "You know who did it. You don't want to get back at them in a cheap way. ... We don't want them to have the same advantage we had. But if you have a chance to finish your check hard. ... I'm not going to tell you we put a target on his back. That's not the game anymore. ... It's got to be within the limits of the game."

Austin Watson, who has been known to stand up for teammates, said he was well aware of the hit on Arvidsson but added that it was out of his hands.

"We saw it when we were on the ice," said Watson, who drew a penalty later in the game when Binnington cross-checked him. "We'll let the league, or whoever is going to deal with that -- if they are, I don't think they are, they might - we'll let them deal with that. It's unfortunate. Cross- checks like that happen, especially to a defenseless player, but there's nothing I can do about that."

But was it dirty?

"You have a defenseless player on the ice and it's the second cross- check, he got a good one in on him," Watson said. "That's not my place to decide whether any action is to be taken. We'll let the proper guys deal with that stuff."

Arvidsson tied for fourth on the Predators with 15 points and third with six goals.

He set a franchise record with 34 goals last season, despite missing 24 games with injuries, including a broken thumb.

Tennessean LOADED: 11.24.2019 1163094 Nashville Predators

Predators snap 6-game losing streak with 4-2 win over Blues

David Solomon, Associated Press

Published 6:00 a.m. CT Nov. 23, 2019 | Updated 10:19 p.m. CT Nov. 23, 2019

ST. LOUIS (AP) — Filip Forsberg scored 20 seconds into the game and Juuse Saros made 24 saves to help the Nashville Predators snap a six- game losing streak with a 4-2 win over the St. Louis Blues on Saturday night.

Mattias Ekholm, Colton Sissons and Calle Jarnkrok also scored for Nashville, which won in St. Louis for the first time since December 2017. Saros improved to 2-5-1 this season as he earned his first win since Oct. 26 at Tampa Bay.

Klim Kostin and Alex Pietrangelo had the goals for the Blues. Jordan Binnington made 39 saves two nights after stopping 40 shots in a 5-0 victory over Calgary.

St. Louis was outshot 22-9 in the first period, and the 43 shots allowed marked a season high.

Forsberg set the tone early when he put Victor Arvidsson’s rebound past Binnington for his 10th goal and fifth in eight games.

Ekholm gave Nashville a 2-0 lead with his fourth of the season. His shot ricocheted off Blues defensemen Jay Bouwmeester and Justin Faulk before glancing off Binnington’s blocker and into the net.

Kostin put St. Louis on the scoreboard with his first career goal 14:55 into the first.

Sissons extended Nashville’s lead to 3-1 when he pushed a puck lying in the crease underneath Binnington’s pad with 1:26 remaining in the period.

Pietrangelo cut St. Louis’ deficit to 3-2 on a power-play goal with 3:08 left in the third. Jarnkrok scored an empty-net goal with 31 seconds to go.

Tennessean LOADED: 11.24.2019 1163095 New Jersey Devils

Devils score final 5 goals to polish off win over Red Wings

By Chris Ryan

At this point of the season, the Devils will take any assistance to help them win games. On Saturday, that aid came in the form of a kick and a beneficial video review.

Will Butcher sent a puck toward net during a tie game in the third period, where it appeared to be kicked into goal by Devils forward Kyle Palmieri. That resulted in the score immediately being called off. But a call to Toronto show the puck was kicked by a Detroit Red Wings defenseman, overturning the ruling and giving the Devils a lead they never surrendered.

Butcher’s goal, plus two insurance scores by Blake Coleman and an empty netter by Taylor Hall, gave the Devils a 5-1 win over the Red Wings on Saturday at Prudential Center in Newark, snapping a two-game losing streak.

Hall’s empty netter came with 4:37 left in regulation to put the Devils up 4-1.

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After Butcher’s goal gave the Devils a 2-1 lead at 4:42 of the third period, Coleman padded the advantage with his first goal at 6:41. Forward John Hayden battled behind the Red Wings’ net before jarring the puck loose to Coleman in front, where he flipped a shot under the crossbar for his sixth goal of the season.

He then scored on a breakaway with 11.6 seconds left to round out the four-goal period.

Goalie Louis Domingue picked up his first win of the season in his first start for the Devils. He made 19 saves while allowing just one goal in the second period.

Both teams scored once in the second, finding the back of the net 26 seconds apart.

Taro Hirose opened the scoring for the Red Wings when he redirected a Madison Bowey pass into the slot high over Domingue at 3:32.

The Devils came right back down and provided an answer, drawing even on Palmieri’s eight goal of the season. Taylor Hall hit Palmieri in the slot, where he drilled a low shot past Red Wings goalie Jonathan Bernier.

Star Ledger LOADED: 11.24.2019 1163096 New Jersey Devils

Devils’ lines, pairings vs. Red Wings (11/23/19) | Brett Seney in after call- up; Jesper Bratt, Pavel Zacha out

Updated Nov 23, 2019;Posted Nov 23, 2019

By Chris Ryan

The Devils will close the second half of a back-to-back when they host the Detroit Red Wings at 7 p.m. on Saturday at Prudential Center in Newark, and they’ll roll out a vastly different lineup from Friday’s loss to the Pittsburgh Penguins.

Brett Seney will make his season debut after being recalled from the Binghamton Devils of the AHL on Saturday afternoon. The Devils had an open roster spot, so no corresponding move was needed.

John Hayden will also enter the lineup, while Jesper Bratt and Pavel Zacha will serve as healthy scratches following some inconsistent play in recent games.

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Defenseman Matt Tennyson will go into the lineup for Mirco Mueller, while Louis Domingue will start in goal.

Star Ledger LOADED: 11.24.2019 1163097 New Jersey Devils “There’s always positives, there’s always negatives, but it just seems it’s not happening for us right now,” Zajac said. “It falls on guys like me that we just need more from.”

4 observations from Devils’ loss to Penguins | ’We’re Jekyll and Hyde’ Another short sequence burned Devils right now When the Devils lost to the Boston Bruins on Tuesday, they fell behind early when Boston scored two goals in a 14-second stretch in the first period. From there, the Devils weren’t able to gain enough traction to get Posted Nov 23, 2019 back in the game.

By Chris Ryan The same type of breakdown happened Friday, with the Penguins scoring twice in 25 seconds to turn a 2-1 game into a 4-1 game early in

the third period, all but squashing the Devils’ hopes to close the deficit. PITTSBURGH -- The Devils dropped their second straight game in “I feel like guys, we all know what we need to do when we go out there. regulation, falling 4-1 to the Pittsburgh Penguins on Friday at PPG Paints Situations and making the right play at the right time and being engaged," Arena. Zajac said. "It’s one play at one time that just kind of bites us. Right now, Before the Devils aim to rebound with a home game against the Detroit it’s ending up in the back of our net, and we’ve just got to jeep battling Red Wings on Saturday, here are some takeaways from Friday’s loss. and play on our toes. We can’t be scared to go out and make mistakes and lose a hockey game.” “Jekyll and Hyde” Random observations Third periods have been the Devils’ ultimate downfall more often than not this season. In some games, they’ve seen leads disappear, and in - The line of Jack Hughes, Jesper Boqvist and Wayne Simmonds was — others, like Friday, tight contests have gotten out of control before the by far — the Devils’ best on Friday night. They finished top three in corsi- Devils even had a chance to turn the tide. for percentage at 5-on-5, and in 9:37 of ice time together, they controlled 76.92 percent of the shot attempts and 91.03 percent of the expected Following a slow start in the first period, the Devils tilted the ice in their goals. No goals were scored on either side with that line on the ice, but favor in the second and had a manageable one-goal deficit entering the the three drove possession and created plenty of chances. third. But Friday wasn’t one of the few nights where the team dictated play in the final frame. - Mackenzie Blackwood wasn’t pulled specifically for performance reasons. He gave up four goals, but he had a decent night, stopping 32 Introducing Devils Insider: Sign up for exclusive news, behind-the-scenes shots and keeping the Devils in it longer than they probably should have observations and the ability to text message directly with beat writers been. But Hynes also wanted to get Louis Domingue some reps before he starts on Saturday. Friday was his first appearance in an NHL game “It’s not just one thing. If it was, it would be an easy fix. Just for whatever this season. reason, we’re Jekyll and Hyde, and we have two different games,” forward Blake Coleman said. "We didn’t have it tonight. Even when we had some pushback. We didn’t allow ourselves to get all the way back into the game, and it’s frustrating. Everyone in here is sick of losing. Star Ledger LOADED: 11.24.2019 We’re frustrated, I’m frustrated. But like I said, nobody feels sorry for us. And the only thing to do is to work out of it.”

There’s been plenty of frustration to go around during the Devils’ 7-10-4 start to the season. Fans have been justifiably anxious for a run in the positive direction since the team’s 0-4-2 stretch in its first six games, and the Devils haven’t yet delivered a three-game winning streak or better.

The Devils had their chance to swing momentum in the second period Friday when Taylor Hall tied the game 29 seconds into the frame, and the team followed it up with their best stretch of the game 5-on-5.

No more goals resulted from that span, and the Penguins ended up flipping the ice back in their favor to regain control.

“Even if you don’t (score), you’ve got to be able to stay with it and keep going,” Devils coach John Hynes said. “Whether you get momentum from scoring or playing well off of that push, you’ve got to continue to do that. And we didn’t.”

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The Devils need more from top players

While mistakes have seemed to cost the Devils more often than not this season, their top players haven’t done enough to help cancel out those miscues.

“They’re just ending up in the back of our net right now. We play good enough, we play alright. We play bad enough to lose and not good enough to win these games right now,” forward Travis Zajac said. “We have some surges, but there’s still some inconsistencies in our game. We just need more out of guys like me, out of other guys, if we want to turn things around.”

Hall scored Friday, giving him his first goal since Nov. 1. Kyle Palmieri had the overtime-winning goal last Saturday at Montreal, but that still stands as his only goal of November. Zajac has one goal this month. Nico Hischier has turned things on offensively after a slow start, but he still hasn’t produced a ton in recent games, outside of an assist on Friday. And the Devils didn’t get any secondary scoring against the Penguins to back up their lone power-play goal. 1163098 New Jersey Devils Hirose opened the scoring at 3:32, deflecting a pass from Madison Bowey while cruising through the slot.

The Devils wasted little time answering. Hall whipped a backhand pass to Devils crush Red Wings in Eastern Conference basement battle Palmieri, who beat Bernier from close range.

In the third, Butcher put New Jersey ahead 2-1 at 4:42 on a goal confirmed by video review. The officials on ice ruled that Palmieri kicked By MIKE FARRELL the puck into the net, negating the score. On review, it was determined the centering pass from Butcher glanced off the skate of Detroit ASSOCIATED PRESS defenseman Dylan McIlrath. NOV 23, 2019 | 11:52 PM It gave the Devils their first lead of the game.

Coleman added an unassisted tally at 6:41. NEWARK — Louis Domingue got a fresh start with the New Jersey Hall scored into an empty net at 15:23 as Bernier was already on the Devils, and the goaltender took full advantage. bench for an extra attacker to make it 4-1. Domingue made 19 saves in his first start for New Jersey as the Devils Coleman scored again in the final seconds. beat Detroit 5-1, sending the Red Wings to a fifth straight loss (0-3-2) on Saturday night.

Will Butcher scored the go-ahead goal in the third period, Blake Coleman New York Daily News LOADED: 11.24.2019 added two goals and Kyle Palmieri and Taylor Hall also scored as the Devils ended a two-game skid.

The goals helped roll out the welcome mat for Domingue, and he did the rest.

Will Butcher (8) celebrates his goal in the Devils' blowout win.

Domingue joined the Devils in a Nov. 1 trade from the Lightning. He last started a game on March 21, winning 6-3 with Tampa Bay.

Despite a record of 21-5-0 last year, Domingue became expendable when Tampa signed goalie Curtis McElhinney over the summer.

Domingue’s odyssey since then included a stint in the minor leagues.

“I was excited,” Domingue said. “It’s a long time coming for me. I feel like I should have started the year in the NHL, but things went the way they did and now I’m here. I’m going to take it a day at a time and try and stay in the league.”

Domingue’s first appearance for the club was Friday night, when he stopped all five shots in relief of Mackenzie Blackwood in a 4-1 loss at Pittsburgh.

Domingue immediately won over the Prudential Center crowd on Saturday, squeezing the pads together to stop the first shot he faced, a drive from the right wing off the stick of Anthony Mantha.

“It got the nerves out of the way,” Domingue said. “I’ve played a hundred-and-some games you still get the nerves sometimes. Especially when you play in front of a new team. You always want to do well. That’s my game plan. Nothing through me. Nothing under me. If you do that, you usually have a pretty good night.”

There have not been a lot of good nights for the Devils.

The game featured the two worst teams in the Eastern Conference. Both had only seven wins coming in. New Jersey holds 15th place with 20 points, three more than Detroit.

There was a different attitude for the Devils with the new goalie in the net.

“He looked really confident,” Palmieri said. “We only had a couple of days of practice since he got back up here. You look at the way he moves in his net and plays the puck, you saw right away the confidence he plays with and the poise he plays with.”

Taro Hirose scored for the Red Wings, and Jonathan Bernier made 29 saves.

“We're been really porous defensively the last couple of games and that's not good enough,” Red Wings coach Jeff Blashill said. “The biggest thing I make clear for our group for tomorrow and the long-term future of this team, is that we have to play hockey the right way. We have to play great defensive hockey and you get your offense from checking and we have to understand that.”

The teams scored 26 seconds apart in the second period to create a 1-1 deadlock. 1163099 New Jersey Devils The Devils wasted little time answering. Hall whipped a backhand pass to Palmieri, who beat Bernier from close range.

In the third, Butcher put New Jersey ahead 2-1 at 4:42 on a goal Devils rip Red Wings behind new backup goalie Louis Domingue confirmed by video review. The officials on ice ruled that Palmieri kicked the puck into the net, negating the score. On review, it was determined the centering pass from Butcher glanced off the skate of Detroit defenseman Dylan McIlrath. Staff Report It gave the Devils their first lead of the game. By Associated Press Coleman added an unassisted tally at 6:41. November 23, 2019 | 11:11pm | Updated Hall scored into an empty net at 15:23 as Bernier was already on the

bench for an extra attacker to make it 4-1. Louis Domingue got a fresh start with the New Jersey Devils, and the Coleman scored again in the final seconds. goaltender took full advantage.

Domingue made 19 saves in his first start for New Jersey as the Devils beat Detroit 5-1 at Prudential Center in Newark, sending the Red Wings New York Post LOADED: 11.24.2019 to a fifth straight loss (0-3-2) on Saturday night.

Will Butcher scored the go-ahead goal in the third period, Blake Coleman added two goals and Kyle Palmieri and Taylor Hall also scored as the Devils ended a two-game skid.

The goals helped roll out the welcome mat for Domingue, and he did the rest.

Domingue joined the Devils in a Nov. 1 trade from the Lightning. He last started a game on March 21, winning 6-3 with Tampa Bay.

Despite a record of 21-5-0 last year, Domingue became expendable when Tampa signed goalie Curtis McElhinney over the summer.

Domingue’s odyssey since then included a stint in the minor leagues.

“I was excited,” Domingue said. “It’s a long time coming for me. I feel like I should have started the year in the NHL, but things went the way they did and now I’m here. I’m going to take it a day at a time and try and stay in the league.”

Domingue’s first appearance for the club was Friday night, when he stopped all five shots in relief of Mackenzie Blackwood in a 4-1 loss at Pittsburgh.

Domingue immediately won over the Prudential Center crowd on Saturday, squeezing the pads together to stop the first shot he faced, a drive from the right wing off the stick of Anthony Mantha.

“It got the nerves out of the way,” Domingue said. “I’ve played a hundred- and-some games you still get the nerves sometimes. Especially when you play in front of a new team. You always want to do well. That’s my game plan. Nothing through me. Nothing under me. If you do that, you usually have a pretty good night.”

There have not been a lot of good nights for the Devils.

The game featured the two worst teams in the Eastern Conference. Both had only seven wins coming in. New Jersey holds 15th place with 20 points, three more than Detroit.

There was a different attitude for the Devils with the new goalie in the net.

“He looked really confident,” Palmieri said. “We only had a couple of days of practice since he got back up here. You look at the way he moves in his net and plays the puck, you saw right away the confidence he plays with and the poise he plays with.”

Taro Hirose scored for the Red Wings, and Jonathan Bernier made 29 saves.

“We’re been really porous defensively the last couple of games and that’s not good enough,” Red Wings coach Jeff Blashill said. “The biggest thing I make clear for our group for tomorrow and the long-term future of this team, is that we have to play hockey the right way. We have to play great defensive hockey and you get your offense from checking and we have to understand that.”

The teams scored 26 seconds apart in the second period to create a 1-1 deadlock.

Hirose opened the scoring at 3:32, deflecting a pass from Madison Bowey while cruising through the slot. 1163100 New Jersey Devils Luongo, who had allowed two goals on 97 shots in three victories at home that included a pair of shutouts (0.67 GAA, .979 save percentage), had surrendered 12 goals on 51 shots in his last 83:17 in Boston (8.65/.765). Maple Leafs’ dysfunction, Devils’ Taylor Hall idea full of intrigue Vigneault could have gone to Schneider, who’d been outstanding as the understudy and had played 15:15 of shutout hockey in Game 4, for Game 6. A victory would have clinched the Cup while a defeat would not By Larry Brooks have pierced Luongo’s psyche in advance of an ultimate Game 7. November 23, 2019 | 5:49pm | Updated Instead, the coach stuck with his No. 1, who surrendered three goals on eight shots in 8:35 before getting pulled for Schneider in a 5-2 defeat that presaged the Bruins’ Game 7, Cup-winning 4-0 triumph with Luongo in Henrik Lundqvist's self-review: 'I need to do better' nets.

Mike Babcock, whose last eight teams in Detroit and Toronto combined So if the NHL is forever fiddling with rules in order to promote offense, is to win one playoff series, ultimately lost his job behind the Maple Leafs it not time for a carryover power play to begin with an offensive zone bench because he refused to coach the roster he was given while faceoff rather than the traditional period-opening draw at the center dot? instead pining for the one he wanted. Why, yes. Yes it is. It is not only clear, but crystal, that team president Brendan Shanahan, the man both behind and in front of the franchise curtain, expects the Through Friday, 17 of the NHL’s 31 teams had won nine, 10 or 11 progressive and largely analytics-driven world view of the organization games. While 26 — 26! — teams somehow could claim records of .500 that has permeated every step of the operation to manifest itself on the or better. ice, as well. That’s parity, folks, only it is spelled P-A-R-O-D-Y. And why not? OK, so about two months in, who do you have, P.K. Subban or Jacob That is why Shanahan chose to install Kyle Dubas as general manager Trouba? two summers ago instead of extending Lou Lamoriello’s contract in what amounted to an out-with-the-old and in-with-the-new decree. That is why Dubas, who appears to be philosophical lockstep with Shanahan, could New York Post LOADED: 11.24.2019 not continue another day with Babcock, who became more than rigid and unyielding in his decision-making, but in fact defiant of the front office.

Does a leader thumb his nose at his immediate boss and his immediate boss’ boss by refusing to play the team’s most heralded offseason acquisition in the spot where he would create the most impact? Or is what Babcock did by relegating power play point man Tyson Barrie, acquired from Colorado over the summer for coach-favorite Nazem Kadri, to the second unit, somehow considered innovative?

Sheldon Keefe, who won his NHL debut on the bench Thursday with his team’s victory in Arizona, is in direct alignment with Dubas and Shanahan. There were questions within the industry the past couple of summers about the 39-year-old’s readiness for the big stage despite his AHL success with the Marlies. That is believed the primary reason the Rangers went with David Quinn to replace Alain Vigneault two summers ago rather than wait to speak to Keefe, whose team was in the midst of a successful Calder Cup championship run while the Blueshirts were in their search mode.

But the Maple Leafs, who know him best, do believe Keefe is prepared for prime time. Ready or not, he will coach to the team’s strengths and not against the organization’s front office.

In New Jersey, where the Devils own the fewest regulation victories in the NHL with five and are 30th-overall in the standings, the only question worth asking is whether the metaphorical bomb will drop on or off the ice?

Which is to ponder whom Ray Shero moves out first, John Hynes from behind the bench (and please say no to Babcock as a potential replacement) or Taylor Hall, who somehow has conspired to score three goals in 21 games?

If the Flames knew they could sign Hall to an extension, would they move Johnny Gaudreau (five goals, 18 assists, 23 points in 25 games and with a cap hit of $6.75 million per through 2021-22) for the pending free agent?

Would the Devils make that deal, or would Shero seek a more traditional rental return (first-rounder, prospect, et al) for No. 9?

Cory Schneider’s demotion to the AHL recalls the 2011 Cup finals and the goaltending decision Vigneault did not make that could well have cost the Canucks the Stanley Cup.

Vancouver had a 3-2 edge in the series heading into Game 6 in Boston, where Roberto Luongo had allowed eight goals in the final two periods of the Game 3, 8-1 defeat, then was yanked in favor of Schneider after allowing four goals in 43:17 in the Game 4, 4-0 loss. 1163101 New York Islanders

Islanders fall to Sharks in OT but keep point streak alive

Staff Report

By Associated Press

November 24, 2019 | 2:14am

SAN JOSE, Calif. — Even when faced with another hot team, the Islanders still kept their point streak going.

Logan Couture scored in overtime for the second straight game, giving the Sharks a 2-1 win over coach Barry Trotz’s streaking Islanders on Saturday night. Couture scored at 2:30 of the extra period to lead the Sharks to their eighth win in nine games.

Casey Cizikas scored and Semyon Varlamov finished with 24 saves for New York, which extended its franchise record by earning a point for the 17th straight game (15-0-2).

Marcus Sorensen also scored and Martin Jones stopped 27 shots for San Jose. The Sharks tied an NHL record with their 43rd straight win in a game it allowed two goals or fewer. The streak, which matched the mark set by Pittsburgh from Feb. 21, 2012 to Oct. 17 2013, dates back to March 10, 2018.

Couture, who had the overtime winner in Thursday’s 2-1 victory over Vegas, extended his point streak to six games with three goals and seven assists over that stretch.

Sorensen got the game’s first goal at 6:38 of the second as he tipped a pass from Mario Ferraro for his fourth goal.

The Islanders tied it 27 seconds later when Cizikas tipped Adam Pelech’s shot from the point for his fourth. San Jose challenged the play for goaltender interference, but the goal was upheld.

The Isles didn’t get a shot on goal until Devon Toews’ wrister from eight feet out at 6:46 of the first and was held to just seven shots in the first period.

Their luck wasn’t any better on the man-advantage as the Islanders were 0 for 6 on power plays against the NHL’s best penalty-killing unit.

Sharks were missing center Tomas Hertl (lower body), who was out of the lineup for a second straight game. San Jose’s second-leading scorer sustained a blow to his right knee in Anaheim on Nov. 14, when he scored in his fifth straight game.

New York Post LOADED: 11.24.2019 1163102 New York Islanders “The first five minutes, they came at us pretty hard,” Islanders coach Barry Trotz said. “The rest of the game, I thought we played pretty well. Their penalty kill is pretty good. It’s No. 1 in the league for a reason. It puts a lot of heat on you.” Islanders lose to Sharks in overtime but extend point streak to 17 games

Newsday LOADED: LOADED: 11.24.2019 By Andrew Gross [email protected] @AGrossNewsday

Updated November 24, 2019 2:13 AM

SAN JOSE, Calif. — The franchise-record streak lives on, so the Islanders can be happy about that.

They also can be happy about playing an up-tempo, entertaining game that stands as one of their better recent efforts.

But going 0-for-6 on the power play in a 2-1 overtime loss to the Sharks and their NHL-best penalty kill on Saturday night to open a three-game California swing brought some displeasure.

New York Islanders center Casey Cizikas, right, celebrates New York Islanders center Casey Cizikas, right, celebrates

“When you have that many chances, you need to find a way to get one,” defenseman Ryan Pulock said. “They’ve got a pretty good kill. I think we had our looks. We had some chances around the net. We weren’t just quite able to get it done. We got a point. But it’s tough to win every single game in this league. I thought tonight was one of our better games we’ve played in probably a few.”

By reaching overtime, the Islanders (16-3-2) extended their club mark to 17 straight games in which they have earned at least one point (15-0-2). But Evander Kane fed Logan Couture at 2:30 of OT for the Sharks (12- 11-1).

“I think we played a pretty good game,” defenseman Adam Pelech said. “We got some great goaltending. We could have had a couple more. Once it gets to overtime, it’s anybody’s game.”

Semyon Varlamov made 24 saves for the Islanders, who had won five straight games, and Martin Jones stopped 27 shots for the Sharks.

The overtime loss snapped an NHL-tying streak in which the Islanders won nine straight games in which they had allowed the first goal.

The Sharks took a 1-0 lead at 6:38 of the second period — seconds after Jones denied Brock Nelson’s breakaway — as Mario Ferraro found Marcus Sorensen cutting to the crease.

The Islanders tied it 27 seconds later as Casey Cizikas deflected in Pelech’s shot from the left point. Sharks coach Pete DeBoer unsuccessfully challenged that Cizikas had interfered with Jones, putting the Islanders on the power play.

The Islanders generated 10 power-play shots in their man-advantage oh- for. They improved in their latter efforts as they adjusted to the Sharks’ aggressive penalty kill, particularly in how they broke up passes.

At least the Islanders are getting power-play chances. They still have the fewest in the NHL with 50, but it was the sixth straight game in which they’ve gotten at least three chances on the man advantage. They’ve had 13 in the last two games.

“When we’re playing our game, we’re getting pucks deep and forechecking,” Mathew Barzal said. “Guys are going to get toed down a little more if we have the puck a little more. The first few games, we didn’t have the puck as much.”

The Islanders had three power-play shots after Patrick Marleau tripped defenseman Scott Mayfield in the offensive zone at 2:32 of the third period. But Nelson also had his attempt from the right post deflected high and Jordan Eberle — still seeking his first goal this season — swung and missed on a chance at the crease.

The Islanders appeared jet-lagged early in the first period, yielding the game’s first eight shots and not getting one on net until defenseman Devon Toews’ shot from the left point at 6:46. The Sharks’ Radim Simek hooked Michael Dal Colle nine seconds later, and while the Islanders did not have a shot on goal during that power play, Anthony Beauvillier hit the post and Barzal rang one off the crossbar. 1163103 New York Islanders

Barry Trotz praises rookie Otto Koivula and keeps him in the lineup

By Andrew Gross [email protected] @AGrossNewsday

Updated November 24, 2019 2:17 AM

SAN JOSE, Calif. — It’s a matter of trust when it comes to Otto Koivula.

The rookie center was in the lineup for a fourth straight game as the Islanders lost, 2-1, in overtime to the Sharks on Saturday night at SAP Center. He logged a season-low 6:32 of ice time after averaging 7:49 in his first three career NHL games.

That does not wholly reflect how coach Barry Trotz is grading his play. “I trust him in the defensive zone more than anything,” he said. “He’s really sound in the defensive zone.”

The 21-year-old Finn is in his second season in North America after being picked in the fourth round in 2016. He’s still looking for his first NHL point but is enjoying his first trip to the West Coast. “It’s nice weather,” he said, comparing it to his home country. “Finland, Sweden, Norway, just cold. This is new for me.”

But the newness of being in the Islanders’ lineup is starting to wear off, which is a good thing. Koivula continued to center Josh Bailey and Michael Dal Colle on Saturday.

“The nerves are down right now. I feel like I can play my own game,” said Koivula, who took his first NHL shot Saturday. “I’ve been playing good in the system. I just have to get the confidence and generate some offense because that’s what I’m good at.”

“Everything closes down quicker at this level,” Trotz added. “He feels like he’s got more time and space with the puck than probably he really does. If there’s anything that’s gotten him in trouble in the few games, it’s that. But I have a lot of trust in putting him on the ice.”

Isles files

Brock Nelson and Derick Brassard each had a five-game point streak snapped . . . Leo Komarov, Ross Johnston and Noah Dobson remained healthy scratches . . . The Islanders will not practice on Sunday before continuing their road trip on Monday night in Anaheim.

Newsday LOADED: LOADED: 11.24.2019 1163104 New York Islanders Newsday LOADED: LOADED: 11.24.2019

For Anders Lee, more power plays hasn't meant an increase in production

By Andrew Gross [email protected] @AGrossNewsday

Updated November 23, 2019 6:30 PM

SAN JOSE, Calif. — An uptick in power-play chances for the Islanders typically would go hand-in-hand with increased production from captain Anders Lee, consistently among the team leaders in power-play points in past seasons.

Except that has yet to be the case this season. Lee had zero points on the power play through the Islanders’ first 20 games.

“Honestly, it’s just the way it’s going,” Lee said. “Our unit, we’ve got to get back to getting the puck to the net a little bit and crashing down. It’s going to start going in. If you’re getting your shots, getting your opportunities, you might have a stretch where they’re not going in and you’re not getting the bounce. But you’ve got to continue what you’re doing and those opportunities will start going your way.”

Lee had gone five games without a point as the Islanders opened a three-game California swing on Saturday night against the Sharks at SAP Center. The Islanders set a franchise mark with at least a point in 16 straight games (15-0-1) when they beat the Penguins, 4-3, in overtime on Thursday night at Barclays Center.

The Islanders were 2-for-7 on the man advantage in that game, the most power-play chances they’ve drawn since Barry Trotz became coach.

Lee took four shots on Thursday, one shy of Brock Nelson’s team high after taking a team-best five shots in Tuesday night’s 5-4 overtime win at Pittsburgh. He also had five shots in a 4-3 shootout win at Philadelphia this past Saturday.

“A little bit,” Lee said when asked if he felt snake-bit. “If you’re getting your chances, things are going the right way. I felt that I’ve had some pretty good spots lately. We’re winning hockey games so the pain of a little bit of that is very much relieved.”

Lee was on the ice as linemate Mathew Barzal set up defenseman Scott Mayfield’s first-period goal on Thursday. He was also on ice for Josh Bailey’s even-strength goal at Pittsburgh.

“I think he’s had some good chances, good looks,” said Barzal, who had three goals and five assists in a six-game span entering Saturday night’s game. “I love having him on my left wing. He wins battles down low. He forechecks hard and goes to the net and does some of the dirty things maybe I don’t have to do as much. For me, he opens up a lot of room down low. It’s going to come.”

Lee, in the first season of a seven-year, $49 million deal, had five goals and five assists in his first 20 games after notching 28 goals and 23 assists last season. He had a career-high 40 goals with 22 assists in 2017-18.

He’s been used on a power-play unit with defensemen Devon Toews and Nick Leddy, linemate Jordan Eberle and Josh Bailey. But Barzal’s unit with defenseman Ryan Pulock and Derick Brassard, Anthony Beauvillier and Nelson have been on the ice to start more man advantages.

The Islanders’ 44 power-play chances through their first 20 games were the fewest in the NHL, 13 behind the nearest team and 57 off the league lead.

But the opportunities were coming more frequently. Before the Islanders had seven power-play chances on Thursday, they had gotten three in each of their preceding four games.

“When we’re playing our game, we’re getting pucks deep and forechecking,” Barzal said. “Guys are going to get toed down a little more if we have the puck a little more. The first few games we didn’t have the puck as much. We’ve just been playing hard and guys are holding onto the puck and drawing holds and hooks.” 1163105 New York Rangers

Rangers come back from down 4-0 to stun Canadiens

Staff Report

ASSOCIATED PRESS |

NOV 23, 2019 | 11:43 PM

MONTREAL — Jacob Trouba scored the go-ahead goal in the third period as the New York Rangers overcame a four-goal deficit to stun the Montreal Canadiens 6-5 on Saturday night.

Trouba completed the comeback with a shot from the point that went off Jeff Petry and in with 7:50 left in the game.

Brendan Lemieux scored twice and Filip Chytil, Pavel Buchnevich and Artemi Panarin each scored once for the Rangers (10-9-2), who were down 4-0 early in the second period.

Backup goalie Alexandar Georgiev stopped 38 of 43 shots in the second game in two nights for New York following a 4-1 loss in Ottawa on Friday.

Max Domi and Artturi Lehkonen each scored twice and Shea Weber added another for the Canadiens (11-7-5), who have lost a season-high four games in a row. Nick Suzuki and Ben Chiarot had two assists apiece. Carey Price stopped 28 of 34 shots in taking the loss.

Jacob Trouba (8) celebrates the Rangers' comeback win.

The Rangers trailed 5-3 in the third period before scoring three straight times.

Panarin scored at 5:51 on a no-look backhand pass from Chris Kreider, just 31 seconds after Lehkonen beat Georgiev from the slot for his second of the night.

Lemieux tied the game at 5-5 with a short-handed goal at 8:41 on a 2-on- 1 break with Brett Howden.

Domi, back at center after playing the previous three games on the wing, snapped a nine-game goalless drought 2:03 in from the edge of the crease.

Montreal went up 2-0 halfway through the period when Lehkonen scored on a shot past the far post on Georgiev while using Trouba as a screen.

Domi made it 3-0 when he caught Georgiev off-guard with quick shot 34 with seconds left in the period.

Georgiev got a piece of Weber's slap shot at 2:51 of the second, but the puck still trickled in behind him.

The Rangers rebounded quickly, scoring three times against Price in a 3:20 span in the second. Chytil scored the first on a one-timer at 6:11 on a pass from Panarin. Buchnevich, playing his 200th NHL game, made it 4-2 at 7:06 when his shot went off defenseman Cale Fleury and in for his fourth of the year.

Lemieux got the Rangers within one at 9:30, deflecting Adam Fox’s shot past Price just as a penalty to Phillip Danault expired.

New York Daily News LOADED: 11.24.2019 1163106 New York Rangers

Rangers’ David Quinn rewarded for not pulling Alexandar Georgiev

By Brett Cyrgalis

November 24, 2019 | 4:53am

MONTREAL — There was a good reason David Quinn didn’t make a goalie change, and it had less to do about the game and more to do with the environment.

Quinn found his Rangers down to the Canadiens, 4-0, just 22:51 into the game on Saturday night. Goalie Alexandar Georgiev didn’t look great in allowing those four goals on 20 shots.

But Quinn knew the 21,302 at the Bell Center would go berserk if he brought Henrik Lundqvist off the bench, so he didn’t make a move. And it paid off, as his team came back and won, 6-5, completing one of the most dramatic games in recent memory.

“We had Hank warming up,” Quinn said. “I just thought of the crowd. You bring him in, it’s 4-0, the place goes cuckoo. All of a sudden, it ignites everything. I wanted to avoid bringing him in at all costs.”

Quinn also made sure to give credit to Georgiev for keeping his head down after such a tough start, eventually making some big saves late in the second and third period when his team was digging out of the huge hole.

Alexandar Georgiev makes a save on Charles Hudon during the Rangers’ 6-5 comeback win over the Canadiens on Saturday night.AP

“It was a grind,” said Georgiev, who made 38 saves. “I try to play in the moment and not linger on those goals. I would like to get a couple back, but you have to forget it and give the [team] the chance to win.”

A small bit of redemption for Pavel Buchnevich, who scored his fourth goal of the season just hours after Quinn called him out for being the culprit in a bad too-many-men penalty during Friday night’s 4-1 loss to the Senators in Ottawa.

“Pavel Buchnevich was apparently not paying attention to what was going on on the ice and jumped on the ice,” Quinn said. “He’s never killed a penalty before in his life, and with 30 seconds to go in a penalty kill, he saw [Jesper] Fast come off the ice — who he replaces 5-on-5 — and he jumped on the ice.

SEE ALSO

Rangers make miraculous comeback to stun Canadiens

“That was part of our problem [Friday] night. We weren’t focused, we weren’t dialed in. That play symbolizes why we had our asses handed to us.”

Fourth-liner Greg McKegg left the game early in the second period and didn’t return because of a lower-body injury. Quinn didn’t immediately think it was too serious.

Micheal Haley drew into the lineup, playing just 3:58 with one shift apiece in the second and third periods. He replaced Tim Gettinger.

New York Post LOADED: 11.24.2019 1163107 New York Rangers From there, the Rangers held on for dear life — and dear life is what their season received.

“Just really, a great win and a great effort,” Quinn said. Rangers make miraculous comeback to stun Canadiens

New York Post LOADED: 11.24.2019 By Brett Cyrgalis

November 23, 2019 | 10:06PM

MONTREAL — This changes things. Drastically.

The Rangers looked over the edge and stared into the abyss. It is not hyperbole to say that the season looked as if it was spiraling out of control and wholesale changes might be on the way. The near-future looked like it was going to be ugly.

Then, all of a sudden, it wasn’t. All of a sudden, this Rangers season took a huge breath of life. They came back from the dead.

Erasing a 4-0 second-period deficit, the Rangers had one of the most dramatic comebacks in recent memory, taking a 6-5 victory over the Canadiens in the din of the Bell Center on Saturday night.

“I couldn’t be prouder of these guys,” coach David Quinn said in a dramatic about-face less than 24 hours after he ripped into his team following a desultory 4-1 loss in Ottawa.

This win sits in the context of that loss, in the location of the high stage of hockey, in the course of the first quarter of a season that has been hugely inconsistent for the Rangers (10-9-2). It is a sign that this young team does have some resolve, and they don’t always crumble in the face of adversity, or of success.

“We’re happy we came back, that shows a lot of resilience in our group,” said Brendan Lemieux, who had two goals — including a shorthanded tally at 8:40 of the third that tied the game, 5-5 — all with half a front tooth, a busted lip, and a Hall-of-Fame shiner under his left eye.

“Down four goals, anytime you’re able to do that — any game, any league — in Montreal, it feels a little better for some reason,” said Lemieux, whose father, Claude, made his name with the Canadiens in the 1980s. “For me personally, and for a lot of guys, it’s a special place to play. It feels good to win in here.”

For so long, it was looking like just another loss that would be fuel to the fire of frustration, one that was clearly turning into anger. Goalie Alexandar Georgiev was looking helpless, having allowed four goals on the first 20 shots; two to Max Domi, one to Artturi Lehkonen, and then a Shea Weber blast that snuck through at 2:51 of the second period to make it 4-1.

Quinn considered pulling Georgiev, and even had Henrik Lundqvist warming up in the hallway. But the thought of the 21,302 fans smelling blood in the water was too much. Quinn stayed the course, just as his team did.

Filip Chytil started the comeback when he scored at 6:10, then Pavel Buchnevich scored 56 seconds later, and then Lemieux got his first of the game on a deft tip of an Adam Fox shot at 9:30. In that span of just over three minutes, it went from 4-0 to 4-3 and the whole complexion changed.

“You could feel the passion, even at 4-0,” Quinn said. “Guys never wavered, they were never out of it.”

The Canadiens managed to make it 5-3 when Lehkonen got his second at 5:20 of the third, but this was a story about resiliency, right? Just 31 seconds later, Artemi Panarin finished an all-world blind pass from Chris Kreider to make it 5-4.

The Rangers’ previously horrid penalty kill was then put on the spot when Panarin got called for interference. Instead of collapsing, however, they made the biggest play of the night — a great saucer feed from Brett Howden to Lemieux for the slam-dunk, somehow making it 5-5 at 8:40 of the third.

Of course it wasn’t a highlight-reel goal that won it. Instead, it was a Jacob Trouba point shot that snuck through a Kreider screen and under the arm of goalie Carey Price, trickling over the goal line to make it 6-5 with just under eight minutes to play in regulation. 1163108 New York Rangers shorthanded two-on-one with a feed from Brett Howden — and then Trouba completed the comeback.

"It's cool when it actually happens — when you did make the comeback Postgame analysis: After another slow start, NY Rangers respond with and score that (sixth) goal," Lemieux said. "(Trouba) getting that one, and memorable comeback that makes it real. But I think the whole time we believed, and that's how we've always got to play."

Caught my eye Vincent Z. Mercogliano, NHL writer After shuffling lines and searching for some kind of spark at the end of Published 9:47 p.m. ET Nov. 23, 2019 | Updated 11:27 p.m. ET Nov. 23, the Ottawa loss, Quinn opted against changing his lines in Montreal. 2019 The only difference with the forwards was that veteran Micheal Haley was inserted back on the fourth line in place of rookie Tim Gettinger. Haley was waived last week, but cleared and was placed back on the MONTREAL - The stench from an ugly performance Friday night lingered NHL roster. He was a healthy scratch in the previous two games. for an additional period Saturday, with the New York Rangers seemingly on their way to a second straight lackluster effort. "We're going to go back to our original lines," Quinn said before the game. "You don't want to panic, right? We've been producing somewhat But with a sudden turnaround in the second period — and another flurry offensively through this time. I know we've had some stinkers of a game, in the third — the Blueshirts instead left the Bell Centre with a uplifting 6- but it hasn't been the line combinations. We feel like our line 5 win over the Montreal Canadiens. combinations have done some good things." The most important takeaway is that they refused to fold. What Quinn didn't mention was that he planned to alter his defensive "It’s just an unreal feeling," goalie Alexandar Georgiev said. "The guys pairings. kept at it. Nobody gave up." For the first time since the opening game of the season, Jacob Trouba After giving up four goals in under 23 minutes, the Rangers awoke from and Brady Skjei were paired together. They've been friends since before their slumber to score three of their own in a span of 3:20. They added the Rangers traded for Trouba during the offseason, which fueled three more in the third, with Brendan Lemieux tying the score at 5-5 speculation they might spend the season together. before Jacob Trouba's slap shot trickled by Montreal goalie Carey Price After 19 games with different partners, they were back on the same pair for the game-winner. Saturday. What started out looking like another "abysmal" performance — which is "I just thought, it's been a while, and I didn't love what I saw last night out how coach David Quinn described their 4-1 loss to the Ottawa Senators of anybody," Quinn said. "I was thinking about changing (the lines) — the night prior — turned out to a memorable comeback. obviously we changed the lines during the (Ottawa) game — but it was "We just have to do a better job understanding that during the course of just something I wanted to do. I wanted to put those two together." the game, you might have some bad moments," Quinn said prior to Quinn described the performance from both Trouba and Skjei "a monster Saturday's game. "And if it happens to us early, we’re having a difficult game." time stopping it and turning things around." Prior to the game, he was asked about Trouba having only eight points They were able to stop it this time. through 20 games after posting 50 last year was the Winnipeg Jets. Of "I heard coach when we were down 4-0 say that we're in this game," course, the new alternate captain went on to score the decisive goal a Lemieux said. "So I don't think that there was a specific moment that we few hours later. knew it was real. I think we just never thought it wasn't. We stayed with it. "He’s on pace for 35-to-40 points," Quinn said. "I know he had a 50-point We believed the whole time." year last year — although, if you’re getting 35-to-45 points, that’s a pretty Max Domi netted the first goal for the Canadiens just over two minutes good year for a guy who defends the way he does and plays with a snarl. into the game, and it was his line that produced the first three. Artturi Fifty is a pretty good number for any defenseman, but I think if he can go Lehkonen netted the second at the 10:00 mark, with Domi scoring his between 35, 40-to-50, during the course of his time, we’ll be happy. But second of the game just before the end of the period. to me, I’m not judge him by his offensive (game). I think he brings an awful lot to the table in other areas." Montreal picked up its fourth goal from Shea Weber early in the second period. Libor Hájek and Tony DeAngelo also played their first game together, with rookies Ryan Lindgren and Adam Fox as the only pair from recent The defensive lapses and high shot rates the Rangers (10-9-2) have weeks that remained intact. allowed throughout the first quarter of the season continue to be an issue. And while Georgiev finished with 38 saves, it took him some time We can talk about shot rates and expected goal rates, and there’s no to get in the flow of the game after more than a week off. doubt the Rangers still have A LOT of work to do to clean that stuff up. They simply give up way too many chances, with Georgiev facing 43 After the Rangers went down 4-0, Quinn admitted that he had Henrik shots Saturday. That’s unsustainable. But the most important stats are Lundqvist warming up to replace Georgiev. But he decided against it. wins and losses, and with the youngest team in the league, the Rangers are showing a knack for clawing their way to wins. That counts for "One of the things I was thinking, you bring Hank in, you might ignite the something. (In this case, two points.) "There's a lot of things that goes crowd," he said. "It’s a little dramatic when you bring a guy in in this into winning, and talent is obviously one of them," Quinn said. "But you building. He’s got to come through the tunnel and there’s a big hoopla." better have resolve, you better have mental toughness, you better have The first glimmer of hope came just over six minutes into the second conditioning, you better have leadership, you better fight through period. Artemi Panarin sent a cross-ice pass to a wide open Filip Chytil, adversity — and we showed all that tonight." who banged home a one-timer to get the Rangers on the board. I tweeted about Ryan Strome asking how Rangers fans on Twitter "We were saying in the locker room before (the second period), 'Let's reacted to this crazy game, making the motion of a roller coaster with his score one. Let's play our game,' " Chytil said. hands. If you can say anything about this team, it's that they keep things interesting. You never know what you're going to get. "You can’t really Less than a minute later, Pavel Buchnevich penetrated the Montreal create more adversity for yourself than being down 4-0 in the Montreal to defense to make it 4-2, and then Lemieux tipped in a shot from Adam the Canadians," Quinn said. "We don't do anything half-hearted, I'll tell Fox at the end of a power play to cut the deficit to one. you that. When we stink, we stink. And when we're good, we're good. The outlook appear dim when Lehkonen netted his second of the game And when we fight through adversity, we say, we're going to fight through early in the third period to push the lead back to two goals. adversity. We didn't tiptoe around it."

But just 31 seconds later, Chris Kreider set up Panarin for his 12th of the Lots of heroes tonight, but let's start with Lemieux. His dad, Claude, was season. Soon thereafter, Lemieux netted his second of the game — a in the house, and Brendan talked about some advice his former NHLer dad once gave him. "I’m sure this term gets used by more than one person, but I know Patrick Roy said it to my dad and they tried to use it throughout their careers when they were winning. It’s, ‘Never too high, and never too low,’ " Lemieux said. "And I think that was one of those things. We were playing well, and the score didn’t reflect the way we were playing, and we just had to stay with it — not too high, not too low."

Lemieux has been the resident tough guy for the Rangers, standing up for his teammates and being a relentless, physical presence. (Which cost him a back eye and half a tooth recently.) He's had some ups and downs, but his play has been steadier of late. And with a pair of goals Saturday, he was able to reflect a bit on the strides he's made. "To finally get a few go in, it felt great," he said. "It was just a great play — especially on the second one from Howden. Helluva a pass. I’ve got great linemates. I’m really blessed to have a great opportunity to play here in New York. I’m really thankful. It’s nice to see things come together for me."

A guy who won't get talked about quite as much but really seemed to play hard and a make a few timely plays was Kreider. "He was outstanding," Quinn said. "He was dialed in on the ice. He was dialed in off the ice. And, you know, he's means so much to our team and I'm really happy for him because the he gave everything he had on and off the ice. He was pivotal on the bench. And just a great effort by Chris."

It was a crazy night for Georgiev. On paper, 38 saves looks pretty darn good. But a few of those early goals were wristers from just past the blue line, and he was clearly disappointed in his play. But give him credit for hanging in there. "It was pretty tough," he said. "It’s one of the tougher things as a goalie. When things are not going well, you’re the last wall of defense. You have to be sharp, no matter what happens around you. I tried to keep all the thoughts away from me, keep playing, make some good saves and be confident — just grind through it."

More than one player pointed out that they thought it was a good to play the next night after that bad loss in Ottawa. "I think it’s better that we played back-to-back," Chytil said. "We didn’t have to think a long time about yesterday’s game. We jumped to this game."

Bergen Record LOADED: 11.24.2019 1163109 New York Rangers Newsday LOADED: LOADED: 11.24.2019

Jacob Trouba's goal caps Rangers' rally from four down in victory over Canadiens

By Colin Stephenson [email protected] @ColinSNewsday

Updated November 24, 2019 2:44 AM

MONTREAL — Up and down and up and down the Rangers’ season continues to go. This time the ups and downs came during a single game against the Canadiens at the Bell Centre.

In what had to be the wildest game they’ve played this season, the Rangers rallied from four goals down to beat Montreal, 6-5, on Saturday night.

Jacob Trouba got the winning goal at 12:10 of the third period before a full house that included plenty of Rangers fans who made the trip up for the weekend in Canada.

