SPORT-SCAN DAILY BRIEF NHL 8/23/2020 1191894 St. Louis Blues discover how difficult it is to repeat as 1191923 Stars notebook: Tyler Seguin scores first postseason ; champions Dallas gets a change of scenery 1191924 After playing second fiddle throughout postseason, Stars’ top line explodes in second-round opener to secure w 1191895 One year later, what happened to all the Arizona Coyotes' 1191925 What’s going on with Ben Bishop? As the Stars’ No. 1 positive momentum? goalie continues to sit, questions arise about his status 1191926 Everything fans need to know about Stars-Avalanche: A full second-round schedule, 3 keys for Dallas and more 1191896 No avoiding showdown with Tampa Bay this time around 1191927 Tyler Seguin appears as Stars dominate Avalanche in 1191897 Jaroslav Halak will be No. 1 focus as Bruins take on Game 1 Lightning in second round 1191928 Stars 20/20: Vintage performance by Benn pushes 1191898 Charlie McAvoy’s crushing check was a big hit with some high-scoring Stars to Game 1 win Hall of Famers 1191899 Bruins vs. Lightning playoff preview: Two X-factors for each team 1191929 Lowetide: Examining Matt Benning’s future with the 1191900 admits he was 'surprised' by Bruins' dense Edmonton Oilers schedule vs. Tampa Bay 1191901 Why I'm picking Lightning to beat Bruins in second round Canadiens 1191902 Jaroslav Halak's workload gets even tougher with 1191930 Canadiens GM Marc Bergevin has a busy offseason second-round schedule coming up 1191903 Bruins vs. Lightning schedule: 2020 Stanley Cup 1191931 Stu Cowan: Canadiens' first-round exit shouldn't really be dates and times celebrated 1191904 Against Tampa, defensive duo of the future could be 1191932 In the Flyers room: 'Defence by committee' needed to part-time pair of the present eliminate Habs 1191905 2020 NHL playoff preview: Lightning vs. Bruins 1191933 About Last Night: How do you feel about the Canadiens going forward? 1191934 Canadiens Notebook: Brendan Gallagher has surgery on 1191906 Sizing up the Flames’ disappointment: Who struggled to broken jaw live up to expectations? 1191935 How Devils’ Nico Hischier can score more playing for 1191907 What we’ll remember, and what we wish we could forget, about the Hurricanes’ season Islanders 1191936 Islanders get change of scenery with new hotel 1191908 Blackhawks offseason preview: NHL draft, Corey 1191937 Islanders: Our past dominance over Flyers means nothing Crawford contract top Hawks’ to-do list now 1191909 Blackhawks talking team game as they head home 1191938 The mastery of 1191910 Marc-Andre Fleury's agent tweets image hinting 1191939 What is with these ESPN hirings? disapproval of starting 1191940 leaves , won't work rest of playoffs 1191911 How Blackhawks plans to fix for NBC after remark about women team's defense 1191941 There's reason to believe the Islanders can achieve much 1191912 Some early draft possibilities for the Blackhawks at No. 17 more 1191942 Weekend practices might be Islanders' last ones for a while 1191913 Nathan MacKinnon’s big night not enough in Avalanche’s 1191943 A position-by-position look at Islanders vs. Flyers Game 1 loss to Stars 1191944 Islanders, Flyers enter playoff matchup playing their best 1191914 Avalanche goalie Philipp Grubauer leaves Game 1 with hockey apparent leg injury 1191945 2020 NHL playoff preview: Flyers vs. Islanders 1191915 Nathan MacKinnon’s elevated physicality brings added dimension to Avalanche star 1191916 Grading the Week: Broncos training camp name to know? Just call him Albert O 1191917 Jared Bednar downplays the Avalanche’s dominance over Arizona 1191918 Avs’ lack of urgency a recipe for disaster in Game 1 loss to Stars 1191919 Avalanche fall 5-3 in disappointing Game 1 effort against Dallas; Philipp Grubauer, Erik Johnson injured 1191920 Avalanche goalie Phillip Grubauer leaves Game 1 with leg injury 1191921 Valeri Nichushkin “going through a bit of a rut,” as Avalanche prepare for series against his former team 1191922 Jackets chafing after series slips away 1191946 Islanders downplay regular-season success against the 1191978 What’s a Canuck? Looking at the origin of Vancouver’s Flyers, and brace for a tough series nickname 1191947 The Flyers need Carter Hart to keep being great, but his 1191979 Golden Knights must stay out of box against idol’s past proves that’s no guarantee | Mike Sielski Canucks 1191948 Flyers need to find another level to turn a good season 1191980 Recapping season series between the Golden Knights, into a special one | Sam Carchidi Canucks 1191949 Flyers need to refocus if they’re going to get by the 1191981 Sportsbooks see Knights-Avalanche showdown coming Islanders 1191982 Marc-Andre Fleury’s agent creates drama on Twitter 1191950 20 things to know about the Flyers’ next opponent: the 1191983 Henderson man gravitates to homes of Stanley Cup champions 1191951 Fletcher: Flyers can play better and will have to against 1191984 Take 5: Getting to know the Golden Knights’ second-round Islanders opponent 1191952 Flyers-Islanders schedule for 2020 NHL playoffs: Dates, 1191985 2020 NHL playoff preview: Golden Knights vs. Canucks game times, broadcast information 1191953 Fish: NHL, players deserve credit for providing safe playoffs 1191986 TJ Oshie reunites with his wife and three children after 1191954 2020 NHL playoff preview: Flyers vs. Islanders leaving the NHL bubble 1191955 Flyers-Canadiens series superlatives: Most unflappable, 1191987 The Caps may not have as much offensive depth as we best grudge, worst luck thought 1191956 Flyers must be better to make a Cup run, but series shows Hart & will is there Websites 1191957 NHL predictions unplugged: Anonymous scout, coach and 1191993 / NHL predictions unplugged: Anonymous exec pick series winners scout, coach and exec pick series winners 1191994 The Athletic / The Athletic’s 2020 NHL playoff predictions for the second round 1191958 Ron Cook: and Marc-Andre Fleury find 1191995 .ca / Stars fuse top trio's two-way play with depth themselves in similar spots support to seal Game 1 win 1191959 The 3 questions Jim Rutherford must answer before 1191996 Sportsnet.ca / Bergevin's best opportunity to improve retooling the Penguins Canadiens is in front of him 1191997 Sportsnet.ca / NHL and NBA bubble life is challenging, if full of neat quirks – Sportsnet.ca 1191960 believes Sharks' future is bright despite 1191998 Sportsnet.ca / Canucks appear on cusp of golden era as dismal season unexpected playoff march continues 1191999 Sportsnet.ca / Quick Shifts: Why contenders should St Louis Blues consider trading for Gaudreau 1191961 Secondary scoring a no-show for Blues in Edmonton 1192000 TSN.CA / More fireworks expected as Boston Bruins, 1191962 Bubble burst: Inability to ramp up game led Blues to renew rivalry (early) exit ramp 1192001 TSN.CA / Five Takeaways: Canucks vs Blues (game 6) 1191963 KO'd by Canucks: Blues' Stanley Cup defense ends with a thud in first round of playoffs 1191964 Win or lose, it's been a special August for Barbashev SPORT-SCAN, INC. 941-284-4129 1191965 Blues bounced from playoffs in 6-2 loss to young, hungry Canucks 1191966 What went wrong: 10 reasons the Blues were upset by the Canucks Tampa Bay Lightning 1191967 Lightning’s Brayden thrives in big games 1191968 The Lightning will beat the Bruins ... on one condition 1191969 Lightning fans, a reintroduction to Boston’s Jaroslav Halak 1191970 Lightning-Bruins matchup brings touch of familiarity to unusual circumstances 1191971 Quick hits on the eight remaining NHL playoff teams 1191972 Lightning open Cigar City Brewing Taproom for fans during Round 2 1191973 Bruce Boudreau and the Maple Leafs could be a nice fit, but they’ll have to wait 1191974 The Canucks will be Canada’s team in the second round of the , for hockey fans that can st 1191975 NBC hockey analyst Mike Milbury out of the bubble after insensitive comment, according to sources 1191976 A parent’s guide to minor hockey in the GTA during the pandemic. (Warning: It’s complicated) 1191977 After 9 points in 9 Leafs playoff games, what happened to ? 1191988 Vegas crease crisis: Marc-Andre Fleury's agent pulls no punches 1191989 Ed Willes: Confident Canucks learning the best way — by doing 1191990 The Skate: Late night love-in 1191991 2020 NHL playoff preview: Golden Knights vs. Canucks 1191992 Canucks playoff report card: Grading each player’s Round 1 performance 1191894 Anaheim Ducks coach capable of making a difference in a league that relies on similar thinking and systems. “It was one of those series where as a coach, when you’ve had some success with a group of guys it tears you a little St. Louis Blues discover how difficult it is to repeat as Stanley Cup bit because there’s so many good memories. But at the same time you champions work for someone else and want to beat that group just because we’re competitive.”

Montreal Canadiens vs. Philadelphia Flyers highlights. By HELENE ELLIOTT SPORTS COLUMNIST The Islanders will face the Flyers, who took care of Montreal in six AUG. 22, 2020 games. Flyers goalie Carter Hart was a fan of Canadiens’ goalie Carey Price as a kid, and they had a respectful chat on the handshake line.

Hart’s poise and skill have ended the Flyers’ eternal goaltending woes Depleted in numbers and in spirit, the defending Stanley Cup champion and should give them an edge over the Islanders. St. Louis Blues limped quietly out of the playoffs in the first round. Their Dallas’ seven-goal comeback to win Game 6 against the disjointed 6-2 loss to the surging young Vancouver Canucks on Friday sealed their Calgary Flames and reach the second round triggered an interesting six-game elimination and emphasized the difficulty of winning back-to- reaction from Stars interim coach , who took over in back titles: Starting in 1993 only Detroit (1997 and ’98) and Pittsburgh December after Jim Montgomery was fired for unprofessional conduct. (2016 and ’17) have won twice in a row. Bowness thanked the NHL for keeping everyone safe in the bubble but The Blues were No. 1 in the West when the season was paused because said stress has become a factor because people have little chance to of the COVID-19 pandemic, but injuries and absences jumbled the lineup move around or get a break from hockey. “Until you do this, what we’re and left them 0-2-1 in round-robin play. They rarely played the rugged going through, you have no idea,” he said. “The way we’re living and defensive game that carried them last season, leaving Jordan playing, that’s going to lead to a lot of emotional swings…. It’s mentally Binnington to face too many high-quality chances. “We did a terrible job tough, and everyone’s making the best of it.” of helping him out,” forward Ryan O’Reilly said. “It’s embarrassing.” Dallas on Saturday opened its second-round series against the Colorado Teammate David Perron had difficulty believing the Blues’ reign had Avalanche, which outscored Arizona 14-2 in the final two games of a five- ended. “Very frustrated. Very disappointed,” he said of his emotions. game win. Colorado rolls in as the favorite, with Nathan MacKinnon (four Vancouver earned its win, led by Jacob Markstrom’s sharp goaltending goals, 13 points) sharing the playoff scoring lead with Vancouver’s Elias and rookie defenseman Quinn Hughes’ exceptional skating and puck Pettersson. moving. “It’s a huge win for our team and our group,” Markstrom said, Mike Milbury in 2005 “but I don’t think anybody’s happy. We have three rounds to go before anyone is satisfied.” HOCKEY

The Canucks will face the No. 1 Vegas Golden Knights, who charged into Finally: Mike Milbury’s frequent tasteless comments apparently didn’t the second round with a five-game victory over the rebuilding Chicago bother executives at NBC Sports until his latest lack of civility was Blackhawks. Vegas coach Peter DeBoer surprisingly started Robin condemned by the NHL, which conveyed its displeasure to his bosses. Lehner in goal over Marc-Andre Fleury four times against Chicago, a Responding to Brian Boucher’s observation on Thursday that players strategy supported by his team’s balanced offense and mobile defense. have been focused in the playoff bubble, Milbury said, “Not even any Vegas forward has four goals, half his total in 42 regular- woman here to disrupt your concentration.” Besides insulting women season games. Vancouver has confidence but Vegas has playoff working in both bubble cities to stage the games, he came off as implying experience. women are merely distractions to men — and that players can’t be trusted to exercise restraint. In a statement he said he went too far in St. Louis Blues vs. Vancouver Canucks highlights. trying to be irreverent. The Blues’ fade contrasted with the turnaround made by the Boston In a statement issued by NBC on Saturday, Milbury said in light of the Bruins, who were 0-3-0 in round-robin play and fell from No. 1 to No. 4 in attention generated by his comment he had decided to “step away from the East. However, the Bruins got their act together and defeated my role at NBC Sports for the remainder of the Stanley Cup Playoffs. I do Carolina in five games despite starting goalie Tuukka Rask’s departure to not want my presence to interfere with the athletes as they try to win the tend to a family medical emergency. greatest trophy in sports.” The round-robin games helped the Bruins get going, though team Milbury has a long history of making questionable comments. president Cam Neely initially didn’t like the idea of having to play to keep Remember, Milbury ripped Rask for leaving the Bruins without the seeding they’d earned. “It was a little disappointing,” he said in a considering his child’s illness as a valid reason to go home, and Milbury video interview, “but our guys needed a tuneup and we are where we suggested Toronto defenseman Jake Muzzin milked an injury to get rest, are, and we’ve moved on from it.” which wasn’t the case. Milbury also said of defenseman Slava Voynov, Backup goalie Jaroslav Halak, whose appearance in a round-robin game who went to jail after beating his wife bloody, “This guy was a special was his first postseason duty since April 27, 2015 with the New York player and an unfortunate incident left the without a Islanders, saved 68 of 73 shots in three wins over Carolina. His backup is great defenseman.” It wasn’t unfortunate — it was criminal. Milbury 6-foot-5 Czech Dan Vladar, a 2015 third-round draft pick who spent part provides no special insights or entertainment value that justify continuing of the season in the ECHL and has no NHL experience. Swaddling Halak to give him a platform. in Bubble Wrap seems wise before they face Tampa Bay.

The Lightning’s first-round triumph over Columbus was sweet revenge for LA Times: LOADED: 08.23.2020 having been swept by the Blue Jackets in the first round last season in an 8-versus-1 upset. “We had 422 days to think about it. But who’s counting?” Lightning coach said. During that time, the Lightning added grit to its skill. Four of its games against Columbus were decided by one goal, including the five- opener and single- overtime decision in the clincher.

“I don’t know if it was as much on structure as it was between the ears, and all of us collectively from the coaching staff on the way down had to be a little harder,” Cooper said of his team’s improvement.

The Islanders’ five-game ouster of the Washington Capitals was emotional for coach , who guided the Capitals to the Cup in 2018 but left when he didn’t get the raise he felt he deserved. Trotz embraced many Capitals on the post-series handshake line. “I look on the other side and I see champions over there,” said Trotz, the rare 1191895 Arizona Coyotes won't have the cap space to retain him. They also don't have a GM to lead negotiations. They don't have a first-round pick. Several underperforming veterans are on expiring contracts heading into next One year later, what happened to all the Arizona Coyotes' positive season, and a few young players possessing long-term extensions momentum? haven't pulled their weight. Many of the team's employees are out of work. And despite the playoff appearance, the Coyotes were embarrassed at the end of their series with the Avalanche.

Richard Morin Arizona Republic It will undoubtedly be a tumultuous offseason for the Coyotes. But to their benefit it will be a short one, another byproduct of the pandemic. By the Published 11:47 AM EDT Aug 22, 2020 time the puck drops on 2020-21, can the Coyotes get the train back on the tracks – or will the organization change course once again?

The Coyotes' future was shimmering with promise. "The expectations – that's for you guys to write about," Tocchet said. "But you can't keep switching game plans midstream. We've made a lot of It was June 19, 2019 when Ahron Cohen, the Coyotes' former president traction in the last couple years and started to play more important and CEO, issued a statement confirming that the NHL Board of games. Governors had approved Alex Meruelo's purchase of the Arizona Coyotes. "Just keep moving ahead. Whenever the new GM comes ... what's his game plan, his philosophy? All that stuff has to keep us moving forward." "As we move forward," Cohen said, "our team will do everything we can to continue building the positive momentum and progress we have Injury updates achieved on and off the ice." As is customary during end-of-season interviews, Tocchet provided Less than two months after what Cohen called a "major milestone for the updates on the team's injured players – both the ones sidelined by their Coyotes organization," Meruelo arrived at Gila River Arena for his ailments and the ones who played through them. introductory press conference, flanked by Cohen and John Chayka, the Tocchet said center Christian Dvorak was playing "with basically one team's now-former president of hockey operations and . shoulder" in the playoffs. One source said he played through a shoulder The team was coming off a much-improved season the year prior. They separation. Tocchet also revealed that center Brad Richardson played had just traded for . They had a young core hungry for more. through a thumb injury that will probably require offseason surgery. Richardson is a pending unrestricted free agent. Jan 30, 2020 Both Nick Schmaltz and Conor Garland, the Coyotes' regular-season They had more momentum than at perhaps any other point in the team's points and goals leaders, respectively, were sidelined with head injuries. history. Schmaltz did not appear in a game in the postseason.

One year later, after a steady stream of negativity on and off the ice for the Coyotes organization, what happened to it? Arizona Republic LOADED: 08.23.2020 "This organization needs positive stuff," Coyotes head coach Rick Tocchet said in a Zoom call with reporters on Friday. "There's a lot of negativity."

Less than 12 months after Meruelo was introduced to Coyotes fans, both Cohen and Chayka, the men who introduced him with overwhelming support, have both exited the organization under terms that weren't exactly amicable.

During that same period, citing financial concerns related to the COVID- 19 pandemic, Meruelo furloughed half the team's staff in April. On Friday, two days after the Coyotes were eliminated by the Colorado Avalanche in the first round of the Stanley Cup Playoffs, Meruelo announced even more furloughs and layoffs, again citing the pandemic as a major culprit.

Aug 15, 2020

Now, the Coyotes will set their sights on a search for a new general manager as they await NHL Commissioner to adjudicate their contract dispute with Chayka.

And despite the fact that most of the Coyotes' roster is under contract for next season, there could be personnel changes on the ice, too.

"There's always going to be turnaround and change," Tocchet said. "It's a business, right? We're here to win. I've been in this business a long time. You hate to see people go. People get fired, people get traded, people get waived."

However, it's not as if the Coyotes were mired in negativity all season. Despite struggling late in the regular season and losing their hold on the Pacific Division, trades for Kessel and former No. 1 overall pick might have been short-sighted and risky but they were certainly needle-movers for ticket sales and merchandise.

And the Coyotes' qualifying-round win in Game 4 against the was perhaps the organization's biggest high since its last playoff run in 2012.

"I think that Nashville game," Tocchet said, "where they tied it up and we went and won it in overtime was a big moment for the franchise. We could have wilted and we didn't, so to win that game was huge for us."

Still, there is no denying the chance in tone from the summer of 2019 to 2020. Hall is a pending unrestricted free agent, and the Coyotes likely 1191896 Boston Bruins During the regular season, Stamkos notched 66 points (29 goals, 37 assists) — good for second-best on the team, behind only winger Nikita Kucherov.

No avoiding showdown with Tampa Bay this time around

Boston Globe LOADED: 08.23.2020 By Nicole Yang Boston.com staff

Updated August 22, 2020

Bruins coach Bruce Cassidy figured a rematch against the Lightning would come soon enough.

“I assumed last year would be the year,” he said Saturday via Zoom conference. “We assumed we would get them in the second round if we took care of business. Here we are in the second round this year.”

The Bruins and Lightning have remained atop the Eastern Conference since their second-round playoff series in 2018, which Tampa Bay won in five games. Last year’s playoff bracket had the two slated to meet in the second round, but a surprise first-round exit by the Lightning spared the Bruins of the matchup.

Now, in Toronto, the familiar foes will face off for a spot in the conference finals.

“These are the series people want to see,” Bruins winger said. “These are the series guys want to be a part of.”

Since that 2018 playoff matchup, the Lightning have won six of their eight regular-season meetings (including one shootout this season) against the Bruins. Their most recent clash came just before the league suspended its season, with Tampa Bay earning a hard-fought 5-3 victory on March 7. The two teams, unafraid to exchange punches or start a scrum, were whistled for a combined 26 penalties.

“That game specifically felt like a playoff game,” said , who was traded to the Lightning in February.

Players and coaches are expecting that same level of physicality and intensity when the puck drops Sunday at 8 p.m. (NBC) for Game 1.

Marchand expressed excitement about the challenge, calling the Lightning “a hell of a team.”

“That’s what makes the Cup worth it,” he said. “Because you have to play teams like Tampa.”

Cassidy said he was a “little surprised” by the two sets of back-to-back games on the schedule.

There will be no rest day between Games 2 and 3, nor will there be one between Games 6 and 7 (if necessary). Cassidy called the condensed timeline “very challenging,” with the biggest challenge coming in net.

Heading into the postseason, the Bruins had one of the best goaltender tandems in the league: Tuukka Rask as the starter and Jaroslav Halak as the backup. Now that Rask has opted out of the remainder of the postseason, the team may turn to 23-year-old Dan Vladar, who has yet to make his NHL debut.

“Do we play Vladar as a backup or do we ride Halak?” Cassidy said. “That’s a lot to ask of Jaro. That’s going to be a decision we’re going to have to make down the road.”

Cassidy expressed confidence in his roster depth, but noted an injury could complicate things.

“If a guy gets a nagging injury and you start getting these back-to-backs and he doesn’t have a chance to recover, that can work against any team,” he said.

Lightning Steven Stamkos remains unavailable, coach Jon Cooper said.

Stamkos, who is rehabbing from a lower-body injury sustained during voluntary workouts in July, missed the round-robin games as well as Tampa Bay’s first-round series against the Columbus Blue Jackets. Cooper offered no details on his recovery timeline.

“When he is going to be available, I will let you know,” he said. “There’s no further updates.” 1191897 Boston Bruins Ryan McDonagh is one of those left-side D-men. He doesn’t figure Halak’s off-the-bench service presents the Bolts with an advantage.

“I mean, you’re talking about a team’s backup, but in reality he’s been a Jaroslav Halak will be No. 1 focus as Bruins take on Lightning in second starter before and he’s played in playoff series, played in big games and round ultimately got [the Bruins] through a series-clinching game there,” said McDonagh, the former Ranger blue liner. “So it would be a different mind-set, I think, if it was a younger goalie who hadn’t had a lot of playoff By Kevin Paul Dupont Globe Staff experience, let alone NHL experience.”

Updated August 22, 2020 McDonagh did not bring up the subject of Vladar. But it was understood.

“With the talent they have out there, I mean, we are going to try to limit the shots and clear shots they take,” Bruins winger Brad Marchand said. It’s all in Jaroslav Halak’s hands now, glove and stick and blocker. “Because those guys score goals, that’s what they do, and that’s what Relegated to backup duty since arriving in Boston two years ago, the 35- they’re good at. Jaro’s going to do what he needs to do to be ready.” year-old Slovak tender will be in the Bruins net for the duration of the 2020 playoffs. Ready or not, the Bruins’ best bet now, their only reasonable wager, is to grab hold of Halak and hope. Just a few caveats worth mentioning as the Bruins and Halak head into Game 1 of the Eastern Conference semifinals Sunday night vs. the Lightning: Boston Globe LOADED: 08.23.2020 ▪ Halak has to keep the job, one that until last week he hadn’t performed since a postseason stint (3 wins, 4 losses) with the Islanders in the spring of 2015.

▪ He must remain healthy. Ditto for everyone else among the 250 or so goalies, defensemen and forwards who’ll solidier on for the semis in the East and West.

▪ He’ll have to withstand the torrid rigors of a schedule in which the Bruins could twice face the Lightning on back-to-back nights. Beginning with Game 2 on Tuesday, he could be called upon to make six starts in nine nights. That’s tough on a forward who logs, say, 18 minutes a game, and infinitely more so on a goalie who, ideally, only leaves the ice for intermissions.

“For us, obviously, the biggest challenge is the advantage we lost in March — with two healthy goalies,” noted coach Bruce Cassidy in his Zoom presser on Saturday. “Now, Tuukka [Rask] is not here, so do we play [Dan] Vladar as a backup? Or do we have to ride Halak? And that’s a lot to ask for Jaro.”

If the job gets thrust upon Vladar, the Bruins’ postseason fortunes will rest with a 23-year-old Czech kid with a big smile, a bit of a sense of humor, and 00:00 NHL playing experience. None of those three provides much comfort at this time of year.

Halak is a solid, capable tender and a very nice, competent fit as Rask’s companion stopper. As a standalone No. 1, we don’t know, other than the three wins (3-1, 4-3, 2-1) he just strung together to help vanquish the ’Canes in Round 1. All of that, let’s not forget, came after the starting role landed on his head just a week ago when Rask abruptly departed bubbledom.

Rask made all four starts against Tampa in the pandemic-truncated 2019-20 regular season and went 1-2-1. But Halak has been around long enough, all the way back to his 2006-07 debut with the Canadiens, to have a handle on most of the Tampa shooters, their tendencies, and coach Jon Cooper’s plan of attack. Cassidy said he figures Rask and Halak, as part of his prep, will discuss Tampa’s cavalcade of shooters before Sunday’s puck drop.

Halak also knows Tampa likes to attack with size, force and skill, and that he is one lucky doggo for the Bolts still to be without the injured Steve Stamkos (he of 422 goals and 832 career points).

Stamkos missed all five games of the series win over the Blue Jackets in Round 1. In part, that explains why one of the league’s top PP units submitted an 0-for-10 flatline on the advantage in Round 1.

During his Saturday Zoom presser, Cooper credited the Blue Jackets for taking very few penalties, leaving the Lightning with only the 10 power plays, and little chance of finding their puck-moving and shooting rhythm.

“I know our stat line is going to say 0 for 10,” mused Cooper. “But we did have some pretty darn good looks and nothing went in for us. You get to practice a little bit, but not that often, so hopefully we can draw a few more penalties [against the Bruins] and get our guys going.”

Whether at full strength or on the advantage, one of the Bolts’ strengths, said Cassidy, is for their left side defensemen to “pound the puck hard” from high, or above the left wing circle. Halak, he stressed, will have to be keenly aware of tracking low-to-high passes to that part of the ice. 1191898 Boston Bruins “I’m very impressed with McAvoy. He’s quick to make the pass, and move his feet. He doesn’t glide. I like his instincts. He’s got great vision of the ice.”

Charlie McAvoy’s crushing check was a big hit with some Hall of Famers Park agreed: “His intensity is terrific. He’s not a big guy. He’s not going to win every battle in the corner, but he’s going to go in the corner. He plays with the right kind of aggression.” By Matt Porter Globe Staff Bruins coach Bruce Cassidy plays a zone defense, but McAvoy’s closing Updated August 22, 2020 speed lets him break out of the layered structure, challenge opponents all over the ice, and retreat quickly.

“He is one guy we’ll allow to stray a little bit,” Cassidy said, “because he Denis Potvin heard Charlie McAvoy’s name and chuckled. Ho ho ho ho. can excel with his vision and hockey IQ and timing. We don’t want to “I was just talking to a friend about that hit,” the Hall of Fame defenseman stifle that.” said. “Holy cow. How big is he?” McAvoy, a salary-cap bargain the next two seasons ($4.9 million AAV), Listed at 6 feet, 208 pounds. has a huge payday coming as a restricted free agent in 2022. He will be 25, and likely a regular part of the Norris Trophy conversation. “Geez,” Potvin said. “I suppose it doesn’t surprise me, coming from any Bruin, to go hit a guy who’s a lot bigger.” Depending on Torey Krug’s residency and Matt Grzelcyk’s development, McAvoy could be running the power play. Even at his current youthful McAvoy’s teammate, Jake DeBrusk, might disagree with the idea that stage, there are few boxes he does not check. he’s a smaller defenseman. The hockey world paid tribute this past week to Dale Hawerchuk, who “He’s got a lot of meat over there,” said DeBrusk. died Tuesday at 57 after a long battle with stomach cancer. Hawerchuk finished four rounds of chemotherapy in mid-April, but the disease McAvoy’s steamrolling of Jordan Staal (6-4, 220) was the most returned in July. memorable moment of the Boston-Carolina series, according to a few Hall of Famers who appreciate the way a team’s playoff fortunes can Before that fight, Hawerchuk spent nine years as coach of the change from one bone-rattling bodycheck. Hockey League’s , where he mentored Mark Scheifele, Aaron Ekblad, Kevin Labanc, and others. Those who were close to him say his In flattening the Hurricanes’ captain in the third period of Game 4, passion never waned. McAvoy all but burst their bubble, and it was a spark in a four-goal third- period explosion that gave Boston a 3-1 series lead. “Every game, he was excited about the game,” said Paul MacLean, his winger for seven years in and now a Columbus assistant. “That was like hitting a truck, that’s for sure,” said Bruins president Cam “That’s what really made him special.” Neely, who was watching from his post in the team’s Scotiabank Arena suite. “It’s hard in the building when there isn’t the energy from the fans. If not for and , Hawerchuk might be You have to create that energy on your own.” remembered as the best scorer of the 1980s. His arrival, via the No. 1 overall pick in the ’81 draft, improved Winnipeg by 48 points. It remains McAvoy has been doing just that. At 22, he has become the Bruins’ No. 1 one of the largest single-season jumps in league history. defenseman, accepting the torch from partner Zdeno Chara. Before the hit, McAvoy showcased all of his considerable gifts: speed, timing, He had one of the great Calder Trophy seasons: 103 points in 80 games. playmaking instincts, conditioning, and strength. Only Peter Stastny, Teemu Selanne, and Alex Ovechkin scored more as rookies. After a Carolina faceoff win, McAvoy fielded a high lob near his own blue line, eluded and separated from a forechecking Nino Niederreiter, and Netminder Brian Hayward had never seen anything like Hawerchuk when walked the wall into the zone. and Brad Marchand had he arrived in Winnipeg from Cornell in ’82. Hawerchuk didn’t have a chance in front off McAvoy’s entry. With five Carolina skaters watching evasive speed or a bruising body, but his hands dissected defenses on Marchand, who collected the rebound on the half-wall, McAvoy got open the way to 1,409 points in 1,188 career games. on the far side, took a into traffic, and cycled back out high with the puck loose in front. “He would thread the needle with flat passes; it was an eye-opener,” said Hayward, the longtime color analyst for the Ducks. “He would slow the After that, with a TOI clock that would rise near 25 minutes, he changed game down, then change the shooting angle so quickly. the series. “He didn’t have a huge reach. He wouldn’t move it 10 feet like Mario. He The puck dribbled to the boards. McAvoy saw Staal, desperate to relieve would move it 3 feet, but extremely fast. Scored some incredible goals. pressure. McAvoy cut a semicircle pattern, baiting Staal into thinking he He would pick the puck up behind the net, beat three guys, go end to had open ice. Staal’s hands were extended, the puck at the end of his end. He was so deceptive.” reach, as he revved his engine to get out of the zone. Hawerchuk’s Jets were among the league’s better teams, but lost six With three quick crossovers, McAvoy took away Staal’s time and space playoff series to the dynastic Oilers and one to the Flames. They won two until he had nowhere else to go … but down. playoff rounds in his nine seasons.

The conversation among some in the league offices: If Staal’s Hurricanes With Hawerchuk at the top of his game in ’85 — career highs in goals crest had been a dartboard, McAvoy would have hit the bull’s-eye. (53) and points (130) — the Jets knocked off the Flames, but Nothing McAvoy did caused the referees to think about levying a defenseman Jamie Macoun broke Hawerchuk’s ribs with a cross-check charging or Rule 48 call. in Game 3. The Oilers swept the Jets in the next round.

“He stays low through the hit, lets his strength do the work for him without Long before they became close friends, traveling across Canada to play exploding, and avoids the head entirely,” said a senior league official, in legends games and charity golf events, Brad Park was rooting for requesting anonymity to speak freely on the hit. “Just textbook from a Hawerchuk to lift Winnipeg. rules perspective.” “He was so important to that city,” said Park, 72. “He made them a Potvin and fellow Hall of Famer Brad Park, at the top of the game in the legitimate team. He should have been a one-jersey guy.” ’70s and ’80s, got away with plenty more in their day, but this was one they’d be proud of. Like Park, who was a perennial also-ran in Norris Trophy balloting dominated by Denis Potvin and Bobby Orr, Hawerchuk’s only major “Staal didn’t even look up, which, uh-oh,” said Park. “He closed on him so trophy during his playing days was the Calder. quickly.” “There were very few rookies that I respected, but he was one, right from “If you’re initiating that hit, it’s like hitting a golf ball 300 yards,” Potvin the day he came in,” Park said. “So gifted, so smart, so good with the said. “There’s no effort to it. You don’t even feel it. It’s right on the puck. He’ll be missed. He had a terrific family. His two boys [Ben and numbers. Eric], his daughter [Alexis], his wife [Crystal] are terrific people. He was a makes plays. I’m a big fan. I think he’s definitely a top-six forward. The class act.” only question is, can he stay healthy?”

Long before streaming video, the Jets were hardly Canada’s most Hayward likened the Bruins’ other deadline acquisition, Nick Ritchie, to desirable team. Former Jets netminder Bob Essensa recalled that one another physical forward, Calgary’s Sam Bennett. Ritchie was taken 10th year, 50 NHL games were not shown on TV — and 30 of them involved overall in the 2014 draft, six slots below Bennett. After a trying season, Winnipeg. Bennett broke out with a 5-3—8 line in 10 postseason games, with a league-high 54 hits through Friday. Ritchie played in only two games in Those in the East may have known Hawerchuk only from box scores, the Carolina series, but Bruce Cassidy may use him in the second round hockey cards, or VHS highlight tapes until he was traded to Buffalo in against a heavier club. 1990. He had 13 points in 11 playoff games against the Bruins, including 6 in a four-game sweep in 1993. “Former goalie, so in practice I’d watch him shoot the puck,” Hayward said. “He’s got a cannon of a wrist-snap shot. A cannon, and you never In his 2001 Hall of Fame speech, Hawerchuk’s humility shined through, see it in the game. even in a sport traditionally averse to me-guys. “Sometimes I think he’s caught in that spot where he thinks he has to be Essensa, who broke in with the Jets in 1988, remembers going to dinner dominant physically when he’s on the ice. I wish he would just play. I at Hawerchuk’s house. The jerseys from his thrilling Canada Cup win in think there are a lot more goals in Nick Ritchie than those 10-foot ’87, plus a host of All-Star Game sweaters, were quietly hanging in a rebound goals.” closet. Loose pucks “He was a great person,” said Carolina coach Rod Brind’Amour, whose Flyers added Hawerchuk in 1996 for two final playoff runs. “I was a Word in Anaheim is the Ducks will hold on to ex-Bruin as centerman, he was a centerman. He was a Hall of Fame centerman. We the team gets even younger next year. Backes, 36, costs Anaheim $4.5 got on a line and he said, ‘I’ll play left wing.’ It’s a little thing, but that’s the million against the cap. Danton Heinen, on the books for $2.8 million, will kind of guy he was. I’m always thinking of him.” be an RFA after 2020-21 … Still think the Islanders’ Mathew Barzal will cash the biggest checks of any summer 2020 RFA, but the Blue Jackets’ Would be surprised to see Washington retain coach Todd Rierden after Pierre-Luc Dubois could give him a run for his money. Dubois looked like two consecutive first-round losses. It may be the only major change a No. 1 stud center this postseason … Surprising to see the Canadiens’ ahead. Jesperi Kotkaniemi, tagged for a boarding misconduct, fifth in the playoffs The Capitals, dismissed by the Islanders in five games, have the bulk of in hits (36) entering the weekend. Kotkaniemi is no Tom Wilson, but the the roster that won in 2018 locked up long-term. John Carlson is there 20-year-old Finn (6-2, 200) is no longer a skinny No. 3 overall draft pick through 2026. Evgeny Kuznetsov, Nicklas Backstrom, and T.J. Oshie … Columbus coach , cranky to the end, walked out of his through ’25. In all, 11 players have at least three seasons remaining on season-ending press conference after two questions. “I’m not going to their deals, and that’s not including Alex Ovechkin, who won’t get to get into the touchy-feely stuff, the moral victories, all that,” he said. “You market until ’21. guys be safe.” … If 43-year-old Zdeno Chara lifts the Stanley Cup, he will be the oldest captain to do so. Current title-holder there is Dave They’ll move on from , a UFA with a $6.1 million cap hit. Andreychuk, who was 40 when the Lightning won in 2004. The only Cup- He was not necessarily the problem in the Islanders series, but his .895 winning players older than Chara: Chris Chelios, who was 46 when his save percentage will make Washington feel OK about moving on to Ilya Red Wings won in 2008, and Lester Patrick, who was 44 and the Samsonov (DNP/injury this postseason). Missing Backstrom Rangers’ head coach when he filled in for injured goaltender Lorne (concussion) for three games hurt, and Carlson played through whatever Chabot in Game 2 of the 1928 Final … Charlie McAvoy, born in 1997, ailment kept him out of the round-robin. heard his share of “Potvin sucks” chants growing up a diehard Rangers fan on Long Island. It has been 41 years since Denis Potvin crushed Ulf Potvin sees magic in Bruins twosome Nilsson with a clean check, and he remains amused that the chant Denis Potvin, one of the stalwarts of the Islanders’ four-Cup run in the endures: “Many of the people yelling that don’t know who I am.” … After early ’80s, considers Patrice Bergeron and Brad Marchand one of the leaving Winnipeg, Hayward was ’s backup in Montreal. He game’s all-time great duos. remembered their ’88 playoff loss to the Bruins as “devastating.” The Habs’ game plan at the time was two-pronged: “Try to prevent [Cam] “I think most coaches agree, if you can keep two guys together — [Bryan] Neely from getting to the front of the net, and make Ray Bourque pass Trottier-[Mike] Bossy, [Wayne] Gretzky-[Jari] Kurri, that kind of a the puck,” he said. “It worked most of the time.” … Never seen this combination — you can always move somebody up on the wing,” mused before: In Game 5 against Montreal, Philadelphia coach Alain Vigneaut Potvin, 66, enjoying the outdoors in his South retirement. “I think yanked 22-year-old keeper Carter Hart, but sent him back out when the Bergeron-Marchand combination is right there with those guys.” Hart’s fourth GA on 20 shots was washed out on an offside review. “It’s a good thing he’s a little too oblivious to some things,” teammate Jakub He respects the work of David Pastrnak, who has burst onto the scene in Voracek later quipped. “Like being a goalie in Philadelphia.” recent years. But seeing the chemistry of the longtime Boston pair reminds him of the rotating cast of wingers on the Islanders’ old top line.

“Clark Gillies, John Tonelli, even Bob Bourne at times,” Potvin said. Boston Globe LOADED: 08.23.2020 “[Coach] Al [Arbour] would move one guy up, but keep those guys together. It’s a rarity. They’re such skillful players.

“I remember being on the ice with Bossy and Trottier, and literally not even seeing them, just throwing a puck to an area, and they were there. It was so automatic. Especially with our power play, which was so great in those years.

“That’s what I see with those guys. Bergeron-Marchand, Gretzky-Kurri, Trottier-Bossy.

“Very rare that I’ve seen a combination like Bergeron and Marchand. It’s very, very rare. You can just see when they turn on the experience. It’s amazing.”

Brian Hayward, on the mike since Anaheim’s inaugural season (1993- 94), is a big believer in the two former Ducks who flew east.

On speedy young Bruin Ondrej Kase, whose career in Anaheim was marred by a concussion, foot and ankle injuries:

“I loved him,” Hayward said. “Everyone in Anaheim called him the Energizer Bunny. He was on the puck all the time. Pretty good hands. He 1191899 Boston Bruins It's still unknown if Lightning captain and top-six center Steven Stamkos will play at all in this series. If he's unable to return from injury, Tampa Bay will need its other elite scorers to step up, and Kucherov is at the top Bruins vs. Lightning playoff preview: Two X-factors for each team of the list. Kucherov has played pretty well against the Bruins with 18 points (eight goals, 10 assists) in 25 career regular season games.

A strong series from Kucherov would go a long way in helping the By Nick Goss Lightning advance to the Eastern Conference Final.

August 22, 2020 Barclay Goodrow, LW

The Lightning gave up a first-round draft pick to acquire Goodrow from the San Jose Sharks before the trade deadline, and he made his The best series of the entire 2020 Stanley Cup Playoffs could easily be presence felt in both games he played against the B's during the regular the second round matchup between the Boston Bruins and Tampa Bay season. Goodrow tallied an assist in a 2-1 loss on March 3, and he tallied Lightning. 11 penalty minutes -- including a fight with Bruins forward Chris Wagner - These are the two top teams in the league. - during a 5-3 victory on March 7.

The Bruins had the best record in the regular season and a league-high Goodrow will need to play a physical game and get under the Bruins' skin plus-53 goal differential. The Lightning tied for the third-best record and without going over the line and committing dumb penalties. The Bruins earned the second-highest goal differential at plus-50. Each team won its power play scored at 36.8 percent rate in Round 1, and with superstar first round series in five games. winger David Pastrnak back in the lineup, Boston's top unit is whole again. If the Lightning give the Bruins power play too many opportunities, Both the Bruins and Lightning have deep rosters, plenty of postseason it could swing the series in Boston's favor. experience and lots to prove after disappointing exits from the 2019 playoffs. It's hard to envision this series lasting fewer than six games, and Goodrow could be a valuable player in this second round series if he's it wouldn't be surprising if a Game 7 is needed. being a pest and providing secondary scoring. So far, he hasn't generated much offense with just two points (one goal, one assist) and Here are two x-factors for each team who should play pivotal roles in 10 shots in eight games during the restart. determining the outcome of the series.

Jaroslav Halak, G Comcast SportsNet.com LOADED: 08.23.2020 Halak didn't play in any of the five previous meetings between these teams this season. In fact, Halak has never played against the Lightning as a member of the B's. His last appearance versus Tampa Bay came in the 2017-18 campaign with the New York Islanders.

Halak should start every game in this series, barring some sort of injury. He played well against the Hurricanes, winning the last three games of the series after replacing Tuukka Rask as Boston's starting netminder. Halak only gave up five goals in those three matchups. One of those goals was the result of a horrendous pass he made from behind his own net in Game 3, and two of them were soft goals he should've stopped in Game 4. Halak had a .940 save percentage in 135:39 of 5-on-5 ice time versus Carolina, and he made saves on nine of the 10 high-danger shots against him. He also stopped 14 of 15 shots when the Bruins were on the penalty kill.

The Bruins have enough offensive firepower to win a high-scoring series against the Lightning, but their job would be made so much easier if Halak is able to give them a couple good performances. Halak doesn't have to be elite for Boston to win this series, he just needs to be better than his career stats versus Tampa Bay -- an .892 save percentage and a 2.93 goals against average in 10 games.

Jake DeBrusk, LW

The Lightning are a high-scoring team with plenty of forward depth, and for the Bruins to match that, they'll need secondary scorers such as DeBrusk to be a factor. DeBrusk scored twice and played a key role in Boston's comeback win in Game 4 against the Hurricanes, but it was the only matchup of the first round in which he tallied a point. He was scoreless the rest of the series and averaged less than three shots on net per game. DeBrusk has scored only four goals over his last 22 games going back to the regular season.

The Bruins' second line of DeBrusk, David Krejci and Ondrej Kase was fantastic versus the Hurricanes. It generated plenty of scoring chances and drove puck possession at a high rate during 5-on-5 play, but DeBrusk's finish was subpar. Sure, he was a bit unlucky on several occasions and hit a few posts. Still, DeBrusk must start burying the scoring chances Krejci is serving up for him because the B's cannot rely solely on the top line to produce offensively in this series.

Nikita Kucherov, RW

Kucherov is one of the best players in the league and has averaged 36.6 goals over the last five seasons. After a lackluster performance in Round 1 last year, Kucherov has tallied nine points (two goals, seven assists) in Tampa Bay's eight games inside the Toronto bubble. He was a playmaking force in Round 1 with six assists in five games against the Columbus Blue Jackets. 1191900 Boston Bruins

Bruce Cassidy admits he was 'surprised' by Bruins' dense schedule vs. Tampa Bay

By Joe Haggerty

August 22, 2020

The Bruins will obviously always play the schedule that’s in front of them, but it was a bit of a head-scratcher when the second-round series schedule between the Bruins and Tampa Bay Lightning was released following Friday night’s decisive games.

The Bruins will open their series vs. Tampa Bay on Sunday night, and will potentially play two sets of back-to-back games in the series with Games 2 and 3 back-to-back on Tuesday and Wednesday, and Games 6 and 7 potentially on Tuesday and Wednesday next week as well.

Some of it is about showcasing what the league believes is the marquee matchup in the second round with primetime games on both Friday and Sunday. But that leaves the B’s with a difficult challenge of playing three games in four days twice in the series while being forced to ride a 35- year-old goaltender in Jaroslav Halak after Tuukka Rask opted out of the playoffs.

Bruce Cassidy admitted he was “surprised” when the schedule came out with the back-to-backs and acknowledged the goaltending challenge is the biggest part of it all. Cassidy even toyed with the idea that rookie Daniel Vladar could play at some point in the series given the dense schedule of games, but it’s difficult to see that happening unless Halak’s performance really drops off due to physical or mental fatigue.

“A little surprised it came out that way [and that] we wouldn’t alternate night and play at 7 or 8 p.m. I’m not part of that decision-making but it sure would be easier for us, I’m sure Tampa would say the same. But, at the end of the day, you play the games where they tell you to play and what time,” said Bruce Cassidy.

“For us, obviously the biggest challenge is the advantage we lost in March with two healthy goalies. Now, Tuukka is not here so do we play [Daniel] Vladar as a backup? Or do we have to ride Halak? That’s a lot to ask for Jaro.

“So that’s going to be a decision we make down the road. That’ll be the biggest challenge. I think for our players, we have eight defensemen we feel can play. So, the depth part of it, three in four nights with a back-to- back, we can move different pieces in and we don’t feel that our game drops off significantly, or at all when we move pieces around.

"We have the same luxury up front. But, if a guy gets a nagging injury and we start those back-to-backs, he doesn’t have a chance to recover. That can work against any team. Those are the intangibles of it and the unknowns a little bit. Our guys will be ready to play and hopefully we don’t run into those scenarios where guys do need extra time to recover.”

As the saying always goes, both teams have to play the same schedule so there shouldn’t really be any inherent advantages. But there’s absolutely no easing Halak into this pivotal second-round series either given that the Bruins and Lightning will be playing seven grueling, intense games over a sparse 11-day period starting tomorrow night.

Comcast SportsNet.com LOADED: 08.23.2020 1191901 Boston Bruins loaded up at the trade deadline, has Yanni Gourde centering Barclay Goodrow and 20-goal-scorer .

Give me Bruce Cassidy over Jon Cooper, but I'll take Cooper's roster, Why I'm picking Lightning to beat Bruins in second round which also includes the best defenseman in this series in Victor Hedman. The Bruins will make it a series -- let's say six games.

By DJ Bean Can the Bruins win? Of course. I can still remember Brad Marchand after Game 4 of that 2013 Penguins series saying that nobody gave them a August 22, 2020 chance, and I can envision him saying it again via a Zoom press conference in a week or so.

Still, much like a quarterback with only two offers in free agency, I'm The Bruins are battle-tested enough that it isn't often you'll pick them to picking Tampa. lose a series without a second thought.

For whatever hot goalie, troublesome line or great record an opponent may have, Boston has often found solutions over the years. Comcast SportsNet.com LOADED: 08.23.2020 (Sure, the solution was usually just "Zdeno Chara," but still.)

Here we are, though. On Sunday, the Bruins will begin the second round against a Lightning team that should beat them. Tampa is better offensively and, now that Tuukka Rask is back home, has a clear edge in goal with reigning Vezina winner .

Plus, they took three of four regular-season meetings and the round- robin matchup.

I'm picking the Lightning to win the series, knowing two things:

1. I won't be alone. Tampa will be a popular pick, as many consider them the Cup favorite.

2. The Bruins were also clear-cut underdogs against a loaded team in the 2013 Eastern Conference finals against the Penguins. Nobody gave the Bruins much of a shot, and they held Pittsburgh to freaking two goals over the course of a sweep.

There's a lot of reasons to pick Tampa. Better roster, questions about David Pastrnak's health, the fact that it's a weird year, so the team that always disappoints winning would actually make sense for some reason, etc.

But I'll just go with what I've said all along: Tampa's group on D is closer to Boston's than Boston's forwards are to Tampa's. Plus, I don't write the Lightning off as chokers because of how they embarrassed themselves in the first round last year. Maybe they are, but they at least exorcised that first-round demon by beating the Blue Jackets this year.

Also, teams that embarrass themselves have found ways to turn it into fuel for the next year. The Bruins won the Cup a year after their 3-0 series lead/3-0 Game 7 lead vs. Philly debacle.

The Bruins will need Jaroslav Halak to be great to stay alive. If he plays the way he did in Game 4 (or, to a degree, Game 3) of the Carolina series, Boston won't have a chance. If he finds another gear and gives Boston the type of play they've gotten from Tuukka Rask, who's top 10 in career postseason save percentage, they could be in business.

But remember, the Bruins have played Tampa in the postseason with Rask and lost. Why? Because of the discrepancy on offense. Two years ago, Patrice Bergeron's line toyed with Tampa in Game 1 as Boston took the series lead. Then Brayden Point decided the fun was over, dominated the Bergeron line and that was that. You can't beat Tampa if you only have one or two things going. You need more.

And I've never been sure that the 2019-20 Bruins have been more than one amazing line/power play, a strong defense and great (now good) goaltending. Those are all tremendous qualities to have, which is why the Bruins are one of the best teams in the league. They're just about to face a better one.

I don't love Boston's wings after the top line, but Tampa's are great. Look at the middle sixes for both teams and tell me Tampa doesn't get your checkmark.

While David Krejci's stellar play should inspire confidence in Boston's second line, check out Tampa's second trio of Anthony Cirelli between Alex Killorn (26 goals) and Tyler Johnson (a year removed from 29 goals). If Steven Stamkos returns at any point, he'll bolster a top six that's led by Point and Kucherov.

Boston's third line remains a work in progress. Sean Kuraly is an excellent fourth-liner being asked to play third-line left wing. Jack Studnicka is an exciting young player, but still a rookie. Tampa, who 1191902 Boston Bruins

Jaroslav Halak's workload gets even tougher with second-round schedule

By DJ Bean

August 22, 2020

After a rescheduling created a back-to-back for Games 1 and 2 of the first round, Bruce Cassidy downplayed the issue of potentially overtaxing his starting goalie.

"Don't forget, a lot of the back-to-back games specifically with us -- well, everybody -- is you're traveling and you're getting a poor night's sleep and an early morning," Cassidy said after Game 1 vs. Carolina. "So those won't be the case in this particular back-to-back.

"Everyone should sleep well tonight, get some rest so there's that consideration too. So you got two things that tilt towards Tuukka [Rask] getting a back-to-back start."

Obviously, Rask isn't there anymore and it's Jaroslav Halak. So why bring up that comment? Because the second round is going to have as many as two back-to-backs for the Bruins and Lightning -- including Games 6 and 7.

The series, which starts Sunday night, has Games 2 and 3 on Tuesday and Wednesday, respectively. Then, should the series go long enough, Games 6 and 7 would be Sept. 1 and 2.

Halak has only started both games of a back-to-back once as a Bruin, which came last November during Rask's leave of absence. That, like the bubble games, consisted of no travel, as both games were at home. He allowed just one goal in each contest, both Bruins wins.

Considering that backup Dan Vladar has not played an NHL game, something crazy would have to happen to the Bruins' goaltending situation (again) for Halak to not get both games of a potential 6 and 7.

After a bumpy start to replacing Rask in the first round, Halak closed out the Hurricanes with a strong showing in Game 5. It's been enough of a test that he's been thrown into the fire; between the Lightning offense and so much work in a short period, his job is about to get tougher.

Comcast SportsNet.com LOADED: 08.23.2020 1191903 Boston Bruins

Bruins vs. Lightning schedule: 2020 Stanley Cup Playoffs dates and times

By Dave Green

August 22, 2020

The Bruins got to avoid the Lightning last season when they made their run to the Stanley Cup Final. They won't be so lucky this season.

The Flyers' series-clinching win over the Canadiens Friday night ensured that Boston will face Tampa Bay in an Eastern Conference Second Round series.

While the matchup is difficult enough on its own — the Bruins (100 points) and the Lightning (92 points) — were the conference's top two teams during the regular season, the schedule is also pretty grueling. The teams will potentially play three games in four nights twice, with two sets of back-to-back games, including Games 6 and 7.

Even without any travel between games, that schedule should be a challenge, especially when you factor in the intensity of the playoffs. It also means a heavy workload for starting goalies Jaroslav Halak and Vezina Trophy finalist Andrei Vasilevskiy.

With Tuukka Rask's opt-out, Halak stands at the top of the B's depth chart with only Dan Vladar (no NHL experience) and Maxime Lagacé (17 NHL games) behind him. Meanwhile for Tampa Bay, Vasilevskiy has played every minute since entering the Toronto bubble, while backup Curtis McElhinney hasn't played since March.

One of the biggest questions heading into the series surrounds the health and availability of Lightning captain Steven Stamkos, who hasn't played since February with a lower body injury.

Haggerty: Kase showing he'll be a playoff factor

The Bruins lost four of five meetings between the teams this season, including a 3-2 loss in the round-robin portion of the NHL's restart earlier this month.

"A round robin game that could've went either way I thought, they scored late with about two minutes to go and we got ourselves back in that game," Bruins head coach Bruce Cassidy said Friday. "Right before the break we had two really good games. We went up there, they beat us in our building, both physical, both started to develop some animosity in those games."

The teams definitely have already built up the animosity Cassidy referenced, combining for 94 penalty minutes in their last regular-season meeting on March 7. Even their round-robin game featured some bad blood, with Tampa Bay's Barclay Goodrow delivering a nasty, blindside hit on Boston's Anders Bjork.

Comcast SportsNet.com LOADED: 08.23.2020 1191904 Boston Bruins checks. There may be occasions when Grzelcyk is a better option to defend Point.

Grzelcyk is not built for nightly abuse from opposing top lines. It’s one Against Tampa, defensive duo of the future could be part-time pair of the reason the Charlestown native is not yet McAvoy’s full-time partner, present although his time will come when Chara says goodbye for good.

But Grzelcyk’s skill set makes him a valuable part-timer on McAvoy’s left By Fluto Shinzawa side. It’s a good bet the flammable Lightning will grab leads over the Bruins throughout Round 2. When that happens, Grzelcyk and McAvoy Aug 22, 2020 will get the call.