“You can’t really create more adversity for yourself than being down] 4-0 in Montreal to the Canadiens,’’ coach David Quinn said proudly, one night after a disappointing 4-1 loss to Ottawa. “We don’t do anything half- hearted, I’ll tell you that. When we stink, we stink; when we’re good, we’re good. And when we fight through adversity, we say, we’re going to fight through adversity.’’

Before the game, Quinn had complained that his team needed to “do a better job understanding that during the course of a game, you might have some bad moments, and if it happens to us early, we’re having a difficult time stopping it and, you know, turning things around.’’

Two goals by Brendan Lemieux, the second coming with his team shorthanded and tying the score at 5 at 8:40 of the third period, helped the Rangers dig all the way out of the 4-0 hole they faced after Shea Weber beat Alexandar Georgiev at 2:51 of the second period.

The comeback began with Filip Chytil one-timing a cross-ice pass from Artemi Panarin for his seventh goal at 6:10 of the second period.

Pavel Buchnevich scored a lucky goal at 7:06. He drove to the net and lost the puck as he got to the slot, but the puck bounced off a Canadiens defenseman, ricocheted off the back of goalie Carey Price and slid in.

Two seconds after their first power play of the game expired, the Rangers got their third goal when Lemieux deflected in a shot by Adam Fox at 9:30 for his second goal of the season.

Lemieux, still sporting a black eye suffered in his fight with the Capitals’ Tom Wilson last Wednesday and having lost half a tooth because of a high stick a night earlier, said the Rangers never felt like they were out of the game.

“I heard Coach, when we were down 4-0, say that we were in this game,’’ Lemieux said. “So there was never a specific moment when we knew [a comeback] was real; we just never thought it wasn’t. We stayed with it the whole time.’’

The Canadiens’ Max Domi, the son of former Rangers tough guy Tie Domi, scored two goals in the first period. He swept in a rebound at 2:03 for the game’s first goal and beat Georgiev (38 saves) with a long shot through traffic to make it 3-0 with 33.3 seconds left. In between, Artturi Lehkonen scored the first of his two goals at 10:00.

Lehkonen’s second goal, at 5:20 of the third, put the Canadiens up 5-3. But Quinn juggled his lines trying to find something and Panarin finished a blind backhand pass from Chris Kreider to make it 5-4.

“I felt like we were going to get the ‘W’ at that point,’’ Georgiev said. “We were battling hard through it and [made it a] one-goal game again.’’

Then, with Panarin in the box for an interference penalty, Lemieux and Brett Howden broke away on a two-on-one break, with Howden feeding Lemieux for the tying goal. Just 3 1⁄2 minutes later, Trouba netted the winner.

1163110 New York Rangers Quinn said he wanted to get Haley into the lineup because “he’s a veteran, he plays with passion . . . In the time he’s played for us, he’s done some good things.’’

Rangers goalie Alexandar Georgiev settles down after rough start vs. Canadiens Newsday LOADED: LOADED: 11.24.2019

By Colin Stephenson [email protected] @ColinSNewsday

Updated November 24, 2019 2:55 AM

MONTREAL — Coach David Quinn made sure to give credit to goalie Alexandar Georgiev for battling through a rough start and helping the Rangers come back to beat the Canadiens, 6-5.

The coach also admitted that when the Rangers fell behind 4-0, he considered pulling him.

But because the visiting backup goaltender doesn’t sit on the bench at the Bell Centre (he stays in the locker room), and because the place was packed with 21,302 who would’ve made some noise while waiting for the switch, Quinn did not pull Georgiev after Montreal went up four 2:51 into the second period of Saturday night’s game.

“One of the things I was thinking, you bring Hank [Lundqvist] in, you might ignite the crowd,’’ Quinn said. “It’s a little dramatic when you bring a guy in, in this building, because he’s got to come in through the tunnel, and there’s a big hoopla bringing him in. I didn’t want to do that.’’

He was going to wait until the next stoppage to make the change, but after two quick Rangers goals, he decided to stay with Georgiev: “We had Hank warming up, we had Hank ready to go, but once we got the first one, and then the second, things started settling in, and I just thought the last thing I wanted to do was get the crowd riled up.’’

“It’s one of the tougher things as a goalie,” Georgiev said. “When things are not going well, you’re the last wall of defense and you have to be sharp no matter what happens around you. So I tried to keep all thoughts away from me, make some good saves and just be confident.’’

At the end, Georgiev couldn’t contain his excitement. “It’s just an unreal feeling that the guys kept at it,’’ he said. “Nobody gave up. And it’s rare that you get to come back from 4-0. Huge mental win for our team. I was just super-excited to get the ‘W.’ ’’

Blame for Buchnevich

Taking a penalty for too many men on the ice while shorthanded seemed an especially odd thing for the Rangers to do. Given that they had so much trouble with those penalties last season, it seemed fair to ask Quinn before Saturday’s game if there was some sort of structural or procedural reason for his team taking that same penalty in Friday’s 4-1 loss to the Senators in Ottawa.

No, he said. It was all Pavel Buchnevich’s fault.

“Pavel Buchnevich was apparently not paying attention to what was going on on the ice and jumped on the ice,’’ an annoyed-sounding Quinn said. “He’s never killed a penalty before in his life, and with 30 seconds to go on a penalty kill, he saw [Jesper] Fast come off the ice, whom he replaces five-on-five, and jumped on the ice. And you know, that was part of our problem [Friday] night: We weren’t focused. We weren’t dialed in, and that play symbolizes why we had our [butts] handed to us.’’

The Rangers were trailing 3-1 at the time of Buchnevich’s gaffe, which came midway through the second period and gave Ottawa a five-on- three advantage for 28 seconds. Former Ranger Anthony Duclair scored on the two-man advantage to make it 4-1.

Haley is forgiven

Forward Micheal Haley returned to the lineup. He sat out two games after his slashing penalty in Florida on Nov. 16 that made Quinn so angry that he placed Haley on waivers the next day.

“He’s in the lineup. All is forgiven,’’ Quinn said.

Haley replaced Tim Gettinger, who played two games. 1163111 New York Rangers percentage and a 7-3-2 record. Huska, whom Knoblauch called his “1B,’’ was 4-0-3, with a 2.07 GAA and a .923 save percentage.

Nieves said the team is getting contributions from everyone, and he Rangers building a strong base through AHL's Hartford Wolf Pack spoke about the team’s bottom six forwards, who he said are playing hard defensively, killing penalties, getting pucks out of their own zone and deep into the offensive zone. In other words, doing all the little things that win games. And all the things that the Rangers need them to do By Colin Stephenson whenever they get called up. @ColinSNewsday

Updated November 23, 2019 5:06 PM Newsday LOADED: LOADED: 11.24.2019

When Filip Chytil and Ryan Lindgren got called up from the Rangers’ Hartford farm team, they were ready to play right away.

Chytil, who failed to make the Rangers out of training camp despite being the first choice to be the second-line center, scored a goal in the first game after his recall, and scored again in the next game. He entered Saturday night’s game in Montreal with six goals and two assists in 11 games for the Rangers.

Lindgren, a rugged, defensive-minded defenseman, had a goal and four assists — the first points of his NHL career — in his first 10 games entering Saturday. And the team was 6-4-1 since their callup.

Tim Gettinger, who was called up from Hartford on Sunday when Lias Andersson was sent down, got his first NHL point with an assist in Friday’s 4-1 road loss to Ottawa.

Part of the reason all three players were ready to contribute is because the Rangers made a point to improve the Hartford team this season. The Rangers fired Hartford coach Keith McCambridge after two playoff-less seasons, including a last-place finish in the AHL’s Atlantic Division last season. In late July they hired 40-year-old Kris Knoblauch, a former Flyers assistant, as the new coach and a few days later brought on veteran coach Gord Murphy to be associate coach.

And the Wolf Pack has started out fabulously. Despite a couple of consecutive losses on Wednesday and Friday, Hartford entered Saturday night’s matchup with Syracuse as the top team in the Atlantic Division and the No. 2 team in the league overall, with a record of 11-3-5, for 27 points.

The team is winning, the players there are happy to be there, and the team plays the same systems the Rangers do, so when players are called up, they know how to play the way the big club does. That wasn’t the case last season.

“It's so vital to have an environment down there where guys are getting better, and they feel like they're prepared when they get here,’’ Rangers coach David Quinn said about the goings on in Hartford. “Kris and his staff done a great job down there.’’

Knoblauch, who is in his first year as a head coach at the professional level, said it was important for him and his staff to gain the trust of the players. The best way to do that was to get to know them as quickly as they could.

“I think anytime a new coaching staff comes in, there's a lot of changes and there's a lot of uncertainty,’’ Knoblauch said. “But more importantly, getting to know the players. What does Steven Fogarty do? Or Vinni Lettieri? What's their game, how do they help our team win? And, you know, after some time watching them play in practice, you get an understanding what they contribute.’’

Hartford center Boo Nieves, who is in his fourth season with the club, said the atmosphere there is completely different than it was in the past.

“Everybody's bought in, you know, we have a good a good group of younger guys — and I'm 25, and I'm saying younger as in 21-, 22-year- old guys — and they've all they've all bought in, and they've all been doing everything from blocking shots to, you know, doing whatever it is they need to do,’’ Nieves said. “Guys aren't worrying about their individual stats… who's scoring, or who's getting the assists.’’

Knoblauch heaped much of the credit for the team’s early success on the play of goaltenders Igor Shesterkin and Adam Huska. Shesterkin, considered the heir apparent to Henrik Lundqvist, is the No. 1 goalie, and while he’s cooled off a little after a hot start, he’s still among the AHL goaltending leaders with a 2.06 goals-against average, a .927 save 1163112 New York Rangers up from Hartford. (They also wanted people fired, OMG.) Well, first of all, do you really want to submit him to this kind of defensive play — by the forwards and defensemen — for his first foray into the NHL? No. Second, it will get pretty complicated when Shesterkin does come up, and there’d With his famous father in the stands, Brendan Lemieux shows toughness better be a plan for Alexandar Georgiev because Henrik Lundqvist is and talent in Rangers’ frantic comeback win going nowhere, nor should he, until next season, if not through next season.

2) Meanwhile, Georgiev scuffled in the early part of this game, and Quinn By Rick Carpiniello considered pulling him for Lundqvist, but the kid found his game and was Nov 23, 2019 largely responsible for the comeback. And the comeback reminded many of the Feb. 19, 2008 game up at Bell Centre (or was it Molson Centre? Or something else?) in which the Rangers led 5-0 and lost 6-5 in a shootout. So, patience, revenge-seekers. There are so many green kids in the Rangers lineup, and in their future, that we tend to forget some of the slightly older youngsters. Eight of 3) The Rangers looked as if they’d have a good start. Brady Skjei missed them, age 21 or younger, have suited up for the Rangers this season. the net from the slot, off a pass from Jesper Fast, though he also got Some are going to be mega-players as the rebuild progresses. Some rocked by Shea Weber. Chris Kreider smoked Tomas Tatar with an maybe won’t. open-ice hit. But it doesn’t take much for it to turn sour for the Rangers, who are understandably and deservedly a bit fragile sometimes. Then there are those who are a tad older, around the age of 23, and one, in particular, is as unique a player as any the Rangers have — or have 4) My Great Aunt Tillie Could Have Scored: Georgiev lost the puck after had in a long time. making a save on a high shot by Artturi Lehkonen. Nick Suzuki tapped it across the crease and Lemieux got caught flat-footed and puck-watching Brendan Lemieux, from the bloodlines of a Rangers nemesis and as Son of Domi found it and easily popped it over Georgiev for a 1-0 lead tormenter, is a potential difference-maker for so many reasons, starting just 2:03 into the game. with how he plays the game. 5) Jacob Trouba was called for a penalty. They’ve been destroyed on the So there Lemieux sat Saturday night in Montreal, wearing the Broadway PK lately (10 PPGs allowed in four games) but survived this one with Hat to go along with a welt on his face, and a grossly blackened-and- three saves by Georgiev. bloodied eye, and a newly broken tooth, after scoring twice and being a general, but effective, pain in the ass in a remarkable comeback from a Trouba then forced a hard pass to Lemieux at the offensive blue line, but four-goal deficit in the Rangers’ 6-5 win. he couldn’t handle it. Mike Reilly broke it up and the Habs went the other way quickly. Lehkonen used Trouba as a screen and whipped a shot They call him “Pepe” because that’s what they called his father, Claude, past Georgiev at the midway point of the first for a 2-0 lead. Lemieux hit a who, as a Canadiens rookie, once broke the Rangers’ hearts in a 1986 pipe behind Carey Price a couple of minutes later. playoff semifinal round, and who, as a Devils veteran, was right in the middle of a post-playoff-game brawl. That series, (won by the Rangers in 6) The Rangers stabilized for a while, but with 33.3 seconds left in the seven games) in 1992, ended with Claude Lemieux and Tie Domi having first, the Rangers failed to clear and Domi — who had zero goals in his words in the handshake line — and to add another layer of irony, Domi’s previous nine games — fired one through Trouba’s legs and past kid Max was in Montreal’s lineup Saturday. Georgiev for a 3-0 advantage.

Claude was in the stands Saturday, the Bizarro-world scene of him 7) Early in the second period, Lemieux took a delayed penalty against cheering for the Rangers — the Rangers! Think about that! — as his kid Weber, who then blew a rocket past Georgiev for a 4-0 lead. Hoo boy. scored. 8) Daily Bread: Skjei rushed the puck up the middle of the ice and dished Brendan is all his dad. Claude was a great and skilled player, hated for it to Artemi Panarin (or did it slide off Skjei’s stick to Panarin?), who found his irritating style, which lived on the border of dirty, and sometimes Filip Chytil alone in right wing for a snap past Price to trim the Rangers’ (often?) crossed it. Brendan’s the same way, and we’ll see what type of deficit to 4-1. And really, the night before, Chytil was one of the Rangers player he becomes in terms of skill. When he got here last season, in the who hadn’t been awful. High praise. Kevin Hayes deal that brought a first-rounder and Lemieux from Winnipeg, Rangers coach David Quinn said he thought Lemieux will be a 9) The Rangers got another gift goal when Brett Howden sent Pavel top-six player. Maybe he will. Maybe not. This much is for sure: He will Buchnevich in on goal. Buchnevich tried to deke, then deke again, lost be the type of player the Rangers — with all their new young skill players control of the puck, and it went in off the skate of Cale Fleury to cut the — need now and in the future, although by accepting his qualifying offer deficit to 4-2. over the summer, Lemieux could play himself into a reasonably big 10) Ben Chiarot hit a post behind Georgiev, and Panarin drew a penalty. contract this season and might make it difficult to keep him. As the power play expired, with the second unit on, Lemieux — who is So on Wednesday, in the Rangers’ biggest and best win of the season, developing a really nice net-front game — deflected an Adam Fox shot Lemieux fought big, bad Tom Wilson in a nasty bout — after Wilson went past Price for his second of the season. First Lemieux loosened a puck elbow-to-head with Lemieux while Alex Ovechkin cross-checked him from Weber behind the net. Good work by him to make it a one-goal from behind. On Friday in Ottawa, Lemieux was picking up pieces of his game. The Rangers scored three goals in 3:20. tooth. On Saturday, well, he was in the middle of everything, scoring 11) The Rangers had consecutive power plays but wasted 33 seconds twice, including a short-hander that tied the score at 5-5. He also caused worth of five-on-three and both five-on-fours. Just awful. Worse still, a lob a too-many-men penalty, for which Quinn was angry but, given pass that should have been knocked down by Trouba instead went off everything else, forgiving. his glove for a Lehkonen breakaway that forced Trouba to hook him Lemieux came into the game leading the NHL in major penalties (four) down. So the Canadiens got a power play and a chance to not only catch and penalty minutes (52). He also came into the game second in the their breath but pad the lead. The Rangers killed it with a big block by league in minor penalties drawn (2.63 minutes per 60 played). Lemieux. Not only that, but now Quinn is using 21-year-olds Ryan Lindgren and Libor Hajek together on the penalty kill. Why not? Can’t be So his contributions add up in varying ways, and they sure as heck aren’t any worse than anybody else? always subtle. He had one goal before Saturday, now he has three. Two of them in a game that really could have been another disaster — 12) The Rangers were in fine shape as the third started, but Panarin lost although the Rangers played considerably better than they had in his man, Lehkonen, in the slot as the Habs regained a two-goal lead. But Ottawa. the Rangers answered 30 seconds later, with Kreider setting up Panarin with a between-the-legs, behind-the-back pass to make it 5-4 with 14:09 By the end, there were a lot of hugs for Pepe Jr., and a face only his left. Panarin’s seventh multi-point game in his past nine. father could love. 13) But Panarin took an interference penalty and the Rangers needed a Thoughts big kill. Well, they got more than that. Skjei cleared the puck up the left wall, and Lemieux broke out two-on-one with Brett Howden. Lemieux 1) I know I should turn off my Twitter notifications during games like these. But people were actually clamoring for Igor Shesterkin to be called gave it to Howden, who waited and gave it back with a saucer pass for a redirection to tie the score 5-5.

14) Trouba sent a seemingly innocent shot from the right point that might have ricocheted in front and beat Price for an improbable 6-5 lead.

15) The old too-many-men bugaboo is returning in a big way now, and the Rangers took one (third in five games) that wasn’t even close, with Lemieux the culprit, for a fifth Habs power play, during which Lindgren had a clear, and blocked a shot with his hand. The PK was 5-for-5. Lindgren returned and was on the ice in the final minutes with Fox and Price on the bench for an extra skater. That young D-pair was the Rangers’ best all night.

16) With 26.9 seconds left, Lemieux sent one at the empty net for a hat trick but missed the net for an icing instead, and the Rangers had to buckle down for the rest of the six-on-five.

17) Quinn Bin: So Quinn cites a perfect example of how far his players’ heads were up their you-know-whats in Ottawa the night before. Buchnevich, who does not kill penalties, jumped onto the ice during a penalty kill for a too-many-men penalty. But of course on Rangers Twitter it’s “Oh, that meanie coach is being a meanie to my favorite player again. He’s such a meanie.” … Not to mention the usual “hot seat” nonsense that follows every Rangers coach, and really every coach of every a New York team the moment things don’t go well.

18) Kakko-Meter: I thought the teenager struggled in his first game in Montreal, as many do. So did Libor Hajek. So did a lot of players, especially early, though, to repeat, it was much better than what went on 24 hours earlier.

The Athletic LOADED: 11.24.2019

1163113 Ottawa Senators got to get medical clearance before returning to the lineup. Defenceman Erik Brannstrom (hand) was also out for a skate and the thinking is he may suit up Wednesday against the Boston Bruins at home. … The Senators could have some decisions to make on defence, but the SNAPSHOTS: D.J. Smith has a tough decision on who start to in expectation is Nikita Zaitsev will be back from his personal trip to Russia Columbus in time to play against the Jackets. Cody Goloubef missed Friday’s game with an undisclosed issue and the expectation is he’ll be ready as well. If

that’s the case, then Max Lajoie will be returned to the club’s AHL affiliate Bruce Garrioch in Belleville. Christian Jaros, who was called up along with Lajoie before the Rangers game, was sent back to Belleville on Saturday. … The November 23, 2019 9:15 PM EST development staff of Shean Donovan, Clarke MacArthur and Jesse Winchester were on the ice with the players Saturday, along with

technical skating specialist Shelley Kettles. … Smith met with GM Pierre D.J. Smith has been pretty consistent about using both goaltenders this Dorion and the club’s pro scouting staff Friday in Ottawa to discuss his season, and there’s no reason to believe that’s going to change. impression of the team through the first quarter. The scouts were all in town because they’ve viewed every team and it’s never too early to start But, after a two-day break before facing the Columbus Blue Jackets on sizing up the market for the Feb. 24 NHL trade deadline. Monday night at Nationwide Arena, it will be interesting to see whether he turns to veteran Craig Anderson or Anders Nilsson with four games in six days. Ottawa Sun LOADED: 11.24.2019 Yes, Nilsson is coming off a strong effort in the club’s 4-1 victory over the New York Rangers on Friday night, but Anderson wasn’t so bad himself with a 35-save performance in a 2-1 win over Montreal on Wednesday night at the Bell Centre. Both are rounding into form and helping the team to have success so Smith likely won’t be wrong with whichever route he chooses to take.

All of this has been an adjustment for the 38-year-old Anderson, but he’s enjoying the friendly competition with Nilsson for playing time, and they do a good job supporting each other on a daily basis because they have a good relationship and work well with goalie coach Pierre Groulx. Anderson is starting to feel good about his own game.

“Everyone kind of struggled at the beginning and it’s a fair assessment to say I was very average at the start of the year,” Anderson said Saturday. “(Nilsson) played great, he earned his ice time and it’s tough to take a guy out when he’s playing as well as he has. When I get my opportunity, I’ve got to play the way I did (Wednesday) and give us a chance to win.

“I have to build my game as well. The way I’ve seen it is average to above average. I’ve had a couple of good games, but I still haven’t found that consistency yet. It’s been in spurts for me. There are games where we’ve played great for 55 minutes and then there was just five minutes (where it didn’t go as well). It’s always a work in progress. I’m getting there. I’ve felt pretty good the last couple of games and it helps when both guys are playing well.”

OFF THE GLASS

Less than 24 hours after scoring the first goal of his career, centre Logan Brown was feeling good about making another step in his journey. It’s been a long road for the No. 11 overall pick in the 2016 draft and he’s had plenty of chances to score since being called up from the club’s AHL affiliate in Belleville last month. It was nice to finally put one home. Brown’s father, Jeff, a longtime NHL blueliner with Quebec, St. Louis, Vancouver, Hartford and Washington, was exchanging texts with Logan after the game and was excited. “I texted with him a bit and he just kept saying how proud he was,” Brown said Saturday. “It’s been a hard couple of years to get here and to finally get here and to start playing well and to get a chance like that is pretty cool.” … After making 30 stops in the club’s victory over the Blueshirts, Nilsson was asked about the fact the legendary Henrik Lundqvist was in the opposing net. “He’s one of the best goalies that Sweden ever had,” Nilsson said. “It’s always fun to play against him, but it doesn’t change how I approach the game. I’m still approaching it the same way; my job is to make saves and to control what I can control. It doesn’t really matter who’s standing at the other end, but it’s fun to play against other Swedish goalies throughout the league.” … Owner Eugene Melnyk, along with management, coaching staff and players, were on hand at the CTC on Saturday night to participate in the annual FergusLea Senators’ Soiree to raise money for the Senators Foundation. More than 550 participants attended the annual event that helps youth in the community.

Welcome to the jungle!

THE LAST WORDS

Winger Vladislav Namestnikov, who suffered a tailbone injury in the club’s victory in Montreal, was back on the ice at the Sensplex. Smith will provide injury updates after the club’s skate Sunday morning, but Namestnikov was moving OK during the skills sessions. Naturally, he’s 1163114 Ottawa Senators The Senators were dominating against the Rangers and outshot them 39-31. The club got on the board early, pulled out to a 2-0 lead in short order and really didn’t give New York much of a chance even after defenceman Jacob Trouba’s shot from the point took an unfortunate The Ottawa Senators are surprising everybody but themselves deflection off Nilsson’s stick and into the net to cut the lead to 2-1.

Now that the Senators have some consistency and confidence, they’d like to keep it that way. Bruce Garrioch “We tended to get away from the consistency at the start of the season,” November 23, 2019 5:58 PM EST Chabot said. “We’d play a solid game and the next night not be that good. That’s something we’re trying to build on by paying attention to little details. This is a point of pride for the Ottawa Senators. “We’re gaining confidence as we win games, and everybody wants to win Instead of holding a formal skate Saturday, the Senators, with a two-day and everybody looks better when you win. At the end of the day, we’re break in the schedule before they face the Columbus Blue Jackets on still early in the season and we believe in the group we have. Everybody Monday night at Nationwide Arena, split up into three groups and held is buying in and it makes a big difference for us.” separate skills seasons. What a difference a solid three weeks can make. Coming off a convincing 4-1 victory over the New York Rangers on Friday night at the Canadian Tire Centre, the Senators have won three straight and five in a row at home. With an 11-11-1 record, the club is at Ottawa Sun LOADED: 11.24.2019 the .500 mark for the first time since Dec. 1 last season.

Those are some pretty impressive numbers for an Ottawa team chosen by many to finish in last place in the league, and heading into Saturday night’s action the club was only three points behind the Philadelphia Flyers for the final wildcard spot in the East.

No, they’re not getting caught up in any talk about making the post- season, but the Senators are trying to show they can compete every night with the pivotal U.S. Thanksgiving mark of the season approaching Thursday.

“This (competing) is something we know we can do,” defenceman Thomas Chabot, who scored his second of the year against New York, said Saturday. “We know we have good players, but we get in games we know that most nights on paper we might not be the best team, but when we get out there on the ice we know what we have to do and what gives us success.

“That’s something we’ve been doing the last couple of games.”

Connor Brown looks for the puck in front of Rangers goalie Henrik Lundqvist on Friday, Nov. 22, 2019 at the Canadian Tire Centre. The Senators were dominant in a 4-1 victory — their third straight and fifth in a row at home. Wayne Cuddington / .

Through the early season struggles, the Senators talked ad nauseam about being consistent at both ends of the ice — offensively and defensively. They weren’t scoring enough goals and they were having a tough time keeping the puck out of their own net. The challenge was to find a way to get it right under new coach D.J. Smith and his staff.

Lately, the Senators have improved at getting the job done. Yes, it’s helped that they’ve received strong efforts from goalies Craig Anderson and Anders Nilsson, but they’ve been far better at limiting the opportunities. The Senators are playing with some confidence and that certainly wasn’t the way it was to start the season.

“We’ve found an identity that works for us, and we’ve got some success and we’ve got some confidence, and I think that’s just what it takes,” said Anderson, who made 35 stops in the club’s 2-1 OT victory over the Montreal Canadiens on Wednesday. “We were trying to find our way through the first five to 10 games and we found spurts of it.

“We’re starting to find some consistency, and that’s what we’ve talked about since day one is trying to find the growth, and we’re growing. That’s good to see.”

Anderson said the Senators are beginning to see the fruits of their labour, and it was going to take patience for the players to learn the way that Smith and his staff want this team to play.

“Nothing good ever happens overnight,” Anderson said. “It’s hard work, building it, and we’ve had some tough, long practices, we’ve had tough games where we’ve had a learning curve and some not so good video for teaching.

“Everybody has taken everything as constructive criticism, adjusted their game accordingly and found ways to make the team more important than themselves.” 1163115 Ottawa Senators

Senators' Scott Sabourin back on ice, but no timetable for his return

Bruce Garrioch

November 23, 2019 5:02 PM EST

Scott Sabourin was a welcome visitor Saturday morning as the Ottawa Senators scrapped a formal practice in favour of a skills development session.

The rugged Senators winger, who was knocked out in an ugly collision with David Backes on Nov. 2 at the TD Garden in Boston, was on the ice with the rest of his teammates at the Bell Sensplex. Sabourin started skating on his own at the Canadian Tire Centre recently, but there’s still no timetable for his return.

The belief is he’s not going to play any time soon, but there’s no question Sabourin’s teammates were buoyed by his presence after he was knocked unconscious for about four minutes and taken off the ice on a stretcher in Boston. He suffered a concussion, broken nose and had an ugly cut near his eye.

He looked good Saturday and the facial cuts are healed.

“It’s amazing to see him back out here,” defenceman Thomas Chabot said Saturday. “He’s a guy that we all really appreciate on the team. He’s a hell of a guy and he’d do anything for the guys on the ice. To see him go down in Boston, and then to see him already back out there with a big smile on his face and battling to get back to playing games is really good.”

Ottawa Sun LOADED: 11.24.2019 1163116 Philadelphia Flyers The Flyers are 3-5 in shootouts this season, losing their last two. But they have also played 12 games since that 7-1 disaster in Pittsburgh in late October and gotten 16 points for a .667 points percentage (a 109-point pace). Still, they should have gotten a win Saturday. Flyers let one get away in 3-2 shootout loss to Calgary See, kids. Nothing in life is handed to you.

“We’ve got to find ways to close out games and that’s a tough one at the by Ed Barkowitz end. [Their] guy misses the net by five feet and ends up right on their stick,” said Sanheim. “We’ve got to try to close out those games.”

Laughton back, ‘Ghost’ benched It was kids day at the Wells Fargo Center and the Flyers gave their young fans a lesson in what happens when you don’t put away a Vigneault has not been hesitant to bench his young defensemen, and supposedly inferior opponent. Saturday was Shayne Gostisbehere’s turn in the doghouse.

Bad things happen. Gostisbehere has one goal in 22 games and played less than 11 minutes Thursday night, his lightest ice time in three years. Robert Hagg stayed in Despite overwhelming Calgary goalie David Rittich, especially with 18 the lineup and was paired with Phil Myers. shots in the second period, the Flyers let the Flames hang around long enough to force overtime. The Flyers then lost their third straight “They have a heavier team on that third and fourth line, so for our third shootout when none of their three guys could solve Rittich and Calgary pairing with Phil [Myers] there, I thought Haggs would give us a good walked out with the 3-2 win. look."

“Obviously, the ultimate goal is to get two points, and we didn’t, so it’s not Sanheim took Gostisbehere’s place on the power play. good enough,” said Kevin Hayes, who scored for the second consecutive game. “[But] I thought there were some positives in the game.” Forward Scott Laughton returned after missing 13 games with a broken finger. He played 15 minutes, 13 seconds, which is right around his The Flames, who had lost six in a row, hadn’t been able to do anything average ice time. right on the road until they arrived in Philadelphia. Even getting here was more difficult than it should have been when their charter was delayed, Kids watch forcing them to spend an extra night in St. Louis. Speaking of youngsters, TSN.ca ranked the NHL’s 50 best players under Hayes and Jake Voracek, two players pushed by coach Alain Vigneault 24 years old and the Flyers had three players make the list. for more production, scored for the Flyers. Voracek’s goal was his first in Ivan Provorov checked in at No. 23 overall, No. 7 among defensemen. 13 games and came when he dove to deposit a puck that had slipped He was joined by Carter Hart (28th) and Travis Konecny (45th). Got to behind Calgary’s goalie after a Travis Sanheim blast. wonder if Joel Farabee and/or Morgan Frost make this list next season. “I knew it was coming sooner or later,” Voracek said with a shrug. He Edmonton’s Connor McDavid and Leon Draisaitl were 1-2. Boston’s was more proud that he and linemates Sean Couturier and Oskar David Pastrnak, Toronto’s Auston Matthews, and Vancouver’s Elias Lindblom held the Flames’ top line in check. Pettersson rounded out the top five. Hayes, who ended a 12-game scoring drought of his own with an empty- netter Thursday, scored his goal on a play set up when Joel Farabee stripped Rittich with about six minutes left. Tuesday, Dec. 3 vs. Toronto 7 p.m. NBCSP

“For those two players,” Vigneault said of Hayes and Voracek, “I think it Philadelphia Inquirer / Daily News LOADED: 11.24.2019 was a step in the right direction.”

The play with Farabee was Rittich’s only mistake of the day and it led to the Flyers’ taking a 2-1 lead in the third. It should have been enough, but it was not.

Elias Lindholm scored with less than two minutes left to force overtime after Calgary had pulled its goaltender.

Lindholm pumped in a rebound off a Rasmus Andersson shot that went way wide and caromed off the boards behind Carter Hart. Plenty of teams try this as a set play, but Andersson said it wasn’t intentional and the Flames got “a lucky bounce.”

Flames star and local product Johnny Gaudreau got the secondary assist for the only point for Calgary’s top line, which at that point was on the ice against the Claude Giroux, Tyler Pitlick, and Scott Laughton unit.

Calgary’s first goal, 61 seconds into the third period, came off a sequence set up by a turnover from rookie Morgan Frost.

“That was definitely a tough shift,” said Frost. “The puck blew off my stick two or three times. Definitely would like to have that one back. Unfortunately, they scored on it. I take the blame for that shift and that goal.”

Frost played just 2 minutes, 47 seconds in the third period and did not see the ice in overtime. Vigneault does not play around.

The Flyers carried most of the play in the extra session, but Rittich held firm. He then stopped Farabee, Giroux, and Couturier in the shootout.

The Flames went into the day in a deep enough drought that their mascot should be a camel. They had gone 11 consecutive periods on the road without a goal. Even though that stretch extended to 13 periods, they picked up the win when Matthew Tkachuk beat Hart for the only goal of the shootout. 1163117 Philadelphia Flyers

Pregame notebook: Shayne Gostisbehere a healthy scratch for Flyers against Calgary

by Ed Barkowitz

Pregame notebook: Shayne Gostisbehere a healthy scratch for Flyers against Calgary

Flyers defenseman Shayne Gostisbehere is scratched from today’s game against Calgary. He hasn’t scored in 13 games and has just one in 22 games and is a minus-5.

The return of Scott Laughton from a broken finger allows the coach to go back to the typical lineup of 12 forwards and six defensemen for Saturday (1 p.m., NBCSP). In Thursday’s win at Carolina, he used 11 and 7.

Laughton will skate on the left side with Kevin Hayes and Joel Farabee. As we know by now, Vigneault’s lines should be written in pencil. Laughton’s only restriction, Vigneault said, is faceoffs.

While the coach has not been shy to call out his struggling veterans, he also said Saturday morning that he’ll be looking for Joel Farabee to play a tighter game. Over the last two weeks, the rookie has just two assists and is -4.

“I think Joel is a highly-skilled player. He’s real good with the puck. He’s gotten a little bit away from that the last couple of games,” Vigneault said. “Some of his decisions in our zone on the wall [and] some of his decisions in the offensive zone with the puck haven’t been as strong and hasn’t been as strong percentage-wise as it he was maybe early on. But he’s got so much upside, so much to work with that I’m confident he’ll be fine.”

The Flames have lost six in a row and have been shutout three of their last four. As if a 5-0 loss at St. Louis on Thursday wasn’t enough, the plane they had chartered to come to Philly on Thursday night was unavailable so they stayed in St. Louis an extra night. Shame, it was a nice night here in Center City last night.

Anyhow, the Flames used the extra time to bond and talk through their recent struggles. Calgary hardly looks like the team that had 107 points and won the Pacific Division last season. They were upset by Colorado in the first round, which only accelerates the heat on coach Bill Peters.

Philadelphia Inquirer / Daily News LOADED: 11.24.2019 1163118 Philadelphia Flyers "Definitely a tough shift," Frost said. "I think the puck rolled off my stick two or three times. Definitely would like to have that one back. Unfortunately they scored on it. I take the blame for that shift and that goal." 'Process' of inconsistency drags on for trusty Flyers Rittich made his boo-boo later on, going back behind the net and getting beaten there by Joel Farabee, who got the puck in front, where Kevin Hayes had only to chip it back into the wide-open net with 3:46 left in By Rob Parent [email protected] @ReluctantSE on regulation. Twitter But the Flames pulled Rittich, and soon thereafter a shot by Rasmus

Andersson bounded to the back boards but drew Hart to the side, and he PHILADELPHIA — Once again on this late-November Saturday, Alain couldn't get back in time when the rebound went right to Elias Lindholm, Vigneault was moved to call his first Flyers team "a work in progress." It's who tied it up at deuce. been his most repeated coachspeak phrase since he took over as head Rittich survived a Flyers-dominated OT session, and Matthew Tkachuk coach here, and you can suppose it's a good sign that his team continues would provide the winning answer in the shootout. ... You know, that to support the coach by proving game in and game out that they are just made-for-TV game-ending exercise so often escaping the Flyers' grasp? that. Regardless, with so many young players shuttling in and out, and so A piece of work in progress. many games left in which to find their stride, there seems to be quite a bit "We're whatever, just 22 or 23 games into the season?" Carter Hart of trust being shown for Vigneault's process. asked after the Flyers lost, 3-2, in a yet another shootout, this time to a And despite so many inconsistencies and points being left out on the Calgary Flames team that had no business getting to a shootout. "We're shootout ice, the Flyers (11-7-5, 27 points) are at least in the thick of a barely a quarter into the season right now. I mean, we're buying into the would-be playoff race ... in November. system, you can see how many shots we're generating most nights, and how hard we're playing and competing. So things don't look so bleak. It's clearly early in the process.

"So I think we just need to stick to it and trust the process of the every- "Obviously the ultimate goal is to get two points and we didn't, so it's not day grind. There's going to be highs and lows and you've just got to find good enough," Hayes said. "But I thought there were some positives in that consistency." the game."

Perhaps no part of the Flyers' game is as consistent as how they use the "Trust the Process" theme, just another cliche that befits Vigneault and these Flyers. Delaware County Times LOADED: 11.24.2019

They again played semi-solidly, but also outplayed the Flames enough to wonder how and why they keep working overtime on game days, and why they lead the NHL with eight shootout experiences.

Anyone in this locker-room crowd have a guess as to why?

"We've got find a way," Jake Voracek offered, "to close it out."

Coming off a win Thursday night in Carolina, which was highly encouraging since they scored five goals, the Flyers again were back to their slightly off-kilter offensive ways, and against a Flames team riding a six-game losing streak.

The Flyers would outshoot them 38-27 while not really giving any threat or indication that they were going to build much on a one-goal lead.

That was provided by Voracek, who jumped on a rebound off Flames goalie David Rittich at 13:26 of the second period. But the Flames goalie was outstanding before and after, making only one error when he went on an ill-advised trip behind his net to play a puck in the third period.

Otherwise, a Flyers team that continues to bring in young and heralded prospects this season — Morgan Frost is the latest youthful scoring wizard imported from Allentown to wield his magical wares — continues to have a lot of problems scoring consistently.

"I think we've got to get inside more," said Scott Laughton, returning to action after missing 13 games with a finger fracture. "Sometimes we're getting caught outside, and I think we're doing a good job with the puck, but we have no traffic on net."

Well, at least they're consistent at not getting that.

"Had some great looks," Vigneault countered. "The best player on the ice this afternoon was obviously their goaltender. He kept them in, made some big saves, didn’t permit us to score that second goal, which would have been big. ... If you look at our overall game, the way we played it, we played extremely well. Just came out on the wrong side of a shootout."

Make it five out of the league-high eight for coming out on the wrong side of shootouts, and make it several shootouts too many for a Flyers team that has launched enough shots and earned enough chances to win games before they ever go to an extra session.

The Flyers carried that 1-0 lead into the third, but just 61 seconds into that period Frost was stripped of the puck in the defensive zone. The Flames' Mikael Backlund got it back to Andrew Mangiapane, and he fired in a tying goal. 1163119 Philadelphia Flyers

A solid November could be better as Flyers go to shootout yet again, fall to Flames

By Jordan Hall

November 23, 2019 4:00 PM

The Flyers need to start avoiding the shootout.

They lost a 2-1 lead during the final two minutes of regulation Saturday and it resulted in a 3-2 shootout loss to the Flames at the Wells Fargo Center.

Alain Vigneault's team has gone to the skills competition an NHL-high eight times. The Flyers (11-7-5) have had a solid November but it could be better. They've earned at least a point in 10 of 12 games this month (6-2-4).

The Flames (11-12-3) came staggering to Philadelphia, having lost six straight games, a stretch in which they were outscored 23-5. During that span, Calgary had dropped three road games by a combined score of 14-0.

The Flames were able to get right against the Flyers with a come-from- behind win as Matthew Tkachuk delivered in the shootout (see highlights).

• Kevin Hayes scored his second goal in as many games to give the Flyers a 2-1 lead with 3:46 left during regulation.

Joel Farabee started the play with his effort to make something happen behind the net. The 19-year-old always skates hard and low, even when things aren't going well for him.

Once again, the Flyers had trouble finishing.

• Jakub Voracek scored his first goal since Oct. 27 to open the game's scoring in the second period.

After diving to knock the puck home, Voracek jumped to his feet and let out a big scream. He has not produced the way he expects to, so his 200th career goal was timely.

• In his first career regular-season game at the Wells Fargo Center, Morgan Frost went scoreless for the first time in his NHL career.

On the Flames' first equalizer early in the third period, Frost was stripped of the puck.

The 20-year-old playmaking center has still been a major positive through three games.

• Carter Hart, who entered with a 2.24 goals-against average in November, took the loss despite making 25 saves.

On Calgary's first goal, Andrew Mangiapane's shot appeared to deflect off Philippe Myers.

On the Flames' second goal, Elias Lindholm scored on a shot that took a hard bounce right to him off the back boards. Calgary had pulled its goalie at that point.

They took out their goalie on an icing play and we played that 6-on-5 perfectly. There was nothing getting in the inside, everything was on the outside. They shot the puck and missed the net by a foot. It ended up on the guy’s stick with an open net. Sometimes that’s going to happen. If you look at our overall game, the way we played it, we played extremely well.

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Flyers' Shayne Gostisbehere serves as healthy scratch vs. Flames

By Jordan Hall

November 23, 2019 1:40 PM

On the 23rd game of the 2019-20 season, Shayne Gostisbehere was a healthy scratch for the Flyers.

Robert Hagg played in his place Saturday afternoon as the Flyers took on the Flames at the Wells Fargo Center (see observations).

Gostisbehere, not far removed from his career year in 2017-18 when he scored the fourth-most points among NHL defensemen with 65, has not looked like his dynamic self this season. The 26-year-old lost his role on the first-unit power play and has six points (one goal, five assists) in 22 games.

When Gostisbehere is going right, he's skillfully moving the puck up ice and a real presence offensively.

“I am expecting a little bit more as far as plays with the puck," Flyers head coach Alain Vigneault said of Gostisbehere on Friday. "An offensive defenseman has to have the ability to beat the forecheck and to know when to jump in. I have seen some of that. Ghost is a little bit like our team — he’s a work in progress, he can play better, he will get better.”

Gostisbehere had an average ice time of 12:45 over the last two games and he hasn't scored a point in the past six.

Through his first 22 games in 2017-18, Gostisbehere had 19 points (three goals, 16 assists). Through his first 22 games last season, he had 11 points (three goals, eight assists).

Last season, Gostisbehere played for two head coaches and two different assistant coaches that oversaw the Flyers' defensemen.

A month ago, Gostisbehere commended the early process under the new coaching staff.

“I think their communication is such a big thing, you always know where you stand,” Gostisbehere said. “The scheduling, the communication is so clear. We know our system, any guy in here will have the same answer if you asked anything about the system. I think that’s a good part. It’s up to us and finding that chemistry and putting the product out there.”

The Flyers are in a busy stretch and they'll need Gostisbehere. Saturday was the start of five games in eight days. The Flyers will continue to search for ways to get the best Gostisbehere.

Comcast SportsNet.com LOADED: 11.24.2019 1163121 Philadelphia Flyers

Flyers need more progress on finishing offensively

Dave Isaac, NHL writer

Published 5:48 p.m. ET Nov. 23, 2019

PHILADELPHIA — Calgary came to town with a team that seemed like a wounded animal waiting to be put out of its misery. And the Flyers couldn’t finish it off.

It’s become a trend for them.

In their last nine games, the Flyers have scored more than three goals only once. Two tallies weren’t enough Saturday against a Flames team that had lost six straight. They bested the Flyers 3-2 in a shootout.

While both Flyers goals came from in close — Jake Voracek jammed home his 200th NHL goal from the crease and Kevin Hayes had an empty net to shoot at when Joel Farabee forced the Calgary goalie to turn the puck over behind the net — there hasn’t been enough production to justify the Flyers having a good process.

“We’re getting some great looks. We’re getting the right people getting the looks” Flyers coach Alain Vigneault said. “Tonight we met without a doubt a goaltender that was totally on top of his game except for that one play at the end of the third period. That’s gonna happen. We played on the inside, got some in-tight chances. Jake’s goal is a goal in the blue paint. You’ve got to keep doing the right thing and sooner or later those are gonna go in.”

To Vigneault’s point, David Rittich was excellent, making 36 saves on the afternoon. But how many times can the Flyers run into a hot goalie?

The Flyers’ team shooting efficiency is a mere 8.6 percent, below the league average of 9.6 heading into Saturday’s action. They are at least putting pucks on net. Their 774 shots were seventh in the league heading into Saturday night’s games and their 33.7 shots per game tied for seventh. Their 2.91 goals per game ranks only 18th in the league.

According to NaturalStatTrick.com, the Flyers had 13 high-definition scoring chances to the Flames’ six. They’re getting close…just not finishing enough.

“Obviously the ultimate goal is to get two points, and we didn’t, so it’s not good enough,” Hayes said. “I thought there were some positives in the game. We scored late there and we gave up one late on 6-on-5. Had some good chances in overtime and couldn’t capitalize.”

That’s been the problem and why Vigneault has been calling out players by name.

Voracek and Hayes were two of them, but he’s also mentioned James van Riemsdyk. He is the one who should be the Flyers’ best finisher considering his affinity for scoring at the netfront and the five-year, $35 million contract the Flyers signed him to last summer. Saturday he was on the fourth line with a season-low 9:06 of ice time and only one shot on goal. Only ex-Flyer Zac Rinaldo had less ice time, 5:01.

Finding the killer instinct is something the Flyers haven’t done yet and against a team that looked as pitiful as the Flames it only stood out more.

Courier-Post LOADED: 11.24.2019 1163122 Philadelphia Flyers “I think it’s a good thing,” Gaudreau said. “Haven’t seen much family in the past little bit. I got to go home last night and see all the family and buddies and stuff. It was great. Kinda took my mind off hockey a little bit and I got to hang out with them. Back to business today. Obviously it’s Flames reassure South Jersey’s Johnny Gaudreau they’re not trading always exciting to play here in Philly in front of people that I grew up him with.”

Dave Isaac, NHL writer Courier-Post LOADED: 11.24.2019 Published 12:41 p.m. ET Nov. 23, 2019 | Updated 4:38 p.m. ET Nov. 23, 2019

PHILADELPHIA — There are two kinds of trade rumors and now the man they call “Johnny Hockey” has heard them both.

The longstanding version here has been calling for South Jersey’s native son to come home and play for his hometown Flyers. John Gaudreau even perpetuated them in 2017 when he was on WIP radio trying to do the verbal gymnastics of appeasing both his hometown and the city where he plays but let it slip that, “it’d be sweet to play here someday.”

That remains a pipedream for any fans picturing him in orange and black.

It’s unlikely (at least any time soon) despite the other kind of trade rumor that Gaudreau heard this week. The not-so-flattering kind.

Before Gaudreau’s Calgary Flames beat the Flyers 3-2 in a shootout Saturday and snapped a six-game losing streak, his name had been involved in rumors the other way, suggesting a potential solution for the Flames’ funk would be to trade the team’s best player.

“Yeah definitely different for me. It’s not the best news you want to hear,” Gaudreau admitted. “You’re pretty close with your team and I’ve played with a lot of those guys in the locker room for six years so it’s a pretty close-knit group we have in there. I try to put it behind me. I try not to think about it. I talked to the GM, the coaches and stuff and they’ve got faith in me and don’t worry about the noise in the background. That’s all that really matters.”

The team’s general manager, Brad Treliving, told reporters in St. Louis on Friday that, “The coaches aren’t going anywhere. Our top players aren’t going anywhere.” He also full-on fell on the sword, telling reporters, “It starts with the manager. The manager has been horse (crap). He has to get going.”

Deflecting the blame is probably Treliving’s best strategy, distracting critics to look somewhere other than the ice, but the rest of the team has to get going also and for a change that underperforming group includes Gaudreau.

Gaudreau’s rookie year with the Flames, Calgary had an eight-game losing streak in December of 2014. Gaudreau had three goals and four total points in those eight games.

That’s far from his usual production, but his time it’s much worse.

Even though Calgary snapped its losing streak at six, Gaudreau has only two goals in his last 21 games and a shooting percentage of 3.7 during that span. His career average is 12.5. A secondary assist on the game- tying goal Saturday was his first point in five games.

Clearly there are things not happening in his own game.

“I’ve been getting some chances,” he said Saturday morning. “Last game in St. Louis I hit the (cross)bar once, missed a breakaway, had a couple power-play opportunities. It’s just not falling in for us.”

It finally did Saturday. Andrew Mangiapane’s goal snapped a road shutout streak of 261 minutes, 3 seconds, the eighth-longest such streak according to the NHL’s Stats and Information Department.

The nightmare finally ended for the Flames, although they still have a way to go to be where they’re supposed to. It couldn’t have happened anywhere better for Gaudreau.

A mob of people were waiting for him in sections 102 and 103 postgame, so many friends and family in attendance he lost count. The Gloucester Catholic contingent typically rents a suite. His parents, Jane and Guy, are always in the house also not to mention buddies from the area.

When things are going poorly on the ice, a trip home can either be a welcomed reprieve or a further distraction. 1163123 Pittsburgh Penguins

Minor league report: Penguins’ winning streak snapped

SETH RORABAUGH

Saturday, November 23, 2019 10:43 p.m.

Goaltender Dustin Tokarski made 26 saves for the Wilkes- Barre/Scranton Penguins in a 1-0 loss at home to the Charlotte Checkers at Mohegan Sun Arena in Wilkes-Barre on Saturday.

The loss snapped a six-game winning streak for the Penguins (11-6-1-1).

Wilkes-Barre/Scranton’s next game is at home against the rival Lehigh Valley Phantoms on Wednesday, 7:05 p.m.

—-

Forward Alec Butcher had a goal and an assist for the Wheeling Nailers in a 5-4 overtime road loss to the Fort Wayne Komets at Memorial Coliseum in Fort Wayne, Ind.

Goaltender Jordan Ruby made 40 saves for the Nailers (8-5-2-0) who had a three-game winning streak halted.

Tribune Review LOADED: 11.24.2019 1163124 Pittsburgh Penguins season, Blandisi has two points (one goal, one assist). He has played in eight AHL contests and has four points (two goals, two assists). … The Penguins had a scheduled day off on Saturday and will practice in Cranberry on Sunday. Penguins struggle to replace Sidney Crosby on faceoffs

Tribune Review LOADED: 11.24.2019 SETH RORABAUGH

Saturday, November 23, 2019 6:02 p.m.

There are a myriad of ways the Pittsburgh Penguins miss captain Sidney Crosby, currently sidelined as he recuperates from surgery for a core muscle injury.

Five-on-five effectiveness, proficiency on the power play, execution in overtime, etc. Just about everything the team does on the ice is duller because of his absence.

And if you could talk to one of the Penguins’ bean counters, it might be vivid what Crosby’s sabbatical means to the franchise’s business off of the ice.

On the ice, the area where Crosby is hardest to replace, simply based on sheer volume, is faceoffs.

Even after missing six games (and a portion of a seventh), Crosby is the team’s leader in faceoffs taken by a considerable margin.

In 17 games played, Crosby has taken 359 draws. Fourth-line center Teddy Blueger is a distant second with 289.

The effect has been pretty clear.

Before Crosby missed his first game Nov. 12, the Penguins had a modest winning percentage of 50.4 percent (492 for 976) in faceoffs. Since then, in the six complete contests he has missed, the team has a bleak success rate of 44.4 percent (160 for 360).

“He’s not easy (to replace),” coach Mike Sullivan said. “He’s our best faceoff guy. We usually use him in most of the key draw situations. But other guys are going to get opportunities in those situations.”

There have been plenty of opportunities for others, but not ample success:

To compound matters, Nick Bjugstad, the team’s only regular right- handed draw, will be sidelined a minimum of eight weeks after surgery Thursday for a core muscle injury.

“It’s a luxury to have faceoff guys on both circles that can pull to their backhand,” Sullivan said. “Most guys are better at pulling to their backhand than they are their forehand. To have lefties and righties is a luxury for a coaching staff and for a team. When Nick’s not in the lineup, it just takes one right-handed shot away from us as far as an option on that side.”

The team has occasionally deployed right-handed Sam Lafferty, a rookie listed as center who regularly plays as a winger, on faceoffs. But his success has been limited. He has won only 53 of his 110 draws (48.2 percent).

In Crosby’s absence, they’ve utilized one of their former centers who was pretty strong in the faceoff circle during his career before he retired this past offseason.

Development staffer Matt Cullen, who lives in Minnesota but visits the team either in Pittsburgh or on the road, has been charged with refining the remain centers’ skills in the dot.

“We’re working with all of our guys to try to improve and get better,” Sullivan said. “We had Matt Cullen in at practice the other day. That’s an assignment specifically that I’ve given to Matt to spend time with our guys. I know when he’s in town, it will be time on the ice with them, but he’s also watching film and is in contact with these guys as far as the subtleties of that position and the strategies of the faceoff. Hopefully, over time he can help these guys and we can all improve as a group.”

Presumably, if Crosby returns in the six-week time frame originally prescribed, that would lead to the biggest improvement.

Notes: The Penguins assigned forward Joseph Blandisi to Wilkes- Barre/Scranton of the American Hockey League. In nine NHL games this 1163125 Pittsburgh Penguins

Penguins assign Joseph Blandisi to Wilkes-Barre/Scranton

SETH RORABAUGH

Saturday, November 23, 2019 10:51 a.m.

The Pittsburgh Penguins assigned forward Joseph Blandisi to Wilkes- Barre/Scranton of the American Hockey League.

In nine NHL games this season, Blandisi has two points (one goal, one assist). He has played in eight AHL contests and has four points (two goals, two assists).

The Penguins had a scheduled day off Saturday.

Tribune Review LOADED: 11.24.2019 1163126 Pittsburgh Penguins

Penguins send Joseph Blandisi back to Wilkes-Barre/Scranton

Staff Report

PITTSBURGH POST-GAZETTE

Got a news tip? 412-263-1601

NOV 23, 2019 3:41 PM

The Penguins on Saturday sent Joseph Blandisi, a healthy scratch in Friday’s win over New Jersey, back to Wilkes-Barre/Scranton of the American Hockey League.

The 25-year-old forward did not play either of the past two games after Patric Hornqvist returned to the lineup, giving them 13 healthy forwards. Blandisi had two shots and an even plus-minus rating during this two- game stint in Pittsburgh. Overall, in nine games for the Penguins this season, he had a goal and an assist.

Blandisi, who a few years ago overcame a “scary” illness to resume his hockey career, has four points in eight games with Wilkes-Barre Scranton this season.

Pittsburgh will continue its three-game homestand on Monday against Calgary.

Post Gazette LOADED: 11.24.2019 1163127 Pittsburgh Penguins the puck pursuit and forcing turnovers. But also just catching rushes and his defensive conscience as well.”

According to the advanced metrics nerds at NaturalStatTrick.com, the Penguins' new-look top line shows instant chemistry in its first week Penguins new-look top line has produced 18 high-danger chances in five together games, while allowing just five such chances against at 5-on-5.

You can take the stats one-step further. The Penguins’ power play unit is, essentially, the top line plus Patric Hornqvist. Some of that is because PITTSBURGH POST-GAZETTE they’ve lost so many healthy bodies that would regularly play on the power play. Part of that is probably because, well, why the heck not? If Got a news tip? 412-263-1601 they’re producing like this at 5-on-5, why not let them have a crack at NOV 23, 2019 3:34 PM things with a little more open ice and area to feed each other passes?

“Rusty brings a little bit of a different dimension with his speed… Jake is a great goal-scorer. Geno is a hell of a playmaker. The combination just Jake Guentzel zipped down the ice at PPG Paints Arena, collecting a makes sense.” beautiful one-touch pass perfectly in stride from Evgeni Malkin. Was it what Sullivan imagined when the season began? No. But like He dangled the puck from his backhand, to his forehand and …. whoops. Guentzel’s goal showed, sometimes even when things go off script, they For a brief fraction of a second, it looked like Guentzel would lose control can find a way to work anyway. of the puck and the scoring opportunity. But, he coolly stretched out his stick and regained his rhythm just in time to burn Devils goaltender Mackenzie Blackwood with the backhand. Post Gazette LOADED: 11.24.2019 Just like you planned, huh?

“No,” Guentzel said after the 4-1 victory. “But it worked.”

Joseph Blandisi skates with the puck ahead of former Arizona Coyote and current Penguin Alex Galchenyuk during the second period at Gila River Arena on Jan. 18, 2019, in Glendale, Ariz.

The same can be said for the Penguins’ top line as a whole.

Penguins coach Mike Sullivan likes to play his forwards in tandems. After scoring 40 goals last year next to Sidney Crosby, it only made logical sense that Guentzel would remain on the captain’s left wing this year. Meanwhile, the Penguins shipped Malkin’s winger, Phil Kessel, to Arizona in exchange for what they thought would be his direct replacement on Malkin’s left side, Alex Galchenyuk.

But, like Guenzel showed on Friday, plans change.

As Galchenyuk struggled to produce offensively (he's still searching for the elusive first goal in Pittsburgh), the Penguins decided that – you know what – maybe this Malkin-Galchenyuk tandem might not work out after all. At the same time, Crosby decided just over a week ago that it was best for the team and his long-term future to have the sports hernia surgery he had delayed since the beginning of the season. That left Guentzel looking for a new center and Malkin in need of a winger.

Without a ton of healthy bodies to choose from, Sullivan decided to roll with it. He loaded up his top line with some of the Penguins' most high- octane firepower. Malkin is at center with Guentzel on his left wing and Bryan Rust at right wing.

In putting this trio together, Sullivan has united a 40-goal scorer in Guentzel, a former Hart Trophy winner in Malkin and the team’s most productive player over the last dozen games in Rust. That’s got to work, right? And it has.

The first game they played together against the New Jersey Devils last Friday in Newark, Sullivan said that they did “everything other than score.” In the week since? All they do is score.

Tristan Jarry makes a save against the Devils.

With a goal on Friday night, Guentzel now has scored in three of his last four games and tallied six total points in five games. Rust, who earned the secondary assist on Friday’s goal, scored in all three games prior to Friday night and has six points of his own in the last four games. And Malkin has tallied a pair of goals and five assists in the last four games to lead the line with seven points in four games.

But to appreciate what they’re doing, it’s really only fair to consider their success as it should be –together: eight goals, 11 assists, 19 points.

“There’s some chemistry there,” Sullivan said. “They’re all good players. They all bring a little something different to that line that can help it be effective.

“I think they’re dangerous off the rush. They’re dangerous off the cycle game. Rusty’s speed brings a whole ‘nother dimension to the line, both in 1163128 San Jose Sharks stalwarts Brent Burns, Marc-Edouard Vlasic, Justin Braun and Brenden Dillon.

“I don’t think it’s tricky one night or two nights, but we’re going into a Couture does it again, as Sharks top Isles in OT stretch of five games in (eight) nights,” DeBoer said.

“The extra ice, (forwards) like it. But there’s no doubt it catches up to you. There’s not many 22, 23-minute forwards in this league that can play a CURTIS PASHELKA heavy, hard game in the right way and do those type of things. But if that gives the best chance to win, that’s what we’re going to do.” November 24, 2019 at 1:05 am San Jose Mercury News: LOADED: 11.24.2019

SAN JOSE — Logan Couture did it again.

Two days after he had the game-winner in overtime against the Vegas Golden Knights, Couture scored with 2:30 left in the extra session on Saturday to give the Sharks a 2-1 win over the New York Islanders at SAP Center.

Taking a pass from Evander Kane, who had driven toward the net, Couture one-timed it past Islanders goalie Semyon Varlamov for his fifth goal of the season as the Sharks won for the eighth time in nine games.

Martin Jones made 27 saves for the Sharks, who improved to 12-11-1, the first time they’ve been over .500 this season.

The Sharks had to kill six minor penalties in the game as Jones made 10 saves on the penalty kill.

“I thought we did a really good job blocking shots tonight, 5-on-5 too,” Jones said of the Sharks’ 18 blocked shots. “We’re just tough to play against. Tough to enter with possession against us. And we’ve done a good job pressuring when we can, getting pucks down the ice.”

The Islanders entered Saturday on a 16-game point streak (15-0-1), as they had not lost in regulation time since Oct. 11 when they were beat 5- 2 by the Carolina Hurricanes. New York was also 6-0-1 on the road this season.

The game was tied 1-1 going into the third period.

The Sharks opened the scoring at the 6:38 mark of the second period.

Just moments after Martin Jones stopped the Islanders’ Brock Nelson on a breakaway chance, the Sharks created an odd man rush the other way. Mario Ferraro skated the puck across the Islanders’ blue line and with a centering pass, found Sorensen open in front of the net for a tap in goal.

The Islanders got that goal back just 27 seconds later, as a shot from the point by Adam Pelech hit Casey Cizikas in front before it got past Jones.

The Sharks unsuccessfully challenged the goal for goalie interference, resulting in a delay of game penalty.

It was one of four minors the Sharks had to kill through 40 minutes. The Sharks entered Saturday with the top ranked penalty kill in the NHL at 90.2 percent, as they had allowed just two power play goals in their last eight games (22 of 24).

For Saturday’s game, Sharks coach Pete DeBoer once again dressed seven defensemen and just 11 forwards with the belief that the setup strengthens the depth of his lineup.

The Sharks played Tim Heed as a seventh defenseman for the second straight game. Tomas Hertl and Melker Karlsson were both out with injuries, but the Sharks only dressed one forward, Lukas Radil, to replace them. Noah Gregor, who was recalled from the Barracuda on Saturday afternoon, was scratched.

DeBoer liked how the alignment looked Thursday in the Sharks’ 2-1 overtime win over the Vegas Golden Knights, as Evander Kane and Timo Meier both took turns playing with Dylan Gambrell and Antti Suomela on the fourth line.

Radim Simek was back in the Sharks’ lineup Saturday after he was hurt in Thursday’s game. Hertl, who suffered a lower body injury in the game against the Oilers, skated Saturday morning.but missed his second straight game.

“It’s for sure better than (Friday) and kind of every day a little better. But, still sore,” Hertl said early Saturday.

The last time the Sharks had dressed seven defensemen before Thursday was Feb. 15, 2018. With a shortage of forwards available, the Sharks played Joakim Ryan, Heed and Dylan DeMelo to go with 1163129 San Jose Sharks “The extra ice, (forwards) like it. But there’s no doubt it catches up to you. There’s not many 22, 23-minute forwards in this league that can play a heavy, hard game in the right way and do those type of things. But if that gives the best chance to win, that’s what we’re going to do.” Have the Sharks found a temporary fix for fourth line issues? San Jose Mercury News: LOADED: 11.24.2019 San Jose Sharks dress 11 forwards and seven defensemen again for Saturday’s game vs. New York Islanders

CURTIS PASHELKA

November 23, 2019 at 7:44 PM

SAN JOSE — The Sharks may have found a creative, albeit simple, solution to the problems they’ve had almost all season with their fourth line.

For Saturday’s game at SAP Center with the New York Islanders, Sharks coach Pete DeBoer once again dressed seven defensemen and just 11 forwards with the belief that the setup strengthens the depth of his lineup.

The Sharks played Tim Heed as a seventh defenseman for the second straight game. Tomas Hertl and Melker Karlsson were both out with injuries, but the Sharks only dressed one forward to replace them, playing Lukas Radil and scratching Noah Gregor.

DeBoer liked how the alignment looked Thursday in the Sharks’ 2-1 overtime win over the Vegas Golden Knights, as Evander Kane and Timo Meier both took turns playing with Dylan Gambrell and Antti Suomela on the fourth line.

The new-look fourth line was even in terms of scoring chances created and allowed, with the Gambrell-Suomela-Meier line actually holding a Corsi-for percentage of 75 in just over three minutes of ice time at 5-on-5, per naturalstattrick.com.

The performance was easily better then the one by the fourth line against Edmonton last Tuesday, when Gambrell, Radil and Karlsson were badly outplayed in the early going before the Oilers scored just 3:34 into the first period.

“I can tell you it’s the most comfortable I’ve been, (Thursday) night, especially on the road against a good team, being able to put four lines on the ice and not have to worry as much,” DeBoer said.

The ice time was spread out a bit more evenly among all of the defensemen, at least for the first two periods before Radim Simek was injured and unable to play most of the third period. Karlsson was also hurt in that game, suffering an upper body injury.

There are risks, of course. After Karlsson was hurt, the Sharks had just 10 forwards and players like Kane (24:25), Meier (21:24) and Kevin Labanc (20:20) were on the ice much more than usual.

“It’s not perfect. Because as you can see, if you get an injury or a penalty or things like, you’re all of a sudden pretty short up front and guys are overplaying,” DeBoer said. “But until we get a fourth line that we feel good about, that can go over the boards and tilt the ice, win come battles and create some momentum for us, then we’ll continue to look at that.”

Simek was back in the Sharks’ lineup Saturday. Hertl, who suffered a lower body injury in the game against the Oilers, skated Saturday morning.but missed his second straight game.

“It’s for sure better than (Friday) and kind of every day a little better. But, still sore,” Hertl said early Saturday.

Perhaps as insurance, the Sharks recalled Gregor from the Barracuda on Saturday afternoon. To make room on the 23-man roster, the Sharks placed defenseman Dalton Prout on injured reserve. Prout has not played since he suffered an upper body injury Nov. 14 in a game against the Anaheim Ducks.

The last time the Sharks had dressed seven defensemen before Thursday was Feb. 15, 2018. With a shortage of forwards available, the Sharks played Joakim Ryan, Heed and Dylan DeMelo to go with stalwarts Brent Burns, Marc-Edouard Vlasic, Justin Braun and Brenden Dillon.

“I don’t think it’s tricky one night or two nights, but we’re going into a stretch of five games in (eight) nights,” DeBoer said. 1163130 San Jose Sharks

Sharks takeaways: What we learned in 2-1 overtime win over Islanders

Chelena Goldman

November 23, 2019 10:22 PM

SAN JOSE -- For the second straight game, the Sharks took the ice without a couple of key pieces of their lineup. For the second straight game, they were able to get to overtime against a tough team.

And for the second game in a row, captain Logan Couture tallied the game-winning goal in the extra period, this time leading San Jose to a 2- 1 victory over the visiting New York Islanders at SAP Center.

Here are three takeaways from Saturday's game.

Hats off to the penalty kill

While the Islanders entered Saturday's game with a middle-of-the-pack power play, San Jose gave them plenty of opportunities to get on track.

But the Sharks' penalty-kill unit stole the show, as the team killed off all seven penalties it took on the evening. When things looked particularly dicey in the final minutes of the second period and Brock Nelson nearly chipped in the go-ahead goal, Martin Jones was there with the save. San Jose still takes too many penalties, but at least the penalty kill remains a dominant force.

Jones kept them in it

Jones wasn't just solid on the penalty kill -- although, his point-blank stop on Jordan Eberle during the Islanders' fifth power play might have been the difference in the game. After sitting out the previous game, he was impressive overall in his return between the pipes.

In fact, Jones got better as the game went on. New York built up momentum over the course of the contest and was able to pin the Sharks in their own zone and run up the shot tally. Had Jones not been so solid, the Isles could have run away with the game.

Speaking of which …

Weathering the late-game push

Again, Jones deserves the bulk of the credit for keeping the Sharks in the game when the Isles gained momentum late. But the team in front of him deserves some credit for keeping its composure against a squad that came into Saturday's contest riding a 16-game point streak.

On multiple occasions earlier in the month, San Jose ran out of gas and allowed the opponent to score late goals. But against the Islanders, the Sharks didn’t lose steam after spending so much time in the penalty box and were able to generate some good offensive zone time late in regulation. It was the perfect setup for getting to overtime so Couture could bury the game-winner.

Comcast SportsNet.com LOADED: 11.24.2019 1163131 San Jose Sharks

Why Peter DeBoer, Sharks have open mind to skating just 11 forwards

Chelena Goldman

November 23, 2019 1:14 PM

SAN JOSE -- After nearly two months of not being able to ice a consistent fourth-line combination, Sharks coach Peter DeBoer did away with the concept altogether in Thursday's win over the Vegas Golden Knights.

The Sharks dressed 11 forwards and seven defensemen Thursday, and the decision worked so well that DeBoer said he might do the same thing again Saturday night against the New York Islanders.

The question now, of course, is how long that formula can last.

"Until we get a fourth line that we feel good about, that can go over the boards and can tilt the ice and win some battles and create some momentum for us, we'll continue to look at that," DeBoer said Saturday morning.

DeBoer scratched fourth-liner Lukas Radil on Thursday, rotating Evander Kane on and off the fourth line with Dylan Gambrell and Melker Karlsson. Additionally, defenseman Tim Heed -- who upped his game when he returned to the lineup while Mario Ferraro was injured -- skated 10:36 as the Sharks' seventh defenseman. DeBoer admitted he was happy with the results.

"It's the most comfortable I've been, especially on the road against a good team, being able to put four lines out on the ice and not have to worry as much," he confessed.

Of course, this plan has its drawbacks. Karlsson and defenseman Radim Simek left Thursday with unspecified injuries, leaving the Sharks even thinner.

"It's not perfect," DeBoer admitted. "As you can see, you get an injury or a penalty or things like that, you're all of a sudden pretty short up front and guys are overplaying."

This isn't the first time this season that the Sharks' coaching staff has been hyper-aware of overplaying their top skaters. It wasn't that long ago that Brent Burns and Erik Karlsson were logging around 25 minutes per game while Simek recovered from knee surgery. At the time, DeBoer admitted that he didn't want to have to play anyone on the team that much early in the season and have them burn out.

The same goes for the current formula. Rolling out 11 forwards helped the Sharks beat Vegas on Thursday, but it can tire players out if used too long. That's especially true with the busy schedule the Sharks have to close out the month of November.

"I don't think it's tricky one night or two nights, but we're going into a stretch of five games in seven nights," DeBoer said. "The extra ice [time] -- guys like it but there's no doubt it catches up to you. There aren't many 22-to-23-minute forwards in this league that can play a heavy, hard game and the right way and do those types of things. But if that gives us a better chance to win, that's what we're going to do."

DeBoer didn't confirm whether the Sharks would use the same lineup formula on Saturday against the red-hot Isles, especially since a couple of injured players were labeled game-time decisions. But, he left the door open to the possibility.

Until the Sharks finally have a fourth-line combination that works, it's probably their best option. Although it's also not a completely sustainable one, as DeBoer said.

Comcast SportsNet.com LOADED: 11.24.2019 1163132 San Jose Sharks Couture agreed, speaking after the win over the Islanders, who are now 15-0-2 in their past 17 games.

“I think they feed off of each other. I think those two have a great Tomas Hertl’s absence might have helped Sharks find their identity relationship,” the captain said. “They want to see each other have success in the net. It’s natural when your partner does well, you want to do well. It definitely helps. They’ve both played back-to-back tremendous games.” Kevin Kurz For the second time in as many games, DeBoer opted to dress 11 Nov 24, 2019 forwards and seven defensemen. The forward bench got even shorter by the third period when Lukas Radil, who was scratched on Thursday in favor of defenseman Tim Heed, didn’t take any shifts after a mid-second When Tomas Hertl is on his game, he is, quite simply, the Sharks’ most period tripping penalty. dangerous forward in the offensive zone. Part of the reason for that was DeBoer called the Islanders’ fourth line of So when he didn’t show up on the ice for the pregame skate at T-Mobile Casey Cizikas, Matt Martin and Cal Clutterbuck the “best fourth line in Arena on Thursday morning as the Sharks prepared to play the Vegas hockey” on Saturday morning. It was Cizikas who scored New York’s Golden Knights, it naturally sent some shivers through the collective only goal, too, getting a piece of a shot from Andy Pelech and redirecting spines of the fan base. Hertl had been playing well, too, posting nine it past Jones just 27 seconds after Marcus Sorensen’s goal at 6:38 of the points in a five-game span from Nov. 5-14, reemerging as a top-line second period opened the scoring. center after he was one of a number of Sharks players who got off to a slow start. DeBoer, also without Melker Karlsson due to an upper-body injury he sustained on Thursday from a hit by Ryan Reaves, has asked some The Sharks managed to beat Vegas on Thursday night, though, and they forwards to take on more responsibility to help counter the Sharks’ triumphed again without Hertl on Saturday against the hottest team in obvious depth problems — problems that they’ve had even when hockey, the New York Islanders. Both games were 2-1 finals, and both completely healthy. Kane has been at the forefront of that, with more ended on overtime markers by Logan Couture, who now has a six-game than 24 minutes of ice time against Vegas and more than 23 minutes on point streak (3g, 7a). Saturday.

Hertl’s ankle injury isn’t likely to keep him out for long, as the 26-year-old That hasn’t adversely affected the chiseled 28-year-old, who was took part in Saturday’s morning skate. The Sharks will welcome him back arguably the Sharks’ best forward against the Islanders with six shots on to the lineup as soon as possible, of course, and that could very well be goal and eight shot-attempts total. His pass to Couture on the overtime on Monday in Los Angeles. winner was a thing of beauty, too.

But perhaps in Hertl’s absence, they’ve discovered more of the type of “I love it. It’s great. Keep it going,” Kane said of the extra ice time. identity they’ll need to be successful in a season in which their forward depth is exceedingly concerning. That is, specifically, hard work from While it’s worked in each of the past two games, dressing just 11 each and every player up and down the lineup, including a much more forwards is still not an ideal situation. DeBoer has made it pretty obvious structured defensive game while getting timely saves from their over the past week that he’d welcome more help at that position. goaltenders. “I don’t think it’s tricky one night or two nights, but we’re (in) a stretch of Neither the game against the Golden Knights nor Saturday’s win over the five games in seven nights,” he said. “Guys like the extra ice, but there’s Islanders, in which the Sharks gave New York six power plays while no doubt it catches up to you. There’s not many 22-, 23-minute forwards earning just one, was perfect. But they were, to use coach Pete DeBoer’s in this league that can play a heavy, hard game in the right way and do word after both, gutsy. those type of things. If that gives us the best chance to win, that’s what we’re going to do.” “Real proud of our effort tonight. We could have been smarter and not taken as many penalties as we did, but we found a way,” DeBoer said Don’t be surprised if the Sharks make a move or two before they face the shortly after Couture beat New York goalie Semyon Varlamov in Kings to address their forward situation. DeBoer, typically very prompt in overtime, on a feed from Evander Kane. “That’s been the story lately, speaking with the media after the game, delayed his availability by about we’ve been dealing with some injuries and some depth issues, and we 10 minutes when a team spokesman revealed he was in a meeting. didn’t help ourselves tonight by getting in the box, but we still found a Perhaps Radil’s time on the NHL roster is over. way. I thought it was a pretty gutsy effort.” In the meantime, though, the Sharks can savor the fact that they’re finally Couture said: “Guys have stepped up and filled that (Hertl) void. over .500 for the first time this season, at 12-11-1. They find themselves Sometimes that is good, when other guys get more of an opportunity to just one point behind Vegas for the second wild-card spot, with a game in play, and they build their confidence. I thought some guys stepped up hand, after the Golden Knights dropped a 4-2 decision to the first place tonight.” Oilers on Saturday night.

Martin Jones was at the top of that list, making 27 saves in one of his Overall, the Sharks have won eight of their past nine games, including best performances of the season. Ten of those stops came on the four in regulation. Although the past two have taken overtime, the effort numerous power plays that the Islanders enjoyed, as Jones has keyed they’ve gotten from just about everyone on the roster is encouraging. what remains as the NHL’s top-ranked penalty-killing unit (90.9 percent). “We’re missing a big piece in our top six and going with 11 forwards … Against Vegas, it was goalie Aaron Dell who was the star, making 37 you’ve got to get your legs moving, you’ve got to be ready to go,” Kane saves in what was a vitally important performance for him personally said. “For the most part, I think we’ve done a pretty good job of that the after some recent struggles. last two games.”

Regarding Jones, it seems he is a better goaltender when he’s feeling The Athletic LOADED: 11.24.2019 some pressure from underneath, but Dell has struggled to do that consistently since the start of the 2018-19 season. Perhaps it’s no coincidence that Jones excelled on Saturday after his counterpart did the same two nights earlier.

On Saturday morning, DeBoer was asked if Dell’s performance pushes Jones at all.

“I think so. I think it’s human nature when the other guy’s playing well,” the coach said. “If you look at the history of our team with those two guys together, when Deller is pushing him, I think they’re both better. That’s obviously where we want to get to.” 1163133 St Louis Blues and then after a penalty was called, Bortuzzo gave Arvidsson another crosscheck in the lower back as he was trying to get up.

“It's dirty,” said Predators coach Peter Laviolette. Bortuzzo will have a Nashville starts fast, holds on to beat Blues hearing with the department of player safety on Sunday for a possible fine or suspension.

Kostin went end to end for his goal, taking on three Nashville players, Tom Timmermann with a move on Nashville's Colton Sissons to get some space at the blueline for a shot that went under Juuse Saros' glove and in.

Kostin playing in his fourth NHL game, had the look of Christmas It didn't take very long to know that this would be a long night for the morning on his face and he skated on one leg into the arms of linemate Blues. Mackenzie MacEachern behind the Nashville goal with 6:05 to go in the It took just 20 seconds for Nashville to take a 1-0 lead and it quickly was period. The goal probably wouldn't have happened if new acquisition clear that the team that was more jacked up for Saturday's game was the Troy Brouwer's work visa had gone through; if Brouwer went in, it looked team that had lost six in a row, not the team coming off a 5-0 win and as if Kostin who would come out. sitting atop the Western Conference. That gave the Blues life, and Tyler Bozak had a chance at the post that The next 20 minutes drove that fact home. Even if the goal that put could have tied the game but he couldn't get the shot off quick enough Nashville up 2-0 was a monument to flukiness, it was a perfect example and 90 seconds later, the chance to get even was gone. Oskar Sundqvist of a team making its own luck. Eight minutes into the period, shots were lost the puck to Austin Watson at the red line and Mathieu Olivier brought 15-2 in Nashville's favor; the Predators controlled the game and were a it in. Binnington stopped that chance, but the puck was loose in the step ahead of the Blues on just about everything. That goal wasn't the crease and Sissons got it in just before Bouwmeester could clear it. fluke; the fact the score wasn't worse for the Blues was the fluke. “The breakaways were just breakdowns; that shouldn’t happen,” Berube “They got a couple bounces early,” Blues forward Brayden Schenn said. said. “They’re a fast team. They can skate. There’s plays that shouldn’t “But even saying that, that's not our brand of hockey. Turn over the puck happen but we just weren’t sharp. … We didn’t close anything out in our too much, we sat back, didn't take care of the puck and caused them to own end. We gotta play better defense. We gotta play harder. Gotta play get good chances and break out with the puck. Our turnovers led to their better. We weren’t very good.” offense and we have to clean it up for the next game.” St Louis Post Dispatch LOADED: 11.24.2019 “They were more desperate and definitely came out harder than we did,” Blues coach Craig Berube said. “I think a lot of the puck management was losing 50-50 battles, making soft plays with the puck. We weren’t heavy enough tonight.”

That the rest of the game wasn't as lopsided as the first did nothing to change the outcome for the Blues, who got a split of their four-game homestand with a 4-2 loss to the Predators at Enterprise Center in the first part of a series that continues on Monday in Nashville.

Blues newcomer Klim Kostin got his first NHL career goal to provide a highlight, and give the Blues a brief spark of life. But the spark quickly vanished and didn't return until a late goal by Alex Pietrangelo, his 100th, brought them within one with three minutes to play. An empty-net goal by Nashville ended that threat.

The Blues didn't have many scoring chances, very few around the net, and didn't finish off the ones they did have, while the Predators had 43 shots on goal, the second straight game in which the Blues have allowed 40 or more shots on goal. The Blues had two power plays in the first two periods, the most noticeable parts of which were two breakaways for the Predators, who had four for the night amid an assortment of odd-man rushes. Jordan Binnington made 39 saves to keep the score respectable.

“We gave them too many chances, too many shots, too much time with the puck,” said Schenn, describing a rather ominous in-game approach. “We've got to commit to playing defense and we'll be better next game for us.”

The Blues now head off on a three-game trip that will keep them away from home on Thanksgiving, with games in Nashville, Tampa Bay and Dallas.

The first period started frantically and ended that way. Twenty seconds in, Viktor Arvidsson took a shot from the right wing that Binnington blocked and went to Filip Forsberg on the left wing, who had to pull his stick in tight to his body to get off the shot but still had plenty to aim for. It was the quickest goal the Blues had allowed this season.

Spurred on by that goal, Nashville kept coming, putting 10 shots on Binnington in the first five minutes. Mattias Ekholm made it 2-0 on a pass that got to the net via Springfield, hitting Jay Bouwmeester, Justin Faulk and then Binnington's stick on the way into the net. At every juncture, the puck was going wide of the net until the last turn. Ekholm got credit for the goal, but based on how many people it hit, he shouldn't have even had the second assist.

The Blues had to kill 72 seconds of five-on-three for Nashville after a crosscheck from Robert Bortuzzo on Arvidsson that knocked the Predators forward out of the game because of a lower-body injury. Bortuzzo's initial crosscheck sent Arvidsson headfirst into the crossbar, 1163134 St Louis Blues After completing a four-game homestand Saturday, the Blues now embark on a three-game trip over Thanksgiving week. They play in Nashville on Monday, Tampa Bay on Wednesday and Dallas on Friday.

Blues notebook: While Brouwer waits, Kostin gets another chance — and • A reminder: The Blues have canceled their scheduled outdoor practice scores Sunday at Centene Community Ice Center. The team is traveling to Nashville instead.

• Besides Brouwer, the only other healthy scratch Saturday for the Blues Jim Thomas was defenseman Carl Gunnarsson. He sat out his fourth consecutive game.

St Louis Post Dispatch LOADED: 11.24.2019 Newly signed veteran Troy Brouwer was not in the Blues’ lineup Saturday as he continues to wait for visa clearance.

“I want to get him in there as quickly as possible and get him going,” coach Craig Berube said.

Brouwer’s absence meant at least one more game in the Blues’ lineup for 20-year-old rookie Klim Kostin, on Saturday night against Nashville. And he took advantage, scoring late in the opening period for his first NHL goal.

“No words to explain the feeling,” he said. “(I’ve been dreaming of this) from three years old. When I first step on ice.”

That goal cut the Blues’ deficit to 2-1, but they went on to lose 4-2.

“He’s still young,” Berube said of Kostin. “I haven’t minded him to be honest with you. He’s gotta do things at a quicker level out there and that comes with time. I don’t think he’s quite there yet with doing things as quick as you have to at this level.

“But he’s a big body, he’s got skill and he can skate and he’s got a good shot. It’s just about processing things quicker out there for him.”

Berube’s debutNearly one year ago to the day, Berube made his debut as Blues interim coach — against these same Predators. Asked if he remembered anything about that Nov. 21, 2018 game in Nashville, Tennessee, Berube cracked: “Yeah, we lost. That’s about it.”

In that game, Robert Thomas ended a Blues scoring drought at 155 minutes 27 seconds when he scored in the first period. It was his first NHL goal. But it was 3-1 Predators in the third period when Berube took a gamble that backfired.

“I pulled the goalie,” Berube said. “We had a five-on-three. If we score there it’s probably a different game. It’s kind of an unlucky play. Shot it, went wide, and they got the rebound and went down and shot in the empty net and that was pretty much it.”

Ryan Ellis’ shorthanded, empty-net goal with 5:12 left made it 4-1 Preds. The Blues fell to 7-10-3 for the season but defeated Nashville 6-2 two days later in St. Louis and won four in a row against their Central Division rivals over the remainder of the regular season.

Battling Brayden

With just under seven minutes to play in the Blues’ 5-0 victory Thursday against Calgary, Brayden Schenn dropped gloves with Flames defenseman Rasmus Andersson.

This wasn’t one of those deals where one player asks the other if he wants to go. It was unscripted. With the Flames down by those five goals at the time, Andersson slammed into Schenn from behind. Schenn turned around, took offense, and next thing you know they were throwing punches.

“Probably they were a little frustrated,” Schenn said. “Really nothing more than that.”

It was only the second fight of the season for a member of the Blues. For his part, Schenn never has been averse to mixing it up.

“You try and bring the offensive part of the game,” Schenn said. “At the same time, I try and bring a physical edge, a physical element. I feel like the Blues have always played that certain style. When as a group we’re being physical we’re not fun to play against. And I try and be a part of that.”

The Blues’ only other fight this season came on Oct. 24 against Los Angeles when Ivan Barbashev went at it with the Kings’ Austin Wagner with just 23 seconds left in the game.

Blue notes 1163135 St Louis Blues that. I went from just being a good, solid player in St. Louis into being a little bit more of a notable player. . . .

“I talked to quite a few people afterwards in the city, and everybody Brouwer's return to Blues relives a great moment expressed kind of the relief that it was. That finally we were able to break through. And especially against a great team that had won a few Cups. To set that standard and get past them in the first round, it gave this team — and this city — I believe a lot of belief. Even going forward in those Benjamin Hochman playoffs. . . . But I think that series set the standard for how this organization was going to progress in the coming years.”

Sure his name is on the Stanley Cup, but you can make the case that it’s For a franchise that never had won a Cup, The Troy Brouwer Goal was in somewhere even more exclusive and intimate. Troy Brouwer is part of St. the conversation for greatest goal, along with the “Monday Night Miracle” Louis lexicon. See, he did something that became bigger than the from Doug Wickenheiser in 1986. Now they’ve both been knocked down something. three pegs, one could argue.

Back against the Blackhawks in 2016, when he scored the tie-breaking, There was The Patrick Maroon Goal, The Carl Gunnarsson Goal and third-period Game 7 playoff goal, Brouwer became embedded in local The Petro Goal — Alex Pietrangelo’s backhand beauty with 7.9 seconds lore. Just say his name to most Blues fans and it stirs emotions of The left in the first period of Game 7 of the 2019 Stanley Cup Final. The Petro Troy Brouwer Goal from, well, The Troy Brouwer Game. Goal put the Blues up 2-0. When it was over, they were up 4-1.

And now, Brouwer actually is back with the Blues, though he can’t play And, thus, 4-3. until a visa issue is resolved. Most of his teammates’ names now also are “I sure did watch,” Brouwer said of the Blues’ Game 7 in Boston. “I on the Cup. watched in Calgary. Me and the wife and the kids made a fire in the fire “I know I was brought in the first time to try and help this team win — and pit and watched on our outdoor TV. The kids (ages 7 and 4) were eating learn how to win,” said Brouwer, who won the Cup in 2010 with Chicago. some S’mores and having some fun — they wanted to stay up late, “And go through the process. I feel like I had a really big impact on that. because they still have all of their Blues gear from when I played here. I Unfortunately we had to part ways, but the team obviously learned from had my Blues sweatshirt on, and I was cheering for the guys. It was a that season — learned how to win — and (got) it done last year.” good memory.

Brouwer is officially signed to rejoin the Blues — though awaits official “Once it was over, I know how hectic it can be, but I gave the guys a big visa issuing before he can play — and his return returns us to April 25, congratulations text. Didn’t hear back from them for a few days though — 2016 at 9:51 p.m. I’m sure they were a little preoccupied.”

That also means you have to return to an old state of mind — that of Troy Brouwer is back. But in a way, he never left us. inferiority and frustration. The Blues had lost in the first playoff round in St Louis Post Dispatch LOADED: 11.24.2019 each of the three previous seasons. And of all teams to become the darlings of the league, it was the hated Blackhawks, who were the defending Cup champs for the third time in the decade.

So, The Troy Brouwer Goal was really a two-fer. It got the Blues to the second round — and the Blues defeated the Blackhawks in a playoff series.

But to do it, Brouwer had to put the puck in an empty net, which proved much harder than one would think. It’s kind of funny that his most-famous goal probably is his ugliest goal. But that just adds to the legend of it.

“Quite honestly,” broadcaster John Kelly said, “he almost missed it.”

It was 2-2 in Game 7 with 11:29 left, when Paul Stastny zipped the puck from the right halfboards to Robby Fabbri. Brouwer was perfectly positioned in the net front. Goalie Corey Crawford drifted to his right, tracking the Stastny pass. Fabbri one-touched the puck to Crawford’s left.

Tic-tac-post.

“I remember I touched it and was thinking — goal!” Brouwer said at his locker in a quiet moment last week. “And then it hit the post and then it was kind of scramble mode, because it kind of handcuffed me a little bit when I tried to flick it. Pure scramble mode.”

He lost his footing and had to backhand it in — scoring while falling.

“It’s like — ‘Oh my goodness, is he going to miss this?’” Kelly said. “And on the second or third chance he knocks it in the net, and it was just utter relief — and jubilation.”

Kelly’s call was great because as Brouwer fell, he said, “Oh, Brouwer!” simultaneously implying:

Oh, Brouwer, he’s about to score a wide-open goal . . . and

Oh, Brouwer, are you falling and about to mess this up?

But in a way, the play was imperfectly perfect. The difficultly of finally scoring the goal captured the Blues’ difficulty of finally getting to the second round . . . and getting past the Blackhawks.

“The next day, we went to a Mexican place in Clayton,” Brouwer recalled, “and as we walked in and had people yelling at me across the courtyard: ‘Congratulations! Way to go!’ It was just a really cool experience after 1163136 St Louis Blues "The three that he let in, he really couldn’t even do much about it," Brayden Schenn said. "He made big saves for us tonight. We gotta be better in front of him."

Blues caught flatfooted early in 4-2 loss to Predators The Predators are 10-9-3. The Blues fell to 14-5-5.

St Louis Post Dispatch LOADED: 11.24.2019

Jim Thomas

During his Saturday morning session with reporters, coach Craig Berube stressed the importance of coming out with a sense of urgency against the Nashville Predators.

The Blues didn’t get the memo. En route to a 4-2 loss Saturday at Enterprise Center, they fell behind 3-1 lead after the first period and never could catch up.

"They were more desperate and definitely came out harder than we did," Berube said.

The Predators scored 20 seconds into the contest. The visitors from Tennessee had 10 shots on goal before the Blues got their first. And by period’s end, Nashville had a whopping 22 shots on goal.

To put that in perspective, the last time the Predators played here _ the infamous “Do I look nervous?” game by goalie Jordan Binnington _ Nashville had 19 shots the entire game.

Goal No. 1 came on a fortuitous long rebound that went right to Filip Forsberg for his 10th goal of the season. It was the quickest opponent goal against the Blues this season.

Less than 3 ½ minutes later it became 2-0 Nashville after Mattias Ekholm's shot rebounded first off Jay Bouwmeester, then Justin Faulk, then off Binnington’s stick and into the net.

(In Winnipeg, Jets goalie Connor Hellebuyck might call that a “lucky pinball.”)

Fortunate bounces for the Predators to be sure on both goals.

"That happens," Berube said. "Things happen in games. We didn’t play good enough to win the game."

True enough. Good luck usually follows the team that works harder and is more aggressive. And that wasn't the Blues on Saturday.

When asked if the Predators were more aggressive, Berube replied: "Yeah."

And that doesn't happen to the Blues very often, does it?

"No," Berube said. "But it did tonight."

The Blues killed off a 5-on-3 in the opening period, and then made it a 2- 1 game on Klim Kostin’s first NHL goal.

But the Predators were operating at a different level than the Blues, charging the net and getting to most of the loose pucks. With just 86 seconds left in the first period. Mathieu Olivier skated in around Colton Parayko and sent a tight shot in on Binnington. Colton Sissons swooped in to tuck the puck under Binnington’s pads for a 3-1 Nashville lead.

The Blues woke up to a degree in the second period, generating some quality chances particularly early in the period. After the lopsided shot total in the opening period _ 22-9 in favor of Nashville _ the Blues had a 10-9 edge in the second period.

But they couldn't solve backup Nashville goalie Juuse Saros, and entered the third period trailing 3-1.

In the third period a power play goal by Alex Pietrangelo _ also with Binnington pulled for an extra attacker _ made things interesting late in the third period. Pietrangelo's seventh goal of the season was the 100th of his career, and it came with 3:08 to play.

But an empty net goal by Calle Jarnkrok with 30.5 seconds left made it 4- 2 and snapped Nashville's six-game winless streak.

Binnington matched his career high with 40 saves Saturday, stopping at least four breakaways. But he didn't get much help by his normally stout defense. 1163137 St Louis Blues comes with time. I don’t think he’s quite there yet with doing things as quick as you have to at this level.

“But he’s a big body, he’s got skill and he can skate and he’s got a good Rivalry renewed: Blues looking past Predators' recent struggles shot. It’s just about processing things quicker out there for him.”

BLUES’ LINEUP

Jim Thomas Forwards

Schwartz-Schenn-Bozak

The Blues, obviously are well aware of Nashville’s recent struggles, Barbashev-O’Reilly-Perron including a six-game winless streak (0-5-1) entering tonight’s 7 p.m. Sanford-Thomas-Sundqvist contest at Enterprise Center. But they don’t plan on being fooled by that slump. MacEachern-de la Rose-Kostin

“You can look at their record in their past six games and see they’re Defensemen struggling,” center Brayden Schenn said. “But at the end of the day, they’re a good hockey team. They have a lot of good pieces, a lot of Parayko-Pietrangelo good players. Bouwmeester-Faulk

“I’m sure they’re just trying to find their way through things a little bit now. Dunn-Bortuzzo But you know when they play us it’s gonna be a lot different hockey than what we’ve (seen) the last couple games. They’re gonna come out hard, Goalie they’re gonna play us hard. It’s gonna be a physical game. Two games in a row.” Binnington

Two games in a row, because after playing Saturday in St. Louis, these NASHVILLE PROJECTED LINEUP Central Division rivals meet again Monday in Nashville. Forwards

“Chicago, I guess. Nashville, Dallas are probably our three biggest Forsberg-Johansen-Arvidsson (rivals),” Schenn said. “Our whole division’s so good _ you know what I mean? I’m sure they’re not happy with their record and they’re gonna Jarnkrok-Duchene-Granlund play us hard. “ Grimaldi-Bonino-Smith No, the Predators are not happy with their record. Just a few minutes Saturday morning with coach Peter Laviolette, and you could see that’s Watson-Sissons-Olivier the case. Defensemen

“It’s been something different every game,” Laviolette said. “The target Josi-Ellis seems to be moving a little bit. When it happens, we address it and try to get better with what we’re doing. But there’s some good things we’re Ekholm-Fabbro doing; there’s some things that are shooting ourselves in the foot. Those Hamhuis-Irwin things are costing us hockey games, and we gotta be better. And we look to straighten that out tonight.” Goalie

Laviolette and the Predators know very well what to expect from the Saros Blues. St Louis Post Dispatch LOADED: 11.24.2019 “They’re tight,” Laviolette said. “They don’t allow a lot. And then it’s almost like they get you into a game where they’re playing good defense and they’re tight, and then they’re opportunistic and they’re able to chip one in and then you’re chasing. We’re gonna have to be ready just to try to make the most of the opportunities that we get.”

Nashville is expected to start backup Juuse Saros in goal tonight. He’s 1- 3-1 in his career against the Blues with a 3.31 goals-against average and a save percentage of .890. Saros’ numbers aren’t good this season, either. He’s 1-5-1 with a 3.34 goals-against and .888 save percentage.

“They’re a high-scoring team 5-on-5, third in the league I think in goals for,” coach Craig Berube said. “They probably are looking at their goals- against _ not great. I only watch recent games (for scouting). I don’t go back too far, but listen, they’re a good team. We all know that.

“They’re just going through something right now. But it’s gonna be a tough game for sure.”

BROUWER & KOSTIN

Troy Brouwer will not be in the lineup tonight as he continues to wait for visa clearance.

“I want to get him in there as quickly as possible and get him going,” Berube said.

But for now, Brouwer’s absence means at least one more game in the Blues’ lineup for 20-year-old rookie Klim Kostin. In three games with the Blues, Kostin has averaged nine minutes of ice and has a total of five hits and four shots on goal. He has yet to record a goal or an assist, and is even in plus-minus.

“He’s still young,” Berube said of Kostin. “I haven’t minded him to be honest with you. He’s gotta do things at a quicker level out there and that 1163138 St Louis Blues

Nashville takes on Western Conference-leading St. Louis

Staff Writer

NOVEMBER 23, 2019 02:21 AM

Nashville Predators (9-9-3, sixth in the Central Division) vs. St. Louis Blues (14-4-5, first in the Central Division)

St. Louis; Saturday, 8 p.m. EST

BOTTOM LINE: The Western Conference-leading St. Louis Blues host the Nashville Predators.

The Blues are 4-0-0 against the rest of their division. St. Louis has given up 12 power-play goals, killing 82.4% of opponent chances.

The Predators are 3-3-0 against Central Division opponents. Nashville is sixth in the league recording 9.4 points per game, averaging 3.5 goals and 5.9 assists.

The matchup Saturday is the first meeting of the season between the two teams.

TOP PERFORMERS: Brayden Schenn leads the Blues with 11 goals and has totaled 20 points. David Perron has four goals and four assists over the last 10 games for St. Louis.