Bottom-six adjustments

By now, Zdeno Chara and Charlie McAvoy go together as often as salt According to the Bruins, Nick Ritchie practiced on the No. 3 line next to and pepper. During even-strength play, the 43-year-old behemoth and Charlie Coyle and Anders Bjork on Saturday. Ritchie was a healthy his 22-year-old sidekick patrol the defensive zone to make life miserable scratch for the final three games of the opening round. Sean Kuraly, who on loiterers. replaced Ritchie as No. 3 left wing, practiced as the fourth-line center between Joakim Nordstrom and Chris Wagner. was one of their primary targets in the first round. Svechnikov came out on the wrong end. He jostled multiple times with Kuraly is a better skater than Ritchie. But the ex-Duck is bigger and has McAvoy. In Game 3, the power forward wrenched his knee while banging more offense to his game. bodies with Chara. “If it’s Tampa, you’re probably going to see Nick,” Cassidy said on Friday It may be that Tampa Bay’s No. 1 line of Ondrej Palat, Brayden Point and before the second-round matchup was set. “They’ve got some bigger, Nikita Kucherov will understand some of Svechnikov’s pain. On March 7, heavier forwards as well he could match up well against too. Just a better during a black-and-blue 5-3 Tampa win at TD Garden, Chara’s three overall matchup for him.” most common 5-on-5 opponents were Kucherov (8:51), Point (6:58) and Palat (6:07), according to Natural Stat Trick. The fourth line was good in Games 3 through 5 with Par Lindholm in the middle. But Kuraly has a history of postseason performance. If the The ace the Bruins like to play, however, is handing some of Chara’s 5- Nordstrom-Kuraly-Wagner unit is playing well, Cassidy could deploy it as on-5 shifts to Matt Grzelcyk. In doing so, the Bruins lose an entire foot a matchup threesome to relieve some defensive responsibilities from his and 76 pounds off their top pairing. But they gain Grzelcyk’s flashy feet, No. 1 line. quickfire processing power and crisp puck-moving skill. Nothing but respect Bruce Cassidy and assistant Kevin Dean, who manages the defense, usually consider three factors when pairing Grzelcyk and McAvoy: In 2018, the last time the Bruins and Lightning played in the playoffs, Brad Marchand licked . Marchand acknowledged after the 1. When there’s an offensive-zone draw. series, following firm reminders throughout the organization, that it was a regrettable decision. 2. When the opposing line favors speed and skill over size. Two years later, Marchand sounds like a player who respects his 3. When the Bruins are trailing. opponent to a greater degree. The regular-season results were good. In 199:55 of 5-on-5 play together, “They have everything,” Marchand said. “They have all the makings of a Grzelyck and McAvoy recorded a 59.89 Corsi For rating. It was the best great team. It will be a big challenge. We’re all looking forward to it. It’s among the Bruins’ pairs and fourth-highest in the league among duos going to be a tough one. We’ll have to be at the top of our game to with 175 or more 5-on-5 minutes together. compete with them. It is a measuring stick. We know the top teams in the Based on the Bruins’ shot types and location, they averaged 3.03 league. There’s different tiers, basically. Teams that are left are in that expected goals for per 60 minutes of 5-on-5 play when Grzelcyk and top tier. Whatever team comes out of this is going to be because they McAvoy were paired. In comparison, the Bruins had a 2.1 xGF/60 when played the best hockey and got the right bounces. It’s going to be fun. Chara and McAvoy were together. Grzelcyk and McAvoy are pace- These are the series people want to see. These are the series guys want pushers, practically eager to beat each other up the ice. to be part of and play in. This is what makes the Cup worth it, because you’ve got to play teams like Tampa.” At the same time, Grzelcyk and McAvoy were not bad in their own end. The Bruins averaged 1.86 expected goals against per 60 with the two ex- Stamkos unavailable Terriers together, signaling that they dampened shot quality and quantity Tampa coach Jon Cooper classified Steven Stamkos as not currently quite well. It was better, in fact, than the team’s 1.99 xGA/60 when Chara available. The Tampa captain has yet to play in the playoffs because of and McAvoy roamed the back end. an undisclosed injury … Anthony Cirelli could take over Patrice The postseason sample sizes are far smaller. Chara and McAvoy logged Bergeron’s title as one of the NHL’s best defensive forwards. Cooper 53:54 together. Grzelcyk and McAvoy totaled 41:07 of shared time. gave Bergeron the nod of experience and offensive performance. But the Tampa coach said from what’s seen, the two share similar habits. “They But when Chara and McAvoy were a pair, the Bruins had a 1.28 xGF/60 don’t sacrifice an inch of the ice,” Cooper said. “They’re just responsible and a 2.56 xGA/60. The numbers were practically upside down for players. Not all guys are like that.” … Like Carolina, Tampa’s Grzelcyk and McAvoy: 3.82 xGF/60, 1.22 xGA/60. defensemen are active shooters. At 5-on-5, Erik Cernak (115 shots), Kevin Shattenkirk (105) and Victor Hedman (102) led the charge. “Those Some of this is no surprise. From as early as training camp, Cassidy low-to-high plays are probably coming on net in a hurry,” Cassidy said of surmised that bigger players will require more break-in time following the what Jaroslav Halak should expect. “So you’re going to have to track the shutdown. Grzelcyk is also 17 years younger. puck well as soon as it gets up top.” Usage also comes into play. In all situations against Carolina, Grzelcyk started a team-high 72.73 percent of his shifts in the offensive zone. Chara’s offensive zone start percentage was a team-low 32.69 percent. The Athletic LOADED: 08.23.2020 But it’s not like the Hurricanes caved in the Bruins when Grzelcyk was on McAvoy’s left side. It’s why the trend may continue against the Lightning.

The 6-foot, 194-pound Palat is a heavy, grinding left wing. Kucherov, 5- foot-11 and 183 pounds, plays more of a skilled game than Palat, but is prone to taking retaliatory penalties when defended brusquely. Chara is well suited to play against both.

Point is another matter. He is 5-foot-10 and 166 pounds — slight, slippery, highly aware of his surroundings and excellent at slipping off 1191905 Boston Bruins where the Bruins should be able to close the gap considerably to make this an even series.

It may not look that way based on each team’s playoff stats, but those 2020 NHL playoff preview: Lightning vs. Bruins probably need to be taken with a grain of salt for both teams, especially considering how seriously both teams took the round robin. Boston especially slept through the opening three games, but it was clear within By Dom Luszczyszyn a few minutes against Carolina that the Bruins would be able to ramp things up once the games started to matter. The Hurricanes are one of Aug 22, 2020 the league’s best possession teams, but the Bruins managed to earn 56 percent of the expected goals share against them in the series, frequently controlling the run of play. The same goes for Tampa Bay, Oh baby. By goal differential the Boston Bruins and Tampa Bay Lightning who had 60 percent of the expected goals against Columbus. And that were first and second in the league this season and the two teams were was with both teams playing without one of their best players. top three in the prior two seasons too. For the past three seasons these two Atlantic Division behemoths have consistently been the class of the In each series, both teams looked much closer to their usual selves with league, ranking first (Tampa Bay) and second (Boston) in points with 333 the exception of their offence. The Lightning are usually an elite finishing and 319 points. No other team has over 300. team, but had trouble solving Joonas Korpisalo and Columbus’ stingy defence while the Bruins already average offence sputtered a bit against And yet, neither team has a Stanley Cup to show for it. That’s the cruelty Carolina. Finding goals probably won’t be much easier in this series with of the sport and you know both teams will be hungry to show that this will the way both teams play defence. That holds true for Tampa Bay’s power finally be their year. play as well, which went scoreless against Columbus for the series. The absence of Stamkos looms large there and Boston continuing Tampa This is a clash of the titans, an epic tilt between two division rivals that Bay’s man advantage frustrations could be the key to the Bruins winning are arguably the league’s two best teams. This has the potential to be a this series. fantastic viewing experience; high level hockey that’s revered for ages in the same pantheon as Chicago vs. Los Angeles in 2014 or one of the The other key will, of course, be Boston’s top line. Every preview many series between Washington and Pittsburgh. featuring Boston always starts with these three so by now you know the drill. David Pastrnak is arguably the league’s best goal scorer and is the Unsurprisingly, it’s a tight one where there isn’t much separating either focal point of the team’s excellent power play. Patrice Bergeron remains team. For now, Boston has the slightest edge. as dependable as ever and is still one of the game’s best two-way Basically, flip a coin for the answer regarding which of the East’s best centres. Brad Marchand is an elite playmaking winger (he’s sixth in advances to the conference final. There’s plenty of reason to like either assists over the last three seasons) who does the heavy-lifting carrying team in this series and it’s why the odds are so close. Tampa Bay has the puck up ice. The three work flawlessly together, chemistry that has been the best team of the last three seasons, has exceptional depth and been built up over the past few years where their individual efforts add up has been the stronger team during these playoffs. Boston was the best to something collectively extraordinary. When they’re on the ice, they run team this year by a wide margin, arguably have more star power and the ice. proved their mettle against a much tougher first-round opponent. It’s When healthy, the Lightning are one of the few teams that have an splitting hairs. answer for it, one they’ve spent some time with for better parts of this What does have the potential to create a larger gap between the two season and that’s their own super-line of Nikita Kucherov, Brayden Point clubs is the status of Lightning captain Steven Stamkos. His injury and Stamkos. Together the trio put up some numbers that actually rival situation remains murky and though the Lightning didn’t need him to the Perfection Line’s with a 61.6 percent expected goals rate with 71 dispatch Columbus, beating a team as strong as the Bruins will be much percent of the goals thanks to an insane 6.2 goals per 60. That last tougher without his services. The odds above figure Stamkos being number is very likely not sustainable given the trio played just under 300 ready to play halfway through the series. If he misses the series, the minutes, scoring on 16.8 percent of their shots, but it goes to show that Lightning’s odds drop to 43.6 percent. If he’s ready for Game 1, Tampa Tampa Bay’s version is dangerous, too. For reference, Boston’s trio had Bay becomes a slight favourite at 51.2 percent. an expected goals percentage of 60.4 percent and an actual goals rate of 65.7 percent. Though Tampa Bay’s top line does just as well with Ondrej Either way, this should be a tightly contested, hard fought series and it Palat (61 percent expected goals rate this season, 66 percent during the wouldn’t be a surprise to see the winner go on to the Stanley Cup Final playoffs), it would still be an extreme disappointment to not see each and maybe even win it all. Both teams would be favoured in the next team’s big three go mano-a-mano in this series. Point and Kucherov series and likely in the final as well. It’s easy to see why when looking at have done more than enough to make up for the absence of Stamkos, both team’s full season numbers. but for entertainment’s sake, I’m really hoping Stamkos gets healthy very soon. Hockey fans deserve to see this battle. Blue equals good, and there’s a lot of blue across the board from both teams. That’s not surprising given they were arguably the league’s two Point’s first round play is worth highlighting as he’s showing exactly why best teams this season. At 5-on-5, the two clubs finished a mere 0.3 he should be considered one of the game’s best centres. My model is percentage points apart by goals percentage as the second and third particularly fond of him, rating him as a borderline top 10 player and his best teams in the league this season. Each team’s success at 5-on-5 is a skill set was on display night after night against Columbus. Despite an big part of their overall success and though they skate by on raw talent, imposing defensive structure, Point found his way into Columbus’ zone each team’s underlying process looked very strong all season with both with ease, skating in with control 88 percent of the time while leading the teams finishing top five by expected goals. team in zone entries. To be that efficient on that many attempts is seriously impressive and it’s why Tampa Bay was able to tilt the ice so Tampa Bay does have the overall edge because the team is a lot more heavily with the top line on the ice, and why Point was able to post four balanced, finishing close to top five on both offence and defence by goals and seven points in five games. actual and expected goals. Boston, meanwhile, looked merely average on offence, earning all its results by way of the league’s best defence. While Boston likely carries the top line edge (depending on Stamkos’s That’ll do against most teams, but against a balanced group like Tampa health), the rest of the forward corps is decidedly in Tampa Bay’s favour. Bay, Boston’s lack of offensive upside may be the team’s downfall as the The Lightning have assembled a very deep roster, highlighted by a third Lightning have the defensive ability to stack up just fine against Boston. line that was absolutely brilliant against Columbus. With Stamkos out, Yanni Gourde got an opportunity to move back into the top nine, and it While Tampa Bay probably has the edge at even strength, Boston has a doesn’t look like he’ll be relinquishing that role anytime soon with the way pretty decisive special teams advantage in this series, especially if the he’s played with the team’s two deadline additions, Blake Coleman and Lightning once again struggle to draw power plays while staying out of Barclay Goodrow. The two wingers have come exactly as advertised, the box themselves. That was a real problem against Columbus and it playing with a much-needed edge that gives the Lightning another may rear its head against a team like Boston that plays with an edge and element to their game. That’s shown up in the numbers too with the trio has a great grasp on where the line is in the playoffs. The Lightning have carrying a heavy territorial advantage, earning a nice 69 percent a great power play but the Bruins scored nearly a goal per 60 more there expected goals rate during the playoffs. during the season. It’s a similar story on the penalty kill too and it’s there Creating that sizeable advantage will be much tougher against Boston rate to Chara’s 50.5 percent this season among Bruins defenders and than Columbus, though, as the Bruins look a lot deeper than the Blue that’s despite playing a majority of his minutes next to McAvoy. That Jackets. Charlie Coyle anchors the third line and he remains a playoff issue has only become worse in the postseason with the Bruins being ace for the Bruins, earning a 60 percent expected goals rate for the out-scored 3-2 with Chara on the ice and carrying a 43 percent expected playoffs and 66 percent against Carolina. The latter mark led all Bruins goals rate, the worst mark on the team among defencemen. That’s not forwards and he found chemistry with Sean Kuraly and Jack Studnicka, going to cut it on the top pair and his numbers weren’t much better giving the team some solid depth on the third line. against Carolina.

While Tampa Bay’s first and third lines are both playing terrific hockey, Fortunately for the Bruins, they may have an internal solution to the the team’s second line is really struggling and that puts a damper on problem: Matt Grzelcyk. After McAvoy and Chara struggled in the what should be a deep top nine. Anthony Cirelli put together a Selke- opening two games of the series against Carolina, Grzelcyk started calibre season this year and that stingy defence has stayed intact during seeing a lot more time on the top pair. The two posted an absolutely the playoffs, but he and his linemates have really struggled to generate absurd 77 percent expected goals rate in 46 minutes together and offence. Together, they’re earning just 1.3 expected goals per 60, though the scoreboard was even at three apiece, the duo’s ability to converting on even fewer chances and getting outchanced in the control the pace of play is very much worth getting excited about. process. The trio is allowing just 1.7 expected goals against per 60 Grezelcyk actually led the team’s defencemen in expected goals during the playoffs, a very strong number, but is it worth it given the percentage this season and though that was often in sheltered minutes, anemic offence? If they’re tasked with shutting down Boston’s top line to it’s worth seeing what he can do in a bigger role. It’s not like Chara is free up Point and Kucherov, maybe it’s worth the trade-off, but otherwise providing much value there anymore, anyway. I’m not convinced. Stamkos’s presence could really help here, which might just push Tyler Johnson to the fourth line (no way you’re breaking In net, both goalies have much easier jobs in general thanks to their up that third line now). That could create an incredible mismatch as the team’s terrific defence, but it’ll be more difficult with the offensive talent in Bruins’ fourth line isn’t exactly the most adept at even strength. this series. While a lot of people figured Boston would be doomed with Tuukka Rask opting out, the team is in capable hands with Jaroslav The same can’t be said for Boston’s second line, which was humming Halak at the helm. Over the last two seasons his .921 save percentage is along nicely during the opening round. David Krejci led the team in nearly identical to Rask’s .920 and he’s saved 12.4 goals above scoring notching eight points in five games, while Ondrej Kase and Jake expected to Rask’s 2.5. Rask was the better goalie this past season, no DeBrusk both put in serious work on the possession-driving front. Kase question, but Halak is no sieve. has looked excellent so far as a Bruin, delivering the type of performance many in the analytics community expected from him. He’s a nice He actually grades out higher than perennial Vezina candidate Andrei complement on a line with Krejci, who has struggled to influence shot Vasilevskiy, but that’s probably a data issue more than anything. rates this season but gets a boost playing with Kase. With the Bruins in Vasilevskiy is pretty underrated here, likely as a result of Tampa Bay’s the offensive zone more thanks to Kase’s efforts, Krejci can really thrive. rink bias carrying the largest discrepancy in front of the net compared to According to data tracked by Corey Sznajder, Kase led all Bruins in zone other rinks. According to Evolving Hockey, Vasilevskiy has allowed 1.27 entries and was up there for zone exits too. Krejci is generally the goals above expected over the last three years, but his goals saved primary puck-carrier but Kase gives the team another capable outlet to above average is plus-33. Tampa Bay genuinely has a strong defence, gain the zone. but that effect is probably overstated, leaving the real answer somewhere in the middle (that credit is still accounted for, it would just wrongly be On defence, it’s Tampa Bay that has the narrow edge by way of having going to the defencemen in this case). In any sense, he too has a .920 the best defenseman in the series and stronger overall depth. Victor over the last two seasons, so call it a draw between the two netminders. Hedman was a monster against Columbus, a one-man transition Halak is pretty underrated, but that’s recently been in a 1B or backup machine moving the puck up ice while eating big minutes. He was role. It’ll be interesting to see how he fares as The Guy for Boston. everywhere and the Lightning unsurprisingly dominated with him on the ice. It wasn’t a guarantee he would even suit up for the start of the series, These two teams are about as evenly matched as it gets. but he was a difference-maker the second he stepped onto the ice. For The Bottom Line the series he led all Lightning defenders with a 66.7 percent expected goals rate (only the Lightning third line was ahead of him) thanks to his This series is the highlight of the second round and may even be the prolific defensive ability allowing just 1.2 expected goals against per 60 highlight of the playoffs altogether. If both teams play to their potential it for the series. A lot of that was due to the fact the Lightning were always might be one of the most high profile tilts of the salary cap era featuring in the offensive zone whenever he was on the ice, leading to the team two teams at their absolute peak, both hungry to bring home a outscoring Columbus 5-1 at 5-on-5 with Hedman on the ice. That he championship. managed that with Zach Bogosian next to him is nothing short of It’s difficult to pick between either side as both teams have a plethora of incredible. strengths to choose from (and very few weaknesses), but one thing feels Though the top pair was especially strong, every pair did their part for for certain: it should make for a helluva series. Buckle up. Columbus and none were under a 55 percent expected goals rate for the series. From top to bottom the Lightning are loaded with two-way talent from the back end and it’s why they’re able to supplement the team’s The Athletic LOADED: 08.23.2020 elite offence while also pitching in some strong defence too. It’s a great mix that rates as the best of the remaining teams.

The Bruins are right behind them, though, thanks to their own depth and their twin elite defensemen, Charlie McAvoy and Torey Krug. Both grade out equally, but provide value in completely different avenues. McAvoy is the team’s rock, an elite shutdown with excellent puck- moving prowess. He’s a puck possession monster that plays textbook defence and has the ability to completely neutralize opposing team’s best forwards. He earned a 56 percent expected goals rate this year despite playing some of the toughest minutes in the league. McAvoy is a big part of Boston’s top ranked defence and carries one of the strongest defensive impacts in the league. Krug is also an excellent puck mover and though he doesn’t provide nearly the same impact at 5-on-5, he delivers the goods on the power play where he’s one of the game’s best quarterbacks. That’s a much easier job with the forward talent Boston possesses, but Krug is still masterful with the man advantage, elevating the play of the players up front.

Where there is reason for concern with Boston’s back end, though, is the play of its captain, 43-year-old Zdeno Chara. At this point of his career, it’s fair to ask whether the elder statesman still has it in him to go the distance in the playoffs. Only Brandon Carlo had a worse expected goals 1191906 Calgary Flames Determined by coaches to be second-sharpest goalie at July’s camp, Rittich again sat back and watched someone else get all the attention. Cam Talbot, solid, soaked up every minute — till Thursday’s wackiness.

Sizing up the Flames’ disappointment: Who struggled to live up to Plopped into the middle of Game 6 and hardly set up to succeed, expectations? Rittich’s nerves and rust were on display. Never settled, he allowed three goals on nine shots before being yanked himself. Egad, what a scarring experience for the fiery goalie. By Scott Cruickshank Rittich, who turned 28 this week, has one year remaining on his contract. Aug 22, 2020 4. Matthew Tkachuk

Tkachuk’s influence was apparent before the first shift of the first game The sifting of rubble starts with a single shovelful. And, spade in hand, against the . With the national anthem still echoing through here we are. Rogers Place, he’d gotten into Blake Wheeler’s ear. Despite not a pile of traditional production — one goal, one assist, one fight — he was the Parsing this postseason, in particular, is a ticklish matter. In some minds pulse-point of the series. — well, the Calgary Flames’ — they won in the opening round, only to fall in the second. They insist that steps have been taken in their march Unfortunately for him — and the team — he lasted only two games toward relevance. against the Stars. Forced to the sidelines, the Flames dearly missed him.

But the fact remains, the Flames did not survive the Round of 16. Again. He’s the most — the only? — untouchable player on the roster.

Players insist they’re a mentally stronger, more resilient group than 5. Elias Lindholm before. Coach Geoff Ward vouches for that. And everyone involved insists there is no comparison to last year’s exit against the Colorado (There’s reason to believe that, after being the club’s steadiest performer Avalanche. during the winter, the Swede will flourish. Whinnied one observer (guilty): “The makings of Mr. Clutch.”) Nevertheless, there are troubling themes. Part of the dreary first line — again — Lindholm never found his stride, First-line disappearances and big-moment letdowns. Ongoing coaching despite deployment in all situations. and goaltending carousels. Six teammates managed more goals than his two. resisted the temptation to crack apart the roster after the Avs’ punch-out. Now it’s hard to imagine the general manager sitting on Leading up to these playoffs, he noted that against Colorado he’d gotten his hands, flat cap or not. sidetracked, looking for physical contact rather than concentrating on generating chances. This time? Very much the same. Substandard How could he stand pat? offensive output, but second on the team in hits.

Here’s a look back at how The Athletic ranked the players, pre- Still, Lindholm remains a key part of the group. postseason, in terms of potential impact (with the thrust of the original assessments in italics). 6. T.J. Brodie

1. Johnny Gaudreau (Steady blueliner, with his effortless stride, should handle 20-plus- minutes and work on all special teams, if needed. Considerable value That difference-making potential was visible in Thursday’s first period here.) against the Dallas Stars. Gaudreau was charged up. He scored once from behind the goal line. Those that have watched No. 13 know this was Minus-two (front teeth) in the postseason, Brodie shouldered 30 shifts no fluke. On two other occasions, he hustled clockwise around the net, per game. He produced a bit — four points, three of them at even with cheeky attempts at wraparounds. strength — and defended well.

But it stood in stark contrast to the rest of his August — heck, to the rest As a case for another contract in Calgary, Brodie made a statement. of that game. Quietly, as usual.

Gaudreau, against the Stars, didn’t manage an even strength point in six 7. Sean Monahan games. He wasn’t alone in that regard, but he is the team’s primary puck Monahan did tie for the team lead in playoff points — eight, just like Sam distributor and its annual first-assist leader. So if his play is lacking, well, Bennett — but six of those had been earned in the qualifying round. you’re familiar with the fallout. Against the Stars, No. 23 managed only two helpers, both on the power True, Dallas had been the second-best defensive side in the NHL during play. the regular season. So it was never going to be easy. However, according to the sharpies at Natural Stat Trick, Gaudreau — in 134 shifts Seven regular seasons into his NHL career — each winter featuring 22 or against the Stars — absorbed two hits, total. more goals — Monahan still struggles to elevate his game.

A genuine matter of debate is the 27-year-old’s future in Calgary. 8. Cam Talbot

2. Mark Giordano (With the starter’s leash expected to be short, the veteran will come in handy. His calm demeanour, especially, is an asset.) Through 10 dates, Giordano paced the team — 313 shifts, 22:42 average ice time. Great in camp — fit and sharp — the 33-year-old snatched the Flames’ postseason net from Rittich. With that workload, however, came only three points and a defending efficiency that seemed decidedly … off. Indicators? Giordano’s penalties And Game 6’s weirdness aside, Talbot did well. The most valuable against Dallas — delay of game, interference, hooking, hooking, delay of player, according to team staffers, through nine games. game. It wasn’t the standard of own zone play expected from the reigning Norris Trophy winner. He’s on an expiring contract. Have we seen the last of No. 39?

Operating alongside old pal T.J. Brodie, Giordano also had his trademark 9. Mikael Backlund moments, leading the Flames, as usual, in blocked shots (30) and hits Not bad, not bad at all. Backlund scored four times — twice at even taken (43). strength, once on the power play, once shorthanded (which ended up 3. David Rittich being the winner in Game 3 vs. Dallas).

Everyone knows how this turned out. Less effective without Tkachuk — as was the entire team — it was nevertheless a strong showing for the 31-year-old to go with his splendid finish to the regular season. 10. Rasmus Andersson 16. Noah Hanifin

(Future top-pairing presence — and one of the top puck-moving (“A horse of a defender, 6-foot-3 with fantastic wheels,” he can munch blueliners in the league — Andersson will relish the high stakes.) second-pairing minutes with ease.” No heroics necessary, just a tidy game.) The team’s best defenceman a year ago against Colorado, Andersson again showed well. Oft-slagged for bad puck-moving choices, Hanifin, for the most part, did manage to play a quiet (in a good way) brand of hockey. Five points — none on the power play, two on the penalty kill — for the gruff Swede. He and Noah Hanifin played, generally, with a degree of Playing nearly 19 minutes nightly, the 23-year-old chipped in with four cohesion. even strength helpers — two in each series. His pairing, with Andersson (who’s actually older than him), was often the team’s most effective. Andersson is one of the most important pieces now, a workhorse. His six-year deal — with an AAV of $4.55 million — kicks in next season. 17. Dillon Dubé

11. (“If camp is any indication, the kid is ready for next-level pitching in,” read part of the lead-in. Playoffs could serve as a coming-out party.) (On a team desperate to find is playoff footing, the hulking winger and his 114 playoff notches provides stability, plus occasional menace.) Dubé, freshly turned 22, worked the right wing on a third line that was frequently the Flames’ best. Lucic’s wealth of experience — and all the attention it received — felt like it would be a behind-the-scenes, good-in-the-room kind of bonus. Game 1 against Dallas was something else. Two goals, including one on a breathtaking dash on his off-wing, in a first period that also included an Lo and behold, No. 17 had an on-ice impact. From scrapping on the unconverted breakaway. opening shift the night the Flames eliminated the Jets to garnering a point in each of the first five playoff games, he became a factor. Dubé also forced the Stars into four minors.

Part of what was often the Flames’ best line — with Sam Bennett and 18. Derek Forbort Dillon Dubé — Lucic’s pace did slow. One point in the final five games. Then that foolish penalty in Game 6 that opened the door for the Stars. True to form, there had been nothing fancy from him in his first taste of NHL bracket hockey. On the third pairing with Gustafsson, he’d picked up 12. Andrew Mangiapane two points while skating more than 17 (flash-free) minutes a night.

(A go-getter on a roster not exactly stacked with them, he brings a game Forbort, 29, is in need of a contract. that is ideal for the postseason. Noticeable a year ago against Colorado.) 19. Tobias Rieder Part of the second line with Backlund and Tkachuk, Mangiapane was good, especially against the Jets, especially after he reined in his (Considered an “elite” penalty-killer by coaches, the speedy forward is (penalty-taking) enthusiasm. unlikely to make a difference offensively.)

Third-most hits on the team. Five points in 10 games. One of the coolest parts of covering the postseason is the stories — unheralded guys rising beyond expectations. At 24, he is a part of the future. Now the restricted free agent needs a contract. Which describes Rieder, an earnest winger, who, in a matter of eight appearances, equalled an NHL single-season record with three 13. Sam Bennett shorthanded goals.

(“So-so in the regular season. Superman in the playoffs,” it said here. His pace did not go unnoticed. With Ward itching to spark the listless first Operating on pure instinct — as opposed to over-thinking — he turns into line, it had been Rieder who shifted to the right flank of Gaudreau and a 195-pound beast.) Monahan. He certainly didn’t hurt them.

Playoff Sam Bennett, it turns out, is real. After his remarkable work a A PTO survivor at camp, the 27-year-old is an unrestricted free agent. year ago against Colorado — albeit in five games — No. 93 repeated the trick. 20. Zac Rinaldo

Centring the third line, he paced the team in goals, with five; co-led the (Ornery and relatively useful if he can walk the fine line between being team in points, with eight; led the NHL in hits, with 54. (No other player, punishing and being penalized.) at the time of the Flames’ exit, had even reached 40 bodychecks.) The 30-year-old winger got into five contests, wringing 22 hits out of 31 All this, after a 12-point regular season. The annual about-face is crazy. minutes of ice time and collecting no shots or points. In limited use, Rinaldo was tagged with two minors. Now if only Bennett, 24, could harness that postseason magic … 21. Mark Jankowski 14. Erik Gustafsson (This is a bottom-six coming off a disappointing regular season. Handling first-unit quarterbacking duties, he was part of an attack that — His future with the club feels a tad iffy, making imperative a good with a 28.6 percent efficiency (10 goals on 35 chances) — sits third on showing in August.) the NHL charts. The big pivot played five games, averaging less than nine minutes. He Gustafsson wound up with four helpers, two with the man advantage. rustled up two shots on net and no points.

The 29-year-old is one of five unrestricted free agents on the back end. Jankowski, who turns 26 next month, is a restricted free agent.

15. Derek Ryan

(With his versatility and quiet dependability, he is no headline-hogger, but The Athletic LOADED: 08.23.2020 valuable nonetheless. A faceoff ace who kills penalties.)

He dressed for every game, but received an ice time average of only 10:40 — way down from his regular season’s 14:33 — which is a reflection of his fourth-line status in the postseason.

Ryan’s faceoff percentage dwindled, too — from 52.3 percent in the regular season to 43.5 in August.

For what it’s worth — best rating, at plus-9 in the regular season, and one of the best, plus-3, in the postseason. Ryan, 33, collected two assists. 1191907 Carolina Hurricanes Carolina Hurricanes right wing Andrei Svechnikov (37) watches a goal is scored past goaltender Henrik Lundqvist (30) as Rangers right wing Jesper Fast (17) looks on during the first period in the What we’ll remember, and what we wish we could forget, about the NHL hockey Stanley Cup playoffs in Toronto, Saturday, Aug. 1, 2020 Hurricanes’ season The Canes couldn’t beat the New York Rangers and couldn’t beat goalie Henrik Lundqvist. For the past few years that was almost a given. Until it wasn’t. BY CHIP ALEXANDER The Canes lost four times to the Rangers in the regular season and AUGUST 22, 2020 Lundqvist was the winner three times. That changed, quickly, in Toronto in the qualifying round of the NHL’s Return to Play format.

The Canes beat the Rangers and Lundqvist in the first game, then again There will always be much to remember about the 2019-20 NHL season, in the second. The Rangers went with rookie goalie Igor Shesterkin in the the Year of the Virus. third game, but it was too late and the Canes were too good. Call it a For the Carolina Hurricanes, it began with a festive home opener against three-game sweep in a best-of-five series that was not officially deemed the . The Canes won that one at PNC Arena, then the “playoffs” but had that feel to it. ruined the Washington Capitals’ home opener with an overtime win. “It’s obviously a crazy time but we’re just grateful to be able to do this and Justin Williams, 38, came out of semi-retirement and scored the winning try and bring some happiness and joy to our fans,” Brind’Amour said. shootout goal in his first game back. Morgan Geekie, 22, made his NHL “They deserve some smiles.” debut and scored three times in his first two games. was down on the ice, in pain. Late in the second period The spread of a novel coronavirus brought everything to a halt. Then of the Jan. 16 road game against the Columbus Blue Jackets, the there was hockey again. Playoff hockey, in August. defenseman fell awkwardly along the boards chasing after the puck, his left leg buckling under him. “We’ve got a tight-knit group and this was a first-time experience for everyone,” defenseman Jaccob Slavin said Wednesday. “I think you’ll It was a broken fibula. Surgery soon followed. It was a season-ending remember it as a whole. I don’t think it will ever happen again, where you injury ... or so everyone thought. take a four-month pause and then come back into playoff hockey. The injury kept Hamilton out of the NHL All-Star festivities but the NHL’s There’s definitely good things to take from this season.” long pause during the pandemic allowed him to return and play again, to Good moments and not-so-good moments. Here are a few of both: at least finish out the season on the ice with his teammates in the postseason. He had the winning goal in the Canes’ only victory over the THE GOOD Boston Bruins in first round.

HE DID WHAT? “I guess there’s a silver lining in everything,” he said.

Many in the NHL had tried it but none had pulled if off. But Andrei Carolina defenseman Dougie Hamilton (19) heads down the ice during Svechnikov did, twice. the Carolina Hurricanes’ on-ice workouts at PNC Arena in Raleigh, N.C., Monday, July 13, 2020 On Oct. 29, 2019, Svechnikov had the puck behind the Calgary Flames net at PNC Arena. He swept it up on the blade of his stick, lacrosse style, There would be no silver lining for Brett Pesce. and whipped it over the right shoulder and off the mask of goalie David Rittich for a goal. While many eyes were on Reimer and Mrazek leaving and David Ayres entering that Feb. 22 game in Toronto, BrindAmour had a lot more to fret Just like that, “Michigan” begat “The Svech.” It was an NHL first and about that night. Pesce also left the game with an injury after a seemingly Svechnikov later would do it a second time against the Winnipeg Jets. It innocuous play involving the Maple Leafs’ John Tavares. brought back memories of Mike Legg, the former Michigan player who made the move famous in a 1996 NCAA tournament game. No one was sure at first what Pesce had done. Turns out, his right shoulder needed surgery. Turns out, it would be a season-ending injury, Legg said his phone blew up soon after Svechnikov’s goal against the taking another of the Canes’ top-four defensemen out of the lineup. Flames. “So cool, so awesome. Good for him,” Legg said the next day in an interview. Had the Canes beaten the Bruins in the playoffs, in the same arena, Pesce might have had a slight chance of getting back on the ice in And Svechnikov’s response? “I just got lucky a little bit,” he said after the postseason. He’ll have to wait until next season. Canes’ 2-1 win. TOUGH WAY TO END IT Then, he did it again. Is that luck? The Canes had a 2-0 lead in Game 4 against the Bruins and were less Carolina Hurricanes forward Andrei Svechnikov became the first player in than 13 minutes away from tying the series on Monday. But Reimer NHL history to score on a lacrosse play, doing it twice this season, and bolted out of net to try and play the puck, lost the race to the Bruins’ Jake the Canes promoted it with T-shirts. Chip Alexander DeBrusk, allowed a goal and it began what BrindAmour said was seven minutes in the third period when the Canes “could not stop the bleeding.” WHO’S THAT GUY IN NET? The Bruins scored four times. The Canes came unraveled. Said the Goalie started the game but was injured. Petr Mrazek Canes’ Williams, “It snowballed into something we didn’t want.” took over but was wiped off when he left the crease to play the puck. Just like that the Canes were two goalies down in the road game against The 4-3 loss gave the Bruins a 3-1 series lead. They closed it out Toronto. Wednesday with a 2-1 win. But when it was over, the Canes’ time in the Toronto bubble at an end, they preferred to look at the positives. What to do? That’s why the NHL has emergency backup goalies in every arena. On Feb. 22, in Scotiabank Arena, that was David Ayres, 42, who “We’ve got some really good young players who want it and are going to was ready and willing to put on the gear and take the net. And became a grow and get even better,” captain Jordan Staal said. “That’s the exciting part of NHL history. thing about the Carolina Hurricanes. The future is bright.”

Canes coach Rod Brind’Amour feared the worst when Ayres entered the game in the second period. When the game ended, the Canes winning 6- 3, Ayres the unexpected hero, Brind’Amour soon was making an News Observer LOADED: 08.23.2020 impassioned postgame talk, saying, “It’s a memory I’ll have forever.”

NHL fans voted the Ayres game “The Greatest Moment of the NHL Season ... So Far” in June. As for the man himself, Ayres said he’s “still living the dream.” 1191908 Chicago Blackhawks Kubalik’s 30-goal rookie season cranked up his value. He and the Hawks may be best served by negotiating a two-year bridge deal at around $4 million annually, which would give Kubalik the chance to prove he’s not a Blackhawks offseason preview: NHL draft, Corey Crawford contract top one-hit wonder — setting himself up for a huge 2022 payday — without Hawks’ to-do list swamping the Hawks financially in the short term.

Strome, meanwhile, saw his stock fall during an up-and-down season. His inability to click on the wing, and Dach’s emergence as the By Ben Pope@BenPopeCST permanent No. 2 center, bumped him to the third line in the playoffs. His next cap hit may be around $3 million. Aug 22, 2020 Caggiula and Koekkoek were both solid role players this year, and

Bowman had especially complimentary words for Koekkoek on Friday, In his 11 years as Blackhawks general manager, has but the cap crunch makes their futures in Chicago uncertain. never seen an NHL offseason like the one that lies ahead. Unrestricted free agents In fact, he’s practically viewing it as a new era altogether. The Hawks only have one at the NHL level, but he’s a huge one. Finding “In the past, the system we had was — even if not official — based on a way to keep Crawford, or solving the goalie conundrum through the concept of a rising [salary] cap,” Bowman said during his end-of-year another method, is agenda item No. 1 for Bowman this fall. media availability Friday. “The comparable contracts were based on that. “That’s a top priority, getting goaltending situated for next year,” he said. Now, we’ll have a different phenomenon.” “But I don’t have that mapped out right now.” With the salary cap staying flat at $81.5 million for the next two years, Crawford’s expiring contract carried a $6 million cap hit; the Hawks Bowman foresees an inevitable market correction coming. Few teams probably can’t afford that anymore. Ideally, Crawford — a career-long will have money to spend, few teams will be able to meet free agents’ Hawk — would take a discount in the $3- to $4 million range, but he has contract demands, and values will be driven down. no obligation to do so. And the stagnant cap is just the biggest of numerous changes this Theoretically, the Hawks could promote Subban — if they re-sign him — offseason. or AHL starter Collin Delia to be their starting NHL goalie next year, but All the action that normally happens in June and July has been pushed to that would be risky. October. The draft will be held entirely online. And no one knows exactly Bowman also could look to bring in another unrestricted free agent if when, or how, the 2020-21 season will happen. Crawford leaves, but money will be just as big an issue then. The top That said, Bowman and the rest of the Hawks front office still have a unrestricted goalies — Robin Lehner, Braden Holtby and Jacob packed to-do list. Here’s an overview of all the storylines and events Markstrom — will probably be too pricey. coming this offseason: Islanders co-starter Thomas Greiss, Stars ace backup Anton Khudobin or The draft Flames journeyman Cam Talbot could be viable options.

The draft is set to take place online Oct. 9 and 10, and the Hawks will Buyouts have their usual array of picks. Their first-round selection will be roughly The Hawks could, and likely will, use buyouts to give themselves more in the middle of the order — 17th. They also hold not their own second- cap space— at least enough to have a fighting chance of re-signing round pick but the Penguins’, and both their own and the Flames’ third- Crawford, Strome and Kubalik without a salary-dump trade. round picks, in addition to their own fourth-, fifth- and sixth-round picks. The obvious candidates are defenseman Olli Maatta, although his Unlike last year, when the Hawks’ selection of center Kirby Dach third strangely fantastic postseason complicates the decision, and forward overall set the tone for the rest of the first round, the Hawks’ options will Zack Smith. Bowman also could try to trade Maatta. be more affected by other teams this year. Buying out Maatta would save $3.4 million each of the next two seasons. They need prospect depth at forward, and an abundance of solid players Buying out Smith would save $2.2 million next season. are projected go between picks 10 and 25. If either defenseman Brent Seabrook ($6.9 million cap hit) or winger Names to watch include , an undersized but high-scoring wing ($3.9 million) isn’t ready for next season and goes back on from the WHL; , a well-rounded center also from the long-term injured reserve, that also would free up more cap space, but ; Noel Gunler, an offensive-minded wing from both veterans have said they plan to be ready for 2020-21. Sweden; and , a strong-framed center who played with recent Hawks signee Wyatt Kalynuk this past season at Wisconsin. Next year’s team

Other forwards such as , Hendrix Lapierre, Rodion The salary crunch, no matter how it affects personnel changes this Amirov and Jan Mysak could also be in the mix. offseason, means the Hawks’ 2020-21 roster probably won’t be too different from the 2019-20 one. The Hawks could also make a splash by picking Russian goaltender , who will take years to develop but is seen by some as “We’ll have a similar group, not the same group,” Bowman said. “There’ll a potential once-in-a-generation goalie. be some new faces. But there’ll be fewer brand new faces to the Blackhawks.” Restricted free agents That last sentence implies many of the Hawks’ additions will be internal. The Hawks’ list of restricted free agents — who will only stay restricted if Top defensive prospect Ian Mitchell is finally coming in; sought-after they are tendered qualifying offers — is long this year: forwards Dylan European import forward Pius Suter also recently signed. Forward Strome, Dominik Kubalik and Drake Caggiula; defenseman Slater prospects Brandon Hagel and Philipp Kurashev and defensemen Lucas Koekkoek and goalie . Carlsson and Nicolas Beaudin will contend for jobs, too. The flat cap will make it difficult for Bowman to re-sign all of those players One noticeably missing part of this preview is the “free-agent signings” and also keep unrestricted-free-agent goalie Corey Crawford (more on category. That’s because the Hawks are unlikely to make any substantial him below). out-of-town free-agent additions, outside of maybe a goaltender. “We do have some decisions to make,” Bowman said. “We have some While unrestricted free agents Taylor Hall, Alex Pietrangelo, Mike ideas on what we’re going to do. That process is starting right now. [I’ve] Hoffman and Torey Krug will make headlines, the Hawks will not be had a couple of meetings since we finished the season, and we’ll have involved in those sweepstakes. more over the coming weeks. It’s our job to figure out how we’ll have flexibility, as well as making sure we keep the players we need to keep.” Instead, their offseason activity will be less dramatic and more cautious, largely shuffling around their own puzzle pieces.

Chicago Sun Times LOADED: 08.23.2020 1191909 Chicago Blackhawks defending when fresh and forcing them to defend when they're not, and we look good defensively.

"But as soon as you start turning pucks over, or you overstay on your Blackhawks talking team game as they head home shift, it becomes hard."

Hawks GM Stan Bowman understands the thinking of great offensive Barry Rozner players, but he also knows there's a formula you must have come playoff time. Follow @BarryRozner "We have a lot of players with offensive skills and they want to make Updated 8/22/2020 12:40 PM things happen to help the team win, and their intentions are good," Bowman said. "It's a bit of a double-edged sword. You can create some

really good opportunities, but the other side of that is you put yourself in a You learn early on in hockey that the two things you can control are your bad spot. effort and your defensive posture. "It's learning as a group, to know when to take those chances and when Scoring comes and goes, as do scorers, but those willing to try to win a not to. More awareness of what you do in the moment can affect what game 1-0 or 2-1 will always be around because coaches need them. happens 20 or 30 seconds later.

As Blackhawks head coach Jeremy Colliton wrapped up the season in a "You put yourself and your team in a bad spot. That happens too often Zoom conference Friday, he singled out Matthew Highmore as the for our group. The intention is right, but there's a price to pay for that. perfect example. That is a large part of the challenge we've faced.

"He doesn't play 25 shifts in a game, but the shifts he gets he knows "Not just our young players. A lot of times our veterans are guilty of this." exactly what he's supposed to do," Colliton said. "He goes out there and Overall, however, Colliton has seen his club buy in a little bit at a time. does it 100 mph. He doesn't cheat. He wins 50-50s. He advances the puck. He gets to the net. "We're making progress," Colliton said. "We're not where we want to be to be an elite team." "And then he gets off (the ice). He doesn't extend his shift. He doesn't hang around the offensive zone hoping to get a goal or a second assist Team defense comes from an individual's desire to play the right way or a plus. within a team game. You can't force a player to do that, but those who won't, well, they might have to look elsewhere for work. "If he starts in the defensive zone he gets it out, gets it in and 35 seconds in the alarm bells are going off in his head that he's got to get off so can step on in a good spot playing against tired guys in the offensive zone." Daily Herald Times LOADED: 08.23.2020

Against teams that are unselfish and seemingly always on the right side of the puck, the Hawks sometimes get caught heading the wrong direction instead of protecting their defensemen.

Since he took over, Colliton has stressed the need for players to change that mindset.

"We need more of that up and down the lineup, and we'll be a much better team defensively because of that," Colliton explained. "We'll be defending fresh and have a better forecheck against tired guys and draw more penalties.

"You build energy in your group because guys are making team decisions and having a team-first mentality -- and that's how you win."

Colliton isn't suggesting the Hawks need 12 forwards like Highmore, just 12 forwards willing to think like Highmore.

"Look at Vegas," Colliton said. "Since January they were No. 1 in chances for and chances against, so just because you want to defend hard (it doesn't mean) you can't create anything. A lot of it is just commitment to do the right things every time you're on the ice.

"Where we get into trouble is when we don't manage the puck. When we have a structure and we're fresh, we do a pretty good job. We get into trouble when we start turning the puck over in our end or around the blue lines.

"You put a lot of stress on the team as far as the reaction to trying to get back on the right side. The next part of it is you end up playing tired. We have to do a better job of getting off the ice. Advance the puck, get it in and change one at a time. Even if you don't create offense, you put yourself in a position to defend."

This is not complicated. It's also not as much fun as a track meet for players who have been able to get away with playing that way in a highflying offense, something that usually doesn't work in the postseason.

Hanging out at center ice and hoping for a chance isn't wise against big, heavy teams that pound on your defense and keep possession of the puck in your end.

"When we've been good, we've been able to build one shift at a time and start to play in the offensive zone and start to tilt the ice and then all of a sudden you're fresh and you're playing against tired guys," Colliton said. "The Edmonton series we were out-changing them and we were 1191910 Chicago Blackhawks

Marc-Andre Fleury's agent tweets image hinting disapproval of Robin Lehner starting

By Scott King

August 22, 2020

On Saturday, Vegas Golden Knights goalie Marc-Andre Fleury's agent Allan Walsh tweeted a graphic image of artwork depicting Fleury getting stabbed in the back by a sword with "DeBoer" written on it.

The image seems to suggest Walsh's disapproval of Lehner appearing to take over the starting job for Vegas — whose head coach is Peter DeBoer — in the 2020 Stanley Cup Playoffs.

The Golden Knights begin their second round series of the playoffs against the Vancouver Canucks on Sunday.

Lehner made 23 saves in Tuesday's Game 5 of the first round series against the Blackhawks, helping the Golden Knights win the contest 4-3 and eliminate the Hawks from the postseason with a 4-1 series victory.

The 29-year-old goalie signed a one-year free-agent contract with Chicago last summer. He was later traded from the Blackhawks to the Golden Knights ahead of Feb. 24's trade deadline.

Lehner is 5-1-0 with a 2.44 goals-against average and a .904 save percentage in this year's postseason tournament.

Fleury, a three-time Stanley Cup champion with the Pittsburgh Penguins, is 2-0-0 with a 2.50 goals-against average and a .886 save percentage in two 2020 postseason games: a round-robin contest against the St. Louis Blues (6-4 win) and Game 3 against the Blackhawks (2-1 win).

Comcast SportsNet.com LOADED: 08.23.2020 1191911 Chicago Blackhawks

How Blackhawks head coach Jeremy Colliton plans to fix team's defense

By Scott King

August 22, 2020

The Blackhawks' defense allowing the opposition too many shots and quality chances has long been an issue. During the 2019-20 regular season, the Hawks allowed a league-high average of 35.1 shots against per game and gave up the second most high-danger chances against (728) in 5-on-5 play.

In his end of the year Zoom conference call with the media on Friday — three days after the Hawks were eliminated from the first round of the Stanley Cup Playoffs by the Vegas Golden Knights — Blackhawks head coach Jeremy Colliton addressed the team's issues with defending and how to fix them.

"Yeah, I think we’re making progress," he said. "We’re certainly not where we’d like to be to be an elite team. You look at Vegas. They’re No. 1 – at least the numbers that we were looking at – since January, they were No. 1 in chances for and chances against, so it’s not as if just because you want to defend hard you’re not going to create anything. That’s part of why they’re an elite team. A lot of it is just commitment to do the right things every time you’re on the ice and understanding that you’re out there for hopefully 35, 40 seconds and you’ve got to be totally focused on your job and beat the guy you’re up against.

"Where we get into trouble, particularly our team and where we’re at now, is when we don’t manage the puck. I think when we have a structure and we’re fresh and you’re able to defend from structure I think we do a pretty good job. I think when we get into trouble is when we start turning the puck over in critical areas, whether that’s in our own end or (when) we’re on the blue lines, those important areas, it’s really tough to get your structure back.

"You put a lot of stress on the team as far as the reaction to get back on the right side and get defensive position, or maybe you’re outnumbered. The next part of it is you end up playing tired. We’ve got to do a better job of getting off, finding a way to advance the puck, get it in and then change one at a time. So that even if we don’t create offense in that particular shift, we’re in a good (position) to defend.

"When we’ve been good, we’ve been able to build one shift at a time, and start to play in the offensive zone and start to tilt the ice and then all of a sudden you end up fresh and you’re playing against tired guys and now they have trouble defending and you’re fresh and you’re able to win 50- 50s and win battles.

"I think we’ve been talking about it a lot and we made progress, I think particularly (in) the Edmonton series where we were out-changing them. We were defending when we’re fresh and we were forcing them to defend when they’re not. Then we looked pretty good defensively. But as soon as you start turning pucks over or you overstay your shift, then it becomes hard. We’re going to keep working at that. We’ve shown there’s a path there to be a better defensive team and we’ve got to reach it if we want to be an elite team and go deep into the playoffs."

Comcast SportsNet.com LOADED: 08.23.2020 1191912 Chicago Blackhawks The Blackhawks could be looking to add more size and physicality to their prospect pool. Holloway is the type of power forward who would fit that bill. Some parts of his game are further along than others, but there Some early draft possibilities for the Blackhawks at No. 17 are reasons to believe his offense will match his defense and play away from the puck in time. He had eight goals and nine assists in 35 games as a freshman at Wisconsin. He’s someone who could be ready to turn pro after next season, too. By Scott Powers Scout’s take: “He’s an unreal kid. He’s very humble and coachable. He Aug 22, 2020 has a big compete level. For Blackhawks fans, I’d compare him to being a powerful skater like Marian Hossa and smart like Jonathan Toews. His finish is getting better and will improve with maturity and confidence. He’s The Blackhawks’ amateur scouting department has been getting ready a great team player.” for everything in recent months. Other possibilities There was a time when the Blackhawks were likely to draft around No. 9 when the regular season was cut short. Then, there was a window in Dawson Mercer, center, Chicoutimi (QMJHL): The Athletic’s Corey which the No. 1 pick was a possibility. After the Blackhawks advanced Pronman had the Blackhawks taking Mercer at No. 17 in his latest mock past the qualifying round, they knew they could be picking anywhere from draft. No. 16 to 31. When they lost in the first round, they were either going to , winger, Eisbaren Berlin (DEL): The Blackhawks got a draft at No. 16 or 17. good look at Reichel when they faced him in the in Berlin Finally, with the Montreal Canadiens being eliminated from the playoffs to begin the season. He had 24 points in 42 games in Germany’s top on Friday, the Blackhawks were locked into the No. 17 pick. division as a 17-year-old.

It’s still early to be speculating and there will be plenty more draft preview Connor Zary, center, Kamloops (WHL): The Blackhawks need to add coverage in the coming months, but here’s a look at some players the more all-around players. With Zary’s mixture of offense and defense, he Blackhawks could select with the No. 17 overall pick in the 2020 NHL definitely would be an option. Draft. , center, HIFK (): Lundell might already be off the Yaroslav Askarov, goalie, SKA (VHL) board at No. 17, but he could fall in the draft because there are so many mixed opinions about him. I did some research on him a few months ago Askarov likely will be gone by the time the Blackhawks draft. But because and came away impressed by his play. It’s not always pretty, but he he is a goalie and NHL teams don’t always feel comfortable drafting a delivers results. goalie in the top 16 picks (it’s happened twice in the past decade), there’s a chance he could still be on the board. If so, the Blackhawks should , defenseman, Brandon (WHL): I’d be surprised if the strongly consider selecting him. Not since selecting Corey Crawford in Blackhawks went with another defenseman in the first round, but the second round in 2003 have the Blackhawks had a drafted goalie Schneider, who is 6-foot-2, would be their type if they did. develop and become an NHL regular for them. The Blackhawks have found NHL goalies in other ways over the years, but most scouts believe Askarov will be the real deal and should be taken in the first round. The Athletic LOADED: 08.23.2020 Scout’s take: “He’s one of the best Russian goalie prospects I ever seen. You can definitely compare him to (Andrei) Vasilevskiy. Yes, he was bad at the world juniors, couldn’t fight the traffic there, was nervous, but that’s OK for a 17-year-old guy who never played at a level like this before. In all the other international tournaments he took part in that I saw, he was tremendous and always gave a chance for his team to win. He’s big, athletic, great reflexes, great lateral movement, skates well, reads the game very well, has a good rebound control. He’s bad with the puck, but it’s a skill you can develop and develop. He’s a great guy and a great teammate as well. Poised, willing to learn. I think he has a bright future.”

Brendan Brisson, center, (USHL)

Brisson played this past season in the Blackhawks’ backyard. With the Steel, Brisson was arguably the USHL’s top player and produced 24 goals and 35 assists in 45 games. He’s a bit further down in most mock drafts, but some scouts believe he’s worth taking where the Blackhawks are picking. He’s signed to play with the University of Michigan next season.

Scout’s take: “He has fast-twitch skill and high-end creativity. He can hammer the one-timer and score in a lot of different ways. Outside of the NTDP players, he’ll be the first player taken from the USHL. He’s somewhere in the range of the Blackhawks, but he may go later.”

Rodion Amirov, winger, UFA (KHL)

Amirov will be an intriguing prospect for teams drafting in the teens. He got a good taste of the KHL last season as an 18-year-old and will be given more of an opportunity this season. There’s a lot of upside to his game. He falls among the top 10 players in Byron Bader’s NHLer probability scale.

Scout’s take: “He’s skilled, fast, high-hockey IQ. Typical Russian winger, as they say in North America, a bit enigmatic. Good one-on-one, there’s quite a big variation of dekes, has a good shot. Can’t name him a two- way player, but he’s quite responsible. There’s a bit of a question if he’s mentally tough, misses the confidence at times and is dependent of that, and if his work ethics are really good, but just a bit I’d say, that’s why ‘a bit enigmatic.'”