Mattias Ekholm leads the Predators with a plus-seven in 21 games played this season. Roman Josi has totaled 8 points over the last 10 games for Nashville.

LAST 10 GAMES: Predators: 2-6-2, averaging 2.9 goals, five assists, 3.9 penalties and 8.4 penalty minutes while allowing 3.7 goals per game with a .865 save percentage.

Blues: 7-1-2, averaging 3.1 goals, 5.5 assists, 3.3 penalties and 6.9 penalty minutes while giving up two goals per game with a .932 save percentage.

Blues Injuries: None listed.

Predators Injuries: None listed.

Belleville News-Democrat LOADED: 11.24.2019 1163139 Tampa Bay Lightning First Period—1, Tampa Bay, Point 6 (Rutta, Conacher), 16:08. 2, Anaheim, Grant 6, 18:00 (sh). Penalties—Conacher, TB, (tripping), 1:42 Gudbranson, ANA, (tripping), 17:12.

Lightning’s Andrei Vasilevskiy makes franchise history against Ducks Second Period—3, Tampa Bay, Kucherov 7 (Killorn, Cirelli), 5:28. 4, Anaheim, Rakell 8 (Fowler, Getzlaf), 7:57. 5, Tampa Bay, Point 7 The goalie sets the team career wins record with his 132nd, surpassing (Hedman, Vasilevskiy), 12:39 (pp). 6, Tampa Bay, Maroon 5 (Paquette, Ben Bishop. Sergachev), 14:25. Penalties—Rutta, TB, (hooking), 5:54 Lindholm, ANA, (hooking), 12:22.

Third Period—7, Tampa Bay, Cirelli 5 (Kucherov, Hedman), 6:20 (pp). 8, Mari Faiello Tampa Bay, Palat 7 (Gourde, Shattenkirk), 17:27 (pp). Penalties— Maroon, TB, (high sticking), 4:14 Terry, ANA, (slashing), 5:38 Cernak, TB, (roughing), 15:29 Holzer, ANA, (cross checking), 15:29 Cirelli, TB, TAMPA — He is called the “Big Cat” for a reason. He makes saves that (cross checking), 15:29 Ritchie, ANA, (cross checking), 15:29 Ritchie, end up on highlight reels. Saves that make you want to replay them over ANA, Misconduct (misconduct), 15:29 Ritchie, ANA, (roughing), 15:29 and over. Grant, ANA, (roughing), 20:00 Maroon, TB, (roughing), 20:00.

And now his name is cemented in Lightning history. Shots on Goal—Anaheim 13-15-10_38. Tampa Bay 8-5-14_27. Power- play opportunities—Anaheim 0 of 3. Tampa Bay 3 of 3. Goalies— Reigning Vezina Trophy winner Andrei Vasilevskiy set the franchise Anaheim, Miller 3-1-2 (27 shots-21 saves). Tampa Bay, Vasilevskiy 8-6-0 record for career wins with his 132nd Saturday night, a 6-2 victory over (38-36). A—19,092 (19,092). T—2:33. Referees—Pierre Lambert, Kelly the Ducks at Amalie Arena. He surpassed mentor Ben Bishop’s 131 Sutherland. Linesmen—Jonny Murray, Derek Nansen. wins. Tampa Bay Times LOADED: 11.24.2019 Vasilevskiy, in his sixth NHL season, has spent his entire career with the Lightning. He set the wins record in 222 games. Bishop, with the Lightning from April 2013 to February 2017, set his mark in 227 games.

Vasilevskiy, 25, has led all league goaltenders in wins since Feb. 26, 2017, 102 in 149 games.

“It feels pretty good,” Vasilevskiy said about the milestone. “That was my dream.”

The goalie is never one for many words. But when he can talk about his former “goalie coach,” he isn’t as reticent.

“(Bishop is) great to me and to my family,” Vasilevksiy said. “I thank him, (but) it’s nice to beat him. I hope there’s more wins ahead.”

Coach Jon Cooper thinks Vasilevskiy could set an untouchable mark.

“If he stays healthy, it’ll probably be a tough record to break when it’s all said and done,” Cooper said, chuckling.

Cooper said he was surprised when he noticed Vasilevskiy inching toward the milestone. He didn’t think it would happen this fast.

“But there are players in this league who have worked really hard, and naturally he’s talented, but he doesn’t take that for granted,” Cooper said. “He battles every day, and he’s been a horse for us over the years.”

If you ask anyone on the team what Vasilevskiy is like, they’ll say he’s the kind of player who keeps pushing, never quits and, most of all, never settles.

“He’s a huge part (of the team),” center Brayden Point said. “He beats out a good goalie for that record.”

It didn’t look like Vasilevskiy’s franchise-worthy night was going to happen for the first period and a half. Anaheim battled heavily for puck possession, and Tampa Bay’s sloppy puck management held it back.

“When (the Ducks) were pressing us in the second period, (Vasilevskiy) was lights out for us,” Cooper said.

And Vasilevskiy’s play — combined with some good fortune — helped shift the momentum back in the Lightning’s favor about halfway through the second period. As the Lightning set up for a power play, Vasilevskiy left the puck behind his net for Victor Hedman, who skated up to the blue line and passed to Point, who skated in on the Ducks’ Ryan Miller and scored to make it 3-2 Tampa Bay. Vasilevskiy got an assist on the play.

From there, the Lightning added another goal in the second and two in the third.

And with the goals came the defensive play. The Lightning’s penalty kill stayed in check, going 3-for-3.

“Special teams was big for us,” Cooper said, “and led by our goalie.”

Lightning 1-3-2—6

Ducks 1-1-0—2 1163140 Tampa Bay Lightning

The Lightning are getting one of their superstars back tonight

Lightning-Ducks: There’s good news, bad news for Tampa Bay tonight against Anaheim.

Mari Faiello

TAMPA — The Lightning will have to take on the Ducks without its star center and captain tonight.

Tampa Bay’s Steven Stamkos missed morning skate and will not play against Anaheim when the puck drops at 7 p.m.

Stamkos exited the game at Chicago on Thursday evening with a lower- body injury and opted to watch the remaining two periods from the Lightning’s bench. Saturday will mark the first game Stamkos has missed since a three-game stint in early April 2018.

“I think the mentality is you have to be the next man up,” defenseman Victor Hedman said after Saturday’s morning skate. “Obviously missing two of the top players in the world is tough…”

Tampa Bay’s star winger Nikita Kucherov will return to the lineup Saturday against the Ducks after missing Thursday’s game, per Cooper. Kucherov was injured Tuesday after taking a big hit from St. Louis’ Brayden Schenn and did not return. Thursday was the first game Kucherov had missed since March 1, 2017.

Coach Jon Cooper said Stamkos aggravated a previous injury Thursday. On Saturday, Cooper didn’t have a timeline for how long Stamkos would be out.

“Injuries affect every team,” Cooper said. “And probably the biggest is on special teams where you really miss a Kuch or you really miss a Stamkos. We have to fill our holes there in that regard. He (Stamkos) is a big part of our team.”

Forward Pat Maroon thought the team played well in Thursday’s 4-2 win against the Blackhawks despite missing two of the roster’s most prominent players.

“We know what Stammer and Kuch bring every night,” he said. “We know our offense can shy away, get away from our game without our two big guns in the lineup, so we have to find a way to play simple hockey and manage the puck a little better.”

Goalie Andrei Vasilevskiy (7-6-0) is expected to start in net for the Lightning.

Just like those hockey road trips with dad when they were kids, only a lot nicer, via @dianacnearhos #GoBolts #lightning #TampaBay https://t.co/gIPpb457mQ

— TampaBayTimesSports (@TBTimes_Sports) November 23, 2019

Morning lines

Palát-Point-Kucherov

Verheaghe-Johnson-Conacher

Killorn-Cirelli-Joseph

Maroon-Paquette-Gourde

Defensive pairings

Hedman-Shattenkirk

McDonagh-Černák

Sergachev-Rutta

Coburn-Schenn

Tampa Bay Times LOADED: 11.24.2019 1163141 Tampa Bay Lightning

Lightning’s ‘Hockey Fights Cancer’ night slated for Monday

Mari Faiello

TAMPA — Break out the purple Tampa Bay gear, Lightning fans.

The club announced its annual “Hockey Fights Cancer” night (presented by the Moffitt Cancer Center) will be held Monday when the team takes on the Buffalo Sabres.

Both teams will hold up ‘I Fight For ___’, ‘In Memory Of ___’, or ‘Survivor’ cards during a moment of silence prior to puck drop.

Sonya-Bryson Kirksey will have a chance to rest her vocal cords as Marissa Peddie, a Ruth Eckerd Hall arts student who was diagnosed with leukemia in 2013 at age 8, sings the national anthem. Peddie is coming up on her three-year remission anniversary; she received her last treatment in February 2016.

Other special guests include Akum Kang, a 19-year-old Georgia Institute of Technology student who recently finished treatment for Hodgkin’s lymphoma at Moffitt Cancer Center following diagnosis at 18. Kang will partake in a ceremonial puck drop.

Monday’s 50/50 drawing, a raffle featured at every home game, will gift the proceeds to the Moffitt Cancer Center.

Fans who wish to participate in Tampa Bay’s “Hockey Fights Cancer” evening can autograph a large sign, which will be posted on the stage at Thunder Alley. Attendees can pick up a personal card — the same ones the players will hold during the moment of silence — at Section 112 during the game. Fans can also donate $5 for a lapel pin.

Players will use purple tape on their sticks Monday night. Those sticks will be raffled off, in addition to other themed items, at the Lightning Foundation table at Section 123.

Tampa Bay Times LOADED: 11.24.2019 1163142 Tampa Bay Lightning

Louis Domingue gets win for Devils in first post-Lightning NHL start

“It was a long time coming for me,” Domingue says after a 5-1 win against the Red Wings.

Times news services

NEWARK, N.J. — Louis Domingue got a fresh start with the Devils, and the goaltender took full advantage.

Domingue made 19 saves in his first start for New Jersey as the Devils beat Detroit 5-1, sending the Red Wings to a fifth straight loss Saturday night.

Will Butcher scored the go-ahead goal in the third period, Blake Coleman added two goals, and Kyle Palmieri and Taylor Hall also scored as the Devils ended a two-game skid.

The goals helped roll out the welcome mat for Domingue, and he did the rest.

Domingue made his first start for the Devils following a Nov. 1 trade from the Lightning, where he was playing with AHL Syracuse. He last started a game in the NHL on March 21, winning 6-3 with Tampa Bay.

The Lightning signed Curtis McElhinney when free agency opened July 1, committing to him as their new backup to Andrei Vasilevskiy. At the time, general manager Julien BriseBois said he was looking for a new home for Domingue, who had a strong 2018-19 as the Lightning’s backup.

Domingue’s first appearance for the Devils was Friday, when he stopped all five shots he faced in relief of Mackenzie Blackwood in a 4-1 loss at Pittsburgh.

“I was excited,” he said of his start Saturday. “It was a long time coming for me. I feel like I should have started the year in the NHL, but things went the way it did. And now I’m here, and I’m going to try to take it a day at a time and try to stay in the league.”

Domingue started his time with the Devils organization with AHL Binghamton. He was called up last week when New Jersey sent down struggling Cory Schneider to work on his game.

Domingue immediately won over the Prudential Center crowd, squeezing the pads together to stop the first shot he faced, a drive from the right wing off the stick of Anthony Mantha.

“It got the nerves out of the way,” Domingue said. “I’ve played a hundred- and-some games, you still get the nerves sometimes, especially when you play in front of a new team. You always want to do well. That’s my game plan. Nothing through me. Nothing under me. If you do that, you usually have a pretty good night.”

There have not been a lot of good nights for the Devils.

The game featured the two worst teams in the Eastern Conference. Both had only seven wins going in. New Jersey holds 15th place with 20 points, three more than Detroit.

There was a different attitude for the Devils with the new goalie in the net.

“He looked really confident,” Palmieri said. “We only had a couple of days of practice since he got back up here. You look at the way he moves in his net and plays the puck, you saw right away the confidence he plays with and the poise he plays with.”

Tampa Bay Times LOADED: 11.24.2019 1163143 Toronto Maple Leafs

Maple Leafs sink Avalache to move to 2-0 under new coach Sheldon Keefe

Staff Writer

NOVEMBER 23, 2019

Auston Matthews and Tyson Barrie had a goal and an assist each, Nicholas Shore, Kasperi Kapanen and Zach Hyman also scored, and the Toronto Maple Leafs beat the Colorado Avalanche 5-3 in Denver on Saturday night.

Frederik Andersen stopped 34 shots to help new coach Sheldon Keefe improve to 2-0 since taking over for the fired Mike Babcock earlier in the week.

Nathan MacKinnon, Andre Burakovsky and Valeri Nichushkin scored goals, and Nazem Kadri had two assists against his former team. Pavel Francouz made 12 saves for Colorado in his return from a concussion. He relieved starter Philipp Grubauer, who allowed four goals on 15 shots.

Barrie and center Alexander Kerfoot were back in Denver for the first time since being traded to Toronto for Kadri in the offseason. Barrie got his second goal of the season and second in as many games during the Leafs’ four-goal burst in a span of less than eight minutes the first period.

MacKinnon scored on a slapshot from the point just 31 seconds into the game, and then Toronto took over with a flurry of goals.

Shore got things started when he redirected Pierre Engvall’s pass to the front of the net at 9:49. It was his second of the season.

Matthews then gave the Maple Leafs the lead with his 16th of the season when he beat Grubauer with a shot from the slot 1:07 after Shore’s goal. Barrie made it 3-1 when he buried a pass from William Nylander at 13:22, and Kapanen finished the scoring with a breakaway goal at 17:36.

Francouz then entered for Grubauer.

Colorado got one back when Toronto defenseman Justin Holl went off for slashing in the second period. Burakovsky cashed with his 11th goal, a one-timer on a pass from Joonas Donskoi, at 9:21 of the period.

Nichushkin got his first goal in 92 games at 6:54 of the third to make it 4- 3. It was the first time he scored since March 4, 2016, when he was with Dallas.

Francouz went off for an extra skater with 2:47 left, and Kadri hit the post on a tip, but the Avs could not crack Andersen. Hyman scored just before time expired.

Globe And Mail LOADED: 11.24.2019 1163144 Toronto Maple Leafs Auston again: Auston Matthews scored his second road goal in as many games, after having one in his previous 10. “Kind of an ugly one for us tonight,” he said. “But a really important two points.”

Defenceman has a Barrie nice homecoming as Leafs win straight game Altitude sickness: The Leafs didn’t register their first shot on goal until the under Keefe game was more than six minutes old. Barrie said he heard from opponents over the years that Denver’s mile-high altitude can be “murder” on the visitors’ wind. It certainly took time for Toronto to find theirs. Dave Feschuk Bend, don’t break: Toronto was outshot 29-12 in the final two periods. Sat., Nov. 23, 2019 Keefe said the Leafs, four games into a road trip, “looked like a tired team out there.” But the coach said he was impressed with his team’s resilience. DENVER—Tyson Barrie said he wasn’t sure how he’d feel. Coming back to play in the only professional home he had ever known before a “I thought, while it was ugly, what it did require was us to really to battle summer trade to the Maple Leafs, the Avalanche’s top-scoring and especially down the stretch,” Keefe said. “We had some guys out defenceman of all time said he was expecting to feel something in his there really competing, really making it hard on the other team in getting first game as a visitor at the Pepsi Center. sticks on pucks and blocking shots and denying lanes. Being tired, having to fight through that … I’ve only been here a few days, but these “I don’t know if I’ll get emotional or just be happy, or what,” said Barrie. guys have been on the road a long time, grinding, they've been through a lot. I like how we persevered.” Without presuming too much, it’s safe to assume Barrie was over the moon about his Saturday night reunion with the franchise that drafted Up next: Wednesday at Detroit, 7 p.m. him. And the same goes for his road-tripping teammates on the Leafs, who beat the Avalanche 5-3 to register their second straight win since Toronto Star LOADED: 11.24.2019 Sheldon Keefe replaced Mike Babcock as head coach Wednesday.

Hanging their heads through the six-game losing streak that ended Babcock’s tenure, they transformed themselves into a swaggering, smiling scoring machine on Saturday — albeit for approximately eight brilliant minutes of the first period, when they scored four goals and chased Philipp Grubauer, who was relieved by Pavel Francouz.

Beyond that flurry, there was plenty that wasn’t perfect — say, most of the final two periods. There was, at times, a lot that was reminiscent of the Babcock era, including long stretches with the Leafs hemmed in their end as the Avalanche threatened. The final 2:37 of regulation, with the Colorado goaltender out and the Leafs up 4-3 and gasping for air as the Avalanche piled on the pressure, was a bullet dodged. Zach Hyman’s empty-net goal at the buzzer punctuated the victory.

But Barrie’s best moment was a high point. He scored his second goal in as many games by using his promotion to Toronto’s first power-play unit remarkably efficiently. It took just 22 seconds into Toronto’s first-period man advantage for Barrie to one-time a puck past Philipp Grubauer. Toronto’s special teams haven’t shown that kind of authoritative oomph very often this season.

“I’m over there to be a shooter,” Barrie said before the game, speaking of his new position on the power play’s left flank. “We’ve got a lot of guys who have a lot of patience and move the puck well. So I’m going to try and be an option and take shots when they’re available.”

Barrie’s goal was one of a quartet of unanswered first-period markers. The visitors got down 1-0 after Frederik Andersen whiffed on a long Nathan MacKinnon shot 31 seconds into the proceedings. But after a sluggish start, the Leafs found steam.

As for sustaining that steam, the Leafs were outshot 13-3 in the second period, when all the aggressive playmaking of the first period’s latter half gave away to a passive defensive shell. By the midpoint of the third period, with the Maple Leafs in full retreat, it was 4-3.

But the Leafs hung on.

And on a night when Barrie received a lengthy video tribute, after which the bulk of the crowd offered a short standing ovation, the Maple Leafs defenceman and the rest of his rejuvenated team left happy.

“Not that there’s any ill will with this team. But in front of all the familiar faces, it’s nice to get one,” Barrie said. “It’s been a great day. Kind of everything I could hope for.”

Hometown storylines: Barrie wasn’t the only Leaf making a homecoming of sorts. Fourth-line winger Nick Shore, a healthy scratch in Thursday’s win in Arizona, replaced Nic Petan in the lineup because Keefe said it was important for Shore, a Denver native, to play in front of family and friends. Shore responded with Toronto’s first goal, banging in a great pass from Pierre Engvall.

Kadri’s close call: Nazem Kadri, who assisted on two goals in his first game against his old team, hit a second-period post after a nifty bit of dangling set him free in front. 1163145 Toronto Maple Leafs

Nazem Kadri is the same player he always was, which might be what the Leafs are missing

Dave Feschuk

Sat., Nov. 23, 2019

DENVER—If there was an overriding reason why Nazem Kadri was wearing the white and maroon and blue of the Colorado Avalanche for his Saturday night reunion with the Maple Leafs, even Kadri understands his former team’s trade-triggering logic.

“With the suspensions, (a trade) was obviously maybe an option,” Kadri said.

Obviously. Don’t forget the ugly numerical post-script to Kadri’s largely excellent career in Toronto. The Maple Leafs played a combined 14 playoff games against the Boston Bruins in the previous two seasons. And Kadri, on account of a couple of knuckleheaded lapses in discipline, was only available for six. The mercurial centreman brought an unpredictability to the team that, at the best of times, gave the choirboy Leafs a welcome tinge of nastiness, a quality that’s mostly disappeared from the room with Kadri in Colorado.

But at the worst of times … well, given how Kadri repeatedly leaped over the borders of what’s reasonable and crippled his team in the process, you can understand why the patience of Toronto management ultimately ran out. Not that Kadri fully understood the gravity of his misdeeds until the deal happened. When the 29-year-old stood in front of a contingent of travelling media before the Leafs beat the Avalanche 5-3 on Saturday — 15 minutes late to his own press conference, just for old times’ sake — Kadri recounted his summertime surprise in the trade that sent him to the Avalanche and fetched Tyson Barrie and Alex Kerfoot.

“It was indicated to me that (the Leafs) weren’t trying to shop me around,” Kadri said. “So I was expecting to suit up as a Leaf this year … I understand the business. I understand how things change. An offer gets thrown at you and maybe it’s tough not to accept one or two of ’em. Ah, no hard feelings.”

Surely Kadri and DeMar DeRozan could commiserate about the ultimate coldness of a results-based business. They were drafted in the first round by their respective Toronto teams a day apart in 2009, Kadri seventh overall in the NHL draft, DeRozan ninth in the NBA version. Both spent essentially a decade as high-profile figures on the GTA sports scene, often patiently answering for the sins of their developing teams. And at the moment it suited their respective employers, both were shipped out of town without ceremony, with DeRozan exiled to San Antonio for Kawhi Leonard in the summer of 2018 after receiving what he considered assurances he wouldn’t be traded from Raptors president Masai Ujiri.

Kadri, who had two assists in a losing effort Saturday, hasn’t yet had to watch his former teammates hoist a trophy and enjoy a parade.

“When (the trade) happened at first I was a little bit bitter towards it,” Kadri said. “But now as time goes on, time heals all. So I got over that pretty quick. It was unfortunate. Obviously it was a phone call that I’ll never forget. But that being said, ending up in Denver was a blessing in disguise.”

Toronto Star LOADED: 11.24.2019 1163146 Toronto Maple Leafs time the Leafs had four in a period … Former Av Alex Kerfoot also got a video tribute … Andersen was beaten 31 seconds into the game on a shot from the point by Nathan MacKinnon. The shot wasn’t hard and Andersen wasn’t screened. Andersen said he over-pushed and thought Barrie scores again, Leafs hang on for second win in as many games the shot was going to be harder … Denver native Nick Shore scored the under Keefe Leafs’ first goal, tapping in a pass from Pierre Engvall. Engvall spun and fed Shore with a no-look feed … It was 2-1 Leafs 67 seconds later when

Auston Matthews made a subtle move and then used a quick release to Terry Koshan fool Grubauer … After Barrie’s goal, the Leafs got their fourth when Jason Spezza sent Kasperi Kapanen in on a breakaway. Kapanen went November 23, 2019 11:51 PM EST bar-down on Grubauer’s glove side … Pavel Francouz took over in the Avs net to start the second period and faced just 12 shots in the final 40

minutes … A power-play goal by Andre Burakovsky at 10:21 of the DENVER — Tyson Barrie might have a new answer the next time he is second cut the Leafs lead to 4-2 … Ex-Leaf Kadri had two assists … One asked about his favourite memory at the Pepsi Center. area Keefe wants to improve is defensive-zone coverage, and as with all of the changes Keefe wants to implement, time is required. “We need to The Maple Leafs defenceman, in his return to the only home rink he had protect the middle of the ice a lot better and we’re trying to be a little ever known in the National Hockey League, put aside his emotions and more patient with our wingers in maintaining positioning in the inside of scored a power-play goal, helping the Leafs beat the Colorado the ice, not getting them outside the dots too much,” Keefe said. “In the Avalanche 5-3 on Saturday night. short term it might create a little more time in our end than we would like The victory gave Sheldon Keefe his second win in as many games (as players get accustomed), but we are trying to prioritize the middle behind the Leafs bench since taking over from the fired Mike Babcock. and make sure we settle things down there.”

The Leafs, who don’t play again until Wednesday in Detroit, lost their Toronto Sun LOADED: 11.24.2019 final six games under Babcock.

Toronto managed to withstand a flurry of Avalanche chances in the final minutes before Zach Hyman scored into an empty net.

“While (the win) was ugly, what it did require was us to really battle and especially down the stretch,” Keefe said. “I’ve only been here a few days, but these guys have been on the road a long time, grinding, they’ve been through a lot. I like how we persevered, and found a way, how Freddy (Andersen) battled real hard in net. It was a good win.”

Andersen finished with 34 saves, including 15 in the third period.

With Babcock coaching, Barrie had little confidence and couldn’t get on track. When the change came, Barrie described it as “a new lease.”

We bet that Barrie, who was treated to a lengthy video tribute and a standing ovation, couldn’t have predicted such a quick change in his fortunes.

One of the moves made by Keefe was to put Barrie on the Leafs’ No. 1 power-play unit. Toronto had no power plays in Arizona on Thursday, but Barrie did score his first goal of the season.

Toronto got a power play 13 minutes into the game on Saturday. Barrie, who also had an assist, needed 22 seconds to score, the goal coming when he was fed by William Nylander and fired a shot past Philipp Grubauer.

“Felt really good to get that one here,” Barrie said of his goal. “Not that there is any ill will with (the Avs), but coming home in front of all the familiar faces, it’s nice to get one.

“(The standing ovation was) amazing. I was not sure how I was going to feel coming back but that really topped it off.”

For Keefe, it’s not just about having Barrie get some renewed belief in himself.

“Confidence is one thing, and being put in position to succeed is another,” Keefe said. “He has a unique skill set, he needs to be very involved and very active in the offence. When he is not, he is holding back, even if he were confident, it’s not going to help him. We need him to be engaged, be on his toes.”

GAME ON

With the Leafs up 4-2 and on a power play in the third period, Keefe called a timeout with 57 seconds remaining in a Nazem Kadri minor. “We have elite talent, so the more we can utilize them when their energy level is good, we’re going to do it,” Keefe said. “That was sort of the method to the madness of calling the timeout. It was a key point in the game and if we could find a way to score it would be really good for us.” That did not happen, but it was a nice bit of coaching on Keefe’s part and something we can’t recall Babcock doing … Valeri Nichushkin brought the Avs to within one goal when he scored at 6:54 of the third … Leafs captain John Tavares played 22 minutes 31 seconds, his most in a Toronto uniform … The Leafs’ four goals in the first period represented the first time this season they have had four in the opening 20 minutes. It was the third 1163147 Toronto Maple Leafs management and coaching mean in hockey? Well, put it this way. After losing the Stanley Cup in 1984, the New York Islanders went 30 years without hitting the 100-point mark again in a regular season. Since Lou Lamoriello and Barry Trotz came in, the Isles finished with 103 points last SIMMONS: The sometimes sad and remarkable journey of Sheldon year and are on pace for a crazy 135 this season … Same topic, different Keefe team: In the 25 seasons of the Florida Panthers, the club has averaged 81 points per season. In Joel Quenneville’s first season they’re on pace

for a 100-point year and that’s after a difficult start … Keefe inherits Steve Simmons assistant coach’s Dave Hakstol and Paul McFarland, which is never an ideal situation for any new head coach. I thought Hakstol might wind up November 23, 2019 7:25 PM EST as the Marlies head coach and Keefe would elevate one of his AHL assistants like A.J. MacLean, who he’s been with for years … You don’t

necessarily have to be a good person to be a good coach. The number of CALGARY — They could make a movie of Sheldon Keefe’s unlikely and Leaf employees or former Leaf employees or people who worked improbable rise to prominence – and if and when he ever wins a Stanley alongside Babcock in Detroit who have little use for the man is Cup – what a crazy, happy ending that would be. significant. And yet there he is, with 700 career wins, 418 losses, that’s 16 seasons of success before this one. You don’t do that accidentally. Just getting to the Maple Leafs as coach is victory enough for a man who not that many years ago was essentially banned from coaching in the SCENE AND HEAR Ontario Hockey League, and almost pushed out before he ever began Eric Tillman is long gone from the Tiger-Cats but he left some Grey Cup his first job coaching in Pembroke of the Ontario Provincial League. presents behind: Quarterbacks Dane Evans and Jeremiah Masoli, most It has been that kind of troubling and heightened journey for a man who outstanding player Brandon Banks, special teams player of the year was once deemed persona non grata by OHL commissioner David Frankie Williams, and a few defensive stalwarts named Simoni Branch, a developer of players who all but sabotaged his own Lawrence, Ted Laurent and Richard Leonard … Three years on the job professional career, a coach strong enough, mature enough, tough as CFL commissioner Randy Ambrosie, along with the great minds of enough to find his place in the hockey world after a 16-year association Maple Leaf Sports and Entertainment and a terrific stadium have not with the hockey Svengali, David Frost. found a way to get people to care about Argo football or more importantly buy tickets … Word around Grey Cup is the Argos are retaining head With Keefe, you can’t talk about today without looking at yesterday. You coach Corey Chamblin, which again tells you it true that Bill Manning can’t talk about the authority figure he has become without referencing knows nothing about football … Ambrosie talks a lot about growing the the possible acts, criminal and otherwise, of his past. One has to connect CFL internationally. I’d rather he grow the game nationally, like finally somehow to the other, even if he’s the same man and two different getting into Halifax, getting owners in Vancouver and Montreal and people at two very different times of his life. Some of us live and relish putting people in the stands in Toronto … Maybe your memory is better the stories of our teenage years. than mine but I can’t remember a championship game – CFL or NFL – Keefe has never run from this but there has been a certain sense of where backup quarterback start for both teams. And in Winnipeg’s case, embarrassment and dread that the man he is today was once the kid he it’s actually their third string quarterback in Zach Collaros … Evans, while was yesterday. at Tulsa, had a now legendary matchup against Oklahoma quarterback Baker Mayfield … The rumuor mill has Rick Campbell being the next Kyle Dubas took a real gamble on Keefe when he hired him in Sault Ste. coach of the B.C. Lions but that could change if Jason Maas gets fired in Marie and had to convince Branch that Keefe belonged in major junior Edmonton. Maas is tight with B.C. general manager Ed Hervey …. Ran hockey. Then he brought him to the Marlies, where he has significant into Khari Jones, who is a hot coaching commodity after a great season success. And now, at age 39, his hiring with the Maple Leafs doesn’t in Montreal but he maintains he’s staying with the Alouettes, who don’t seem a gamble at all. It seems natural. It seems right. have an owner or a general manager … What are the odds of this? O’Shea and Orlondo Steinauer were in Detroit Lions camp together And really, in the large picture of life, it seems rather unbelievable. before coming to the CFL. After that, they played eight years together THIS AND THAT with the Argos – who plays eight years together in football with anyone? Then were hired on the same day to be assistant coaches with the If you want to go more in depth on Keefe’s life, who he is and the trouble Argos. And are now coaching against each other in the Grey Cup he’s lived through, pick up Bob McKenzie’s book, Hockey Confidential. Sunday night … And if it’s NFL you like, it’s Dallas and New England The chapter on Keefe is rich in detail. Who does Keefe blame for his opposite the Grey Cup. A great November football day. past? “Just myself,” he told McKenzie. “Just me.”’ … The CFL doesn’t love Mike Babcock. On the day the Argos were going live on television to AND ANOTHER THING announce their move to BMO Field, word leaked out just before the press I would donate money, and so should you, to keep television people from conference. The Leafs had hired Babcock to coach. And smack in the growing moustaches in November. The opposite of Movember. Let’s middle of Grey Cup Week, just at the end of the Winnipeg Blue Bombers keep our broadcasters clean shaven, please … The Raptors, without practice, came word the Leafs had fired Babcock. SportsCentre that night Kawhi Leonard, with Kyle Lowry hurt, with Serge Ibaka hurt, are 10-4. was pretty much all Babcock. The Grey Cup coverage was pushed aside The Clippers, with Leonard, with Lou Williams, with Paul George back, by Maple Leafs news … The next day, I run into Winnipeg coach Mike are 11-5. Is Nick Nurse a coach of the year candidate? … The best O’Shea, who after shaking hands and saying hello, asked: “What reason to bet Winnipeg today: I like Hamilton. And man, I’m terrible at happened to Babcock?” We talked about the idea of a coach losing the picking Grey Cup winners … If I was a book publisher, I’d have room. O’Shea, a coach, doesn’t believe that happens. “If you lose the somebody writing a reasonably quick book on the firing on Don Cherry, room, you don’t have the right captains or leadership group,” said how it happened, why it happened and the details surrounding it. It would O’Shea, who was a longtime captain on CFL teams before turning to sell a ton … My advice for the next class of Hockey Hall of Famers: Don’t coaching in 2010. “It’s on them, not the coach.” … The poor Babcock use nicknames in your speeches. Use their full names. Not everyone sentiment is really laughable. He deserved to be fired. He lost the team, knows who Keaner and Niewy are … Years ago I thought the NHL somehow. They stopped performing. Sure, the roster is imperfect, but should name the GM Award after Sam Pollock. But they’ve done it just as who has a perfect roster? This was his first time he was fired as an NHL well, naming it the Jim Gregory Award … It was a small decision, but you coach, and really, first time it should have happened … Knowing have to wonder how much did the benching of Jason Spezza in Game 1 Babcock, I can’t see him coaching an expansion team like Seattle. He’s of the regular season come back to haunt Babcock … I don’t care what too consumed with winning. I could see him ending up in San Jose, they call the divisions, but the Hockey Canada notion of combining two Nashville or Tampa Bay, if those teams don’t get going. Assuming he years of minor hockey together is a mistake, not well thought out … wants to return this quickly. Happy birthday to Oscar Robertson (81), Todd Brooker (60), Colby HEAR AND THERE Armstrong (37), Keith Primeau (48), Eddie Johnston (84), Fred Brathwaite (47), Rowan Barrett (47) and Garnet Hathaway (28) … And There’s always been something wrong with this from my perspective. hey, whatever became of Arland Bruce? The Leafs fired Babcock but an NHL team requires permission from them to talk to them. If they fired him, the team should lose all rights to his future, whether they’re paying him or not …. How much does Kyle Dubas is very comfortable in taking the blame. These days, he’s snagging them. If they have attempted bold trades of any kind, they have pretty much responsible for everything from Argo attendance to global not completed them. warming. The Jays have a fine group of young players just learning at the Major What he is less comfortable doing is bringing context to why his Maple League level. But what they don’t have is a management group that has Leafs have fallen so hard this season and how one decision of his has yet to engage the fan base in any base, give them any reason to believe steamrolled into so much Leaf difficulty. they are a trade away or a signing away from becoming important. Fans want hope in the off-season. They want a chase. They want a rumour. To start last season, Dubas settled on Garret Sparks as his backup They want something to feel good about. goaltender. He was rewarding Sparks for being goalie of the year in the AHL and for being a central part of the championship team with the Toronto Sun LOADED: 11.24.2019 Toronto Marlies. The logic was sound. The results were not.

The very solid Curtis McElhinney was lost on waivers and since then, the Leafs, wanting to lessen Frederik Andersen’s workload, have suffered accordingly.

Not only wasn’t Sparks up to the challenge, but he was a polarizing figure in the Leafs dressing room. The situation got so toxic that the Leafs removed Sparks from the room late in the season, essentially removing him from the team. They brought up Michael Hutchinson, who is just good enough to get you beat, and now Kasimir Kaskisuo, who is probably not NHL calibre.

Since losing McElhinney, the Leafs have won 10 of 28 games using a backup goalie. In two years of McElhinney, the veteran won 17 of his 25 starts. That’s the difference between making playoffs and not making playoffs, between contending and not contending. That wasn’t on Mike Babcock, although you could argue his usage of his goaltenders could be question. The McElhinney haunts Dubas and the Leafs to this day.

Things that are just wrong in baseball

There is a Baseball Hall of Fame voting movement that at first glance is troubling and at second glance is both singular and disturbing.

There are apparently qualified voters – some of whom have already declared themselves and will vote for the first time candidate Derek Jeter this year and leave the rest of the ballot blank. They’re allowed 10 choices. They’re calling just one name,

That’s a look-at-me, aren’t-I-cool-and-smart kind of vote, but really, it’s disrespectful to the process and disrespectful to all the capable players on the ballot.

Now, there’s little doubt Jeter will be voted in as a first time eligible player and he is deserving of that recognition. He may not be Willie Mays or Ken Griffey Jr. but he’ll get in first ballot, even if the vote isn’t unanimous.

But just because a voter — or in the case a block of voters, you can call them blockheads — believe in Jeter, it should not disqualify any worthy choices. There are those who will and won’t vote for Roger Clemens and Barry Bonds and that argument may never go away. But there are players.

Curt Schilling leads all returning players in votes with 60.9%. He needs 75% to get in. After Clemens and Bonds, there are certainly cases to be made for Larry Walker, Omar Vizquel and Fred McGriff. And if you want to reach a little, or forget about the drug days, you can think about Manny Ramirez or Sammy Sosa.

You can’t vote for one player and take the process seriously. You can vote for as many as ten. This year that’s probably too many. Some years it’s not enough. One player? That’s just wrong.

Five years ago this month, the Blue Jays signed Russell Martin as a free agent and made the stunning trade for Josh Donaldson. The two November moves happened within 11 days, essentially re-setting the franchise for the 2015 season.

The Martin signing was a gamble, both financially and with regard to term. The Donaldson trade was a pure steal. But both moves were bold.

And now it’s November of 2019, and a pitcher the Jays had interest in, Jake Odorizzi, has re-signed with the Minnesota Twins and a catcher Yasmani Grandal, whom the Jays had interest in, has signed as a free agent with the White Sox.

And what Blue Jays want from the current front office is something bold and original to happen this off-season. That’s been the difficulty of getting behind the Mark Shapiro-Ross Atkins regime. They have been less proactive in player acquisition than reactive. If they have targeted players of consequence in the past winters, they have been unsuccessful in 1163148 Toronto Maple Leafs DUBAS ON GREY CUP Dubas has been a Hamilton Tiger-Cats season-ticket holder for several

years and, naturally, is thrilled that the Ticats are back in the Grey Cup Kadri grateful for tenure with Leafs, was 'a little bitter' when traded to for the first time since 2014. Colorado On Sunday in Calgary, the Ticats will attempt to win the Cup for the first time since 1999 when they clash with the Winnipeg Blue Bombers.

Terry Koshan Dubas’ prediction?

November 23, 2019 7:21 PM EST “I’ll say 38-17 Ticats,” Dubas said on Saturday afternoon, after joking that Hamilton might score more than 70 points and keep the Bombers to three or less.

DENVER — When Nazem Kadri took a call from Maple Leafs general Dubas might have travelled to Calgary from Denver for the game, but manager Kyle Dubas on July 1, the centre didn’t necessarily think it was considering the coaching change with the Leafs this week and the fact to tell him he was on the move. the team goes back on the road to Detroit after practice on Tuesday, he was planning to return home with the club. “It was indicated to me (before) that they weren’t trying to shop me around,” Kadri said on Saturday afternoon at the Pepsi Center before Toronto Sun LOADED: 11.24.2019 facing his former Leafs teammates for the first time.

“I was expecting to suit up as a Leaf this year, but I understand the business. I understand how things change. An offer gets thrown at you and maybe it’s tough not to accept one or two of them. No hard feelings.”

Kadri figured he had a better chance of remaining with the Leafs after previously saying no to a trade that would have seen him become a member of the Calgary Flames. As it was, the Avs were not on Kadri’s no-trade list.

So Kadri, defenceman Calle Rosen and a 2020 third-round pick went to Colorado, with Tyson Barrie, Alex Kerfoot and a 2020 sixth-rounder coming to the Leafs.

“When it happened at first, I was a little bit bitter towards it,” Kadri said. “But now, as time goes on, time heals all. I got over that pretty quick. It was unfortunate. It was a phone call that I’ll never forget. But that being said, ending up in Denver was a blessing in disguise.”

Kadri blossomed under Mike Babcock in Toronto, recording back-to-back 32-goal seasons before falling to 16 in 2018-19.

“(Babcock’s firing last week) was tough to see,” Kadri said. “I think any team that is struggling is looking for a spark and a change. And I think that’s what the team was looking for.

“I personally think Babs is a great coach. He has helped that team get to the next step.”

While Babcock helped make Kadri a contributor at both ends of the ice, Kadri never was able to completely put his emotions in a box, and it hurt the Leafs when he was suspended in each of their past two playoff series against the Boston Bruins.

Last spring, Kadri was suspended for the final five games of the first round after cross-checking Jake DeBrusk in the head.

Had the Leafs won that series, and they might have with Kadri in the lineup, his time in Toronto might have included more highlights.

“It’s tough to beat yourself up over that,” Kadri said. “It’s an emotional thing. I would have enjoyed another opportunity at redemption, but that being said, I gave it everything I had every single night for a lot of years, so I’m sure the organization and the fans would be proud of that.

“I’m regretful for how it went down. In my opinion, I was playing some of my best hockey in that series. So it was tough how it ended. But that’s just how it goes.”

While Kadri has adjusted to his new life, and in Barrie’s home, the memories of his time as a Leaf won’t fade for a while.

After the Leafs picked him seventh overall in 2009, Kadri made headlines, whether the reasons were good or bad, and eventually became a favourite with his teammates, fans and media.

“I came in as an 18-year-old kid, left at 28,” Kadri said. “Those are pretty significant years of your life under the microscope so I am very appreciative of everything the city has given me. I miss the fans, I miss the city, I miss the guys over there. I was able to catch up (Friday night) and go out for some dinner, and hear about all the stories. I miss those guys over there. They’re very easy to get along with. Those types of friendships last forever.” 1163149 Toronto Maple Leafs Alex Kerfoot-Jason Spezza-Kasperi Kapanen Pierre Engvall-Nick Shore-Frederik Gauthier

Defence pairs KOSHAN'S GAMEDAY: Maple Leafs at Avalanche Morgan Rielly-Cody Ceci

Jake Muzzin-Justin Holl Terry Koshan Travis Dermott-Tyson Barrie November 23, 2019 6:00 AM EST Goaltenders

Frederik Andersen TORONTO MAPLE LEAFS (10-10-4) at COLORADO AVALANCHE (13- 7-2) Kasimir Kaskisuo

7 p.m., Pepsi Center, Sportsnet, TSN Radio 1050 AVALANCHE LINES

BIG MATCHUP LW-C-RW

Tyson Barrie vs. Nathan MacKinnon Andre Burakovsky-Nathan MacKinnon-Joonas Donskoi

We’re not sure how much the close friends will see of each other on the Valeri Nichushkin-Nazem Kadri-JT Compher ice during the game, but Barrie will be ready when it happens. “I’ve got about eight years’ worth of (chirps) I’m going to unload on him,” Barrie Matthew Nieto-Pierre-Edouard Bellemare-TBD said. “I’ve never played against Nate before. He’s scary. It’s a good test Logan O’Connor-Vladislav Kamenev-T.J. Tynan for us.” In 12 career games against Toronto, MacKinnon, one of the sport’s top centres, has four goals and five assists. Defence pairs

FIVE KEYS TO THE GAME Samuel Girard-Erik Johnson

Continue to build Ryan Graves-Cale Makar

The Leafs won in Sheldon Keefe’s coaching debut not just because they Nikita Zadorov-Ian Cole were pumped up with a new voice guiding them, but also because Keefe gave them a solid template, where possession and tighter defence were Goaltenders key in the victory in Arizona. We don’t get the impression the Leafs will Philipp Grubauer take a step back, but the Avalanche, which has split its past 10 games, won’t make it automatic for the visitors. Pavel Francouz

2. Barrie on board INJURIES

Not only did Tyson Barrie score his first Leafs goal on Thursday, he did Avalanche — RW Mikko Rantanen (leg), LW Gabriel Landeskog (lower so in fine Barrie fashion, skating in from the point to rip a shot past Darcy body), F Colin Wilson (lower body), RW Matt Calvert (head), C Tyson Kuemper. The Leafs’ defencemen will get an increased green light under Jost (upper body). Keefe. That’s crucial for Barrie. “When it has not worked out for him to this point, that holds the team back,” Keefe said. “The team is capable of Maple Leafs — RW Mitch Marner (ankle), W Trevor Moore (shoulder). more when he is playing at his best. We want to make sure we can get SPECIAL TEAMS him going.” Power play 3. Getting chances Avalanche: 19.3% (17th) The Leafs made some changes to their power-play units at the morning skate on Thursday, most notably putting Barrie with the top group, and Maple Leafs: 17.6% (19th) then had no power plays against the Coyotes. When they practised Penalty kill special teams on Friday, there was increased player movement among the PP units. “We’re having guys interchanging, we want to keep the Avalanche: 78.2% (22nd) opposing team on their toes,” Auston Matthews said. Maple Leafs: 74.1% (25th) 4. Neutral power Toronto Sun LOADED: 11.24.2019 The Leafs spent several drills at practice working the puck crisply through the neutral zone. “It’s about having more patience and everybody has to be on the same page and be in good spots to support each other,” Matthews said. Colorado has been stingy at five-on-five play, allowing 34 goals (third-fewest in the NHL), so any speed the Leafs can build through the neutral zone should benefit.

5. Coming a Shore

Keefe wouldn’t have been faulted had he used the same lineup that won in his NHL coaching debut, but he will make one change, and it’s the kind of thing that can go a long way in the dressing room. “We’re going to get (Nick) Shore in the lineup,” Keefe said. “He has connections here in Denver and felt it was important to get him in.” Shore was born in Denver and played college hockey at home. We’re betting he will want to make his new coach look good.

MAPLE LEAFS LINES

LW-C-RW

Andreas Johnsson-Auston Mathews-William Nylander

Ilya Mikheyev-John Tavares-Zach Hyman 1163150 Toronto Maple Leafs that we got the win. At the same time, we’ll have lots of good clips and lots of good teaching points to get better this week.”

Converting possession into higher-quality chances Mirtle: Identifying the key early changes Sheldon Keefe is trying to bring At the start of this road trip, before Babcock was let go, one of the key the Maple Leafs storylines was where all of the Leafs’ quality scoring chances had gone.

More and more, their shots were coming from the point, for example, James Mirtle which had dropped their expected goals share down to just 44 percent over the previous 10 games. Nov 23, 2019 Thanks to Dom Luszczyszyn, we’re able to see just how huge a departure that was from the Leafs’ previous way of operating.

DENVER — Four periods into Sheldon Keefe’s tenure behind the bench, What that indicates is that, in the previous two years, the Leafs were one the Maple Leafs certainly looked like a changed team. of the three NHL teams least likely to get shots on goal from their defence at even strength. A dominant, offensively gifted one that was making things look easy in ringing up a 7-2 aggregate score against two pretty good Western This season, they had shot up to fourth. Conference clubs in Arizona and Colorado after 80 minutes of hockey. Some of that is personnel. When you subtract players like Ron Hainsey, Things unraveled a bit for Keefe’s Leafs in the second half against the Nikita Zaitsev and Igor Ozhiganov, who don’t shoot a lot, and replace Avs, but they held on and persevered, to keep their new coach’s record them with puck chuckers like Tyson Barrie, Jake Muzzin and Justin Holl, perfect as they head home for two days of practice Monday and you’re going to climb this list. Tuesday. In two games under Keefe, however, this percentage of shots from the D Getting that teaching time in is vital. Despite how often we heard the figure dropped down closer to 30 percent. That’s by design. Marlies and Leafs were using similar systems over the past few years, it’s becoming increasingly clear that the system Keefe wants executed While Keefe wants to see the defence better activated and involved in here in the NHL is a big departure from Mike Babcock’s. The lack of the play, the goal of that is to get the puck into the slot more and on the mastery of the finer details is part of what’s causing some of the chaos in sticks of players like Matthews and Tavares in scoring areas. the Leafs’ own zone. Earlier in the road trip, before the coaching change was made, I had a “I think that’s just going through the process of changing things up on the long conversation with Tavares about why their chance quality had fly,” Auston Matthews said. “I think it’ll be good to get a couple of practice dipped from previous years. Tavares pointed out that the Leafs’ days in before we get on the road again and kind of dial some things in.” weakened transition game coming out of their own end was what was hurting them offensively. That said, we only have two road games to go off of, but already we can see the changes having an impact. “Once you start generating that momentum and you have the puck consistently, you’re going to wear teams out more and you’re going to get What follows is a closer look at five of the bigger adjustments the new better opportunities and get to the middle of the ice,” Tavares explained. coach is working on with the Leafs. “A lot of it just stems from where we haven’t been as consistent in our 200-foot game. Puck possession and patience “When we’re not playing as well defensively, you’re using a lot of energy I asked John Tavares after the win here in Colorado what the biggest just to get the puck back. You’re defending a lot more than you need to change Keefe was preaching was. be. That doesn’t lead to the type of transition and ability to put the He explained it was in how they “value” their opportunities with the puck pressure on the opponent going the other way when you do get the puck more. The Leafs were a strong possession team and relatively high … I think everything kind of works in sync and together. We’re working to scoring under Babcock, but they aim to take that to another level in the get back there.” coming weeks as they adjust to what Keefe wants. Under Babcock, the Leafs were generating 27.3 scoring chances and Don’t expect a lot of dump ins. Do expect a lot of regroups and back- 2.19 expected goals per 60 minutes at five-on-five. channeling — including before line changes — as they try to consistently In two games under Keefe, those numbers are up to 36.6 scoring outnumber the opposition all over the ice. chances and 3.02 expected goals per 60. “We talked about controlling the play,” Tavares explained, “and I think a Both those marks would be the best in the league if they can maintain lot of that is just us trying to value when we have it and trying to create them. They match what we’ve seen with the eye test, too: The Leafs odd-man situations all over the ice and finding the open areas. simply look far more dangerous in the offensive zone than they have Understanding that doesn’t mean taking a risk and not being smart about most of the year. it. I think we have to play a smart game, but we also want to be patient and try to control the play.” Locking it down on D

Keefe added that players needing to make quick reads will be one of the “We think we need to protect the middle of the ice a lot better,” Keefe biggest adaptations. His system will be less prescriptive and more “free” said, going into the Colorado game. “And we’re trying to be a little more than Babcock’s, but with that comes certain challenges in terms of patient with our wingers in maintaining positioning in the inside of the ice. learning when to take chances and when to hold back. Not getting them outside the dots too much. That’s going to insulate things, prevent any passes from coming through our zone, rather that “The toughest thing to grasp (in the new system) is just when to hang on they have to go up and around. to the puck for a little bit longer than you normally would and when to move it quickly,” Keefe said. “When to utilize speed and just look at “So, we’re going to focus on that, but also just closing space when the things on the ice. That’s the difficult part, is that decision-making. puck gets on the bottom (below the goal line). That’s going to be a greater challenge today because these guys have a lot of people that “I think we have players with really good hockey sense, really good skill move very quickly around the zone. So, here in the short term, it might and, in time, they’ll recognize the patterns, recognize the pressures that create a little more time in our end than we would like, but we’re trying to are coming at them. Also recognize the time of the game, the time of the prioritize the middle and make sure you settle things down there.” period and what’s happening in the shift. All of those types of things I think we’ll be able to talk them through until they recognize it. You can see evidence of what this looks like in the video I posted from Thursday’s morning skate in Arizona. Keefe is instructing his five-man “One of the nice things that I talked about at the end of the second period unit to collapse in tighter around the net and move almost like a five-man — obviously the second wasn’t great for us — but I just thought, this is us box. as a team, a new system, a new kind of philosophy here, trying to figure out how to play with a lead. That’s a challenge for us, and we’re fortunate Is it working? In our tiny sample size of two games, the Leafs are giving up as many shot opportunities (or more) under Keefe, but fewer of the shot attempts are coming in as chances and high-quality chances.