Dylan Holloway, center, Wisconsin (NCAA) 1191913 Colorado Avalanche second-longest streak to begin the postseason in Avalanche history (, 10 in 1996).

Footnotes. Trade-deadline acquisition Michael Hutchinson is Colorado’s Nathan MacKinnon’s big night not enough in Avalanche’s Game 1 loss to third-string goalie and the team’s only other goalie in the Edmonton Stars bubble. … Calvert, the veteran fourth-line forward and leader, was “unfit to play” and scratched from the lineup. Johnson walked gingerly to the dressing room twice after two collisions. Johnson watched from the By MIKE CHAMBERS | [email protected] | The Denver Post bench during the third period but didn’t play. … Winger Vladislav Namestnikov returned from a four-game injury and replaced Calvert. … PUBLISHED: August 22, 2020 MacKinnon’s three points increased his NHL playoff scoring lead to 16 points, three more than his previous career-high set last year. He has 45 points in 34 career playoff games, the fourth-highest points-per-game Nathan MacKinnon had a big game Saturday night, factoring in all three of the Avalanche’s goals, but most of his teammates struggled and the average (1.32) in NHL playoff history. The top three are Wayne Gretzky Dallas Stars emerged victorious in Game 1 of a Western Conference (1.84), Mario Lemieux (1.61) and Barry Pederson (1.53). Others on the semifinal series at Rogers Place. list include Mark Messier (1.25), Bobby Orr (1.24) and Mike Bossy (1.24). … Defenseman Cale Makar logged a postseason career-high 27:26. The Stars’ Alexander Radulov matched MacKinnon with two goals and Dallas played a better north-south game in winning 5-3 at the Edmonton bubble. The Avs, who lost starting goaltender Philipp Grubauer to injury Denver Post: LOADED: 08.23.2020 early in the second period, faced a team playing a mirror-image of how they like to play — fast and always trying to create a counter-attack off turnovers.

But Colorado made too many mistakes in the defensive zone and neutral zone to expect to win and only drew two penalties and had just one power play.

“I think they came out flying and put us on our heels a little bit and we didn’t respond the way we needed,” MacKinnon said. “You prepare, you Watch video on the other team, you’re so focused on them, maybe you forget the way (we play). We can Watch video on them all we want but we have to play our game if we’re going to win. Tonight, they came out harder than us. They seemed like they were more competitive than us. There is no excuse for that.”

The Avs had 17 giveaways and just 11 takeaways. They blocked just 12 shots, compared to 21 for Dallas.

“We had half our team not show up to play,” said Colorado coach Jared Bednar, who was particularly critical of his defensemen.

The Avs were without key winger Matt Calvert (not fit to play) and lost Erik Johnson to injury during the game and the veteran played just a little more than 10 minutes.

Grubauer suffered what appeared to be a leg injury 3:06 into the second period and was replaced by , who inherited a 3-1 deficit. Grubauer leaned to his right to stop a shot that wouldn’t have hit the net and fell face-first to the ice. He was helped off the ice by a trainer and teammate, unable to put weight on his left leg.

Bednar declined to identify Grubauer’s injury or how long he will be out of the lineup, but said he won’t be “hitting the ice” Sunday ahead of Monday’s Game 2.

“It (stinks) seeing guys go down,” Avs captain Gabe Landeskog said. “Everybody that’s in that lineup is there for a reason and when guys go down there is a hole to fill, but it’s the next-man-up mentality and it’s no bigger deal than that.”

The Avs entered the third period trailing 4-3 but probably should have been down more than that. Dallas outshot Colorado 24-23 at that point and often controlled the pace — the way the Avs usually play.

“When it comes down to it, they were, as a team, engaged, ready to go. We had a little bit of a slow start and weren’t ready to engage and compete the way we needed to to win the hockey game. I thought we were starting to come for a while, but we weren’t. That was just our big guys playing. Obviously, our big guys had a good night. They were here to compete, to play to win the hockey game, and we had a lot of guys that weren’t. And when I say ‘a lot,’ I’m talking half our team.”

The Stars got two goals from Radulov and one apiece from Tyler Seguin and in building a 4-2 lead. But the Avs cut two two-goal deficits in half with goals from Gabe Landeskog and MacKinnon, the latter with a redirect in front of the net late in the second period.

Landeskog made it 3-2 with a skilled wrap-around from behind the goal line for his first goal of the playoffs. MacKinnon assisted on that goal and then scored his second of the game for his NHL-leading 16th point of the playoffs. MacKinnon extended his points streak to nine games, the 1191914 Colorado Avalanche

Avalanche goalie Philipp Grubauer leaves Game 1 with apparent leg injury

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

PUBLISHED: August 22, 2020

Avalanche goalie Philipp Grubauer suffered what appeared to be a left leg injury early in the second period of Game 1 against the Dallas Stars on Saturday in Edmonton.

Untouched, Grubauer leaned to his right for a puck that wouldn’t have hit the net and collapsed to the ice. He was helped off the ice by a trainer and teammate, unable to put any weight on his left leg.

Pavel Francouz replaced Grubauer when Dallas was leading 3-1. The Avs tied it shortly thereafter but then Francouz allowed Alexander Radulov’s second goal of the game to make it 4-2 midway through the second period.

“He won’t be hitting the ice tomorrow or anything like that,” Avs coach Jared Bednar said of Grubauer after the 5-3 loss. “The good news on that front is Frankie has played real well for us this year and he’s kind of split the season with some of the injuries we had. His play has dictated that he should stay in the net at times and we’re a confident team in front of him, too. Hopefully, Gruby can get healthy and back in here as soon as possible. In the meantime, Frankie is going to have to get the job done.”

Trade-deadline addition Michael Hutchinson is Colorado’s third-string goalie. He is the only other goalie with the Avs in the Edmonton bubble.

More injuries. The Avs began the game without winger Matt Calvert, who was “unfit to play,” and also were without defenseman Erik Johnson for much of the game. Johnson collided with former Avs teammate Blake Comeau and skated off gingerly and walked to the locker room. Johnson returned but also went to the locker room late in the second period after a head-first collision into the boards.

He returned to the bench early in the third period but did not play.

“He wanted to come out and try and help on the bench any way he could as one of the leaders of our hockey club,” Bednar said of Johnson. “We missed him. Our D, like I said, did not have a good night … When you’re taking out a veteran guy that can help settle things help who’s having a pretty good night. We need more guys playing to his caliber or better.

Bednar said the Avs missed Calvert on his dynamic fourth line with Pierre-Edouard Bellemare and Matt Nieto.

“When it comes to Calvert, we missed him because he’s a consistent player for us. I still like Bellemare and Nieto. They work. They’re engaged in the game, they’re playing to win. They were engaged physically and mentally. We needed as many players like that as we could get tonight and it was hard finding them on the bench. I guy like Calvert usually brings the juice for us and we missed him.”

Footnotes. Vladislav Namestnikov returned after missing the last four playoff games with an injury. The winger replaced Calvert. … The Avs had 17 giveaways and just 11 takeaways. They blocked just 12 shots, compared to 21 for Dallas.

Denver Post: LOADED: 08.23.2020 1191915 Colorado Avalanche Denver Post: LOADED: 08.23.2020

Nathan MacKinnon’s elevated physicality brings added dimension to Avalanche star

By KYLE FREDRICKSON | [email protected] | The Denver Post

PUBLISHED: August 22, 2020

Nathan MacKinnon’s dazzling speed and offensive skills have always led the conversation about what makes the Avalanche forward one of the NHL’s best. Watching MacKinnon closely this postseason, though, reveals an extra layer to his game.

It seems like MacKinnon is playing … angry.

“You take a look at the game and watch his shifts — I don’t know how best to describe it — but it’s the importance that he’s putting on the defensive aspect of the game,” Avalanche coach Jared Bednar said.

“He understands that he is able to play great defense. It’s hard work. It’s a commitment. It’s physicality. It’s doing all the right things on the defensive side of it to help get our team going offensively. He’s strong, he’s fast, he’s intelligent and he understands the game.

“He’s able to shut down top players.”

The image of MacKinnon slamming Arizona Coyotes forward Christian Fischer to the ice in Game 4 of the first-round initially comes to mind, but MacKinnon’s physicality has been equally impressive in smaller moments.

He’s recorded 10 hits in eight games. Several have resulted from impressive back-checks, in which MacKinnon lures a defender near the boards, then launches a surprise counter-hit, often sending his opponent to the ice. MacKinnon’s willingness to increase net-front traffic, helping to break Arizona goalie Darcy Kuemper, was also a display of his playoff- ready physicality.

“I just think that’s him ramping up the intensity at the most important time of the year,” Bednar said.

Avalanche forward Joonas Donskoi spent the past four seasons with the San Jose Sharks and aided in the elimination of Colorado from the playoffs a year ago. However, Donskoi’s respect for MacKinnon has only grown since becoming teammates.

“(MacKinnon) is extremely tough to play against,” Donskoi said. “He’s obviously super-skilled, but he’s also strong and can read battles. Like we saw (in Game 4 against Arizona), he can read battles hard and he’s just the complete package. I’m pretty happy to be playing for the same team this year.”

The spin on MacKinnon’s aggression uptick is more time in the penalty box. MacKinnon received a Lady Byng Trophy finalist nod — given annually for sportsmanship — after he took only 12 penalties over 69 games during the regular season. He stopped being so polite in the playoffs.

MacKinnon reached 10 penalty minutes in only eight games inside the Edmonton bubble, including an unsportsmanlike conduct minor in round- robin play against the Vegas Knights, in which MacKinnon got vocal with a referee from the bench.

“He knows that he can’t be doing that at a key time in what’s a playoff game and he’ll learn from it,” Bednar said.

MacKinnon has so far harnessed that fire into becoming the Avs’ most physical forward, with mostly warranted time in the box. The added dimension of physicality could lead to MacKinnon transforming into arguably the best hockey player in the world right now.

It appears that the spotlight won’t change his mission. MacKinnon’s hits will keep on coming.

“We don’t feel like we have a target on our back, we haven’t won anything,” MacKinnon said. “We’re a hungry team that feels like it has a lot to prove.”

1191916 Colorado Avalanche When you’re getting paid what Arenado is, that’s not going to cut it.

Especially after what happened last winter.

Grading the Week: Broncos training camp name to know? Just call him Albert O Denver Post: LOADED: 08.23.2020

By MATT SCHUBERT | [email protected] | The Denver Post

August 22, 2020

Talk about a quick turnaround.

On Friday, the Colorado Avalanche woke up thinking its next Stanley Cup playoff game wasn’t until Tuesday, at the earliest. By lunch time, the Avs learned they were playing in a little more than 24 hours so NBC didn’t have to show Seinfeld re-runs to its prime time audience.

Ah, the power of broadcast television.

Considering how well the Avs are playing right now, it’s probably a good thing for Colorado. Let’s just hope they have enough time to clean up Arizona goaltender Darcy Kuemper’s chalk outline before the puck drops at Rogers Place in Edmonton.

Albert Okwuegbunam — A

One thing we need to get out of the way right off the bat:

It is right and good to refer to the Broncos’ new tight end as “Albert O.” It’s a name he knows and loves. And, frankly, it’s a lot easier for some of us dummies to spell.

Now to the more important part: Without any preseason games and a shrunken training camp schedule to work with, the rookie out of Mizzou is making the most of his opportunities early on at Dove Valley. Injuries to Austin Fort and free-agent signee Nick Vannett gave Okwuegbunam an opening in the first week of camp, and he’s burst right through it.

A regular on the positive side of the ledger in Broncos beat writer Ryan O’Halloran’s training camp reports, the 6-foot-5, 258-pound tight end has been seen running crisp routes, soaring into the air for jump-ball receptions and catching passes in the end zone.

While his run blocking skills remain a mystery, we know this much: He’s given Coach Vic Fangio something to think about as Week 1 quickly approaches.

Nuggets’ defensive effort — D-

For three straight games, the Utah Jazz have gotten whatever it’s wanted against the Nuggets.

Donovan Mitchell drives to the bucket? Sure. Rudy Gobert thunderous two-handed dunks? Yup. Wide open looks from the 3-point line? With frequency.

Gary Harris and Will Barton can’t come back soon enough.

Unfortunately, the latter already left the Orlando bubble Wednesday to rehabilitate a nagging knee injury — signaling an extended absence. That just so happens to be the day Denver submitted the first of two defensive stink bombs.

Coincidence? Perhaps.

For the record: The only reason this isn’t an “F” is the efforts of Jerami Grant and Jamal Murray, who at least seem to care that the Nuggets were getting their behinds kicked Friday afternoon.

Nolan Arenado — C+

After an offseason in which Arenado kinda, maybe, possibly nudged Rockies management about getting traded to a winner, the all-star third baseman is falling down in the clutch for Colorado.

The stat line on Thursday was nice (2-for-5, home run, double), as has been his predictably stellar defense on the hot corner. Here’s what’s not: Arenado’s .074 batting average with runners in scoring position entering Friday night.

That mark is well below the 29-year-old’s career average in such instances (.325), and it’s even worse when you consider he was just 1- for-14 with two outs and runners in scoring position through 24 games. 1191917 Colorado Avalanche

Jared Bednar downplays the Avalanche’s dominance over Arizona

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

PUBLISHED: August 22, 2020 at 5:30 a.m. | UPDATED: August 22, 2020

I should have known better. I should have known that Avalanche coach Jared Bednar, a hockey product of rural and son of a Royal Canadian Mounted Police officer, would never answer the question in the way that is was posed.

I asked Bednar, as a coach or minor-league player, if he had ever before been part of such a dominating team in a best-of-seven professional playoff series. I should have known that knowing him, he would never cross that line in hockey culture 101.

He would never downgrade the Arizona Coyotes’ chances or its effort in losing to the Avs in five games, including 7-1 blowouts in the last two.

Me: The Avs absolutely dominated the series, and the only reason Arizona won Game 3 was goalie Darcy Kuemper’s 49 saves. Granted, the Coyotes outshot Colorado in Game 2, but without factoring in empty- net goals, the Avs outscored the Yotes 22-6 in the series.

The Avalanche proved no match for the Desert Dogs.

“I don’t see it like that,” Bednar told me after Game 5. “I have to tip my cap to Tocc (coach Rick Tocchet) and his crew. I think they’ve done an excellent job with that team. They have an identity and they stick to it and they play to it. I think as the series went on, our big guys really started to come and we wore them down a little bit.”

A little bit? Colorado outscored Arizona 13-1 from the start of Game 4 through the second period of Game 5. The Avs eliminated a team in five games without the benefit of an overtime win for the first time since 2000, when they defeated the then-Phoenix Coyotes.

Colorado has two all-time playoff sweeps, in 1996 against Florida and 2001 against Vancouver, but even those required an overtime win.

So by all accounts, the 2020 series against Arizona could go down as one of the top-three dominating performances in Avalanche postseason history.

Right?

“Yeah, we had some chances but they were dangerous at times, too,” Bednar said. “They play such a good team game defensively … It’s just kind of the way they’re built. Their back end and their forwards do a nice job of clearing all the trouble in front of their goaltending, their goaltending was excellent.”

Yeah, and your team destroyed that structure.

“It was a close series,” Bednar said. “Again, some of our big guns and game-breakers (came through). Good starts and the power play steps up and really probably wins us the series with the last two games.”

He added: “I think it was a lot closer than what people may see just from the score of the last couple games.”

I’m not buying it. But if I were an NHL coach always acting like a class act, I would hope I could find the words Bednar used in congratulating the Coyotes for a “hard-fought” series.

Footnote. Upon review, Game 1 of the Avalanche-Stars second-round series Saturday makes perfect sense. Yes, it came and went before two potential Game 7s in the first round Sunday, and the second round wasn’t originally scheduled to begin until Tuesday, but the NHL looked at its primetime slot on NBC on Saturday and took it. That’s good for the Avalanche, good for hockey. And it’s good for the players, who are running out of things to do on their off days in the bubble. With no travel open dates in Edmonton and Toronto, everyone wins by beginning a series as soon as possible.

Denver Post: LOADED: 08.23.2020 1191918 Colorado Avalanche Saturday but failed to record one shot on goal. Andre Burakovsky, Tyson Jost and Valeri Nichushkin combined for four shots on goal and half that figure belonged to Jost. Furthermore, Nichushkin logged a team-low 8:40 Avs’ lack of urgency a recipe for disaster in Game 1 loss to Stars of ice time against the franchise that drafted him in 2013.

As for the Avalanche’s defense, ShiftChart showed Bednar had no issue playing Samuel Girard and Cale Makar. Makar received a team-high By Ryan S. Clark 27:26 of ice time and averaged exactly 60 seconds per shift, according to ShiftChart. Girard also logged 22:46 of ice time. Bednar has shown in the Aug 22, 2020 past he will give Girard and Makar additional time when the Avs are in search of a goal. In fact, they were together for 10:31 during five-on-five sequences. It made them the most trusted defensive pairing Bednar used The full explanation from Jared Bednar about why the Colorado against the Stars. Avalanche lost Game 1 on Saturday: Half the team did not show up at all. Both Graves and Cole logged more than 19 minutes as well. Graves was All it took was eight-and-a-half minutes for Bednar to explain what went on the ice for two goals. The first goal came when Comeau’s shot was wrong for the Avalanche. It was simple. He saw certain players were redirected off Graves’ stick with the second goal coming when he tried ready while others were not and it showed. That is what led to the Dallas playing the puck only to use his stick late, which led to Benn finding Stars coming away with a 5-3 win in Game 1 of a Western Conference enough space to play a centering pass that left Girard on an island semifinal game at Rogers Place. before Radulov scored. Cole was on the ice for three goals as well. He was present for Comeau’s redirection and was the last line of defense Bednar is not one for being overly emotional. He was not that way during when the Stars’ forecheck created a turnover that caught everyone out of his postgame remarks. If anything, the fourth-year Avalanche coach has position. That made Cole the lone defender back on a two-on-one that shown a need for honesty when called upon and what he said minutes led to Seguin firing a shot that went off Francouz’s pads only to be after his team’s third postseason defeat was proof. Some of this, collected by Radulov for a goal. however, was building. He referenced in the quarterfinal-round series against the Arizona Coyotes that he needed a more consistent effort from Dallas grabbed one more goal when Cole was on the ice when Nikita middle-six forwards. It was a comment that, at the time, drew some Zadorov checked Stars defenseman , who held on just raised eyebrows from the outside world because they were seeing long enough to play possession to . He then fed a pass production from that group. to Hintz, who fired the shot right as Cole and Jost were closing on him for a 5-3 lead. Zadorov, who was also on the ice for three goals, received On Saturday, those forwards were nowhere to be found. Neither were 15:40 in ice time. portions of the Avalanche defense. And Bednar made that quite clear. “We had a couple workers in the bottom six, but we did not have enough “I am going to answer that as honestly as I can and to me, the biggest people playing,” Bednar explained. “You might be able to get away with thing was we had half our team not show up to play,” Bednar said. “I can one or two passengers this time of year, but you’re not getting away with pick apart a lot of that game that I didn’t like. But when it comes down to any more than that. Not against a team like Dallas. So, that’s on us. it, they were, as a team, engaged, ready to go. We had a little bit of a That’s on me as the head coach. We need to be way better. We’ll take a slow start and weren’t ready to engage and compete the way we needed day to prepare and look at some things and we gotta get ready to get to win the hockey game and I thought we were starting to come for a little engaged in this series.” while and we weren’t. That was just our big guys playing. Obviously, our big guys had a good night and they were here to compete to win the How the Avalanche performed in five-on-five play offers even more hockey game, and we had a lot of guys – and when I say a lot, I’m talking insight into Bednar’s frustrations. The Avs mustered only five high-danger half our team. scoring chances, according to Natural Stat Trick. It was the second- lowest total they have had during the playoffs. Their lowest was against “I did not like our D-corps tonight. I did not like our middle-six wingers.” the St. Louis Blues in the round-robin and that was a game they won with Colorado was already in a 3-1 hole by the end of the first period. a tenth of a second on the clock thanks to . Superstar center Nathan MacKinnon scored the team’s lone goal of the In the regular season, it would have been tied for the seventh-fewest frame. But it was also the MacKinnon line that was responsible for the number of high-danger scoring chances. The Avalanche had 10 games other goals the Avalanche scored. Captain and left winger Gabriel this year when they finished with fewer than five high-danger scoring Landeskog scored his first goal of this postseason in the second period chances in five-on-five play. Even then, the Avs won seven of those to cut the deficit to 3-2 until Stars winger Alexander Radulov grabbed his games. Bednar witnessed Landeskog, MacKinnon and Rantanen second goal of the game to double the lead. MacKinnon scored again combine to take 15 of the Avalanche’s 30 shots on goal. There were only late in the frame to keep it a one-goal contest going into the third. four other players who recorded more than two shots in the game and Seeing captain , Tyler Seguin and Radulov match three of them were defensemen. Landeskog, MacKinnon and Mikko Rantanen created the impression that Both Landeskog and MacKinnon shared what they deemed to be the Game 1 possibly could be decided by which top line produces the most. issues. Landeskog said there were too many self-inflicted wounds while But in all actuality, it ended up being more about the supporting cast. MacKinnon stated that they had a hesitant start whereas the Stars were Sure, Seguin got the opener but it was former Avalanche winger Blake aggressive from the jump. Comeau who pushed it to 2-1 in the first. Yes, it was Radulov who made “They came out hard, no doubt,” Landeskog said. “It looked like toward it 4-2, but it was Roope Hintz who secured the backbreaking insurance the end of that Calgary series, it looked like they kind of came into their goal nearly midway through the third period that forced the Avs into a own and started playing better than they showed in the round-robin, no deeper hole that kept growing. doubt. But I think that’s the case with any team at this point in the Veteran fourth-line winger Matt Calvert was deemed unfit to play right season. The further you go, the better teams are going to get. You have before the game. Starting goaltender Philipp Grubauer suffered a lower- to bring your best every night and we’re sure didn’t tonight.” body injury that forced his backup, Pavel Francouz, to play the rest of the Now comes the hypothetically challenging part leading up to Game 2: contest. Alternate captain and veteran defenseman Erik Johnson also Exactly how do the Avalanche go about fixing their problems to avoid picked up a lower-body injury. Johnson left the bench twice to receive falling into a two-game hole? treatment. He played after returning the first time but remained on the bench for the rest of the third period. On one hand, this is only the third game they have lost since the round- robin. And when they have lost, they came back with a win. The Grubauer is expected to miss practice Sunday, and Bednar did not have Avalanche also have shown they do have the needed secondary scoring a timeframe for how long he will be out of the lineup. to ensure that games are not solely dictated by how the top line That’s three players right there, and that is not taking into account what performs. Yet those victories after a loss both came against a Coyotes Bednar said about those who went missing. team that struggled to score goals and often defended with the hopes of a counterattack. It is a contrasting style compared to the Stars, who Colorado blocked only 12 shots and eight of them were by defensemen. finished Saturday as the highest-scoring team still standing in the Stanley J.T. Compher and Joonas Donskoi, who each had six points entering Cup playoffs. Bednar was asked how he went about navigating how blunt he wanted to be with his team. Does he call out players during intermission or was he better off waiting until the game ended to have more evidence in regards to supporting his point about how half the Avalanche went missing?

“We took a little bit of a different approach after the first,” Bednar said. “Similar approach after the end of the second and then, for sure, at the end of the game, they have to know exactly how we feel as a coaching staff. I’m sure other players in the room were thinking it too. It just depends on the score. We were still in the hockey game. We made some bad decisions and some bad reads. I’ll give Dallas credit, all the credit. They were engaged and ready to go to compete to win the hockey game. They are already one step ahead of us tonight.

“We did some not smart things. Our brains were not turned on and they weren’t engaged. It was a lethal duo for us and we have to be way better. There’s no beating around the bush on it. Everyone knows it, everybody watched, everybody sees it. We expected to come out and be a lot better than that and we showed it.”

The Athletic LOADED: 08.23.2020 1191919 Colorado Avalanche The defenseman returned in the second period only to leave the game again and spend the entire third period on the Avalanche’s bench despite not taking a shift.

Avalanche fall 5-3 in disappointing Game 1 effort against Dallas; Philipp “Erik tweaked something,” Bednar said of his assistant captain. “He Grubauer, Erik Johnson injured thought he could go and tried it and wasn’t able to do that. He wanted to come out and try to help on the bench and do what he could as one of the leaders of our hockey club.” By Aarif Deen Going into the series, the Avalanche were expected to be the higher- August 22, 2020 scoring team. The Stars had the third-least goals in the NHL before the pause and struggled in the earlygoing of the August restart. But after

falling behind 2-1 in their first round series against Calgary, the Stars won Avalanche superstar Nathan MacKinnon did everything he could in three straight, scoring 14 goals in the process before today’s offensive Game 1 against the Dallas Stars. But the rest of the Avs were mostly performance agains the Avalanche. ineffective as Colorado lost 5-3 at Rogers Place in Edmonton on “I thought they came out hard no doubt,” Landeskog said of the Stars. Saturday. “Towards the end of that Calgary series it looked like they came into their Dallas scored three of its goals off turnovers. The fourth goal was a result own and started playing better than what they showed in the round-robin. of a counter-attack after the Avs lost a battle in the offensive zone. But I think that’s the case at anytime of this point of the season. The Despite the number of mistakes from the home team, Colorado still further you go the better the teams are going to get. You have to bring entered the third period down just one goal. your best every night and we sure didn’t tonight.

“To me the biggest thing was we had half our team not show up to play,” Colorado’s Vladislav Namestnikov was reinserted into the lineup after Avs coach Jared Bednar said. “I can pick apart a lot of that game that I Matt Calvert was deemed unfit to play. Calvert had played a majority of didn’t like but when it comes down to it, they were as a team engaged, the playoffs on the fourth line alongside Pierre-Edouard Bellemare and ready to go. We had a little bit of a slow start and weren’t ready to Matt Nieto. It was the first game he’s missed since before the March 12 engage and compete the way we needed to, to win the hockey game.” pause.

Example; the fifth goal from the Stars came after a poor decision from “It happens,” Landeskog said of Calvert, Grubauer and Johnson’s Avalanche defenseman Nikita Zadorov in the defensive zone. The injuries. “It’s just a matter of how we respond as a group. It’s not more towering Russian blueliner had an opportunity to use his stick to break up than that. It sucks seeing guys go down. Everybody that’s in that lineup is the play but instead chose to go for a big hit. The puck trickled away as a there for a reason and when guys go down there’s a hole to fill. But it’s a result and was picked up by Stars forward Jason Dickinson who fed his next man up mentality. It’s something we’ve dealt with in the past and teammate Roope Hintz for the goal. we’re just going to keep moving forward. Hopefully those guys can get back as soon as possible and get healthy. But we know we’re a good “Dallas is a good team they wouldn’t be here if they weren’t a good enough team to win with a couple of guys out of the lineup.” team,” Avs captain Gabe Landeskog said. “But a lot of what happened today was self-inflicted. We didn’t get up to the standard that we have to play at, at this point in the season. We have to be a lot better, no doubt.” milehighsports.com LOADED: 08.23.2020 Bednar added: “I did not like our D-core tonight. I did not like a lot of our middle-six wingers. We had a couple of workers in the bottom six but we did not have enough people playing. You might be able to get away with one or two passengers at this time of the year but you’re not getting away with any more than that. Not against a team like Dallas. So that’s on us and as me as a head coach.”

MacKinnon recorded two goals and an assist and finished with a plus-3 in 24:02 of ice time, including 10:15 in the third period. His linemates Landeskog and Mikko Rantanen combined for three points and a plus-3 rating.

“As a line we played well,” MacKinnon said. “We were tight to each other we made life easy. Mikko and Gabe did a great job forechecking and creating turnovers. I felt like we kind of put our foot in the water and just wanted to see how they would play versus how we need to play. It’s going to be a tough series. They got to beat us three more times and we’re going to be well prepared for Game 2.”

The Avs lost starting goalie Philipp Grubauer in the second period. The German leaned to the right in an attempt to block a shot that went wide of the net and fell to the ice on what seemed like a routine play. Grubauer was helped off the ice by a trainer and a teammate and was unable to apply weight to his left leg.

He was replaced by backup Pavel Francouz, who played the final 33:30, making 18 saves and was credited with the loss.

While an exact prognosis and timetable of Grubauer’s injury has yet to be announced, Bednar confirmed that Francouz will likely be the starter for the foreseeable future. Francouz recorded a 27-save against the Stars during the round-robin. It was his only start against a team that defeated Colorado in each of their four meetings during the regular season.

“For sure it’s different if you go in, in the middle of the game,” Francouz said. “But as a backup goalie you have to be ready to play and that’s why I’m here.”

Veteran defenseman Erik Johnson was hurt in the first period and skated gingerly off the ice just as Dallas took a 2-1 lead — a lead they would not relinquish for the rest of the evening. 1191920 Colorado Avalanche

Avalanche goalie Phillip Grubauer leaves Game 1 with leg injury

By Aarif Deen

August 22, 2020

The Avalanche’s starting goaltender Phillip Grubauer exited the opening game of Round 2 in the second period against the Dallas Stars on Saturday.

The German goalie, who won all four of Colorado’s games in the first round, leaned to the right in an attempt to stop a shot that was going wide of the net. He was untouched as he fell to the ice and remained there in what seemed like a routine play.

Grubauer was unable to apply weight to his left leg as he was helped off the ice by a trainer and teammate.

Avs backup netminder Pavel Francouz took over the crease.

Leading the NHL’s starters in playoff save percentage, Grubauer had a rough start to the game. He surrendered three goals on seven shots in the first period as the Avalanche outshot Dallas 13-7 but trailed 3-1.

Grubauer finished with seven saves on ten shots before exiting the game.

milehighsports.com LOADED: 08.23.2020 1191921 Colorado Avalanche Dallas picked up its offensive game as its first-round series against Calgary played out. Led by young players Miro Heiskanen and Denis Gurianov, the Stars have scored 25 goals in nine playoff games — Valeri Nichushkin “going through a bit of a rut,” as Avalanche prepare for including a seven-goal showing to close out the Flames in Game 6. series against his former team The Avs lead the NHL with 3.88 goals-per-game while also pacing the league in goals-against per game (1.63). Colorado also has the league’s top-ranked power play (30.6%) and fifth-best penalty kill (88%). The By Aarif Deen Avalanche’s penalty kill ranks first among the eight remaining teams.

August 22, 2020

milehighsports.com LOADED: 08.23.2020 Preview: The Avalanche’s Western Conference semifinal against the Dallas Stars

Avalanche forward Valeri Nichushkin has every reason to play with a chip on his shoulder in Round 2. The Former Dallas Stars first-round draft pick had a rollercoaster of a career with Colorado’s next opponent.

Nichushkin, 25, was drafted 10th overall in 2013, nine spots behind current teammate Nathan MacKinnon. The Stars had high hopes for the forward coming out of the KHL — Russia’s top hockey league. He spent three unimpressive seasons in Dallas beginning age 18 before returning home in an attempt to revive his young career. The Russian returned to the Stars in 2018-19 on a two-year deal, only to play 58 games, record 10 assists, zero penalty penalties and become a buyout casualty. Suddenly, Nichushkin was a 24-year old unrestricted free agent.

Enter the Avalanche.

Nichushkin was signed by general manager Joe Sakic to a league minimum one-year deal in August 2019. The Russian started slow but paid dividends for the Avs in the regular season, scoring 13 goals and recording 27 points while playing on the penalty kill and power play.

But eight games into the playoffs, Nichushkin has yet to record a point.

“I think he’s going through a little bit of a rut,” Avs coach Jared Bednar said. “We started to see him come out of it as the series went on against Arizona. We all know that he’s a bit of a confidence guy. When he’s confident and things are going wholesome for him he can get on a roll and we certainly need him to. We’ve had a couple of conversations with him as a coaching staff and I think we started to see his game come around in the Arizona series so I expect him to be better in this one against Dallas.”

Nichushkin spent a majority of the first round in a third-line role alongside center J.T. Compher and winger Tyson Jost. He started the July training camp with Nazem Kadri and on the second line but was replaced by Joonas Donskoi as the round-robin played out.

He is one of just two Avalanche skaters and the only forward without a point since the NHL restart. A far cry from his offensive output before the pause on March 12.

“We love his work ethic and the details to his game,” Bednar said of Nichushkin’s regular season. “He was competitive and that’s all you can really ask for as a coach. For him to earn more minutes and build his role on our team and expand his role on our team, it was just about him making plays in different situations and checking the right way. He earned a lot of trust and started to contribute on the offensive side. Looks like he’s been a little hard on himself since we’ve been here in the bubble so we’re just trying to tell him to relax and let it go. We need him to be a little bit better than he was. I know he’s capable of that and probably looking forward to a big series against Dallas.”

What to expect from Dallas

Dallas was not much of an offensive juggernaut during the regular season. It relied heavily on its goaltending and defensive play en route to becoming a top-four team in the Western Conference. The Stars had 178 regular-season goals, which ranked 29th in the league only more than lottery teams Detroit and Los Angeles.

The Avalanche were winless in four low-scoring regular-season games against Dallas (0-2-2). Colorado’s starting goalie Philipp Grubauer, who will be between the pipes in Game 1 tonight, had a .920 save percentage despite losing each game.

Colorado did gain an edge on the Stars in the round-robin, shutting out the No. 3 seed 4-0 behind a 27-save effort from Pavel Francouz. 1191922 Columbus Blue Jackets

Jackets chafing after series slips away

Brian Hedger The Columbus Dispatch

Aug 22, 2020

Even two days later, it was still raw.

The late 4-2 lead that vanished in Game 5 of a first-round playoff series against the Tampa Bay Lightning, the giveaway that led to Brayden Point’s overtime goal that ended the Blue Jackets’ 2019-20 season with a gut punch — all of it.

Had their lead held up, the Jackets would have played Game 6 on Friday with a chance to force a deciding Game 7 on Saturday — and they were this close to doing it. That’s the part that stings, and it might for a while.

"I wanted to see what it was going to be like if we win Game 5," said coach John Tortorella, who met with reporters via conference call on Friday from his home rather than coaching another playoff game.

"I wanted to see what Game 6 was going to be, see how players react — on both teams, quite honestly," he said. "I just wanted us to get there, and I thought we played well enough to get there. But we didn’t get it done. And that falls on us."

The way the Blue Jackets fell short matters, as well.

It was a collapse, aided by what Tortorella called a "fluky" goal scored by Anthony Cirelli to tie the score at 4 with 1:38 left in regulation at Scotiabank Arena in Toronto.

A centering pass from Point bounced off Cirelli’s skate in front of the crease, and the puck began sliding toward the goal line, ever so slowly, as the Blue Jackets were powerless to stop it. Goaltender Joonas Korpisalo was out of position and didn’t see it, and defenseman David Savard had it even worse.

Savard had to watch the puck slide over the line while Cirelli tied up his stick. And as brutal as that was to stomach, Point’s goal was even more difficult to accept — created by a pass from Savard to his defensive partner, Vladislav Gavrikov that bounced off the latter’s right skate and slid directly to Tampa Bay’s Nikita Kucherov.

A quick feed to Point in the slot, a nice deke move by Point and the Blue Jackets’ season was over.

"We get a fluky goal scored on us to tie the game, but to lose it on a freebie, that’s what (ticks) me off," Tortorella said. "And, listen, those two defensemen … have played so hard. I’m not blaming them, but it just aggravates me, even this morning, that we lose it on a freebie."

He wasn’t the only one.

Blue Jackets general manager Jarmo Kekalainen sn’t ready to move on yet, either. He knows a busy offseason is ahead, with the draft and free agency crammed into a month’s time in October, but the series against Tampa Bay remains fresh between his ears.

"We did so many good things in that series," Kekalainen said on the same conference call. "It’s a bitter pill to swallow that we’re here now. I truly thought for sure we’d be playing tonight, and if we’d gone to Game 6, who knows? But I’m not going to get into the ‘ifs’ and ‘buts’ and you know what … "

Until he did, that is, because he just couldn’t help it.

"We had 24 shots, I think, in that period and we’re in their zone the whole period," he said, referring to the Jackets’ two goals and 24-8 edge in shots in the second period of Game 5. "We get the (3-2) lead at the end and we get to 4-2 and then lose that lead … it’s hard to swallow right now. But we’ll just have to learn from it and move on."

Columbus Dispatch LOADED: 08.23.2020 1191923 Dallas Stars “Time will tell how long he’s going to be out,” Colorado coach Jared Bednar said. “I have no idea at this point, but I’m not expecting him to be hitting the ice tomorrow or anything like that. It’s going to be Franky’s net Stars notebook: Tyler Seguin scores first postseason goal; Dallas gets a here.” change of scenery Avalanche defenseman Erik Johnson was off and on the ice on Saturday, leaving the game with 10:21 left in the first period before returning for the second. He was on the bench for the third period, but did not play a shift. By Matthew DeFranks Bednar said Johnson wanted to help lead on the bench.

Aug 22, 2020 Colorado was also missing fourth-line forward Matt Calvert, who was a late scratch in favor of Vladislav Namestinikov.

The Stars did not want a repeat of Game 6 against Calgary — the start, at least. Dallas Morning News LOADED: 08.23.2020 During a 5-3 win over the Avalanche on Saturday night in Game 1 of the second round, the Stars came out firing. They were heavy on the forecheck and strong holding onto pucks in the offensive zone. They spent long periods of time in the Colorado zone in the game’s opening minutes, as each line successfully emerged from below the goal line with the puck.

Tyler Seguin scored his first goal of the postseason four minutes into the period, and the Stars left the first with a 3-1 lead on the Avs. It was the third time in four games that the Stars scored the game’s first goal after allowing their opponent to score first in the previous 10 games.

“Obviously after the Calgary start, we wanted to have a good start,” Stars captain Jamie Benn said. “We know these guys are an elite hockey team, a lot of skill, some high-end players and we wanted to roll four lines early and get everyone in it. I thought we did that well tonight.”

The Stars had four of the game’s first five shots on goal, before Colorado pushed back to finish the period with a 13-8 edge in shots.

“We didn’t like our start against Calgary in Game 6, so we challenged the guys before the game about that,” Stars interim coach Rick Bowness said. “Just come out of the gate a lot harder. Let’s attack. That’s when we’re at our best, when we’re playing on our toes and we’re going north and we’re putting pressure on them. There’s a mentality that comes with that. Give the players credit, they got themselves ready to do that.”

Open air: The Stars spent their off day on Friday at Commonwealth Stadium in Edmonton, playing soccer, and other sports provided at the local CFL stadium. They did so at the urging of Bowness, and even after the team found out about the second-round series with Colorado starting less than two days after the first-round one against Calgary ended.

“I just think in general, it was nice to get out of the hotel, get some fresh air. It was nice weather,” Stars forward Blake Comeau said. “Guys got to just be together and just a change of scenery.”

Before the game, Andrew Cogliano and Jamie Oleksiak were asked about which of their teammates surprised them by playing other sports. It led to this exchange about Alexander Radulov.

Cogliano: “Rads thinks he’s a soccer player, but I don’t know. Not too good to me.”

Oleksiak: “Rads was pumping his own tires up a lot with the soccer.”

Cogliano: “No one’s taking up another sport, I can tell you that much.”

Staying behind: As the players went to the stadium, the Stars coaching staff remained behind to prepare for the Avalanche.

During the pandemic-induced break this summer, Bowness assigned the Stars coaching staff different teams to prepare for, so the bulk of the homework was already done on Colorado. Plus, the Stars already played the Avs four times during the regular season and once in the round robin.

Bowness said they found nothing new from Colorado’s first-round series win over Arizona, and the abrupt start of the second round was part of the unpredictable schedule in the bubble.

“Every day was a routine, different game time, different practice time, different rinks,” Bowness said. “But that’s all part of it. That doesn’t frustrate anyone. That’s just all part of it.”

Injured Avs: Avalanche starting goaltender Philipp Grubauer left the game with an apparent left leg injury with 16:54 left in the second period after attempting to make a save on a Denis Gurianov shot. Grubauer was helped off the ice and did not return as Pavel Francouz relieved him. 1191924 Dallas Stars smooth backhand between Grubauer’s legs. On Radulov’s second-period goal, it was Benn with a smart pass to a streaking Seguin, springing him for a 2 on 1 and setting up Radulov’s rebound goal.

After playing second fiddle throughout postseason, Stars’ top line “He sets the tone with his physicality No. 1, his voice on the bench and in explodes in second-round opener to secure win over Avalanche the dressing room,” Seguin said. “You usually know when he’s going and tonight he was definitely going. We just kind of hopped on his back to start. That’s why he’s our leader and our captain.” By Matthew DeFranks Bowness added: “When Jamie’s skating north and he’s a beast like that, Aug 22, 2020 like we all know, he’s a difficult man to handle.”

Benn was also instrumental in Colorado’s third goal of the game, dropping a pass past Miro Heiskanen into his own zone, forcing During the Stars’ first-round playoff series victory, Tyler Seguin probably Heiskanen to break out of the zone while tired. Heiskanen lost the puck got tired of hearing the questions about his goal-scoring. and then was beaten to the net by MacKinnon, who tipped the puck In almost every Zoom call with reporters or intermission interview, in a home for his second goal of the night. radio show or a television hit, Seguin was reminded that he hadn’t scored Still, it was Benn’s first three-assist game since Game 5 of the Nashville a goal in the postseason. His play had improved dramatically through the series last season, when the Stars took control against the Predators, playoffs, but the goals hadn’t followed his play-making, shot-creating or and Benn memorably shoved Ryan Ellis aside leading to a Dallas goal. It hit-throwing. was Radulov’s first two-goal playoff game since that same game against As the Stars won Game 1 of the second round over the Avalanche 5-3 on Nashville. Saturday night, Seguin finally found the back of the net. So did his friend, Saturday night was the best signal the Stars could have hoped for in Alexander Radulov. And they were helped by buddy Jamie Benn. Game 1. It was enough for Dallas to outduel Colorado’s top line in an entertaining Pavelski and Gurianov had already taken over games against the series opener. Flames. Heiskanen and John Klingberg did the same from the back end. “We’re not going anywhere without our top players,” Stars interim coach But the Stars’ top line — which features two of the top four highest-paid Rick Bowness said. “Their top players performed tonight, and so did players remaining in the playoffs — hadn’t. ours.” “Do we need them to score? Absolutely,” Bowness said. “Do we need The Stars’ top line of Benn, Seguin and Radulov was explosive Saturday them to buy in and help lead the way defensively, which they certainly did night, displaying the top-end skill and finishing that raised both their in the third period? That was impressive as well.” salaries and expectations in Dallas. Radulov scored twice and assisted When the Stars beat the Predators last year in the playoffs, that line was on another goal. Seguin had a goal and an assist, snapping a 12-game a big part of it. When the Stars lost to the Blues in the second round, the goalless streak that dated to February. Benn picked up three assists. lack of production from them was a big part of it. In total, the Stars’ top line piled up eight points. In the Stars’ first nine Now? Well, the Stars owned the best line on the ice in Game 1, and it’s a playoff games, Benn, Seguin and Radulov totaled 10 points. huge step forward in beating the Avalanche. “I think it all starts with our work, when we’re skating, when we work, “It’s huge for us,” Comeau said. “Obviously, we rely on them a lot to when help each other, when we play the body,” Radulov said. “I think we produce for us offensively. But not only that, but Seggy takes some big get those chances and breaks. Just got to continue that, and everybody. faceoffs for us, Jamie had some big blocks for us tonight. When Rads is Today, it’s us. Maybe, next game will be different guys. It doesn’t matter. playing like that, he’s a horse on the puck. They definitely led the way for We just need to win games. That’s the bottom line.” us tonight, I felt like the rest of the group followed. Moving forward, we’re Seguin: “When we’re connected on the forecheck, when we’re definitely going to need those guys to lead the way.” competing, especially early on in the first few shifts. That’s usually a good Briefly: Forward Mattias Janmark returned to the Stars’ lineup after indicator that we’re going and tonight, we were definitely going.” missing Game 6 against Calgary with an injury. Goaltender Ben Bishop Colorado’s top line did its best to keep the battered Avalanche in the and defenseman Stephen Johns remained unfit to play. It was Bishop’s game, with Nathan MacKinnon scoring twice and Gabriel Landeskog fourth straight missed game, and the sixth in a row for Johns. once. MacKinnon leads the NHL with 16 playoff points in nine games, Dallas Morning News LOADED: 08.23.2020 helping the Avs weather the losses of starting goaltender Philipp Grubauer, forward Matt Calvert (before the game) and defenseman Erik Johnson (throughout the game).

Blake Comeau also scored for Dallas on a deflected slap shot from the blue line, and Roope Hintz added an insurance goal in the third period on a quick-release shot past Pavel Francouz.

For so much of the Stars’ postseason run so far, Benn-Seguin-Radulov have played second fiddle to scorers like Joe Pavelski and Denis Gurianov (both with six goals). In the seven-goal offensive outburst the Stars staged in Game 6 vs. Calgary, their big three weren’t on the ice for any goals. The moments were there, like in Game 2 against Calgary when they were reunited and scored almost instantly.

But they were never a game-changing force like they were in Game 1 against the Avs.

On Saturday, the top line was a disruptive force in scoring the first goal of the game. Benn pick-pocketed Johnson behind the net, Radulov recovered the loose puck, and then Benn set up Seguin in front of the net. It all happened in six seconds, turning forechecking into offense quickly and setting the tone for a great first period for Dallas.

Benn was crucial again in the next two goals for the Stars, both by Radulov.

Benn led the rush after the Stars exited their zone, and settled a bouncing puck before sliding it over to Radulov, who finished with a 1191925 Dallas Stars Nov. 5: Bishop made 36 saves on 37 shots.

Dec. 28: Bishop made 41 saves on 43 shots.

What’s going on with Ben Bishop? As the Stars’ No. 1 goalie continues to Jan. 14: Bishop made 41 saves on 43 shots. sit, questions arise about his status Aug. 5: Khudobin made 36 saves on 40 shots.

“Bend, and don’t break,” Bowness said. “I think that’s the one thing we By Matthew DeFranks did against them. The four games, it’s misleading because they outplayed us, our goaltending was sensational against Colorado. But we Aug 22, 2020 didn’t break, and we found ways to eke out wins, whether it was overtime, shootout, whatever it was. That’s going to be our same mental approach.” If you’re looking for answers about Ben Bishop’s status, join the club. In theory, with Khudobin playing well, the Stars may not need Bishop Bishop, the Stars No. 1 goaltender, missed his fourth straight game until Games 5 and 6, when Dallas and Colorado play back-to-back Saturday, when the Stars played the Avalanche in Game 1 of the second games on Aug. 30 and 31. At that point, if Bishop hasn’t returned, it round. The team, including interim coach Rick Bowness, are not saying would have been more than two weeks since he played a game. much about Bishop’s absence besides the obligatory “unfit to play” tagline that the NHL has mandated teams use during the postseason. Bishop missed at least two weeks with an injury during each of his first two seasons in Dallas (March 2018 and February 2019), but only missed On Saturday afternoon, Bowness said that Bishop did not participate in one game due to injury during the 2019-20 regular season. the team’s morning skate. Bowness was also asked about the chances of Bishop appearing at all during the second-round series against Colorado, The NHL has forbidden teams from disclosing injuries to reporters in an and the ensuing decision about a starter since Anton Khudobin played attempt to protect players’ medical privacy. Since players would miss well against the Flames. His response shed little light. time should they contract COVID-19 in the bubble, the league did not want the public to know which players were missing due to injury and “Right now, Bish is unfit to play, and we’re leaving it at that,” Bowness which ones were missing due to coronavirus. Thus, they have used “unfit said. to play” as the universal moniker for players missing from action.

That’s about all that is known about Bishop’s absence. Saturday’s Game The NHL has not had a positive coronavirus test since they arrived in the 1 was the fourth straight game that Jake Oettinger backed up starter hub cities of Edmonton and Toronto in late July, but continue to use “unfit Khudobin. Bishop last played in Game 2 against the Flames on Aug. 13, to play.” and hasn’t spoken to reporters since then. It’s not surprising that NHL teams have taken advantage both of the Here’s what isn’t publically known about Bishop’s injury: what it is, when absence of reporters at practice and morning skate, and the added it happened, how severe it is, if he re-injured it during this postseason, if ambiguity of reporting injuries. he’s skated at all, how he’s looked if he’s skated, if he’s improving, when he’ll be available, and if he would reclaim the net when he is healthy During a typical season, most teams simply use “upper body” and “lower enough to suit up. body” to describe the location of the injury. Bowness has often used the term “day-to-day” to describe injury timetables even when the absences Since reporters are not allowed to watch practice or morning skate in last weeks. Sometimes, the availability of players to reporters can signal Edmonton, it is impossible to completely know Bishop’s degrees of that they are healthy, but twice have Stars players participated in Zoom participation in the bubble. calls with the media before missing the next game (John Klingberg on Aug. 5 and Mattias Janmark on Thursday). Bishop has been on and off the ice since the Stars opened training camp in Frisco on July 13. On the 13th, he didn’t participate in practice with the -- Bowness said defenseman Stephen Johns was also unfit to play. rest of the team, instead just working with goaltending coach Jeff Reese Johns has not played since the second period of Game 1 against Calgary before the session. On July 22, Bishop allowed six goals in a simulated on Aug. 11, and missed his sixth straight game. filled in for game and missed the final two practices of training camp on July 23 and him on the third pairing with Andrej Sekera. 25.

In Edmonton, he wasn’t on the ice Aug. 1, and did an off-ice workout, according to a team spokesperson. Bishop was unfit to play on Aug. 5 Dallas Morning News LOADED: 08.23.2020 and 9 during round robin games, and he was still recovering when the first round began against Calgary on Aug. 11. With Bishop on the mend, Bowness said it was an easy decision to start Khudobin in Game 1 against the Flames and use Bishop as the backup if necessary.

Bishop has only played in two playoff games in Edmonton, with an .862 save percentage and 4.04 goals against average.

On most other teams, missing the No. 1 goalie would be cause for concern — but not in Dallas. Khudobin is arguably the league’s best backup goaltender and led the NHL with a .930 save percentage in the regular season. Prior to this postseason, Khudobin had never started a playoff game, but secured his first series win on Thursday by making 38 saves in a Game 6 win over Calgary, including the final 32 he faced after falling behind 3-0.

“He didn’t get flustered,” Bowness said. “The players have confidence in him. ‘Okay, he can shut the door down. He’s going to make the next big save,’ which he did. He stopped the flood coming at us, and gave us a chance to win the hockey game. The more he plays, the more he has confidence in his ability to bounce back and do those things for the team.”

Against the Avalanche in the second round, goaltending will be crucial for the Stars. Here are the game-by-game goaltending performances for Dallas as they went 4-0-0 against Colorado in the regular season, and lost in the round robin.

Nov. 1: Khudobin made 38 saves on 39 shots. 1191926 Dallas Stars Dickinson is the faster skater of the two, a skill more equipped to handle MacKinnon’s explosiveness. Faksa is heavier, and his physicality could be used to bump MacKinnon off track before his gets going. Since Everything fans need to know about Stars-Avalanche: A full second- MacKinnon has averaged 20:10 of ice time during the postseason — two round schedule, 3 keys for Dallas and more minutes more than any Stars forward — the Stars will need both Faksa and Dickinson to defend MacKinnon.

During the regular season, at 5 on 5, Faksa played 16:25 against By SportsDay Staff MacKinnon while Dickinson played 17:10. The Stars will have last change in Games 3, 4 and 6. Aug 22, 2020 On the back end, MacKinnon duty likely falls to Miro Heiskanen and

partner Jamie Oleksiak. Heiskanen has been the team’s best player The Stars are not only back in the playoffs, they’re headed for the second during the playoffs and arguably the best defenseman across the NHL’s round. And they will face a familiar foe. postseason thus far. He’s been dynamic carrying the puck through the neutral zone, and skilled using his stick to end plays in the defensive Just two days after the Stars secured a wild Game 6 victory over the zone. Heiskanen played more against MacKinnon during the regular Calgary Flames, they’ll return to the ice to begin the second round season than any other Avs player. He won’t be the question mark. against the Colorado Avalanche Saturday at 7 p.m on NBCSN. That falls to Oleksiak. It’s a good thing the Stars and Avalanche are familiar with each other. Oleksiak has been a revelation for the Stars in the playoffs, an The two Central Division teams will have almost no time to prepare for unexpected offensive contributor and his usual physical 6-7 self along the their second-round series against each other, with Saturday’s Game 1 at boards. His reads have been confident both in jumping into the play 7 p.m. coming less than 40 hours after the series was set when the Stars offensively and defending rush chances. If he can provide a worthy beat Calgary 7-3 in Game 6 of the first round. Once No. 3 Dallas partner to Heiskanen — as he did during the first round — that would advanced, the matchup with No. 2 was locked, and as of Friday help the Stars contain MacKinnon. afternoon, was the only second-round matchup finalized. Meet Colorado’s depth: The Avalanche are more than MacKinnon, of This is a postseason matchup that’s been anticipated for months, though. course. And that’s what makes them so dangerous. When the season stopped in March, Stars-Avalanche would have been a first-round matchup since they finished second and third in the Central Colorado is as deep a team in the league, with their second-line center Division. But under the new playoff format, the matchup gets pushed (Nazem Kadri) tied for the league lead with six postseason goals. Andre back to the second round. Burakovsky was a 20-goal scorer in the regular season. Valeri Nichushkin was reborn in Denver. Matt Calvert, J.T. Compher and The Stars spent the off day by taking a trip to Edmonton’s Joonas Donskoi all posted double-digit goals with the Avs. Commonwealth Stadium to relax with some soccer and other games. The trip was planned by Stars interim coach Rick Bowness after Dallas’ This is a much different team than Calgary, which barely iced two Game 6 win as a mental break, and a way to get outside. On Thursday, functioning lines. The Flames used a rotating cast of Zac Rinaldo, Mark the Avalanche went golfing a day after finishing the Coyotes in five Jankowski, Alan Quine and Buddy Robinson on the fourth line, hardly a games. scary group that allowed the Stars to shelter minutes for their third pairing of Andrej Sekera and Taylor Fedun. Avalanche coach Jared Bednar said he did not watch the Stars closely during the first round (as Colorado dealt with Arizona), but that the That won’t be the case against Colorado. coaching staff was reviewing recent Dallas video. Perhaps the Stars can keep using Miro Heiskanen (26:06) and John “Obviously, this is a team we know pretty well from playing in the regular Klingberg (24:15) so heavily without them wearing down, but at some season,” Bednar said. “Them or us, we’re not changing a whole lot from point the Stars will have to trust their third pairing against Colorado’s when we were playing regular season, even though now it’s playoff time.” deep forward group. At this point, that’s an advantage to the Avalanche.