Something to keep an eye on over the coming weeks.

New positions and new linemates

This one is interesting.

In his first morning skate with the club in Arizona, Keefe’s lines were scrambled in ways we’d never seen before. Zach Hyman was moved to right wing, where he’s barely played in Toronto. Alexander Kerfoot was shifted to left wing, after playing centre most of the year.

And Ilya Mikheyev was bumped up with John Tavares, where he’s gotten more minutes.

Asked Saturday morning why he made those three changes, which the coach stuck with for the Colorado game, Keefe said they weren’t really his decisions at all.

“The reality is with me coming in I didn’t have a lot of opinions in terms of what was the right thing to do,” Keefe said. “I don’t know the players intimately enough to make those calls. I just leaned on the coaching staff that’s here, even management, just to get their opinions on what might be the optimal group. That’s what we went with and it worked very well. So, we’ll have a very similar look today.”

How I read that?

Kyle Dubas (and the other front office staff) had some things they wanted to see tried that never happened under Babcock.

I expect we’ll see Keefe take a lot more suggestions from them in the weeks and months to come when it comes to things like this, especially when Mitch Marner and Trevor Moore return to the lineup and they have to cut down to a 20- or 21-man roster.

New special-teams schemes

Tough to get a read on this this early, but we’ll try.

The Leafs have played just 5:18 on the power play under Keefe and 11:25 on the penalty kill.

Getting Tyson Barrie up on the top unit is obviously the biggest change to the PP, and it paid off with a nice goal early in Saturday’s win. I expect he’ll get a huge boost in minutes on the man advantage and be much more involved in the offence as a result.

It’s not just having Barrie as a shooting/one-timer threat that matters, however; as we saw against Colorado, he can act as a fourth forward by sneaking in from the point.

That’s why the Leafs can probably get away with having two defencemen on their top unit, at least until Marner returns from injury. Barrie can function as more of a hybrid than a strict big shot from the blueline.

The PK, meanwhile, looks fairly similar personnel wise, although Pierre Engvall and Andreas Johnsson are new additions to the second or third grouping of forwards that Keefe is familiar with from the Marlies.

The Leafs’ short-handed results have improved in our small sample in most important metrics.

What’s been interesting through the first few days of Keefe’s tenure is he has talked about a lot of ways he believes the Leafs can improve. This isn’t just about activating the defence or changing up some line combinations or other small tweaks.

They’re going to try many different looks here in the weeks to come to try to get this team winning a lot more regularly than they were under Babcock the previous 12 months. Dubas and the other front office staff will also clearly be part of those shifts.

So far, the early indications are good. And more practice time in Toronto will only help.

The Athletic LOADED: 11.24.2019 1163151 Toronto Maple Leafs saw it at five-on-five the other night, and now we’re getting a glimpse at what it looks like on the power play.

He’s always been a phenomenal offensive talent. It’s nice to see him Leafs Report Cards: Tyson Barrie now has two goals in two games under being used as such. Sheldon Keefe William Nylander (RW, No. 88) — Matthews and Nylander did a fantastic job early in this game of making things happen offensively. Nylander almost scored on a breakaway after making a nifty move to his Ian Tulloch backhand, was winning puck battles along the boards and showed off his high-end skill with this sublte-but-sweet saucer pass to Barrie on the Nov 23, 2019 power play.

TYSON BARRIE ON THE PP  3-1 They hung on for dear life in the dying minutes of this game, but Toronto PIC.TWITTER.COM/OBBFXKYSDC found a way to get the two points with a 5-3 victory over Colorado. — FLINTOR (@THEFLINTOR) NOVEMBER 24, 2019 The Leafs dominated the first period, controlling the run of play en route to a 4-1 lead. The second period wasn’t as pretty, with the team taking He makes these little passes look so easy. two minor penalties, although the Leafs did still manage to outshoot and The Mikheyev-Tavares-Hyman line — I’m going to group these three outchance the Avalanche at five-on-five. together again because I loved the way they played off each other in the The third period is definitely going to be a learning experience for offensive zone. Ilya Mikheyev did an excellent job forcing turnovers by Sheldon Keefe and company. Even after you adjust for score effects, applying pressure on puck carriers, John Tavares was able to make Toronto got hemmed in their own zone for the majority of the final 20 some plays in open space, and Zach Hyman was creating tons of scoring minutes. They were able to hold on for the victory — in large part thanks chances. That last part isn’t something we’ve come to expect, but Hyman to their goaltending — but it’s clear the Leafs still have some defensive has looked dangerous offensively in his last couple of games. issues to clean up in their own end. Pierre Engvall (LW, No. 47) — I’m starting to become a huge fan of Player reports Engvall’s game. My biggest concern with him in the past was the fact he never used his size to his advantage, but with the strides he’s made to ⭐⭐⭐⭐ improve his skating, his combination of speed and length is so annoying for opposing players to deal with in the neutral zone. Keefe trusted him Game Ball : Frederik Andersen (G, No. 31) — It’s not often I give this down the stretch protecting a one-goal lead and also has him killing award to a goaltender who allowed three goals against, but when you penalties, which isn’t something you would’ve guessed from Engvall’s consider the difficulty — and importance — of the saves Andersen was scouting report a few years ago, but he’s found a way to really improve making down the stretch, he was a big part of the reason Toronto picked his play without the puck. Good on him! up two points in Colorado. Jake Muzzin (LD, No. 8) — I didn’t love Muzzin’s play with the puck in Auston Matthews (C, No. 34) — He didn’t have the greatest defensive this game, but he was Toronto’s only defenceman who played great performance Saturday night, but he was dominant on the cycle. It was without the puck Saturday. He has a knack for breaking up plays in the clear that he was prioritizing puck possession in this game, looking to neutral zone before things have a chance to develop. Even if he misses make short little passes to keep things moving in the right direction. with his first stick check attempt, he’s great at recovering and closing the Offensively, he contributed two points, with the highlight of his night gap off the rush. He also saved a goal in the third period with a strong coming on this ridiculous release. stick check on the left side of the net.

LET'S SLOW THAT ONE DOWN. #LEAFSFOREVER ⭐⭐⭐ PIC.TWITTER.COM/ZB7BE0LGQ2 Nick Shore (C, No. 26) — I didn’t think this was a great game for Shore, — TORONTO MAPLE LEAFS (@MAPLELEAFS) NOVEMBER 24, 2019 but credit where credit is due: He put the puck in the net.

Matthews has been fooling goaltenders for years with the way he’s been A SHORE THING. #LEAFSFOREVER able to change the angle on his shot before letting it rip, and I don’t see PIC.TWITTER.COM/LIBK7ANXVX that changing any time soon. — TORONTO MAPLE LEAFS (@MAPLELEAFS) NOVEMBER 24, 2019 Sheldon Keefe — As I mentioned at the beginning, Keefe still clearly has some big issues to sort out with the Leafs in the defensive zone, but he’s That pass by Engvall was ridiculous, but you still need your forwards to made some changes to the team stylistically that have really helped get open near the net and tip those passes home. Shore was able to improve their offensive play at five-on-five. The team isn’t dumping and accomplish that on this play, which could have been the difference changing anymore, with players turning back and maintaining possession between Toronto winning and losing this game. before they hop off the ice. Kasperi Kapanen (RW, No. 24) — This was a pretty quiet game for There are also some little decisions he’s been making that I’m sure his Kapanen, although he did get in behind the Avalanche defence for a players will appreciate, such as Nick Shore playing in Colorado because beautiful goal. he used to play for the University of Denver, or Alexander Kerfoot and SPEZZA'S PASS SPRINGS FREE KAPANEN WHO SCORES ON THE Tyson Barrie taking the first shift of the night against their former team. BREAKAWAY. 4-1 LEAFS. #LEAFSFOREVER Now, the latter obviously backfired — Toronto gave up a goal on the PIC.TWITTER.COM/2O34VDIS9S opening shift because of course they did — but based on the comments we’ve heard from former players such as Mark Fraser, it’s clear that most — MAPLE LEAFS HOTSTOVE (@LEAFSNEWS) NOVEMBER 24, 2019 of Mike Babcock’s players couldn’t stand him. I can understand wanting to come in and show support for your players after a miserable month His speed makes him such a threat for two-on-ones and breakaways, and a half of hockey. which is why I’ve always argued his shot metrics don’t fully capture just how valuable he is at even strength — or on the penalty kill. I also loved the strategy of calling a timeout halfway through a power play in the third period so PP1 could stay on the ice for the full two minutes. Jason Spezza (C, No. 19) — Did you see who made that pass up to That’s a creative bit of coaching to maximize your team’s offensive Kapanen? None other than Points per 60 leader on the Maple Leafs talents. Jason Spezza.

Tyson Barrie (RD, No. 94) — To everyone who said Barrie’s problems in PIC.TWITTER.COM/HVRYSY2CYI Toronto were solely on him, I’d like to remind you that he now has two — SCOTT CULLEN (@BYSCOTTCULLEN) NOVEMBER 22, 2019 goals in two games under Keefe — after scoring zero in 23 games under Babcock. This new style of play has helped get Barrie into more open It’s nice to see Keefe putting Spezza in a position to succeed with the space, encouraging him to be the special offensive player he can be. We Leafs, playing to his strengths by pairing him with some skilled forwards who can take advantage of his passing ability, but also sheltering him in key situations. For example, he played very little down the stretch in the This looked a lot better before Toronto turtled in the third period — they third period when Toronto was protecting a lead — then again, maybe his were dominating shots and scoring chances after 40 minutes. They’ll passing would’ve helped the Leafs maintain possession a bit more than need to do a better job protecting leads if they want to make this up- they did down the stretch. tempo style viable in the playoffs.

Justin Holl (RD, No. 3) — There were a lot of pros and cons from Holl in Game Score this game. I loved the way he was jumping up into the play and getting the puck below the goal line, rather than just relying on low percentage Game Score is a metric developed by The Athletic‘s Dom Luszczyszyn to shots from the point. At the same time, you need to be careful pinching quickly measure a player’s performance in a single game. when Nathan MacKinnon is on the ice, which Holl learned the hard way. It’s not perfect, but it can help give us a decent idea of how well players There were a few times he got caught for odd-man rushes the other way. performed in a particular game based on their numbers (although I’d You still want him being aggressive in the offensive zone — that’s when always recommend combining stats with video, since single-game he’s at his most effective — but he’ll need to be a bit smarter with those numbers can be wonky). decisions. Trending up or down? Travis Dermott (LD, No. 23) — I usually have a lot of things to say about Dermott, but this seemed like a solid but not spectacular game from him. This is a new section we’re going to have, which breaks down the latest He was a bit off in his passing, but he was still able to escape trends in my Leafs Report Cards courtesy of Mark Norman. You can play forecheckers in the defensive zone and get the puck going in the right around with the data at his Tableau page if you’re interested. direction. Later in the game, he made a great play to keep the puck in at Tweet of the night the blue line, which resulted in two grade-A chances back to back — one for Tavares and one for Mikheyev. Somehow the puck stayed out of the I’m going to test this out to see what people think. I’m of the opinion that net, but that probably should’ve been an assist. it’s a fun way to get more readers involved in the report cards, similar to what Jason Botchford did with The Athletties. Andreas Johnsson (LW, No. 18) — I’ve always loved Johnsson’s hustle getting into puck battles in the corners and in front of the net, which was This one legitimately made me laugh out loud. on full display in this game. He wasn’t as noticeable with the puck on his stick, although he did make a great play in the third period to avoid a DON’T GET TOO EXCITED ABOUT KEEFE UNTIL THE LEAFS GET 6 body check and get the puck to Nylander in open space. POINTS IN 5 GAMES

Cody Ceci (RD, No. 83) — For 59 minutes, this looked like your typical — 햏햔햓 (@FATSSUNDIN) NOVEMBER 24, 2019 Cody Ceci game. He got caught puck-watching early in the game for an Although Down Goes Brown also gave me a good chuckle with this gem. odd-man rush against, his puck-handling resulted in a few unnecessary turnovers, and he killed a few long shifts in the offensive zone with poor CONGRATULATIONS TO CODY CECI FOR BEING THE FIRST LEAF shot selection. OTHER THAN FREDERIK ANDERSEN TO MAKE A BIG SAVE IN TWO YEARS. Then he did this. — DOWN GOES BROWN (@DOWNGOESBROWN) NOVEMBER 24, CECI WITH THE SAVE OF THE GAME 2019 PIC.TWITTER.COM/KGIOVCVPMC Final grade: B- — FLINTOR (@THEFLINTOR) NOVEMBER 24, 2019 The Athletic LOADED: 11.24.2019 I’m not sure how much a blocked shot like this is “worth” — it doesn’t require the same amount of talent as scoring a goal — but it helped Toronto secure the win in the dying seconds instead of heading to overtime. That’s worth at least a star in my books, so we’ll bump Ceci up to three stars for good measure.

⭐⭐

Frederik Gauthier (RW, No. 33) — Other than a few solid backchecks in the neutral zone, I barely noticed Gauthier in this game. That’s probably a good thing for a fourth-line centre, but I’m still not the biggest fan of him being a regular in the lineup. Personally, I’d love to see what a Timashov- Engvall-Petan line could do in sheltered minutes.

⭐

Alexander Kerfoot (LW, No. 15) — This was a pretty brutal homecoming for Kerfoot. The Leafs got scored on in his opening shift, he wasn’t very noticeable at even strength and he took another dumb penalty. Discipline has been an issue with him all season, and it doesn’t seem to be going away any time soon. Maybe he’s taking this “Nazem Kadri replacement” thing a bit too seriously.

Morgan Rielly (LD, No. 44) — We need to talk about Morgan Rielly. I’m not sure whether he’s hurt, banged up or just playing with a lack of confidence, but he’s looked pretty terrible all season. He’s making bad decisions with the puck in all three zones, giving up puck possession when he doesn’t have to. Sometimes it’s an unnecessary flip out, other times it’s a dump in, and we’re still seeing weak wristers from the point when he has multiple passing options available to him.

When you throw in his awful penalty killing, this just hasn’t been a great year for Rielly. It’ll be interesting to see whether Keefe can help him turn that around, possibly by adjusting his usage.

Heat map

Here’s a quick look at where each team’s shots were coming from, courtesy of Natural Stat Trick. 1163152 Toronto Maple Leafs Q: At the time, did you spend much time thinking about why they moved you?

Kadri: “Yeah, a little bit. Obviously with the (playoff) suspensions it was Nazem Kadri talks life after the Leafs: ‘At first, I was a little bit bitter’ obviously maybe an option. But it was indicated to me that they weren’t trying to shop me around. So I was expecting to suit up as a Leaf this year. But I understand the business. I understand how things change. An offer gets thrown at you and maybe it’s tough not to accept one or two of James Mirtle ‘em. So, ah, no hard feelings.” Nov 23, 2019 Q: Do you think about how far the Leafs could have gone if you hadn’t been suspended?

DENVER – Nazem Kadri was preparing to play his first-ever NHL game Kadri: “Yeah, I mean… Mark (Masters), I don’t know how many times against the Maple Leafs on Saturday, after nearly 600 games in the you’re going to ask that question. But of course, of course. I try to see it league. as a compliment. Because if I had have played, people might have expected us to move on. So, that’s a compliment for me, being a player With that came a lot of mixed feelings. to have that big an impact to maybe potentially move on in a series, especially against a team like Boston. Obviously I’m regretful for how it Kadri met with the Toronto media here at Pepsi Center before the game. went down. In my opinion, I was playing some of my best hockey in that He was his usual talkative self and even got a little emotional when series. So it was tough how it ended. But that’s how it goes.” asked about everything he misses in Toronto and if he has any regrets about the way his tenure with the Leafs ended. Q: What do you miss most about Toronto?

Here were his thoughts prior to puck drop. Kadri: “I miss the fans, I miss the city, I miss the guys over there. I was able to catch up last night and go out for some dinner, and hear about all Kadri: “Going to be a bit of a weird one, but that’s just part of the game. the stories. I miss those guys over there. They’re very easy to get along I’ve obviously been looking forward to it and matching up a few of my with. friends for the first time. So should be interesting.” “Obviously I’ve watched those younger kids grow in their first few years in Q: What do you take the most out of all the years in Toronto, being a high the league. Mo (Rielly) obviously being there from day one. Definitely a draft pick and everything? few guys that are going to be missed. But like I said, those types of Kadri: “I mean we’ll be here forever if I get going on that. I mean I came friendships kind of last forever.” in as an 18-year-old kid, left at 28. Those are pretty significant years of Q: How are you feeling about drilling them tonight? your life, under the microscope, so I am very appreciative of everything the city has given me, just that opportunity.” Kadri: “I told them I was coming after every single one of them. So I don’t think they’d be surprised at all. Obviously I’m kind of stuck between a Q: What’s been the biggest adjustment for you in a new city? rock and a hard place, going after a few of my buddies. But I’m all about Kadri: “Just getting to know everybody. Obviously being in the same winning. If that’s what it takes, that’s what it takes.” place for so long, which I was fortunate to do, guys coming to your team, The Athletic LOADED: 11.24.2019 it’s a little bit different, they have to get to know you as the new guy, it’s kind of the opposite. Just trying to get to know my teammates, the staff, try to sit down and learn everybody’s names, that sort of thing. As of so far, it has been going great.”

Q: Babcock had a big influence in your career obviously. What did you think when he got let go this week?

Kadri: “Obviously tough to see. I think any team that is struggling, obviously looking for a spark and a change. And I think that’s what the team was looking for. I personally think Babs is a great coach. He’s helped that team over there get to the next step. They felt like it was a time for a spark.”

Q: Any regrets about the way your time in Toronto ended?

Kadri: “Yeah, a little bit. It’s tough to beat yourself up over that. It’s an emotional thing. Obviously I would have enjoyed another opportunity at redemption, but that being said, I gave it everything I had every single night for a lot of years so I’m sure the organization and the fans would be proud of that.”

Q: Unique situation you have with Tyson Barrie (and switching homes). How’s that working out for you here (living in his house)?

Kadri: “It has been great. He is a great guy. Very easy to get to know and to get along with, so I’m sure the guys over there are loving him and a bit of unique situation, but for both us, it couldn’t have worked out any better.”

Q: Who’s got the better condo?

Kadri: “He has a house, I got a condo, but it’s definitely two different lifestyles living in the heart of the city as opposed to the suburbs. But I can get used to either one.”

Q: Were you disappointed in the way Kyle broke the news to you of the trade during the summer?

“Yeah a little bit. When it happened at first I was a little bit bitter towards it. But now as time goes on, time heals all. So I got over that pretty quick. It was unfortunate. Obviously it was a phone call that I’ll never forget.

“But that being said, ending up in Denver was a blessing in disguise.” 1163153 Toronto Maple Leafs “I hate to say I’m used to it but I know the symptoms when they come and I know how to deal with them a little bit better,” Brooks said. “Hopefully I don’t have to deal with them anymore and my luck changes. It’s tough.” Sheldon Keefe shaped Adam Brooks. Now the Marlies forward wants to follow him to the Leafs For Brooks, the first week at home was the hardest.

“One of the big things that you have to do, especially immediately, is rest,” he said. “They want to get you on the bike as soon as possible so Scott Wheeler that you’re doing something and you get moving but not push you to a point where you’re not comfortable because then you’re taking steps Nov 23, 2019 backwards. It’s tough when you’re sitting there resting and no one’s around and you’re doing everything by yourself. It’s hard.”

The day before Sheldon Keefe was named head coach of the Toronto When the Marlies left for one of their longest road trips of the year, the Maple Leafs, he called Adam Brooks into his office to tell him he was sense of isolation was compounded. Brooks said he felt great coming proud of the way he was playing. into camp. For the first time, he’d spent the full summer in Toronto training with Leafs staff. He was stronger, having bulked up on his 5-foot- It was the second time in a little over a month that a similar conversation 10 frame. had occurred. Their initial talk was the morning of a Marlies practice, moments before Brooks suffered a concussion in an awkward collision “It’s frustrating,” he said. “Especially early in the season when you come during a high-intensity drill. into camp and you feel like you’ve done a lot of work in the offseason to get yourself into a good position to succeed and then you don’t play eight On both occasions, Keefe wanted Brooks to know he liked what he saw. of the first 12 games.” Following the first four games of the season, Keefe went over video with Brooks. The coach highlighted all the things he was happy seeing from When he was ready to return, he worried about whether he’d return to the young centre — his skating chief among them. the same role. He felt good. He’d spent a month rehabbing with a small group of injured Marlies that included Mason Marchment and Darren They met again on Tuesday after Brooks returned for back-to-back Archibald. His fitness was where it needed to be, but the Marlies had one games against the Texas Stars. The message was the same. Keefe of the best records in the league (8-2-3), so he wondered if the coaching didn’t want his top centre, who lost a month (eight games) to the injury, to staff would disturb the successful status quo. doubt himself or his role. Keefe was ready to prop him up. Keefe put Brooks immediately back “I think his game was really coming on and then he gets hurt in practice onto the team’s first line with wingers Kenny Agostino and Jeremy and we don’t see him for a few weeks,” Keefe said on Tuesday, his last Bracco. And Brooks picked up where he left off with an assist alongside day as Marlies coach. “The injury was disappointing for him and for us four shots in an 8-4 win over the Stars. because you felt like he was ready to take a big step.” “The way that he skated really drove the play for that line I thought and Those interactions meant a lot to Brooks, because injuries have really had them come alive, not unlike when Nic Petan came back down hampered him at every turn of his pro career. But every step of the way, here and played with those two wingers,” Keefe said. “I thought (Brooks) Keefe has been a believer in his talent. Now that Keefe has made the did that for us. It was a very encouraging sign to see him just skating with jump to the NHL, Brooks hopes to be right behind him. so much confidence.”

Brooks believes Keefe’s communication skills are what will make him an That confidence returned from the coach meant a lot to Brooks. excellent NHL coach. “To come back and to have Sheldon’s trust to jump back on a line with “He’s very straight up with you in telling you what he wants. Sheldon likes Kenny and Jeremy, who are two of the best offensive guys on our team, to play fast and I think with the skill that they have up there they’re going it’s really nice,” he said. “I feel comfortable with those guys. I like playing to do great with him as a coach. I’m sure he’s going to do great,” Brooks with them.” said. According to his linemates, Brooks fit right in. Agostino, who dealt with a It was Brooks’ third concussion in three and a half years. He suffered his concussion of his own to start his first season with the Marlies, was first at the end of his junior career, which caused him to miss the Western surprised at how quickly Brooks was in step. Hockey League final when he captained the Regina Pats. The latest injury hit the 23-year-old hard because he had been playing the best “It’s something we talked about. When he started going through (the hockey of his career. concussion), I was just getting out of it.” Agostino said, noting he felt rusty in his own return. The concussion came after he’d posted four points in four games — which included his first goal of the season in a 4-3 win over Hershey on “It’s pretty unbelievable how quickly he has found his footing again after Oct. 16. It followed a 2018-2019 season where he finished the year with being out for a significant amount of time. We’re lucky to have him back.” 20 points in 24 games while often playing close to 30 minutes a night. It Bracco has been with Brooks since they were both selected in the 2016 followed a run to the AHL’s Eastern Conference Final where Brooks led draft. He has seen Brooks’ growth firsthand in both his play and his the Marlies in goals with six in 13 games. Had he played a full season confidence. last year, his 2.41 shots per game (147 in 61) would have bested Pierre Engvall’s 2.24 shots per game pace for the Marlies lead in shots on goal. “He’s a great person and a great player,” Bracco said. “You can build a friendship and you want to play for or with a guy like that. On the ice, his For once, Brooks was hoping his season would begin healthy. But for the game speaks for itself. He can score, he works hard, and he plays in all third straight year, he wasn’t so lucky. As a rookie, he contracted areas. He can pretty much do it all. He’s a jack of all trades.” mononucleosis in the summer and he was forced to miss training camp. By the time the season started, he had lost so much weight that he need Brooks has always proven to be the kind of player who makes those to play catch-up all year. As a sophomore, it was the shock of an early- around him better. That was true when, on his wing, Marchment, Bracco season heart scare. And now this. and Trevor Moore all had career years. Moore is now in the NHL. If not for injuries, Marchment might be too. And Bracco led the league in It’s been difficult sitting on the sidelines while others climb the ranks and assists last year. establish themselves early in the season. His speed is such a threat, which I think opens up a lot of the offensive “It’s definitely a tough interview to start the year with every year. It’s plays that we can create,” Agostino said. “Whenever you’ve got a centre never easy when you get hurt,” he said, shaking his head. “It was a freak down the middle that can skate like he can, it just seems to open up the accident. It was unlucky.” ice a little more for everyone else. For being a smaller player, he plays The layoff was tough on Brooks. After the injury, the feelings he was all bigger. I know he’s been around for a bit but he plays like a seasoned too familiar with started immediately: Nausea, dizzy spells and the vet.” unending headaches. Keefe attributes Brooks’ three-year growth to the development of his confidence. The talent was always there. You don’t lead the CHL in scoring without it. And while he was still coaching the Marlies, Keefe was excited about Brooks’ future.

“He has gone from just trying to survive and feel his way out to really looking to make a difference. He did that last season and now he’s I believe looking to try to show that he can push for an opportunity to play in the NHL,” Keefe said. “That’s what you like to see from a player in his third year.”

Brooks is in the final year of his entry-level contract. He turns 24 in May. This summer, he’ll become a restricted free agent for the first time. The next time he’s in an training camp, the stars will have to align because he won’t be waiver exempt.

After feeling good in three of his four games in Leafs camp this year (he called the game against the Sabres one of the worst he’s played), he knows this season may be his final chance to prove he’s the NHL player Keefe believes he can be.

“I obviously know it’s that year for me but I’m a guy who tends to look at things and overthink them. The less I do that, the better off I’m going to be,” he said. “I know I can get there now.”

On Wednesday night, hours after news of Mike Babcock’s firing broke, Brooks played his first game of pro hockey without Keefe behind the bench.

The Marlies won 2-1, improving to a perfect 7-0 with Brooks in the lineup this season.

When it was over, Brooks spoke about the huge impact Keefe had on his development — particularly in that tough rookie year.

Brooks, after moving from playing 30 minutes and always thinking offence in junior, was pushed onto the fourth line, where the transition was tougher than he expected it would be.

But at the end of that year, during the Marlies’ run to a Calder Cup, it was Keefe who taught him and linemates Moore and Marchment how to be the team’s energy guys. Brooks credited Keefe for teaching him the defensive side of the game.

“He was there the whole way,” Brooks said. “He’s a great coach, he tells you exactly what he wants from you, and when he sees that your game’s not going the way that he wants it to, he straightens it out and shows you the things that you’re doing wrong. I can’t thank him enough for everything he has done. It shows the kind of coach that Sheldon Keefe is.”

If Brooks makes the jump to the NHL, having a coach who knows his game and believes in him will help. Someday, Brooks hopes to play for Keefe again.

“I know what he’s all about as a person and I love him,” he said. “It’s exciting to see him get a chance. Guys are excited for him and if I get the chance I’ll be excited to play for him again.”

The Athletic LOADED: 11.24.2019 1163154 Toronto Maple Leafs Keefe’s tenure is only two games old, yet Barrie has succeeded. He was moved to the first-team power-play unit and had a goal in a 3-1 win Thursday against the Arizona Coyotes to snap a six-game Toronto losing streak before adding the two points Saturday. Tyson Barrie got a hero’s welcome home from the Avs … and 2 points in the Leafs’ win Here’s how Barrie compiled them:

• It was a 1-1 tie when Barrie held possession at the right point before sliding the puck to superstar center Auston Matthews in the high slot. Ryan S. Clark Matthews had the time and space to unleash a wrist shot that beat Avalanche goaltender Philipp Grubauer with 9:04 remaining in the first Nov 23, 2019 period.

• Toronto was on the power play when Matthews carried the puck into the DENVER — Enough was in place to suggest Tyson Barrie might not zone before sending it to John Tavares only to recover possession in the have found the best way to say “thank you” to his old team for making corner. Matthews then found William Nylander and began skating toward him a tribute video while also receiving a standing ovation from the net. thousands of fans, all in his honour. All four of Colorado’s skaters concentrated on Nylander while Barrie Or maybe an argument could be made that how Barrie performed was skated to the low slot. Nylander held on until the last second, then fitting after all. delivered a pass to Barrie for a one-timer and a 3-1 lead with 6:38 left in the opening frame. Barrie did Saturday what he has done throughout his nine-year career: He created for others. He created for himself. Above all, he created “I’m on that side as a one-timer just trying to be a threat,” Barrie said of problems for his opponent. Yet what was so different about his 509th the goal. “It was a great pass by Willie and felt really good to get that one NHL game was it came against the team he played for on 484 occasions. here. Not that there’s any ill will with this team. But just coming home in front of all the familiar faces, it’s nice to get one.” The Toronto Maple Leafs defenseman, traded by the Avs in the offseason, went from having five points in his first 21 games to suddenly Barrie scoring a power-play goal was something Avalanche fans have being on a four-game point streak, one that continued in a 5-3 victory seen before. In fact, they watched him do it 12 times at Pepsi Center and Saturday against the Avalanche at Pepsi Center. Barrie finished with two 19 times altogether while he wore the No. 4 in a burgundy-and-blue points — a goal and an assist — for his first multipoint game in a Leafs sweater. Those goals and assists coupled with his community work made sweater. him a fan favorite in Denver.

When was the last time Barrie had a multiple-point performance in the One fan, Taylor Worlton, actually created a custom book she planned to regular season? It was April 2, 2019, at — you guessed it — Pepsi present to Barrie after the game as a way of showing thanks for all he Center, when his two points helped the Avalanche get closer to clinching had done in his time with the Avalanche. the final Western Conference wild-card berth with a 6-2 win over the Barrie’s former teammates all spoke fondly about the impact he had on Edmonton Oilers. their lives. He was a mentor to younger players such as J.T. Compher, And for those scoring at home, Barrie’s last goal at Pepsi Center was Samuel Girard and Tyson Jost. He welcomed new players, including April 4, when he scored the first of three unanswered against the Mark Barberio and Ian Cole, in a way that made them feel instantly Winnipeg Jets, which helped the Avalanche secure that final wild-card comfortable. spot. And Barrie remains MacKinnon’s best friend. “That’s amazing,” Barrie said of the reception and video tribute he Scoring 75 goals while creating 232 more for 307 points is how Barrie received from his old club. “You know, I wasn’t sure how I was going to became the Avalanche’s all-time leader in goals, assists and points feel coming back here and whatnot, but it’s been an amazing place to call among defensemen. home the last eight years, and that really topped it off. It’ll always be special to me, and these fans are great. It’s a great hockey club over Most of his tribute video was filled with those offensive exploits. In a way, there, so it’s going to be fun to watch these guys for a lot of years.” it was a fitting prelude to what he showed on the ice Saturday.

Colorado drafted Barrie in 2009 as part of a seven-player class. Barrie, Yet to see him do it in a Maple Leafs sweater while wearing No. 94 and Matt Duchene and Ryan O’Reilly were members of a group expected to benefitting the opposing team — that was definitely different. lift the Avalanche out of the basement and return them to NHL prominence. O’Reilly was traded after six seasons, and Duchene moved Barrie was asked about the bizarre nature of the day. He’d never been a on after nine years. visitor to Pepsi Center.

Barrie was the last member of that class to remain with the Avalanche. “Well, I definitely know where to go in the arena,” he said with a laugh. He became a foundational player in the team’s rebuild under general “It’s been a crazy, crazy day. Yesterday was a lot of fun. I got to catch up manager Joe Sakic. Barrie grew with what was perennially one of the with a lot of guys and have some friends waiting for me after here. It’s youngest rosters in the NHL, headlined by such promising talents as been a great day and kind of everything I could hope for.” Gabriel Landeskog, Nathan MacKinnon and Mikko Rantanen. Perhaps the most important question Barrie was asked in his short media He played a significant role as the Avalanche went from possessing the session related to what he has done over the past two games under worst record in the salary-cap era in the 2016-17 campaign to helping Keefe’s direction of the team. them reach the postseason in back-to-back seasons for the first time in It is a valid query. The Leafs marched to a 4-1 lead at the end of the first. more than a decade. That prompted Avalanche coach Jared Bednar to pull Grubauer for the Those playoff games against the Calgary Flames and San Jose Sharks first time this season in favor of backup Pavel Francouz. The Leafs, aside last season ended up being Barrie’s last in an Avalanche sweater. from a Zach Hyman empty-net goal, were limited the rest of the game.

The rise of rookie defenseman Cale Makar, coupled with Sakic’s They were held to three shots in the second period and 10 in the third. contention that it would have been financially unfeasible to re-sign Barrie The Avalanche, meanwhile, had 13 shots in the second and 16 in the after the last year of his contract, prompted rumors about Barrie’s Denver third. future. He and center Alexander Kerfoot were traded to the Maple Leafs “Just confidence,” Barrie said. “Just the way that we’re playing with the in exchange for center Nazem Kadri and defenseman Calle Rosen on puck. I think tonight we got up early and had a lead and figured out how July 1. to play with that swagger when we’re up, and we’re trying to lock it down Several months have passed since the trade. Kadri has flourished as the a little bit. That’s going to be a challenge for us, but we’re an excited second-line center the Avalanche have needed for several seasons, group and we’re going now.” while Barrie struggled out of the gate under coach Mike Babcock. Leafs The Athletic LOADED: 11.24.2019 management decided earlier in the week to make a change and fired Babcock, replacing him with Sheldon Keefe. 1163155 Vegas Golden Knights The Knights play five of the next six on the road starting Monday against Dallas, which has won six straight.

”I think we just have to get back out on the road and play a simpler game Golden Knights can’t contain McDavid, Draisaitl in loss to Oilers and a harder game,” Theodore said.

LAS VEGAS REVIEW JOURNAL LOADED: 11.24.2019

David Schoen

November 23, 2019 - 10:38 PM

With first-place Edmonton rolling into town Saturday to close the Golden Knights’ four-game homestand, Vegas coach Gerard Gallant expected a big effort from his team.

Following a 4-2 loss at T-Mobile Arena, Gallant was left disappointed in his team’s overall compete level.

“It starts with effort,” Gallant said. “The execution wasn’t there tonight. I agree 100 percent, but it’s got to start with competing and battling and winning those battles and getting your nose dirty a little bit. And it’s not all the guys. There’s some guys. We’ve got to get more of a team game.”

The Knights were unable to contain Edmonton’s high-scoring duo of Connor McDavid and Leon Draisaitl, as the NHL’s leading scorers combined for five points.

McDavid finished with two goals, and Draisaitl added three assists to take over the NHL scoring lead from his teammate with 47 points in 25 games. McDavid is second with 46 points.

McDavid’s 15 career points are the most against the Knights all time.

“There’s lots of talk of us two right now, but I thought it was a complete team effort tonight,” McDavid said. “It started with (goaltender Mike Smith). That’s a great bounce-back game for him. Great bounce-back game for our whole group.”

Cody Eakin and Shea Theodore scored for the Knights, who lost their second straight. Knights goaltender Marc-Andre Fleury made his fourth straight start and had 27 saves.

“They were a lot better than we were. A lot quicker,” Gallant said. “We didn’t defend well in our zone and made some mistakes, and they took advantage of it for sure. We didn’t do the job in the d-zone good enough.”

Here’s what stood out from the loss:

1. Together again.

Gallant made a minor change to his lineup by swapping left wings Jonathan Marchessault and Max Pacioretty. That put Marchessault back on the top line with William Karlsson and Reilly Smith.

The move didn’t have the desired effect, as the Knights fell to 4-13 in games when they’ve scored three or fewer goals.

Gallant even went to his line blender in the third period, giving Cody Glass a chance to center Alex Tuch and William Carrier.

“You think we’re going to come out with some fire, and there was no fire. There wasn’t enough fire for me,” Gallant said. “Disappointing in that part of it.”

2. Finishing touch.

Theodore went 20 games without a goal before scoring arguably the Knights’ prettiest of the season with 5:41 left in the second period to cut Edmonton’s lead to 3-2.

Theodore intercepted a pass near center ice, faked a shot after he crossed the blue line and danced between Oilers defensemen Adam Larsson and Oscar Klefbom.

He then slid a shot between the pads of Edmonton goalie Mike Smith for his second goal and first since Oct. 10 at Arizona. Theodore had a career-best 12 goals last season.

3. Falling off the pace.

The Knights continued to come up short against quality opposition, falling to 1-6-2 against teams that are currently in a playoff position.

Edmonton moved seven points ahead of the Knights in the Pacific Division and were head and shoulders the better team. 1163156 Vegas Golden Knights

Golden Knights’ Ryan Reaves doesn’t care about CFL’s Grey Cup

Ben Gotz

November 23, 2019 - 9:22 PM

The 107th Grey Cup, the Canadian Football League’s championship game, takes place Sunday between the Hamilton Tiger-Cats and Winnipeg Blue Bombers.

Don’t expect Winnipeg native Ryan Reaves to tune in. The Golden Knights right wing claimed he didn’t have any allegiances to his hometown team, especially because they defeated the Saskatchewan Roughriders in the semifinals. Reaves’ younger brother Jordan is a defensive lineman for the Roughriders.

“I’ve got blood alliances,” Reaves said. “That’s it.”

Still, Reaves acknowledged it would be special if the Grey Cup came back to his hometown. Reaves was born in Winnipeg in 1987 because of the Blue Bombers. His father, Willard, played for them from 1983 to 1987 and was named the CFL’s most outstanding player in 1984. That same season he rushed for 64 yards and two touchdowns to help the Blue Bombers win the 72nd Grey Cup, the city’s first title since 1962.

Winnipeg will look to end another title drought Sunday and win its first championship since 1990. Hamilton is a 3½-point favorite, according to VegasInsider.com. But Knights rookie Cody Glass, another Winnipeg native, isn’t ready to count out the Blue Bombers.

“The city is kind of going crazy for them right now,” Glass said. “A bunch of my buddies are going to the game. I know they’re traveling for it. I think it’s our year, hopefully, because you never know when they’re going to get back.”

Scouting report

Knights coach Gerard Gallant admitted that when it comes to slowing down speedy players such as Edmonton Oilers superstars Connor McDavid and Leon Draisaitl “it’s easier to say that then do it.”

Still, Gallant said it’s not just those two who have helped the Oilers race out to first place in the Pacific Division after they had the seventh-worst record in the NHL last season. Edmonton has more depth and is playing with better structure under first-year coach Dave Tippett.

The Oilers rank seventh in goals allowed per game (2.79) after finishing 25th last season (3.30).

“They’re not just playing as a one-line team,” Gallant said. “I know (their top line with McDavid and Draisaitl gets) a lot of their points, but their team is playing a lot better. They’re playing a lot better defensively.”

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Maple Leafs search for identity after Mike Babcock firing

Ben Gotz

November 23, 2019 - 7:57 PM

Mike Babcock stood in front of a throng of assembled media at T-Mobile Arena on Monday and defiantly said “I’ve always bet on Mike Babcock, and I’ll continue to bet on him.”

Well, that bet went bust Wednesday. The embattled Toronto Maple Leafs coach was fired after a 9-10-4 start to his fifth season with the marquee franchise.

The dismissal, which came after a 0-5-1 stretch, certainly wasn’t a surprise. But it left plenty of questions as to how one of the most talented rosters in the NHL — and new coach Sheldon Keefe — will proceed.

“We just want different results,” captain John Tavares said Tuesday after a 4-2 loss to the Golden Knights, the final game of Babcock’s tenure. “We want to win. It’s obviously frustrating when you’re not getting them. We’ve talked about resolve and resiliency and trying to stay with it. That’s all we can do. We got to continue to move forward and find ways to get better and obviously get the job done when we have opportunities like this.”

The Maple Leafs now will have to learn how to win without the coach that led them to the playoffs each of the past three seasons. Keefe, previously the coach of the team’s American Hockey League affiliate, the Toronto Marlies, has his work cut out for him.

The Maple Leafs, despite boasting highly paid centers Tavares and Auston Matthews and right wings Mitch Marner and William Nylander, ranked 13th in goals per game (3.13) and 18th on the power play (17.6 percent) when Babcock was fired. That wasn’t enough to make up for a leaky defense that was eighth worst in goals against per game (3.43) and fifth worst on the penalty kill (73.1 percent).

There’s hope Keefe can right the ship by leaning into the speed and skill of Matthews, Marner and Nylander. Let them off the leash. That certainly would appear to be the mandate from 33-year-old general manager Kyle Dubas, whose roster building never matched the 56-year-old Babcock’s grinding style.

There’s hope there will be more harmony with the 39-year-old Keefe. Dubas hired Keefe to be his coach when he was the general manager of the Ontario Hockey League’s Sault Ste. Marie Greyhounds. Dubas hired Keefe again to coach the Marlies when he was the Maple Leafs’ assistant GM.

The early returns are good. The Maple Leafs won Keefe’s first game 3-1 in Arizona on Thursday.

“You build and move forward, and that’s how you become a really good team, is when you go through that adversity,” right wing Zach Hyman said Tuesday. “It’s better to go through it right now than it is later in the season and in the playoffs. We’re a determined group. We’re a confident group. And we’re going to bounce back.”

Hot seat watch

Babcock’s firing, the first of the season, begs the question: Who’s next?

Candidates include the Nashville Predators’ Peter Laviolette, the Calgary Flames’ Bill Peters and the New Jersey Devils’ John Hynes. Laviolette’s and Peters’ squads have regressed after winning division titles.

Hynes’ team added a lot of pieces in the offseason (No. 1 overall pick Jack Hughes, right wings Nikita Gusev and Wayne Simmonds and defenseman PK Subban) and has little to show for it. The Devils had the second-fewest points in the NHL entering Saturday.

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Golden Knights on wrong end of goalie battle in overtime loss to Sharks

Justin Emerson

Thursday, Nov. 21, 2019 | 11:20 p.m.

The Golden Knights, since their founding, have always been able to score against the San Jose Sharks. They have averaged 4.10 goals per game against San Jose, and Sharks goalies had a putrid .878 save percentage when facing Vegas.

Then Vegas encountered San Jose backup Aaron Dell, a goalie clinging to a roster spot and who has struggled against the Golden Knights. But they couldn’t get it done Thursday, managing just a goal on 38 shots in a 2-1 defeat at T-Mobile Arena.

“We ran into a hot goalie and we’ve got to move on,” defenseman Brayden McNabb said. “That’s a good team over there and at least we got a point out of it.”

It’s tough to overstate how much San Jose netminders have struggled against Vegas. Only once in 10 previous regular season meetings have the Golden Knights only scored one goal and only one more time have they scored just two. In fact, Vegas has more games that it scored five- plus goals against San Jose (five) than games that it scored two or fewer (three).

But Vegas couldn’t do much against Dell, who entered the game with an .878 save percentage on the year. McNabb scored on a wrister through traffic at 9:42 of the third to tie the game, but that was it in a game that the team managed 29 scoring chances and eight high-danger scoring chances, according to Natural Stat Trick.

“It wasn’t like we're missing the net a whole lot — he made some good saves,” coach Gerard Gallant. “You’ve got to give the goalie credit once in awhile.”

And once the game reached overtime, recent history foreshadowed what came next. Vegas has not won at 3-on-3 in its last 11 games dating back to last season and has dropped the last six in games that did not extend to the shootout, including all four this year. If the game does reach the shootout, the Golden Knights are 2-0 this season.

Thursday’s overtime had the end-to-end action the league intended it to be when the format began. There were 12 total shot attempts in the extra period and 10 that reached the goal. William Karlsson had a golden chance that Dell denied, then Marc-Andre Fleury batted away Kevin Labanc’s try six seconds later, then Dell stopped Karlsson again seven seconds after that.

"I thought this was like a typical 3-on-3 game,” forward Paul Stastny said. “There was kind of nothing and then when one chance opened up, we had a couple of looks, they had a couple of looks. That’s 3-on-3. It’s kind of a crapshoot."

The power play went scoreless in three attempts against San Jose’s top- ranked penalty kill (89.9%). Vegas had just five shots on goal in six minutes of ice time with the extra man, and San Jose had four short- handed blocks.

Gallant postgame referred to the game as part of a process. The Golden Knights played two terrific games against Calgary and Toronto on this homestand, and seemed to shrug off Thursday’s loss in the “can’t win ‘em all” vein, which seems like a fair summation.

The Golden Knights had 60.5% of the 5-on-5 shot attempts, 63.9% of the scoring chances and 62.0% of the expected goals, according to Natural Stat Trick. They ran into a good goalie, and sometimes that’s just how it goes.

“When they’re going real good, it just seems to be connecting,” Gallant said. “Tonight it just wasn’t happening.”

LAS VEGAS SUN LOADED: 11.24.2019 1163159 Vegas Golden Knights

Edmonton Methodically Grinds Down VGK In 4-2 Win Before 18,319 Saturday

November 23, 2019

Alan Snel

Less than a minute remained in the Golden Knights’ 4-2 loss to the Edmonton Oilers and lots of VGK fans had already left the building. To create more buzz in T-Mobile Arena, they showed VGK superfan Christopher “Warmies Guy” Green dancing on the jumbotron, but not even Warmies could reverse the inevitable.

The division-leading Oilers outplayed the Golden Knights on VGK’s home ice and came away with a 4-2 win thanks to two goals by their superstar, Connor McDavid, Saturday night.

Put simply, the Oilers beat the Knights at their own game — speed. The Oilers are now 15-7-3 for 33 points leading the Pacific Division, while the Knights are 11-10-4 for 26 points.

VGK coach Gerard Gallant was not pleased. His post-game comments spell out his displeasure. LVSportsBiz.com asked Gallant whether it was effort or execution: “Well it starts with effort. The biggest thing is effort, then the execution works. So, the execution wasn’t there tonight, I agree 100 percent, but it’s got to start with competing and battling and winning those battles and playing to get your nose dirty a little bit. And it’s not all the guys, it’s some guys. We’ve got to get more of a team game.”