The Stars went 4-0-0 against the Avalanche during the regular season. Colorado smoked Dallas 4-0 during their meeting in the round robin. Dallas Morning News LOADED: 08.23.2020 Here are some keys to the series for the Stars.

Slow it down: During the round-robin, the Avalanche sped past the Stars, creating numerous chances off the rush, and dominating the number of scoring chances. Dallas may have been able to afford to play that way a few times against a team like Calgary, but they can’t keep up with the Avalanche if they can’t slow the game down and make it a lower-scoring game rather than a track meet.

That starts in the offensive zone for Dallas by limiting the number of chances Nathan MacKinnon can get out of the zone cleanly and quickly. The Stars did a good job in the first round of disrupting the Flames’ ability to exit the zone, and thus shut down Calgary’s top line, which is heavily reliant on rush goals to create offense.

To do this, Dallas forwards must stay above MacKinnon (in between him and the Stars net) to prevent him getting a head full of steam through the neutral zone. During the season, the Stars were (mostly) able to keep MacKinnon out of transition, and his only goal during four regular-season games came on the power play.

The same applies to swift skaters like Avalanche defenseman Cale Makar.

Matching up with MacKinnon: Picking the right matchup against MacKinnon is also crucial. As the Stars lines were constructed during the first round, Dallas has two lines that can match up defensively against MacKinnon: ’s line (with Andrew Cogliano and Blake Comeau) and Jason Dickinson’s line (with Roope Hintz and Corey Perry). 1191927 Dallas Stars Star-Telegram LOADED: 08.23.2020

Tyler Seguin appears as Stars dominate Avalanche in Game 1

BY MAC ENGEL

AUGUST 22, 2020

The Dallas Stars can win the Stanley Cup, if Tyler Seguin scores.

The All-Star center has been a brilliant scorer in the regular season for the Stars, and magically vanished at the worst times for the franchise during the postseason.

“When you’re a guy like Tyler, that everybody keys on, you get all of that extra attention,” said former Stars teammate, current NBC NHL analyst Patrick Sharp in a phone interview the day before the Stars’ played the Colorado Avalanche in the NHL’s Western Conference semifinals.

“I like him a lot on that line with Jamie Benn and (Alexander) Radulov. Seguin knows how to score. He’s a confident player. If he gets one early, he can be a major factor in this series.”

Four minutes into Game 1 on Saturday night, Seguin scored the series’ first goal on an assist from Benn and Radulov.

The Stars scored three first-period goals and won Game 1, 5-3. Game 2 is Monday night in the NHL’s Edmonton Bubble.

If the Stars are to win this series, Seguin has to do what he did on Saturday night. The Stars are not going to advance beyond the West semis if a player as talented as Seguin is not visible.

Seguin will never live up to the eight year, $78 million contract he signed with the club in September of 2018; few players can live up to a contract of that duration.

But he is in his window; if he’s going to be a productive playoff player and carry his regular-season production to the postseason, he has to do it now.

He’s 28, and in the prime of his career.

A highly productive playoff run is the one element missing to his resume.

Against Colorado, the line of Benn-Radulov-Seguin accounted for eight points; Seguin scored one goal and assisted on another.

“Tonight (Benn) was definitely going and we kinda hoped on his back to start,” Seguin said following the game. “When we’re competing, especially early on in the first few shifts, that’s a good indicator that we’re going. Tonight we were definitely going.”

The Stars are following their regular-season pattern up in the bubble; they go through stretches where they can’t score on an empty net, followed by periods of goals on every shot.

The Stars scored three regulation goals in their three round-obin games in Edmonton; in their last two games, they have scored 12 goals.

They had a stretch where they scored nine goals on 26 shots.

This line is not going to score eight points every game, but a trio this talented can’t be invisible and expect to win.

“It was a good job by the Seguin line and when Jamie is skating north he’s a difficult man to handle,” Stars coach Rick Bowness said.

The Avs potentially suffered a major loss when goalie Philipp Grubauer left the game in the second period with an apparent leg injury. Backup Pavel Francouz finished the game.

Another loss to look for is Avalanche defenseman Erik Johnson. He left the game with an apparent injury but returned later to the bench.

As evidenced by Game 1, skill and speed will have their place in what should be an entertaining series.

The Stars have both, and they can win this series provided Seguin is one of their best players.

1191928 Dallas Stars Seguin can be streaky; the key is capturing the right type of streak in the playoffs.

4. Radulov is the Tasmanian devil on skates. Chaos incarnate. Stars 20/20: Vintage performance by Benn pushes high-scoring Stars to Game 1 win He lives by his own rules on and off the ice, and that’s something any team employing Radulov needs to be comfortable with. The oddities and frustrations need to roll off you, often followed by a “that’s Rads” By Sean Shapiro statement because, in the end, the potential payoff is what he got in Game 1. Aug 22, 2020 Radulov, it seems, is going to impact every game. It could be negative, with a bad penalty or icing such as the one before Colorado’s second goal, or it could be incredibly exciting, like his pair of goals in Game 1. Short on rest but not on offense, the Dallas Stars opened their second- round playoff series with a 5-3 Game 1 victory against the Colorado 5. We knew the Stars’ checking line of Andrew Cogliano, Radek Faksa Avalanche on Saturday. and Blake Comeau would have a major impact on this series.

1. You can often tell a lot about Jamie Benn’s night by watching his first The FCC line is a throwback; it’s not built to score goals. This line’s role few shifts of the game. is to limit the game to 45 minutes; in the 15 or so minutes they get, nothing is supposed to happen for either team. If Benn is impactful, physically or offensively, on his first shifts, there is a better chance of him being a difference-maker that evening. If he blends And the FCC is damn good at this. It’s one of the main reasons the Stars into the background on those shifts, well, the odds are higher he’ll be can be so frustrating for opposing teams when they have a lead and so more anonymous. frustrating for Stars fans when they are trailing.

And on Saturday he was far from anonymous on those early shifts. In And when they add some offense, as Comeau did with a goal in Game fact, he was vintage Jamie Benn with how he physically overpowered the 1? That’s like playing with house money. Avalanche and then made smart, sharp plays with the puck on his stick. 6. Roope Hintz got back on the scoreboard with the 5-3 goal in the third “You usually know when he’s going,” Tyler Seguin said. “And tonight he period, finding the back of the net for the first time in the postseason. was going and we just hopped on his back to start. And that’s why he’s our leader and our captain.” It could be another streak-breaking goal for Dallas; Hintz has also been a streaky player in his young NHL career when it comes to scoring goals. And if the Stars have vintage Jamie Benn, they have a much better chance of taking this series. It was Hintz’s goal, but we can’t ignore what John Klingberg did to create the chance with an overall dominant shift. The final piece of the shift On Benn’s second shift of the game, he delivered a 1-0 lead. came on a smart pinch in which Klingberg took the hit to make the play (hockey cliche … yes) and put Hintz in a position to finish. He forced a turnover below the Colorado goal line with a punishing forecheck and then in confined space found Seguin with a nifty pass to 7. The Stars still closed this out with “Dallas Stars hockey” in the third give Dallas a 1-0 lead. period and went back to their gutsy, defensive approach of clogging the ice and taking away the high-danger areas. That lead was only temporary, Nathan MacKinnon would soon retort, but it was a message-sending goal from Benn, who later capped off a strong Colorado, with all of its weapons and trailing by a goal heading into the first period with his second primary assist when he feathered a perfect final stanza, had only one high-danger chance in the third period, pass to Alexander Radulov for a sweet finish and a 3-1 lead after 20 according to Natural Stat Trick. minutes. That’s something the Stars’ coaching staff will be celebrating and Benn got going and in doing so unlocked another level for Seguin and reminding players of as they move ahead to Game 2. Radulov. That’s a dangerous proposition for the Avalanche. 8. Colorado’s top line got theirs. 2. The Stars are the underdog in this series. MacKinnon scored twice, and Gabriel Landeskog added a goal of his Many, myself included, have picked Colorado to win this series, and the own after he helped set a pick before MacKinnon’s first goal. Avalanche are a trendy pick by many to win the whole thing. That line is always a threat and will be dangerous for the remainder of But stealing Game 1 in this fashion speaks volumes for the Stars. this season and, seemingly, eternity.

This was the built-in-excuse game for Dallas. The game in which the It becomes even more dangerous when you give it a gift, as Benn did faster, better-rested Avs would be able to shred the Stars, who could lose during a four-on-four situation before MacKinnon’s second goal, dumping the game and head back to their hotel rooms with a moral victory, even in the puck too hard back into his own zone. a loss. But MacKinnon and company were the only line to strike. The rest of the Dallas instead threw out the excuses and took a commanding position Avalanche forwards failed to generate much, and that was the difference against a Colorado team that hasn’t faced as much adversity as Dallas when the Stars had a bonus tally from their FCC trio and Hintz. has this season. To be fair, the Stars have faced more adversity than any NHL team on record with this topsy-turvy season. 9. Going back to the gift from Benn, this was a mistake that could have negated many of his positives from this game. If the Stars had any chance of winning this series, they needed Game 1 and the performance they got on Saturday. In the four-on-four situation, Benn opted to drop the puck back to Miro Heiskanen instead of gaining the red line and trying to get the puck deep. 3. Seguin’s goal was his first in 13 games and first since Feb. 29 against In doing so, he put Heiskanen, who was at the end of a long shift, in a the St. Louis Blues. bad situation with a poorly fired drop pass that led to the turnover and MacKinnon’s second goal, which made it 4-3. “It felt good,” Seguin said. “That was all my linemates’ pretty, patented goal where they’re battling in the corners, and I kind of tried to find that If the Avalanche had come back to win, it would have been on Benn for soft area. Happy it went in.” opening the door with that play.

Seguin has gone through some long scoring droughts this season, 10. By the way it looked and sounded, Avalanche starting goalie Philipp including a 17-game dry spell from late December to Feb. 13. Grubauer might be done for the series.

When Seguin broke that spell, he went off for six goals in his next 10 Grubauer went down and could be heard screaming. He put no weight on games, including his highlight of the season: that dazzling OT winner in his left leg as he was helped off the ice. Montreal. His status will just be “unfit to play,” but it’s a pretty good bet he won’t be back in this series. When asked about the goalie’s status after the game, Avalanche coach “No one is taking up another sport,” Cogliano said. “I can tell you that Jared Bednar said, “Time will tell on how long.” much.”

That means the Stars will see more of Pavel Francouz the rest of the 14. When the NHL announced the bubble plans, the original schedule way. had Round 2 tentatively starting on Aug. 25 and the potential for Game 7s on Sundays, so it seemed like this series wouldn’t start until Monday Francouz was the backup in the playoff series, but he did have a shutout at the earliest. against the Stars in the round-robin. It’s not a 1A-1B tandem as strong as Dallas’ goalies, but the Avalanche don’t really change much with But the NHL, now missing a prime-time programming spot after Dallas Grubauer out like other teams would if they lost their starter. beat Calgary in Game 6 and wanting to keep the momentum rolling into the weekend, decided that whether there was a Game 7 on Sunday or It looks like Michael Hutchinson will be the backup goalie for Colorado. If not, this series would start on Saturday. you’ve followed my work for a while, a long while, you’ll remember Hutchinson was the goalie the beat in 2014 to win the It’s a decision that’s built on money and television partnerships. The against the St. John’s IceCaps. quicker the NHL can complete the playoffs, the less it will cost. Three days saved in Round 2 is at least three fewer days of hotel costs for four 11. Anton Khudobin has to play aggressively — it’s a fact of life for a sub- teams and sets up an earlier closing of the Toronto bubble — another 6-foot goalie in the NHL. major cost to maintain.

But with how aggressive he plays, there are times when he can get It also keeps NBC happy, which is key for the league right now with the caught by the posts or on wraparounds, which has happened a few times television deal set to expire after the 2020-21 season. The NHL wants to in this postseason and led to Colorado’s second goal. keep its current partner happy and to be viewed as an ideal partner for It’s one of the few miscues you can blame Khudobin for, and really it’s other potential bidders when the national rights become available after nitpicking at this point after his performance on a night when he made 28 next season. saves on 31 shots and considering he has now won four straight games. It’s like most things in pro sports: Follow the money if you want to Khubobin and Radulov have been close friends since meeting in junior understand the true reasoning for anything. hockey, and it was Radulov who gave Khudobin the “Dobby” nickname. 15. It’s still Khudobin’s net, as Ben Bishop remains “unfit to play” and has What does it mean for Radulov to see his friend have playoff success for now missed four straight games and hasn’t been available to play in six the first time in his NHL career? of the nine Stars games in the bubble.

“He’s been long enough in the league, and I’d say he was most of the Bishop also didn’t partake in the morning skate, and Bowness dodged time he was a backup, but now he has his chance and he’s there for us,” any questions in pregame availability about whether the goalie would Radulov said. “We’re helping him; he’s helping us. He’s a good goalie make an appearance in this series. The Stars have kept Bishop’s overall and we believe in him, so that’s good that we have him.” status quiet — it’s been on effective lockdown — but from what we have 12. When Dallas lost in the second round against the St. Louis Blues in been able to track down, it’s not looking good for a potential return 2019, members of the team, including owner Tom Gaglardi, surmised anytime soon. that if the Stars had Stephen Johns and Jamie Oleksiak healthy in that Bishop did go with his teammates to Commonwealth Stadium on Friday, series, they would have advanced and maybe won a big silver chalice. and a video posted by Joe Pavelski on Instagram shows the goalie Oleksiak has been good — very good, in fact — in the 2020 playoffs, pitching during whiffle ball and nearly getting drilled by a comebacker while Johns is once again absent and has been “unfit to play” since from Pavelski. Game 1 of the series against the Calgary Flames. And, no, we don’t Bishop delivered that whiffle ball without any issues — there was no know what the ailment is or whether it’s related to any past issues Johns noticeable discomfort or signs of a specific injury — but throwing a whiffle has had with post-traumatic headaches. ball and playing goalie in the NHL are two very different things.

Johns’ absence has created a third pair of Andrej Sekera and Taylor 16. I remember in mid-January 2019 there was a moment at the practice Fedun, and they were overmatched for much of the series against the facility in Frisco when Stars GM was talking to a young fan and Flames. That’s a duo that Colorado has likely circled as one to attack his parents while the team practiced. throughout this series, especially in games in which the Avalanche have the last line change. Nill asked the boy who his favorite player was, the kid was sad, his favorite player was Devin Shore, and the Stars GM had just traded the In Game 1, the Stars better protected their third pairing, and neither was forward to the Anaheim Ducks a couple of days earlier for Cogliano. on the ice for a goal against. They didn’t play much, but in the 10 minutes they were on the ice, the Stars outscored the Avalanche 2-0. That trade was sad for that young fan, but it’s been an important move for Nill’s and the Stars’ success since that swap. 13. The Stars originally thought they’d have at least a couple of days between Rounds 1 and 2. Numbers-wise it doesn’t look like much — Cogliano has just 24 points in 122 combined regular-season and playoff games for Dallas — but his And with such a condensed schedule, Stars interim coach Rick Bowness addition did help Dallas complete its lockdown checking line with Faksa has scheduled an off day for the team at Commonwealth Stadium, home and Comeau, and Cogliano’s addition did bring more speed to the Stars’ of Edmonton’s CFL team, to get his players into a different environment lineup. Yes, he was older than Shore, but Cogliano was a better, faster and out of the bubble. player.

Early Friday morning, Bowness got a call that Game 1 would be on I asked Cogliano about coming to Dallas and what it’s meant for him on Saturday. He decided that wouldn’t change the plans for the players; they the verge of his second second-round playoff series with the club. still went to the stadium, while the coaching staff stayed back at the hotel and started preparing for Game 1 against the Avalanche. “I think it’s been a team that has gained confidence as we’ve gone,” Cogliano said. “I think last year when we lost out, that stung, and I think At the football stadium, the Stars were able to partake in other sports like when you see St. Louis won the Stanley Cup, you start gaining more soccer, frisbee, whiffle ball and football. Tweets from the Stars and confidence and realizing how good of a team you have. And this year we photos provided by the team were a pretty good indication that nationality dealt with a lot of adversity; I think I’ve never been on a team that went played a role in sport choice — more Europeans focussed on soccer, through the things we went through and kind of came out of it, and we while the whiffle ball game was more of a North American contingency. are (in the second round). … Since I’ve come (to Dallas), we’ve been “It was great,” Cogliano said. “Just to get outside and do it as a team and going uphill. It’s been a slow process and a bumpy road, but with good play different sports and get outside and be active, just the change of teams, you need small pieces of the puzzle to fit. I’ve obviously come in scenery was a nice change of pace. I think guys feel refreshed. It’s a and fit a little bit of that.” quick turnaround as far as games, but I think being able to do that The Ducks later flipped Shore to the Columbus Blue Jackets for Sonny yesterday was much needed.” Milano. Shore was scratched for all but two of the Blue Jackets’ playoff You don’t have to worry about any of the players using Friday’s day off games in the bubble before they were ousted by the Tampa Bay as motivation to quit their day job. Lightning in the first round. 17. Valeri Nichushkin was still officially on the Stars’ payroll this season. Based on how he looked in the game, there could be a lineup change in Now, they’re facing him in the playoffs. the works for Colorado.

Nichushkin was bought out by the Stars after the 2018-19 season, a 19. On Friday, I asked Vegas Golden Knights coach Pete DeBoer about campaign in which he set an NHL record for the most games played (57) Pavelski and whether he’s been surprised at all by the impact the veteran without a goal or a penalty. forward provided in Round 1 against Calgary for Dallas, including his series-swinging hat trick in Game 4. He signed with Colorado and rescued his career as a defensive forward who also added 27 points (13 goals, 14 assists) and became a key cog DeBoer coached Pavelski in San Jose for four seasons. for one of the NHL’s best teams. “Not one thing that has surprised me that he’s done,” DeBoer said. “I’ve Nichushkin was in a rut in the first round and the round-robin of bubble seen it; I could have predicted it. I actually did — I ran into the Dallas play, according to Bednar, who said the forward needs to be confident to coaches in the bubble here prior to everyone getting started, and Pavs’ succeed. That brings up a key follow-up question: What did the name came up. And I said, ‘Well, that’s one guy you don’t have to worry Avalanche do to help Nichushkin find that confidence for his initial about this time of year.’ success in Colorado? “Particularly coming off a four-month rest, I knew he would be fresh and “Honestly, it was just a couple conversations with him early in the year,” healthy. He didn’t have a ton of time to recover after our run to the Bednar said. “We loved his work ethic, we loved the detail to his game — conference final last year and then moving to Dallas. So I knew a fresh, he was competitive, and that’s all you can ask for as a coach. And then healthy Joe would deliver, and he has. He’s been fantastic for them.” for him to earn more minutes and build his role on our team and expand his role on our team, it was just about him making plays in different DeBoer was talking mostly about offense, but Pavelski has also made an situations and checking the right way. He earned a lot of trust, and he impact in all three zones, and on Saturday he had a key shot block in the started to contribute on the offensive side of it, so he was put in more third period that energized an already-amped Stars bench. offensive situations. So we are kind of starting fresh here (in the bubble), 20. The Dallas Stars, believe it or not, are the NHL’s highest-scoring and he’s built a trust with the coaching staff. He’s still doing a nice job in team in the playoffs with 26 goals (I’m not counting the round-robin and the defensive side of things. Looks like he’s a little hard on himself here play-in rounds — we are talking real playoffs) and have scored at least since he’s been in the bubble, and we are just telling him to relax and let five goals in four of their past six games. it go. … Probably looking forward to a big series against Dallas.” That’s a stunning statement to write after Dallas struggled to score In Game 1, Nichushkin had a couple of key moments. He nearly set up throughout the regular season and the round-robin, but here we are. Tyson Jost for a goal in the third period and was in front of the net on the power play for a couple of screens that his old friend Khudobin fought through before making the save. The Athletic LOADED: 08.23.2020 18. Mattias Janmark was a game-time decision after being ruled “unfit to play” in Game 6 against the Calgary Flames.

Janmark ended up playing and didn’t look hobbled in 21 shifts. He wasn’t as good as he was in Game 5 versus Calgary, his best playoff performance, but he played a key role back on his normal line with Pavelski and Denis Gurianov.

With Janmark back, the Stars rolled out this lineup, going back to their look from Games 3 through 5 of the Flames series:

Jamie Benn – Tyler Seguin – Alexander Radulov

Mattias Janmark – Joe Pavelski – Denis Gurianov

Jason Dickinson – Roope Hintz – Corey Perry

Andrew Cogliano – Radek Faksa – Blake Comeau

Esa Lindell – John Klingberg

Jamie Oleksiak – Miro Heiskanen

Andrej Sekera – Taylor Fedun

Joel Hanley and Joel Kiviranta also took warmups before serving as healthy scratches.

Colorado made one lineup alteration from Game 5 against Arizona, getting Vladislav Namestnikov back from injury while Matt Calvert was unfit to play:

Gabriel Landeskog – Nathan MacKinnon – Mikko Rantanen

Andre Burakovsky – Nazem Kadri – Joonas Donskoi

Tyson Jost – J.T. Compher – Valeri Nichushkin

Matt Nieto – Pierre-Edouard Bellemare – Vladislav Namestnikov

Ryan Graves – Cale Makar

Samuel Girard –

Nikita Zadorov – Erik Johnson

Johnson was hurt in the first period on a collision with Comeau.

The Avalanche defenseman tried to battle through it and still took a regular shift in the first and second periods. He missed the start of the third period, then watched the remainder of the game from the bench, even after taking a couple of spins during the TV timeout to see if he could try to play. 1191929 Edmonton Oilers 44.36% 2019-20

Kris Russell Lowetide: Examining Matt Benning’s future with the Edmonton Oilers 226

50.29% By Allan Mitchell 76.92% Aug 22, 2020 49.96%

All seasons are uniformly solid, save for the Sekera pairing in 2018-19. Since Matt Benning arrived with the Edmonton Oilers in the early fall of Sekera was injured in a playoff game on May 3, 2017, suffering a torn 2016, the team has been outscoring opposition at five-on-five every year. ACL and a torn Achilles tendon. When he rejoined on Feb. 19, 2019, he He’s on the third pair, right side, and has been effective in the role in was working his way back to his previous levels. Considering the Sekera- each of his four seasons. Benning pairing was so strong in 2016-17, it’s reasonable to conclude the Benning’s trips up the depth chart, to the second pair, have been rare. drop in performance was partially dictated by Sekera’s injury. Puck IQ tells us his NHL coaches have used him against elites less than Why trade Benning? 25 percent of the time at five-on-five over the past three seasons. There are two main reasons to consider dealing him. First, Bouchard is That’s a problem, as the organization has Evan Bouchard NHL-ready pushing up from the Bakersfield Condors, and his ideal starting point in and pushing for a big-league job. the NHL is on the right side of the third pair. Edmonton needs his elite Benning is 26, a restricted free agent who earned $1.9 million a year ago, passing, and no one can accuse general manager of and he is now eligible for arbitration. rushing the prospect.

Edmonton management must make difficult decisions this offseason, and The second reason is cap room. A flat salary cap means the organization that means offloading players of value in areas of strength to address is going to squeeze all players who need contracts. Benning’s $1.9 need. It also means finding ways to save dollars on the cap. million last season was fair for a solid third-pairing defender, but the team can save dollars by replacing him with Bouchard ($894,000 plus a Benning, despite four solid years on the third pairing, might be vulnerable $500,000 bonus kicker). Benning might want an increase, or at least to a trade. Here are the situations and some possible solutions. dollars equal to last season, but Edmonton might see a trade as more beneficial. What he brings What would a trade look like? Benning can safely be described as a two-way, third-pairing, right- handed defenceman. He plays a physical style despite being average (6- Benning plays an important position, and his performance over four foot-1, 203 pounds) in size. He can pass the puck well, and his shot is an seasons gives him good value. He is unsigned, and it’s possible absolute rocket. He has had head injuries and concussions during his Edmonton (or a new team) could carve a little off that $1.9 million number NHL career, and those have led to less playing time in recent seasons. to fit under the cap.

What do the on-ice numbers say? Holland’s best route is probably finding a team that needs a player like Benning and has a player in a similar spot who fits a need for Edmonton. Benning’s ability to contribute to five-on-five outscoring has great value. We can identify third-line centre and a two-way left winger as specific Although he plays on the third pair, Benning is deployed often with areas of need, and that gives us the beginning of a shopping list. Edmonton’s best forwards. In the past three seasons at five-on-five, Benning has been productive with top talents Leon Draisaitl (58-29, +29 NHL teams are always looking for defencemen, so most every club in 708 minutes), Connor McDavid (59-37, +22 in 695 minutes) and Ryan would have some interest in Benning. Teams that could use him and Nugent-Hopkins (34-25, +9 in 642 minutes). might be a possible match include the Dallas Stars, and Winnipeg Jets. He has been partnered with many players over the years. Here are his most common pairings at five-on-five per year via Natural Stat Trick: Could Benning stay?

2016-17 At first blush, it would be easy to create a scenario where Benning is heading out of town. His new coach () used him far less than Andrej Sekera previous coaches, almost two minutes less than in 2018-19. However, 306 Benning had some time on IR, and the coaching staff was aware of his concussion and head injuries. 54.58% I see the biggest issue being his cap number. As a solid third-pair, right- 53.85% side option, what is Benning’s real value in the NHL’s new cap reality? The market will dictate that number in the coming weeks, but let’s say the 57.88% Oilers and Benning are agreeable on $1.5 million a year for two years. 2017-18 If Holland can offload Kris Russell, possibly in exchange for a checking Oscar Klefbom centre or a two-way winger, Edmonton’s defence falls in line with last year’s cap totals (Ethan Bear is going to get a raise, while the salaries for 537 Adam Larsson and Bouchard remain the same).

51.01% It would force Bouchard to the taxi squad (I can’t imagine the AHL 47.73% playing in 2020-21, or at least at the start of the NHL season), but history tells us the No. 4 defenceman on a depth chart will play a significant 53.08% amount over a long season.

2018-19 Edmonton’s top seven defencemen in 2019-20 came in at a cap hit of $18.9 million before the Mike Green trade. If Benning signs for $1.5 Andrej Sekera million and Caleb Jones replaces Russell, then the increase in Nurse’s 277 cap has less of an impact and the Oilers’ top seven for 2020-21 come in around $18.4 million, depending on Bear’s total on his new deal. 47.78% Saving $400,000 on Benning’s contract might not sound like a lot, but it 50% probably accounts for most of Bear’s increase and keeps the cost down on the defence. If Holland decides to go for an upgrade on Larsson, which could happen, it also gives him room to wheel.

What does it all mean?

Benning’s name is probably in play. There is pressure from below pushing him either up the depth chart or possibly off the roster, and that pressure will continue until Bouchard lands on the second pairing (thus allowing Benning his third-pair slot), a la Bear in 2019-20, or Benning is dealt.

Those tumblers don’t have to click this offseason. With Larsson in the final year of his deal, Holland might choose the more conservative route (keep your powder dry).

If an NHL team comes calling with a righty centre or a reasonable solution on the left wing, the depth of the roster can withstand the loss of Benning.

That’s progress for a roster that hasn’t had enough depth to deal strength to address weakness in many years.

The key elements for Holland will be cap pressure, trade opportunities and Tippett’s opinion of Benning as a player he can trust.

The answer is close. We wait.

The Athletic LOADED: 08.23.2020 1191930 Montreal Canadiens with the cap being flat we have to be very careful how we spend our money.

“It gets a little tricky, that’s why you have to be careful,” Bergevin added Canadiens GM Marc Bergevin has a busy offseason coming up about the salary cap. “It doesn’t appear to be as much as people might think when you add the guys that you like to bring back and players, as you know, don’t come on a one-year deal. Players that we want to bring back we’ll need term and then we have younger players that also we Stu Cowan • Montreal Gazette want to keep. So we need to be really careful. It’s just not like as high as Publishing date:Aug 22, 2020 people might think and it goes around the league. You have to be careful how you spend your money, especially with a flat cap probably moving forward for the next two, three years.”

COVID-19 and a qualifying-round victory over the Pittsburgh Penguins Bergevin boasted that his team surprised some of the “experts” by allowed the Canadiens to avoid missing the playoffs for the third straight knocking off Sidney Crosby and the Penguins in the qualifying round, but season. However, they still haven’t won a playoff series in five years after said he knew they had a chance to beat them and he also believed they losing 3-2 to the Philadelphia Flyers in Game 6 of their best-of-seven first could beat the Flyers. round series Friday night at Scotiabank Arena. Turns out they couldn’t do that. “Start with Carey (Price) and Weby (captain ), they’re obviously still on top of their games,” Bergevin said during a 30-minute video conference Saturday morning when asked about his team moving Montreal Gazette LOADED: 08.23.2020 forward. “Not that we have any doubts, but I think some people might have. But that was never the case with us. You need some great leadership to build around when you bring some young guys. So those guys are very important for our team moving forward.

“As far as assets, yes, we have I believe 10 picks in the top three rounds in the next couple of years, we have 25 overall,” the GM added. “So we’re set that way. We’ve put ourselves in a good position to look around, what if anything becomes available we should be looking into that. But also, the cap situation with what’s happening with the pandemic, we have to be careful. And also the young players we have, eventually we can’t go out and just spend and be irresponsible and expose ourselves to lose some key young players. So we’ll be smart, we’ll manage our cap properly. But we’re always going to look to improve our team.”

According to CapFriendly.com, the Canadiens finished the season $4.5 million under the NHL salary cap. , Victor Mete, Xavier Ouellet and Charles Hudon can all become restricted free agents after the playoffs end. Dale Weise, Christian Folin and goalie Keith Kinkaid (remember him?) become unrestricted free agents, but none of them have a future with the team.

It will be interesting to see what Bergevin does with Domi, who started the playoffs buried on the fourth line by coach Claude Julien and finished with no goals and three assists in 10 games along with a team-worst minus-2. You wonder about Domi’s relationship with Julien and you have to think he has probably played his last game with the Canadiens if Bergevin can get something on the trade market.

“Obviously, draft is No. 1,” said Bergevin, who has 14 picks at this year’s NHL Draft, including the 16th overall and three in the second round. “You have free agents if it’s available, if it makes sense. But also be on the cautious side that we have to be careful with the cap. You can’t go out just to spend money just to spend money. We’re in the right direction and we’re going to be careful how we do it. But, again, if we can make our team better by moving a pick or players that we feel can make us better for a long period of time, we’ll do that.”

Bergevin said he will also be looking to improve the backup goalie situation behind Carey Price after Kinkaid was a total bust this season in that role after signing with the Canadiens as a free agent last summer.

When asked what the offseason might look like for him, Bergevin said: “It’s unchartered territory for all of us and, obviously, with the cap being flat and without knowing when teams will be able to have fans in the stands with revenues it affects the salary cap. So it might not be as it was in the past. Again, it’s not something that we’re making up. It’s just reality. Everybody’s going to have to take a hit, but I don’t know the extent of it, how it’s going to affect. But it’s something that’s very possible.”

Bergevin also has to look ahead to after next season, when Brendan Gallagher, Phillip Danault, Tomas Tatar, , Jeff Petry, Jordan Weal and Charlie LIndgren can all become unrestricted free agents, while Artturi Lehkonen becomes a restricted free agent.

“Like I always say, and I”ll say it again today, players make decisions for us by the way that they perform and how they play,” Bergevin said. “So, again, we’ll have some decisions to make. I believe we only have one UFA this year, but next summer it’s a different ball game. And, again, 1191931 Montreal Canadiens comes to scoring goals. The Canadiens scored 11 goals in six playoff games against the New York Rangers three years ago. This year, they scored 13 goals in six games against the Flyers and were shut out twice.

Stu Cowan: Canadiens' first-round exit shouldn't really be celebrated You have to remember, this is a team that went through not one, but two eight-game winless streaks during the regular season. That’s not a good hockey team and they don’t have enough depth to overcome injuries, which will happen every season and also in the postseason, as was the Stu Cowan • Montreal Gazette case with Brendan Gallagher’s broken jaw in Game 5 against the Flyers. Publishing date:Aug 22, 2020 The good news is that the Canadiens looked better in the 10 postseason games they played, but they still had a 5-5 record. A .500 team — just like they were in the regular season if you factor in the loser points in TORONTO — The last time before this that the Canadiens were in the overtime. They also have promising young prospects like Alexander NHL playoffs, they were eliminated in the first round and former captain Romanov and on the way and have 14 picks at this year’s Max Pacioretty was almost in tears after the final game at Madison NHL Draft, including the 16th overall. Square Garden. Yes, there is reason for optimism and full credit to the Canadiens for Three years ago, the Canadiens were a good team that finished first in upsetting the Penguins and giving the Flyers a good fight. the Atlantic Division during the regular season with a 47-26-9 record, but didn’t play well in the playoffs, losing to the New York Rangers in six But there aren’t many NHL cities that will celebrate a first-round playoff games while Pacioretty failed to score a goal. exit, and Montreal definitely shouldn’t be one of them.

This year, the Canadiens were a bad team that didn’t deserve to be in the playoffs, but slipped in as the 24th and final seed as the NHL opened Montreal Gazette LOADED: 08.23.2020 up eight extra spots after COVID-19 suddenly shut down the regular season in March. Once again, the Canadiens were eliminated in six games in the first round by the Philadelphia Flyers after upsetting the Pittsburgh Penguins in the qualifying round.

But this time, none of the Canadiens players were near tears afterward. In fact, there were a lot of smiles after a bad regular-season team overachieved in the postseason.

While the future is looking brighter with young stars like Nick Suzuki and Jesperi Kotkaniemi shining during the postseason, this isn’t really progress for Canadiens GM Marc Bergevin, who has now been on the job for eight years. The fact remains the Canadiens should have missed the postseason for the third straight season and they still haven’t won a single playoff series in five years.

This is the Montreal Canadiens we’re talking about, winners of a record 24 Stanley Cups. They need to get better — much better — if they want to win a 25th. The bar also has to be set higher than Bergevin’s “let’s try to make the playoffs and then anything can happen with Carey Price.”

The last two times, that “anything” was a first-round playoff exit despite outstanding performances by Price. Against the Rangers three years ago, Price had a 1.86 goals-against average and a .933 save percentage. Against the Flyers this year he was even better, with a 1.78 GAA and a .936 save percentage. But it was the same end result both times.

This was also a unique postseason when players had an almost five- month break before the games started and everyone was healthy, not limping into the playoffs following the usual grind of an 82-game season. That definitely worked in the Canadiens’ favour, but that won’t happen again in the future whenever the NHL — and the world — hopefully regains some form of normalcy after COVID-19.

This historic Canadiens franchise can’t continue to put a roster on the ice each season that is millions of dollars below the NHL salary cap and expect to win. That’s extra money in owner ’s pocket, but frustrated fans must certainly want more than a hard-fought loss in the first round of the playoffs.

Bergevin held a 30-minute video conference Saturday morning before the Canadiens left Toronto’s NHL bubble and headed home. He talked about how quickly Suzuki, 21, and Kotkaniemi, 20, are developing and that the Canadiens now have two young centres to build around for the next 10-15 years, something they haven’t had in a very long time. Bergevin added that the Canadiens are headed in the right direction and noted he is following a similar plan to the Vancouver Canucks, who built through the draft and advanced to the second round of the playoffs Friday after knocking off the St. Louis Blues, the defending Stanley Cup champs. The GM said Canadiens fans now have a team they can be proud of.

All true.

But Bergevin still has a lot of work to do to make this franchise a legitimate Stanley Cup contender and he shouldn’t be given eight more years to do it. He has to make some upgrades — especially when it 1191932 Montreal Canadiens total of 71 shots. The Flyers had 17 shots on goal, nine blocked and nine off target for a total of 35.

But Vigneault said the numbers didn’t tell the entire story. In the Flyers room: 'Defence by committee' needed to eliminate Habs “We had some opportunities to maybe get more pucks at the net, but Montreal, if you look at their track record, are a heavy shooting team,” said Vigneault. “Bad angles. They look to create scrambles. You expect a Pat Hickey • Montreal Gazette lot of pucks towards the net but, scoring chances, we’re probably even throughout the series in every game.” Publishing date:Aug 22, 2020

Montreal Gazette LOADED: 08.23.2020 In the moments after the Flyers wrapped up their playoff series win over the Canadiens Friday, Philadelphia coach put the NHL’s Return to Play tournament in perspective.

“I think what’s got my attention the most is people in Philly, Flyer fans, and people in the province of , Montreal Canadiens fans, got a chance to see hockey,” Vigneault said on a video conference call after the Flyers defeated the Canadiens 3-2 at Scotiabank Arena in Toronto, winning the best-of-seven first-round series in six games.

In the Flyers room: 'Defence by committee' needed to eliminate Habs

“We’re trying to do our part so people can, for a few hours, think about something else than COVID and trying to get their lives back to normal,” continued Vigneault. “I hope that people enjoyed the series. There were certainly some entertaining parts to it.”

For the fans in Philadelphia, there was a chance to savour the win and look forward to the Eastern Conference semifinal against the New York Islanders. Canadiens fans had a chance to appreciate a hard-fought series after the team’s playoff hopes were left for dead when the season was halted on March 12.

Vigneault gave his team credit for holding off the Canadiens in the third period when they outshot the Flyers 13-5.

“I think our best periods have been in the third,” said Vigneault. “I found sort of a blueprint to do a good job of shutting teams down. It paid off for us tonight. It was a hard-fought series. Montreal is a hardworking team, a quick team. They had their D’s way more involved in our series than in what we had seen against Pittsburgh. Their goaltender gave them a chance every game and it was real tough at forechecking because of his puck-handling…It’s not easy to beat (Carey) Price. We beat him three times tonight, that should be enough to hopefully win a game and it was tonight.”

The Flyers were missing top defenceman Matt Niskanen who was suspended one game for a cross-check which left Brendan Gallagher in the hospital with a broken jaw.

Vigneault said he would have to rely on defence by committee to win the game and he received a strong performance from Shayne Gostisbehere, who wasn’t expected to play a role in these playoffs. A lingering knee injury limited him to 42 games in the regular season and he had arthroscopic surgery during the break. He played the first two games in this series but was a healthy scratch for the next three games.

Gostisbehere is primarily known as an offensive defenceman and he was on the ice for the Flyers’ first two goals and was a plus-2 on the night.

But his greatest satisfaction came from two defensive plays, a hit on Nick Suzuki and a puck battle he won against Jesperi Kotkaniemi.

“It’s definitely cool,” said Gostisbehere. “When I got back to the bench, the boys were barking and saying: ‘Great job.’ It’s pretty awesome especially when you didn’t touch the puck. It’s our team game in general. We’re all pulling on the same side of the rope here and it’s pretty fun to see.”

Vigneault once again showed his faith in goaltender Carter Hart. The 22- year-old gave up four goals in Game 5 but, for the second time in this series, he bounced back with a strong performance, making 31 saves.

Hart grew up idolizing Canadiens goaltender Carey Price and the two shared a moment when the players shook hands after the game.

“It was a special moment,” said Hart. “Obviously I look up to him and to have him come and congratulate you in the handshake lane. He said ‘helluva series and I’ll be watching’ and that’s something I won’t forget.”

The Canadiens threw everything they had at Hart. In addition to the 33 shots on goal, they had 21 shots blocked and 17 were off target for a 1191933 Montreal Canadiens doubt. But this postseason actually provided some positives for the Canadiens heading into next season. It’s hard not to feel good about the core that’s been put in place. But there is still room for improvement and movement. About Last Night: How do you feel about the Canadiens going forward? This gig has allowed me to connect with more members of the Canadiens fanbase and I’ve enjoyed our interactions. This gig has allowed me to fulfill one of my dreams: to cover a National Hockey Julian McKenzie • Special to the Montreal Gazette League team. What better team to focus on than the league’s most Publishing date:Aug 22, 2020 historic franchise?

I’ve also gotten to rub shoulders with Gazette regulars Stu Cowan and Pat Hickey, along with other journalists for other publications. It’s been a Who would’ve thought Montreal would have been in this position? great experience learning from everyone.

The 2019-20 Canadiens, a team that lost four times to the last-place I also need to thank Erik Leijon for filling in for me when needed. Dude is , can say they were a playoff team. Sure, it happened an absolute rockstar. because of the ’s desire to return to play during a continuing global pandemic. Finally, I thank the Montreal Gazette for letting me fill the shoes of the legendary Mike Boone for this season. It isn’t easy to do, but I appreciate But, the Canadiens were a playoff team in 2020, nonetheless. the readers for being patient with me!

They could have folded like cheap tents when they matched up against the Penguins. After all, the prospect of landing Alexis Lafrenière in the NHL Draft Lottery was a real possibility. But the team played on and gave Montreal Gazette LOADED: 08.23.2020 it their all against Pittsburgh.

The Habs also went to six games against the Philadelphia Flyers in the first round without their head coach Claude Julien for most of it and, for an elimination, without a key forward in Brendan Gallagher.

It is an easy time to feel sad, or upset, over a Canadiens playoff run ending when it did. The fact of the matter remains Montreal gave many fans, pundits, and general hockey connoisseurs more positives than negatives to consider over their team.

The rookies, Nick Suzuki and Jesperi Kotkaniemi, earned boatloads of praise from their teammates and others throughout the playoffs after they managed to deliver in key moments.

Suzuki scored twice in Game 6 against the Flyers and had some rave reviews over his two-way game.

“It’s an absolute pleasure to watch him play,” goaltender Carey Price said. “And to watch him grow as a professional. He has such a bright future in this league and I’m excited for him.”

“He’s an intelligent player. He’s a player who can play both sides of the puck. I think you all saw it during the series. We saw that every game he got better,” forward Jonathan Drouin said.

Kotkaniemi scored four goals in 10 games, while his skill and physical ability were constantly on display. Jake Evans, in limited games, showed he could be the team’s next full-time fourth line centre.

The defensive corps might have been the team’s biggest surprise this year, with Shea Weber and Jeff Petry leading the way. Some fans questioned the Ben Chiarot signing at first, but his quickness and ability to join the offence at times made fans appreciate the acquisition. Brett Kulak and Victor Mete struggled to find consistency during the regular season, but they played their best hockey in the playoffs.

By the time you finish this sentence, you’ve probably tried to figure out which pairing would fit best for the promising Alexander Romanov. Cale Fleury also impressed at different points this season, too.

“Montreal is a good team,” Flyers head coach Alain Vigneault said. “They’ve got great goaltending. Their top four D is almost as good as anybody in the league and their young forwards got a lot of speed. I knew it was going to be a tough battle and it was from start to finish.”

Of course, the Canadiens have some questions that need to be answered. The team has long tried to generate offence “by committee,” but a designated scorer is crucial to land. Cole Caufield could be the player down the line, but not immediately.

A reliable backup goaltender for Price has been on the Canadiens’ wish list for quite some time, and many previous options just haven’t worked out. The team needs to hit a home run with whoever they trust next. There is work to be done and the Habs are still ways away from being taken seriously as a playoff contender (they need to beat Detroit, among other teams, a few times).

There will be negativity in the comments of this post, surely. The Habs haven’t done nearly enough yet to justify giving them any benefit of the 1191934 Montreal Canadiens This was a very impressive rookie season for Suzuki, who started out as a fourth-line winger and ended up looking like the team’s No. 1 centre of the future.

Canadiens Notebook: Brendan Gallagher has surgery on broken jaw “It was the first taste of NHL playoffs and I think you can take a lot,” he said after Game 6. “We’re a young group. But for me it was a great experience here. But definitely would have loved to keep playing. But come back next year and we know we have that experience behind us. Stu Cowan • Montreal Gazette “I think my confidence went up all the way through the year,” he added. Publishing date:Aug 22, 2020 “Obviously, near the end of the year it was on a bit of a dry spell. But came back to this camp confident. I knew we had a full, healthy team and when we had that we were a really good team and hard to play against. TORONTO — After the Canadiens lost 2-0 to the Philadelphia Flyers in The confidence was building throughout the year and I’m just getting Game 4 of their first round playoff series, Brendan Gallagher was asked more comfortable with all the guys and playing with everyone.” if he was 100-per-cent healthy. A playoff surprise Gallagher, the team’s leading goal-scorer the past three seasons, had gone eight straight postseason games without a goal. He was also The Canadiens were fortunate to even be in the postseason as the 24th benched for much of the third period of Game 4 by coach . seed after finishing the regular season with a 31-31-9 record. But they surprised a lot of people when they knocked off the Pittsburgh Penguins “I’m fine,” Gallagher said. in the qualifying round.

Gallagher could be on his death bed and he’d say “I’m fine.” That’s just “I think everybody doubted us out as soon as they announced what the the type of guy and hockey warrior he is. playoff format would be,” captain Shea Weber said after Game 6. “Everyone kind of just axed us off like we weren’t going to be here. I think But it turns out Gallagher wasn’t fine, and that was before he suffered a that everybody showed up, they put in the effort in this kind of shortened broken jaw in Game 5 from a cross-check to the face by Flyers summer here. Everybody showed up with the same goal in mind and I defenceman Matt Niskanen after he had finally scored his first think it just shows that maybe we’re closer than people think (to being postseason goal in a 5-3 Canadiens victory. Stanley Cup contenders). Those guys should be proud of themselves in “He had surgery last night (on his jaw), late, and he’s on his way back to here. A lot of guys had to leave their families and make sacrifices, just Vancouver probably in the next few hours,” Canadiens GM Marc like everybody in here. Guys were committed and that’s what I’m proud Bergevin said about Gallagher during a video conference Saturday about.” morning. “Everything went well for Gally, we expect a full recovery. But As for the young players on the team, Weber said: “They were a big plus he was also playing with a … he had a hip issue that he did hurt against for us here. I think they surprised a lot of people. They had a little bit of a Pittsburgh (in the qualifying round). He had a little tear in his hip. But you layoff here … kind of a summer, I guess, for them to do some training, guys know him as well as I do. He’s got the heart of a lion and he kind of reconfigure. It seems like they came back with a whole lot of wouldn’t get off the ice. But he was a little banged up.” confidence and stepped up and scored some huge goals for us. But not The kids are all right only that, they played physical, they played hard and did all the right things. So I think they did everything that was asked of them and they’re Nick Suzuki, 21, and Jesperi Kotkaniemi, 20, were shining stars for the just going to keep getting better and the future’s bright for them.” Canadiens during the postseason, tying for the team lead with four goals each in 10 games. Tough market

Suzuki scored both goals in the Canadiens’ 3-2 loss to the Flyers in After the Game 6 loss, Muller talked about his young players growing up Game 6 Friday night at Scotiabank Arena that eliminated them from the on and off the ice in a tough hockey market like Montreal. playoffs. “We play in a tough market and a passionate market,” said Muller, who When asked what’s the biggest thing the two young centres can take was a key part of the Canadiens team that won the franchise’s last away from their postseason experience, Bergevin said: “How they Stanley Cup in 1993. “Unless you experience it and see what it’s like to performed, how they were able to bring their game to a new level. play as a player in those type of markets, as far as every day grinding through … it pushes you as a player because the fans love the team and “In Nick’s case, he did have a good year,” the GM added. “But, again, in they’re so passionate and all that. key times — even last night — two big goals and he made plays. KK, having a tough second year, being sent to Laval and bouncing back, “So you go through those periods of that and some losses and that, it’s taking his career upon himself and getting stronger. As we all know, last tough,” he added. “But then you come here and you put together and you year many times I felt that watching him play he was falling down a lot, start winning and everyone jells together and they got a taste of it. That’s he was losing his balance. So whatever he did the last four or five the fun part of this group. They’ve gone through some ups and downs, months, working on his strength, legs. Again it has a lot to do with mental but because of it they’re going to take this and go: ‘Wow, we can move preparation and he did that. We all saw what he can bring to our hockey forward.’ And that little taste of what little success they had here I think club and that’s what we expect from him from Day 1 at camp next year.” they’re going to grow and build with it.”

Update on Julien Kulak stands tall

Bergevin was also asked about the health of head coach Claude Julien, Defenceman Brett Kulak was one of the pleasant surprises for the who was rushed to hospital after the Canadiens’ 2-1 loss to the Flyers in Canadiens during the postseason, picking up three assists in the 10 Game 1 with chest pains and had surgery to stent a coronary artery. games and posting a plus-2 while averaging 18:33 of ice time on the second pairing with Jeff Petry. Bergevin said Julien, 60, would take the necessary time to evaluate his health before deciding what the future holds. “Obviously, the last month he’s been very good for us,” Bergevin said about Kulak. “We all saw he had some ups and downs during the regular “The latest news is that Claude is in good health,” Bergevin said. “But it’s season and even at times being a healthy scratch. So for Brett, as far as early. A heart attack, chest pains, it’s not evident (what the future holds). we’re concerned, he just needs to be more consistent. That’s what We’ll take the time to evaluate his health.” happened with Brett.

“As far as Claude, we all know what happened,” Bergevin added. “He’s “Sometimes his consistency falls off and that’s why he becomes either a back in Montreal, I’m going back to Montreal soon. In the next few third-pairing D or he happens to miss games,” the GM added. “But weeks, we’ll talk.” hopefully this tournament really makes him feel and he believes in Suzuki gains confidence himself because half the battle is believing in yourself and sometimes what I see in Brett, he second-guesses himself, he gets a little nervous. That’s when his game falls off. But when he plays like he played the last month, he sure is a big part of our team.” Thanking the NHL

Before taking questions from the media for 30 minutes Saturday morning, Bergevin took time to thank the NHL for the work that went into setting up the bubble in Toronto, with the Canadiens living at the Royal York Hotel.

“I just want to thank the NHL for the job they’ve done here in the bubble for us the last four weeks,” he said. “Every one of us missed our families, that goes without saying. There’s nothing the NHL could have done about that. But we were very safe, we were very fortunate to be taken care of.”

Montreal Gazette LOADED: 08.23.2020 1191935 New Jersey Devils “Points obviously are important, but there’s so much more in hockey that count for winning games,” Hischier said. “One thing is points, but there are little things that don’t show up in the scoresheets and people sometimes don’t give too much credit for that, things you have to do to How Devils’ Nico Hischier can score more playing for Lindy Ruff

Star Ledger LOADED: 08.23.2020 Posted Aug 22, 2020

By Randy Miller

New Devils coach Lindy Ruff probably won’t get to work with his players on ice until training camp starts in November, so he’s been using this pandemic-induced long offseason to get a better feel for skills and tendencies watching video of last season’s games.

What stood out?

Who stood out?

Huff mentioned the two-way play of Nico Hischier, a 21-year-old center who signed a seven-year, $50.75-million contract extension last October and then played in his first NHL All-Star Game last January.

“I think that when you look at a guy like Nico, you really get an appreciation for what he does and how he plays,” Ruff told NJ Advance Media.

Hischier’s solid all-around game could stand out more in coming years. Playing for Ruff, who will bring in a more offensive system, the Switzerland native could be scoring more after averaging 17 goals and 45 points over his first three seasons.

Ruff’s plan is for the rebuilding Devils, who have missed the playoffs two years in a row and seven of the last eight, to win a lot more games as their young nucleus gains experience and new key pieces are brought in. That should lead to additional scoring for Hischier, an unselfish player who always has been more concerned with playing a complete game than piling up points.

The Devils expect Jack Hughes, a highly skilled center who was picked first overall in 2019, to score a lot more points as he gains experience and strength after managing just seven goals and 21 points in 61 games as a rookie last season.

Can Hischier, who isn’t as offensive as Hughes, do the same? Can he jump from career-lows of 14 goals and 36 points in 58 games this season to somewhere in the 60-70 range in coming seasons?

“I think it’s possible,” Ruff said. “That really depends on the strength of your team. If your team starts to grow and winning more games, usually when you lead more games a lot more chances come your way versus when you’re chasing games all the time.

“So I think that part goes hand in hand with the growth of your key skill players. When you’re leading more games, their point total will go up because other teams have to put more risk in their game to try to get back in games. Usually with more risk comes more opportunity for the other team.”

Hischier isn’t concerned about points. He knows that’s part of his job as a first- or second-line center, but he’ll continue to focus on his biggest strengths, the two-way play that Ruff noticed on video.

“I always say points sometimes get too much credit,” said Hischier, who has spent the offseason serving in the Swiss Army. “For example, if you play a bad game but somehow you get two apples, people will say you had a good game. But I’m not happy.

“Then the other side, if you have a great game … couple shots, you made a couple good plays, played defense really good, shut down a line and there’s no points but you could easily have two, you could say it wasn’t a great game. But I thought that I actually played pretty good.”

Hischier showcased his offensive skills playing junior scoring 38 goals and 86 points in 57 games for the QMJHL’s in 2016- 17.

So far in the NHL, his most productive season was his first when he totaled 20 goals and 52 points in 2017-18, the last time the Devils made the playoffs. Playing on worst clubs the next two seasons, his production dropped, but so did his games played. His points per game have dipped just slightly, falling from 0.63 in ’17-18 to 0.68 in ’18-19 to 0.62 in ’19-20. 1191936 New York Islanders

Islanders get change of scenery with new hotel

By Greg Joyce

August 22, 2020

The Islanders were the last team standing at the Royal York hotel in Toronto.

Saturday, they got a change of scenery as they joined the rest of the Eastern Conference’s surviving playoff teams at Hotel X.

“We’ve seen quite a few teams heading out, so we’re happy to still be here,” Brock Nelson said. “I think we’ve gotten pretty comfortable at this hotel, so maybe bittersweet. I’m sure it’ll be nice to get a change of pace, change of scenery.

“It’ll be a little different, but the fact that we’re still here and playing, I think that’s the best part that everybody takes away.”

The Flyers, Lightning and Bruins were all staying at Hotel X from the start, along with the Capitals and Penguins. Those last two teams have since been knocked out, as have the other six teams that were staying at the Royal York.

The Islanders are approaching their one-month mark in the bubble, but aside from missing their families, they say they have thus far avoided hitting a mental wall in the isolated environment.

“You’re gonna have days where they’re a little bit longer in here than others,” Anders Lee said. “You’re extremely busy with the task at hand and the games and getting ready for that, whether it’s recovery or meetings and all that stuff. But in the off time, we’ve done a phenomenal job as a team, spending time with one another, getting each other out of our rooms and spending time hanging out. We’re all going through this together, so we can lean on one another in that regard and get our minds off of maybe some of the stuff that we miss.

“We have an incredible opportunity here and so far it’s been a fun journey, getting to this point and working together as a team.”

Cal Clutterbuck was back on the ice for practice Saturday after missing Game 5 against the Capitals. The fourth-line winger had taken a low hit from Radko Gudas in Game 4 and didn’t think he was ready to play his style of game for the series finale.

“Everybody was out there and Cal was out there so we got up and down the ice pretty good today,” Barry Trotz said. “So I don’t foresee anything going into the series that we have to be too concerned about.”

The Islanders practiced Saturday and will have another short one Sunday. But Trotz said he doesn’t expect to hold another one the rest of the series as Games 2 and 3 are back-to-back, as are Games 6 and 7, if necessary.

New York Post LOADED: 08.23.2020 1191937 New York Islanders

Islanders: Our past dominance over Flyers means nothing now

By Greg Joyce

August 22, 2020

The Islanders did, in fact, play three regular-season games against the Flyers this season and happened to win all three of them.

But in a year like 2020, they might as well be ancient history, and the Islanders plan to treat them as such as they prepare to face the Flyers on Monday in the second round of the playoffs, with a trip to the Eastern Conference finals at stake.

“It has no bearing on where we are right now,” coach Barry Trotz said Saturday after the Islanders practiced in Toronto. “It seems like it’s years ago since we played them. We played them pretty early in the season last year. It just feels like forever. So I don’t think it has any bearing at all. There’s two pretty good teams that are going to square off. What you’re doing now really matters. What you did before has zero bearing on the effect of these games.”

The Flyers, who earned the No. 1 seed in the East with a strong seeding- round performance, locked into the Islanders matchup Friday night when they took care of the Canadiens in Game 6 to finish off their first-round series.

The Islanders were able to enjoy an extra day of rest by knocking off the Capitals in five games, and it may come in handy as they enter a series that is scheduled for two back-to-backs if it goes the distance.

After coming through a physical series against the Caps relatively healthy, the Islanders will now face a different kind of challenge against a Flyers team that has a hot goalie in Carter Hart, an experienced coach in Alain Vigneault and a deep forward group that includes plenty of skill.

“Obviously [they’re] a team that’s playing really good hockey right now, earned that No. 1 spot in the play-in round and then had a pretty good series, so another tough matchup for us, another tough task at hand,” captain Anders Lee said. “Looking back at those [regular-season] games, we’ll be able to look at them a little bit but it’s a long time ago. It’s in the past. Both teams are in different places in their play and obviously this situation’s completely different. So we can look at it for tendencies, but I don’t think [we’ll be] looking at too much of how the turnout was and taking it from there.”

The mastery of Lou Lamoriello

Two of the three meetings this season came before the calendar flipped to 2020 — with the Islanders winning 5-3 in October, 4-3 in a November shootout then 5-3 in February. Goals figure to be at more of a premium for this playoff series, though, with Hart playing well and the Islanders playing lockdown defense at five-on-five.

“I think both sides are going to be looking to improve upon where they stand currently and demand more from one another and expect to raise our game,” Lee said. “I think every round gets that much tougher and the intensity, the desperation, all those things we talk about all the time, they all increase as you move on.”

Though the circumstances were much different, the Islanders were coming off a big first-round series win last year when they quickly got swept away in the second round by the Hurricanes. Trotz is hoping the lack of a long layoff between series this year — compared to the nine days off in between in 2019 — can help his team keep rolling after thriving in their system against the Capitals.

“Nine days [off] is not good for any team,” Trotz said. “We just lost the rhythm, a little bit of our mojo if you will. This has been good. You get a day or two to rest up, get guys closer to 100 percent … and you get ready for an opponent.”

New York Post LOADED: 08.23.2020 1191938 New York Islanders Good leadership transcends boundaries, and it even transcends sports. I’ve said through the years — and I mean it still — that any team, in any sport, could hire Lamoriello and succeed because he isn’t just a great manager of hockey teams, he’s a great manager, period. People listen to The mastery of Lou Lamoriello him. They perform for him. His career is a testament of hope to all teams mired in mediocrity: You hire the right guy, you have a shot.

At 77, this is probably Lamoriello’s last shot, this Islanders team, and it’s By Mike Vaccaro a joy to watch. Someday we’ll have another of his like in our midst, an August 22, 2020 heir to his mastery of leadership. One of our teams will find that man (or woman). And that’ll be some kind of fun, too, because undoubtedly they’ll be willing to be damned for doing.

This was, somehow, more than 20 years ago, and Lou Lamoriello had Vac’s Whacks just done one of the most difficult things he’s ever had to do as a general manager. If the start of the NBA playoffs have reinforced anything, it is this: Utah’s Quin Snyder is, at the moment, the very best coach in the league. And The Devils were scuffling, badly. They had developed a troubling the Jazz are a blast to watch. reputation for being a team that could win an awful lot of regular-season games and then, like clockwork, incur a paralyzing case of postseason You can sure spend a lot of time torturing yourself as a Knicks fan if you stage fright. choose — thinking about how possible it was for Kristaps Porzingis, Donovan Mitchell and Michael Porter Jr. to be on the team right now. But, And it was happening again. The regular season had just eight games then, why do that to yourself? left, but the Devils were already moving into the tuck position. They’d dominated both the Atlantic Division and the Eastern Conference all year Knicks believe they can maximize No. 8 pick — even if they keep it but lately had gone 5-10-2 and put everything they’d worked for in There are few things in sports that are more enjoyable right now than jeopardy. watching Gio Urshela field his position at third base for the Yankees. So Lamoriello made a stunning decision: The only bad news with the Islanders moving on (and up, to network-only He fired Robbie Ftorek, his coach and a longtime loyal member of the TV coverage) is that Brendan Burke and Butch Goring won’t be moving organization. He replaced Ftorek with Larry Robinson, once a popular on with them. They’ve been as terrific as their team in the playoffs. assistant with the team but already a failed head coach with the Kings. It Whack Back at Vac seemed preposterous to make such a move, at such a time. Jay Taikeff: Pleasant surprise to see your opinion-page column Friday. I told that to Lamoriello when I reached him in his hotel that day — Someday soon there will be a vaccine, and depending on its ironically (as things have worked out), it was the Long Island Marriott, effectiveness, get ready for a new column; Vac Whacks Vacc or Vac next to the Nassau Coliseum, where the Devils were to play the Backs Vacc. We’re rooting for the latter. Islanders. The Devils were about to be folded under the umbrella of the old YankeeNets merger, and Lamoriello was about to go to work for Vac: Yes, we are, Jay. Yes, we are. George Steinbrenner. Martin Carus: Why any draft? Let it be an open market. Why should “You borrowed a page from his handbook,” I said to him. failures effectively get subsidized? Big-market teams will dominate small market ones? (Ha, the Mets!) (Double-A, the Rays.) Success should be Lamoriello actually laughed at that. rewarded; failure should require accountability and consequences. “I can see why you might say that,” he said, “but you’re wrong.” Vac: This would certainly do away with folks griping that every lottery is Then he said something that has stuck with me for 20 years, maybe the fixed. wisest and most prescient thing a GM has ever said to me, one that How pro sports are making pandemic-era play work explains so much about what Lamoriello has done in a career that, one more time starting Monday, takes him into an extended NHL postseason Doug Heimowitz: My three-step plan to combat tanking: 1) Each non- run, now with the Islanders. playoff team misses gets one ping-pong ball for every win (Knicks at 30- 52 get 30; Nets at 20-62 get 20). 2) Top three picks are determined this “If I’m gonna be damned,” Lamoriello said, “I’m gonna be damned for way. Then, the teams pick fourth on down in order of regular season doing.” record. The worst team in the league gets, worst case, the fourth pick. 3) Let that be a credo for all GMs, for all teams, and let Lamoriello’s record Every team now has incentive to win every game hence no more tanking. stand as a testament that if you are smart enough, organized enough, Vac: I like it. daring enough, confident enough, then anything is possible. Hiring Robinson was a genius stroke, of course. The Devils only went 4-4 the rest of the way and blew the No. 1 seed, but then they went on a two- month tear through the playoffs and won the second of Lamoriello’s three New York Post LOADED: 08.23.2020 Stanley Cups.

In the locker room after Game 6 in Dallas that June, I saw Lamoriello and I quoted him back to himself and he laughed. “You didn’t believe me three months ago, did you?”

That was probably true. It was also the last time I doubted Lamoriello, and the reality that good leadership, smart leadership, can overcome a wealth of woes. The Islanders of Lamoriello and Barry Trotz are simply reinforcing the notion. If you are a well-run operation, if you do things properly and with a sense of purpose, anything is possible.

Islanders are moving on

Lamoriello is the extreme example of this. He is a hockey guy, yes, but once he moved into leadership with YankeeNets, he also oversaw two improbable trips to the NBA Finals for the Nets. He got a corporate taste of the 2000 championship Yankees. Back in 1985, when he was still athletic director at Providence, he’d taken a chance on an assistant coach for the Knicks named Rick Pitino, and all that happened then was the Friars rising in two years from Big East doormat to the Final Four. 1191939 New York Islanders The season before he claimed he very nearly signed with the Mets — and wishes he had — but instead chose the Rangers. The $150 million more Texas offered he never mentioned, and the next day former Mets executives claimed Rodriguez was full of it. What is with these ESPN hirings? This past Sunday, the telecast noted that MLB batters are hitting a collective .241, the lowest since 1968. That inspired Rodriguez to conclude that baseball “has become a democratic game” thus it’s “now By Phil Mushnick more fun to watch.” Huh? Double-huh? Yes, now every batter strikes out August 22, 2020 trying to hit home runs! Ain’t it fun?

Like Morgan, if he doesn’t know what he’s talking about, why should we?

Perhaps we expect better from ESPN because it’s a 24/7 sports network, But this is ESPN’s answer to what it thinks we want, what we can’t wait the last place we’d think would wreck every sport it touches. for and beg for more. Those who do the hiring don’t know bad from worse. Within a pandemic, it’s a continuing epidemic. Yet, here we are. Again, and still. To tune to ESPN to watch a live sports event is to be conditioned — air-conditioned — to anticipate a production Kobe slur at ref didn’t get the Thom treatment that will challenge the good senses to a duel the good senses can’t win. So after 25 years of honorable service to Fox Sports, Thom Brennaman Consider what ESPN has done to big-league baseball: has been past-tensed for one off-air, live-microphone slip — a slur word for homosexuals. Inexcusable yet forgivable, no? For 21 years ESPN’s lead analyst was former Houston and Cincinnati star second baseman Joe Morgan. Thus viewers were forced to suffer Compare that to Kobe Bryant, who in 2011 directed a loud, on-court his nonsensical analysis and historical “facts” that in fact were homophobic slur toward a black NBA ref. extraordinarily rotten guesswork. Bryant was fined by the league but never lost a day of Lakers’ pay or Morgan’s contradictions came quickly and often. He once complimented play. The NBA, fans and media quickly forgave him — if they even cared Manny Ramirez for taking a pitch “he knew he couldn’t hit.” Two pitches — and his multimillion dollar benefactors at socially conscious Nike later he claimed Ramirez “can handle any pitch.” played dumb.

Morgan told doozies. He said that when he was with Houston he Thom Brennaman's slur was wrong but so is selective justice contributed to the Phillies’ historic late-season 1964 collapse — 10 And within the thousands of public tributes issued following Bryant’s straight losses near the end of the season to finish in second place — tragic death, fewer than few noted that episode. No one on-air with Fox when he ended a game with an RBI single. mentioned it. He further recalled that Phils manager Gene Mauch was so livid he Both Bryant and Brennaman apologized, but only one was forgiven — screamed that his club was just “beaten by a little leaguer!” Great story! and so quickly it became quickly forgotten. But Houston didn’t play Philly during that stretch, and Morgan, a late call- Stats? You like stats? Try these: up, did not have an RBI in ’64. Reader Richard T. Monahan notes Tony Gwynn averaged 29 strikeouts In a Mets-Cubs game, Mets infielder Luis Castillo struggled to catch a fly per season, and current No. 1 superstar Mike Trout averages 152 per. in the wind that invades Wrigley Field. To a national audience, Morgan explained why: Thursday, in 14 innings — two seven-inning games — the Phillies struck out 20 times against nine Blue Jays pitchers. “Castillo has played his entire career in the AL,” with the Twins, thus was unaccustomed to the vagaries of playing in Wrigley. Jonathan Villar, this year employed by the Marlins as their leadoff batter — he has thus far struck out three times in each of two games — last But Castillo had played 10 years in the NL, all with the Marlins, then two year struck out 176 times in 162 games for the Orioles as their leadoff with the Twins. Not only had he often played in Wrigley, he hit the man. infamous foul fly that was about to be caught by the Cubs’ Moises Alou until spectator Steve Bartman reached out to alter its path. Last week, in the game in which DJ LeMahieu was hurt, he made an out, leading ESPN to reduce the Yankees’ “win probability” from 73.7 percent That historic eighth-inning episode allowed Florida to win Game 6 in a to 71.7 percent. Nurse! late comeback then defeat the Cubs, four games to three, in the NLCS. Isles team getting it done ESPN, by then realizing that Morgan manufactured facts, promised he would make good on his factual errors, but he obdurately refused, Couldn’t ask for better from a TV team than MSG’s Brendan Burke and according to ESPN authorities. Butch Goring throughout the Islanders five-game playoff series win vs. the Capitals. Alert, candid, informative, no hokey hockey gimmicks — Now ESPN presents “Sunday Night Baseball” as a three-plus hours Alex and all off TV monitors from a studio. Rodriguez nonsense and contradictions festival. Islanders are moving on Did it matter that ESPN had hired an infamous, suspended drug cheat whose half-a-billion dollars in career salary was predicated on illegal drug So home plate ump Ryan Additon was wearing a COVID mask beneath use and steady lies about it? his mask when up stepped the Yankees’ Luke Voit, who, a few feet away, spit on the ground, in violation of MLB’s no-spit directive. On YES, Obviously not. we couldn’t miss it, but the three announcers all apparently did. Did it matter that team sport advocate Rodriguez spent a playoff game Figures ESPN would continue to promote grammar-bereft Keyshawn trying to pick up young, attractive women in Yankee Stadium? Johnson, remembered as “Me-Shawn” for his “just throw me the damned Obviously not. ball!” boasts. When he was a Jets wide receiver he jealously dismissed the achievements of overachieving, undersized, undrafted WR Wayne Did it matter to ESPN that in hiring Rodriguez as its face and voice of Chrebet, calling him “the team mascot.” MLB was an insult to all decent-minded baseball fans? Padres outfielder Tommy Pham has been lost to what the team Obviously not. described as “a broken hamate bone.” Reader Bill Fariello figures that to describe it as “a fracture in his hand” would have been too confusing. For some reason, Rodriguez became ESPN’s ideal to weekly address the nation on all matters of baseball.

Last year, Rodriguez drove viewers crazy with such repeated claims that New York Post LOADED: 08.23.2020 even-numbered leads are better than odd-numbered leads. He didn’t explain why it was better for teams to be up 6-2 than 7-2. 1191940 New York Islanders

Mike Milbury leaves Toronto, won't work rest of playoffs for NBC after remark about women

By Andrew Gross [email protected] @AGrossNewsday

Updated August 22, 2020

Mike Milbury likely just opted to make the decision NBC Sports would have imposed anyway on his immediate broadcasting future. But the former Islanders general manager departed Toronto on Saturday and will not work any more games on television in these NHL playoffs.

It comes a day after the NHL condemned Milbury’s remarks regarding women made during Thursday’s broadcast of the Islanders’ series- clinching win over the Capitals as “insensitive and insulting.”

“In light of the attention caused by my recent remark, I have decided to step away from my role at NBC Sports for the remainder of the Stanley Cup Playoffs,” Milbury said in a statement released by the network on Saturday. “I do not want my presence to interfere with the athletes as they try to win the greatest trophy in sports.”

While Milbury indicated he was opting out for just the rest of this season’s playoffs, this could very well be the end to his career at NBC Sports. He joined the network in 2007, about a year after stepping down from his rocky tenure as Islanders’ GM.

In February, NBC fired analyst Jeremy Roenick two months after he made sexually-suggestive, on-air comments to co-host Kathryn Tappen. Roenick has sued NBC for wrong termination.

Newsday LOADED: LOADED: 08.23.2020 1191941 New York Islanders But if the Islanders adhere to their proven style of play, they can grind teams down into the 2-1, 3-2 games they are so comfortable in playing.

The Islanders already are the last team standing in one regard: the last There's reason to believe the Islanders can achieve much more alive of the seven assigned to the Fairmont Royal York in the Toronto bubble. So Saturday was moving day as the Islanders joined the Flyers, Bruins and Lightning at Hotel X.

By Andrew Gross

@AGrossNewsday Newsday LOADED: LOADED: 08.23.2020 Updated August 23, 2020

When Lou Lamoriello became the Islanders’ boss 27 months ago, he joined a franchise that had advanced past the first round of the playoffs only once since 1993. Those who thought they knew his thinking said he was willing to do so because he saw the foundation in place to win.

To be clear, knowing exactly what Lamoriello is really thinking is difficult, given that he lets virtually no one in on the secret. But in an NHL career that began with the Devils in 1987, he has shown that he is not a believer in rebuilding jobs. Winning now is always the goal.

Which is a long way to go to make this point: Why not the Islanders? Why not now?

Why can’t they advance past the Flyers in a second-round series that opens Monday night in Toronto and reach the conference finals for the first time since 1993? And why can’t they make it to the Stanley Cup Final for the first time since 1984, or even lift the Cup for the first time since 1983?

To the why, why, whys, there surely are cautionary whoa, whoa, whoas.

But eight teams remain in the NHL playoffs out of the 24 that participated in the league’s return-to-play format after the regular season came to a premature end on March 12 because of the COVID-19 pandemic. And while the Islanders don’t top the list of Cup favorites among the eight left skating, the way they’ve played through their first nine postseason games — a four-game win over the Panthers in a best-of-five qualifying series and a five-game win over the Capitals in the best-of-seven first round — argues they should be able to play with any of the teams if they are playing at their best.

They sorely frustrated the Capitals — who in Islanders coach Barry Trotz’s estimation have the greatest goal-scorer ever in Alex Ovechkin — with their five-on-five structure and forechecking. By the end, Capitals center Nicklas Backstrom conceded the truth.

“I think over these five games, I think they wanted it more than us,” said Backstrom, who returned in Game 5 after being knocked into concussion protocol on a hit from Anders Lee in Game 1. “You could see that overall and they were more disciplined than us, too.”

Not only does all of that have to continue for the Islanders, but they must improve upon it. That includes not only the facets of their game that were so superior in the first round but the parts of their game — namely special teams — that were not as consistent.

“I think both sides are going to be looking to improve upon where they stand currently and demand more from one another and expect to raise our game,” Lee said. “I think every round gets that much tougher. The intensity, the desperation, all those things we talk about all the time. They all increase as you move on. I think we’re going to have the same sentiment in that regard. It’s just continuing to build on the game that we play and when we play it the right way, how successful we are at it. It’s really just sticking to that and improving on the little things.”

Those who are skeptical about the Islanders as a true Cup contender can point to their 2-7-4 stumble into the season’s pause, part of a larger stretch of inconsistent hockey dating to the conclusion of their franchise- record 17-game point streak (15-0-2) on Nov. 23. Had the season not been paused, had only 16 teams and not 24 been invited to the postseason, the Islanders might not have been included.

That’s all immaterial. The Islanders are here and that stretch of bad hockey now seems as if it were played in a different season.

The other three teams remaining in the Eastern Conference, the Bruins and Lightning along with the Flyers, have all looked like strong Cup contenders at different points this season. Vegas and Colorado look elite in the West. 1191942 New York Islanders

Weekend practices might be Islanders' last ones for a while

By Andrew Gross [email protected] @AGrossNewsday

Updated August 22, 2020

The Islanders practiced on Saturday in Toronto, something they may barely do during their second-round series against the Flyers which opens on Monday night at Scotiabank Arena.

In an NHL playoff rarity – and as a result of the league wanting to condense the schedule with teams playing in sequestered arena/practice rink/hotel bubbles – there will be two sets of back-to-back games if the best-of-seven series goes the distance. Game 2 is Wednesday afternoon and Game 3 follows on Thursday night. Games 6 and 7, if necessary, would be Sept. 2-3.

“We practiced today, we’ll have a short practice [Sunday],” Islanders coach Barry Trotz said. “I don’t think we’ll practice again until the series is over, just looking at the schedule.”

Even when there is a day between games, it’s a short turnaround. Next Saturday’s Game 4 starts at noon.

“We have four games in five and a half days starting Monday,” Flyers president and general manager said. “You’re going to have to come in with the right mindset and make quick adjustments and get your game to a high level very quickly.”

Clutterbuck practices

Right wing Cal Clutterbuck, who missed the first-round’s clinching Game 5 against the Capitals after being upended on a low hit from defenseman Radko Gudas in Game 4, participated in Saturday’s practice.

“He got up and down the ice pretty good today,” Trotz said. “So, I don’t foresee anything going into this series that we have to be too concerned about.”

Banner day

A “Let’s Go Islanders” banner was flown over downtown Toronto, coinciding with the team returning to its hotel from practice.

“Thanks for the love isles fans,” defenseman Scott Mayfield said via Twitter.

Longtime Islanders fan Matt Kammerer, an usher at NYCB Live’s Nassau Coliseum, organized a GoFundMe account that raised more than $4,500 to pay for the banner.

Newsday LOADED: LOADED: 08.23.2020 1191943 New York Islanders has played every postseason minute for the Islanders, compiling a 7-2-0 mark with a 1.67 GAA and a .934 save percentage. He capped the Capitals’ series with a 21-save shutout, his third career playoff shutout and first since 2009. Backup Thomas Greiss had similar A position-by-position look at Islanders vs. Flyers regular-season numbers to Varlamov. Edge: Even

Power play

By Andrew Gross The Flyers went 4-for-28 (14.3%) against the Canadiens and were largely ineffectual in the series except for a 3-for-7 performance in Game [email protected] @AGrossNewsday 5 as Voracek scored twice on the man advantage and Joel Farabee also Updated August 22, 2020 scored. In theory, both of the Flyers’ units should be more dangerous, with , Provorov and Giroux also on the first unit and Hayes, van Riemsdyk and Konecny leading the second unit. The Islanders were 2-for-22 (9.1%) against the Capitals but slowly improved They are divisional rivals dating to 1974, first in the Patrick, then in the their shoot-first mentality, going 0-for-5 with 12 shots in a 3-2 loss in Atlantic and now in the Metropolitan. But it’s been more than three Game 4 and 1-for-3 in Thursday’s 4-0 clinching win. Nelson’s unit with decades since the Islanders and Flyers have been playoff foes. Beauvillier, Bailey, Pageau and defenseman Devon Toews has been the That ends Monday night, when the teams open their best-of-seven, better combination. Edge: Even second-round series at Scotiabank Arena in Toronto. The Flyers, the Penalty kill Eastern Conference’s top seed, eliminated the Canadiens in six games despite being outscored 13-11 in the series while the Islanders ousted The Canadiens scored three power-play goals in seven chances in the the Capitals in five games. first two games and the Flyers’ 16-of-21 (76.2%) penalty kill allowed a goal in each of the last two games. The Islanders killed off 14 of 18 “They’re a [division] opponent, they’re a great team,” Flyers center and Capitals’ power plays (77.8%) but were better after T.J. Oshie scored former Ranger Kevin Hayes said. “There’s a reason they won so quickly twice on the man advantage in Game 1. In the regular season, the Flyers against the Capitals. They’ve got a good goalie. They play great team ranked 11th at 81.8% and the Islanders were 15th at 81.2%. Edge: Even defense and they have some good forwards.” Coaching The Flyers have won three of the four playoff meetings between the teams, but they have not met since 1987 when the Flyers won a seven- The Islanders' Barry Trotz won a Stanley Cup with the Capitals in 2018 game Patrick Division final. and the Flyers’ Alain Vigneault took the Canucks (2011) and Rangers (2014) to the Cup Final. The Islanders last advanced past the second round in 1993 while the Flyers haven’t been to a conference final since 2010. Flyers head coach Alain Vigneault looks on after a game against the Islanders at NYCB Live's Nassau Coliseum on Oct. 27, 2019. Credit: Jim Here’s a position by position look at both teams: McIsaac Forwards Both typically get maximum efforts from their players, allow leadership to The Flyers have scorers and responsible two-way players sprinkled develop organically in the dressing room and adapt well to the personnel throughout their lineup as, similar to the Islanders, they roll four lines. they have, rather than forcing players into a system. Edge: Even Top-line right wing Jakub Voracek had three goals and three assists in the last four games against the Canadiens. Hayes, centering the second line, has a goal and six assists in nine postseason games. His right wing, Newsday LOADED: LOADED: 08.23.2020 Travis Konecny (24 goals, 37 assists) led the Flyers in regular-season scoring. Longtime top-six forwards Claude Giroux and James van Riemsdyk have been used in the bottom six during the playoffs.

The Islanders must keep the streaky Hayes and van Riemsdyk from getting hot. Eleven of the 14 Islanders forwards who dressed against the Capitals notched at least one point and the second line of Brock Nelson (one goal, two assists) between Anthony Beauvillier (three goals, one assist) and Josh Bailey (two goals, four assists) was the most consistent. Mathew Barzal’s top line with Anders Lee, who had goals in each of the first three games against the Capitals, and , also had strong shifts dominating puck possession. The question is whether fourth-line right wing Cal Clutterbuck can return for Game 1 after missing Game 5 against the Capitals. Edge: Even

Defensemen

The Flyers will get Matt Niskanen (eight goals, 25 assists in the regular season) back from his one-game suspension for Game 6 after breaking the jaw of the Canadiens’ Brendan Gallagher. He is averaging 22:05 of ice time and Ivan Provorov (13 goals, 23 assists) is averaging a team- high 25:14. But Travis Sanheim (eight goals, 17 assists) is the only other Flyers defenseman averaging more than 20 minutes per game.

The Islanders’ defense depth was tested quickly when Johnny Boychuk was injured in Game 1 of the four-game qualifying-series win over the Panthers. Former Devils captain Andy Greene’s steady play has kept Boychuk from re-entering the lineup. The top pair of Adam Pelech and Ryan Pulock mostly stifled the Capitals’ potent scorers even with Alex Ovechkin scoring four goals. But the minutes have been spread fairly evenly among the six defensemen. Edge: Islanders

Goalies

The Flyers’ endless search for a No. 1 goalie may have finally ended with 22-year-old Carter Hart, who is 6-2-0 with a 1.71 goals-against average and a .943 save percentage in the postseason. Backup Brian Elliott has NHL playoff experience with four teams. 1191944 New York Islanders play. They have a real good balance between the offensive part and the defensive part. They manage pucks well. All the things you need to do to have success in this league.”

Islanders, Flyers enter playoff matchup playing their best hockey

Newsday LOADED: LOADED: 08.23.2020

By Andrew Gross [email protected] @AGrossNewsday

Updated August 23, 2020

The Islanders swept the three-game regular-season series from the Flyers.

And as far as Islanders coach Barry Trotz is concerned, there couldn’t be a more meaningless statistic going into the teams’ second-round playoff series.

“It has no bearing on where we are right now,” Trotz said after his team’s practice on Saturday. “It seems like it’s years ago we played them. It’s two pretty good teams that are going to square off. It’s what you’re doing right now that really matters.”

Game 1 of the best-of-seven series is Monday night at Scotiabank Arena in Toronto.

The Islanders eliminated the Capitals in five games in the first round and the Flyers needed six games to oust the Canadiens. The Islanders also won the best-of-five qualifying series in four games against the Panthers while the Flyers earned the top seed in the Eastern Conference by going 3-0-0 in a round-robin.

In the regular season, the Islanders beat the Flyers, 5-3, at NYCB Live’s Nassau Coliseum on Oct. 27, 4-3 in a shootout at Philadelphia on Nov. 16 and 5-3 at Barclays Center on Feb. 11.

“They played us very well all year,” Flyers president and general manager Chuck Fletcher said Saturday, a day off for his team. “I’ve been watching a lot of games here and I think they’ve played as well as any team in our bubble here in Toronto. They found their game very quickly and played with purpose, structure and identity. They’re a very good hockey team.”

That was not necessarily the case when the NHL season was paused March 12 because of the COVID-19 pandemic. Fourth-line center Casey Cizikas suffered a left-leg laceration against the Flyers on Feb. 11 and the Islanders, already without top-pair defenseman Adam Pelech because of an Achilles tendon injury, limped into the forced hiatus on a 2- 7-4 slide.

“I think both teams are in a different place,” Islanders captain Anders Lee said.

The Flyers, in their first season under coach Alain Vigneault, grew stronger as the season progressed and were 19-6-1 from Jan. 8 until the season was halted. They had a nine-game winning streak snapped in their last game before the pause, a 2-0 loss to the visiting Bruins on March 10.

They have become more structurally sound defensively and Fletcher noted the improvement in how the Flyers manage the puck.

“We’re a team now that has an identity,” he said. “We play the game the right way.”

“That’s one of his strengths,” said Islanders forward , who played for Vigneault with the Rangers from 2013-16, including a trip to the Stanley Cup Final in 2014 and a berth in the conference finals the following season. “He did the same thing with the Rangers a few years ago. I’ve got nothing but good things to say about AV. His team is going to be ready to go. It’s going to be a big series against us. I’m just expecting AV to prepare his team really well, like he did all season long.”

Trotz has been coaching against Vigneault since 1998, through his stops with the Predators and Capitals before joining the Islanders in 2018 and Vigneault’s previous jobs with the Canadiens and Canucks, in addition to the Rangers.

“Exactly the way the Flyers play is what I saw when he was with the Rangers,” Trotz said. “They’ve got good structure defensively. They will be aggressive in terms of their forecheck. Their defensemen get up in the 1191945 New York Islanders But that’s why it’s important to make adjustments, to be willing to change your opinion in the face of new information. By the numbers, the Islanders have been a defensive juggernaut in the bubble, allowing the fewest actual and expected goals against to go along with the league’s 2020 NHL playoff preview: Flyers vs. Islanders best save percentage at five-on-five. That’s been readily apparent from watching as they gave the Panthers and Capitals absolutely nothing at

even strength. They suffocated the life out of those teams, and if the By Dom Luszczyszyn Islanders played that way more often, they would be analytics darlings, especially if their offence remains as opportunistic off the counterattack. Aug 22, 2020 Through the playoffs, the team has a 58 percent expected goals rate, a massive improvement over its regular-season numbers. This is the best

the Islanders have looked all season. It’s nice to see some fresh faces. From 2006 to 2018, the NHL’s second The Flyers will be a much tougher test, though. Florida was rated as the round featured at least Pittsburgh or Washington, but for the second qualifying team in the East, while Washington was rated as the worst consecutive season, neither team has advanced past the opening round-robin team. Between those two, the Islanders have had a pretty stanza. This year, the battle of the Metropolitan will be fought by two well- fortunate path, and it’ll be interesting to see how they fare against what structured teams: the Philadelphia Flyers and the New York Islanders. should be a stronger opponent. That’s not meant to take away the team’s For the Islanders, it’s their second straight season making it to the accomplishments; it’s merely to add context to the numbers. It takes skill second round, something few could’ve imagined after the departure of to make Washington look that bad, but some of that was also self- their face of the franchise, John Tavares. They’re all the better for it, inflicted by the Capitals. completely buying into a team-first, next-man-up mentality that has the If the Flyers play the way they did against Montreal, however, “stronger club outworking opponents nightly. And winning. The Islanders have opponent” might be pushing it, and they’ll have a very tough time getting earned every inch and are hoping this year’s second-round matchup past the Islanders’ defensive structure. The team was completely anemic goes a lot better than last year’s. on offence against the Canadiens, earning just 1.73 expected goals per They’re the underdogs in this one though against a tough Flyers team 60 and scoring just as many. If not for strong goaltending saving over that works just as hard but has a bit more to work with at the top of its one goal per 60 above expected, that’s an entirely different series. lineup. But while Philadelphia is favoured by a decent margin in this Montreal deserves a lot of credit for how it played in the series, but that series, this isn’t exactly an optimal matchup stylistically speaking, doesn’t excuse Philadelphia’s performance. especially with the way the Islanders have played in the bubble. To advance to the conference final, the Flyers will need an entirely At the start of the first round, it was the Flyers that deserved heaps of different series here from the one they just had. They were the better praise for their round-robin performance, which saw their rating shoot up five-on-five team during the regular season compared with the Islanders as a result of an Elo adjustment. Now, it’s the Islanders’ turn after an and finished in the top five in goals percentage, so the ability is there. It’s exemplary showing against the Capitals in Round 1. It was a master just a matter of solving the Islanders’ defensive scheme. class by coach Barry Trotz against his former team, showing his former It’s not just five-on-five play that the Flyers need to fix, though, as their student, Todd Reirden, that he’s still the boss and doing so in definitive usually above-average special teams have been abhorrent in the bubble. fashion. The penalty kill should fix itself given the team has done a good job That performance upped the Islanders’ standing considerably, but limiting chances, but the power play is a big problem, with the second- perhaps not to the degree most fans are expecting. The Islanders’ lowest goal efficiency in the league. The Islanders struggling on their expected win percentage has jumped from 0.511 to 0.530 during these penalty kill in the playoffs does provide a window for success, one that playoffs, the largest of any team, but it’s still not in the realm of the could win Philadelphia this series, but the team will need a lot more out of remaining teams in the East. The adjustment is meant to be conservative its top players to do so. That could be the difference. on purpose, but in this case, it may be a bit too conservative in adjusting The biggest distinction between these teams is at the top of the lineup at to new information. The Islanders have been that good, and these odds forward. Goaltending values are pretty close, the defencemen are pretty likely undersell their chances. even with a similar makeup, and though the Flyers are deeper at forward, It may be overselling Philadelphia, too, after the Flyers’ strangely weak the Islanders aren’t that far off. It’s the big guns that make Philadelphia showing against the league’s 24th-ranked team. Montreal is a tougher the favourite in this series. team than it looks, but it was still odd to see the Flyers struggle to Take Philadelphia’s six best forwards against New York’s, and the choice generate much of anything. That only becomes more difficult against a between the two shouldn’t be all that controversial. It’s the Flyers group stingy Islanders team. easily, providing 14.2 wins of value to the Islanders’ 10.5. The only Those two matchups are fresh on a lot of people’s minds, and it’s why problem is those players haven’t actually played that way, while their there seems to be a lot more love for the scrappy Islanders, who made counterparts on the other side have been lights-out. short work of what many believed to be a contending Capitals team. Sean Couturier is one of the game’s best two-way centers and is one of That’s a fair take, but every series offers a new beginning, a chance to the few Flyers to keep up a positive five-on-five impact during the reset and game plan against a new team. I think we see a much better playoffs so far, but as the team’s best player, he needs to provide more version of the Flyers here than we did in the last series. offence. In nine games, he has zero goals and just five assists. Claude It’s a tale of two teams heading in opposite directions. The Islanders Giroux, the team’s next best player, has been a much bigger problem. were amazing against the Capitals, fully deserving of their five-game He, too, has zero goals and just four assists, but he has been shredded series win. The Flyers were lucky to survive Montreal and were a shade at five-on-five to the tune of a 44 percent expected goals rate. His play of the team that steamrolled through the competition in the season’s this season was concerning, but it’s never been this bad, and he was second half and during the round robin. actually demoted to the third line during the series against Montreal. At this point, it’s hard to pinpoint what the actual lines will be for Game 1, For the Islanders, it was their defensive might. There has been a lot of but whatever they are, they probably don’t last long anyway. back-and-forth over the past few years regarding the Islanders’ success and how it relates to their poor analytics. There have been cries of Travis Konecny is the team’s third-best forward, and he, too, has zero regression and debates about sustainability — whether the Islanders goals, adding just three assists and being an even bigger liability at five- could keep winning the way they were. As the season was coming to a on-five. His 39 percent expected goals rate is better than only Joel close, it looked as if a lot of the issues underscored by the team’s Farabee’s. James van Riemsdyk, the team’s most efficient goal scorer underlying numbers were coming to roost as the team closed the season over the past two seasons, also has zero goals and no assists to show by tumbling down the standings with a goal rate that fell under its for his “effort,” either. Effort is in quotation marks because he’s drawn ire expected rate. Both were under 50 percent, making New York a below- for his lack of it already, finding himself in the press box for three games average five-on-five team. If not for the extended break, the Islanders during these playoffs. As for Kevin Hayes, he has one goal and seven might have been first-round fodder, and those are the numbers driving points in nine games, which is strong production, but he’s been getting the team’s relatively low series odds. caved in on that second line to the tune of a 40 percent expected goals rate along with Konecny. That duo has seen great results, but they’ve The team’s defence will make that even trickier, as the entire group has been fortunate to do so. been excellent from top to bottom. For context, Devon Toews has the lowest average Game Score among Islanders defencemen so far at 0.70, That’s five of the team’s top offensive forwards, all who scored at above a number that would normally be No. 1 defenceman territory. Every guy a 20-goal, 50-point pace this year but have combined for one goal over is playing well, and there isn’t a single Islander who has been out- the Flyers’ first nine games while being mostly heavily out-chanced. chanced during the playoffs. That’s a credit to all three pairings playing That’s far from good enough, and the Flyers’ chances hinge on their best well. Ryan Pulock is the team’s best defenceman, and he’s played like it players being their best players. in the playoffs with six points and a 60 percent expected goals rate. The lone top-six forward not mentioned on that list of shame is Jakub That’s tops among the team’s blueliners, but there isn’t much separation Voracek, who has singlehandedly carried the offensive load for the team. throughout the lineup. Even Nick Leddy has brought a positive impact Voracek has been a monster in these playoffs and has easily been the after looking cooked for most of the season, and I would bet that has team’s best player. Despite the team’s struggle to drive play, the Flyers something to do with getting to play with a more competent partner more are doing fine with Voracek on the ice, earning a 64 percent expected regularly. goals rate, well above the team average. To go with that, Voracek has The Flyers, on the other hand, have a lot more to be concerned about. notched eight points in eight games to lead the team, and the Flyers That’s to be expected given the team’s overall struggle to push play in have yet to be scored on with Voracek on the ice. the right direction, but it starts from the back end out and at the top of the On the other side of the matchup, the Islanders’ top forwards have been lineup. The team’s top pair of Ivan Provorov and Matt Niskanen has been absolutely cooking in the playoffs. Josh Bailey has 10 points in nine on the right side of the ice for a lot of goals, but those two have spent a games to lead the team, Anthony Beauvillier has six goals to tie the lot of time in their own end to get there, with a rough 41 percent expected league lead, and both Mathew Barzal and Brock Nelson have notched a goals share. That’s the type of thing that generally comes back to bite respectable seven points. All of them are driving play to a strong degree you, especially against an opportunistic team like the Islanders. The at five-on-five, too, mostly by way of creating chances on offence. The other pairings haven’t been much better, save for Philippe Myers, who is Islanders have been particularly potent with Barzal on the ice, outscoring the only Flyers defender currently on the right side of the ledger, with a the opposition 8-1. And while neither Jordan Eberle nor Anders Lee is 54 percent expected goals rate. That needs to change in this series if the producing as much, they’ve been crucial cogs to the exceptional play of Flyers want to advance. the top line. Lee’s 63 percent expected goals rate is the third-best mark Now, Shayne Gostsibehere hasn’t been great in his four games, and he on the team. All are playing well above expectations right now, peaking was awful this season, but I wonder what it takes to get him in the lineup at the right time to boost the Islanders toward their best hockey of the over Robert Hägg against the Islanders, with Hägg clearly struggling to season. play at the level necessary in the playoffs. Hägg struggles to move the That’s the power of a short series, where lesser players can look like puck, and that leads to his being hemmed in his own end often. Moving better players, significantly so. Not many people would take the the puck is a strength of Gostisbehere’s, and against a strong Islanders’ six over the Flyers’ six under normal circumstances, but given forechecking team like the Islanders, the ability to push the puck up ice their postseason play, it’s hard not to go with the boys from Long Island. quickly and effectively is crucial to success. Gostisbehere can probably help rejuvenate a struggling power play, too, and that could free up The question is what to expect when you’ve got one group of players Provorov to focus more on being a shutdown defender at five-on-five. playing over their heads and another struggling to live up to their own abilities. There are two schools of thought when presented with that kind In net, Carter Hart has the edge over Semyon Varlamov, and that applies of information: going with the hot hand or going with the tried-and-true. to the regular season and the playoffs. In 2019-20, Hart was 11th in It’ll be interesting to see how that plays out in this series, and to be goals saved above expected, with 5.1 to Varlamov’s 1.5, which ranked honest, I’m not sure which one I would trust more here. Logic suggests 22nd. That advantage has carried over to the playoffs. There, Hart is believing in a player’s average baseline and expecting the second league-wide at 5.9 — saving more goals in eight playoff games commensurate output, but when a player gets hot, all logic goes out the than he did all season — and has simply looked dialled in, channelling window. There’s a psychological element to it all, and it’s easy to see his inner Carey Price last series in a faceoff against his boyhood idol. New York’s hot players staying hot and Philadelphia’s cold players Varlamov isn’t too far behind Hart, though, saving 4.5 goals above staying cold as a result. Just don’t be surprised, either, if things revert expected. Both have been critical parts of their teams’ playoff success back to something more closely resembling “normal.” and will need to continue to be to keep moving forward.

Depth will be another key in this series, and the Flyers have a few solid Across the board, there isn’t much reason to be definitively confident in players who can contribute throughout the lineup if the big guys falter. either side. Hart is the better goalie, but goaltending is always fickle. The Joel Farabee has struggled to push play in the right direction but has Islanders defencemen have been better in the playoffs and carry a slight added timely scoring as a plug-and-play guy. Ditto Scott Laughton, edge in total value, but the potential for the Flyers to slot in Gostisbehere matching Farabee’s three goals for the playoffs. Nicolas Aube-Kubel and can tilt the scales back in Philadelphia’s favour. The Flyers forwards Michael Raffl are strong play-drivers who can subtly move the needle for appear substantially better, and they’re the main reason the team is so a line, though the former is currently unfit to play. There are a lot of heavily favoured, but the way the Islanders’ top guys are rolling right now options here, and it’s tough to gauge what, exactly, the Flyers do with simply can’t be ignored. their lines once everyone is healthy (especially if Oskar Lindblom can The bottom line make a return), especially with most of those players playing wing. Having Giroux center the third line could open up the option of scratching This should be a tight series, one where it’s hard to decide which side will Nate Thompson, the team’s worst player. Taking him out of the lineup prevail. Both teams have the will, but the Flyers have the pedigree and would add value via addition by subtraction and could give Philadelphia a the talent, while the Islanders have the recency and the system. necessary boost in this series. His 39.4 percent expected goals rate is among the worst on the team, and the team has been outscored 3-1 with If the Flyers can switch the style up, improve their game against a him on the ice during the playoffs. He looked rough against Montreal. stronger Islanders team and showcase their skill, they have a very good shot at advancing. But if the Islanders can impose their defensive might, Playing Thompson against either of the Islanders’ bottom two lines neutralize the Flyers’ talent and continue on their current trajectory, it’s doesn’t look like it’ll end well considering the two pivots anchoring each difficult not seeing New York prevailing. Whatever happens, it’ll be an line. Jean-Gabriel Pageau has come exactly as advertised on the third absolute battle to the finish. line and has found amazing defensive chemistry with Leo Komarov. The duo leads the team in expected goals at 64 and 69 percent, and it’s — Data via Evolving Hockey, Natural Stat Trick, and All-Three Zones mostly thanks to their ability to limit chances. The Islanders have allowed Comparison Tool using data from Corey Sznajder. only 1.25 expected goals against per 60 with Pageau on the ice these playoffs, and that drops to 0.72 with Komarov. Casey Cizikas remains one of the league’s best fourth-line centers, and his defensive presence The Athletic LOADED: 08.23.2020 is right up there, sandwiched between Pageau and Komarov at 1.21 expected goals against per 60. That will be a tough shutdown combo to break through for the Flyers. 1191946 Philadelphia Flyers advantage in goals scored over the Flyers (3.3 to 2.4) in the postseason, and Alain Vigneault’s team has managed just 25.4 shots per game, which is next to last among the 24 teams that have competed in the tournament. Islanders downplay regular-season success against the Flyers, and brace for a tough series Breakaways

There is the potential for two sets of back-to-back games in the series. After Sunday, “I don’t think we practice again until the series is over,” Sam Carchidi, Trotz said. ... The Flyers were outshot in five of the six playoff games against Montreal. … Fourth-line Isles winger Cal Clutterbuck, injured by

Radko Gudas’ check in Game 4 against the Caps, returned to practice The New York Islanders downplayed the fact they won all three regular- Saturday. season games against the Flyers, the team they will meet in the Eastern Philadelphia Inquirer / Daily News LOADED: 08.23.2020 Conference semifinals starting Monday night at Toronto’s Scotiabank Arena.

“It has no bearing on where we are right now,” Islanders coach Barry Trotz said in a Zoom call Saturday from Toronto. “It seems like it’s years ago since we played them. What you’re doing now is what really matters, and what you did before has zero bearing on the effect of these games.”

The Flyers went 0-2-1 against the Isles in the regular season. In the last meeting, New York broke a 3-3 tie with 41 seconds left on Feb. 11 as it defeated goalie Brian Elliott, 5-3. The Islanders also scored a 5-3 victory on Oct. 27, chasing Carter Hart in the second period after he had allowed five goals on 14 shots.

New York overcame a 3-0 third-period deficit in their 4-3 shootout win against Elliott on Nov. 16.

Elliott played in two of the three games against the Islanders, but Hart, who was brilliant against Montreal with a 1.95 GAA and .935 save percentage in the quarterfinal series, figures to get most of the starts in Round 2.

“We have to get some traffic, some scrums and some second chances and make it tough on him,” said Islanders center Brock Nelson, whose line, with Anthony Beauvillier and Josh Bailey, has combined for 11 goals and 26 points in the playoffs and will get lots of defensive attention from Sean Couturier’s unit.

The Flyers are “obviously a team that’s playing pretty well and won the No. 1 spot in that playoff round,” Isles left winger Anders Lee said. “It’s another tough match for us.”

Nelson said the regular-season games against the Flyers “were a long time ago and both teams are in different places in their play now.”

In the conference quarterfinals, the sixth-seeded Islanders dismantled third-seeded Washington in five games. The Capitals are a bigger team than the top-seeded Flyers, who bring something different to the table, Trotz said.

“They’re obviously not as top-heavy in terms of what you saw with Washington in the physicality they bring,” said Trotz, mentioning the Caps’ Alex Ovechkin, Nicklas Backstrom, and Tom Wilson. “But they have a good mix of size and skill, and they’re pretty deep in the forward position.”

Deep, but struggling down the offensive end, despite their postseason success.

The Flyers, who struggled past Montreal in a six-game quarterfinal, and Islanders are both 7-2 in the postseason.

Flyers general manager Chuck Fletcher and Trotz sounded as if they expected a long, hard-fought series.

“I think they’ve played as well as any team in our bubble here in Toronto,” Fletcher said about the Isles. “They’ve found their game very quickly. They play with purpose, structure and identity. They have some skill up front, too. They have three lines that can score. They’re really a good hockey team.”

Trotz said the Flyers have “good structure defensively, and they will be aggressive in the forecheck. They allow their D to get up in the play. They have a real good balance between the offensive part and the defensive part. They manage pucks pretty well and do all the things you need to do to have success in this league.”

Both teams have been among the NHL’s best defensive teams in the postseason, with the Islanders second (1.67 goals-against per game) and the Flyers third (1.78) in the league. But New York has a sizable 1191947 Philadelphia Flyers Such moments and mistakes will loom larger against the Islanders. They are superior to the Canadiens -- deeper, more experienced, with one of the league’s best coaches in Barry Trotz. They just wiped out the Washington Capitals in five games, and they went 3-0 against the Flyers The Flyers need Carter Hart to keep being great, but his idol’s past during the regular season. For the Flyers to win this series, Hart’s proves that’s no guarantee | Mike Sielski teammates will have to be better than they were against Montreal. So will he.

“You’ve got to learn; you’ve got to grow,” Vigneault said. “Carter Hart’s Mike Sielski got to learn. He’s got to grow. He was up against his idol growing up, and he handled it like we expected, like we expect our team to handle the playoffs.” The half-hug and handshake that Carter Hart and Carey Price shared after Game 6 on Friday night brought to a close the clearest and most There’s that word: expect, with its implicit standard to be met. This is the compelling storyline of the Flyers’ first-round playoff series against the postseason, and there’s only so much growing a team or its young Canadiens. From the beginning of Game 1 to the end of the Flyers’ 3-2 goaltender can afford, because tomorrow is always a mystery, even for a victory Friday, Hart had outplayed Price: lower save percentage, lower kid as good as Carter Hart. Since his 2008 nightmare against the Flyers, goals-against average, more , more responsible for his team’s Carey Price has been an All-Star six times, has won the Hart Trophy and victories. The former had idolized the latter, and now the learner had the Vezina Trophy, and has appeared in 53 playoff games. Fifty-three. surpassed the master. Two of them came after the second round. Two.

“Definitely a really special moment,” said Hart, who stopped 31 of the Philadelphia Inquirer / Daily News LOADED: 08.23.2020 Canadiens’ 33 shots in Game 6. “Obviously, I look up to him. For him to come over and congratulate you in the handshake line -- he said, ‘Hell of a series’ and that he’ll be watching. That’s pretty special and definitely something I won’t forget.”

That’s a hell of a thing for a 22-year-old athlete, to have his hero whisper to him such a compliment and such well wishes. But while Hart is mature enough to recognize he has to file away the memory of that moment as he prepares for the Flyers’ next opponent, the Islanders, he would do well to familiarize himself with an episode from early in Price’s career, if he hasn’t familiarized himself with it already. It is likely not an episode that Price remembers fondly.

Just as Hart did against the Canadiens, Price in the spring of 2008 excelled in his first playoff series, against the Boston Bruins. He was a rookie then, the phenom on the rise. He was the primary reason to think his team could win the Stanley Cup. Montreal was the No. 1 seed in the Eastern Conference, and Price made 25 saves in a Game 7 shutout, finishing the series with a .925 save percentage, shutting down his team’s fiercest rival, allowing the Canadiens to advance to the second round. There, they met … the Flyers. There, the pressure and expectations intensified. And there, Price’s postseason fell apart.

Over the first three games of the series, Price surrendered 10 goals on 68 shots -- a ghastly .853 save percentage -- and each goal seemed more preventable than the last. R.J. Umberger from 35 feet, Umberger again after Price went on a squirrely chase for a loose puck, Scotty Upshall with a 25-foot wrist shot, Mike Richards with a 35-foot wrist shot. Price was 20 years old, and he appeared to be carrying the weight of the world in his catching glove. Canadiens coach Guy Charbonneau benched Price for Game 4, replacing him with Jaroslav Halak. The Flyers won anyway, 4-2. Charbonneau went back to Price for Game 5, and the Flyers torched him for five goals and ended the series.

None of that history means that Hart is bound to play as poorly in the second round as Price did back then. Hart has as accomplished a resume as a goaltender his age can have. In junior, he was the ’s best goalie one year, the Western Hockey League’s best goalie the next, and he won a gold medal with Canada in the 2018 world championships. Once the Flyers called him up late in 2018, his presence has stabilized a position that had bedeviled them for more than three decades.

“It’s remarkable,” general manager Chuck Fletcher said. “He’s 22 years old, and he’s out there giving us a chance to win every game. I’ve said this a few times about Carter: He’s obviously very talented, and his track record speaks for itself, but the most impressive thing about Carter is if he gives up a bad goal or a game doesn’t go the way he wants it to, he has this uncanny ability to bounce back.”

So far, he has, yes. But Price’s performance in that ’08 series -- a succession of mental and physical gaffes that, based on the available evidence, no one would have expected from him -- should serve as a reminder that the playoffs are unpredictable, that they come with no assurances and guarantees. As terrific as Hart was in the first round, coach Alain Vigneault still pulled him in Game 2, and only the eagle eye of instant replay, nullifying what would have an inexcusably soft goal by Nick Suzuki at an awful time, kept Vigneault from yanking Hart again in Game 5. 1191948 Philadelphia Flyers “Teams are different,” he said. “We have seen teams that have played much better here than they were playing before the pause. There’s also some teams that aren’t here anymore that couldn’t get their game back to their level. There’s been unique challenges here. … I think the key is how Flyers need to find another level to turn a good season into a special one you continue to adapt, evolve, and get your game going.” | Sam Carchidi The wacky made-for-TV Round 2 schedule – starting Monday, the Flyers and Islanders will play four games in five and half days – leaves little practice time. So teams “are going to have to come in with the right Sam Carchidi, mindset and make quick adjustments,” Fletcher said. “Get your game to a high level very quickly.”

The Flyers gutted out an inartistic 3-2 win over Montreal on Friday night, That means coaching will be at the forefront. clinching a series they could have easily lost. Coaching gems But, hey, style points don’t matter in the Stanley Cup playoffs. It’s all The Flyers’ Alain Vigneault is a brilliant coach who has pushed most of about advancing, and only eight of the NHL’s 31 teams can make that the right buttons this season. He is opposed by a genius, Trotz, who led claim. Washington to the Cup two years ago, has the fourth-most wins in NHL Flyers beat Montreal, 3-2, in Game 6, win their first playoff series since history, and is future Hall of Famer. 2012 Vigneault has two secret weapons, former head coaches Mike Yeo and The Flyers, who moved to Round 2 for the first time since 2012, won , as assistants. Maybe the three of them can outfox the because their team defense did just enough good things and because master? Carter Hart was slightly better than Carey Price. (And when is the last “I think we’re a team now that has an identity,” Fletcher said. “A season time the Flyers won a playoff series because of their goalie?) ago, I don’t think we played the game the right way. We didn’t defend That said, they won’t beat the New York Islanders – a well-rounded team well. We didn’t manage the puck well. We didn’t manage the game well. I with size and the best coach on the planet, Barry Trotz – if they don’t think we have a much better defensive identity now than we did. The improve in a lot of areas. They know that, know they weren’t at their best players understand what’s expected of them. They’ve bought into it. in their six-game series win over Montreal. That’s very important. I don’t think we would be here if we weren’t able to accomplish some of those things. I think that in the first round with AV, That can be good or bad depending on your perspective. you saw what a veteran coach can do.”

Two views Vigneault juggled lines, demoted veterans like Giroux, promoted rookie Joel Farabee, and benched an unproductive van Riemsdyk for two Good: The Flyers were talented enough, deep enough, to beat a tough, games, among other moves. hungry opponent, and there’s room for them to raise their game in the next series. “He’s not afraid to make changes,” Fletcher said. “Has a pretty good sense of the game within the game, if you will.” Bad: If the Flyers don’t get to that higher level, they will be eliminated in Round 2 because they are facing an Islanders team that is much One thing he didn’t get, however, was enough production from many of stronger than the pesky Canadiens. his veterans. If that continues, the Flyers will be eliminated by the Isles in what would still be deemed a good season for the Orange and Black. Flyers center Kevin Hayes, who had two points and a plus-3 rating in their series-closing win Friday night over Montreal, prefers to look at the But if the veterans rebound, this still has a chance to be remembered as good. a very special season.