VGK defenseman Shea Theodore, who scored a gorgeous goal by slipping through two Oilers defenders in period two, put it simply, “Not a good enough effort.” Here’s his postgame locker room comments:

Fellow defenseman Nick Holden noted the Oilers outplayed the Knights at what the VGK do best.

It was a big Saturday night crowd with attendance of 18,319 — above the team’s average attendance of 18,249 after 14 home games this season. There was a huge Oilers fan presence in the Big Ice House.

The Knights’ next home game is Friday when the Arizona Coyotes visit the Big Ice House.

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LVSportsBiz.com Photographer Tyge O’Donnell Meets Pope Francis In Japan To Honor His Dad’s World War II Photo Legacy This Weekend

November 23, 2019

Alan Snel

It’s a moment that LVSportsBiz.com photographer Tyge O’Donnell will never forget.

O’Donnell, who works as a full-time Caesars hotel bellman when not doing photography for LVSportsBiz.com, met Pope Francis at the Nagasaki Ground Zero Peace Park in Japan Sunday. The Pope decided to visit Hiroshima and Nagasaki after two Japanese student peace messengers visited the Vatican this past summer and invited the Pope to visit Japan. It’s the first visit to Japan by a Pope in 38 years.

J. Tyge O’Donnell is on the left.

It was an emotional meeting for O’Donnell, who carried the legacy of his dad for the papal audience because Pope Francis through the years has cherished the haunting World War II photo work of O’Donnell’s father, Joe O’Donnell.

Joe O’Donnell, a U.S. military photographer, was among the first photographers to document the aftermath, death and destruction of Japan in the Second World War. As an Army Air Corp photographer, the elder O’Donnell came to Japan in September 1945 after the U.S. dropped atomic bombs on Hiroshima and Nagasaki.

O’Donnell’s photography captured the gruesome Images of war — the charred bodies and destroyed cities.

Some of these powerful photographs ended up in the hands of Pope Francis, who kept these Images as graphic reminders of the pain and death of war.

For the past two years, the Pope has handed out copies of O’Donnell’s most famous photo, “Two Brothers at Cremation Site,” to the masses, with his message, “The fruit of War,” written on the back of the photos.

So, the pope welcomed Tyge O’Donnell — the World War II photographer’s son — with open arms Sunday.

“I found out about this trip over two months ago,” O’Donnell said, “but I had to keep it on the down-low because it could have easily gone away, given the Pope’s stature and busy schedule.”

O’Donnell brought his father’s Saint Christopher medal along with a commemorative Pope Paul the VI medallion that was given to his dad while he was in Rome during the election of the new Pope in 1963.

“I was hoping to give His Holiness the medals to put in the Vatican Museum next to my father’s famous photo so people would know my father was Catholic. He was wearing that St. Christopher medal during the war and when he took all his photos,” O’Donnell said. “But I was advised to pursue that endeavor down the road, as the timing isn’t right on this trip to present the Pope with gifts.”

It was far from a solemn session with the Pope. O’Donnell also presented Pope Francis through a Vatican aide a “papalhead” with a not-so-subtle Vegas Golden Knights touch.

O’Donnell also gave many Vegas Golden Knights to his journalist friends and the two Peace Messenger students, who received to VGKWorldWide gift boxes.

“I am also gifting my father’s “Japan1945” book to the Pope,” O’Donnell said.

O’Donnell also received this gift from the Pope.

O’Donnell will be returning to LVSportsBiz.com photo action soon. He will be in Nashville Wednesday when the Vegas Golden Knights play the Predators in Tennessee. Look for O’Donnell’s photos on LVSportsBiz.com after the game.

LVSportsBiz.com LOADED: 11.24.2019 1163161 Washington Capitals “The games are tight,” Vrana said. “It doesn’t matter who you’re playing. All teams are battling for points right now. Like I said, we’re creating chances, and that’s important. We’re just going to work on finishing — hopefully figure it out for next game.” Capitals fall to Canucks after long shootout stalemate Fresh faces crowd Capitals’ dressing room as injuries linger

A pair of Capitals penalties helped Vancouver tie the score at 1 on Elias Samantha Pell Pettersson’s goal with six minutes left in the first period. His one-timer from the right circle yielded his 10th goal of the season. November 23, 2019 at 4:56 PM EST Just 16 seconds earlier, Pettersson had drawn a tripping penalty on

Richard Panik. That sent him to the box, where he joined Chandler The Washington Capitals and Vancouver Canucks kept going back and Stephenson, who had been called for interference 1:02 earlier. The forth Saturday afternoon at Capital One Arena. One player after another Canucks’ five-on-three advantage effectively turned into a five-on-two took part in the Capitals’ fifth shootout of the season, and they kept when defenseman Michal Kempny lost his stick. Pettersson scored coming up empty thanks to the goaltending prowess on both sides. almost immediately — the third power-play goal the Capitals had allowed in two games — and Vancouver still had 1:44 worth of power-play time. Finally, in the shootout’s seventh round, Vancouver pulled out a 2-1 victory when Bo Horvat beat Capitals goaltender Capitals’ Braden Holtby The Capitals were missing four typical penalty killers Saturday — for the lone goal of the extended tiebreaker. Backstrom, Hagelin, Dowd and Hathaway — and Stephenson and Panik are penalty killers, too. The makeshift unit was solid from there, though, “Braden was outstanding, I thought, all game,” Capitals Coach Todd as Vancouver finished 1 for 5 with the man advantage. Reirden said. “Gives us a chance, and right through the shootout gave us a chance. Tough to only get one point, but we’ll take it and move on.” In the end, though, the Capitals couldn’t find a way to beat Markstrom again. It appeared Lars Eller had given the Capitals the edge in the shootout’s fifth round by beating Canucks goaltender Jacob Markstrom, but his goal “Pretty soon,” Holtby said, “pucks are going to start going in.” was waved off upon review because the puck hit the post but never Washington Post LOADED: 11.24.2019 crossed the line. T.J. Oshie, Evgeny Kuznetsov, Alex Ovechkin, Jakub Vrana, Eller, John Carlson and Dmitry Orlov had a chance against the 6- foot-6 Markstrom, but nobody could convert.

“When you have a tree in the net, you’re going to figure out how he’s going to move,” said Vrana, who scored in the first period to put the Capitals up early. “I don’t know, man. I just look [for] the free spot. He was so much, he was so in the net; he didn’t go out at all.”

In overtime — the Capitals’ 11th in 25 games this season and their fifth in their past nine — the Canucks could not take advantage of a four-on- three power play after Kuznetsov was whistled for hooking. The depleted Capitals held and even got three shots on goal in the extra period, but they couldn’t solve Markstrom then or in the shootout.

“You play the game that’s presented to you, and lately, obviously, we’ve been playing a few more lower-scoring games,” Holtby said. “We’re trying to get better defensively and just finding ways to create offense while doing that, too.”

The Capitals fell to 16-4-5 with their second straight defeat, following Wednesday’s 4-1 loss at the New York Rangers. Washington has lost four of seven but still collected eight of the 14 possible points in that stretch (3-2-2). Holtby made a handful of point-blank saves down the stretch Saturday to keep the game within reach; he finished with 32 saves.

Winning too much? Hardly, Capitals say, despite ghosts of past Presidents’ Trophies

The Capitals were without four regular forwards for the second straight game: Nicklas Backstrom (upper body, day-to-day), Nic Dowd (hand, injured reserve), Garnet Hathaway (suspension) and Carl Hagelin (long- term injured reserve). Reirden said he hopes Backstrom and Dowd will play Wednesday against visiting Florida, and that will be the final game of Hathaway’s three-game suspension.

Vrana got the scoring started for the Capitals for the sixth time, a team high. Taking a crisp pass from Eller on the boards, Vrana sniped a shot past Markstrom from the left faceoff circle 2:22 into the game. All 11 of Vrana’s goals have come at even strength, and his seven first-period goals rank second in the league behind Boston’s David Pastrnak (10 entering Saturday).

Vrana, who played his 200th NHL game Wednesday, continued his hot start, making the kind of offensive impact the team was hoping for. After he had 24 goals last season but none in the playoffs, Vrana wanted to prove he can bounce back. Through 25 games, he has done just that, posting 19 points to stand at 99 for his career.

He almost had his second goal of the game a few minutes into the second period after his shot on the rush sneaked through Markstrom, but Canucks defenseman Tyler Myers cleared the puck off the goal line. 1163162 Washington Capitals

In battle of the goalies, Capitals fall to Canucks in shootout

Adam Zielonka

Saturday, November 23, 2019

For the second time this year, the Washington Capitals and Vancouver Canucks needed a shootout to decide their matchup. It was a high- scoring game last time in Canada, with the Capitals prevailing 6-5. Saturday was the polar opposite — a goalie showdown, one that extended from regulation and overtime into the shootout.

Braden Holtby and Jacob Markstrom took turns denying shot after shot until Vancouver’s Bo Horvat scored the game-winner in the bottom of the eighth round, and the Capitals fell 2-1.

Jakub Vrana scored the lone goal for the Capitals, who are an NHL-best 16-4-5 (37 points) despite two straight losses.

After each side got on the board in the first period, nobody could convert a go-ahead goal for the rest of regulation or overtime as players slipped and stumbled across an unusually slippery sheet of ice. Washington’s power play went 0-for-3 along the way.

Holtby picked up another loss, but made 32 saves and didn’t allow an even-strength goal. He might have had good reason to be frustrated with the loss despite his strong performance, but he didn’t show it.

“You play the game that’s presented to you and lately, obviously, we’ve been playing a few more lower-scoring games,” Holtby said. “We’re trying to get better defensively and just finding ways how to create offense while doing that too, and that’s this time of year where it’s cat-and- mouse, trying to find your best game. And I think our guys are doing a great job right now and pretty soon pucks are going to start going in.”

During the 3-on-3 overtime period, the Capitals killed off an Evgeny Kuznetsov penalty, their fifth penalty of the afternoon. The penalty killers held the Canucks‘ power play to one goal on five chances.

“Huge 3-on-4 kills in the overtime, which just brings me back to too many penalties, stick infractions,” Reirden said. “We have to continue to talk and work and discuss that.”

The Capitals put a flurry of shots on net in the final seconds of overtime, but Markstrom kept them all out of harm’s way. He matched Holtby with 32 saves, just a month after allowing Washington to come back from down 5-1 to force overtime and beat his Canucks.

Lars Eller nearly had the Capitals‘ first goal of the shootout in Round 5, but on review it was overturned — the puck had not fully crossed the goal line before glancing off the crossbar and out.

Vrana opened the scoring just 2:22 into the game. Lars Eller won a puck battle in one corner and swept it out to Vrana at the left circle, where he nailed a one-timer for his 11th goal of the year, the second-most of any Capitals player this year.

The Canucks responded 14 minutes into the first period after Richard Panik followed Chandler Stephenson into the penalty box, giving Vancouver a 5-on-3 advantage. It became more of a 5-on-2 when Michal Kempny lost his stick, and Swedish star Elias Pettersson scored easily from the right circle for Vancouver.

Washington played its second straight game without four regular starters at forward. Garnet Hathaway is in the middle of a three-game suspension for spitting during a brawl last Monday. Nicklas Backstrom missed his second game with an upper-body injury, while Nic Dowd and Carl Hagelin are also still hurt and sidelined.

The Capitals are off until Wednesday, when they host the Florida Panthers.

Washington Times LOADED: 11.24.2019 1163163 Washington Capitals

The sound of the Capitals’ season: Ping!

Brian McNally

November 23, 2019 5:04 PM

WASHINGTON — A metallic clang has been the soundtrack to the Capitals’ season so far.

Twice during Saturday’s 2-1 shootout loss to the Vancouver Canucks at Capital One Arena, Washington shots hit the post and stayed out. Then, to complete the mockery, Lars Eller thought he’d put the Capitals up in the fifth round of the shootout only to learn the puck he thought was in instead hit the left post and caromed off the crossbar. No goal.

Few will feel sorry for Washington, which is 16-4-5 and still leads the NHL with 37 standings points. But it’s at least a little annoying for a team whose offense has dried up some lately. The Capitals lead the NHL now with 30 shots off the post or crossbar,

“It’s just been seeming to go like that lately,” Eller said. “Couple of games ago we get an OT goal called back [in a 4-3 shootout loss to Arizona]. A lot of bars out in New York. I guess at some point it’s got to turn. You’re right there, but it just goes bar out instead of bar in right now.”

Those 30 shots off the post or crossbar are only in regulation or overtime. Eller’s bid doesn’t even count toward that total. Put it in perspective: Dallas and Calgary are second in the NHL with 21 posts hit. The Capitals don’t have much competition in that category right now. They did it another four times in a 4-1 loss to the New York Rangers on Wednesday.

On Saturday. Michael Sgarbossa hit the outside of the right post at 5:59 of the second period. Evgeny Kuznetsov deflected a shot off the crossbar while on the power play at 11:15 of the second. In all, Washington has hit the post with a shot 25 times and the crossbar another five.

“It does feel that way. Post and out,” coach Todd Reirden said. “I'd like to see a post and in here. But that means we're getting to areas where we are beating the goaltender so it is coming from quality spots. Usually, if that's the case then in the way we break down the game, that's still a chance for us in that situation.”

This isn’t really normal. The Capitals hit the post or crossbar 61 times in 82 games last season, which tied for ninth overall. They are almost halfway to that total through 25 games. In 2017-18 that number was 58 and the NHL leader was Edmonton (67).

You’d think some of that luck would turn their way. Even with all the iron the Capitals still lead the NHL with 91 goals.

Vancouver, of all teams, knows what it’s like to hear the ping of frustration. The Canucks led the NHL with 80 posts or crossbars in 2018- 19. No other team had more than 69. That’s the most by any team since the league started keeping track in the 2009-10 season. Sometimes it’s just one of those years. Not much a team can do except keep firing.

“It just didn't go in for us,” Capitals forward Jakub Vrana said. “It's been good that we've been creating them, but it just didn't go in. So hopefully we will work on our finish a little bit and it's gonna be better next game."

Comcast SportsNet.com LOADED: 11.24.2019 1163164 Washington Capitals I have defended Panik from his detractors all of whom ignored how difficult it can be for players to come into a new team and were too quick to write him off. This, however, was a bad game.

Vrana is dangerous, Panik is struggling and the Caps are taking too Hathaway, Dowd and Hagelin were all out. Those are three of the team's many penalties top forward penalty killers all out. Chandler Stephenson was already in the box, another penalty killer, and Panik tripped Pettersson with an obvious call. You can't make that mistake in that moment. Not only did it give Vancovuer a two-man advantage, but it took a fifth penalty killer off J.J. Regan the ice. November 23, 2019 5:44 PM Panik now has only one point in 15 games. He was playing well defensively and his offensive play seemed to have improved since he returned from a shoulder injury. Saturday's game, however, was a WASHINGTON -- Braden Holtby came out on the wrong end of definite step back. Saturday's goalie duel as the Capitals fell 2-1 in a seven-round shootout against Jackob Markstrom and the Vancouver Canucks. Faceoffs

Observations from the loss Believe it or not, the Caps won 55-percent of their draws against Vancouver. Evgeny Kuznetsov won 11 of the 16 faceoffs he took, good An important point for 69-percent.

There are no moral victories in professional sports. The Caps lost in a How do you pick who goes in the shootout? game that seemed very winnable given how things played out. Having said that, this is a valuable point. With no Nicklas Backstrom, Nic Dowd, After seeing John Carlson and Dmitry Orlov, two defensemen, shoot in Carl Hagelin or Garnet Hathaway, this is the most shorthanded this team consecutive rounds in the shootout, I was curious as to how Reirden has been in several years and the bottom-six on offense resembles the picked who went. The longer a shootout goes, the more difficult it Hershey Bears more than it does the Caps. Reirden said only that he becomes to pick the shooter. I asked him about this after the game. was "hopeful" Backstrom and Dowd could be back for Wednesday's "You practice it, some guys have done well in practice so you go to that a game, but neither has practiced yet. Hathaway remains suspended for little bit," Reirden said. "Then it becomes a hunch a little bit there as well. one more game and Hagelin is on LTIR and not eligible to return until Guys that you think have gone before in that situation, there is pressure Dec. 2. The lineup could very well be the same Wednesday against the in those situations as well. But it's a little bit of hit or miss on that." Florida Panthers. Turning point With the New York Islanders hot on Washington's heels within the division, you can't just punt on these three games and six points. Up 1-0 in the first period, the Caps were dominating. They were in complete control until Stephenson was called for interference and just 62 Getting a point out of this lineup against a good Vancouver team matters. seconds later Panik joined him in the penalty box after tripping It could have been two, but one is better than none. Pettersson. Pettersson would go on to score on the two-man advantage Vrana has worked on adding the one-timer to his arsenal he drew to tie the game at 1, the only goal Braden Holtby allowed the entire game. There are a lot of things that Jakub Vrana does really well. He is very fast and has a good shot. If he wanted to, he could make a decent career out Play of the game of that. Great players are the ones that continue to add to their skillset. This was wild. While I would not label Vrana as a "great" NHL player just yet, I am impressed with the amount of work he puts into adding to his game. The wild end to OT pic.twitter.com/x4PJW2wpPe one-timer is something we see a lot more of this season than last and he has used it effectively. — NBC Sports Capitals (@NBCSCapitals) November 23, 2019

If you watch Vrana's goal on Saturday, you are not going to mistake him Keep in mind that all of this happened after Markstrom denied Alex for Alex Ovechkin. The shot does not have much zip on it like Ovechkin's Ovechkin on the breakaway too. whose shots hit the back of the net and are out before a goalie can even Stat of the game really react to it. Vrana's shots, however, are very well placed. This one happened to hit the top corner perfectly to beat Markstrom who did not Vrana is evolving as a player and is turning into a very dangerous allow another goal even in seven rounds of a shootout. offensive weapon for the Caps.

One big improvement in Vrana's game this year was also evident and Jakub Vrana scores his 11th goal of the season, all at even-strength. that is his positioning. He has done a good job putting himself in a That's tied for the third-most even strength goals in the NHL. He also position to score this year and he really seems to be reading the game ranks second on the Capitals in goals (Alex Ovechkin: 15). well offensively. — CapitalsPR (@CapitalsPR) November 23, 2019 Time to Panik? Quote of the game Todd Reirden was not pleased with the two penalties the team took in the first period that not only killed their momentum, but also resulted in Vrana got the lone goal of the game for the Caps against Markstrom, but Vancouver's lone goal of the game. He specifically referenced Richard was denied on the shootout. He was asked about how he decided what Panik's trip of Elias Pettersson that gave the Canucks a two-man to do with this shot: advantage when asked if it was time to stop talking about penalties and "Well when you have a tree in the net, you gonna figure out with how he's start punishing. gonna move. I don't know, man. I just look up where is the free spot. He "I did do that today with a penalty that puts us down 5-on-3," Reirden was so much, he was so in the net, he didn't go out at all. I think the go-to said. "There was some ice time that was missed there. That's what we'll was to surprise him with the shot. I mean I didn't fake anything. I should continue to have to be the statement on that. In particular, that's one that have maybe fake him a little bit first. But that's history now. It just didn't was pointed out between periods. Most teams are converting at a high work out today." rate 5-on-3 and I felt like that was a game that we were carrying the play Fan predictions in the first and we let them back in with that." Stay out of the box please! From when Panik's penalty expired with about four minutes left in the period until about 4:48 into the second period, Panik played only 22 — Jennie Wonevik  (@gavlegirl) November 23, 2019 seconds. The Caps gave up five power plays for the game, far too many and it was why they were not able to keep control in the first period. In other words, you were wrong.

Goal from Radko Gudas. Big man's got the juice today. @OVECHKlN https://t.co/ekRZF9wcQj

— Jason Rogers (@HeyJayJRogers) November 23, 2019

Same as it always is: Dadko goal.

— Master Shake (@cowgirl_bebop) November 23, 2019

Dadko goal pls

— Frothy (@FrothyOmen) November 23, 2019

Keep trying guys.

Penn State by 3

— Adam Zielonka (@Adam_Zielonka) November 23, 2019

Penn State lost by 11. They haven't looked right since that loss to Minnesota.

Comcast SportsNet.com LOADED: 11.24.2019 1163165 Washington Capitals

Caps lose goalie duel in a 7-round shootout

J.J. Regan

November 23, 2019 3:35 PM

WASHINGTON -- Braden Holtby and Jacob Markstrom stole the spotlight on Saturday as both goalies allowed only one goal in regulation. Markstrom eventually came out on top, leading the Vancouver Canucks to the 2-1 victory over the Capitals in a seven-round shootout.

Here is how the Caps lost.

A two-man advantage

The Caps led 1-0 in the first and seemed to be playing well until two penalties derailed that. Chandler Stephenson was called for interference and just 62 seconds later Richard Panik joined him in the penalty box after tripping Elias Pettersson.

Coming into the game, the Caps were already without Carl Hagelin or Nic Dowd, both of whom have played heavy penalty kill minutes this season. Add Stephenson and Panik, also two big penalty killers for Washington, and the penalty kill was missing four of its main forwards and had 58 seconds of a two-man advantage to kill. Just 16 seconds later, Pettersson would take advantage and score on the penalty that he drew to tie the game at 1.

Myer's goal-line play

Vrana scored once in the first period and looked to add a second goal early in the second. He had a step on the defense with the puck, but was coming in on the right side and did not have enough room to try to turn inside. Instead, he just unleashed the wrister.

Jacob Markstrom thought he had the shot, but the puck trickled through him toward the goal line. The puck reached the goal line, but just before it could cross, Tyler Myers came in to knock the puck off and out of the net, saving the goal and keeping the score tied at 1.

Too many penalties

Simply put, the Caps took far too many penalties in this one. Vancouver had five power-play opportunities including one in overtime. The penalty kill did well to allow the Canucks only one goal, but given the players this team was missing, they needed to stay out of the box and they could not. Vancouver's lone goal was a power-play goal and the constant penalties did not allow Washington to get into an offensive flow or take the momentum.

Two denied overtime breakaways

The Caps spent two minutes of overtime killing off a Kuznetsov penalty. When they finally got back to even strength, Washington was chomping at the bit for some offense. Nick Jensen hit Alex Ovechkin in stride with the stretch pass to launch a breakaway. He got a lot of power behind his wrister, but Jacob Markstrom got his glove on it.

Late in overtime, T.J. Oshie stole the puck from J.T. Miller in the defensive zone putting himself in alone for the breakaway. Miller hustled back and denied Oshie before he could get the shot off. Even then, Oshie managed to recover and set up Ovechkin for another great chance and again, Markstrom was there.

Eller denied on review

This game ended up going to a shootout. No one scored through the first four rounds. Finally, Lars Eller beat Markstrom as he backhanded a shot off the post and up under the cross-bar...or so it seemed.

The next shooter was held as the goal was being reviewed. The replay from above showed that Eller's shot actually did not cross the goal line and instead hit off the cross-bar and out. Two rounds later, Bo Horvat scored on his attempt to give Vancouver the win.

Comcast SportsNet.com LOADED: 11.24.2019 1163166 Washington Capitals

A wish granted: Cancer survivor Brock Witmoyer spends a weekend with T.J. Oshie and the Capitals

Brian McNally

November 23, 2019 1:37 PM

WASHINGTON — The limo pulled up to Capital One Arena with T.J. Oshie and a special guest just hours before the Capitals’ game Saturday against the Vancouver Canucks.

Brock Witmoyer, an 18-year-old from Reading, Pa., has been fighting cancer since 2016. His big wish was simply to meet Oshie and talk hockey. Through Make-A-Wish Mid-Atlantic he got more than he could have ever hoped this weekend.

Witmoyer has used hockey as a temporary escape from his fight. He plays club hockey at his high school and admires Oshie’s flashy skill and hard game. On Friday at MedStar Capitals Iceplex, he got to wear a lavender No. 21 Make-A-Wish jersey with his name on the back and take the ice with Oshie and the other Capitals.

As he laced up his skates after watching practice, Witmoyer was nervous. He hadn’t picked up a stick in almost a year. But he got a fist bump from Oshie and a warm greeting from the other players and an introduction by coach Todd Reirden. Then he skated with Oshie and took some shots on goal. Oshie even let him use his stick.

“Brock was using my curve. I have a pretty big curve. So I was just telling him to just keep it on the heel,” Oshie said. “That was pretty much it. Once I did that he scored three in a row. That’s what we were trying to do – get him three in a row. He got her done. He’s got some skills out there. I was impressed.”

Witmoyer’s dream weekend wasn’t finished. He attended Saturday’s Hockey Fights Cancer game against the Vancouver Canucks and was introduced with the starting lineup alongside Oshie and five other Make- A-Wish kids. He also picked up Oshie at his house in a limo and they rode to Capital One Arena in the morning for the 12:30 p.m. game.

“Just getting a fist bump from [Oshie] was enough, but being able to talk to him and see what he’s like, it’s just an insane experience. It’s surreal,” Witmoyer said. “I never thought I would have this opportunity.”

Brock has had a very memorable two days with the @Capitals thanks to @WishMidAtlantic  pic.twitter.com/5hpCQzhbTO

— NBC Sports Capitals (@NBCSCapitals) November 23, 2019

Witmoyer became an Oshie fan when many people did: During the 2014 Winter Olympics in Sochi, Russia. Oshie’s legendary performance in the shootout round of a quarterfinal game against Russia helped the United States advance to the semifinals in a 3-2 win.

Doctors couldn’t get all of Witmoyer’s brain tumor during a 2016 surgery and he needs regular checkups to make sure it isn’t growing again. But he is done with treatment for now and that is a blessing. MRI results this week showed no growth in the tumor over the past year. There is hope for the immediate future.

Now a student at Reading Area Community College after graduating from Wilson High in Reading, Witmoyer hopes to attend Indiana University of Pennsylvania next semester and maybe even join the hockey team there.

But for 36 hours this weekend he was part of the Capitals. He watched warm-ups from the bench, was interviewed on the scoreboard and stood on the ice with Oshie and the Capitals as the Canadian and American national anthems played and the big crowd roared cheers for him and his fellow fighters, a dream come true for kids who deserved the ovation.

“It was kind of like a blur,” Witmoyer said. “Skating on the ice at first I was really nervous, but as I started talking to players and shooting more it started to go away. It felt natural.”

Comcast SportsNet.com LOADED: 11.24.2019 1163167 Winnipeg Jets Neither of the defencemen’s issues are considered serious, but Beaulieu’s injury requires further evaluation.

Pierre-Luc Dubois and Wheeler traded first-period goals and then Ehlers Short-staffed Jets bail hard in gritty win scored five minutes into the second. But with Poolman and Sbisa in the box, Seth Jones pulled Columbus even at 2-2 with a blast through Down two defencemen, squad rallies over Columbus Brossoit. The Jets continued the kill but gave up Gustav Nyquist’s goal just 1:17 later.

Mathieu Perreault scored the equalizer, his sixth, with just over five Jason Bell minutes left in the period, spinning and one-timing a feed from Adam 11/24/2019 12:14 AM Lowry.

Winnipeg (14-9-1) has lost only twice in regulation in its past 11 games. The Blue Jackets fell to 9-9-4. It seemed almost fitting the hockey gods cut the Winnipeg Jets a monumental break after so much calamity at the downtown barn "What I leave the rink with (Saturday), we know coming into (the game) Saturday night. that it’s not going to be easy. It wasn’t smooth, it wasn’t pretty. But the compete was there and the bench was great. They stayed in the fight Workhorse winger Andrew Copp’s fourth goal of the season, coming with and really supported each other," Jets head coach Paul Maurice said. just 1:54 left in the third period, elevated a depleted Jets lineup to an "We were dragging out there, for sure. We didn’t have a lot of pop. But improbable 4-3 victory over the surging Columbus Blue Jackets at Bell we played hard. Maybe not perfect, but they’ve played hard." MTS Place. Copp said he just threw the puck at the net with no great expectations. The winning tally was anything but a work of art. Columbus goalie Elvis Merzlikins was all shook up after his clearing attempt up the middle was "The way the game went, it was kind of back and forth and you just never gloved down by Copp, whose quick shot clipped blue-liner David Savard really know, especially with two minutes left. You pick off (the puck) and and skipped into the net. the goalie is scrambling to get back to the net, just try to get one there and luckily enough, it kind of hit off a D-man and slid in," he said. "Kind of The Jets played a crucial chunk of the game with just four defencemen. a fortuitous bounce. But with two minutes left, you’ll take them any way Josh Morrissey (lower body) went down the tunnel and did not return with you can get them." 8:06 left in the second frame and Columbus up 3-2, and then Nathan Beaulieu (upper body) followed him with just 3:57 left in the period. Then, In the hallway down from the visitors dressing room, Tortorella told midway through the third, starting goalie Laurent Brossoit cramped up reporters not to ask him a question about the strange giveaway by his and had to leave the game. goalie

The defensive duo of Neal Pionk and Dmitry Kulikov remained intact, but Then he said, "I’m warning you, I’ll walk." Tucker Poolman and Luca Sbisa were strung together out of necessity. The Jets get today off to watch their buddies from the Blue Bombers The surviving blue-liners did a sensational job in the final period to limit tangle with the Hamilton Ticats in the 107th Grey Cup in Calgary. the visitors to just six shots in a tied game. After arriving home early Friday morning from a four-game, nine-day road Jets captain Blake Wheeler, who scored in the first period and earned his trip (3W, 1L), Winnipeg heads south this week for matchups with the San 600th point with the Atlanta/Winnipeg franchise on the set-up of Nikolaj Jose Sharks on Wednesday, Anaheim Ducks on Friday and Los Angeles Ehlers’ team-leading 11th in the second, was astonished by the work of Kings on Saturday. the four D-men who made it through unscathed. A pair of injured Jets forwards are still a few weeks away from returning "They did an amazing job and, honestly, it didn’t look like they were to the lineup. gasping for air, it didn’t look like they were treading water. They were still making plays, still going back for pucks hard," he said. "As forwards, Mason Appleton has been sidelined since he fractured a bone in his foot defensively, we were just trying to really be patient and stop on every during a fun game of catch on the Regina football field on the Heritage puck and just try to battle every puck out for them, give them outlets so Classic weekend in late October. they could make easy plays. But those guys did an amazing job. Those guys earned a couple of beers (Saturday), for sure." "Probably two more weeks before we look at him getting contact," Maurice said. Gabriel Bourque (lower body), injured against the New Pionk led all Winnipeg skaters with 24:51 of ice time, while Kulikov was Jersey Devils on Nov. 5, is likely on a similar timeline, he said. right behind at 22:55. Poolman and Sbisa both eclipsed the 18-minute mark. And Columbus head coach John Tortorella’s squad, which was Winnipeg Free Press LOADED 11.24.2019 riding a three-game winning streak, plays a heavy game.

Jets forward Blake Wheeler (left) and Blue Jackets forward Boone Jenner chase down a loose puck during second-period NHL action in Winnipeg on Saturday.

But Sbisa said the Jets refused to crumble, despite the injuries, some major penalty problems and a forgettable night for the penalty-killing unit as the Blue Jackets struck three times with the man advantage.

"One guy goes down, then two guys go down. It’s not something you see happen too often. All of a sudden, there’s plenty of room on the bench, but you don’t get to sit on it too long," Sbisa said. "The four of us, we just rallied together and saw it as a challenge. Obviously, there’s a few adjustments you’ve gotta make. You keep (shifts) short for 20 minutes and do whatever it takes.

"We battled. It was one of those games where you come off a road trip, first game at home, I think our energy level wasn’t the highest it’s been, but we battled. We faced a lot of adversity in this game with those calls and the PK and this and that, but we found a way to win."

Adding to the hard times, Brossoit cramped up with 11:19 to go in the final period after stopping 27 of 30 shots. He was replaced by Connor Hellebuyck, who turned aside the Blue Jackets’ final five drives. 1163168 Winnipeg Jets "When you walk into the rink wearing the Hockey Fights Cancer ties, you’re thinking about somebody in your life, so they’re important nights during the season."

NHLers raise money to fight cancer – 'a pervasive part of our life,' Jets Winnipeg Free Press LOADED 11.24.2019 coach says

Jason Bell

11/24/2019 3:00 AM

Nikolaj Ehlers can usually ignore the outside forces and focus on the game, but that was no easy task Saturday night. Not when the theme of the evening — Hockey Fights Cancer — hits so close to home.

The Winnipeg Jets winger lost his grandfather to cancer a few weeks ago, and another grandpa has been waging a nearly four-year battle.

"It’s personal for me right now, and it has been for many years. I’ve lost some people," said Ehlers, in a chat after the morning game-day skate. "I know how it’s made me, my family and the person it hits feel. It’s been in my family for over 10 years and it’s not fun. And many, many families are going through it.

"It definitely hits home. A lot of people close to my heart have gone through it and are still going through it."

November is Hockey Fights Cancer Month across the NHL, and each of the 31 clubs are hosting a special evening to honour the countless individuals who are no longer with us and support people living with, going through and moving past cancer.

The Winnipeg organization did its part on a night when the Columbus Blue Jackets were visiting. Players and coaches wore special ties as part of the fancy duds they arrive to the rink in, and the Jets donned lavender- coloured jerseys during the pre-game skate at Bell MTS Place, to be auctioned off to raise funds for cancer research, programs and awareness initiatives.

In the Winnipeg locker room this weekend, the name of a friend or family member is inscribed on each player’s nameplate above his stall. Ehlers has Bedstefar, the Danish word for grandfather, on his.

"The one who is still with us has been suffering from cancer for a years now. He’ll never be cancer free, they say, but he’s doing well and has a pretty normal life," said Ehlers. "He stays up (in Denmark) and watches my games at 2 or 3 in the morning. So, it means a lot to me."

Jets players, coaches and other staff members have been wearing T- shirts and pullovers with a navy blue crest reads, ‘Pritch Strong.’ It’s a show of support for the team’s massage therapist, Al Pritchard, who has undergone recent treatment for second bout with cancer.

Winnipeg associate coach Jamie Kompon’s wife, Tina, has also endured a long battle with breast cancer.

"(The team’s been affected) in all different ways in our room. It’s part of how we move. When you go through the nights in November where you’re a part of Hockey Fights Cancer, I think it’s critically important because you end up taking stock — one of my wife’s best friends last summer — and you start to do a list and go, ‘Oh my God, this list is long.’ And everybody has one," said Jets head coach Paul Maurice.

"It is such a pervasive part of our life, and the loss of life, and I think that reminder — yes the funds, for sure, for cancer research — but the reminder how painful the cost of this disease is."

The Jets were the visitors during two Hockey Fights Cancer nights — Tampa Bay and Dallas — on their recent road trip. Blue-liner Josh Morrissey said it’s always emotional when cancer patients and survivors, and the memories of those who lost the fight, are celebrated.

"It’s a great initiative by the league and by teams. Everyone has been affected by cancer in their lives, and to see the people that are able to come to the game and hear some of the stories but also raise awareness. What everyone’s after is to find better ways to treat the disease and maybe find a cure one day. That’s what everybody’s after," said Morrissey. 1163169 Winnipeg Jets Wheeler notched his 600th point with the franchise and Nikolaj Ehlers made amends for tripping call he just served on the same play to put the Jets up 2-1 in the second.

Jets lose pair of defenceman and a goalie, but win over Jackets suits 'em Ehlers took advantage of a mishandled puck by Blue Jackets fine defenceman Zach Werenski deep in the Columbus zone. From there, Ehlers engaged Wheeler in a game of tic-tac-toe, with the former finishing off the play with his team-leading 11th of the season.

Scott Billeck The lead would disappear in a span of 47 seconds not long after.

November 23, 2019 10:30 PM CST Tucker Poolman and Sbisa took penalties nine seconds apart and the wheels subsequently feel off. Seth Jones would cash in Columbus’

second power-play goal of the night and Gustav Nyquist would pot their Will Cranley and Marco Rossi lead the 67's to victory against the third to turn a 2-1 deficit into a 3-2 lead. Steelheads The Jets would shake off their misfortunes, with Mathieu Perreault If there was ever a microcosm of the Winnipeg Jets season bottled into a scoring at 14:43 to tie the game 3-3. two-and-a-half-hour passage of time, it came on Saturday night in the “The second period was wild,” Andrew Copp said. “You’re just trying to heart of Winnipeg’s downtown. focus on your job and keep going. But it’s tough when you see guys Bell MTS Place has played host to some strange games in the past, but going down left and right, everyone is yelling at the refs, the crowd is few could rival a 4-3 Jets win against the Columbus Blue Jackets. yelling at the refs. We got a few calls our way in the third, which was nice.” Everything fans know and love (and hate) about the their team was tossed into the mixing bowl, given a good stirring and then poured onto Copp would end up being the hero with 1:54 left in the third when a brutal the ice during 60 minutes of hockey. giveaway by Elvis Merzlikins, Columbus’s starter.

The leaky penalty kill returned, rearing its ugly head to the tune of three Copp latched onto the puck and fired a shot off David Savard that power-play markers against. redirected past a scrambling Merzlikins.

The door to the infirmary swung wide open once more, accepting “The way the game went, it was kind of back and forth and you just never returning patients in Josh Morrissey and Nathan Beaulieu in the second really know, especially with two minutes left,” Copp said. “You pick off period, both who wouldn’t be discharged on the night with lower-body and the goalie is scrambling to get back to the net, just try to get one and upper-body injuries, respectively. there and luckily enough it kind of hit off a D-man and slid in. Kind of a fortuitous bounce but with two minutes left, you’ll take them any way you “One guy goes down, then two guys go down,” said Luca Sbisa, who was can get them.” one of the four defencemen left standing for the Jets late in the second. “It’s not something you see happen too often. All of a sudden there’s Just how the Jets drew it up. plenty of room on the bench, but you don’t get to sit on it too long.” Meanwhile, Morrissey is expected to be fine. Beaulieu, however, will To add insult to injury, Laurent Brossoit was forced from the game with need further inspection. 8:41 left in the third period. An attempt at self-medicating with Heinz SEARCHING FOR GOALS mustard packs couldn’t cure apparent cramping problems with Winnipeg’s starter on the night. It used to be Winnipeg’s bread and butter, a source of refuge at times when the Jets needed a spark and one of momentum at others when He’d return, only to be told that he wouldn’t be let back in as Connor they needed to keep the foot on the gas pedal. Hellebuyck made five saves for perhaps the easiest win of his life. Winnipeg’s former power play could turn the tide of a game if given the “It kind of feels guilty,” Hellebuyck said. “Laurent played so well and he opportunity. And often, it would. really earned this victory tonight. Unfortunately, I take the stat but I hope he knows, and I told him, that everyone in here knows that he earned This season has been quite the opposite, however. While Winnipeg that victory tonight.” power plays still hold an inherent danger for their opponents, they aren’t producing at nearly the same rate. Brossoit certainly deserved the ‘W’ after making 27 saves, allowing three power-play goals against while stopping every shot he saw five-on-five. Bryan Little’s injury changed more than the composition of head coach Paul Maurice’s lineup. The day after it was announced that Little would The Jets, as they’ve done several times this season, took a couple of be out indefinitely, the offensive talent that the Jets possess was spliced negatives, multiplied them and wound up with a positive. into two units with the goal of jumpstarting a once-mighty part of their Despite deficits of 1-0 and 3-2, the team … wait for it … stayed in the game. fight. From the time Little returned to the lineup to the moment the puck “Honestly, it’s just who our team is this year,” captain Blake Wheeler dropped in the game he’d eventually leave after taking a puck to the said. “Right from training camp, it’s kind of what we’ve been doing. head, the Jets had just a single goal in 18 opportunities.

“Obviously, the hockey hasn’t always been pretty in the first little bit but The changes provided a bit of a spark. During the next four games, the the last stretch of games I think we’ve found something and it’s all goes Jets would score three times on 11 attempts. back to that compete, that work ethic. Lose two key guys on our back And then it cooled off. end and guys just buckle down for each other. You see ‘Connected’ written all over our walls and this team’s connected.” Since their overtime win against the Dallas Stars on Nov. 10, the Jets have just one goal across 10 opportunities with the extra man. An early hooking penalty to Sbisa 4:34 into the first period cost the Jets 25 seconds later as Pierre-Luc Dubois put the Blue Jackets up 1-0 with Maurice said the positive of running the platoon on the power play is that his 10th of the season. everyone, more or less, is in the position they’d like to be in.

Oliver Bjorkstrand’s shot caromed off the skate of Boone Jenner in front “We’re probably missing a right-handed shot on Mark Scheifele’s unit,” and Dubois was able to collect it with the backhand of his stick, pull to his Maurice said. forehand and stuff it past Brossoit who didn’t make it over to the post in time. But he added that he feels everyone is engaged in the power play rather than having one unit dominating the ice during the man advantage. A little Jack Roslovic-to-Wheeler magic pierced an otherwise slow start by the Jets, who returned from a nine-day, four-game road trip late “The negative is our numbers aren’t where we want them to be, so how Thursday night. long do you leave it?” Maurice said. “We’ve got one more adjustment we’d make with that two-unit concept before we would have to consider before we would have to go back to loading up one (unit).” Since Little went down, the Jets are just 3-for-17 on the power play, a 17.6% success rate, slightly above the 16.2% they’re sitting at on the season.

“I’m not panicked about it yet,” Maurice said.

Josh Morrissey, who mans the point on one of the units, feels the split units drive one another to better than the other each time they are out there because they want their specific unit called first on the next power- play attempt.

“That’s how we’ve looked it, whatever unit is going if a unit scores they’re probably going to get more looks,” he said. “We haven’t had a ton of power plays over that span but I think we are doing a lot of good things and I think if we stick to that, we’re going to see some more goals go in.”

The friendly competition is nice and all, but as Maurice points out, scoring goals is the idea of the power play and not pitting one group against another to try and one-up each other.

“We’ve got some skilled guy, no one necessarily gets the guaranteed advantage that they get to go regardless of how the power play performs,” Maurice said. “We’re trying to get some even time, give them an opportunity for one of the groups to get hot and that would just mean they’d just get to go first a few more times.

“But that’s a theory. It almost never goes like that because so many of the times when you’ve drawn penalties, Blake Wheeler’s (line) has been on the ice to do it and at 35-40 seconds, he needs some recovery time because he plays so hard, so the other unit goes because of freshness.”

HOCKEY FIGHTS CANCER

The name tags above each player’s locker in the Winnipeg Jets dressing room on Saturday looked a little different than they normally do.

The colour was different, gone from the normal navy blue to lavender. And above each name, whether it was Adam Lowry’s stall or Josh Morrissey’s, another was printed — grandparents, parents, or Pritchy, the latter of which is the nickname of the team’s massage therapist, Al Pritchard, who is battling cancer for a second time after being diagnosed during training camp.

“Al is such a wonderful human being and so connected to everybody in that room, so really personal thing,” Maurice said. “Jamie Kompon on our staff and his wife, Tina, has been battling cancer for a number of years, so it’s in our room, it’s part of how we move.

“When you go through the nights in November where you’re part of Hockey Fights Cancer, I think it’s critically important because you end up doing that, taking stock … and you start to do the list and you go, ‘My God, this is long’ and everyone has one. It is such a pervasive part of our life and loss of life that I think that reminder, yes the funds for sure for cancer research, but the reminder then of how painful the cost of this disease is.”

Winnipeg Sun LOADED 11.24.2019 1163170 Winnipeg Jets Sonny Milano-Pierre-Luc Dubois-Emil Bemstrom Alexandre Texier-Nick Foligno-Cam Atkinson

Gustav Nyquist-Boone Jenner-Oliver Bjorkstrand GAME DAY: Blue Jackets putting winning streak on the line vs. Jets Eric Robinson-Alexander Wennberg-Josh Anderson

Defence Scott Billeck Zach Werenski-Seth Jones November 23, 2019 8:10 AM CST Ryan Murray-David Savard

Vladislav Gavrikov-Dean Kukan Saturday, 6 p.m., BellMTS Place Goalies TV: SN360, SNW; Radio: TSN 1290 Joonas Korpisalo THE BIG MATCHUP Elvis Merzlikins Dmitry Kulikov vs. Nick Foligno WINNIPEG JETS The Jets will have their hands full with Columbus’s top line and top defensive pairing with Zach Werenski and Seth Jones, who should give Forwards Mark Scheifele’s line some fits throughout the game. But it will be interesting to see how Kulikov and Foligno get along after their fight this Kyle Connor-Mark Scheifele-Patrik Laine past March. Foligno hit Scheifele with an awkward hit, prompting Kulikov Nikolaj Ehlers-Blake Wheeler-Jack Roslovic to come to Scheifele’s aid. They two scrapped, with Kulikov getting jerseyed in the fight and Foligno pulling out a decision victory. Given the Andrew Copp-Adam Lowry-Mathieu Perreault time Paul Maurice is giving Kulikov these days, the two will likely see each other a fair bit. Joona Luoto-David Gustafsson-Logan Shaw

Five keys to the game Defence

1. Powerless play Josh Morrissey-Tucker Poolman

After switching up the groups following Bryan Little’s gruesome injury Dmitry Kulikov-Neal Pionk against the New Jersey Devils. the Jets have gone just 3-for-17 on the Nathan Beaulieu-Luca Sbisa power play despite diversifying their scoring talent across two units. It’s far from the desired results the team would have wanted. There have Goalies been chances but not a lot of finish to follow them up. Perhaps it’s time to go back to what worked so well for them last season and let that unit Connor Hellebuyck power through their misfiring from earlier in the season. Laurent Brossoit

2. Powered up in Ohio Injuries

While Winnipeg’s power play has floundered as of late, the Columbus Blue Jackets: F Brandon Dubinsky, F Kole Sherwood D Markus man-advantage has thrived, scoring a power-play marker in each of their Nutivaara past three games and five out of their past six. In a 5-4 win against the Detroit Red Wings on Thursday, the Blue Jackets scored twice on five Jets: F Mason Appleton, F Mark Letestu, F Bryan Little, F Gabriel tries. The lethal power play has helped the Blue Jackets win three Bourque, D Dustin Byfuglien (suspended) straight. Special Teams 3. First-goal importance POWER PLAY At least for the Blue Jackets, who are 9-1-1 when they score first. The Blue Jackets: 17.4% (20th) Jets are a healthy 6-4-1 when they allow their opponents to light the lamp first. That will bring some solace to the Jets given that Columbus will Jets: 16.2% (22nd) enter the game having scored the first goal in each of their past six games. Interestingly enough, the Blue Jackets have also trailed in each PENALTY KILLING of those games. Blue Jackets: 78.7% (21st) 4. Much-improved PK Jets: 75.5% (23rd) The Jets were a perfect 6-for-6 on the penalty kill during the final three Winnipeg Sun LOADED 11.24.2019 road games of their four-game trip and only allowed one goal in nine chances. Since the beginning of November, the team has killed off 20-of- 23 times they were shorthanded. Winnipeg’s PK has improved nearly 20 percentage points after being dangerously close to an awful 50% success rate earlier in the season.

5. Homecoming

The Jets return for their single home game before heading back out on the road and will be looking for a bounce-back after their 5-3 defeat to the Dallas Stars on Thursday. The Jets have been successful on the road with an 8-3 record, so their upcoming three-games trip may serve them well. At home, however, the team sits below .500 with a 5-5-1 record. BellMTS Place has been a fortress of sorts for the Jets in the past but has yet to become one this season.

GAME DAY LINEUPS

COLUMBUS BLUE JACKETS

FORWARDS 1163171 Winnipeg Jets game because he knew that we weren’t right where we needed to be. Tonight he had his wingers with him.”

As you might have read, I happen to believe that one of Wheeler’s ‘I think we’ve found something’: Jets’ wild win over the Blue Jackets wingers is an early-season Jets MVP candidate and both of them have could be a season-defining moment played well. Ehlers, in particular, has raised his game to new heights this season, leading the Jets with 11 goals — including this spectacular Saturday snipe.

Murat Ates I’d like to believe that Ehlers’ new plateau — a new combination of races won, plays created, pucks fought for, and goals scored — was buoyed by Nov 23, 2019 his commitment to fighting for his grandfather (“Bedstefar” in Danish.) Ehlers racing out of the penalty box to win a battle and score a goal would be such a good, grandson-ly story. Identity, accomplished. (Courtesy John Delaney, Winnipeg Jets) The scrappy-go-lucky Winnipeg Jets are going to the wall for each other no matter what stands in their way. But Ehlers has been playing this well all season.