“I think it speaks volumes that we didn’t play to our capability, and we still Philadelphia Inquirer / Daily News LOADED: 08.23.2020 got four wins,” Hayes said.

Four hard-earned wins – three by one goal, the other a 2-0 victory.

In those four wins, Hart allowed a total of three goals. He was the No. 1 star in three of the victories, the No. 2 star in the other win.

Hart and the bend-but-don’t break defense are the main reason the Flyers are advancing. The 22-year-old goalie needs more help from the offense if the Flyers are going to advance to the Eastern Conference finals. The Flyers scored just 11 goals (1.8 per game) against Montreal, their fewest in franchise history in a six-game series win. Montreal outscored them, 13-11, marking the first time in the Flyers’ history they won a playoff round while allowing more goals than they scored.

Finding a way

To their credit, even though Travis Konecny, Sean Couturier, Claude Giroux and James van Riemsdyk are still looking for their first goals of the postseason, the Flyers found a way to get it done. They did it by blocking shots, getting big saves at key times, and capitalizing on just enough of their limited scoring chances.

Still, they need to be more crisp with their breakouts, more active on their usually suffocating forecheck, and better on their special teams.

The Flyers need to find another level, general manager Chuck Fletcher agreed on a Zoom call Saturday from Toronto, “if we want to continue to win games and move on.”

Fletcher said there are “unique challenges” for teams playing in the bubble.

Fletcher says “hopefully we can play long enough so he (Lindblom) can join us” in games. #Flyers

— Sam Carchidi (@BroadStBull) August 22, 2020 1191949 Philadelphia Flyers “It speaks volumes to our team that we didn’t play up to our capability, and we still got four wins” against Montreal, Hayes said. “Every opponent brings a different challenge. I thought Montreal was a tough opponent. I’m proud of the guys and the way we battled. We just need to refocus Flyers need to refocus if they’re going to get by the Islanders and realize that we have a great team and do have a live shot to win this thing.”

Philadelphia Inquirer / Daily News LOADED: 08.23.2020 Ed Barkowitz,

The New York Islanders, the Flyers’ next opponent in the Eastern Conference semifinals, are similar to the Montreal Canadiens team that just gave the Flyers more headaches than a maternity ward full of crying infants.

Their second-round series starts Monday at 7 p.m. and will be shown on NBCSN.

Shayne Gostisbehere and revamped defense help Flyers outlast Habs and win series; schedule set for Round 2

New York is playing as well as anyone, at least in the East. Their goalie may not be as renowned as Carey Price, but he’s experienced. And their forwards are more polished than what the Flyers just endured in their six- game victory over the Habs.

“There’s a reason why they won so quickly against the Capitals,” Flyers forward Kevin Hayes said of the Islanders.

Sure is. It’s called defense.

The Islanders have allowed the second-fewest shots per game in the postseason, and have given up two goals or less in seven of nine games. It took them four games to take care of Florida in the best-of-five qualifying round, and they eliminated Washington with a 4-0 shutout in Game 5 of their best-of-seven series.

Flyers-Islanders Schedule

Game 1: Monday, 7 p.m. (NBCSN)

Game 2: Wednesday, 3 p.m. (NBCSN)

Game 3: Thursday, 7 p.m. (NBCSN)

Game 4: Saturday, Aug. 29, 12 p.m. (NBC)

*Game 5: Monday, Aug. 31

*Game 6: Wednesday, Sept. 2

*Game 7: Thursday, Sept. 3

*If necessary.

“When they have opportunities, they try to score,” Flyers defenseman Ivan Provorov said of the Islanders. “I think we just got to play our game. Keep playing fast. Control the puck and not give them any chances to score.”

New York beat the Flyers in all three meetings during the regular season, including one game in a shootout when they erased a 3-0 third-period deficit at the Wells Fargo Center. But they’ve met only once since mid- November.

Flyers coach Alain Vigneault, who on Friday tied for 13th all-time in postseason coaching wins (75), has been going against Islanders coach Barry Trotz for most of the last 20 years. Trotz got his Stanley Cup two years ago with Washington. Vigneault is still hard after his first.

“This was a tough series in the sense that everyone predicted that we were the favorites, weren’t giving Montreal a lot of credit,” Vigneault said. “So we had to play through a lot of things mentally.”

If he was trying to pull the underdog card, forget it. DraftKings opened the top-seeded Flyers favored at around minus-140 for the series.

The Flyers didn’t necessarily beat Montreal as much as they survived. Many of their big guns didn’t fire, but their kids gained great experience. You have to learn how to win in the playoffs, Vigneault said.

The Flyers have met and conquered challenges all year. Now they get the sixth-seeded Islanders in a playoff series for the first time in 33 years. 1191950 Philadelphia Flyers 10. Adam Pelech (6-3, 218) and Ryan Pulock (6-2, 217) is their top pairing. Pelech was thought to be lost for the season after a January Achilles’ injury, but the extended stoppage took care of that.

20 things to know about the Flyers’ next opponent: the New York 11. Brought in steady defenseman Andy Greene and flashy forward Islanders Jean-Gabriel Pageau at the trade deadline.

12. Pageau has just one goal in his last 13 games against the Flyers, all while he was with Ottawa. Ed Barkowitz, The Islanders pong tournament was a floor above me. https://t.co/un3XNEgTOZ

The Islanders have speed, a commitment to defense and gave the Flyers — Gord Miller (@GMillerTSN) August 16, 2020 more problems this season than the Canadiens did. This should be a long series, though maybe not as physical and nasty like what the Flyers 13. Isles captain Anders Lee, a native of Edina, was the 2008 Minnesota saw out of Montreal in the first round. But give it time. Gatorade football player of the year. He had one game where he threw for 477 yards and four touchdowns, and rushed for another 104 yards. Here are 20 things to know about the sixth-seeded Islanders: He went to Notre Dame -- on a hockey scholarship.

1. The Flyers lost all three meetings against the Islanders this season, 14. Defenseman Devon Toews is not related to Chicago Blackhawks twice in regulation, once in a shootout. They were outscored, 13-9. New captain Jonathan Toews. York erased a 3-0 deficit in the third period in November. 15. Semyon Varlamov beat the Flyers twice this season while Thomas 2. This will be the fifth postseason meeting for these two longtime Greiss took the shootout. Varlamov has won his last five starts against division rivals, but the first in 33 years. The Flyers won three of the Philadelphia, posting 2.56 goals against and a .928 save pct. He has previous four series, but New York won the big one: the 1980 (cough, played the entire postseason for the Isles. Leon Stickle) . 16. The Islanders spanked the Capitals despite their power-play going 2- 3. Mathew Barzal had five points against the Flyers and Ryan Pulock had for-22 (9.1%). Their PK was 14-for-18 (77.8%). The Flyers were 1-for-8 the two game-winning goals. Barzal won the shootout, but there’s no (12.5%) on the power-play in three games against the Isles this year. GWG for shootout winners. New York was 1-for-6 (16.7%).

4. Trivia: Barzal was the Calder winner two years ago, becoming the fifth 17. Trivia answer: The four Islanders to win rookie of the year prior to Islander to win the NHL’s rookie of the year. Collect one free chiclet for Mathew Barzal are Denis Potvin (1974), Bryan Trottier (1976), Mike each of the other four you can name. Hint: three played during the ’80s Bossy (1978) and Bryan Berard (1997). No Flyer has ever won it. dynasty. 18. A win here would move Lou Lamoriello into second place all-time for Schedule postseason series wins by a general manager. Who knew they kept such a stat? Lamoriello is tied with Bill Torrey, who built the 1980s champions, Game 1: Monday, 7 p.m. (NBCSN) with 28 series wins. Only Glenn Sather has more. Game 2: Wednesday, 3 p.m. (NBCSN) 19. Of Lamoriello’s 28 series wins, three came against the Flyers (1995, Game 3: Thursday, 7 p.m. (NBCSN) 200 conference finals; 2012 conference semifinals) while he was in New Jersey. Game 4: Saturday, Aug. 29, 12 p.m. (NBC) 20. Lamoriello coached hockey at Providence College for 15 years and *Game 5: Monday, Aug. 31 became the school’s athletic director in 1982. He hired Rick Pitino to coach the basketball team in 1985. *Game 6: Wednesday, Sept. 2 Lou Lamoriello earned his 28th career postseason series win as an NHL *Game 7: Thursday, Sept. 3 general manager to pass Jack Adams and Sam Pollock and tie longtime *If necessary. @NYIslanders executive Bill Torrey for second place on the League’s all- time list. #NHLStats #StanleyCup pic.twitter.com/VOwF75RZ3r 5. “We knew what kind of hockey team they are over there and how they can be very frustrating to play against,” said Capitals’ star John Carlson — NHL Public Relations (@PR_NHL) August 21, 2020 after the Islanders made quick work of Washington in five games. Philadelphia Inquirer / Daily News LOADED: 08.23.2020 6. Anthony Beauvillier was taken four picks after the Flyers took Travis Konecny at 24th in the 2015 draft. Beauvillier, who has been terrific in the postseason with a team-best six goals, was -11 during the regular season.

7. Make it -12 to include a failed, but humorous attempt on Twitter to strike up a conversation with actress Anna Kendrick on Christmas Day. After seeing a tweet from Beauvillier saying “Hi” to Kendrick, his fans attempted to boost his character by telling Kendrick that the young Islanders star saves grandmothers from coyotes, does heart surgery in his spare time and feeds orphans in third-world countries. Alas, Kendrick, who is 12 years older than Beauvillier, has a boyfriend.

Anthony Beauvillier continues his hot streak and extends the @NYIslanders lead. #NHLonSN pic.twitter.com/ht4ugt5RF3

— Sportsnet (@Sportsnet) August 21, 2020

8. Veteran defenseman Johnny Boychuk has not played since Aug. 1 because of an injury. Not that he’s been missed.

9. The Islanders have given up 1.67 goals per in their nine playoff games. Eight in five games against Washington, which was second in the league in scoring during the regular season. Seven in four games against Florida, which was sixth in scoring. 1191951 Philadelphia Flyers “They played us very well all year,’’ Fletcher said. “I think they played as well as any team in our bubble. They found their game very quickly. They play with purpose and structure. They have some skill up front, too. They have three lines that can score.” Fletcher: Flyers can play better and will have to against Islanders Konecny looks to get untracked

Travis Konecny led the Flyers in scoring this past regular season but Wayne Fish hasn’t found the net in the playoffs. Clearly he’s frustrated.

“I think Travis is one of those players who has another level that he needs to get to in terms of using his speed to create and getting pucks to Flyers defenseman Ivan Provorov tries to keep the puck away from the the net,’’ Fletcher said. Islanders' Casey Cizikas during a February game. “He’s getting better. But there’s still another level he needs to get to. But Kevin Hayes said it was a positive the Flyers were able to eliminate that line (including Hayes, Scott Laughton) produced a lot of chances the Montreal even though they weren’t at the top of their game at times last few games. I think they’re starting to get going.’’ during the series. Key to Sanheim-Myers success Can the Flyers find a higher level? Fletcher understands why Travis Sanheim and Phil Myers have been the That question was asked of general manager Chuck Fletcher during a only constant defense pairing in this playoff tournament. Zoom call from Toronto on Saturday. “I give a lot credit to (assistant coach) Mike Yeo and the whole coaching “Yeah I do,’’ he said. “We’ll probably have to find out if we want to win staff,’’ Fletcher said. “They (Sanheim-Myers) are young players, at some games and move on. You have to give a lot of credit to the Montreal point you just have to trust them. Canadiens. They play a very structured, a very fast game, put a lot of pressure on us. I think we put a lot of pressure on them at times, too. “They’re both big, rangy defenders, who can really skate. They both have great sticks. I think they both have tremendous upside and should have a “There wasn’t a lot of free ice out there. We had to battle for everything great future ahead of them. What they’ve shown you the ability to do is we had. I do think we got a few more offensive chances as the series match up and to defend. They’ve quickly earned the trust of our coaching went on. Our power play got a little bit better. But there’s no question I staff.” think there’s another level we need to get to.’’ Burlington County Times LOADED: 08.23.2020 Schedule announced

Here’s the schedule for the Flyers-Islanders playoff series:

Game 1: Monday, 7 p.m.

Game 2: Wednesday, 3 p.m.

Game 3: Thursday, 7 p.m.

Game 4: Saturday, 12 p.m.

Game 5: Monday, Aug. 31, TBD.

Game 6: Wednesday, Sept. 2, TBD.

Game 7: Thursday, Sept. 3, TBD.

One down, three to go

The Flyers knew going into the season they had a good chance of breaking their eight-year drought of not winning a playoff series, mainly because they had just hired a coach who had already been to the Stanley Cup Final twice.

“I think we have a very good coaching staff all together,’’ Fletcher said. “They work really hard. I think we’re a team now that has an identity. A season ago, I don’t know if we played the game the right way. We didn’t defend well, we didn’t manage the puck well, didn’t manage the game well.

“I think we have a much better defensive identity now than what we did. I think the players know what’s expected of them. They bought into it. I think that’s very important. I don’t think we would be here if we didn’t accomplish some of those things.’’

Flyers excel in third period

Once the Flyers got the lead in the Montreal series, they usually hung onto it. Nowhere was this more evident than in the third periods of the Flyers’ four wins where they played virtually flawless hockey.

“What I like about it (Game 6), not only were we able to close it out but close it after we got away from our game,’’ Fletcher said. “Montreal pushed us out of our comfort zone and we had to get that back. Our gaps were better, we defended better, our wall play was better. We were confident during the season with it and (Friday) night we needed it.’’

Islanders a major challenge

No doubt the Islanders looked really impressive in eliminating Washington.

Now the Flyers have to figure out a way to slow this team down. 1191952 Philadelphia Flyers Game 4 — Saturday, Aug. 29, noon ET, NBC Game 5 — Monday, Aug. 31, TBD, TBD

Game 6 — Wednesday, Sept. 2, TBD, TBD Flyers-Islanders schedule for 2020 NHL playoffs: Dates, game times, broadcast information Game 7 — Thursday, Sept. 3, TBD, TBD

Below are the schedules for the other three second-round series:

Jordan Hall Comcast SportsNet.com LOADED: 08.23.2020 August 22, 2020

The Flyers are headed to the second round of the Stanley Cup Playoffs for the first time since 2012.

While that is a feat certainly worth noting, the Flyers genuinely believe this 2019-20 group is capable of accomplishing much more.

"Obviously we’re not done," Shayne Gostisbehere said Friday night in a video interview. "It's just a feather in our hat right now."

Punctuated by a hard-fought 3-2 victory Friday night, the top-seeded Flyers finished off the eighth-seeded Canadiens in six games to win their best-of-seven first-round series. Now they face the sixth-seeded Islanders, a team that plays a similar out-work-you, get-after-you style to dictate pace and prevent goals. The Islanders have won seven of their nine games in the NHL's return-to-play 24-team tournament, eliminating the Panthers in the qualifying round and the Capitals in the first round. Washington scored the NHL's second-most goals per game (3.42) during the regular season and Florida put up the league's sixth most (3.30), but New York held those two to a combined 1.67 per game, currently the second-fewest goals against in the playoffs.

The Flyers have also won seven of their nine games in the tournament, holding their opponents to 1.78 goals per game, a stretch that includes victories over the Eastern Conference's top three regular-season clubs (Bruins, Lightning, Capitals) and four wins over the Canadiens.

"They played us very well all year," Flyers general manager Chuck Fletcher said of the Islanders on Saturday in a video interview. "I’ve been watching a lot of games here, obviously we’ve spent a lot of time over at Scotiabank [Arena] watching as many games as we can. I think they’ve played as well as any team in our bubble here in Toronto. They've found their game very quickly. They play with purpose, structure and identity.

"You only get so many chances in this business. There are 23 teams not playing and eight of us that still are. You always like to think you're going to get this far every year, but it’s tough, so we've got to take advantage of this opportunity. It’s a great learning experience on the one hand for a lot of our young players that haven’t played a lot of playoff hockey or haven’t played any playoff hockey until this year. But opportunities are not always there and we have a good one right now."

During the regular season, the Flyers went 0-2-1 against the Islanders. The Flyers lost to New York, 5-3, on Oct. 27, coughed up a 3-0 third- period lead for a 4-3 shootout defeat on Nov. 16 and lost a wild one, 5-3, on Feb. 11.

For the Flyers, two of those games were on the road and two were prior to the calendar turning to 2020. From January on, the new-look Flyers truly found themselves under Alain Vigneault, going 19-8-2 the rest of the way, while the Islanders went 10-13-7. Both teams also improved at the Feb. 24 trade deadline. The Flyers acquired Derek Grant and Nate Thompson, while New York made a splash with the addition of center Jean-Gabriel Pageau, along with the acquisition of veteran defenseman Andy Greene.

Something important to also note: there are two back-to-back sets in the series schedule. The Islanders were tied with three other clubs for playing the league's fewest back-to-back sets. New York, though, fared well in those situations, going 11-4-1 (23 points) over 16 games played in back-to-back scenarios. The Flyers played way more, going 13-9-4 (30 points) over 26 games in back-to-back sets.

Below is the full Flyers-Islanders second-round schedule:

Game 1 — Monday, Aug. 24, 7 p.m. ET, NBCSN

Game 2 — Wednesday, Aug. 26, 3 p.m. ET, NBCSN

Game 3 — Thursday, Aug. 27, 7 p.m. ET, NBCSN 1191953 Philadelphia Flyers Former Flyer Brian Boucher, who serves as the rinkside analyst, made a comment which Milbury responded to and that touched off the firestorm on social media.

Fish: NHL, players deserve credit for providing safe playoffs “If you think about it, it’s a terrific environment with regard to — if you enjoy playing and enjoy being with your teammates for long periods of time, it’s a perfect place,” Boucher said. Wayne Fish Milbury then stuck his foot in his mouth.

“Not even any woman here to disrupt your concentration,” Milbury Canadiens goalie Carey Price, right, and teammate Jeff Petry react as replied. Tyler Pitlick celebrates the Flyers' second goal Friday night. On Friday, he was in complete damage control mode. I admit I was skeptical. “It was not my intention to disrespect anyone,” Milbury said in a Back in the spring, the notion of playing the Stanley Cup playoffs in a statement released by NBC. “I was trying to be irreverent and took it a “double bubble’’ format seemed dicey at best. step too far. It was a regrettable mistake that I take seriously.”

The NHL believed it could put together a safe environment even as the NBC Sports said it was “disappointed about Mike’s insensitive comment’’ COVID-19 pandemic raged through the Northeast, especially in New but had not issued any statement regarding Milbury’s future. York and New Jersey. If Milbury is let go, not many hockey fans will shed a tear. In the eyes of Many people rolled their eyes. It didn’t seem possible anyone could get numerous followers of the sport, he does not bring a lot to the table. 700 young hockey players to stay holed up in a hotel for two weeks to two months. Courier-Post LOADED: 08.23.2020

Yet now, at the end of August and the playoffs one-quarter completed, not a single player has tested positive for the coronavirus. Unlike some other major professional sports, hockey has figured out a way to make this thing work in adverse conditions.

That’s a credit not only to the league, but to the players.

It’s safe to say they’ve followed the league’s strict protocols and substituted ping pong, video games and swimming pool competitions for a night on the town.

Flyers coach Alain Vigneault has been praising the NHL for its ability to pull this off.

On Saturday, Flyers general manager Chuck Fletcher added to that, saying the players have done a good job in a challenging time like this.

“The players deserve a tremendous amount of credit,’’ Fletcher said during a late-morning Zoom call from Toronto. “Today is Day 28 for us up here. We’ve played 10 games. There’s a lot of structure, there are a lot rules that you have to follow.

“You see guys walking around, they have their masks on. Everyone’s doing the right thing. Everyone’s away from their families for a while. We’re doing this because we want to win. I think everybody is taking that seriously and respecting the kind of commitment that everyone’s made to be here. I give them a lot of credit. It’s just a great set-up here.’’

Milbury's insensitive remarks

When are these people going to learn?

For the second time in less than a year, NBC has had to take disciplinary action against one of its broadcasters for insensitive remarks.

In late December, former Flyer Jeremy Roenick was let go from the network for off-color comments made about studio host Kathryn Tappen and analyst Patrick Sharp (another ex-Flyer).

Now it’s Mike Milbury’s turn to face the music.

The former Boston Bruins defenseman went on the air during Thursday night’s Washington-New York Islander game and said, in so many words, that it’s a good thing there aren’t women in the bubbles in Toronto and Edmonton because they would be a “distraction.’’

Both NBC and the NHL issued statements condemning that sort of language.

"The National Hockey League condemns the insensitive and insulting comment that Mike Milbury made during last night's broadcast and we have communicated our feelings to NBC," the league said in its statement. "The comment did not reflect the NHL's values and commitment to making our game more inclusive and welcoming to all."

Milbury was scheduled to work NBCSN’s coverage of the Flyers- Montreal Game 6 on Friday night but was yanked and replaced by Eddie Olczyk. 1191954 Philadelphia Flyers But that’s why it’s important to make adjustments, to be willing to change your opinion in the face of new information. By the numbers, the Islanders have been a defensive juggernaut in the bubble, allowing the fewest actual and expected goals against to go along with the league’s 2020 NHL playoff preview: Flyers vs. Islanders best save percentage at five-on-five. That’s been readily apparent from watching as they gave the Panthers and Capitals absolutely nothing at

even strength. They suffocated the life out of those teams, and if the Dom Luszczyszyn Islanders played that way more often, they would be analytics darlings, especially if their offence remains as opportunistic off the counterattack. Aug 22, 2020 Through the playoffs, the team has a 58 percent expected goals rate, a massive improvement over its regular-season numbers. This is the best

the Islanders have looked all season. It’s nice to see some fresh faces. From 2006 to 2018, the NHL’s second The Flyers will be a much tougher test, though. Florida was rated as the round featured at least Pittsburgh or Washington, but for the second qualifying team in the East, while Washington was rated as the worst consecutive season, neither team has advanced past the opening round-robin team. Between those two, the Islanders have had a pretty stanza. This year, the battle of the Metropolitan will be fought by two well- fortunate path, and it’ll be interesting to see how they fare against what structured teams: the Philadelphia Flyers and the New York Islanders. should be a stronger opponent. That’s not meant to take away the team’s For the Islanders, it’s their second straight season making it to the accomplishments; it’s merely to add context to the numbers. It takes skill second round, something few could’ve imagined after the departure of to make Washington look that bad, but some of that was also self- their face of the franchise, John Tavares. They’re all the better for it, inflicted by the Capitals. completely buying into a team-first, next-man-up mentality that has the If the Flyers play the way they did against Montreal, however, “stronger club outworking opponents nightly. And winning. The Islanders have opponent” might be pushing it, and they’ll have a very tough time getting earned every inch and are hoping this year’s second-round matchup past the Islanders’ defensive structure. The team was completely anemic goes a lot better than last year’s. on offence against the Canadiens, earning just 1.73 expected goals per They’re the underdogs in this one though against a tough Flyers team 60 and scoring just as many. If not for strong goaltending saving over that works just as hard but has a bit more to work with at the top of its one goal per 60 above expected, that’s an entirely different series. lineup. But while Philadelphia is favoured by a decent margin in this Montreal deserves a lot of credit for how it played in the series, but that series, this isn’t exactly an optimal matchup stylistically speaking, doesn’t excuse Philadelphia’s performance. especially with the way the Islanders have played in the bubble. To advance to the conference final, the Flyers will need an entirely At the start of the first round, it was the Flyers that deserved heaps of different series here from the one they just had. They were the better praise for their round-robin performance, which saw their rating shoot up five-on-five team during the regular season compared with the Islanders as a result of an Elo adjustment. Now, it’s the Islanders’ turn after an and finished in the top five in goals percentage, so the ability is there. It’s exemplary showing against the Capitals in Round 1. It was a master just a matter of solving the Islanders’ defensive scheme. class by coach Barry Trotz against his former team, showing his former It’s not just five-on-five play that the Flyers need to fix, though, as their student, Todd Reirden, that he’s still the boss and doing so in definitive usually above-average special teams have been abhorrent in the bubble. fashion. The penalty kill should fix itself given the team has done a good job That performance upped the Islanders’ standing considerably, but limiting chances, but the power play is a big problem, with the second- perhaps not to the degree most fans are expecting. The Islanders’ lowest goal efficiency in the league. The Islanders struggling on their expected win percentage has jumped from 0.511 to 0.530 during these penalty kill in the playoffs does provide a window for success, one that playoffs, the largest of any team, but it’s still not in the realm of the could win Philadelphia this series, but the team will need a lot more out of remaining teams in the East. The adjustment is meant to be conservative its top players to do so. That could be the difference. on purpose, but in this case, it may be a bit too conservative in adjusting The biggest distinction between these teams is at the top of the lineup at to new information. The Islanders have been that good, and these odds forward. Goaltending values are pretty close, the defencemen are pretty likely undersell their chances. even with a similar makeup, and though the Flyers are deeper at forward, It may be overselling Philadelphia, too, after the Flyers’ strangely weak the Islanders aren’t that far off. It’s the big guns that make Philadelphia showing against the league’s 24th-ranked team. Montreal is a tougher the favourite in this series. team than it looks, but it was still odd to see the Flyers struggle to Take Philadelphia’s six best forwards against New York’s, and the choice generate much of anything. That only becomes more difficult against a between the two shouldn’t be all that controversial. It’s the Flyers group stingy Islanders team. easily, providing 14.2 wins of value to the Islanders’ 10.5. The only Those two matchups are fresh on a lot of people’s minds, and it’s why problem is those players haven’t actually played that way, while their there seems to be a lot more love for the scrappy Islanders, who made counterparts on the other side have been lights-out. short work of what many believed to be a contending Capitals team. Sean Couturier is one of the game’s best two-way centers and is one of That’s a fair take, but every series offers a new beginning, a chance to the few Flyers to keep up a positive five-on-five impact during the reset and game plan against a new team. I think we see a much better playoffs so far, but as the team’s best player, he needs to provide more version of the Flyers here than we did in the last series. offence. In nine games, he has zero goals and just five assists. Claude It’s a tale of two teams heading in opposite directions. The Islanders Giroux, the team’s next best player, has been a much bigger problem. were amazing against the Capitals, fully deserving of their five-game He, too, has zero goals and just four assists, but he has been shredded series win. The Flyers were lucky to survive Montreal and were a shade at five-on-five to the tune of a 44 percent expected goals rate. His play of the team that steamrolled through the competition in the season’s this season was concerning, but it’s never been this bad, and he was second half and during the round robin. actually demoted to the third line during the series against Montreal. At this point, it’s hard to pinpoint what the actual lines will be for Game 1, For the Islanders, it was their defensive might. There has been a lot of but whatever they are, they probably don’t last long anyway. back-and-forth over the past few years regarding the Islanders’ success and how it relates to their poor analytics. There have been cries of Travis Konecny is the team’s third-best forward, and he, too, has zero regression and debates about sustainability — whether the Islanders goals, adding just three assists and being an even bigger liability at five- could keep winning the way they were. As the season was coming to a on-five. His 39 percent expected goals rate is better than only Joel close, it looked as if a lot of the issues underscored by the team’s Farabee’s. James van Riemsdyk, the team’s most efficient goal scorer underlying numbers were coming to roost as the team closed the season over the past two seasons, also has zero goals and no assists to show by tumbling down the standings with a goal rate that fell under its for his “effort,” either. Effort is in quotation marks because he’s drawn ire expected rate. Both were under 50 percent, making New York a below- for his lack of it already, finding himself in the press box for three games average five-on-five team. If not for the extended break, the Islanders during these playoffs. As for Kevin Hayes, he has one goal and seven might have been first-round fodder, and those are the numbers driving points in nine games, which is strong production, but he’s been getting the team’s relatively low series odds. caved in on that second line to the tune of a 40 percent expected goals rate along with Konecny. That duo has seen great results, but they’ve The team’s defence will make that even trickier, as the entire group has been fortunate to do so. been excellent from top to bottom. For context, Devon Toews has the lowest average Game Score among Islanders defencemen so far at 0.70, That’s five of the team’s top offensive forwards, all who scored at above a number that would normally be No. 1 defenceman territory. Every guy a 20-goal, 50-point pace this year but have combined for one goal over is playing well, and there isn’t a single Islander who has been out- the Flyers’ first nine games while being mostly heavily out-chanced. chanced during the playoffs. That’s a credit to all three pairings playing That’s far from good enough, and the Flyers’ chances hinge on their best well. Ryan Pulock is the team’s best defenceman, and he’s played like it players being their best players. in the playoffs with six points and a 60 percent expected goals rate. The lone top-six forward not mentioned on that list of shame is Jakub That’s tops among the team’s blueliners, but there isn’t much separation Voracek, who has singlehandedly carried the offensive load for the team. throughout the lineup. Even Nick Leddy has brought a positive impact Voracek has been a monster in these playoffs and has easily been the after looking cooked for most of the season, and I would bet that has team’s best player. Despite the team’s struggle to drive play, the Flyers something to do with getting to play with a more competent partner more are doing fine with Voracek on the ice, earning a 64 percent expected regularly. goals rate, well above the team average. To go with that, Voracek has The Flyers, on the other hand, have a lot more to be concerned about. notched eight points in eight games to lead the team, and the Flyers That’s to be expected given the team’s overall struggle to push play in have yet to be scored on with Voracek on the ice. the right direction, but it starts from the back end out and at the top of the On the other side of the matchup, the Islanders’ top forwards have been lineup. The team’s top pair of Ivan Provorov and Matt Niskanen has been absolutely cooking in the playoffs. Josh Bailey has 10 points in nine on the right side of the ice for a lot of goals, but those two have spent a games to lead the team, Anthony Beauvillier has six goals to tie the lot of time in their own end to get there, with a rough 41 percent expected league lead, and both Mathew Barzal and Brock Nelson have notched a goals share. That’s the type of thing that generally comes back to bite respectable seven points. All of them are driving play to a strong degree you, especially against an opportunistic team like the Islanders. The at five-on-five, too, mostly by way of creating chances on offence. The other pairings haven’t been much better, save for Philippe Myers, who is Islanders have been particularly potent with Barzal on the ice, outscoring the only Flyers defender currently on the right side of the ledger, with a the opposition 8-1. And while neither Jordan Eberle nor Anders Lee is 54 percent expected goals rate. That needs to change in this series if the producing as much, they’ve been crucial cogs to the exceptional play of Flyers want to advance. the top line. Lee’s 63 percent expected goals rate is the third-best mark Now, Shayne Gostsibehere hasn’t been great in his four games, and he on the team. All are playing well above expectations right now, peaking was awful this season, but I wonder what it takes to get him in the lineup at the right time to boost the Islanders toward their best hockey of the over Robert Hägg against the Islanders, with Hägg clearly struggling to season. play at the level necessary in the playoffs. Hägg struggles to move the That’s the power of a short series, where lesser players can look like puck, and that leads to his being hemmed in his own end often. Moving better players, significantly so. Not many people would take the the puck is a strength of Gostisbehere’s, and against a strong Islanders’ six over the Flyers’ six under normal circumstances, but given forechecking team like the Islanders, the ability to push the puck up ice their postseason play, it’s hard not to go with the boys from Long Island. quickly and effectively is crucial to success. Gostisbehere can probably help rejuvenate a struggling power play, too, and that could free up The question is what to expect when you’ve got one group of players Provorov to focus more on being a shutdown defender at five-on-five. playing over their heads and another struggling to live up to their own abilities. There are two schools of thought when presented with that kind In net, Carter Hart has the edge over Semyon Varlamov, and that applies of information: going with the hot hand or going with the tried-and-true. to the regular season and the playoffs. In 2019-20, Hart was 11th in It’ll be interesting to see how that plays out in this series, and to be goals saved above expected, with 5.1 to Varlamov’s 1.5, which ranked honest, I’m not sure which one I would trust more here. Logic suggests 22nd. That advantage has carried over to the playoffs. There, Hart is believing in a player’s average baseline and expecting the second league-wide at 5.9 — saving more goals in eight playoff games commensurate output, but when a player gets hot, all logic goes out the than he did all season — and has simply looked dialled in, channelling window. There’s a psychological element to it all, and it’s easy to see his inner Carey Price last series in a faceoff against his boyhood idol. New York’s hot players staying hot and Philadelphia’s cold players Varlamov isn’t too far behind Hart, though, saving 4.5 goals above staying cold as a result. Just don’t be surprised, either, if things revert expected. Both have been critical parts of their teams’ playoff success back to something more closely resembling “normal.” and will need to continue to be to keep moving forward.

Depth will be another key in this series, and the Flyers have a few solid Across the board, there isn’t much reason to be definitively confident in players who can contribute throughout the lineup if the big guys falter. either side. Hart is the better goalie, but goaltending is always fickle. The Joel Farabee has struggled to push play in the right direction but has Islanders defencemen have been better in the playoffs and carry a slight added timely scoring as a plug-and-play guy. Ditto Scott Laughton, edge in total value, but the potential for the Flyers to slot in Gostisbehere matching Farabee’s three goals for the playoffs. Nicolas Aube-Kubel and can tilt the scales back in Philadelphia’s favour. The Flyers forwards Michael Raffl are strong play-drivers who can subtly move the needle for appear substantially better, and they’re the main reason the team is so a line, though the former is currently unfit to play. There are a lot of heavily favoured, but the way the Islanders’ top guys are rolling right now options here, and it’s tough to gauge what, exactly, the Flyers do with simply can’t be ignored. their lines once everyone is healthy (especially if Oskar Lindblom can The bottom line make a return), especially with most of those players playing wing. Having Giroux center the third line could open up the option of scratching This should be a tight series, one where it’s hard to decide which side will Nate Thompson, the team’s worst player. Taking him out of the lineup prevail. Both teams have the will, but the Flyers have the pedigree and would add value via addition by subtraction and could give Philadelphia a the talent, while the Islanders have the recency and the system. necessary boost in this series. His 39.4 percent expected goals rate is among the worst on the team, and the team has been outscored 3-1 with If the Flyers can switch the style up, improve their game against a him on the ice during the playoffs. He looked rough against Montreal. stronger Islanders team and showcase their skill, they have a very good shot at advancing. But if the Islanders can impose their defensive might, Playing Thompson against either of the Islanders’ bottom two lines neutralize the Flyers’ talent and continue on their current trajectory, it’s doesn’t look like it’ll end well considering the two pivots anchoring each difficult not seeing New York prevailing. Whatever happens, it’ll be an line. Jean-Gabriel Pageau has come exactly as advertised on the third absolute battle to the finish. line and has found amazing defensive chemistry with Leo Komarov. The duo leads the team in expected goals at 64 and 69 percent, and it’s The Athletic LOADED: 08.23.2020 mostly thanks to their ability to limit chances. The Islanders have allowed only 1.25 expected goals against per 60 with Pageau on the ice these playoffs, and that drops to 0.72 with Komarov. Casey Cizikas remains one of the league’s best fourth-line centers, and his defensive presence is right up there, sandwiched between Pageau and Komarov at 1.21 expected goals against per 60. That will be a tough shutdown combo to break through for the Flyers. 1191955 Philadelphia Flyers your senior year. But don’t fret, Travis: With Niskanen returning for Round 2, expect the Sanheim-Myers pair to be back in business shortly.

Most unflappable: Ivan Provorov Flyers-Canadiens series superlatives: Most unflappable, best grudge, Brendan Gallagher tried so hard to provoke Provorov into doing worst luck something at the start of Game 5, be it a fight or even a hint of emotion beyond sheer focus. Provorov has no time for those shenanigans.

Charlie O'Connor Most likely to be on the verge of a star turn: Jesperi Kotkaniemi

Aug 22, 2020 This kid is going to be good.

Sure, the third-overall pick status hinted as much. But his down sophomore season brought back all the skeptics who wondered if The long playoff series win drought is over for the Philadelphia Flyers. Kotkaniemi flew up draft boards in 2018 based on scouting community For the first time since 2012, they’re moving on to Round 2, with a berth hype and the fact that he was one of the few potential top-six centers in the Eastern Conference finals on the line. available in a wing- and defense-heavy draft. In the playoffs, he put an abrupt end to that talk. In the coming days, we’ll break down the matchup with the New York Islanders, from what to expect from the Isles to how the Flyers might Some Canadiens fans might argue that their other young center, Nick approach the series and what their chances of victory are. But before that Suzuki, is more worthy of this honor, and he surely had an impact, pivot, let’s look back on the just-completed first-round series against the especially offensively as the series progressed. But give me the player Montreal Canadiens one last time. And there’s no better way to do so who posted an incredible 74.24 percent expected goals for percentage in than with the time-honored high school tradition: superlatives. 10 playoff games, the one who at 20 wasn’t just holding up physically against the best that Pittsburgh and Philadelphia had to offer — he was Who stood out the most? Who generated the most intriguing storylines straight-up outmuscling them. during the six-game battle? And whom might Alain Vigneault try to infuriate next with his cheeky comments? The scoring touch still needs to come around fully. But Montreal has something really special on its hands here. Most likely to become a household name: Carter Hart Most likely to hold a grudge: Alain Vigneault Hart just keeps passing tests. In the wake of Gallagher’s broken jaw — courtesy of a Niskanen cross- Dominance in junior hockey to a level rarely seen? Check. Redemption check that earned the defenseman a one-game suspension — Vigneault for himself and his country at the world juniors? Done. Making the NHL gleefully accepted his role in the series as the preeminent heel for before reaching legal drinking age in the United States? No problem. Montreal fans. His initial dismissal of Gallagher’s injury as a “cut,” along Earning the starting goalie job for a playoff team before turning 22? Yep. with a not-so-subtle dig about Gallagher’s diminutive height, already had And now, serving as that team’s best player for a playoff series win? It them fuming. But when Canadiens general manager Marc Bergevin was the biggest test yet, and Hart aced it. called out Vigneault for his comments after Gallagher was diagnosed Maybe Hart will stumble at some point during the playoffs. These are the with a broken jaw, Vigneault didn’t backtrack. He doubled down. best teams in the league, after all, and chaos is the default mode of the “At the end of the day, I can only state the facts,” he said. “The fact was NHL postseason. But if he does falter, it won’t be due to a lack of talent that Gallagher got up and his mouth didn’t shut up for at least five or an inability to mentally prepare for the pressures of the moment. Hart minutes, to the referees, the linesmen and to our bench for nearly five has proved those issues are nonexistent for him. minutes. He didn’t look like he was hurt other than obviously it looked like just aren’t this good, this young. There’s a reason Hart’s he had a cut. I believe that if the Montreal medical personnel felt that it upcoming contract negotiation — his entry-level contract expires next was something real serious, they would have probably taken him off and summer — will be so difficult to hammer out: It’s hard to work out a deal brought him inside. I can only state the facts and state what I was when no neat comparables exist for a player. Hart is one-of-a-kind in this watching. What I was watching was a guy that just kept on talking so he era. The question is no longer whether he’s a good goalie. It’s how good didn’t seem like he was hurt.” he might become. Seems pretty unsympathetic to a player who, as Bergevin noted, will be Best inseparable duo: Travis Sanheim and Philippe Myers eating his meals out of a straw for the next few weeks. But there’s a very good chance Vigneault wasn’t just being cruel for cruelty’s sake. Six It didn’t help the Flyers to lose Matt Niskanen for Game 6, but the hard years ago, in a playoff series between Vigneault’s New York Rangers truth is their “top” pair of Ivan Provorov and Niskanen wasn’t the team’s and the Canadiens, Montreal’s Brandon Prust broke the jaw of New best over the first five games of the series. That honor belonged to the York’s Derek Stepan. Gallagher’s response then? towering duo of Sanheim and Myers, who entered the playoffs as legitimate question marks due to relative inexperience. AV PRIME TROLLING PIC.TWITTER.COM/AZXSJXDILM

Consider them no longer a concern. In a series in which the Flyers were — A (@AEH_993) AUGUST 21, 2020 heavily outshot, the Sanheim-Myers duo actually helped the team to a Sound familiar? Vigneault very well might have waited six years to get his shot-attempt advantage (52.12 percent score-adjusted Corsi for sweet vengeance on Gallagher for the callous dismissal of Stepan’s percentage) and passed the eye test with flying colors. As Sean broken jaw. You’ve got to respect the pettiness. Couturier marveled after Game 3, the pair is hard to handle in practice because of the defensemen’s combination of size, speed and Most likely to take a bullet for you: Robert Hägg aggressiveness, and he can’t imagine how difficult they are to play against in games. Hägg might not drive play especially well at five-on-five. But it doesn’t take a hockey expert to understand why his teammates like him so much, They click off the ice: Their stalls are right next to each other at the and it’s not just because he’s a genuinely pleasant person. It’s because Flyers’ practice facility in Voorhees, N.J., and their relatively quiet locker they know that when it matters most, Hägg is going to be in the fight. room personalities seem to mesh well. As Myers noted at the end of He’ll have your back. He’ll step in front of a 100 mph Shea Weber Phase 3 training camp, they’ve been in the organization together for five slapshot without hesitation, get up, then do it all over again a couple of years and were paired on the ice as far back as 2017-18. shifts later.

“He’s a great guy,” Myers said. “Easy to play with, he skates well, he can OUCH!#ANYTIMEANYWHERE ROBERT HAGG CAUGHT WITH THIS make plays with the puck. I think we complement each other pretty well BLAST FROM #GOHABSGO SHEA WEBER. on the ice. It’s fun going through this with him.” GOOD TO SEE HE'S OK. PIC.TWITTER.COM/O0XQFL23EU For Sanheim, watching Myers get the third-period promotion to play alongside Provorov on the top pair in Game 6 must have been a little like — HERE'S YOUR REPLAY (@THEREPLAYGUY) AUGUST 18, watching your best buddy head to college while you remain home for 2020 “It takes a lot of balls to do that,” said Myers after Game 4, in one of the differential (29.07 percent). He graded out the worst defensively by xG quotes of the series. “He loves paying the price for the boys.” metrics of any forward not on the Kevin Hayes line, so it’s not like this is a case of Thompson sacrificing offense to thrive in a limited, shutdown- Most entitled to a long-awaited victory lap: Jakub Voracek duty role. Montreal exploited him in this series.

Voracek certainly has many fans in Philadelphia who appreciate his skill But with a minute left in the deciding Game 6, Thompson was out there and year-over-year consistency, and that for years he took on the to close out the game. And to his and his linemates’ credit, they pulled it thankless task of keeping the Flyers out of the league cellar during the off. Thompson wins faceoffs (56.9 percent in the series), plays a gritty retool. But he has vocal haters as well. game with a commitment to staying above the puck at all times, brings 13 Maybe it’s the large contract that rubs them the wrong way. Maybe it’s seasons of NHL experience and 71 games of playoff experience, and his preference for passing over shooting. Maybe it’s that his scoring clearly has earned Vigneault’s trust. For some fans, that’s enough to numbers have dipped a bit in recent years. Or maybe it’s his amusing justify his continued place in the lineup. For others, it’s only reason to predilection for blocking anyone on Twitter who even remotely annoys complain all the louder. This debate isn’t going anywhere. him. In any case, a loud contingent seems perfectly content with the idea Worst luck: Ben Chiarot of a Flyers club absent Voracek. Own goals are going to happen to every defenseman at some point. It’s Hopefully, they were paying attention over these past six games, just the nature of the position; with so many pucks thrown at the net, because Voracek just put on a master class in “why your opinion is bad inevitably a few are going to take a bad hop off you and bounce past your and you should feel bad.” annoyed netminder. But two in the same game? Even worse, two on the Voracek was an absolute monster in the series. He scored dirty goals. same five-minute power play? Poor Chiarot, who otherwise had a very He set up teammates for pretty ones. He backchecked relentlessly. He strong series. attacked in transition. He drove play at five-on-five to the tune of a 65.22 “Sometimes the bounces just aren’t gonna go your way,” he said percent expected goals for, when the Flyers’ team average in the series sheepishly. “That’s about it. There’s not a whole lot you can do about it.” was 39.94 percent. When Voracek wasn’t on the ice, the Flyers generated only 34.3 percent of the expected goals — in other words, Bad luck, after all, happens to the best of us. they allowed two for every one they created with No. 93 on the bench. He was Philadelphia’s best skater in the series by far. Most likely to never let you live something down: Derek Grant

Take your victory lap, Jake. Call out a few fools on Twitter, too, if you’re Suzuki’s head-tap of Hart after Joel Armia slipped a weak goal past him feeling especially smug. You’ve earned the right. in Game 5 clearly irked the Flyers, as Hayes’ comments a day later confirmed. But there was no obvious retribution during Game 6, up until Most likely to be the subject of an endless argument: Claude Giroux the final buzzer, when the unlikeliest of players — fourth-liner Derek Grant — decided to get a little delicious payback, patting Suzuki on the Giroux skeptic: The captain was completely invisible in this series! Zero head to commemorate the series victory for the Flyers. goals! DEREK GRANT CLOSES OUT THE SERIES BY GIVING NICK SUZUKI Giroux defender: Four points in six games really isn’t too bad — it was SOME HEAD PATS PIC.TWITTER.COM/XAN5XTXDCW the second most on the team! And he was on the ice for seven of the 11 goals the Flyers scored in the series. He did his part. — BRADY TRETTENERO (@BRADYTRETT) AUGUST 22, 2020

Giroux skeptic: Come on, you can’t tell me that Giroux was anywhere A perfect way to end a chippy, petty series in which most of the big-name near as noticeable as he should have been. The guy is supposed to be stars took a backseat to new faces, with a surprising new character the team’s best player, and he has one goal in his past 21 playoff games! coming out of nowhere to get the last laugh. Grant will be remembered in The coach had even pulled him off the top line by the end of the series. Philadelphia for quite a while as a result of that little maneuver.

Giroux defender: That was because Vigneault wanted balance in his The Athletic LOADED: 08.23.2020 lines, not because Giroux was playing poorly! And thanks for bringing that up, because Giroux isn’t going to score many points with Derek Grant as a linemate, like he was in Games 4 and 5.

Giroux skeptic: Great players make their linemates better! Look at what Couturier and Voracek are doing for Michael Raffl right now. Look at what Giroux used to do for Raffl! Giroux isn’t the same, he’s in decline, put a fork in him.

Giroux defender: You fool, you absolute buffoon. Giroux will re-emerge in Round 2, and you will look just as dumb as the Voracek haters do right now. (Stands on desk and yells “O Captain! My Captain!”)

Giroux skeptic: OK, I have to give you that one, pulling out an old Robin Williams movie. RIP to a great one.

Most likely to make new friends in chaotic times: Joel Farabee and Phillip Danault

New best friends, just observing the mayhem.

VORACEK LITERALLY JUMPS INTO THE FIGHT #ANYTIMEANYWHERE PIC.TWITTER.COM/WTD5EBMLIS

— OMAR (@TICTACTOMAR) AUGUST 20, 2020

Most likely to spark a fight between old-school and new-school fans: Nate Thompson

Congratulations, Robert Hägg, you’ve been replaced. Not in the lineup, though Shayne Gostisbehere’s stellar Game 6 might have that effect in Game 1 of the Eastern Conference semifinals when Niskanen returns. No, you’ve been replaced as the primary whipping boy of statistically inclined Flyers fans.

And the numbers certainly back up their argument. Thompson finished last among Flyers forwards who played in all six series games by five-on- five shot-attempt differential (32.82 percent) and expected goal 1191956 Philadelphia Flyers “It’s pretty fun to get a series win, but obviously we’re not done,” he said. “It’s just a feather in our hat right now, and we’re gonna keep going. We’re gonna keep this train rolling.”

Flyers must be better to make a Cup run, but series shows Hart & will is Yet being outshot, outchanced and outscored in a series isn’t a travel there plan any self-respecting train engineer would endorse. So what from this series does provide confidence that the Flyers’ train can stay on the tracks?

Charlie O'Connor Leading the list, of course, is goaltender Carter Hart, who finished with two shutouts, a .936 save percentage and +2.64 goals saved above Aug 22, 2020 expectation in the series. A hot goalie can carry a team far in the playoffs, but one doesn’t get the sense that Hart is on some sort of unsustainable streak, even if his save percentage will naturally drop as Perhaps the welcome end to the Philadelphia Flyers’ eight-year playoff the postseason progresses. Instead, he simply looks to be playing his series victory drought was destined to be excruciating and agonizing. usual game, seemingly unfazed by the added pressure of playoff hockey. Perhaps it couldn’t have happened any other way. Vigneault noted after Game 6 that many of his young players, particularly on defense, were still in the process of “learning how to win.” Hart, who The Flyers entered their first-round playoff series against the Montreal made 31 saves on 33 shots in Friday’s win, has quickly turned into an Canadiens as heavy favorites. After storming through the second half of example for the rest of the Flyers’ youngsters on how to shorten that the regular season, they had defeated the Eastern Conference’s three learning curve. “best” teams in the unorthodox round-robin competition, earning the No. 1 seed and a matchup with the club that entered the tournament with the “Carter Hart’s gotta learn, he’s gotta grow,” Vigneault said. “He was up worst record of any of the 24 teams in the NHL bubbles. Sure, lip service against his idol (Carey Price) growing up, and he handled it like we would be paid to the Canadiens, who had upset the Pittsburgh Penguins expected, and like we expect our team to handle the playoffs.” in a five-game play-in series to advance to the 16-team bracket. But eventually, the Flyers’ edge in high-end talent and depth would prevail Another positive for the Flyers: Their impressive work in grinding out and they would cruise to a win, right? victories and protecting leads, pivotal aspects of playoff success. Aside from a hiccup in the second period of Game 5, they didn’t relinquish Well, while it’s accurate to say the Flyers won Game 6 against Montreal, leads against Montreal — the closest they came to blowing one was a and thereby the series, that’s not the best characterization. It’s more that 16-second tied stretch in Game 1 before Joel Farabee put Philadelphia they survived it. back on top. Their exemplary work in the third periods of wins was a big part of that. “It was a tough series, we found a way to win, that’s what the game is about,” head coach Alain Vigneault said after the 3-2 win Friday night. “I think our periods have been in the third, we’ve found sort of a blueprint to do a good job of shutting teams down, and it paid off for us tonight,” Let’s get this out of the way: A win is a win, especially for an organization Vigneault said. that was stuck in mediocrity for the better part of a decade before a second-half surge this season pushed it back into the conversation as He wasn’t wrong. Despite entering the third periods in Games 1, 3 and 4 one of the NHL’s better clubs. That topics like “process” and “style points” with narrow advantages on the scoreboard, the Flyers actually led in can even be discussed as negatives after a six-game series victory expected goals in those periods by a substantial 2.28 to 1.43 margin. The speaks to the quantum leap the Flyers took in 2019-20. Expectations are third period of Game 6 was less impressive (0.95 to 0.14 in Montreal’s back in Philadelphia, and it’s a glorious thing to behold. favor), but that’s to be expected with the Canadiens facing elimination. On the whole, Philadelphia did a stellar job in third periods of combining All that said, objectively speaking, the Flyers did not play great in this lockdown defense with intelligent forays up ice to create offense. series. They certainly didn’t live up to their advance billing and look like a Stanley Cup contender. And based on Kevin Hayes’ comments after the Which leads us to the biggest reason for continued confidence in the game, they know it. Flyers as they move on to Round 2: The team’s buy-in, or “will to win” as Vigneault put it in late July, remains as strong as ever. “We just need to get back to playing the right way that we were before the series,” he said in a moment of frankness amid the well-earned Take Gostisbehere, for example. On the strength of a stellar performance euphoria. “I mean, I don’t think we’re playing bad, honestly — they’re a against the Tampa Bay Lightning in the final round-robin game, tough team, they’re a fast team and they have an elite goaltender. It Gostisbehere earned his way into the lineup to start the series. But after speaks volumes to our team that we didn’t play up to our capability and a disastrous Game 2 for Gostisbehere and partner Justin Braun, he was then we still got four wins.” pulled from the lineup again, and when the Flyers rattled off two consecutive wins, there was no clear path to re-entry. Those four wins can’t be ignored, of course. They’re the reason the Flyers are preparing to take on the New York Islanders in Round 2, with Matt Niskanen’s suspension opened the door back up for Gostisbehere. Game 1 scheduled for Monday night, and not steadying themselves to But his task was not to recapture his dynamic offensive days of old; no, answer a barrage of uncomfortable questions about wasting the Gostisbehere was expected to help replace Niskanen by committee, and opportunity in front of them. Four wins also make up 25 percent of the embrace the tight-checking, defense-first style the team had adopted total needed to finally bring the Stanley Cup back to Philadelphia. after its blowout loss in Game 2. Gostisbehere’s response?

But other numbers can’t be disregarded, either. For starters, the Flyers That’s Gostisbehere taking out both of Montreal’s hotshot young centers were outscored in the series 13-11. They were outshot 178-149. They with clean, effective hockey plays. That’s a player, in spite of his recent didn’t “drive play” at even strength — in other words, they lost the shot- benching, fully buying into the mentality that Vigneault and the coaching volume and shot-quality battles — in any of the games. (They came staff were preaching. And it’s a player, long known for his offense, not closest in Game 3, leading in quality but not quantity.) There’s the big “0” merely accepting a less flashy style, but relishing it. in the goals total next to the names of Sean Couturier, Claude Giroux and Travis Konecny. And this was all against the lowest seed in the East, “I mean, it’s definitely cool,” Gostisbehere acknowledged in discussing a club that spent almost the entire post-Game 6 media availability his strong defensive work in Game 6 over 16:12 of ice time. “When you exuding positivity about the future, not frustration over the defeat. This get back to the bench and the boys are barking and saying great job, it’s was against a club that, deep down, was likely just happy to be there. pretty awesome, especially for something (where) you didn’t even touch the puck.” The Flyers certainly aren’t just “happy to be here.” Maybe if the regular season had ended in early February, when the team was stuck on the To a man, the Flyers played the game they were asked to play, the game playoff bubble with the and New York Rangers — clubs their coach believed was best suited to defeat the Canadiens. Was it an that would finish with one combined play-in win in Toronto — then any especially fun style to watch? No. Did it produce stellar results beyond playoff series victory, regardless of form, would have sufficed to consider wins and losses? Also no. But in the end, it proved more than effective 2019-20 an unqualified success. But as Shayne Gostisbehere reiterated enough for Philadelphia to achieve its goal of surviving Round 1 and Friday, the goals in their locker room are more lofty now. moving on. Should the Flyers aim to do more than just survive in the next round? made the handshake line even more meaningful for Hart, when his hero Obviously. And it will become apparent very quickly against the Islanders took the time to give him words of encouragement and acknowledged his whether it was Philadelphia’s game plan against the Canadiens that great work. turned this series into such a slog, or if the Flyers simply aren’t operating at a high enough level to win anything except muck-it-up hockey right “Definitely a really special moment,” Hart said. “Obviously, I look up to now. him, and for him to come over and congratulate you in the handshake line … he said, ‘hell of a series,’ and he’ll be watching. That’s pretty The Islanders are a far better team than the Canadiens, better structured special and definitely something I won’t forget.” and with more star-level talent capable of punishing mistakes. And the Flyers’ opponent in Round 3 — should they be fortunate enough to make 6. Game 6 was a classic example of why being controlled entry-dominant it that far — will be even more formidable than New York. Tampa Bay is only half the battle. Philadelphia generated more carry-in entries (25) and Boston are proven juggernauts, and the Flyers will go nowhere than dump-ins (24), which is generally associated with offense and ability against either club if they intend on spotting them all the major statistical to drive play. (The Flyers did score three goals, after all.) But territorially, battles while simply trying to frustrate them to death. They’ll have to win Montreal had the edge, and certainly had the puck more often. That’s at in a much different way than they did against the Canadiens. least in part because the Canadiens entered the zone far more often than the Flyers did. A team has to combine efficiency and volume to own the “I think, you know, every game is different,” Vigneault said. “You’ve got to neutral zone, and Philadelphia was a bit lacking in the latter in Game 6. play the game that’s in front of you.” Fortunately for them, they made the most of their opportunities.

So after eight years of disappointment and frustration, the real question is 7. While Hayes said that the Flyers didn’t play up to their capability in the this: Do you trust this team, the one that finally brought a forgettable era Montreal series, Vigneault was more complimentary of his team’s effort. to an end Friday, to up its game as the playoffs progress? Do you trust Specifically, the coach expressed his belief that while Philadelphia was that it is better than the side that could only scratch and claw its way past outshot dramatically by its opponent, scoring chances were far closer. Montreal? “Montreal, if you look at their track record, they’re a heavy-shooting team “We’re going to continue to get better, continue to play our game, and go — bad angles, they look to create scrambles,” Vigneault said. “You as far as we can,” Ivan Provorov vowed. expect a lot of pucks toward the net. Scoring chances were probably even throughout the series in every game. We found a way to win four. They certainly better. And even though they may have had a few more shots, I believe the Nine more observations chances were pretty similar in most of the games.”

2. To a man, the Flyers were effusive in their praise of the Canadiens Does this claim hold up under closer inspection? At least according to after Game 6. And why wouldn’t they be? There’s little reason — public metrics, not quite. Natural Stat Trick gave Montreal a 69-51 especially in a sport like hockey, with such an insular culture — to be advantage in high-danger chances in all situations, and a 163-152 edge anything less than magnanimous in victory, and considering their relative in regular chances. As for Evolving-Hockey, it had the Flyers trailing in struggles in taking care of Montreal, it made sense for them to pump their all-situations expected goals over the six games 15.17 to 13.12 — opponent’s tires just a bit. strikingly similar to the 13-11 actual goal margin in favor of Montreal in the series. Regardless of motivation, the Canadiens deserved the praise. Their constant pressure approach gave the Flyers fits all series, and prevented Now, it’s certainly possible that internal Flyers metrics graded the team’s Philadelphia from ever driving play for extended stretches. Jesperi performance better; Andrew Berkshire of Sportsnet noted after the game Kotkaniemi and Nick Suzuki look like future impact players who leveled that Sportlogiq proprietary data gave the Flyers the xG advantage in up at the perfect time for Montreal. Price and Shea Weber are still stellar Game 6 despite Evolving-Hockey seeing it as a 2.23 to 1.54 edge for the players. And the Canadiens didn’t fold when they lost their head coach to Canadiens. But Berkshire also said that Game 6 was the only game that a heart issue after Game 1, or their best forward to a broken jaw after Philadelphia finished ahead in xG, according to Sportlogiq metrics. It sure Game 5. The Canadiens should be very proud of the series they put seems like the Flyers benefited quite a bit from the play of Hart and the together. inability of Montreal to finish on its chances.

“Montreal’s a good team, they’ve got great goaltending, their top-4 D is 8. Vigneault dropped an interesting aside during his overarching almost as good as anybody in the league and their young forwards have evaluation of the series, a tidbit that might help explain the adjustments got a lot of speed,” Vigneault said. “So I knew it was gonna be a tough the Flyers made early in the series. battle, and it was, from start to finish.” “Montreal is a hard-working team, a quick team,” he said. “They had their 3. So who did Vigneault and assistant coach Mike Yeo end up using Ds more involved in our series than what we had seen against alongside Ivan Provorov to replace Niskanen? Well, it started out as Pittsburgh.” Vigneault hinted it might — a true rotation, with four defensemen cycling In preparation for this series, I also noticed that the Canadiens’ in and out of the first-pair role, sometimes even mid-shift. By the third defensemen were extremely conservative against Pittsburgh, largely period, however, the coaching staff had made its choice for the ideal staying up at the point and rarely joining in on the attack, aside from the Provorov partner, and in doing so, showed an enormous amount of faith occasional activation on the rush. It appears their increased activity in in a young player appearing in his first NHL postseason. this series threw the Flyers for a loop, at least for a bit.

4. Jakub Voracek’s final stat line for the series was stellar: seven points 9. For a few minutes, it looked like Konecny might have finally broken his (three goals, four assists) in six games, an incredible 65.22 percent goal-less drought in the playoffs, when he was briefly given credit for expected goals for percentage at five-on-five. In addition, the Flyers Provorov’s first-period goal. But before the end of the period, the goal outscored the Canadiens 7-1 with him on the ice. Voracek was flying all had been restored to Provorov and Konecny remained without a single series long, but his two best performances were in the two biggest tally. He finished the series with one assist, lots of posts and even more games. His two-goal, three-point showing in Game 5 was the most missed nets. The Flyers will need a lot more from him against the memorable, but Voracek also excelled in Game 6, drawing an early Islanders if they want to advance to the final four. penalty with his anticipation and hustle and looking dangerous throughout. That’s why it’s not truly accurate to say the Flyers need more 10. James van Riemsdyk returned to ice for Game 6, pushing Derek out of their “stars,” because Voracek certainly qualifies as such, and Grant down to Line 4 and Connor Bunnaman out of the lineup entirely. there should be no complaints about his production. JvR wasn’t much of a factor, but Grant seemed to give the fourth line an added boost. Along with Nate Thompson and Tyler Pitlick, it was the trio 5. Hart didn’t just defeat the Canadiens on Friday; he also defeated his that closed out the series and clinched the win. idol. And at the risk of infuriating Montreal fans everywhere, the numbers say that Hart was just a bit better than Price in the six-game series: a The Athletic LOADED: 08.23.2020 .935 save percentage and +2.64 goals saved above expectation for Hart versus a .926 and +2.38 for Price.

Still, both goalies were fantastic. Price turned back the clock and looked like his former self, and Hart, 22, matched him save for save all the way to the end. The fact that the series turned into a true goalie’s duel likely 1191957 Philadelphia Flyers Coach’s pick: Lightning in 6. Executive’s pick: Bruins in 7.

Scout’s pick: Lightning in 6. NHL predictions unplugged: Anonymous scout, coach and exec pick series winners Consensus advancing team: Lightning

Western Conference

Craig Custance No. 1 Vegas Golden Knights vs. No. 5 Vancouver Canucks

Aug 22, 2020 Coach’s outlook: “I think the Canucks’ rhythm is hitting right now. Everything is firing. I think eventually it’s going to fall off, but they’ve got

juice right now, they’ve got mojo right now. Their power play is lethal. I It’s a quick turn to the second round of the Stanley Cup playoffs but that don’t know what their power-play percentage is, but their ability for that is doesn’t mean our anonymous panel is off the hook. We had to swap out lethal. They’re really good. our executive after a solid 5-3 showing last round from our original “I think Vegas is just a little tired looking. I think they’re going to run out of panelist because he didn’t immediately pick up the phone Saturday. But gas. It’s going to be a longer series that could go either way, but I think otherwise, the original group is intact. it’s Vancouver’s time and I think Vegas’ D is a little suspect.” Just a refresher: Since the start of the postseason, The Athletic has Executive’s outlook: “Vegas might be the favorite to win the Cup. They asked an NHL scout, coach and executive to pick winners of each series have the deepest team. They have the goaltending. Vancouver has been to come to a consensus on who will advance. great, but they beat a team that was ripe to be knocked off in St. Louis. I Last round, the consensus went a solid 6-2 to improve its series just think, now, the stage might be too big.” predictions record to an overall 10-6. Now, with more viewings and more Scout’s outlook: “Vancouver has been very impressive. Very impressive. information, let’s see if the improvement continues: Vegas is so solid. I think because of the way life is going, I’m going Eastern Conference Vancouver. Right now, their goalie looks rock solid. They’ve sped up the process a little bit more. They battled through. Their goaltending masked No. 1 Philadelphia Flyers vs. No. 6 New York Islanders a few of their problems, and so maybe we’re overrating them. If Jacob Markstrom is more average, then they become more average. Coach’s outlook: “This was the hardest one for me. Barry Trotz has done a phenomenal job there. I just think Philly, there’s a (bunch) of really “Vegas is a real good team. Good goaltending. I’ll hang up the phone and good players … and guys like (Claude) Giroux, Jakub Voracek, this is think I should have picked Vegas.” your year. If they don’t do it now, they’re in trouble.” Coach’s pick: Canucks in 7. Executive’s outlook: “It’s about physicality and goaltending and team defense for the Islanders. And I still don’t trust Carter Hart as opposed to Executive’s pick: Golden Knights in 6. (Semyon) Varlamov. I think Varlamov could be the difference. Carter Hart Scout’s pick: Canucks in 6. is a really good goalie, but it’s going to be different when the pressure mounts.” Consensus advancing team: Canucks

Scout’s outlook: “The last Flyers game, Montreal should have won or No. 2 Colorado Avalanche vs. No. 3 Dallas Stars they were the better team for a good portion of that game. That kind of scared me on the Flyers. Maybe I’m undervaluing Montreal, but I didn’t Coach’s outlook: “Colorado has everything going. Maybe goaltending is think going into it they were a very strong team. The fact that the Flyers something that’s a little concerning. They have a couple of the best stubbed their toe in that series brought me some concern. forwards in the game, they’re deep. They have a stud on D. They have secondary pieces, like (Ryan) Graves, that people never talk about. “The Islanders are playing a very playoff game right now. Everybody is They’re playing great. I think that’ll be a good series. playing well. All their players. I watch their games, and everybody has a good game. When you get 18 guys all pulling in the same direction, it’s “But I think Dallas is going to run out of gas. Miro Heiskanen, quite a positive result. If that continues, they have a playoff game going and John Klingberg all stepped up last series. Joe Pavelski had right now. Josh Bailey is probably playing the best hockey I’ve seen him something to prove. I think Roope Hintz is a star. Hockey fans should be play. They look good.” ready for a great up-and-down series. All these series are fantastic. But like Vancouver, I think it’s destiny for Colorado. And if they’re not winning Coach’s pick: Flyers in 6. it this year, they’re winning in the next couple years. They’re so good.”

Executive’s pick: Islanders in 7. Executive’s outlook: “I don’t fucking know about this one. Flip a coin? Is Ben Bishop playing? I would go Colorado, but it wouldn’t surprise me if Scout’s pick: Islanders in 6. Dallas won. They’re deep and playing well. But (Nathan) MacKinnon — Consensus advancing team: Islanders you have Connor McDavid and then MacKinnon is not far behind him. He’s playing at a different level. But if any defense can control No. 2 Tampa Bay Lightning vs. No. 4 Boston Bruins MacKinnon, it’s Dallas’ defense. Heiskanen is a superstar. I don’t know if anyone can stop MacKinnon but they have the defense to slow him Coach’s outlook: “The periphery stuff going on in Boston might catch up down.” to them. I’m concerned about the goaltending situation. I think some of the guys have a lot of miles on them. If you can solve their high-end guys Scout’s outlook: “The Avs were my favorite team for the Stanley Cup — (Patrice) Bergeron, (Brad) Marchand — you can solve the Bruins. going into the whole thing. It doesn’t seem like they’ve disappointed the Tampa should win the whole thing now, for me. It should be Tampa and whole way. Whenever I see a highlight or watch MacKinnon play, it’s like, Colorado in the finals.” ‘Who is going to stop him? How do you stop him?’

Executive’s outlook: “I gotta go with the Bruins even though (Jaroslav) “As quickly as I make that decision, it’ll be a tougher series than their last Halak scares the piss out of me. They’ve got it all going. Does beating one, for sure. But if Bishop is out, (Bishop and Anton Khudobin) have Columbus get Tampa over the hump and help them jell? I don’t know. been 1A and 1B and it worked really well during the regular season. But Boston is one of the best teams in the league.” Now, if Bishop is out, it’s 1A and 2D, that’s a huge difference for that guy going into the net, now knowing he has to be the guy. That’s a big Scout’s outlook: “I think the Lightning are playing a really good game. difference.” They’re getting a lot of people to buy in, and they don’t seem to be missing (Steven) Stamkos. They had to play good in that series against Coach’s pick: Avalanche in 6. the Blue Jackets, and they did. I expect that to continue. Executive’s pick: Avalanche in 6. “If they do get Stammer back, it’ll help their power play, but I think they still have enough depth to survive without him.” Scout’s pick: Avalanche in 6. Consensus advancing team: Avalanche

The Athletic LOADED: 08.23.2020 1191958 Pittsburgh Penguins figures to come back more cheaply, an important consideration for a team that’s tight against the salary cap. Jarry also played better this season.

Ron Cook: Matt Murray and Marc-Andre Fleury find themselves in similar It was an easy call for Rutherford after the 2017 playoffs to keep Murray spots and allow Fleury to leave because Murray was younger, less expensive and, of course, had played such a big part in the two Cup wins. It absolutely was the right call, even though it didn’t work out well.

RON COOK Now, it’s time for Rutherford to make another decision about his goaltenders. This one seems just as easy. Murray has to go, Jarry has to AUG 22, 2020 stay.

Post Gazette LOADED: 08.23.2020 Matt Murray was on top of the hockey world three years ago. For the second consecutive season, he led the Penguins to the Stanley Cup with his strong play. He was just 23, clearly the team’s goaltender for years to come. He made Marc-Andre Fleury expendable.

Fleury was on top of the hockey world two years ago. He landed in Vegas with the expansion Golden Knights and led the team to the Cup final in its first season, quickly becoming the face of the franchise. He was just as popular in the desert as he was here.

But now?

The Penguins seem certain to trade Murray before next season to make room for Tristan Jarry as their No. 1 goalie. The Golden Knights have benched Fleury in these playoffs for trade-acquisition Robin Lehner.

Who saw this coming?

Murray won 15 games during the 2016 Cup run and the final seven playoff games in 2017. He was at his best in the final two games against Nashville in the 2017 Cup final, pitching 6-0 and 2-0 shutouts in Games 5 and 6. He put his name on the Cup twice even though he technically was still a rookie.

But Murray hasn’t been the same goaltender since. Maybe it was because of the variety of injuries that he endured. Maybe it was because of his father’s death in January 2018. Maybe it was because he didn’t have Fleury alongside pushing him to bring out his best. Regardless, Murray’s postseason play dropped dramatically. He went 1-8 in his last nine starts dating back to Game 5 against Washington in the second round in 2018. He allowed at least three goals in six of the starts and was benched by Mike Sullivan for Jarry after a 4-3 loss to Montreal in Game 3 of these playoffs. The final goal he allowed — probably of his Penguins career — was on a shot from a ridiculous angle by the Canadiens’ Jeff Petry that turned out to be the deciding goal. Jarry played well in Game 4, but the Penguins still were eliminated, 2-0.

Fleury’s story also took a bad turn. He’s a future Hall of Famer; his 466 regular-season wins ranks fifth on the NHL’s all-time list and his 80 postseason wins puts him in a tie for sixth with Ken Dryden. But Vegas management saw enough slippage in his game that it made a three-team trade Feb. 24 to get Lehner from the Chicago Blackhawks. Lehner has gone 8-1 since and started four of the Golden Knights’ five first-round games against Chicago. He is expected to get most of the work in the rounds ahead, even though Fleury was sharp in his one start against the Blackhawks with 26 saves in a 2-1 win in Game 3.

“Robin has done what you want players to do when they show up with a new team,” Vegas coach Peter DeBoer told The Athletic’s Pierre LeBrun via text on Wednesday. “He has played at a level, not just in games but also through camp, where we have had to give him the net. This is not about Flower doing something. He has been great. Robin has just been at a different level.”

Predictably, Fleury has taken the demotion in stride. He did the same thing when Murray supplanted him with the Penguins. It’s a big reason he’s so beloved here and in Las Vegas.

“At the end of the day, all that matters is winning,” Fleury told NHL.com. “That’s why we are all here. Playoffs come and you have to be selfless and do what is right for the team.”

There’s a good chance Fleury will get his net back, even if it might not be until next season. Lehner is going to be a free agent and is expected to sign elsewhere for big money. Fleury is signed for two more seasons with Vegas with a $7 million cap hit in each year.

Murray’s future with the Penguins is much more tenuous. He and Jarry are both restricted free agents, and the team can’t afford to keep both. It makes sense to trade Murray and keep Jarry, who is a little younger and 1191959 Pittsburgh Penguins needed to be nimble. Peers marbled at his mastery of the salary cap, specifically his skill for realizing other clubs’ likely cap-related issues well before their own capologists

The 3 questions Jim Rutherford must answer before retooling the By bringing Botterill back in an adviser role, the Penguins could tap his Penguins knowledge of the cap and the 2020 draft class, which he had been studying with the Sabres headed for the lottery well before he was fired. Additionally, Botterill’s other heralded skill — building organizational depth by recognizing college and/or unheralded NHL free agents — Rob Rossi would enhance what has become a strength under Karmanos and Scott Aug 22, 2020 Young, the director of player development.

Rutherford and Botterill worked well together. The former’s big personality meshes with the latter’s reserved approach. Rutherford is a Been there. Done that. big-picture type, whereas Botterill has a spreadsheet for every decision, including, probably, which bottled water companies deliver the best bang Jim Rutherford would never say either of those short sentences. But they for a buck. do apply to his task at hand — because when you’re managing the Penguins’ Sidney Crosby/Evgeni Malkin era, every offseason is The Penguins, for now, plan to enter next season well under the cap for consequential. the first time since 2007-08. Ownership is open to again spending to the upper limit but first wants to be sure the club assembled by Rutherford is Rutherford’s seventh is not all that different from his first. If anything, it’s likely to make a deep playoff run and bring in that all-important revenue strikingly similar. from several home playoff games. The Penguins are coming off a couple of disappointing postseasons. Rutherford doesn’t need Botterill. But with Botterill back in some capacity, They no longer appear among the NHL’s elite. A usually hands-off Rutherford would have a proven commodity to lean on in turbulent times ownership group is paying close attention. — and the Penguins would have somebody who knows their way of Really, there are only a few differences between what Rutherford is doing business with the GM experience to step in if needed for whatever facing now and what he faced in 2014: He already has his coach, his star reason. centers are all-in and there’s a pandemic raging. Which prospects are ready? Take the good with the bad, right? Externally, the Penguins are not thought to be loaded with prospects who The pressure is on Rutherford to make the most of Crosby and Malkin by could become impact contributors in the NHL. However, those holding retooling around them. That process started not long after the Penguins that view tend to assign value to prospects who were drafted more than were dumped from the Stanley Cup playoffs’ qualifying round by the those signed out of college. Montreal Canadiens. The Penguins have drafted in the top 10 only once since taking Jordan But the pressure is always on Rutherford. He knows it, too. Every time Staal second overall in 2006. And they only had that eighth pick in 2012 you read him as having said the Penguins are in “win-now mode,” that’s because Shero acquired it from Rutherford as part of a deal that sent a Hall of Fame GM’s way of owning the obvious. Staal to the Carolina Hurricanes.

Which is not to suggest this offseason won’t test Rutherford. Perhaps it Rutherford’s view on draft picks doesn’t need to be stated. He’s been a will like never before. (The Athletic’s reporters kicked around potential show-don’t-tell GM on that subject, having traded his first-round pick from moves by Rutherford as part of this roundtable discussion about the 2015-18 and taking a prospect with it only twice during his tenure in Penguins.) Pittsburgh.

Acing that test will first require asking some hard questions — including The Penguins own the 15th pick for the 2020 NHL Entry Draft. Rutherford three that require immediate attention, even if the topics are under the is leaning on keeping it, but he’s also the man who once said “Jimmy radar. Rutherford has never had a first-round pick he didn’t consider trading.”

Does he need help? Their first-round pick is an asset. Trading it could perhaps provide an NHL-ready player to fill a need — perhaps a third-line center or a right- Rutherford’s hockey operations staff is small compared to the one he handed shot defenseman to replace Justin Schultz. By using it to draft a inherited when replacing former GM Ray Shero in June 2014. Then, he prospect, the Penguins will boost a system they’ve subtly been rebuilding had an associate and two assistant general managers. Now, he has a in recent years, and perhaps make it easier to trade a current prospect lone assistant. for a missing piece for the big club.

The quantity of personnel directly under Rutherford matters only if some With eyes focused on getting younger and better — no easy task — things are slipping through the cracks. That isn’t happening, and probably Rutherford must go into the draft period with a firm understanding of the won’t. current prospects ready to at least compete for, and ideally win, a roster Rutherford is meticulous. He also is proudly adaptable. And though his spot either in training camp or at some point next season. go-to assistant, Jason Karmanos, is not one to say much publicly, people To rush a prospect is unwise. But no more unwise than holding back a have said his strengths are coordinating and executing plans along with prospect who shows signs of being ready, especially in a cap system for organizing the various departments that fall under hockey ops. which contributors on entry-level contracts are the equivalent of striking Still, the world has changed on Rutherford and Karmanos. The pandemic gold (see: John Marino). has hindered travel, which impacts scouting and development, and also The Penguins have a few prospects — wingers Samuel Poulin (the 21st brought great — if not grave — financial uncertainty to the NHL. overall pick in 2019) and Drew O’Connor (a college free agent signed As their luck would have it, though, the world’s changes have also early during the NHL pause) and defenseman Pierre-Olivier Joseph allowed Rutherford and Karmanos to bring in a person immensely (acquired as part of the Phil Kessel trade) — they feel wouldn’t need too qualified to help. much seasoning before becoming NHL regulars.

Jason Botterill, a longtime Penguins employee before he became GM There have not been too many Marino-like accessions for the Penguins with the , doesn’t need a job. He’s being paid (well) not to over the past decade. Rutherford must be sure if any prospect in the work. system could come to camp and force his way onto the NHL roster. If even one such prospect exists, Rutherford could consider a trade he But he wants to work, and with some not-so-clever maneuvering, the might not otherwise. Penguins could add him to their hockey operations while Botterill remains on the Sabres’ books. Are the Penguins built to win the way they want to play?

Botterill was Rutherford’s associate GM from 2014-15 through 2016-17. OK, so the answer to this is already known: yes. He was the prototypical behind-the-scenes MVP of an organization that The formula with which the Penguins achieved silvery success in 2016 and 2017 is not outdated. Even though many NHL clubs have adapted, if not fully adopted, to a bigger-is-better approach, the Penguins’ prioritizing speed and skill — and thus often featuring smaller lineups — is not wrong.

Counterpunching still plays in the NHL, even if fighting has all been removed from the league.

All GMs study trends. Not all believe them.

A year ago, after the St. Louis Blues won the Cup, Rutherford did not buy the popular theory that size mattered again in the NHL. He argued, and not incorrectly, that the Blues’ strength was depth at forward and on defense. He pointed out, and not incorrectly, that the Penguins’ strength on their 2016 and 2017 Cup runs was also depth at forward and on defense.

Depth is only a strength if the players who provide it are fits for a coach’s system and/or an organization’s blueprint.

The Penguins did not look overly reliant on a few players in their loss to the Canadiens in Toronto’s bubble. Nor did they look to be the faster, more skilled club in that series.

If neither speed nor skill was an advantage for the Penguins against an opponent that was the 24th-best club during the regular season, the reason for those shortcomings must be clear to decision-makers within the organization. Colleague Jesse Marshall noted in this story that the Penguins have often struggled against the defensive system run by Claude Julien-coached teams, so it could be a case of the Canadiens having represented the dreaded “bad matchup.”

But Rutherford must use all the tools at his disposal — including metrics, which sometimes seem to be mostly a talking point for the Penguins — to determine if the Penguins weren’t fast enough or skilled enough.

The Canadiens hardly send a collection of giants onto the ice. Much like the Penguins, theirs is a roster built for counterpunching against the big boys who have emerged as recent Cup contenders.

Looking like they did against the Canadiens — again, they appeared to plod and plug instead of skate and score — should alarm Rutherford. It didn’t seem as though the Penguins were the equal of an opponent they mirrored, so how could they possibly expect to counterpunch against opponents that are different?

The Eastern Conference, against which the Penguins went only 22-19-4 counting the qualifying round, is filled with many really good clubs. Some, such as the Canadiens and Hurricanes, bring speed. Others, such as the Lightning, Maple Leafs and Rangers, bring skill. Quite a few, such as the Bruins, Capitals and Flyers, bring speed, skill and size. And then there are the clubs like the Islanders and Blue Jackets, which make life miserable for all opponents.

Rutherford has evidence that a speed-skill club can dominate the East. But since the Penguins did that, going 6-0 in postseason series from 2016-17, they are 1-3 in the playoffs against in-conference opponents. Those losses were to the Capitals, Islanders and Canadiens — three clubs that win three different ways.

The Penguins weren’t fast or skilled enough to win more than three games in those series.

The Athletic LOADED: 08.23.2020 1191960 San Jose Sharks

Patrick Marleau believes Sharks' future is bright despite dismal season

Alex Didion

August 22, 2020

Few players are as revered among Sharks fans as center Patrick Marleau. The 40-year-old has played 20 seasons with San Jose over two tenures with the club, and is the franchise's all-time leader in games played, points and goals.

Marleau came back to the organization as a free agent in 2019 after two seasons with the Toronto Maple Leafs, hoping to help lead the Sharks to their fifth-straight appearance in the Stanley Cup Playoffs. But the Sharks took a major step back this season, finishing in last place in the Pacific Division and missing out on being one of the 24 NHL teams chosen for the league's playoff restart after the coronavirus pandemic paused the season.

Seeing that San Jose wasn't going to contend, the organization dealt Marleau to the Pittsburgh Penguins in February, hoping to give him a chance to win his first championship. But while he didn't finish the season with San Jose, Marleau still has confidence in the future of the organization.

“There was a lot of things going on,” Marleau told The Athletic's Kevin Kurz. “Obviously, I came in late to training camp. It’s quite a different group of guys than even just from the short time that I had been away (for two seasons in Toronto).

“But it has all the makings of a really good, contending club. I think we ran into some injury trouble there, as well. But I think as a team and playing together and getting a system down — we had a coaching change, as well. I think there was a lot of growth for our young guys last year, and some growth for the older guys, realizing what it’s going to have to take to become a playoff team again and to make ourselves contenders again. It’s not too far removed obviously (from 2019) and how far they went.”

Marleau and the Penguins were eliminated in the Qualifying Round of the Stanley Cup Playoffs by the Montreal Canadiens, so the veteran still is seeking his first title after two decades in the NHL. Some have pondered whether Marleau will retire from the league after such a lengthy career, but a tweet by his wife following the Penguins' exit seems to indicate otherwise.

Marleau is just 45 games away from setting the NHL's all-time games played record held by Gordie Howe, so another season almost certainly would help him set the record.

As NBC Sports California's Brian Witt argued back in early August after the Penguins' elimination, it would be fitting for Marleau to set the record in a San Jose uniform after two decades with the organization.

Either way, Marleau arguably is the greatest player in franchise history, and will be a lock fo the Sharks' Hall of Fame whenever he elects to hang up his skates.

Comcast SportsNet.com LOADED: 08.23.2020 1191961 St Louis Blues “They didn’t provide a whole lot of offense,” Berube said. “Not from lack of trying. They shot pucks and things like that but it didn’t go in. In the end, like I said, we didn’t have enough guys going to be successful.”

Secondary scoring a no-show for Blues in Edmonton In three of the six games against Vancouver a defenseman either held or shared the team lead in shots on goal.

Florida eyes B. Armstrong JASON FRANSON Bill Armstrong, the Blues’ assistant general manager and director of amateur scouting, is a candidate for the Florida Panthers’ vacant general manager job according to Elliotte Friedman of SportsNet. The Panthers EDMONTON, Alberta — As fingers point in the direction of the defense, and previous GM Dale Tallon parted ways on Aug. 10. Jordan Binnington, even ’s decision-making, don’t forget the offense. Bluenotes

Sure, the mainstays were there. Ryan O’Reilly, David Perron, Brayden After taking part in pregame warmup, Bozak was a late scratch in Game Schenn, Jaden Schwartz. The moment never seems too big for them. 6, a result of being struck with a puck in Game 5. “He couldn’t go,” But the Blues never scored more than three goals in any of the six Berube said. games against Vancouver, and did so only once in all games played in Edmonton — a 6-4 loss to Vegas in the second round-robin game. • With an assist Friday, O’Reilly ended the season on a five-game point streak (four goals, four assists). He led all Blues in scoring in the bubble You can slice the offensive numbers any way you want and they’re not with 11 points (four goals, seven assists) in nine games, followed by good: David Perron with nine points (four goals, five assists).• The Blues had 23 giveaways in Game 6, their second-highest total of the entire 2019-20 • Include only the Vancouver series, and the Blues averaged 2.67 goals seasons and exceeded only by their 24 giveaways in Game 3 of the per game. series.• The Blues outshot the Canucks in every game and by an • Add the three round-robin contests, and it’s 2.44 goals per game. average of 11 shots on goal per game. Yes, Jacob Markstrom was pretty good in goal for Vancouver. • Throw in the exhibition contest against Chicago, and the 10-game average is 2.20 goals. Tags

During the regular season, the Blues averaged 3.14 goals per game, St Louis Blues Nhl Stanley Cup Playoffs Coronavirus Local-coronavirus their highest single-season total since the 1994-95 season. Covid-19 Game Goal Round Robin Sport

The main reason for the downturn was that the Blues’ secondary scoring The latest STL Blues hockey news, NHL headlines, scores, standings went AWOL in Edmonton. Maybe it couldn’t make it through customs. and rosters. One of the keys to the Blues’ recent success has been their depth * I understand and agree that registration on or use of this site constitutes scoring, but it was all but nonexistent in the bubble. agreement to its user agreement and privacy policy. “We didn’t get any scoring from our bottom half of our lineup, which we St Louis Post Dispatch LOADED: 08.23.2020 did last year,” coach Craig Berube said. “We had a fantastic line of (Oskar) Sundqvist, (Ivan) Barbashev and (Alexander) Steen that scored goals for us and did a lot of good stuff.”

During the 2018-19 season, the Blues had 13 players with at least 10 goals, with Barbashev (14), Sundqvist (14) and Steen (10) combining for 38 goals.

During the pandemic-shortened 2019-20 regular season, the Blues had 11 players with at least 10 goals, with Sundqvist (12), Barbashev (11) and Steen (seven) combining for 30 goals. Steen might have reached double-digits but missed 16 games due to injury.

In Edmonton, the Steen-Barbashev-Sundqvist line played only one game together — the Aug. 2 round-robin opener against Colorado. Barbashev missed six games in round-robin play and against Vancouver due to paternity leave.

Steen, whose toughness and veteran savvy could’ve helped the Blues get going against Vancouver, missed five of the six games against the Canucks apparently due to an undisclosed injury.

Another thing to consider, there were games in the Vancouver series where the fourth line barely played as the Blues were chasing deficits and Berube chose to roll three lines. In the series-ending 6-2 Game 6 loss Friday, for example, Jordan Kyrou played only 3 minutes 20 seconds and Mackenzie MacEachern only 4:12 on the fourth line.

Even with those considerations, the staggering fact is that in 10 games in Edmonton encompassing the exhibition game, the round robin, and the Vancouver series, the Blues didn’t get a single point from their fourth line. Zero goals, zero assists.

Troy Brouwer scored a goal in the Vegas round-robin game, but that was playing on the third line with Sammy Blais and Tyler Bozak. Sundqvist had an assist in Game 5 of the Vancouver series, but that was playing on the second line with Schenn and Bozak.

And the defense?

The Blues led the NHL in goals by defensemen in the regular season with 45. And while their dropoff in production wasn’t nearly as severe as that of the fourth line, they scored only twice against Vancouver and four times overall in the bubble. 1191962 St Louis Blues “We made mistakes that cost us in that game. And we let them back into the game. It deflates your team. Your team’s deflated.

“And I felt like when that second goal went in (Friday), we seemed Bubble burst: Inability to ramp up game led Blues to (early) exit ramp deflated again. I don’t have all the answers. Bottom line is we didn’t play good enough.”

That second goal, by Antonie Roussel, came just 2 minutes 9 seconds James Thomas into the second period. Vince Dunn was almost casual getting the puck out of the Blues’ own end, lost the puck, and Roussel scored on

Vancouver’s first shot in more than 11 ½ minutes. EDMONTON, Alberta — From the moment the Blues stepped on the ice Earlier, Jacob de la Rose literally stepped on the puck and stumbled, 3 ½ weeks ago in the Edmonton bubble, something wasn’t right. And to a leading to a giveaway that set up the game’s first goal — just 3:45 into large degree, it never got right. the contest — by Jay Beagle. They were out of sync, out of sorts, out of luck more often than not. On the third Vancouver goal, by Troy Stecher, Pietrangelo kept backing They were borderline listless in the 4-0 exhibition loss to Chicago on July up from , all the way from the neutral zone well into his 29. During round-robin play, they just couldn’t get their cycle/possession zone, allowing Pettersson to set up shop cleanly and initiate what turned game going even though they managed four goals against Vegas. into a scoring play.

Coach Craig Berube said he didn’t think the team was fully-invested in “Well, I just don’t think we were aggressive enough,” Pietrangelo said. “I the round-robin. Granted they were relatively meaningless games in don’t think we were getting out of our zone clean enough. We’re really terms of the big picture because home ice meant next to nothing at a good moving the puck out of our end when we’re on, supporting the neutral site with no fans. puck.

Nonetheless, the plan was to use the exhibition and round-robin games “We defend by moving the puck out of our zone. So I just didn’t think that to ramp up for the real thing. And the Blues didn’t accomplish that. After 4 we did that well enough. And it resulted in a lot of scoring opportunities ½ months without a game, you knew it would take a while to get from that put us on our heels throughout the entire time that we were here.” zero to 60, because the Blues aren’t a Ferrari. Their style of play is more And then there was the mysterious, inexplicable dropoff in play by Jordan like a Humvee. Direct, powerful, grinding; not speedy and shifty. Binnington. For years, the Blues have been built from the goalie and If you go back and look at the entire picture, they were 2-7-1 here in all blueline out. For sure, the defensive miscues put Binnington in numerous games played in the hub city. That’s not good hockey, especially for a bad situations. team that had the best regular-season record in the Western Conference But Binnington at his best is an eraser, able to make mistakes in front of and the second best record in the entire NHL. him disappear. Except for his first four periods in the round-robin, that “Nothing was easy here for us,” Berube said. “We pushed and we tried. wasn’t the case in Edmonton. He had a 4.72 goals-against average and But nothing was easy. In the end, I’m not taking anything away from an .851 save percentage, ranking 34th in both categories among the 37 Vancouver — they’re a good hockey team, young team. But we made goalies who have appeared in this postseason. just too many mistakes. We gave ‘em goals. And you can’t do that in the It’s easy to second-guess Berube on the decision, made as he said on playoffs. You won’t win.” “gut instinct.” But he’s made so many right decisions since taking over as In the end, failing to maximize their time in those preparation games may head coach it’s tough to chastise him for one gone wrong. Horribly have cost the Blues a chance to seriously make a run at defending their wrong. Binnington, who has done so much for the franchise over the past Stanley Cup. Because they had no momentum entering the Vancouver couple of seasons, deserved the chance. series and certainly weren’t running on all cylinders. It just didn’t work out. Like so many other things for the Blues in the It wasn’t until Game 2 of the Vancouver series that the Blues seemed to bubble. find their game. And after that overtime loss, they were down 2-0 in a St Louis Post Dispatch LOADED: 08.23.2020 series won by Vancouver in six games with a 6-2 victory Friday at Rogers Place.

So as much as anything, the inability to properly ramp up may have hastened their arrival at the exit ramp.

“Well, easy to say now,” captain Alex Pietrangelo said. “I mean, even (Game 5) we had five minutes where we fell asleep and they took advantage. So I don’t think we did it for long enough.

“We had spurts in this round that we did a lot of things that we wanted to but it just wasn’t good enough for long enough stretches. We all know that. It’s on all of us, especially us guys who have gone through this before.”

The Blues’ best stretch of hockey in Edmonton was Games 2-5 against Vancouver. Even when you’re on your game, it doesn’t guarantee victory in a league as balanced as the NHL. But it certainly helps your chances.

The Blues went 2-2 in Games 2-5. They appeared well on their way to making it three out of four in those contests with a 3-1 lead in the second period of Game 5.

Then came the “falling asleep” segment, a stretch of bad play that resulted in three Vancouver goals and a 4-3 comeback victory over the Blues that changed the course of the series.

Judging by the way the Blues came out in Game 6, they couldn’t put that game behind them.

“It’s a tough loss up 3-1 and let that one slip away,” Berube said. “We gave Vancouver those goals in that game. I don’t think that they outplayed us in that game by any means. 1191963 St Louis Blues had some practice in there (between starts) and worked on his game. It’s a gut feeling — I go with them.

“He’s done a lot for us and obviously won a championship with him, so KO'd by Canucks: Blues' Stanley Cup defense ends with a thud in first that was my decision.” round of playoffs The Blues didn’t have much jump from the beginning Friday. Just 3:45 into the game, Jay Beagle won a puck battle along the boards on a giveaway by Jacob de la Rose, and then skated in and beat Binnington Jim Thomas for a 1-0 Vancouver lead.

Aug 22, 2020 All the puck possession and zone time belonged to the Canucks, who had a whopping 13-4 edge in shots on goal with just under nine minutes

left in the period. EDMONTON, Alberta — In winning the city’s first-ever Stanley Cup a “Early on, we didn’t execute very well with the puck,” Berube said. “But year ago, the Blues became St. Louis sports legends you know, I thought that we got going a little bit, got some good shifts They won’t be legends this year. together. But in the end we just weren’t good enough.”

A season unlike any other in NHL history ended with a thud Friday night Aided by a couple of Vancouver penalties, the Blues had the last eight for the Blues. After a Game 5 loss in which Brayden Schenn said the shots of the first period and the first three of the second. Blues “fell asleep,” the symptoms were more severe in Game 6. Then things unraveled in a hurry. Before you knew it, the Blues were They got knocked out — knocked out of the playoffs, that is — by the down 4-0 and Binnington was on the bench again. young, hungry Vancouver Canucks in a 6-2 loss at Rogers Place. So the “At times we looked like a junior team out there, the way we would just Blues are done. Done for the season and done for the Edmonton bubble turn the puck over and not playing the right way,” Ryan O’Reilly said. “It with their first-round ouster. came back to bite us. Give them credit. They played smart, they had So what went wrong for the Blues in Game 6? Why wasn’t it there for momentum, they used it and we dug ourselves too big a hole to get out.” them? On a delayed penalty against St. Louis, more sloppy play in the Blues’ “There’s many things,” David Perron said. “It didn’t seem like our energy own end led to an Antoine Roussel goal and a 2-0 Vancouver lead just was coming from everyone. It was tough. We had a couple bad bounces 2:09 into the second period. right away and in the back of our net. Before you could say “defending champs ousted” — it was 4-0 “Honestly, I can’t even think about this whole thing right now that it’s Vancouver and looked very much like the Blues had checked out. Then over. It’s very frustrating. Very disappointing. Yeah, that’s my thoughts again, you could say that some of the Blues never checked in Friday. right now.” Troy Stecher, the man who stunned the Blues and Binnington with the The most interesting part of those thoughts was the part about “it didn’t game-winning goal in Game 1, took advantage of some casual play by seem like our energy was coming from everyone.” the Blues in the back end to make it 3-0 at the 6:49 mark of the second.

You are the defending champions, a team known for resiliency and work And then Brock Boeser made it 4-0 on a power play at the 8:06 mark ethic, you’re playing in an elimination game — and not everyone had after Oskar Sundqvist took a slashing penalty. Three goals in 5 minutes energy? 57 seconds for Vancouver.

“I think there was a few games where I didn’t find the energy was there,” See you later Blues. And see you later Binnington, who once again just coach Craig Berube said. “We need more from more guys — that’s the didn’t look confident in net, and gave way to Allen. bottom line. “It’s disappointing the way we played in front of him,” O’Reilly said. “One “I don’t have the answer why the energy wasn’t there. If I did, I’d tell you. of the reasons why we’re here and in this position is because of him and But I don’t. the way he is.

“David Perron’s right. It’s not good enough. You can’t win in this league “We did a terrible job of helping him out. We have to defend better. We unless you have every guy ready to go and give you his best in the have to have jump in front of him. It’s on us — the guys in front of him. It playoffs. You have to have that. wasn’t good enough for him. It’s embarrassing for us.”

“Our team was successful last year because we had everybody on board Binnington’s postseason meltdown included 19 goals in his last 3 ½ every night.” games. To put that in perspective, he gave up only 20 goals in his first 14 NHL starts during the 2018-19 season. But that was last year. This year, they were the only top-four seed in the Western Conference to be eliminated in the first round, and one of only “I think Binner is like a lot of our whole team,” Berube said. “I think at two overall. (Washington was ousted in the East.) times we didn’t play at the level that we needed to play. That’s just the bottom line.” Vancouver moves on, claiming the best-of-seven series four games to two, with a second-round matchup against the Vegas Golden Knights As is the case after every season ends, the “whole team” won’t be back starting next week. for the next one. At the top of the list is the captain — Pietrangelo — the first player in franchise history to hoist the Stanley Cup and scheduled for “They played their style,” Alex Pietrangelo said. “I really think a lot of the unrestricted free agency. stuff that they got, we gave ‘em. And they took advantage of it. Credit to them. Will he be back next season?

“When we made a mistake, they took advantage of it. That’s a result of “I’m not going to answer that,” Pietrangelo said. “We’ll soon find out us not doing what we need to do consistently and not bailing each other soon.” out when things don’t go the right way.” To be continued ... unlike the Blues' season. After three games with in goal, Berube went back to one of St Louis Post Dispatch LOADED: 08.23.2020 the heroes of that Cup run, Jordan Binnington. But Binnington, who struggled more than he thrived in Edmonton, couldn’t revive his old magic.

He lost for the fifth time in five starts here — two in round-robin play and three times against the Canucks.

“Jake played three in a row and obviously lost the third one,” Berube said. “And Binnington’s been a big-time goalie for us for a long time. He 1191964 St Louis Blues his first Blues game until Feb. 20 after coming to St. Louis via trade from Montreal.

Up front, the Zach Sanford-Ryan O’Reilly-David Perron line was reunited. Win or lose, it's been a special August for Barbashev Jayden Schwartz and Brayden Schenn were back together, with something new on their wing — Robert Thomas. The third line consisted of Sammy Blais-Barbashev-Sundqvist, with Barbashev replacing Bozak.

Jim Thomas MacEachern-De la Rose-Kyrou formed the fourth line.

Aug 22, 2020 Among the Blues’ scratches were Carl Gunnarsson and Alexander Steen.

Long-distance familiesFor Blues players with children, being in the EDMONTON, Alberta — For a hockey player, August normally is the Edmonton bubble for a month has been tough. Gunnarsson, for example, perfect time to have a baby. Of course, there’s no such thing as normal has a two-year-old daughter and a son born April 4. during these pandemic times. “It’s been tough,” he said. “I think everyone with a family right now has to So after just two game here in the Edmonton bubble — the exhibition go through that, missing the loved ones at home. You do what you can game against Chicago and the round-robin opener against Colorado — with FaceTime and Zoom and all that. Ivan Barbashev went back to St. Louis for the birth of son Daniil, the first child for Barbashev and wife Ksenia. “But it doesn’t seem to be enough. It is something that most guys go through and we’ve just got to battle it out and know they’re struggling at “It was one of the best experiences I ever had,” Barbashev said. “The home, too, and having a hard time with that. good thing, everybody’s healthy and good. “We’ll make the best out of it. It’s a tough situation but as long as we’re “Yeah, it was tough to miss a couple games but I was watching and here, we just try to do the best we can.” thought the guys were getting better with every single game. And those two wins were just big.” Eliminated from the playoffs after Friday’s loss, Gunnarsson and the rest of the Blues now have the rest of the offseason to spend with their Barbashev made his debut in the Vancouver series in Wednesday’s 4-3 families. Game 5 loss, and by his own account was a little rusty. St Louis Post Dispatch LOADED: 08.23.2020 “It was weird,” he said. “I did skate back in St. Louis, which was a big (thing). Getting back (Wednesday) was a little bit tough but I think I got my legs going a little bit later in the first. I still think I can play better, but it was a tough time anyway. I just gotta get better.”

As does the rest of the team.

A few days after the birth of Daniil, Barbashev took a charter flight back to Edmonton, then had to quarantine for four days and record four consecutive negative tests for COVID-19 before he could return to the lineup.

“So I just had to follow the rules,” Barbashev said. “It was tough, but that’s what I had to do.”

Barbashev is a fourth-line mainstay, and entering Game 6 on Friday, the Blues had yet to get a single point out of their fourth line. No goals. No assists. And that was true not only for the first five games of the Vancouver series, but also for the three round-robin games and the exhibition contest.

“Barby looked fine,” coach Craig Berube said. “I only played him 10 minutes, or somewhere around there. But he looked fine to me. He looked like he skated OK. He was physical.”

Playing only 9 minutes 12 seconds on a fourth line that included Jacob de la Rose and Jordan Kyrou, Barbashev had six hits — which tied for the team lead — blocked two shots, and was plus-1.

“Barby brings energy and physicality to our team,” Berube said. “Kills penalties. Brings a lot of energy though. He goes out there and forechecks and hits people and creates a lot of chaos.

“Those guys — Barbashev, (Oskar) Sundqvist, it was Steener (Alexander Steen) last year. Different guys. De la Rose right now playing; had a couple opportunities to score a goal. They’ve always come through and scored big goals for us at times. So that’s the kind of stuff that they do.”

Lineup notes

Tyler Bozak took part in the pregame warmup Friday but was a last- second scratch. Mackenzie MacEachern, who didn’t take part in pregame, took his place.

So there was all kinds of changes, both up front and on defense.

On defense, Colton Parayko was paired with Alex Pietrangelo, something that hasn’t been seen at all in Edmonton, and not since a Dec. 14 game against Chicago in the regular season. But including that game, Parayko and Pietrangelo were paired 16 times.

The second pairing of - marked the first time those two had been paired together. Scandella, remember, didn’t play in 1191965 St Louis Blues Although they couldn’t convert on the power play, that seemed to get the Blues going. But not for long.

Things unraveled in a hurry in the second period. And before you knew it, Blues bounced from playoffs in 6-2 loss to young, hungry Canucks the Blues were down 4-0 and Binnington was on the bench again.

On a delayed penalty against St. Louis, more sloppy play in their own end led to an Antoine Roussel goal and a 2-0 Vancouver lead just 2:09 Jim Thomas into the second period.

Aug 22, 2020 And before you could say “defending champs ousted” _ it was 4-0 Vancouver and looked very much like the Blues had checked out. Troy

Stecher, the man who stunned the Blues and BInnington with the game- EDMONTON, Alberta — In winning the city’s first-ever Stanley Cup a winning goal in Game 1, took advantage of some way-too-casual play by year ago, the Blues became St. Louis sports legends. the Blues in the back end to make it 2-0 at the 6:49 mark of the second.

They won’t be legends this year. And then Brock Boeser made it 4-0 on a power play at the 8:06 mark after Oskar Sundqvist took a slashing penalty. Three goals in 5 minutes A season unlike any other in NHL history ended with a thud Friday night 57 seconds for Vancouver. See you later Blues. And see you later for the Blues. After a Game 5 loss in which Brayden Schenn said the Binnington. Blues “fell asleep,” the symptoms were more severe in Game 6. He was pulled after the Boeser goal, with 11:54 left in the second, They got knocked out _ knocked out of the playoffs, that is _ by the replaced by Jake Allen. Binnington’s postseason meltdown included 19 young, hungry Vancouver Canucks in a 6-2 loss at Rogers Place. So the goals in his last 3 ½ games. To put that in perspective, he gave up only Blues are done. Done for the season and done for the Edmonton bubble 20 goals in his first 14 NHL starts during the 2018-19 seaso with their first-round ouster. It was all Vancouver in the early going Friday in Game 6. Just 3:45 into There were the only top four seed in the Western Conference to be the game, Jay Beagle won a puck battle along the boards on a giveaway eliminated in the first round, and one of only two overall. (Washington got by Jacob de la Rose, and then skated in and beat Jordan Binnington for knocked out in the East.) a 1-0 Vancouver lead.

Vancouver moves on, claiming the best-of-seven series four games to The Blues couldn’t anything going. All the puck possession and zone two, with a second-round matchup against the Vegas Golden Knights time belonged to the Canucks who had a whopping 13-4 edge in shots starting next week. on goal with just under nine minutes left in the period. But with 7:52 left, Game 5 Canucks hero Tyler Motte was called for holding David Perron. After three games with Jake Allen in goal, coach Craig Berube went back to one of the heroes of that Cup run, Jordan Binnington. But Binnington, Although they couldn’t convert on the power play, that seemed to get the who struggled more than he thrived in Edmonton, couldn’t revive his old Blues going. They had the final seven shots on goal in the period, and magic. He lost for the fifth time in five starts here _ two in round-robin took the last 22 seconds of a Beagle penalty for holding Jaden Schwartz play and three times against the Canucks. into the second period.

The Blues got a third period goal from Jaden Schwartz to make it 4-1, St Louis Post Dispatch LOADED: 08.23.2020 and pulled Allen in favor of a sixth attacker with 8:25 left in favor of an extra attacker in what must be some kind of record. But Allen had to go back in less than a minute later because of a neutral zone faceoff and during that stretch Game 5 hero Tyler Motte made sure there was no miracle comeback with a goal and a 5-1 Canucks lead with 6:51 left.

Schwartz added a second goal in the waning minutes, but then Vancouver countered with an empty-netter.

Things unraveled in a hurry in the second period. And before you knew it, the Blues were down 4-0 and Binnington was on the bench again.

On a delayed penalty against St. Louis, more sloppy play in their own end led to an Antoine Roussel goal and a 2-0 Vancouver lead just 2:09 into the second period.

And before you could say “defending champs ousted” _ it was 4-0 Vancouver and looked very much like the Blues had checked out. Troy Stecher, the man who stunned the Blues and BInnington with the game- winning goal in Game 1, took advantage of some way-too-casual play by the Blues in the back end to make it 2-0 at the 6:49 mark of the second.

And then Brock Boeser made it 4-0 on a power play at the 8:06 mark after Oskar Sundqvist took a slashing penalty. Three goals in 5 minutes 57 seconds for Vancouver. See you later Blues. And see you later Binnington who once again just didn’t look confident in net.

He was pulled after the Boeser goal, with 11:54 left in the second, replaced by Jake Allen. Binnington’s postseason meltdown included 19 goals in his last 3 ½ games. To put that in perspective, he gave up only 20 goals in his first 14 NHL starts during the 2018-19 season.

It was all Vancouver in the early going Friday. Just 3:45 into the game, Jay Beagle won a puck battle along the boards on a giveaway by Jacob de la Rose, and then skated in and beat Binnington for a 1-0 Vancouver lead.

The Blues couldn’t anything going. All the puck possession and zone time belonged to the Canucks who had a whopping 13-4 edge in shots on goal with just under nine minutes left in the period. But with 7:52 left, Motte was called for holding Schwartz. 1191966 St Louis Blues with 32 seconds left in regulation and fell 2-1 to the Stars in a shootout. Dallas then proceeded to beat Calgary in the first round, 4-2.

2. Speed thrills What went wrong: 10 reasons the Blues were upset by the Canucks Going into the series, there was a lot of concern about the speed and skill of Vancouver forward Elias Pettersson, 21, and defenseman Quinn Hughes, 20, and it was justified. Jeremy Rutherford When you look at the final tally, Pettersson had nine points (three goals, Aug 22, 2020 six assists) and Hughes had four points (all assists). Even though Pettersson had five of his nine points and Hughes three of his four points

on the power play, they were still on the ice for more even-strength goals When an NHL team loses in the first round of the playoffs, it’s usually for than against (Pettersson 5-2, Hughes 5-3). incumbent on the media to carve up the club. “This time of the year, everyone’s got energy, especially young guys When the defending Stanley Cup champions fall on their face, as the playing against us,” Pietrangelo said. “You could see that they were Blues did Friday night, it’s mandatory. hyped up for this series. They’re a good team. They’ve got good, young players. They’ve got some veteran guys that really contributed. They I’ll give my sobering assessment of what went wrong in a moment, but played us well. We’ve got to find a way to adapt to these teams. They’ll first, the team had a fairly strong self-critique after a 6-2 loss to have some success. It’s a good, young core over there.” Vancouver in Game 6 that sent the Canucks onto the next round and the Blues back to St. Louis. In addition to Pettersson and Hughes, the Canucks got four goals each from forwards Bo Horvat and Tyler Motte. They’re a bit older at 25, but “At times, we looked like a junior team out there the way we were just they were electric as well in the series, making some of the Blues’ best turning the puck over, not playing the right way,” said Ryan O’Reilly, the skaters — defenseman Vince Dunn and forward Jaden Schwartz — look reigning Conn Smythe Award winner. “It came back to bite us. Give them silly while trying to defend them. credit, they played it smart. When they had momentum, they used it, and we dug ourselves too big a hole to get out of.” 3. Too many penalties and a terrible PK

After losing the first two games of the Western Conference quarterfinals, Were the Blues just too slow for the Canucks, or were they not as well- the Blues finally got to their game and were able to even the series at 2. conditioned as they needed to be? It must be one of the two, because They even led 3-1 in Game 5. But the Canucks scored three goals in they took too many lazy and undisciplined penalties. 6:23 to rally for a 4-3 victory, and St. Louis never recovered. The Blues had the seventh-fewest penalties in the NHL during the “Well, that’s a tough loss, up 3-1 and let that one slip away,” Blues coach regular season, with 513, but were whistled for the fourth most in the Craig Berube said. “We gave Vancouver those goals in that game. I don’t playoffs, with 103 PIMs. think that they outplayed us in that game by any means, but we made All told, there were 41 minor penalties in their nine postseason games, mistakes that cost us and we let them back into the game. It deflates tied for the second-highest number in the postseason. Sammy Blais was your team.” the main culprit, with a team-high six penalties, and nine players took at The Blues looked like a set of tires that had been knifed but hadn’t yet least three. deflated. How did that hurt the Blues? Well, we knew Vancouver’s power play was “It didn’t seem like our energy was coming from everyone,” Blues forward top-notch, finishing fourth in the league in the regular season at 24.2 David Perron said. percent, and the Canucks kept up that pace. They netted seven power- play goals on 23 chances (30.4 percent) against the Blues, and this stat “I think there were a few games where I didn’t find the energy was there,” tells you how important that was in winning the series: In the Canucks’ Berube said. “We need more, we need more from more guys, that’s the four victories, they were 7-for-13 on the man-advantage, and in their two bottom line. You know I don’t have the answer why the energy wasn’t losses, they were 0-for-10. there. If I did, I’d tell you, but I don’t. But David Perron is right. It’s not good enough. You can’t win in this league unless you have every guy 4. No secondary scoring ready to go and give you his best. In the playoffs, you have to have that. This was a solid series offensively for the Blues’ top forwards: Ryan Our team was successful last year because we had everybody on board O’Reilly and Schwartz finished with four goals each, while Perron and every night.” Brayden Schenn had two, including an overtime winner for Schenn. If we have learned anything since the Blues landed in Edmonton on July But the Blues got no goals from Robert Thomas, Oskar Sundqvist and 26 for the NHL’s Return to Play, it’s that last year is over. And now this Tyler Bozak, just to name a few. Thomas, who was seen as a potential year is over, too. X-factor in the series, had just two points. Let’s take a closer look at the 10 reasons the No. 4-seeded Blues were The club received only one even-strength goal from a bottom-six forward upset by the No. 5-seeded Canucks … (Blais), and Vancouver got six even-strength goals from its bottom six 1. They didn’t take the round robin seriously (Motte, 3; Jake Virtanen, 1; Jay Beagle, 1; and Antoine Roussel, 1).