And with the unlikeliest sequence of events leading Winnipeg to a 4-3 And an honest look at his complete game on Saturday night would have win over Columbus on Saturday night at Bell MTS Place, Blake Wheeler to include his attempt to lob Josh Anderson at the Columbus blue line doesn’t care how it looks. He cares about his team. with no Jets player behind him. Ehlers was the last man back, gave the puck away and created a breakaway for goaltender Laurent Brossoit to “Honestly, it’s just who are team is this year,” Wheeler said of Winnipeg’s sort out to keep Winnipeg in the game. identity. “Right from training camp, it’s kind of what we’ve been doing. The hockey hasn’t always been pretty but the last stretch of games, I That Brossoit played a strong game in net and Winnipeg won but think we’ve found something.” Brossoit didn’t technically earn a “win” barely scratches the surface of Saturday night’s shenanigans. The shot counts, flow of play and scoring chance totals haven’t always supported the Jets. But the Jets have supported the Jets, and Wheeler No, the mustard-chugging Brossoit, who gave way to Connor Hellebuyck says that’s what makes this team special. because of cramps at 3-3 in the third period, didn’t earn the win. Hellebuyck got the “W” when Andrew Copp’s circus bounce past Elvis “It all goes back to that compete, that work ethic. Lose two key guys on Merzlikins made the game 4-3 and seemed a little sheepish about it. The our back end and guys just buckle down for each other.” scene on Winnipeg’s bench when Brossoit returned from the dressing room and asked to go back in was one to behold as well as when the I’m telling you, Jets fans. Get those “stay in the fight” bumper stickers competitive professional athlete was told no by his coach. The stakes printed. There’s business to be had. Because whatever you (or I) might were still high, Brossoit had recently cramped up, and Hellebuyck looked feel about the sustainability of these wins, the team keeps, the team good. keeps adding them up and the Jets feel pretty damn good about it. “I said I’m sorry that it didn’t work to get him the win,” Maurice said after At 14-9-1, Winnipeg owns a playoff spot and it’s climbed back into third the game. “But I’m making that call all day long. Based on circumstances, place in the Central Division. Whatever the numbers say — that the Jets the time of the game, Connor (Hellebuyck) going in and looking sharp, took five penalties, played their fourth line four minutes, gave up three I’m not putting a goalie back in with two minutes left to win that game.” power-play goals, lost two defencemen and one goaltender to injury, it feels like there’s something special happening here. Maurice never had to.

To dial down the bravado and be wholeheartedly sincere for a moment, Incidentially, as shared by Judy Owen of the Canadian Press, Blue Saturday in Winnipeg was special before the puck was ever dropped. Jackets coach John Tortorella had no interest in discussing Copp’s Before the game began, the Jets locker room was given a game-winning goal. #HockeyFightsCancer makeover, with each player’s stall showing the name of the person or people who they were fighting for. “I’m warning you, I’ll walk,” Tortorella told Owen and the other gathered reporters just as his postgame press conference was set to begin. He WE'RE ALL SET FOR TONIGHT.  #HOCKEYFIGHTSCANCER was simply unwilling to discuss the play that won Winnipeg the game. PIC.TWITTER.COM/GAESMFBAFA I’d like to believe that Copp’s flukey game-winner was the story of — OK, — WINNIPEG JETS (@NHLJETS) NOVEMBER 23, 2019 it’s time.

Wheeler’s stall showed the name of Amara, who along with Owen, Sam The real story of Winnipeg’s 4-3 win over Columbus is how much went and Drea, was one of four children who have survived cancer to be wrong while Winnipeg stayed right. honoured before the game. Four ceremonial pucks were dropped, Wheeler stopped to hug each kid, and the game started on a uniquely The Jets took five penalties to the Blue Jackets’ three. Not all of those emotional note. penalty calls were fan-endorsed. Columbus scored three power-play goals. Josh Morrissey and Nathan Beaulieu each left the game due to “I’ve had the privilege of meeting a couple of the kids tonight,” Wheeler injury, leaving Winnipeg to finish the game with just four defencemen. said. “A couple of them are a lot sicker than they put on. It changes you Twice in the third period, the Jets rolled a power play with five forwards to realize that this game is an escape for them — to get away from what just to give its defencemen a break. they’re fighting through every day and enjoy a couple of hours. What else can you do but just bust your ass for however many shifts you’re on the The men who carried the weight of those losses? Neal Pionk, Dmitry ice.” Kulikov, Luca Sbisa, and Tucker Poolman.

(Courtesy John Delaney, Winnipeg Jets) Pionk was a first and then a third-pairing defenceman in New York last season, but he’s looked largely top-four worthy in Winnipeg. Kulikov has I’d like to believe that Wheeler’s strongest game of the season — a two- been part of successful third pairings for the Jets in the past but has point effort built off a heck of a play by Jack Roslovic, a Wheeler snipe, looked a step behind this season, leading the team with nine minor and several cross-seam passing plays between Wheeler and Nikolaj penalties and a team-worst -0.4 WAR stat. Sbisa was a waiver claim who Ehlers — was buoyed by that “bust your ass” mentality given to him by played nine games for the New York Islanders last season. Poolman, the kids. That would be special. That would be such a nice, captain-like despite his promise, lost most of two consecutive seasons to injury and story. has 46 NHL games to his name.

But Paul Maurice believes Wheeler had already hit Saturday’s unique And they held the fort. Despite playing the entirety of the third period height on the road trip that led up to it. without either Morrissey or Beaulieu, Winnipeg won the period 1-0 and the game as a result. “He is such a powerful man,” Maurice said. “He’s an incredibly fit guy so he can weather our schedule a little better than some other guys. I thought it happened in Dallas too — where he was trying to drive the “They did an amazing job,” Wheeler said. “Honestly, it didn’t look like they were gasping for air. It didn’t look like treading water. … Those guys earned a couple of beers tonight, for sure.”

“All of a sudden there’s plenty of room on the bench,” Sbisa said. “But you don’t get to sit on it too long. It’s fun. The four of us, we just rallied together and see it as a challenge.”

“You see ‘Connected’ written all over our walls,” Wheeler said. “And this team is connected.”

Back to Wheeler for a moment.

This has been a hard, hard season for him. He started the year as the team’s top right winger and struggled to produce. When Bryan Little was injured, Wheeler was moved to centre between Ehlers and Roslovic — a position he’s played only in spurts since college — and suddenly, he’s excelled. As a trio, Wheeler’s line has carried 57 percent of shot attempts and expected goals at five-on-five and has found seam passes to exploit, as it did on Ehlers’ goal, seemingly at will.

This is remarkable.

Given that, by eye, this was Wheeler’s best game of the season, I had to ask: Did he put special weight on his own shoulders to carry the Jets through their penalty trouble, their injuries and a night full of on-ice adversity?

“Not really,” Wheeler said, downplaying his performance.

Then he got candid.

“Nights like this are bound to happen and I expected them to come more frequently than they have been. I’m not going to stand here and lie and say I don’t want to be productive. But I’ve scored a lot of points around here without winning a lot of games, so for me, it’s all about whatever it takes to get a win. Since our line’s been put together, we’ve given up one five-on-five goal together as a threesome so we’re doing our job.”

OK, but games like Saturday’s are something like one in a thousand, right?

I asked Wheeler if, after everything the Jets have gone through this season — from injuries to absences to on-ice struggles, from Saturday’s penalty calls to the goals given up to the injuries, from all of the times Winnipeg has been made to stay in the fight … did he feel like the Jets deserved a win?

“You’re fucking right I do,” Wheeler said, laughing gleefully.

Honestly, there’s your game story.

After a start that has definitely involved more than his fair share of struggles, the captain is dialed in.

The Athletic LOADED: 11.24.2019 1163172 Winnipeg Jets reason I remember is because we were in the goal pile and those two were fighting with each other over who scored it.

“That was my first interaction with Buff, so I got a taste of it.” Four observations from Jets’ past five games: Blake Wheeler’s Although Wheeler isn’t much of a numbers guy, he’s eternally grateful for milestone, power play change and more the opportunities he’s been presented with after the deal that’s had such a profound impact on his career.

Ken Wiebe “No matter what happens the rest of the way, I’ve been so fortunate with everything that — I don’t want to say given to me because you have to Nov 23, 2019 earn your stripes in this league — but you do have to be given opportunities,” Wheeler said. “The door opened a little bit and I was able

to seize the opportunity. In every way shape or form, this organization, Sure, the schedule said this was a home game. this fan base is the first place that kind of understood me as a player and didn’t try to make me something that I’m not. But when Winnipeg Jets captain Blake Wheeler addressed members of the media following a 4-3 victory over the Columbus Blue Jackets on “They allowed me to be a little bit more creative and allowed me to make Saturday night, it was clear that this pit stop was being treated like an some mistakes and still give me those opportunities and grow. Especially extension of the four-game roadie through Florida, Nashville and Dallas when it’s not the organization that drafted you, it would be easy for them that was just completed. to move on and give somebody else a chance. But they stuck with me and let me grow, and I’m forever grateful for that.” “This was really just an extension of a road trip,” Wheeler said. “We’re in for one game and then we’re back out.” Wheeler had a slow start by his lofty standards when it comes to point production, but he’s found his stride since moving to centre and the line This was another one of those nights when the Jets weren’t exactly with Ehlers and Jack Roslovic has been dynamic since the trio was put clicking on all cylinders. together after the injury to Bryan Little.

There was some obvious fatigue and the heavy legs that go with that. The Jets won’t have to make the decision for some time, but if Wheeler keeps playing the way he is, you have to wonder if Maurice might The Jets got themselves into some penalty trouble, taking three consider keeping him at centre for the remainder of the campaign. consecutive penalties, including a two-man disadvantage. Time for change Sure, a couple of the calls were a touch flimsy, but the Jets were unable to kill off the penalties and it changed the complexion of the game. Out of necessity on Saturday, the Jets sent a power-play unit that included five forwards on two separate occasions. There was some adversity, as the Jets finished the game with only four defencemen on the bench — after Josh Morrissey took a clearing And while they didn’t convert on either chance — and the power play attempt off the leg and Nathan Beaulieu blocked a shot on his right finished 0-for-3 — the time seems right to go back to the drawing board hand/wrist. with the man-advantage.

“One guy goes down, then two guys go down. It’s not something you see During the past five games, the Jets are just 1-for-11 on the power play, happen too often,” said Jets defenceman Luca Sbisa, who finished with and they’ve slipped to 15.5 percent for the season (which leaves them 18:34 of ice time. “All of a sudden there’s plenty of room on the bench, 22nd in the NHL). but you don’t get to sit on it too long. It’s fun. The four of us, we just rallied together and see it as a challenge.” It was easy to understand the premise of trying to get a bit more even distribution of the power-play minutes when Maurice decided to split up It turns out the men on the blue line were up for the challenge, holding the two units. the fort for the final 24 minutes or so. Things weren’t going smoothly and putting Mark Scheifele and Kyle With the score tied late in the third period, the Jets took advantage of a Connor in shooting positions made some sense, but the Jets have bad turnover by Blue Jackets goalie Elvis Merzlinkins, whose clearing enjoyed tremendous success during the past two seasons by doing attempt was intercepted by Andrew Copp for what turned out to be the things a certain way and it’s time to give that another shot. game-winning goal. As it stands right now, neither grouping is having much success and one “You pick (the puck) off and the goalie is scrambling to get back to the of the biggest issues is that one of the biggest power-play weapons in the net, just try to get one there and luckily enough it kind of hit off a D-man NHL — the shot of Patrik Laine — isn’t getting many shooting and slid in,” said Copp, whose shot went in off Blue Jackets defenceman opportunities. David Savard. “Kind of a fortuitous bounce but with two minutes left, you’ll take them any way you can get them.” Laine was caught a bit flat-footed and down a bit low at times on Saturday with the man-advantage, and his frustration was encapsulated The Jets improved to 14-9-1, including an 8-2-1 mark during the past 11 by his stick exploding on the lone one-timer opportunity that came his games — a stretch that moved Winnipeg above the playoff line, at least way. for the time being. Laine is taking significant strides when it comes to his all-around game, Here are four things that stood out from those five games: but it’s downright shocking he’s been limited to only one power-play marker among his six goals scored in 22 games. Mr. 600 It’s easy to see why Maurice wanted to get Ehlers — his leading goal Wheeler scored on a one-timer and then set up Nikolaj Ehlers on a scorer — some additional power-play time, but this move hasn’t really beautiful give-and-go on Saturday, giving Wheeler two points in the provided the jolt for him either. contest and 14 this season. Ehlers is still making good on the zone entries, but he isn’t generating Combined with a two-assist game against the Tampa Bay Lightning last much offence from the down-low spot either. He had more success on Saturday, that moved Wheeler to 600 points with the Jets franchise, the half-wall. including 17 in 23 games with the Atlanta Thrashers and 583 in 640 games since moving to Winnipeg. Whether it’s Morrissey or Neal Pionk providing the shot from the point, the Jets should reunite Wheeler, Scheifele, Laine and Connor on the top Once the scrum subsided, I asked Wheeler if he remembered the first unit. point he recorded after the trade with the Boston Bruins late in the 2010- 11 season. They’ve had plenty of success to fall back on and it’s their best option right now to start climbing their way out of the bottom third of the NHL in “I do,” Wheeler said. “It was in Edmonton, in my first game. (Andrew terms of efficiency. Ladd) came over the blue line and dropped it to me, I shot it off the far pad and the puck went flying up in the air. It came down, (Ladd) swatted And if that top unit is stuck on the ice too long, Maurice can send a it in and (Dustin Byfuglien) swatted at it from right behind him. The message by starting the second group. Leaks in the PK

Speaking of special teams, just when you thought the Jets’ penalty kill might be finding some momentum, they’ve sprung another leak.

Yes, the Jets’ play while down a man had been showing some signs of improvement — allowing only one goal in nine opportunities during the previous four games — they surrendered three alone on Saturday night.

One came during a two-man advantage, but there aren’t many nights when a team can give up three power-play markers and still find a way to win.

The Jets have found a way to play well in tight games despite rolling out a penalty kill that is 29th (72.2 percent) among 31 teams, but that’s an area that offers plenty of room for improvement.

Things seemed to stabilize with the return of Beaulieu and the addition of Sbisa, but Beaulieu is going to need some tests done for his recent injury, and there’s a chance he could end up back on the shelf.

When the Jets had gotten into a bit of a rhythm on the penalty kill, the reads were getting much quicker and the players were moving quicker into shooting and passing lanes and generally being more aggressive.

Earlier on the road trip, Maurice said the poor start was going to make it tough for the Jets to get their numbers on the PK looking a bit more respectable.

That task got a bit more difficult on Saturday night.

Tough luck

It was a hard-luck evening on Saturday for backup goalie Laurent Brossoit, who turned aside all 20 shots on goal he faced at even strength.

The problem for Brossoit was that he was cramping up and had to be removed from the game with

Brossoit came back to the bench with just over two minutes to go and tried to talk his way back into the game, but Maurice wasn’t willing to take the risk at that stage of the tie game.

“I said I’m sorry that it didn’t work to get him the win, but I’m making that call all day long,” Maurice said. “Based on circumstances, the time of the game, Connor (Hellebuyck) going in and looking sharp, I’m not putting a goalie back in with two minutes left to win that game.”

Hellebuyck wasn’t about to take any of the credit for coming on in relief and getting credit for the vulture win.

“It kind of feels guilty,” Hellebuyck said. “Laurent played so well and he really earned this victory. Unfortunately, I take the stat but I hope he knows, and I told him, that everyone in here knows that he earned that victory tonight.”

You can be sure Brossoit was disappointed — because it was only his fifth start of the season and sixth appearance.

Hellebuyck has started the lion’s share of the games so far and he’ll continue to carry a heavy load, but with games on consecutive days next week to cap off another three-game swing through California, Brossoit shouldn’t have to wait long before he’s back between the pipes.

The Athletic LOADED: 11.24.2019 1163173 Vancouver Canucks Easy it wasn’t but if the Canucks were curious about what lies ahead, they now have a clearer idea, which brings us back to the playoff question.

Ed Willes: Maybe it's too early to talk playoffs, but Canucks are in Again, it’s early days but there are a couple of points to ponder as we conversation dream about April. Overall, the Canucks can’t complain too loudly about their health. Before Edler went down Saturday, their nine leading scorers had missed, collectively, one game. That was Hughes three weeks ago.

Ed Willes But the Canucks were also missing five regulars from their lineup Saturday, including four who started opening night: Brandon Sutter, November 23, 2019 3:59 PM PST Michael Ferland, Jay Beagle and Tyler Motte.

The irrepressible Antoine Roussel is the fifth and some of those players OPINION: It’s fair to ask if (the current) rate of production is sustainable. should start returning to the lineup. Collectively, they’re not going to light But there’s more to this team than the front-end talent and that’s shown up the scoreboard but they represent size and experience to a team that up a couple of times this season, most notably in Washington on can use both. Saturday Edler, of course, is a different animal. They can cover his minutes short Granted, the opinion wasn’t unanimous but at the outset of this season term but long term, you can’t lose your best defenceman without leaving the consensus view of the Vancouver Canucks went something like this: a scar.

Yes, the team will be improved and, yes, they should be playing In the meantime, the Canucks boast the league’s eighth-ranked penalty meaningful games in March. But to qualify for the NHL playoffs, they’d kill and fourth-ranked power play. Their goaltending, by and large, has have to improve by 12 to 14 points over last season while crawling over been playoff-quality and they’re on pace to score 266 goals as a team four teams that finished ahead of them. which would be their highest total since 2009-10.

For a team that was emerging from four lost years, the playoffs seemed But here’s the most important consideration for the Canucks as their like a bridge too far. Still, as long as the Canucks — everybody now — playoff chances are contemplated. While the number fluctuates from year took another step forward in 2019-20, the faithful could live with another to year, it usually takes 94 to 95 points to qualify in the West. playoff-free spring. After 24 games the Canucks are on pace for 96 points. They’ve also The next question is will they have to? played 14 of those 24 on the road.

Travis Green’s team is now 24 games into the fight and while a million To reach 94 points they’ll require 66 points over their final 58 games and, different things can happen between now and Game 82, those 24 games suddenly, that ask doesn’t seem as onerous. represent an adequate sample size to draw some conclusions. To borrow from Denny Green, it could be the Canucks are who we First and foremost, they’re better than anyone could have reasonably thought they were back in October. It’s also possible, just possible, expected. The record — 12-8-4 good for third in the Pacific — is one they’re something different. thing. The larger issue is the in-team improvements that suggest the Vancouver Province: LOADED: 11.24.2019 ledger is an accurate reflection of this ensemble.

Vancouver Canucks #40 Elias Petterson wears the Skate jerseys as they skate prior tp playing the Colorado Avalanche in a regular season NHL hockey game at Rogers Arena, Vancouver, November 16 2019. Gerry Kahrmann / PNG

Heading into this season, for example, the belief was Elias Pettersson could improve on his rookie campaign. How much he’d improve was a matter of some conjecture but after 24 games, Pettersson is on pace for 34 goals and 99 points.

He’s also coming off a standout performance on Saturday when he might have been the best player on the ice against the Capitals in a big boys’ game. In no particular order he scored a power-play goal, registered five shots on net, hounded the puck all game and drove the Canucks’ offence.

A 70-point centre in today’s NHL is a very good player. A 100-point centre is a top-10 player in the league and if Pettersson is that guy, it changes a lot of things for the Canucks.

The in-house improvement also goes deeper than Pettersson. Brock Boeser is on pace for 34 goals and 79 points. J.T. Miller represented a huge variable in the Canucks’ equation this season. He’s on pace for 30 goals and 79 points.

Everyone was excited about Quinn Hughes at the start of the year but did anyone see a 64-point defenceman who’s quarterbacking the league’s fourth-ranked power play?

Now, it’s fair to ask if that rate of production is sustainable. But there’s more to this team than the front-end talent and that’s shown up a couple of times this season, most notably in Washington on Saturday.

As is their wont, the Canucks surrendered the game’s first goal just over two minutes in. Workhorse defenceman Alex Edler was then lost for the game midway through the first period with an undisclosed injury.

Unfazed, the visitors leaned on a four-man blue-line rotation of Hughes (25:13 of ice time), Chris Tanev (25:41), Tyler Myers (25:21) and Jordie Benn (22:37). Bo Horvat also contributed a bone-wearying 26 minutes, then scored the game winner in Round 7 of the shootout. And Miller chipped in with 24 heavy minutes. 1163174 Vancouver Canucks Imagine the power play without Pettersson, Brock Boeser and Quinn Hughes?

That’s how critical Beagle (hip), Sutter (groin), Motte (foot) and Edler Canucks Post Game: Markstrom's moment, penalty kill plaudits, Miller (upper body) have been to the penalty kill. Their collective absence 'pushed' to limit Saturday — and possibly Monday in Phiadlelphia and Wednesday in Pittsburgh — will have a lot to do with how the remainder of this six-game trip evolves.

BEN KUZMA The return Saturday was encouraging. The Capitals went 0-for-3 on the power play and managed just four shots. Tim Schaller, Loui Eriksson, November 23, 2019 3:51 PM PST Tanner Pearson and Bo Horvat excelled with that tough task.

Beagle is the straw that stirs the drink. His aggressiveness on the WASHINGTON, D.C. —Points to ponder in a Saturday matinee where forecheck and effectiveness in defensive-zone draws — the opposition the Capitals’ vaunted power play — and the trigger-happy Alex Ovechkin choosing his weak side face-off set-up with that power-play option — is — were the marquee attraction. But another strong performance by why he’s sixth in league faceoff percentage at 58.7 per cent. Jacob Markstrom and superlative special-teams play paved the way for a gutsy 2-1 shootout win when Bo Horvat scored in the seventh round: My oh Myers!  pic.twitter.com/dCawAa0ipY— Vancouver #Canucks (@Canucks) November 23, 2019 Captain @BoHorvat comes up clutch in the shootout! pic.twitter.com/tvYjcOer3g— NHL (@NHL) November 23, 2019 “Hopefully, it (injury) is short term for Beagle and I don’t think it’s going to be too long — but it’s a big part of our penalty kill,” added Green. “He MARKSTROM’S MENTAL STRENGTH: ‘It’s no secret he has been brings a lot of energy to the team the way he plays on that line when through some tough times’ they’re on.

It started for the starter before his latest start. “Especially on the road. When you play certain teams, and they (Capitals) have a lot of depth with their scoring, those guys definitely Markstrom had done the work with goalie coach Ian Clark to get his solidify and calm the waters a bit. When the other team is rolling, they game to a level where he would feel confident again. Thatcher Demko can help settle down the game a bit. Sometimes, some things the PK was not only proving his worth, it looked like a real battle for the cage does goes unnoticed. was developing. “If we took three of our top guys off the PP, it would affect that a lot. It’s a Markstrom told us not to read too much into that 6-1 loss Tuesday in challenge and guys have to step up and Bo is one of those guys who’s Dallas to start this six-game slog on the wrong foot. He was in a shooting now slotted on the PK. gallery that night and the disjointed Canucks were bad to a man. Markstrom then put up 45 saves in a 6-3 win on Thursday in Nashville “It’s a new opportunity for him and a part of the game we’ve tried to talk and followed up with 32 against the Capitals, who own the fourth-ranked to him about the last few years. Not many better challenges than the one power play and Ovechkin, who has taken the most shots this season. we’re facing now.”

Then came the pre-game ceremony to honour Hockey Fights Cancer on MILLER ‘PUSHED’ TO LIMIT: ‘I normally don’t try that move. If Huggy Saturday and you knew it meant something to Markstrom, who recently (Hughes) doesn’t push me, I don’t get there.’ lost his father to the disease. J.T. Miller has been everything the Canucks could have hoped for when No goals in the 2nd, just a lot of goodness from Marky. they acquired the winger with a draft-weekend trade. pic.twitter.com/tN8Md6zrou— Vancouver #Canucks (@Canucks) November 23, 2019 He plays hard. He leads by example. He speaks frankly. He has playoff experience. And he will try to do anything to win, even an overtime “It was fitting for sure,” acknowledged Canucks coach Travis Green. “It’s dangle that could have cost the Canucks the game Saturday. If not for a no secret he has been through some tough times and it was probably a push from behind to help stop a T.J. Oshie breakaway, the Capitals could pretty touching a special moment for him for sure. Something like that is have won. going to remind him.” “I was just trying to attack the guy,” said Miller, who had seven shots and What Markstrom reminded the coaching staff is that he has the resiliency 13 attempts. “In overtime, I usually don’t try that move. I just rip it at the to bounce back and find his form. The new Markstrom is not that old net. I was just trying to hold it hard and I came up short. Huggy (Hughes) Markstrom and that was clearly evident in a playoff-style, pressure- just gave me a boost. packed test against the Capitals. “If he doesn’t push me, I don’t get there.” “It’s great to get the confidence from the coaches and for the guys to play great in front of me is making my job a lot easier,” said Markstrom. Teamwork makes the dream work.  “Before the game in Dallas, Demko got two games. I worked with (goalie MALESTYN’S MEMORY: ‘Jake was a great teammate, nothing but good coach) Ian Clark and felt my game was coming and it was where I things to say about him.’ wanted it to be. Beck Malestyn knows why Jake Virtanen was so high on the Canucks’ That was Saturday. Ovechkin had seven shots and 12 attempts. And radar for the 2014 draft Markstrom was great. The Delta native was recalled Tuesday by the Capitals. He had a “He shoots hard,” understated Markstrom. “Our guys did a great job to breakaway and three shots Tuesday in a 4-1 loss in New York and was take away time and space and not let him pick a corner and in overtime, I on the fourth line Saturday with former Canucks winger Brendan Leipsic. just tried to get big and cut off the angle.” Malestyn played 2 1/2 WHL seasons with Virtanen in Calgary. Malestyn And that made all the difference after Elias Pettersson opened scoring knew the buzz about Virtanen when the defenceman played minor with a scorching power-play one-timer. hockey in South Delta and then the Okanagan Hockey Academy. Poor puck. “He was a pretty phenomenal player,” said Malestyn, a 2016 fifth-round It's 1-1 after 1 in Washington. @_EPettersson with his 10th goal of the pick of the Capitals, who had a 32 goals with the Hitmen in the 2016-17 season. pic.twitter.com/OgOzRkmXVR— Vancouver #Canucks season. “Growing up in the Lower Mainland, his name was always (@Canucks) November 23, 2019 around, too, and then getting an opportunity to play with him was awesome. Fast is an understatement for how fast that guy moves on the PENALTY KILL CHALLENGE: ’There are not many better challenges, it’s ice. a learned trait.’ “And he was a great teammate, too. Nothing but good things to say about No Jay Beagle. No Brandon Sutter. No Tyler Motte. And now no Alex him” Edler “Nothing bad? Virtanen is a happy-go-lucky guy who had 45 goals in the 2013-14 WHL season. Come on.

“Geez, no,” laughed Maelstyn. “I actually don’t have anything in my back pocket. It’s such a distant memory of being with him. So I’ve got nothing. Just a nickname. We just called him Virts.”

Malestyn’s friends and family are die-hard Canucks fans but their loyalties were obviously divided Saturday,

Malestyn has six points (3-3) in 18 AHL games with the Hershey Bears and his challenges in the NHL as a fourth-liner are pretty standard.

“Right now it’s just about feeling comfortable and playing my game and keeping it simple,” said the 6-foot-2, 198 pound Malestyn. “I have to focus on puck decisions. Any turnover off my stick is not going to be good. It’s using my speed on the forecheck.

“I need to establish that and work on the offensive side and little plays around the net and being able to put pucks in.”

Vancouver Province: LOADED: 11.24.2019 1163175 Vancouver Canucks “Our compete level was really high and you could see it. Not just in puck battles, but the way we skated and tracked. It was a real complete game.”

Canucks 2, Capitals 1 (SO): Special teams prove point in impressive Here’s what we also learned as the Canucks couldn’t connect at even victory strength — Horvat missed on a redirect with four minutes left in the third period before Boeser and Quinn Hughes were denied — on the third stop of a six-game road trip:

BEN KUZMA Edler hit, cut, injured

November 23, 2019 3:53 PM PST It looked like the 236-pound Ovechkin had wreaked early havoc on Edler with a heavy but clean end boards check to inflict some pain, perhaps a

stinger or something worse. Then there was footage of Edler in a WASHINGTON, D.C. — Don’t take them. Draw them. collision with Travis Boyd. The centre’s skate rode up and Edler appeared to have suffered an upper-body cut. It was a simple special-teams message to solve a complex problem Saturday afternoon. Edler lasted just five shifts and 3:32 and not only were the Canucks reduced to five defencemen, they needed some extra efforts to keep it If the Vancouver Canucks were going to defuse a potent Washington close. Capitals’ power play — especially without injured penalty-kill specialists Jay Beagle, Brandon Sutter and Tyler Motte — they couldn’t afford a Early in the second period, Tyler Myers raced back just in time to sweep parade to the box. a trickling puck off the goal-line as a Jakub Vrana wrist shot got between the body and arm of Markstrom and was slowly heading for the back of It would only add to Bo Horvat’s workload with defensive-zone faceoffs the net. and in a penalty kill pairing with Beagle sidelined again with a nagging lower-body core concern. Pettersson was also most noticeable with his defensive awareness and his tenacity drew a second period penalty in a 1-1 draw and the Capitals NEXT GAME pressing.

Monday Power play strikes again

Vancouver Canucks vs. Philadelphia Flyers After that outburst of five power-play goals in Nashville on Thursday, the intriguing and improving first unit was expected to be a factor Saturday. 4 p.m., Wells Fargo Center, TV: SNETP; Radio: SNET 650 AM It struck on a 5-on-3 advantage in the opening period when Miller spotted Alex Edler could not increase his league-leading minor infraction total to a defender without his stick at top of the slot. He fed Pettersson at the top 18 to help overcome the Capitals. But that proved a moot point because of the faceoff dot and his heavy and quick one-timer found the short side the defenceman was done for the day in the first period with an upper- glove before Holtby could go post to post. body injury. That only added to the penalty-kill challenge because he’s also part of that deployment. The first unit also ditched the time-consuming drop pass, entered the offensive zone at speed. And Pettersson was toying with the Capitals The Canucks also needed to be stronger on pucks to draw infractions to with some deft stick handling to find passing options. It was a good sign. showcase their own improving power play. Elias Pettersson did it twice and so did Josh Leivo. And Chris Tanev drew the biggest one in “He can’t cover me as much, so I get closer to the net and with the one- overtime. timer and it was great,” Pettersson said of his first true one-time slapper from the faceoff dot this season. “We don’t want to be a one-and-done To their credit, the Canucks weathered the storm as the league’s fourth- team. That game against Dallas (6-1 loss) showed us how not to play ranked power play went 0-for-3. Goaltender Jacob Markstrom then and these last two we moved our feet and worked hard. stopped Alex Ovechkin on a breakaway with 30 second left in overtime and then once again before Horvat scored in the seventh round of the “That’s what can make this team good. We play our best when we work shootout — his first attempt of the season — for a 2-1 triumph. and we need to build on this.”

“It’s one of those positions you want to be in — you want to be in the big Markstrom making strides moments and Marky was phenomenal in the shootout and I wanted to win it for him,” said Horvat. “We played a heck of a game, a full 60 The Canucks starter took an 0-7-1 career record against the Capitals into (minutes) and we didn’t let up in the defensive zone. the matinee. And when he was beat on the third shot of the game — Jake Virtanen and Hughes started the sequence by losing an end boards “We know how we have to play to win and we did that again. If we can be puck battle with Lars Eller — the ensuing wrist shot by Vrana from the consistent with our game, we’re going to be tough to beat.” faceoff dot eluded his glove and could have made for a long day.

Especially if Horvat starts moving up the shootout selection roster. Brock It was the 17th time in 24 games the Canucks surrendered the opening Boeser, Pettersson, Leivo, J.T. Miller, Adam Gaudette and Tanner goal. However, Markstrom battled back with a sparkling 32-save effort. Pearson were denied before the captain executed a meandering move Ovechkin alone had seven shots and 12 attempts. Markstrom also toward the net before snapping a short-side shot past Caps’ goalie stopped Tom Wilson at the side of the net on a power play, stopped a Braden Holtby. wraparound attempt and got an assist from Tanev, who fell in front of an Ovechkin power-play slapper just as the second period ended. “I didn’t watch — a couple of guys didn’t watch,” laughed Miller. “Sometimes that works. We are pretty relieved. Especially when you get He then took a Chandler Stephenson slapper off the shoulder in the final that many chances and don’t score. I felt good.” minute of regulation time.

Travis Green was asked about selecting Horvat and said the list is “It’s huge,” Markstrom said of the win. “Tough building. We wanted to usually based on performance and how a player has been playing. keep the momentum going and when you win one, lose one, that’s tough. String a couple together. “We were getting close to the end,” chuckled the Canucks coach. “We talked about sometimes it’s not going to be 5-3, it’s going to be 2-1 All joking aside, there was nothing funny about the collective effort. The and this was a nice win.” Canucks played a serious playoff-style game and were full marks for beating one of the league’s better clubs. Vancouver Province: LOADED: 11.24.2019 “You’re proud of your group when you play like that,” said Green. “We just had everybody play the right way. We were strong on pucks and made good decisions. A team like that can sting you fast if you turn it over. 1163176 Vancouver Canucks

Super Markstrom helps Canucks to shootout win over Capitals

Staff Writer

NOVEMBER 23, 2019

Vancouver coach Travis Green stayed with Jacob Markstrom after a tough loss, and it paid off.

Markstrom stopped 32 shots and then denied seven more during an extended shootout, helping the Canucks beat the Washington Capitals 2- 1 on Saturday.

Markstrom was in net for Vancouver’s 6-1 loss at Dallas on Tuesday in the opener of a six-game strip. Rather than opt for Thatcher Demko two days later in Nashville, Green stayed with Markstrom, who made 45 saves in a 6-3 win.

He followed that victory with another strong showing against the NHL- leading Capitals.

“We debated a little bit,” Green said. “I think we wanted to show him some confidence as well, get him back in the net right away. And he’s given us two big games after that.”

Elias Pettersson scored his 10th goal for Vancouver, which earned its second straight win since a stretch of seven losses in eight games. It was the Canucks’ 12th power-play goal in their last seven games.

Bo Horvat scored the decisive goal in the seventh round of the shootout, completing Vancouver’s first win while scoring two times or fewer.

“We’ve been talking about, sometimes it’s not going to be 5-3 … or what not,” Markstrom said. “It’s going to be 1-0 or 2-1. And it’s nice to win one of those.”

Washington managed just one goal for the second straight game and third time this season despite Vancouver losing defenceman Alexander Edler to an upper-body injury. Green declined to provide an update on Edler after the game.

Jakub Vrana scored his 11th goal for the Capitals, and Braden Holtby made 32 saves.

“You play the game that’s presented to you and lately obviously we’ve been playing a few more lower-scoring games,” Holtby said. “We’re trying to get better defensively and just finding ways how to create offence while doing that too and that’s this time of year where it’s cat and mouse trying to find your best game.”

Washington thought it had taken the lead in the shootout on Lars Eller’s attempt in the fifth round. Originally credited as a goal, it was overturned after replays showed Eller’s shot striking Markstrom’s leg and then the post, but never crossing the goal line.

Even the goalie was fooled.

“I usually listen to the referees, and he pointed to the net, and I thought it was a goal,” Markstrom said. “And then it wasn’t.”

Vrana put Washington in front with a one-timer 2:22 into the game after Eller dug the puck off the boards to set him up.

Pettersson responded with six minutes left in the first, ripping another one-timer past Holtby’s glove side on a 5-on-3 power play during which defenceman Michal Kempny lost his stick.

The Canucks had a power-play chance in overtime after Evgeny Kuznetsov hooked Christopher Tanev, but Holtby denied Quinn Hughes and J.T. Miller.

On the other end, Markstrom twice stood up Alex Ovechkin inside the final minute of overtime.

“I thought this was a real gutty win by our team,” Green said. “It’s one thing to beat a team when you score four or five goals. But to push this game the way both goalies were playing, it was a nice win.”

Globe And Mail LOADED: 11.24.2019 1163177 Vancouver Canucks And it was against this team that the Canucks put together arguably their single best defensive performance of the season.

It’s not just that Vancouver managed to outchance the Capitals at even The Armies: The Boost, The Don’t Watch Club and Jacob Markstrom’s strength or surrender just one goal against. It’s that they prevented the emotional win Capitals from testing Markstrom with a litany of the sort of odd-man rushes that Vancouver has leaked in recent weeks, and mostly kept them to the outside in-zone too:

Thomas Drance (Courtesy of Natural Stat Trick)

Nov 23, 2019 “One of our best, maybe of the year,” Travis Green said of the team-level defensive performance. “I thought it was a gutty win by our team. It’s one

thing to beat a team when you score four or five goals, but to push this It’s pretty rare for a confrontation to be so emphatically punctuated by a game, the way both goalies were playing, it was a nice win.” memorable defensive assist. For the most part, Vancouver has performed like an average defensive With a critically timed push in the butt though, Vancouver Canucks rookie team this season. When they’ve won games, they’ve tended to win by Quinn Hughes had nearly as big an impact on Saturday’s 2-1 shootout leaning more on their offence, which is among the league’s most victory over the Washington Capitals as Baby Yoda did when he stopped dynamic (despite the club’s recent five-on-five struggles). a charging mud rhino from putting a hole through the Mandalorian. He This performance has some potential to be instructive then. If they can just needs to take a long nap while we enjoy some yolk from a furry egg, put together 20-25 more defensive performances like the one they then we can really close the loop on this forced simile. managed against the Capitals on Saturday, it would significantly help T.J. Oshie is one of the most skilled breakaway forwards in NHL history. their cause, particularly as the club waits for their even strength finishing Certainly, he’s lethal in the skills competition. game to heat back up.

And as he zoomed away, having capitalized on a J.T. Miller turnover, he The Edler injury was chased urgently by Miller and Hughes. Canucks defender Alex Edler left the game Saturday with a mysterious “I knew Oshie was going to stop his feet at some point, he’s got unreal upper-body injury. I watched his shifts again during the first intermission hands, so I thought I could catch him then,” Miller said of his thought and there wasn’t anything particularly apparent. process on the backcheck. It was suggested to me that perhaps he sustained the injury when he “I thought I could catch him, honestly, I was going as hard as I could just was hit squarely and fairly by Alex Ovechkin, but the Sportsnet broadcast because I thought I could,” Hughes said. — and nice work to notice this sequence by Sportsnet’s Tim Morrissey, who works in the tape department — caught some video that makes it And yet, as Oshie squared up Jacob Markstrom, a split second before he seem as if Edler might have been cut by a skate in an odd collision with stopped striding, Vancouver’s backcheckers weren’t close enough. It Capitals forward Travis Boyd: looked to the crowd at CapitalOne Arena that Oshie had the space he needed to pull off a move and win the game. NICE WORK BY THE @SPORTSNET BROADCAST CREW TO IDENTIFY A COLLISION BETWEEN EDLER AND CAPS FORWARD And then Hughes did something wickedly smart and cynically effective. TRAVIS BOYD, IN WHICH EDLER MAY HAVE BEEN CUT BY A SKATE He put his stick on Miller’s posterior and pitchforked him hard and BLADE: PIC.TWITTER.COM/ZYAAFKXBUI forward. — THOMAS DRANCE (@THOMASDRANCE) NOVEMBER 23, 2019 The push took Miller off balance, but “in a good way.” Green offered no update for Edler postgame and wouldn’t provide any “I didn’t even realize that Huggy was coming,” Miller recounted. further detail when asked whether it was a laceration or a more standard upper-body injury. “The extra foot that I probably needed, he got me that. … Even if I fell forward, that’s fine.” I suspect Edler wasn’t cut. Surely the Canucks would’ve remarked on an injury of that nature in a more proactive sort of way. Hughes mostly played it down. He suggested it’s something that happens all the time, just perhaps not that late and not quite so dramatically. Vancouver is off Sunday, so we probably won’t know much more about Edler until Monday morning. “It’s never a good thing to try it, it means you’re on the backcheck!” Hughes laughed, before adding, in the simplest possible terms, “It’s not The playoff hit that hard, you just push his butt.” Brock Boeser’s continued evolution into a more complete NHL forward The pitchfork butt boost is relatively common in hockey, it helps has been driven by his work forechecking opposition defenders. backcheckers get some extra momentum. And if it doesn’t happen every game, it happens commonly enough. It’s just that it usually happens a lot The goal-scoring winger, a machine when it comes to generating good farther back toward the defensive end. looks with his shot, has excelled in recent weeks at chasing defenders around the opposition’s end of the rink, harassing them into mistakes. “It works a ton, more than you think,” Bo Horvat laughed, noting that what was so insane about the Hughes boost is how far toward Vancouver’s On one persistent forechecking sequence Saturday, the result of net it occurred. “I’ve given a couple of boosts, and I’ve got a couple of Boeser’s hard work was that the Capitals went the other way while he boosts. Trust me, it helps.” was tagged by a significant hit from one of the most punishing hitters in the NHL in Radko Gudas. It’s almost never the signature highlight of a game though, even if it was on Saturday night. For Green, the evidence of hard work and the physicality the Capitals brought to the proceedings was a useful learning experience for his “It was connected, I pushed him forward and he got the puck right away,” young group. concluded Hughes. “It couldn’t have happened better, but I’ve done it a lot … it’s just an easy play.” “We joked about it a little bit after Boes got hit and it was a commercial,” Green said. “We told him that was a late-April hit not a May hit, so … Uncharacteristically stingy “This team we played has been through a lot of wars over the years and Among all NHL teams, only the Washington Capitals have scored 90 battles and when they raise their level of compete, they’re a handful. You goals this season. like to see your team go through those kind of games, especially when they go through them and win.” They’re the NHL’s most potent offense. They employ arguably the best NHL goal scorer in history. Their power play is literally the template for Best suggestion the 1-3-1 power-play formation that nearly every single team in the NHL has adopted. Jake Virtanen as the media walked into the open Canucks room, “Are “We always talked and knew it was going to take time with a bunch of you guys going to ask J.T. about the turnover?” new faces,” Miller said.

Best guess “We want to know seamlessly where we are on the ice, we have a bunch of guys in new spots. As of late, I think we’re getting a little bit more Bo Horvat has played over 25 minutes three times in the past six games. control. Petey is doing an unreal job right now of setting up the power He’s been carrying a big minutes burden for the Canucks lately, and after play and we’re telling him it’s your unit, man, we just have to make the Saturday is now one of 20 forwards in hockey averaging over 20 minutes plays and have some confidence. He’s been really good and he’s setting per game. And it’s a minutes burden that increases exponentially when the tone. It’s been going well, even though we would’ve liked to have had Jay Beagle and Brandon Sutter are both out of the lineup. a couple more looks in overtime, but that’s a tight checking team.”

Horvat’s minutes go up when Vancouver’s defensive centremen sit, in Unpopular takes part, because he becomes really the only forward Green really trusts to In person I call him Wags, but in the Athletties and the Provies before, he take defensive zone draws. was known as Boolis.

On Saturday afternoon Horvat took 26 and won 14 faceoffs where no Seeing a wash of unpopular food takes, which included a lengthy and other forward in the game even took more than 16. Horvat was on the ice very misguided TSN-led crusade against antipasto, Boolis posed the for 12 defensive zone faceoffs in all situations and no other Canucks question: What’s your most unpopular Canucks take? centreman was on the ice for more than four. There were obviously right takes, which just because they’re obscure “You have to manage your game a little bit more, you can’t be taking long doesn’t make them unpopular: shifts and overexerting yourself,” Horvat said of handling the responsibility. “For me to manage my game over 60 minutes it’s a MIKE WEAVER WAS VERY GOOD challenge, but you’ve got to do what you’ve got to do. — JUSTIN MORISSETTE 👊🏻 (@JUSTINMORIS) NOVEMBER 23, 2019 “Whether I have to win a faceoff — and it makes my job easier if I can win the draw and come off right away — it’s tough, but it’s a challenge I There were less obviously right takes that, actually, when you think about enjoy.” it, probably have some merit:

Once it was declared Saturday morning that Beagle wouldn’t play against DAN HAMHUIS BELONGS IN THE CONVERSATION OF BEST the Capitals team with which he won a Stanley Cup, it was clear this was CANUCKS DEFENSEMAN EVER going to be another one of those games for Horvat. So the traveling — DAVE HEIKKILA (@DAVEHEIKKILA) NOVEMBER 23, 2019 media pool — PostMedia’s Ben Kuzma, Sportsnet’s Iain MacIntyre, TSN’s Jeff Paterson and your not-so-humble narrator — built a no-stakes There were takes that really suggest the nostalgia trend has gone too far: Horvat TOI pool in which we all made a guess about how much ice time Horvat would log. THE MUSTARD YELLOW FLYING V DESERVES A GAME OR 2

Kuzma guessed 26:03. — ROB (@RLOVSIN17) NOVEMBER 23, 2019

Actual retail value: 26:08. There were takes from people who forgot about Jeff Brown:

“No way, wow,” Horvat said when told how closely Kuzma guessed his WE HAVE NOT HAD A TRULY EFFECTIVE POWERPLAY POINT MAN ice time. “Impressive, that’s pretty good!” SINCE PAUL REINHARDT

Official NHL ice time statistics don’t include the amount of time it takes to — OTTOKICKEDITIN (@OTTOKICKEDITIN) NOVEMBER 23, 2019 take a penalty shot. The time between Horvat gathering the puck at And takes from people who forgot how good Henrik Sedin and Roberto centre ice and depositing it past Braden Holtby totalled about 6 1/2 Luongo were during that stretch: seconds, based on my iPhone stopwatch. KESLER WAS THE CANUCKS' MVP 2009-2012 If you factor that in, Kuzma guessed Horvat’s ice time accurately within a second and a half, which is so close it’s freaky. — TO VANCOUVER MOVER (@Z_A_KLINE) NOVEMBER 23, 2019

Highway to the Petterzone Luckily there were some defensible Ryan Kesler takes too:

Elias Pettersson scored his 10th goal of the season with a rocket one- RYAN KESLER IS STILL ONE OF MY FAVORITE CANUCKS timer from the so-called “Petterzone” on Saturday night. In the barn in which the “Ovy spot” is actually housed, Pettersson put home his first — MATT BAER (@BAERZERK84) NOVEMBER 23, 2019 really big one-timer bomb on the power play of the season. There were takes that made it seem like it was unpopular to be on really “I’ve been shooting a lot from that one-timer side this season, so it’s nice any side of the issue: to finally get one in,” Pettersson said postgame. JUOLEVI WILL NEVER PLAY SIGNIFICANT MINUTES IN A CANUCKS “It’s a great feeling. Every goal is nice, but of course, some goals are JERSEY nicer!” — KEVIN SORENSON (@THEHOLYBEARDMAN) NOVEMBER 23, Vancouver’s first power-play unit has had a number of big games, but 2019 with four shots in just over 4 1/2 minutes of five-on-four ice time, and an OLLI JUOLEVI STILL HAS POTENTIAL additional goal in a five-on-three situation, the group really seemed to be in sync Saturday. — OWEN GIBBS (@OWENJGIBBS) NOVEMBER 23, 2019

Vancouver’s first power-play unit has had a variety of mutations this There was a subtle, fascinating take that I filed away because it warrants season — remember the downhills era, or Josh Leivo in the bumper further examination down the line, particularly as Tanner Pearson’s two- spot? — but over the past six or seven games, the club has really stuck way form has fallen off a bit in recent weeks: with having Pettersson and Boeser on their one-timer sides. The results had been a bit mixed early on, but when the group gets hot in this JIM RUTHERFORD WON THE GUDBRANSON DEAL AS HE WAS formation, they get white hot. Just ask the Nashville Predators. ABLE TO PARLAY PEARSON INTO CAP SPACE

“We’ve found our rhythm, we’re staying patient and making plays,” — PAUL MANHAS (@PAULMANHAS75) NOVEMBER 23, 2019 Pettersson said. “We played fast tonight and took what they gave us, but And finally there were some BFG takes, because of course there were: it can always get better.” NIKITA TRYAMKIN IS NOT AN NHL QUALITY DEFENCEMAN It’s fitting that Pettersson’s expectations of the power play are always so high. After all, he’s taken and truly has some additional ownership of the — BRENDAN BATCHELOR (@BATCHHOCKEY) NOVEMBER 23, 2019 unit, even in the eyes of his own teammates. Miller suggested as much in Tanev the rover describing how Vancouver’s first power-play unit has worked to jell. Chris Tanev has been described by Canucks coaches as “a defensive On Saturday, it took 14 attempts for the first shootout goal — and that savant,” which is fair and completely accurate. was Horvat’s winner. Holtby and Markstrom were ridiculous. Markstrom, you could say, so good he was Groot: Even as he’s aged, dealt with injuries and perhaps lost some of the transitional mobility he had as a younger defender, his ability to eat pucks JAKUB VRANA ON DIFFICULTIES #CAPS FACED IN SHOOTOUT is second to none. AGAINST 6-6 VANCOUVER GOALIE JACOB MARKSTROM: “IT IS PRETTY HARD WHEN THERE’S A TREE IN THE NET…” One metric I’ve long tracked with Tanev is the number of total shot attempts that he’s on the ice for that he blocks. It’s a way of measuring — BRIAN MCNALLY (@BMCNALLY14) NOVEMBER 23, 2019 his actual shot-blocking ability, which also factors his two-way utility into the equation. The NHL’s leaders by raw shot block tend to spend more In that context, you can understand why Canucks skaters were getting a time in their own end than a player like Tanev — who has almost always bit nervous on the bench. Their goaltender just kept on giving them a helped the Canucks drive play throughout his NHL career — has. chance to win the extra point, and the shooters just couldn’t solve Holtby.

So slicing up his shot-blocking numbers as a percentage of all on-ice That’s the context to keep in mind when looking at this rather silly shot attempts is a way to more accurately reflect his abilities in this area, highlight: which have always been elite. Back in Tanev’s heyday, these numbers BE MORE LIKE NOLAN BAUMGARTNER would occasionally hit 14.5 percent or more, which routinely led the NHL PIC.TWITTER.COM/WHIZZI648E (even as Kris Russell’s shot blocking dominated headlines). — VANESSA JANG (@VANESSAJANG) NOVEMBER 23, 2019 This year, Tanev is blocking closer to 12 percent of all on-ice shot attempts against. It’s a number that leads all Canucks skaters, even if It looks odd, but not watching a shootout attempt is a classic spot of Edler leads the team in actual shot blocks. hockey superstition. I haven’t seen a coach participate with a group of players as an activity though and that’s what makes it pretty great. Late in the second period, Tanev made a brilliant block with his skate off an Ovechkin power-play one-timer: “I honestly didn’t watch. And a couple guys didn’t watch, sometimes that works,” Miller explained postgame. HUGE CHRIS TANEV SHOTHANDED SHOT BLOCK ON OVECHKIN LATE THE 2ND PERIOD. “You’re pretty relieved especially when you get that many chances to win and don’t.” PEOPLE TALK ABOUT DEFENSEMEN WHO PLAY MORE LIKE FORWARDS AS "ROVERS". Asked if it was an all-the-time thing or something that Miller pulled up because desperate times call for desperate measures, Miller elaborated: CHRIS TANEV IS THE RARE "ROVER" WHO INSTEAD MOONLIGHTS AS A GOALIE: PIC.TWITTER.COM/X0S8SBYR9U “I didn’t watch Leivs, I gave it some time after that. I don’t go to it all the time, me and Mysie looked at each other and didn’t, I think Baumer did — THOMAS DRANCE (@THOMASDRANCE) NOVEMBER 23, 2019 too.”

It’s a play that certainly caught Markstrom’s attention. An emotional win for the starter

“You see Tanev, he never gets enough credit, every game he plays,” After the blowout loss to the Dallas Stars, Green and the Canucks Markstrom gushed. “He always gets the big-guy one-timer — Stamkos, coaches considered going to Thatcher Demko for the game against the Ovechkin — and he’s always blocking. Predators.

“End of the second, he’s lying on his stomach face first and he kicks his The Canucks, though, clearly see Markstrom as their everyday starter. leg out to block it last second. … On a consistent basis, he’s one of my The decision was made this week to show him that respect and favourite players I’ve ever played with.” confidence.

I’m not quite sure why, but I decided to formulate a follow-up using the “We debated a little bit, Clarkie and I talked about it for about a day,” same formulation as the tweet I embedded above. I gave Markstrom the Green recalled. “Clarkie met with Marky and just felt like he was coming. spiel about Tanev as a rover, moonlighting as a goalie, and probably said about 10 words more than I should have. Postgame Markstrom was “We wanted to show him some confidence, get him back in the net right having absolutely none of it. away. And he’s given us two big games after that.”

“Yeah, I don’t know what you’re talking about, but he blocks a lot of Markstrom was lights-out in Nashville, particularly in a third period when shots.” Vancouver’s defensive play was dicey. He was even better Saturday in Washington and that was before he was completely tree-like in the Fair enough. shootout.

As for Tanev not getting enough credit, it’s quite literally true. That shot Prior to the game, for Hockey Fights Cancer month, the Capitals block on Ovechkin at the end of the second period, the one that so matched their starting lineup with six local children who were fighting impressed Markstrom, as of this writing it wasn’t credited as a blocked cancer. It was a really gorgeous moment, actually: shot by the official scorers. HONORED TO INTRODUCE OUR @WISHMIDATLANTIC WAS IT REGISTERED AS A SAVE? #CAPSFIGHTCANCER STARTING LINEUP! #ALLCAPS @LEIDOSINC — BURE’S ROLLER BLADES (@BURESBLADES) NOVEMBER 23, PIC.TWITTER.COM/YDYM977DOL 2019 — WASHINGTON CAPITALS (@CAPITALS) NOVEMBER 23, 2019

Scoreless in Vancouver WHAT AN AMAZING JOB BY #CAPS COACH TODD REIRDEN IN The Vancouver Canucks have now won consecutive games in which ANNOUNCING 6 NEW STARTERS. THANKS TO they’ve been outscored at five-on-five. @WISHMIDATLANTIC FOR EVERYTHING THEY DO. #ALLCAPS PIC.TWITTER.COM/TUVXKTA59Q At five-on-five over their last four contests, the Canucks have just one goal. — ROB CARLIN (@ROBCARLINNBCS) NOVEMBER 22, 2019

That the Canucks have somehow amassed a 2-1-1 record despite an Sitting up in the press box, I couldn’t help but be moved. unsustainable binge of bad shooting percentage luck that seems intent And it was hard not to imagine how Markstrom — only two weeks on stubbornly remaining in the toilet, that’s a very good sign. removed from losing his father, Anders, to the disease — was feeling in The No Watch Club the crease.

A shooter is expected to score on a shootout about one in every three “We didn’t when we made the decision,” Green said, asked whether he attempts. Some goaltenders are a bit better than average (Marc-André knew the Capitals had something this significant and close to Fleury, come on down), but realistically, the skills contest is a crapshoot. Markstrom’s heart planned when they decided to go back to their presumptive starter for Saturday’s game. “It was probably a pretty special, touching moment for him,” Green later continued. “Something like that is going to remind him.”

Markstrom hasn’t wanted to discuss what his family has gone through in public, and the Vancouver media corps has respected that. He was asked postgame about whether watching that ceremony was emotional though and of course it was.

“Every day is emotional,” he responded.

“It’s such a good cause,” Markstrom continued of the Hockey Fights Cancer initiative. “You know how much it means when it affects you first hand.

“It’s tough, you want to have hockey, and you can play hockey and don’t think about anything else, but it’s tough …”

Markstrom name-checked Jim Benning, Canucks ownership and his teammates when discussing the support he’s received from the organization.

“You can’t do it by yourself,” Markstrom said. “I have my brother and my sister and my friends back home and I talk to them every day. They’re back home right now taking care of stuff, and letting me be here and play.”

The Athletic LOADED: 11.24.2019 1163178 Websites Puljujarvi’s five power play goals are one back of the league lead. His 147 shots give him sole possession of first place. More importantly his line is laying waste to the opposition: he’s been on the ice for 24 goals for and just six against, and his 63 percent Corsi at 5-on-5 ranks him fifth The Athletic / A Jesse Puljujarvi trade is an opportunity of which only one among regular forwards, with the other four all playing for HIFK. NHL team gets to take advantage In terms of results, there’s not much more an NHL team could ask of a prospective player. In terms of how he’s generating them, Wheeler (correctly) notes that there are some things his team can do to help him Jonathan Willis succeed in the majors, especially in terms of using him on the power Nov 23, 2019 play. Puljujarvi’s ability as a specific type of right-shot power play finisher goes back to his draft year, and it’s one more mark on the ledger that the Oilers never really tried him in that slot.

The next NHL team to play Jesse Puljujarvi will be taking a calculated It’s also worth remembering that despite his checkered NHL career to risk. The 2016 fourth-overall pick has gone from star prospect to suspect date, Puljujarvi’s major-league results are not inconsistent with evolving to European league standout, and the issue of whether he will ultimately into a top-six forward. His age-20 season was the worst of his career and prove a productive NHL forward remains unresolved. when charted against comparable players at the same age this past summer it produced a list which was nearly an even mix of scoring line The Edmonton Oilers have incentive to answer that question. Scoring forwards, NHL role players, and outright busts. beyond the team’s top forwards has been hard to come by even in a very successful first-quarter of 2019-20. It might not seem that way at first glance, but for an NHL team hypothetically investing the equivalent of a second-round pick or a little Puljujarvi, were he willing, would be a suitable match for team need, more in trade, that’s a pretty good set of outcomes, for a lot of different likely slotting in next to James Neal and Ryan Nugent-Hopkins on the reasons: team’s second line. It would be a good opportunity for the 21-year-old, whose most common linemate the last two years had been Milan Lucic. We’re considering Puljujarvi at his lowest ebb, and as the linked article points out his prior history is better than the majority of the comparables Puljujarvi shows no sign of taking it, telling Finnish media he plans to here. spend the entire year with Karpat. As frustrating as this may be for the Oilers, whose new coach and general manager bear none of the If he’s got a one-in-three shot at being a middle-six-plus winger, and a responsibility for the organization’s mishandling of Puljujarvi, it isn’t two-in-three shot at sticking in the majors in some capacity, that’s a far necessarily a bad thing for the player’s development. He’s enjoying a better profile than the typical return on a second-rounder. wildly successful season overseas, and as springboards to the NHL go, a full year at his current pace is a good one. He’s ready now, or at worst next season, not three or four years down the line. It is probable, though not certain, that he’ll be making that leap with a different franchise. Puljujarvi has been remarkably consistent on that Puljujarvi’s contract status should also add to his appeal. He has burned point, though Oilers GM Ken Holland has been careful to leave the door through his entry-level contract, but even after a one-year show-me deal open publicly. he’ll be a restricted free agent for three additional seasons. A team can bring him in, try him for a year, and if things go well presumably lock him “I don’t think he’s planning on playing for the Edmonton Oilers, but I had up long-term at reasonable dollars. players tell me that in Detroit and they did play for Detroit,” Holland said in his July 1 availability. None of this means that Puljujarvi is guaranteed to have a successful NHL career, any more than that was guaranteed after he was drafted There are a few different instances in that vein over Holland’s tenure in fourth overall in 2016. All we have is probability. His age, productivity and Detroit, but the most famous example is Jiri Hudler. A contested now his Liiga results all point to a player with a reasonable chance at arbitration that could have permanently ruined the relationship between being a good major-leaguer, and who if everything breaks right could be player and team led to him spending all of 2009-10 in the KHL. In 2010 a very good one. he returned and played two more seasons for the Red Wings. It doesn’t always end that way. For the Oilers, the ideal end result would probably be Puljujarvi spending the season overseas and then recanting his desire to go elsewhere. If “In some cases they’ve told me that and they didn’t play and I ended up that doesn’t happen they will almost certainly be trading him at a trading them. Ultimately the most important thing is if I do trade him it’s discount, regardless of how patiently or cleverly Holland negotiates. got to be a deal I feel good about, that I think is in the best interests of this team. If something like that isn’t out there, then Jesse’s going to have There is an opportunity here for 30 NHL teams, though only one will get a to make the decision.” chance to exploit it. Call it one last chance to take advantage of the generosity of Peter Chiarelli’s deposed regime, which in its few short The lack of a trade so far shows that Holland has not yet received a years already gave so much to its various rivals. sufficiently enticing offer. Time is running short for any team hoping to persuade Puljujarvi to abandon his stated plans and return to the NHL The Athletic LOADED: 11.24.2019 this season. The signing deadline for Group 2 free agents is Dec. 1, leaving little more than a week for an interested party to make a trade, persuade the player and get his signature on a contract.

Puljujarvi’s play in Finland is the strongest argument in favour of something changing.

I won’t attempt to improve upon the detailed breakdown of Puljujarvi’s game that my colleague Scott Wheeler put together earlier this month, one which carried plenty of caveats but concluded mostly on an encouraging note.

“Puljujarvi has looked and played like his got his mojo back,” wrote Wheeler. “He looks like the confident, puck-possession, puck-protection, powerful shot-threat he looked like in his draft year… He’d be a low-risk, high-reward gamble on a cheap deal for a team in need of some size and scoring punch down the wing. And while it’s kind of ironic that the Oilers seem to fit that mold pretty well, they’re not alone.”

What we can add to the picture are some updated statistical points, all of which point to a ridiculously dominant player in a very good pro league. 1163179 Websites That would have been a dagger considering the Leafs had built a 4-1 lead after 20 minutes.

"We just looked like a tired team out there for a lot of the game," said Sportsnet.ca / Maple Leafs' Tyson Barrie gets hero's welcome in return to Keefe. "But I liked the fact that we got scored on in the first shift and, Colorado while it took us a couple of shifts there to find our way back, I thought we took over the game after that. That was really positive.

"Obviously, we built ourselves a very nice lead. That’s a good team, Chris Johnston they’re going to push, they’re going to make it hard on us and we battled to find a way to finish it off." November 23, 2019, 10:02 PM That had to come with an extra shot of satisfaction for Barrie, who was

mobbed by all those familiar faces before boarding the team bus. He’d DENVER — Tyson Barrie posed for a photo with Nathan MacKinnon. He been through a range of emotions on Saturday that even included a few hugged Gabe Landeskog. He signed autographs, clasped hands with on-ice laughs with MacKinnon, his best buddy. arena staff, poked his head inside a baby carriage and embraced several "Willy, that second [scoring chance], he gave me a little bit of a wobbler. wives and girlfriends of his former Colorado Avalanche teammates. [MacKinnon] said I would have put that flat for ya," said Barrie. Talk about a hero’s welcome in his return to Pepsi Center. No one was laughing when the Leafs got pounded 6-1 in Pittsburgh last "It’s been a crazy, crazy day," said Barrie. "Kind of everything I could Saturday — a game that ultimately spelled the end for Babcock. In the hope for." ensuing days, they held a rookie dinner in Las Vegas, delivered a complete victory in Keefe’s debut at Arizona and eked out a victory for The Toronto Maple Leafs defenceman crammed a month’s worth of two former Avs in their return to altitude. emotions into the last week and punctuated it with a goal and an assist in a 5-3 victory here Saturday. "Night and day," said Barrie, when asked to compare this Saturday to the last one. "That was a dark place for a lot of us. That game, especially, The evening also included a long video tribute to Barrie during the first was a bit embarrassing. To be able to go home .500 [on the road trip] television timeout, a standing ovation and a turn as the game’s first star. and be rolling a little bit, it’s a great feeling." It really gave you a sense of how meaningful of an impact he made during eight years in Denver, both on the ice and in the community. His new home should feel just a little bit more comfortable after this visit to his former one. It was also a reminder why the Leafs were willing to part with Nazem Kadri — their own homegrown, heart-and-soul player — in the July 1 Sportsnet.ca LOADED: 11.24.2019 trade that brought over Barrie and Alexander Kerfoot.

Toronto Maple Leafs defenceman Tyson Barrie signs an autograph for a fan after he faced his former team, the Colorado Avalanche, for the first time. (Chris Johnston)

We are only just starting to see what he can be for Toronto now that the shackles have been taken off. Some of those were placed there by himself as he struggled to adjust to his new situation and grew frustrated about his lack of production.

There’s no question he’s benefitted from Sheldon Keefe’s decision to elevate him to the top power-play unit. It took just 22 seconds for Barrie to find the back of the net on the Leafs’ first man advantage opportunity against the Avs, sliding down from the point and burying a nice William Nylander pass.

Make that goals in two straight games after going 0-for-23 to start the season.

"It felt really good to get that one here," said Barrie. "Not that there’s any ill will with this team, but coming home in front of all the familiar faces it’s nice to get one."

Barrie can be a high-risk, high-reward player.

What Keefe wants to do is find situations where he can succeed in order to rebuild the confidence lost during a slow start. The new Leafs coach gave Barrie a heavy dose of offensive zone starts and saw his team generate 75 per cent of the scoring chances while he was on the ice.

"He’s got a unique skillset; he needs to be very involved and very active in the offence," said Keefe. "When he’s not and he’s holding back, even if he were confident, it’s not going to help him.

"We need him to be engaged, we need him to be on his toes, we need him to be involved."

He certainly makes the Leafs a more dynamic team. You saw glimpses of their globetrotting potential in a high-speed track meet against Colorado — particularly during a four-goal first period that chased Philipp Grubauer from the goal.

They couldn’t sustain that surge, however, and needed Frederik Andersen to stand tall to improve to 2-0 since Keefe replaced Mike Babcock behind the bench. The final minutes ticked away like you’d expect to see in a basketball game and included Cody Ceci blocking a MacKinnon shot that would have tied it up. 1163180 Websites of the pile, spun behind the net and put a signature backhand pass on McDavid’s tape for a one-timer.

"They scored a key goal at a key time for us. That’s what good Sportsnet.ca / Oilers rebound from loss with playoff-style win over powerplays do," said Oilers coach Dave Tippett, who has dispelled any Golden Knights pre-season fears that his style may impinge on a pair of artisans like No. 29 and 97.

The Oilers powerplay is operating at 31.5 per cent, second in the league Mark Spector behind Tampa. It is a lethal unit, with pucks spending minimal time on each player’s tape, and multiple options that leave a PK guessing. November 24, 2019, 2:18 AM "They have a little bit of structure, but they play best when they ad lib,"

said Tippett. "As (assistant coach) Glen Gulutzan says, they play road LAS VEGAS — When last we spoke with the National Hockey League’s hockey. And when they play road hockey, they’re dangerous." leading scorer, he was sour on himself after a poor outing in a 5-1 loss at McDavid and Draisaitl entered the game with identical stat lines of 16-28- Los Angeles. 44, tied atop the National Hockey League scoring race on Nov. 24, and "If your supposedly best players play the way I did," said Leon Draisaitl allowing us to wonder: Could they possibly fight it out for the Art Ross Thursday, "you’re not gonna go very far." Trophy all season long?

So Draisaitl moved on to Vegas, the words of his father Peter bouncing "A great bounce-back game for our line," McDavid said. "We weren’t around inside his head. good enough in L.A."

"It’s the one lesson my Dad always taught me. It’s all about how you Teammates with 45 points in team's first 25 games: Last 35 seasons respond," said Draisaitl, who was all-world in a 4-2 win here Saturday. Draisaitl & McDavid (#Oilers) 2019-20 "Good players, they respond the game after. Lemieux & Jagr (Penguins) 1995-96 "It happens that you have a bad game — every player in the league has them. The other night was not my night… but I was ready to respond. I Gretzky & Nichols (Kings) 1988-89 thought our line played a solid game." Lemieux & Brown (Penguins) 1988-89 If you just looked at the score sheet you might say that the line of Draisaitl (three assists), Connor McDavid (two goals) and Zack Kassian Gretzky & Kurri (#Oilers) 1984-85 (two assists) just sashayed into T-Mobile Arena and handled the Golden Bossy & Sutter (Islanders) 1984-85 Knights all by themselves. That they carried the team — again. — Sportsnet Stats (@SNstats) November 24, 2019 Home of the Oilers The last teammates who finished one-two in a full season was Mario Stream all 82 Oilers games this season with Sportsnet NOW. Get over Lemieux and Jaromir Jagr in 1995-95. That is also the last duo to have 500 NHL games, blackout-free, including Hockey Night in Canada, all 45 points apiece through a team’s opening 25 games of the season. outdoor games, the All-Star Game, 2020 Stanley Cup Playoffs and more. What they’re doing is starting to look historic, in the big picture. And in If you were here however, you saw a Vegas team that tried to bludgeon the small picture, who doesn’t want to hop the boards after the McDavid their opponent right out of the rink. There was a shift in the first period line comes off? where the fourth line — including physical wingers William Carrier and Ryan Reaves — pounded the Oilers for 45 seconds, claiming the "When those guys play like that, everyone plays better," said Smith. momentum Edmonton had earned by scoring the game’s first goal. "They’re the engine that runs our team. When they’re playing up to their capabilities — in all areas of the ice — everyone sees it, and everyone The crowd was going wild. White, blue and orange uniforms were flying just plays better. everywhere. Vegas was taking over, the way they do here. "That’s how good they are." Edmonton could have gone either way over the next few minutes, and they chose the preferred way. In fact, that shift by Vegas’ fourth line And the coach? Sometimes you just have to know when to open the served to engage the Oilers further in what became playoff-style hockey, gate. one of the most entertaining, physical games this team has played all season long. "You just get a hunch," Tippett said. "When they feel like they didn’t play very well last game, the chances are pretty good that you’re going to get The building, the teams, the crowd… There aren’t a lot of better nights in a good game the next game. So might as well start ‘em, and let ’em go. the NHL than a Saturday off the Vegas strip. "That’s what we did tonight." "I don’t even know what they’re cheering for half the time," chuckled Oilers goalie Mike Smith. "But it’s loud, and it’s fun to be a part of." Sportsnet.ca LOADED: 11.24.2019

Like Draisaitl, Smith rebounded from being pulled in L.A., stopping 25 of 27 shots, and flawlessly handling the puck against a hard-forechecking opponent.

How did he use that 5-1 loss?

"As motivation. Motivation to be better," Smith said. "Last game is over and done with, but coming out of it you’re not happy with the way it went. Me personally, I’m not happy with the way I played. It’s nice to get back in there, earn the confidence back, play well and get a win.

"That was as complete a game as we’ve played this season."

Truly, this was the kind of team Edmonton is going to be this season, before they can add some depth scoring down the road. The big line put on a tour de force, Markus Granlund’s line grounded out a goal, the quiet Finn’s second in three games, and the league-leading powerplay continued to dominate.

That PP unit scored the crucial 4-2 goal at 2:11 of the third period, pinning the Golden Knights in their zone until Draisaitl picked a puck out 1163181 Websites “You can’t (explain) that, other than the fact that that’s on us as a group,” said Canadiens assistant captain Brendan Gallagher, who finished minus-2 in Saturday’s game.

Sportsnet.ca / Canadiens' defensive issues the root of 'unacceptable' “(There’s no one) else to point the finger at. That can’t happen in this loss to Rangers league. Too many guys, even when we had the lead — I definitely put myself in that category — weren’t good enough. We had too many passengers tonight. We had a few guys going. But a lot of us, for whatever reason, weren’t good enough.” Eric Engels Phillip Danault and Tomas Tatar, Gallagher’s linemates, each finished November 23, 2019, 11:41 PM minus-2 as well.

Charles Hudon, who recorded his first point of the season, was a game- MONTREAL — It was a first period that saw the Montreal Canadiens worst minus-3 despite playing just 12:49. score three times, and yet most of the highlights were at the other end of Hudon’s linemates, Jesperi Kotkaniemi and Joel Armia, weren’t any the ice. better. The New York Rangers, coming off a 4-1 loss to the Ottawa Senators a As Julien pointed out afterwards, the 19-year-old Kotkaniemi iced the night prior, took 12 shots on Carey Price in the opening 20 minutes, and puck and then lost the ensuing faceoff cleanly on the game-winning goal they deserved much better than to be down three goals. from Jacob Trouba. Price turned a Chris Kreider shot from 17 feet out aside in the second “Those are costly mistakes,” Julien said. “Whether you’re 19 or 30, you minute of play. He followed that up with a remarkable save on a tip from have to learn that those are the kind of mistakes you can’t make.” Pavel Buchnevich. He made back-to-back 10-bellers on Adam Fox and Filip Chytil, and came up big by punching out a dangerous shot from Julien added that pointing to mistakes Kotkaniemi made on the play in Tony DeAngelo with just under two minutes to play in the first. question was “just an example,” and that his team, “needs to be better defensively, better at killing plays,” and better on the backcheck. Seconds later, Max Domi shot a weak wrister off a defender right in front of him and it beat Alexandar Georgiev from 37 feet out. This after Artturi With the 15-3-5 Boston Bruins up next, the Canadiens must address Lehkonen beat him clean from 39 feet away exactly halfway through the these issues with a sense of urgency. frame, and after Domi broke a 10-game scoring drought with a goal from inside the crease. “We know the importance, we don’t need people to tell us,” said Gallagher. “We understand how tight it is (in the standings). We “I told the guys after the first period, we’re up 3-0 for one reason,” started understand what we went through last year (in missing the playoffs Canadiens coach Claude Julien, “We capitalized on our chances, they despite earning 96 points). You can’t let points slip away.” didn’t. We didn’t dominate the first period.” Sportsnet.ca LOADED: 11.24.2019 What the Canadiens did in periods two and three — blowing 4-0 and 5-3 leads and losing 6-5 — was symptomatic of what’s lost them more games than they’ve won through 23 this season.

“Offensively, we’re still a good team,” Julien said about the 11-7-5 Canadiens. “But we have to figure it out defensively. We’re not hard enough, we’re not killing plays, and our backcheck wasn’t good at all tonight. We played against a hungry team, even if they played last night, which is another reason this was unacceptable. After three games without a win, we should have been hungry to the point of not allowing these things to happen. So, it’s unacceptable and we’ll take control of this and we’ll correct this situation.”

They had better.

The standings are getting closer by the second, with the Canadiens owning a one-point cushion on the Toronto Maple Leafs, who are suddenly surging, and a three-point advance on a Tampa Bay Lightning team that has three games in-hand.

The Pittsburgh Penguins are in the first wild-card position in the Eastern Conference with one more point than the Canadiens have accumulated. And the Philadelphia Flyers occupy the second wild-card with an identical record to Montreal through 23 games.

The Canadiens came into Saturday’s game against the 9-9-2 Rangers having surrendered the 12th-most goals-against in the National Hockey League. Their penalty kill ranked 28th overall after having killed off just 72.5 per cent of its penalties.

And despite killing off three penalties and a 5-on-3 opportunity the Rangers had, Montreal made a mess of things without the puck at even strength all night.

This four-game losing streak began with a sloppy game against the New Jersey Devils last Saturday. Then the Canadiens played a strong game against the Columbus Blue Jackets on Tuesday and another one on Wednesday against Ottawa, and they lost both because they failed to score enough.

On Saturday night, against a motivated Rangers team, the Canadiens got two goals out of Domi, two out of Lehkonen, one from Shea Weber, and eight different players recorded a point.

But no one, including Price, could buckle down enough to keep the puck from going in their own net through the final two periods. 1163182 Websites that they’re back home right now and taking care of stuff, and letting me be here to play. I would love to be there to help them."

The Canucks are doing what they can to help Markstrom. Sportsnet.ca / Canucks' Markstrom honours late father with heroic effort "It’s pretty amazing actually," Horvat, the captain, said. "Unbelievable vs. Capitals game here tonight by Marky. We’re lucky to have him and happy to get him that win tonight. It can’t be easy, especially as a starter and going through what he’s gone through. For him to be mentally strong the entire Iain MacIntyre game, mentally strong through this whole process, speaks a lot to his character." November 23, 2019, 3:43 PM So does Green’s belief in Markstrom. The coach had no reason to go

back to his struggling starter when Markstrom allowed six goals on 31 WASHINGTON – A great hockey game Saturday still wasn’t as beautiful shots in Tuesday’s 6-1 loss to the Dallas Stars — possibly the worst as the ceremony that preceded it. effort by the Canucks this season.

It was Hockey Fights Cancer day in Washington, so the Capitals But Green halted the rotation with backup Thatcher Demko, and put introduced their starters along with young cancer patients, while Markstrom back in net in Nashville, where his 45 saves included a thousands of fans in the arena’s sea of red turned on the flashlights on spectacular 21 in the final period. On Saturday, Markstrom played his their smartphones. best game in a month.

At the other end of the ice, Jacob Markstrom crouched in the semi- Green said he and goaltending coach Ian Clark spent Wednesday darkness of the Vancouver Canucks’ goal area and probably thought discussing which goalie should play. about his father, Anders, who lost his fight with cancer two weeks ago in "Clarky met with Marky and just felt like it was coming," Green rhymed. "I Sweden. think we wanted to show him some confidence as well and get him back Every day for the rest of his National Hockey League career could be in the net right away. He’s given us two big games after that." Hockey Fights Cancer Day for Markstrom. "I thought I played pretty good today," Markstrom said. "It’s a new game The 29-year-old goalie was beaten just 2:22 into the game on the third in a couple of days; we’ll see how I play then. I’m going to try to keep it shot he faced. But Markstrom did not allow another goal, stopping the going and work hard in practice. That’s all I can do." Capitals’ final 30 shots, then shutting out the 2018 Stanley Cup Markstrom appears to be getting his game back. So do the Canucks. champions in a seven-round shootout before the Canucks won 2-1 to cap one of their most impressive performances of the season. With five power-play goals in Nashville — and 48 shots against — it was hard to know what to make of that performance by Vancouver. But the Two games ago, the Canucks were reeling from a 1-5-2 stumble in the win in Washington validated the earlier one and gives the Canucks some standings. Without warning, they’ve now banged off consecutive road actual momentum halfway through their difficult six-game trip. victories in Nashville and Washington – hard places to play – despite a handful of injuries. "We said in the room that we don’t want to be one-and-done," Horvat said. "We want to be a team that comes to play every night and knows And Saturday’s win came largely without top defenceman Alex Edler, how to win, and I thought we brought it tonight. Everybody." who left the game in the first period with an unspecified "upper-body injury." Hughes said: "We went for a little bit of a slump there and to pull together two really big wins against really good teams… it’s good." With injured checking centre Jay Beagle back out of the lineup for the second time in a week, Canucks centre Bo Horvat logged 26:08 of ice Hughes and Miller set up Pettersson’s goal, but Hughes’ best assist was time before shooting past Braden Holtby to win the tie-breaker. shoving Miller in the rump as they desperately chased down Oshie in overtime. Vancouver’s five remaining defencemen were outstanding. Tyler Myers saved a goal by pulling a puck off the line behind Markstrom in the "It’s not that hard," Hughes said of the technique. "You just push, like, his second period, and rookie Quinn Hughes, who played 25:13, made the butt." defensive play of the game in overtime by propelling back-checking teammate J.T. Miller with a stick-push in the pants just in time to breakup Naturally. T.J. Oshie’s breakaway. The Canucks visit the Philadelphia Flyers on Monday. Canucks scoring leader Elias Pettersson, who admitted to Sportsnet on Sportsnet.ca LOADED: 11.24.2019 Thursday that he hasn’t been working hard enough to make the impact he should, battled and chased pucks and slammed a power-play one- timer past Holtby for Vancouver’s only goal through 65 minutes.

But none of this, under the circumstances, was as impressive as Markstrom’s best performance since an Oct. 20 win in New York, where he made 38 saves against the Rangers upon his return from a five-day trip home to say goodbye to his dying father.

"Every day is emotional," Markstrom said Saturday when asked about the pre-game ceremony. "I’ve got great support from everywhere, from the owner to (general manager Jim) Benning and coaches and players and friends. But it’s tough."

Although Canucks coach Travis Green said he did not know when he decided to start Markstrom that the Capitals would be honouring the fight against cancer on Saturday, Markstrom said he knew before the game what was coming.

"It’s such a good cause," he said. "You know how much it means. When it affects you first hand… it’s tough. You want to have hockey, you know, you go play hockey and you get away and you don’t think about anything else for an hour. But it’s tough.

"You can’t do it by yourself. I’ve got my brother, my sister and my mom and my friends back home. I talk to them every day. It means the world 1163183 Websites • A little over a week after collapsing in practice, T.J. Brodie joined the Flames in Philadelphia, where he skated alone Saturday morning. He is expected to play as early as Monday in Pittsburgh.

Sportsnet.ca / Flames back Rittich with gutsy comeback to snap • Mangiapane was elevated to the second line alongside Tkachuk and miserable slide Mikael Backlund early in the game, bumping Michael Frolik down the lineup.

• The Flames had been shut out in their previous three road outings, Eric Francis which set a new franchise low.

November 23, 2019, 5:01 PM • Applying a more physical approach than usual, the Flames out-hit the Flyers 24-8. Tkachuk led all players with five hits

• Sean Couturier led all shooters with nine shots on goal. Noah Hanifin Through six games of misery, there was one man who continued to give led the Flames with four. the Calgary Flames a chance. WHAT’S NEXT David Rittich. The Flames play their third game in a four-game roadie in Pittsburgh on So when the popular netminder’s stickhandling gaffe handed the Flyers a Monday. late lead Saturday, the lads appeared extra motivated to help him out. And that they did. Sportsnet.ca LOADED: 11.24.2019 With Rittich pulled for the extra attacker, Elias Lindhom converted a Rasmus Andersson point shot off the back boards that tied the game 2-2 with 1:23 left.

It was a remarkable boost for a slumping Flames bunch that had snapped a four hour and 21 minute scoreless string on the road earlier in the period.

Goals are certainly hard to come by these days for a Calgary club that sits dead last in the NHL in goals per game. But when they needed one most they got one for Rittich, before Matthew Tkachuk played the shootout hero.

A glove save on Sean Couturier by Rittich to wrap up the skills competition gave the Flames a 3-2 win that snapped a six-game losing skid and prompted a spirited, on-ice gathering rife with relief.

It got the Flames within one point of a playoff spot, ending one of the most miserable slides in recent franchise lore.

They weren’t the better team, but they had the better goalie, making their improbable comeback possible.

Full marks to a team that had been outshot 18-3 in the second period, but trailed just 1-0 heading into the third. Despite giving up the first goal for the ninth straight game, the Flames tied it early in the second when Andrew Mangiapane peeked up over a broken nose and protective bubble to fire a shot past Carter Hart, albeit with the help of a deflection of Philippe Myers’ stick.

It set the stage for Rittich being pickpocketed by Joel Farabee behind the net with four minutes left, allowing Kevin Hayes to push it into an empty cage.

Rittich appeared devastated as he hopped onto the bench with 2:30 remaining for the extra attacker, setting up the dramatic equalizer.

Several of Rittich’s 36 saves came in spectacular fashion in overtime, stopping Oskar Lindblom in tight and Hayes on a breakaway to keep the game alive.

Despite being kicked in the side of the head by the back of Michael Raffl’s skate midway through the game, Rittich maintained an excellence that should still give Flames fans hope that a turnaround is possible.

Scoring is still an issue for a team that has just seven goals in their last seven games, but a gutsy win like this certainly breaks some of the tension that has surrounded the team the last week.

Tkachuk’s winner came on a deke to the right of Hart that opened the netminder’s pads long enough for the Flames winger to calmly slide it along the ice and into the net.

It’s now seven games and counting for the Flames since they led a game.

No matter.

After several days of closed-door meetings with one another and management, the Flames stopped the bleeding.

QUICK HITS 1163184 Websites in your face and I’m sure this is the game he’s had circled on his calendar for a long time," Auston Matthews said. "You always know what to expect when you go up against him."

TSN.CA / Nazem Kadri reflects on time in Toronto ahead of first game --- against Toronto Maple Leafs The Leafs acquired Tyson Barrie and forward Alexander Kerfoot in the deal for Kadri and Calle Rosen.

Mark Masters Barrie spent eight years in Colorado and is the franchise leader in points and goals by a defenceman. He formed many close friendships over the years, including with Nathan MacKinnon. Does he plan on chirping the Avalanche centre tonight? After spending 10 years in the Toronto Maple Leafs organization, tonight Nazem Kadri will face his old team for the first time. He met with the "Oh yeah," Barrie said with a laugh. "I got about eight years of stuff I'm media a couple hours before his much-anticipated reunion with the going to unload on him. I've never played against Nate before so that franchise that picked him seventh overall in 2009. should be good. He's scary, he's playing good right now so it’s a good test for us." Here are some of the highlights: MacKinnon has 13 goals and 19 assists to rank sixth in league scoring. Any regrets about how his time in Toronto ended with a playoff He's only been held off the scoresheet in four of 22 games. suspension? "On any given night I think he's the best player in the league," Barrie "Ah, yeah, a little bit. I mean, it's tough to beat yourself up over that. It's said. an emotional thing and, obviously, I would've enjoyed another opportunity at redemption, but, that being said, I gave it everything I had every single Barrie, who said he had several "dates" lined up with ex-teammates, night for a lot of years so I'm sure the organization and the fans will be admits there's emotion involved in this return to the Mile High City. proud of that ... obviously, I'm regretful for how it went down. In my opinion, I was playing some of my best hockey in that series so it was "Oddly enough there's no ill will," the 28-year-old said. "I'm kind of rooting tough how it ended, but that's just how it goes." for them in my heart so it’s nice to see them do so well."

Any disappointment at how general manager Kyle Dubas broke the news Barrie and Kadri met after the trade in the summer and have actually about the trade? started up a quasi-friendship by virtue of moving into each other's old place. They've exchanged texts throughout the season as little questions "Yeah, a little bit. When it happened, at first, I was a little bit bitter popped up. towards it. But as time goes on, time heals all, so I got over that pretty quick. It was unfortunate. It was a phone call that I'll never forget, but, "We're kind of building a relationship and we don’t really know each other that being said, I think ending up in Denver was a blessing in disguise." that well," Barrie observed. "We both trust each other and it’s been a good fit." Did he spend much time wondering why the Leafs moved him? Barrie noted some Leafs would be going over to see Kadri on Friday "A little bit. I mean, obviously, with the suspensions and, you know, it was night and he'd get a report on the state of the residence. obviously maybe an option, but it was indicated to me that they weren't trying to shop me around so I was expecting to suit up as a Leaf this "I need to know if I need to rip a coffee machine out of the wall to get year. But I understand the business, I understand how things change and back at him," he joked. offers get thrown at you and maybe it's tough to not accept one or two of Barrie plans to chirp MacKinnon: 'I got eight years of stuff I’m going to them so, ah, no hard feelings." unload on him' On Mike Babcock getting fired ... After spending eight years with the Avalanche, Tyson Barrie returns to "Obviously, tough to see. I think any team that's struggling is obviously Denver tonight as a member of the Maple Leafs. The defenceman insists looking for a spark and a change and I think that's what the team was he harbours no ill will against Colorado for trading him and he's looking looking for. I, personally, think Babs is a great coach and he helped that forward to facing some old friends, including Nathan MacKinnon. "I’ve team over there get to the next step. Obviously, they felt it was time for a never played against Nate before so that should be good," Barrie said. spark." "He’s scary. He’s playing good right now so it’s a good test for us."

On what he'll take from his years with the Leafs ... ---

"I mean, we'll be here forever if I get going on that. I came in as an 18- Sheldon Keefe admits he wasn't a fully-formed coach when Dubas hired year-old kid, left at 28, those are pretty significant years of your life under him to run the Greyhounds bench in Sault Ste. Marie. the microscope so I'm very appreciative of everything the city has given "The way that I've coached has evolved through my relationship with me and just that opportunity." Kyle and the type of teams we’ve had since going back to Sault Ste. On what he misses most about Toronto ... Marie," the new Leafs coach explained. "When I arrived in Sault Ste. Marie I arrived with an open mind, not necessarily a philosophy or "I miss the fans. I miss the city. I miss the guys that were there. I was anything. In fact, I learned pretty quickly I didn’t know a whole lot and I able to catch up last night and go out for some dinner and hear about all had to get myself up to speed and figure all that out. Kyle's vision got me the stories. I miss those guys over there and they're very easy to get to work in terms of, 'OK, how can we make this look on the ice and make along with. Obviously, I've watched those younger kids grow in their first it be successful? And make it be successful?' And be able to build on few years in the league. So, (Morgan Rielly), obviously being there from that." Day 1. So, definitely a few guys that are going to be missed, but those types of friendships last forever." But Keefe, 39, also learned a lot from playing under John Tortorella in Tampa Bay from 2000 to 2003. He calls Tortorella the "foundation" of his How does he feel about hitting them tonight? coaching career.

"(Smiles) I told them I was coming after every single one of them so I "Torts took over the team and year over year you saw the progress and don't think that they'd be surprised at all. Obviously, I'm kind of stuck the team grow," Keefe recalled. "I wasn’t there for the Stanley Cup, but it between a rock and a hard place going after a few of my buddies, but I'm made sense to me why that happened and being there through that all about winning and if that's what it takes, that's what it takes." growth. Seeing how the players grew under his guidance really helped me get a start in coaching in terms of what I wanted to be able to Matthews expects 'in your face' Kadri to be fired up in first game against accomplish." Leafs Keefe also points out he learns a lot from studying other sports like After spending 10 years in the Leafs organization, Nazem Kadri will face basketball and soccer. his old club for the first time on Saturday night and his former teammates have a decent idea what to expect from the feisty centre. "Naz is kind of Keefe's philosophy shaped by Dubas, Tortorella; gets ideas from soccer, basketball

Sheldon Keefe played for John Tortorella in Tampa Bay from 2000 to 2003. "I wasn’t there for the Stanley Cup, but it made sense to me why that happened," Keefe noted. "Being there through that growth, seeing how the players grew under his guidance really helped me get a start in coaching." Keefe also credits Leafs GM Kyle Dubas, who hired him in the OHL and AHL, for helping shape his coaching philosophy.

---

Keefe's first full practice as Leafs coach on Friday lasted only 32 minutes.

"Mainly just wanted to continue with what we worked on (Thursday)," Keefe explained, "we didn’t want to expand beyond that. The main thing being that we have to manage the players. As much as we want to do a lot of things, cover a lot of things, we have to manage the players energy levels, it’s been a long grind for them to get to this point."

The Leafs have been on the road since losing Saturday in Pittsburgh. The trip has seen them play in three different time zones before landing in the high altitude of Denver.

Many of the drills on Friday appeared focused on five-on-five play through the middle of the ice.

"Very up-tempo, a lot touches on the puck," Jason Spezza observed, "we played a little game that involved us moving off the puck and he was really detailed in his explanations."

"Just supporting each other all over the ice," said centre Auston Matthews of the focus, "not rushing plays when we have the puck, especially in the neutral zone and that’s the stuff we worked on (Friday) and it'll be a constant progression. Everybody knows how hard it is to get through the neutral zone in the NHL. Teams are good at stacking their lines so it’s just a constant progression and something we’ll continue to work on."

---

Projected Leafs line-up for Saturday's game:

Johnsson - Matthews - Nylander

Mikheyev - Tavares - Hyman

Kerfoot - Spezza - Kapanen

Engvall - Shore - Gauthier

Rielly - Ceci

Muzzin - Holl

Dermott - Barrie

Andersen starts

Kaskisuo

Scratches: Petan, Timashov, Marincin

Injured: Marner (high ankle sprain), Moore (shoulder)

TSN.CA LOADED: 11.24.2019 1163185 Websites 5) Incredibly, the Vancouver Canucks are 2-1-1 in their last four games with exactly one 5-on-5 goal. Yes, they have managed to secure five of eight standings points while scoring just one goal at even-strength. It makes no sense really, and yet it speaks to the strength of the team's TSN.CA / Five Takeaways: Canucks vs Capitals power play and the groove it has been in of late. Going back to last Saturday's 5-4 overtime loss to Colorado, the Canucks have scored 12

times. During that run, they lost to the Avs in OT, fell 6-1 in Dallas, beat Jeff Paterson Nashville 6-3 and now Washington 2-1. They have seven conventional power play goals, Saturday's 5-on-3 goal, a pair of 6-on-5 goals late in the Colorado game and Tanner Pearson sealed the deal in Nashville on Thursday with a short-handed goal into an empty net. The only goal 1) Somewhere between Dallas and Nashville, the Vancouver Canucks scored at evens in the team's last four games was Bo Horvat's appear to have found their groove again. After a 5-3 win in Music City on breakaway goal in Dallas on Tuesday. To stretch the point even further, Thursday, the Canucks turned in one of their best defensive the Canucks have not scored an even-strength goal off an in-zone setup performances of the season in a 2-1 shootout win in Washington. The since Troy Stecher's goal at home against Dallas on November 14th. The Canucks held the highest-scoring team in the National Hockey League to lack of 5-on-5 scoring is an issue, but one for another day. Because on just a single goal and they did it while down to just five defensemen when Saturday a power play goal, a shootout goal and rock-solid goaltending Alex Edler left the game after five shifts with an upper body injury. Chris proved to be the winning combination in Washington. Tanev logged a season-high 25:41 -- much of it matched up against Alex Ovechkin who had seven shots on goal on 12 attempts, but did not find TSN.CA LOADED: 11.24.2019 the back of the net or the scoresheet in any fashion. With Edler out, the ice time of four of the remaining five defenders was elevated. In addition to Tanev, Tyler Myers clocked in at 25:21, Quinn Hughes played 25:03 and Jordie Benn saw 22:37 of action. Troy Stecher was the only Canucks defender under 20 minutes (17:26). In his post-game remarks to the media, Travis Green paid assistant coach Nolan Baumgartner high praise for the way he handled the defense and maintained match-ups without the services of Edler.

2) Elias Pettersson scored the Canucks lone goal during the game. It was an absolute rocket of a one-timer from the right wing face off circle during a two-man advantage 14 minutes into the hockey game. With Capitals defenseman Michal Kempny without his stick, the Canucks attacked his side of the ice. JT Miller slipped the puck to Pettersson who blasted it up high past Braden Holtby. It was Pettersson's second goal in as many games and his 10th of the season. The second-year Swede has a share of the team lead with 10 goals in 23 games and is on pace for more than 35 now for the season. His 10 goals in 23 games puts into perspective how absurdly good scoring 10 goals in his first 10 NHL games was a year ago. It was also noteworthy that after struggling with a two-man advantage at a key juncture in Dallas on Tuesday, the Canucks made a subtle change to their 5-on-3 set with Bo Horvat replacing Josh Leivo. As a group, they made no mistake on Saturday in Washington.

3) To their credit, the Canucks pushed the pace of the hockey game in the late stages of the third period. It would have been understandable had they protected their single point and played for overtime, but that wasn't the case. With four minutes remaining in regulation time, Bo Horvat had a re-direct of a Tyler Myers point shot balloon on him otherwise he easily could have broken the 1-1 deadlock. Moments later, a Brock Boeser shot hand-cuffed Holtby and Tanner Pearson swatted at a loose puck which then squirted free to Quinn Hughes who had moved in from the left point. Hughes appeared to have much of the net to shoot at, but Holtby lunged to his right and was able to thwart what looked like it might be the go-ahead goal. Give both goaltenders -- Holtby and Jacob Markstrom -- credit for making key stops at crucial times. Markstrom made 32 saves during the game and then successfully stared down all seven Washington shooters he faced in the skills competition. Markstrom has now won back to back games for the first time since October 20th and 22nd against the New York Rangers and Detroit.

4) The Canucks had Markstrom as a key penalty killer on Saturday. Good teams get that kind of contribution from a goalie when he is dialled in as Markstrom seems to be right now. But the story of Saturday's penalty killing wasn't so much what the goalie did, but rather what the skaters in front of him accomplished. The Canucks held the league's sixth-ranked power play to just four shots in six minutes of work with the man-advantage. Ovechkin had one shot in the first period and one in the third while the unheralded Travis Boyd had the other two. The Canucks penalty killers led by Chris Tanev (5:05), Tim Schaller (4:18), Jordie Benn (4:17) and even Loui Eriksson -- yes Loui Eriksson who was second among forwards with 3:32 of short-handed ice time -- stepped up in a big way and limited Washington shot attempts and basically erased any second-shot opportunities. The penalty kill had been bleeding goals and had been beaten at least once in three straight games and seven of the last eight. But on Saturday, the Canucks held the Caps at bay, won the special teams battle on the day and ultimately won the hockey game. The penalty kill was a big part of that especially when it dug deep to kill off 3:15 of short-handed time in the third period of a 1-1 tie.