The Blues lost their exhibition game against the Chicago Blackhawks, “We didn’t get any scoring from our bottom half of our lineup, which we then went 0-3 in the round robin. While they were able to find their did last year,” Berube said. identity in Games 3 and 4 against Vancouver, one could make the case Meanwhile, Blues defensemen led the NHL with a combined 45 goals that their slow start didn’t allow them to fully find themselves. during the regular season, but at five-on-five against the Canucks, they “Well, easy to say now,” Blues captain Alex Pietrangelo said. “I think we got just one from Faulk on a combined 62 even-strength shots in six had spurts in this round that we did things the way we wanted to, but it games. wasn’t good enough for long enough stretches. We all know that. It’s on “Yeah, our defense, they didn’t provide a whole lot of offense,” Berube all of us, especially us guys who have gone through this before. Just said. “Not from a lack of trying. I think they shot pucks and things like didn’t piece together the way we wanted to for longer stretches.” that, but it didn’t go in. In the end, like I said, we didn’t have enough guys Berube wasn’t buying this line of thinking at first, then gradually going to be successful.” acknowledged the possibility. 5. Fourth-line musical chairs “I don’t think so,” he said. “I don’t know that. I mean, it could have.” In the Blues’ run to the Stanley Cup in 2019, the fourth line of Ivan OK, it can be debated, but here’s some food for thought: If the Blues Barbashev, Oskar Sundqvist and Alexander Steen was phenomenal. close out Dallas in their final game of the round robin, they don’t play Those players combined for nine goals in 26 games last postseason. Vancouver in the first round. But the Blues gave up a game-tying goal “We had a fantastic line of Barbashev-Sundqvist-Steen that scored goals for us and did a lot of good stuff,” Berube said. But they did not play one game together in this series. Barbashev missed him and the way he is, and we did a terrible job of helping him out. We four of the six games to return home for the birth of his son, and Steen have to defend better, we have to jump in front of him, and it’s on us, it’s suited up for just one of the six games because of an undisclosed injury. on the guys in front of him. It wasn’t good enough for him. It’s embarrassing by us. In all, the seven Blues logged minutes on the fourth line against the Canucks. In addition to Barbashev, Sundqvist and Steen, the list included 9. Tarasenko shut down Mackenzie MacEachern, Jacob de la Rose, Troy Brouwer and Jordan Kyrou. They had one goal from Brouwer on a combined 31 shots. The triumphant return of forward Vladimir Tarasenko turned out to be a nonstory — until it was a huge story. He had no points in four playoff “We were missing some guys, and that hurt us,” Berube said. “We were games, then felt some discomfort in his surgically repaired left shoulder, missing some guys that give us a real identity when they’re in the lineup.” leading to his early return home.

6. Tape-to-tape turnovers The Blues have said that Tarasenko will be re-evaluated and an announcement on his status could come Monday, making his status the The Blues had tremendous difficulty moving the puck out of their own top story to monitor this offseason along with Pietrangelo’s pending free zone in the series, and when they did make their way to the offensive agency. Tarasenko’s long-term future and whether he’ll ever be the same zone, they were making passes to each other that had no chance. They player again has to be a huge concern for the organization. had 23 giveaways in Game 6 and 82 in the series. 10. Mistake-prone The usually reliable Colton Parayko was especially off, being on the ice for just four Blues goals at five-on-five and seven against. Vince Dunn, One could pick and choose from a plethora of categories and point to the the team’s analytics darling, was on for three Blues goals and six against. one that doomed the Blues in this series. But the simplest one is the one And while Pietrangelo was even at six goals each, he wasn’t steady, that sticks out the most: too many mistakes. either. The Blues won the Stanley Cup last season and were in first place in the “I just don’t think we were aggressive enough,” Pietrangelo said. “I don’t Western Conference when the NHL paused in mid-March because, in think we were getting out of our zone clean enough. We’re really good part, they didn’t shoot themselves in foot. That wasn’t the case in this moving the puck out of our own end when we’re on supporting the puck. I series. just didn’t think that we did that well enough and resulted in a lot of scoring opportunities (against) and put us on our heels throughout the “I really think a lot of the stuff they got, we gave them and they took entire time we were here.” advantage of it,” Pietrangelo said. “Credit to them. We made a mistake and they took advantage of it. That’s a result of us not doing what we Berube acknowledged that the Canucks’ pursuit did create challenges. need to do consistently and not bailing each other out when things don’t go the right way. They did a really good job capitalizing on our mistakes, “I didn’t think we executed enough with the puck, and it wasn’t a lot of and I think we made a few too many.” clean plays, I agree,” Berube said. “(But) they put pressure on us, they did a good job. They made it difficult.” And that is why the Blues won’t be defending their championship.

7. Markstrom was magnificent “Nothing was easy here for us,” Berube said. “We pushed and we tried, but nothing was easy. In the end, I’m not taking anything away from Vancouver goalie Jacob Markstrom was the MVP of the series, allowed Vancouver. They’re a good hockey team, a young team, but we made just 16 goals on 215 shots for a .926 save percentage. just too many mistakes. We gave them goals, and you can’t do that in the Check out this stat: The Blues outshot the Canucks in all six games, but playoffs … you won’t win.” the Canucks scored the first goal in five of the six. The Athletic LOADED: 08.23.2020 Vancouver did a tremendous job of blocking shots in the series. With 28 blocks in Game 6, the Canucks are now second in the league in the playoffs with 129 blocked shots in the playoffs.

It’s difficult to get shots through against a team like the Canucks, but the Blues didn’t work nearly hard enough to get the puck to the net, generate rebounds or even create enough traffic in front of Markstrom to make it tough for him to see. They had their moments, but it wasn’t the wave of four lines that the Blues are known for.

“I thought when we played our game and invested, we had success,” Perron said. “But we had trouble at times getting to that and following it up one line after another.”

8. Binnington vs. Allen

After sitting out the past three games, Blues starting goaltender Jordan Binnington was back in the net for Game 6 against Vancouver. He allowed four goals in 18 shots and was replaced by Jake Allen.

“Well, the decision, really, Jake played three in a row and lost the third one,” Berube said. “Binner has been a big-time goalie for us for a long time, and he had some practice in there and worked on his game. It’s a gut feeling, I go with him. He’s done a lot for us and won a championship with him, so that was my decision.”

After playing well in the exhibition and early in the round-robin, Binnington was a shell of the Stanley Cup-winning goalie he was last season. He was 0-3 in the series with an .800 save percentage.

“I think Binner was a lot like our whole team,” Berube said. “I think at times, we didn’t play at the level we needed to play, that’s just the bottom line.”

The Blues didn’t help Binnington or Allen much. Whereas the Canucks were shot-blocking machines, the Blues had just 10 blocks in Game 6 and 88 in the series.

“It’s disappointing the way we played in front of (Binnington),” O’Reilly said. “One of the reasons why we’re here in this position is because of 1191967 Tampa Bay Lightning “That’s precision at its finest,” Engblom said. “That was not like a, ‘Phew, I pulled it off.’ "

Engblom has seen Point’s shot develop over his four years in the league. Lightning’s Brayden Point thrives in big games Point has gone from looking shocked after beautiful chances were stopped to having the confidence to shoot to score, versus just putting the puck on the net.

Diana C. Nearhos “A lot of guys would have shot that quickly,” assistant coach Jeff Halpern said of Point’s Game 5 overtime goal against the Blue Jackets, referring

to Point being open in the slot. “Just the fact that he caught it and pulled Brayden Point has acquired a couple of new nicknames from the it to his backhand to go around the goalie. He has a lot of ways to move Lightning’s broadcast team of Rick Peckham and : “Big the puck and even the way he shoots it. It’s a very accurate shot, and he Game Brayden” and “Mr. Clutch.” Host and rink reporter Paul Kennedy gets it off quick at different angles.” added “Mr. August.” Halpern referred to Point not being too quick to set up the shot but also Whichever one you prefer, the center has earned them. that the puck comes off his stick quickly once he starts the shooting motion, not giving the goalie time to react. Point has also earned the status of superstar, as granted by defenseman Victor Hedman. And Hedman would know. He has been one of the Big Game Brayden, indeed. league’s top defensemen for years. Tampa Bay Times LOADED: 08.23.2020 “He’s making big-time plays at key moments in games,” Hedman said. “And that’s what defines a superstar in this league. Brayden’s really turned into that.”

Point called his goal in the fifth overtime of Game 1 against the Blue Jackets in their first-round playoff series this year the biggest of his life. Coach Jon Cooper upped the ante, calling that and Point’s overtime goal in Game 5 to win the series two of the biggest in franchise history.

“The big thing for me is what he does in the biggest moments of the game,” Cooper said. “He’s an extremely valuable player on this team. It’s up to the player, in those situations, to make himself better. And he’s done that.”

Cooper also talked about Point’s play the last time the Lightning met the Bruins in the playoffs before tonight’s start of their Eastern Conference semifinal. He credited Point with elevating his game to help the Lightning beat Boston 4-1 in the same round two years ago.

In that series, Cooper put Point out against the Bruins’ top line, specifically against center Patrice Bergeron. Point was minus-5 after the first period of Game 2 — the Bruins won Game 1 6-2, and Game 2 was 1-1 after one — and Cooper pulled him aside. The coach told Point he wouldn’t pull him out of the matchup, that he had to get out of the minus- 5 on his own.

Point finished Game 2, a 4-2 Lighting win, with a goal and three assists.

He finished the series plus-2, with seven points.

“It was unreal,” Cooper said. “That’s what he just does.”

Point rises to the big moments. He pushes himself to be the best he can, but he is relaxed while doing so. At one point during this year’s first round, forward Alex Killorn joked that Point hadn’t even retaped his sticks since Game 1.

Killorn didn’t mean it as a superstitious thing, just that Point couldn’t be bothered. This is a guy who grew long hair and a bushy beard not because he didn’t want to disrupt a streak but because it seemed like more effort to cut and trim it.

Asked if that helps him stay calm in big moments, Point shrugged. He does that when asked to give himself credit.

That’s part of why Point’s goal celebrations don’t tend to be huge, and why his emphatic fist pumps after the two overtime goals in this year’s first round stand out. He jumped around more after the first one — ending the fourth-longest game in NHL history will do that to a person — but the double underarm pump in Game 5 demonstrated what that series-clinching goal meant, even if he didn’t say much about it afterward.

“It was just a good read by (Nikita Kucherov),” Point said after the game. “He steals the puck, and he’s a guy who sees the ice so well. He spotted me right away in front of the net there, and I was able to make a backhand move on (Columbus goalie Joonas Korpisalo).”

Though factually accurate, Point undersold himself on the goal. He played his backhand like few can. It looked like he was flipping the puck on the net, but Point aimed the shot specifically to the top corner, where the goaltender couldn’t reach it. 1191968 Tampa Bay Lightning playing how we’re capable. Checking with our feet, not using our sticks, just little things like that to limit the number of penalties.”

Tampa Bay won four out of five games against Boston during the regular The Lightning will beat the Bruins ... on one condition season and the round-robin game (though one was a shootout victory), and it outscored the Bruins 11-8 in 5-on-5 situations.

The Lightning already know the path to victory. John Romano They just need to be smart enough to follow it.

Tampa Bay Times LOADED: 08.23.2020 The Lightning have got this one. Even after all those close games against a lesser Columbus team. Even with captain Steven Stamkos out for yet another series.

Yup, the Lightning have got this conference semifinal showdown with the Bruins. As long as they don’t get stupid.

Maybe stupid is the wrong word. Maybe it’s careless. Or reckless. But the one thing that could keep the Lightning out of the Eastern Conference final is drawing too many penalties against the Bruins.

Oh, I know the Bruins are good. They won the Presidents’ Trophy when the regular season was paused five months ago, and they were one victory from winning the Stanley Cup 14 months ago. So it’s not like the Lightning are facing a pushover. In fact, a quick survey of betting lines suggests Vegas considers the Bruins to be slight favorites in the series.

So why the foolish optimism?

Because I think Tampa Bay is the better team 5-on-5, especially with Boston goaltender Tuukka Rask out of the picture. Because I think the Lightning have gotten more disciplined on offense and more physical on defense. Because I think they’re a more well-rounded team than last year.

But — and this is no small matter — they have to avoid all those silly slashing and hooking penalties they had against Columbus. The Blue Jackets averaged four power plays a game in the first round’s five games but averaged only 0.6 power-play goals against the Lightning.

Boston is not going to be so forgiving.

“Our big thing is, don’t take penalties,” Lightning coach Jon Cooper said Saturday. “And I just think we’ll put ourselves in a better position to succeed because of how lethal their power play can be.”

Tampa Bay was the best 5-on-5 team in the NHL in the regular season. It outscored opponents by 46 goals when at full strength. Colorado (45) was the only team even close to Tampa Bay.

On the other hand, Boston had the best special teams in the NHL. Factoring in shorthanded goals, the Bruins outscored teams by 21 goals in power play and penalty kill situations. The Lightning’s special teams were plus-5.

There’s your disparity. And that’s what the Lightning must avoid.

“I think it’s huge. Obviously, last series we took a few more penalties than we would’ve liked,” said forward Barclay Goodrow. “When you’re going up against an extremely talented power play like (the Bruins) have, you want to minimize the amount of kills you have to go through in a game. That will be a big focus for us.”

The problem is the Bruins will try to goad the Lightning into penalties. It’s not just the power-play goals but also the reduction of 5-on-5 ice time and the swings in momentum.

Recent games between these teams have been filled with penalty- inducing moments. Blake Coleman with a fighting major, and Brayden Point with a double-minor roughing penalty in their round-robin game. Goodrow with fighting and unsportsmanlike conduct, Anthony Cirelli with roughing, Pat Maroon with fighting, and Erik Cernak with a misconduct penalty in the March 7 game. Yanni Gourde with a fighting major March 3.

The Lightning will have to walk a very fine line between not allowing the Bruins to push them around and not being drawn into unnecessary altercations. And Boston’s Brad Marchand is among the very best at getting under the skin of opponents.

“I don’t think it’s any secret how some guys play. We’re aware of it; we’ve played them enough times to know what each player is all about,” Goodrow said “So it just comes down to us being disciplined and just 1191969 Tampa Bay Lightning

Lightning fans, a reintroduction to Boston’s Jaroslav Halak

MARI FAIELLO

The backup Bruins goaltender hasn’t seen shots from Tampa Bay since 2018.

It has been more than two years since Lightning fans have seen the Bruins’ Jaroslav Halak in goal against Tampa Bay. But they’re about to get to know him quite well as the Lightning begin their Eastern Conference semifinal against the Bruins on Sunday night.

Halak, Boston’s backup goaltender, hasn’t seen a shot from Tampa Bay since a 1-0 Bruins loss in March 2018. After No. 1 Tuukka Rask opted out of the playoffs Aug. 15 to be with his family, Halak became the Bruin’s go-to, with his backup Dan Vladar, who has never appeared in an NHL game, and Max Lagace (17 NHL games with the Golden Knights) on standby.

“(Halak’s) our guy,” coach Bruce Cassidy said a day after Rask opted out. “He’s proven that right now. The other guys have not.”

Halak, 35, is a veteran in his 14th NHL season. With his fifth team, he has been a starter as well as a backup. In the past two seasons with the Bruins, he has played more than the average backup, working more in tandem with Rask. Halak was 22-11-4 in the 2018-19 regular season and 18-6-6 this season. In the postseason this year, he is 3-1, including the series-clinching win against the Hurricanes in the first round.

Though Halak hasn’t seen the Lightning in awhile, Cassidy believes he is ready for the challenge.

“There is information out there,” Cassidy said Saturday. “How much he wants is probably his call.”

Cassidy pointed out some of the Lightning players’ tendencies during play, such as defensemen Ryan McDonagh, Victor Hedman and Mikhail Sergachev taking shots hard from the blue line and center Brayden Point staying tight around the net when he can.

“He’s a sick goalie,” Bruins forward Brad Marchand said of Halak on Saturday. “Jaro knows what he’s doing.”

McDonagh said it’s not really an advantage for the Lightning that Halak hasn’t played them recently.

“He’s been a starter before, and he’s played in playoff series and played in big games,” McDonagh said. “It’d be a different mindset if it was a younger goalie who hadn’t had a lot of playoff experience, yet alone NHL experience.

“We know it’s going to be a challenge no matter what. He’s been in this league for as long as he has for a reason.”

Tampa Bay Times LOADED: 08.23.2020 1191970 Tampa Bay Lightning

Lightning-Bruins matchup brings touch of familiarity to unusual circumstances

MARI FAIELLO

Even when using an adjusted playoff format, the division rivals meet in the conference semifinals.

With all the peculiarities the season has brought for the NHL — two Canadian bubbles for the postseason, an expanded playoff format with qualifying series and round robins in the middle of summer — the Eastern Conference semifinals still bring the Lightning and Bruins together for what should be an entertaining series starting tonight in Toronto.

“I think it’s two teams that play with a lot of pride and, obviously, guys that have been on each other’s teams for quite awhile,” Lightning defenseman Ryan McDonagh said Saturday. “You’re familiar with the style that they play, and the intensity is going to be there, for sure, right from the start.”

Tampa Bay’s five meetings with Boston so far this season have provided scouting reports. The Lightning had a 3-1 edge in the regular season and won the round-robin game between the two 3-2 on Aug. 5.

“We know each other, and it makes our prescouts probably a lot easier,” Lightning coach Jon Cooper said. “You know the makeup of the players, and their core group is pretty much the same, and so is ours.”

Cooper joked that the bubble in Toronto could have changed something because both teams have been staying in Hotel X and seeing each other daily for about four weeks now. “I don’t know how that’s going to play into things,” he said.

“We’ve had some pretty intense games with them since (the 2018 postseason),” Cooper said “And then we’ve had some pretty intense games with them since, and usually they’re one-goal games, and usually there’s some sort of fireworks that have happened in the game. It’s two competitive teams, and I think when two teams have been at the top of the standings, you’re battling it out over the years, that’s what you’re going to get.”

Boston coach Bruce Cassidy said the teams were destined to meet in the postseason again after 2018, when the Lightning beat the Bruins 4-1 in the East semifinals. But he, like many others, assumed it would have happened last year, when both were atop the Atlantic Division. Instead, the Lightning were swept in the first round by the Blue Jackets.

The Bruins reached the Stanley Cup final, losing in seven games to the Blues. “We’ve grown since then, and I think we’re a better team,” Cassidy said. “I believe I’ve had more playoff experience, so now it’s going to be two very evenly matched teams going at it.”

Steven Stamkos still unavailable

Cooper said Steven Stamkos is still rehabilitating and unavailable to play. He did not give a timeline for when the captain might be able to return.

Stamkos has not played in a game since February, right before he had core muscle surgery. He then suffered a leg injury in voluntary workouts during the league’s shutdown.

During the two-week training camp before teams left for the bubble, Stamkos skated solo for multiple days, then joined special-teams practice before group work. Stamkos went the entire camp without skating in a full session.

Since the team arrived in Toronto four weeks ago, he hasn’t played, missing nine games.

“He’s not available right now; (he’s) rehabbing,” Cooper said. “And when he’s available, I’ll let you know. There’s no further updates. (It’s) pointless to keep asking about it.”

Tampa Bay Times LOADED: 08.23.2020 1191971 Tampa Bay Lightning • Varlamov’s 21-save shutout in the Islanders’ Game 5 series-clinching win against the Capitals was the third playoff shutout of his career (the previous two came with Washington). He has a .960 even-strength save percentage in this year’s playoffs. Quick hits on the eight remaining NHL playoff teams Western Conference

Avalanche DIANA C. NEARHOS •In their first-round win against the Coyotes, the Avalanche were the first team to score seven or more goals in consecutive playoff games since the Flyers in 2012. They were the first to do so in the final two games of a None of the teams still playing have won the Stanley Cup since 2011. series since the Kings in 1993. Two have never lifted the Cup. •Entering its semifinal opener against the Stars on Saturday night, Eight teams remain in the quest for the Stanley Cup. Two of them have Colorado led the remaining teams on both sides of special teams. Their never lifted the Cup. Of the other six, their most recent Cup win was power play had a 30.6 percent success rate, their penalty kill 88 percent. 2011. •Forward Nathan MacKinnon, a Hart Trophy (league MVP) finalist, led The Golden Knights made it to the Cup final in 2018, their first season in the playoffs with 13 points. Forward Nazem Kadri was part of a four-way the league, but they lost to the Capitals. The Canucks have been to the tie for first with six goals. final three times but never won. Golden Knights Three of the Cup-winning six have won in the last 20 years: Bruins (2011), Lightning (2004) and Avalanche (2001). The Stars last won the •Vegas was the first team to secure a spot in the conference semifinals Cup in 1999. The Islanders have not won since 1983, the Flyers since but the last team to know its opponent. Opening its Western Conference 1975. semifinal against the Canucks today, it will have had the longest break with five days off between games. For the ninth time in the last 20 years, the defending Cup winner has been knocked out in the first round of the playoffs. The Blues were taken •Goalie Robin Lehner beat the Blackhawks, the team that traded him to out by the Canucks in Game 6 of their series late Friday. the Golden Knights at the trade deadline this year, in the first round, becoming the second goalie in NHL history to earn a series-clinching win Only once in the past 20 years has a team repeated as winner, the over a team he had played for that season. Penguins in 2016-17. Twice in that time, the defending Cup winner has advanced to the Cup final (2001 Devils, 2009 Red Wings) and twice to Canucks the conference finals. Three defending champions have made it to the conference semifinals. •The Canucks had not won a best-of-seven series since their 2011 run to the Stanley Cup final until they beat the Blues on Friday. Some quick hits about the final eight: •Forward Elias Pettersson has 13 points (four goals) in his first 10 playoff Eastern Conference games, all this year. That’s more than all but four active players, two of whom are still in the playoffs: David Pastrnak (6-9—15, Boston), Nathan Lightning MacKinnon (5-10—15, Colorado), Sidney Crosby (5-10—15, Pittsburgh) • Wing Pat Maroon is the only player remaining in the playoffs with a and Eric Staal (4-10—14, Carolina). chance to repeat as a Stanley Cup champion. •Vancouver is the final Canadian team left in the playoffs. No Canadian • When the Lightning came back from a multigoal third-period deficit to team has won the Stanley Cup since Montreal in 1993. win Game 5 against the Blue Jackets to clinch the first-round series, it Stars was the fifth such comeback of the playoffs. That ties the record for a playoff year. •Miro Heiskanen led all defensemen with 12 points in the playoffs entering Saturday’s game against the Avalanche. He got a boost from his • Center Brayden Point is the only player with multiple overtime goals in four-point game in the Stars’ first-round series-clinching 7-3 win against the playoffs. the Flames on Thursday. Bruins •Forward Denis Gurianov, the 12th overall draft pick in 2015, became the • The Bruins have been to the Eastern Conference semifinals for three sixth rookie in NHL history to record at least five points in a playoff game straight years. Last year they lost in the Stanley Cup final. The year with four goals and an assist against the Flames on Thursday. He was before, the Lightning beat them in the conference semifinals. the first player in franchise history to score four goals in a playoff game.

• Patrice Bergeron’s winning goal in Game 5 against the Hurricanes in Tampa Bay Times LOADED: 08.23.2020 the first round was his ninth goal of any kind in a series-clinching game. He has 35 points in such games. Only Patrick Marleau has more than Bergeron’s four series-clinching goals.

• Before the round robin, goalie Jaroslav Halak had not played in a playoff game since 2015, when he was with the Islanders.

Flyers

• The Flyers are the only team remaining that does not have a prior Cup champion on their roster. No team has won the Cup in the last 21 years without a player who previously won the Cup.

• Before this year, the Flyers had not won a playoff series since 2012. Carter Hart is their 16th goalie since then. Hart is 22; only five other active goalies have earned a series-clinching win at that age or younger. He beat one of them in the first round (Carey Price, Canadiens), and he’s about to play another (Semyon Varlamov, Islanders).

Islanders

• Forward Anthony Beauvillier scored the winning goal to clinch the Islanders’ play-in series against the Panthers and first-round series against the Capitals. He is tied for the league lead with six playoff goals. 1191972 Tampa Bay Lightning

Lightning open Cigar City Brewing Taproom for fans during Round 2

Fans can register for a two- or four-top table online starting Saturday morning.

Mari Faiello

TAMPA — Lightning fans will finally get to gather on Amalie Arena grounds for the first time since March to watch a game.

Tables at the Cigar City Brewing Taproom are available (by reservation) on game days for Lightning-Bruins in the Eastern Conference semifinals.

Fans must reserve a table online at .com/lightning/arena/cigar-city- brewing-taproom, $25 for a two-top and $50 for a four-top. The deposit goes toward the final bill at the end of the meal. The reservations are taken via Ticketmaster, which charges additional fees.

Complementary Dasani waters and popcorn will be available at each table. If attendees spend less than their deposit, the remaining balance will not be refunded.

Reservation times begin two hours before puck drop and will be open through the game. Walkups are subject to availability.

Reservations for tonight’s game were limited as of Saturday night.

Lightning alumni and ThunderBug will be on hand at the taproom — which is below the video board in Thunder Alley — and fans can expect prizes.

The new fan initiative will stop Lightning Gameday Eats To Go, but those interested in ordering food to go from Cigar City can pre-order online for pickup.

Tampa Bay Times LOADED: 08.23.2020 1191973 Toronto Maple Leafs

Bruce Boudreau and the Maple Leafs could be a nice fit, but they’ll have to wait

Mark Zwolinski

Sat., Aug. 22, 2020

It may be premature to think former coach Bruce Boudreau is close to joining the Maple Leafs.

But it’s easy to see what he could bring to the table.

Boudreau’s name was first linked to the Leafs weeks ago, and resurfaced after recent reports they had approached the Wild for permission to speak to the 65-year-old former Marlies captain, who played for Toronto and Chicago in a 141-game NHL career.

Before he was fired on Valentine’s Day, Boudreau’s Wild teams were known for their attention to defensive details, consistency and intensity — areas that are frequently discussed when assessing the Leafs.

Through four seasons in Minnesota, Boudreau went 158-110-35. Including stints with Washington and Anaheim, he has a 567-302-115 record, a solid .635 win percentage, and is 43-47 in the playoffs.

His love of Toronto and the Leafs is no secret. He would talk about his hometown team even when he was behind other NHL benches. Now an analyst for NBC during the playoffs, Boudreau is an old ex-coach at a time when teams have been hiring more young bench bosses.

Nonetheless, he would likely be considered for any openings in the off- season and would want to see how those head coaching opportunities pan out before looking at an assistant’s role under in Toronto, if it’s offered. He has options.

Leafs GM and Keefe have worked well together since junior hockey and drew up a blueprint still considered a cutting-edge approach to the game at the pro level. That blueprint has come under heavy criticism, however, after the Leafs’ fourth consecutive early playoff exit, this one with Keefe behind the bench.

Bowing out on home ice to Columbus in a best-of-five qualifier was a bitter pill for the team and fans to swallow. In the aftermath, Leafs president Brendan Shanahan said the club had “taken a step back” before adding full support for Keefe and Dubas.

While the loss to the Blue Jackets reflected poorly on the Leafs’ style of play, they made gains defensively after Keefe took over from Mike Babcock in November. The head coach made defence and the team’s play without the puck the focal points in practice before the NHL restart, and they responded with one of their best games of the season — a shutout win over Columbus in Game 2 of their qualifying series.

But then they fell back into two bad habits from the regular season: the inability to repeat that type of performance, and a failure to defuse situations when under pressure in their own zone.

Would the addition of Boudreau make a difference? His experience and presence could help in every aspect of the game, and it wouldn’t hurt for Keefe to have another veteran coach on his staff, which is smaller after recent departures.

It’s likely Boudreau will test the waters in the off-season before making any decisions about his coaching future. If the Leafs remain an option, the match appears to be a good one.

Toronto Star LOADED: 08.23.2020 1191974 Toronto Maple Leafs last century. Carter Hart (6-2-0, 1.71 goals-against average and .943 save percentage) appears to be the real deal. Hart is the 16th goalie to play a playoff game for the Flyers since 2012 and The confidence the Flyers have with him is palpable. They were already good with Claude The Canucks will be Canada’s team in the second round of the Stanley Giroux, Travis Konecny and Jakub Voracek. They have scoring up and Cup playoffs, for hockey fans that can stay up late down the lineup and defencemen like Ivan Provorov who can move the puck.

Fun fact: The Flyers won a post-season series for the first time since Kevin McGran 2012. Sat., Aug. 22, 2020 The Islanders fly under the radar in New York, so don’t worry if you hadn’t realized they’d made it to the conference semifinals. They lack superstars, though Mathew Barzal fans may say otherwise, and Anthony All right everybody, are you with the Vancouver Canucks or against Beauvillier, with series-clinching goals in both rounds, is gaining a them? following. The highest-paid players are not paid outrageously, and their lowest-paid players are not left behind. They are a tight-knit a group. Canada has one team left in the Stanley Cup playoffs, one team that can end a Cup drought for the country that extends to 1993. Fun fact: Lou Lamoriello earned his 28th career post-season series win as an NHL general manager to to tie longtime Islanders executive Bill So are you all in on watching Elias Pettersson, Brock Boeser, Bo Horvat Torrey for second place on the league’s all-time list. He now trails only and Quinn Hughes do what Mitch Marner, Auston Matthews, William Glen Sather (41). Nylander and Morgan Rielly could not? Pick: Philadelphia in seven. Didn’t think so. Vegas vs. Vancouver At this point, Toronto is simply relieved Montreal got eliminated. The folks in Edmonton are relieved the Flames won’t be able to hoist the Cup in The Golden Knights are 7-1 in the post-season, a points percentage of the Oilers home rink. .875 that is tops in the playoffs. They seem a team on a mission with a decent power play (19.1 per cent) and a killer penalty kill (86.4 per cent). Now fans across the country can turn their disdain toward Vancouver. Robin Lehner has won the goalie job from Marc-André Fleury. Their rate Four playoff misses in a row and the Canucks win a round on their first of 3.75 goals a game suggests an offence with few weak links. Thirteen attempt. They made it look easy, too, dispatching the Stanley Cup- Golden Knights players who played in the 2018 Stanley Cup final remain champion St. Louis Blues in six games. on the roster. Those that have joined since include Max Pacioretty and , who are hungry for success. It really hasn’t taken the Canucks that long to turn things around after their big Swedish leaders retired. Sportsnet and the NHL are taking a Fun fact: The Golden Knights became the third different franchise in NHL unique approach to getting Canada to rally around the Canucks, starting history with three multi-goal comeback wins through their first eight Game 1 at 10:30 p.m. Eastern time on Sunday. That’s midnight in games in a post-season. Newfoundland, and 11:30 in the Maritimes. Games 2 and 3 are at 9:45 Vancouver’s young core is something to behold. Pettersson has four ET. goals and nine assists for 13 points in 10 games. Only four active players Fun fact: The exit by the Blues means there will be a new Stanley Cup collected more points through their first 10 career playoff games. Hughes champion for the 20th time in the past 21 seasons. became the fourth rookie defenceman in NHL history to record 10 career post-season points in 10 games or fewer. Goalie Jacob Markstrom has The NHL started the conference semifinals Saturday night, and we played every minute for the Canucks this post-season and is tied for the picked Colorado to beat Dallas in six games. NHL lead with seven wins.

How have we done in so far? Qualifying round: 5-3. Conference Fun fact: Vancouver earned its first win in a best-of-seven series since quarterfinals: 5-3. 2011.

Here’s a look at the other series: Pick: Vegas in six.

Tampa Bay vs. Boston LOADED: 08.23.2020 The Lighting have gotten this far without captain Steven Stamkos, who remains sidelined according to coach Jon Cooper. Brayden Point, with two overtime winners in the same series, has stepped up with five goals and five assists in eight post-season games. Nikita Kucherov had seven points against Columbus. Tampa’s power play has struggled (13.3 per cent) and is 19th among the 24 teams that made it to the two bubbles. But Tampa’s Blake Coleman, Yanni Gourde and Barclay Goodrow, nicknamed “the gnats,” will cause the Bruins headaches. And Tampa has its top goalie, Vezina finalist Andrei Vasilevskiy ,unlike the Bruins.

Fun fact: Defenceman Zach Bogosian played 644 games over 12 seasons before he got into his first playoff game this summer the Lightning.

Boston survived nicely when Jaroslav Halak took over from Tuukka Rask, who left the tournament to tend to his family in Finland. The Bruins also survived the absence of David Pastrnak, who missed three games. Big hits are in their blood, passed down from Zdeno Chara to Charlie McAvoy and Brandon Carlo. Patrice Bergeron, Brad Marchand and Pastrnak have yet to hit their stride.

Fun fact: David Krejci has 112 playoff points for his career, second behind Ray Bourque on the all-time Bruins list.

Pick: Tampa Bay in seven.

Philadelphia vs. N.Y. Islanders

The Flyers could have been nicknamed the Flawed because they really have had good teams done in by bad goaltending ever since, well, late 1191975 Toronto Maple Leafs

NBC hockey analyst Mike Milbury out of the bubble after insensitive comment, according to sources

Bruce Arthur

Sat., Aug. 22, 2020

Two days after comments which were condemned as insensitive and even misogynistic, NBC Sports hockey analyst Mike Milbury was sent home from the bubble in Toronto, according to sources familiar with the move.

The move came after Milbury, responding to a comment Thursday by analyst Brian Boucher about the environment for hockey inside the bubble, said, “Not even any woman here to disrupt your concentration.”

The NHL, in a rare rebuke, called the remarks insensitive and insulting.

NBC declined to provide its daily schedule of broadcast pairings on Saturday. But, according to a source familiar with the broadcasts, Milbury had been scheduled to continue working into the second round as part of NBC's Toronto broadcast, before he was sent home.

Globe And Mail LOADED: 08.23.2020 1191976 Toronto Maple Leafs “If I make a league of 50 players, they can’t play another 50 players,” said McKee. “They’re the only 50 players who can play each other. So we might have four teams of 10 playing four-on-four against each other.”

A parent’s guide to minor hockey in the GTA during the pandemic. None of those ideas are set in stone — things can change at the whim of (Warning: It’s complicated) this contagious virus — but these ones are likely:

Skills and thrills

Kevin McGran Skills development and practises are easier to police as far as social distancing is concerned, and likely the first step for leagues. Sat., Aug. 22, 2020 “There are pros and cons to what this year may hold,” said Oakman. “This year, you’re going to see a greater focus on skill development, because of some of the initial limitations on interacting with other teams. When kids across the Greater Toronto Area get together on their teams this fall, they will be in hockey equipment in hockey rinks, but they won’t “For the longest time we’ve talked about the practice-to-game ratio being be playing hockey games. too heavily weighted to the game side. (The experts say) practising is far more important for individual skill development than game play is. We’ll They will be able to practise and maybe scrimmage, but definitely not hit. actually be able to see how impactful that is.” Hockey — at least as they’ve known it, with five-on-five play — won’t But of course, there’ll be a downside. happen for some time. “Kids just want to play the game,” said Oakman. “So I think we have a “It’s going to be a while before we get back to our league play in its very difficult balance and making sure that the skill-development side is traditional sense,” said Scott Oakman, executive director of the Greater fun and enjoyable, so that the kids can actually develop in a way that’s Toronto Hockey League. “Our view is that our organizations aren’t in a meaningful but also enjoyable.” position to start hockey at this point in time for a number of reasons. We think we need to make sure we have all the proper protocols in place. The liability question

“We’re opening in a safe and clear and concise and intentional manner, Then there’s the tricky issue of insurance, and just who’s responsible for to ensure the safety and well-being of kids. We’re doing everything in our ensuring dressing rooms meet the high hygienic standards required to power to minimize the risks to players and their families.” keep the coronavirus at bay.

The COVID-19 pandemic has complicated a lot of lives and livelihoods, provides insurance for everyone involved in their and minor hockey is no exception. The folks who run associations across sanctioned leagues, and COVID-19 is included. But issues are emerging the province are still trying to work their way through the various missives regarding the maintenance of rinks and who cleans between games. on what is allowed and what is not. Some rinks are municipally owned, some are private, some are a mix. Some teams are private, some are community operated. There is no Hockey Canada, the provincial government and local health authorities one-size-fits-all solution. all have a say, meaning what might be OK in one jurisdiction might not be in another. McKee said he’d like Ontario to follow the lead of British Columbia, which used its powers under the Emergency Program Act to legislate that “It is like trying to do a puzzle where all the pieces aren’t there,” said sports organizations and organizers cannot be sued if someone contracts Oakman, “and then some days you discover those pieces that were or transmits COVID-19 as a result of their participation in organized missing. And then you get up the next day and some of the pieces that amateur sport, as long as those sports are following provincial pandemic you had are gone.” guidelines. Changing the game “I’m hoping the government of Ontario takes steps to put some limitations With registration for the hockey season approaching, time is running out. on liability for minor sports and amateur sport that is following the guidelines established by the Ontario government,” said McKee. The GTHL — the world’s largest minor-hockey league with about 30,000 registrants — intends to have letters out to families by the end of August, The unsanctioned option detailing what they can expect from a contact sport to be played at a Further complicating matters are families that still want their kids to play “safe social distance.” games and leagues — unsanctioned by Hockey Canada — that are In a normal year, league games would start after Labour Day and be in happy to fill the void if the GTHL doesn’t. full swing by the end of September. This year, early October is the target The Carnevale Summer League — run by Frank Carnevale, director of for on-ice activities, but not games. player personnel for the OHL’s Barrie Colts — extended its program to Among the options: September with five-on-five mini tournaments.

No games to start, replaced by more skills development and practice. Carnevale added he wanted to start a 10-week league — he said 60 teams of 17 players sent deposits, with another 40 on the waiting list — When games do begin — no particular dates set — they might be three- but ran into a challenge from a long-standing tradition that kids can’t play on-three or four-on-four to encourage social distancing, and against the in two leagues. same opponent to keep the cohort bubble tight. “We were supposed to start Sept. 7 and go 10 weeks,” he said. “We were No contact, with the focus on getting the puck back without hitting. taking the GTHL ice, because they weren’t using it. They’re not playing. So the rinks are saying great, at least we have a tenant.” No faceoffs, only pond-hockey style starts where one team begins with the puck behind their net. Then the GTHL reminded parents that if they sign with an unsanctioned league after Sept. 30, they will be banned from the GTHL for the season. Offsides may happen at centre ice, giving the offensive team half the rink instead of just to the blue line to control the play and encourage “Everybody’s going nuts because they aren’t playing; they’re just going to distancing. practise,” said Carnevale. “Parents don’t know what to do. It’s chaotic. I’m not one to break rules, but they’re forcing the parents not to come “That’s in compliance, and maybe a little more restrictive than what’s with me, but they can’t play games with them because they’re not required by the Ontario government,” said Phil McKee, executive director allowed. of the Ontario Hockey Federation, under which the GTHL operates. The OHF represents about 230,000 players, 50,000 female. “The GTHL has the nerve to say: ‘We’re not offering you games. We want your money, but you can’t go have fun in another league.’” McKee adds that Ontario regulations not only limit the number of people inside a facility to 50, but the same might apply to a league. Oakman said parents who want to put their children in leagues such as Carnevale’s are welcome to, but they’ll have to make a choice. “If they choose to stay with those other programs, that’s great for them and we wish them luck,” said Oakman. “But they won’t be able to participate in GTHL programming after that date (Sept. 30) if they continue on in the other programming.”

Rink rules

For now, Carnevale has scaled back his plans: September only, at the Scotiabank Pond in Downsview. He says he has run his game plan by Toronto Public Health. It includes:

Each team using two dressing rooms.

Teams using the entrances on the dressing-room sides of the ice (defencemen/goalie) as well as the benches (forwards), with X’s marking where to sit for proper distancing.

Two hours of ice time for a one-hour game to allow for dressing, undressing and cleaning.

“It met all the things you needed to do,” said Carnevale. “We’re not letting anyone come in the rink until the others are out, so they’re not mixing.”

The issue for the GTHL — and indeed minor-hockey associations across the province — is that not all rinks are as modern as Scotiabank Pond. Some have smaller playing surfaces. Others don’t have as many dressing rooms. And different public health units might have different ideas.

“If I’m an operator with one rink and it’s an Olympic-sized rink, I can run a totally different program on an Olympic-sized rink that doesn’t promote physical contact in-game than if I’m on a three-on-three training rink,” said McKee.

“We might have to go to the lowest common denominator. We’re an organization that is spread out and governs a lot of different hockey in a lot of small towns, a lot of northern communities, a lot of different rinks.”

Drop the puck

Hockey Canada pulled the plug on minor hockey in the middle of March, when the pandemic first took hold in North America resulting in lockdowns, closed workplaces, quarantining, self-isolation and mask- wearing orders. In May, the GTHL polled families with kids signed up. Of the 2,450 respondents:

95 per cent were “thinking” about returning this season.

62 per cent were “in a hurry” to see hockey return.

92 per cent were willing to participate in a “shorter than usual” season.

63 per cent would be happy to have hockey without contact.

So far, said Oakman, teams have not seen a drop from the usual number of interested families.

“We’re happy with the interest level and the willingness of parents to return,” he said. “I think it’s important for us to make sure that we’re communicating very clearly how diligent our organizations are going to be in terms of protocols and safety requirements, and the measures we have in place for contact tracing.”

The NHL returned with hubs in Toronto and Edmonton, players hived off from society and no positive tests for COVID-19. The league intends to start the 2020-21 season in December, with similar timelines for Canada’s major junior leagues.

The OHF is encouraging its minor-hockey associations to let families sign up as late as November, for those who would rather take a wait-and-see approach. Medical experts believe there will be second wave of COVID- 19 in the fall. What happens when schools reopen will be a big factor in the return to play of all sports, including hockey.

“Our plan has to intertwine with government regulations. That’s the challenge,” said McKee. “If the government regulations change, we can speed up our model if we need to, or we can stay they same. Or if it changes backwards, we can change back with them. It’s a malleable model.”

Toronto Star LOADED: 08.23.2020 1191977 Toronto Maple Leafs Bohonos was charged with common assault, but the charges were eventually dropped after Therien wrote to the crown requesting that his complaint against Bohonos be dropped.

After 9 points in 9 Leafs playoff games, what happened to Lonny “It’s something in the past that I wish didn’t happen and could have been Bohonos? preventable. I take ownership of that,” said Bohonos. “I should have been a lot smarter.”

Meanwhile in Toronto, the Maple Leafs had scored only nine goals in Joshua Kloke their first-round, six-game series win over the Philadelphia Flyers. The team was looking for an offensive boost, and so on May 7, they took a Aug 22, 2020 flier on him and called him up to the big club.

In the days between the end of his AHL season, and his promotion to the Earlier this year during the COVID-19 lockdown, Lonny Bohonos was Leafs, Bohonos took a day to do what he previously never had time to do surprised to find himself on TV. But not as surprised as his 17-year-old in Toronto: enjoy the spring weather by spending time outside on one of son when Bohonos pointed out that, yes, that was him skating alongside the city’s many downtown patios. as the Leafs defeated the Pittsburgh Penguins in overtime In the Leafs locker room, Bohonos’ sun-kissed skin led to rumours he’d of Game 6 in the 1999 Eastern Conference semifinals. been soaking up the sun in Hawaii. Then Leafs teammate Garry Valk His son was shocked when Bohonos scored the game’s opening goal. remembers Bohonos struggling to put his equipment on without aggravating his sunburn. Sure, his children were aware that their father, now a mild-mannered civil engineer, had a past life as a pro hockey player. Following the morning skate before Game 2 against Pittsburgh, Bohonos was told to take pre-game warm-up, but was given no assurances But up until that night, they didn’t fully realize how he had taken Toronto beyond that. In warm-up he was the extra forward. by storm in the spring of ’99. He scored nine points in nine playoff games. Only Mats Sundin and Sergei Berezin had more points for the “Stay out of the way,” he remembers telling himself. Leafs that spring. But both of them suited up 17 times. He was one of the last players off the ice. When the Maple Leafs playoff run was ended by the Buffalo Sabres in “Just to take it all in,” he said. “It’s the playoffs, right?” Game 5 of the Eastern Conference final, it also closed the door on Bohonos’ NHL career, at the age of 25. As he walked off the ice assistant coach Rick Ley told him to check the lineup written in the dressing room. “Oh my God,” Bohonos recalled thinking as he watched himself on TV try to toe-drag through the Penguins. “I was not a very good hockey player.” “You see your name on the first line with Sundin and (Steve) Thomas and you’re going to start the game, you start sweating,” said Bohonos. But for three weeks, he tried to convince a lot of Maple Leafs fans otherwise. He grabbed a bottle of water and started chugging it to calm his nerves.

Lonny Bohonos felt good about his chances of cracking the WHL’s As he recalls, Sundin walked over to him, looked him in the eye said: ’ roster as an 18-year-old in 1991. The Winnipeg “Let’s go out there and have some fun.” native had scored at more than a point-per-game clip in Junior A. “Wow,” Bohonos remembers thinking to himself. “That’s the captain.” But after eight games and just two points, then-Warriors head coach Mike Babcock sent him packing. Bohonos was a middling fourth-liner. With every touch of the puck, he reminded himself: Give it to Sundin. Babcock wanted more defensive play from him. During a TV timeout, then Toronto backup goalie Glenn Healy caught his “I wasn’t in his plans,” Bohonos recalled, with a chuckle. attention.

It was only when Bohonos landed with the Portland Winter Hawks that “You know what Lonny?” Bohonos remembers Healy saying, “Go stand his play elevated. Blessed with elite instincts in the offensive zone and a in front of the net.” good set of hands, he scored 152 points in 70 games. Only one player He paused. has scored more points in a single WHL season since then: Mark Deyell with 159 points in 1995-96. “OK,” Bohonos said.

Quietly, he knew it was not enough. He’d heard the knocks on his game: He was a half-wall player in the AHL. But on his next shift, he parked varying compete levels from shift-to-shift and an inability to consistently himself in front of the net and shovelled in a rebound off a Danny Markov take care of the puck in his own end. He hoped his offensive abilities shot. would be strong enough to overcome those deficiencies and he wouldn’t have to do much to overhaul his game. When he returned to the bench, he said “thank you” to a smiling Healy.

He’d gone undrafted, and a trip to the Calgary Flames training camp as a He later added two assists for a three-point game. It was the start of a walk-on opened his eyes to how much better he’d have to play in the five-game scoring streak. NHL. He had a WHL scoring title to his name, but no NHL offers on the His second-period goal in Game 6 against Pittsburgh sparked the Leafs’ table. comeback from a two-goal deficit, before they won the game in OT.

“I can see why I didn’t get drafted, for sure,” said Bohonos. “The only Against Buffalo in the Eastern Conference Final, Bohonos had an assist person I blame is myself.” in each of the first two games. He went pointless in the next two games. After landing with the AHL’s , then the Vancouver In Game 4 of the series, a 5-2 Sabres win, Bohonos logged just 15:22 of Canucks affiliate, Bohonos played 39 NHL games over four seasons. ice time, well below the 19:51 he had been averaging up to that point. After being traded to the Leafs on Mar. 7, 1998 — straight up for Brandon Head coach Pat Quinn had seen enough. When Bohonos stepped off the Convery — he continued to tear up the AHL, leading the St. John’s ice at Marine Midland Arena after Game 4, he didn’t know it at the time, Maple Leafs in scoring the following season and earning a seven-game but his NHL career was over. look with the big club at the end of ’99. Bohonos had overlooked what players around him had done to stay in When the Baby Leafs were bounced in five games in their first-round the league since skill with the puck is only part of the equation. Valk and playoff series against the Frederiction Canadiens, without a contract in Todd Warriner, for example, were both offensive players before the NHL hand for the following season, Bohonos thought his time in the Leafs but settled into unglamorous roles on that 1998-99 Leafs team and went organization was over, especially following an off-ice incident toward the on to have long careers. end of the Canadiens series. “I should’ve figured it out on my own,” said Bohonos. The night before Game 5, Bohonos got into a fight outside a St. John’s bar with then-Fredericton Canadiens head coach Michel Therien. The following season, the deck was stacked against him. The NHL reduced each club’s roster size from 24 to 23 players. Left-winger Jonas Hoglund had been signed as a free agent over the summer, replacing Bohonos on the team’s top line in training camp.

“I felt I should’ve gotten an opportunity to play with the same type of players that I did in the playoffs. And I don’t think that happened,” he said.

Not getting an opportunity to reunite with Sundin and Thomas stung.

“I was mad,” said Bohonos. “I was upset.”

The Leafs wanted to send him back to St. John’s. Bohonos felt he had nothing left to prove in the AHL, so he went closer to home and signed a one-year deal with the IHL’s Moose.

The following season, the Leafs were interested again in signing him, but only if Bohonos was willing to start his year in the AHL. Instead, Bohonos signed on with Swiss team Davos. He would play five seasons in Europe.

His last pro hockey game came with Germany’s Mannheim Eagles. Bohonos was carrying the puck through the middle of the ice as he had thousands of times before. He inadvertently fell into the midsection of a fellow Canadian, , and didn’t get his hands up in time.

“Everything went tingly,” he recalled.

At 34, he had suffered a broken neck. He was not paralyzed, but every specialist he saw gave him the same diagnosis: continuing to play was too risky.

“You want to go out on your own terms,” Bohonos said of his decision to walk away.

Bohonos now works for the city of Thunder Bay and coaches various teams in the Thunder Bay Kings minor hockey association. His players weren’t born when he made his playoff run with the Leafs, but he sees many of the same attitudes he possessed.

“A lot of people want to blame someone else,” he said, reflecting on his career. “But the only person I should blame was myself.”

His playoff run was memorable, but it never changed who he was as a player: skilled, but flawed. Twenty-one years later, he doesn’t blame Toronto’s coaching staff for not getting another chance. He realizes he should have tried to become a more well-rounded player.

He tells his players today to listen to their coaches, because he never did.

“You look back and you ask ‘What could I have done? Who didn’t I listen to?’” said Bohonos. “If you really want to play hockey, a lot of the stuff you have to do on your own, off the ice.”

The Athletic LOADED: 08.23.2020

1191978 Vegas Golden Knights

What’s a Canuck? Looking at the origin of Vancouver’s nickname

David Schoen

August 22, 2020

The word “canuck” is often defined in American dictionaries as an offensive or derogatory term for Canadians.

So why is it acceptable for us to refer to the Golden Knights’ opponent in the Western Conference semifinals as the Vancouver Canucks?

The answer lies in 19th century politics, a comic book and, legend has it, a poker game.

Researchers seem to disagree on the origin of the word “canuck,” but its first use in mainstream popular culture came in 1869 when a Canadian version of Uncle Sam named Johnny Canuck was first depicted in political cartoons.

The Johnny Canuck character reappeared as a Canadian World War II comic book hero from 1941 to 1946, fighting Adolf Hitler and the Nazis in 28 issues of Dime Comics.

While that was going on, Vancouver hotel owner Coley Hall set his sights on owning a team in the reformed Pacific Coast Hockey League for the 1945-46 season.

Jason Beck, curator of the British Columbia Sports Hall of Fame since 2006, wrote that Hall is rumored to have won the rights to the city’s first hockey franchise since 1926 in a poker game.

With Canadian patriotism on the rise, Hall chose to call his team the Vancouver Canucks. According to former Vancouver Sun columnist Archie McDonald, Hall’s bookie suggested the name, which honored Canadian soldiers overseas.

In the early 1960s, when the Canucks played in the Western Hockey League, the team adopted a Johnny Canuck logo of a skating lumberjack. (The logo was resurrected by goalie Roberto Luongo on his mask in 2007.)

The Canucks were purchased in 1970 and joined the NHL as an expansion team, and the nickname remained.

While “canuck” is a term of affection to many Canadians, it’s been used as a putdown in U.S. politics.

In 1972, a forged letter was sent to the editor of the Manchester Union Leader newspaper two weeks before the New Hampshire presidential primary. The letter claimed Sen. of , a candidate for the Democratic nomination, was prejudiced against French- Canadians living in .

It’s since come to be known as the “Canuck letter.”

Canadian prime minister Pierre Trudeau also addressed the “canuck” controversy in 1977, saying in part, “Whether or not you committed an ethnic slur (in using it) would depend entirely on the way the word was used.”

In other words, the Vancouver Canucks are probably closer to the New York Yankees than the Washington Football Team when it comes to offensive nicknames.

LAS VEGAS REVIEW JOURNAL LOADED: 08.23.2020 1191979 Vegas Golden Knights

Golden Knights must stay out of penalty box against Canucks

David Schoen

August 22, 2020

The Golden Knights may have the antidote to Vancouver’s dangerous power play.

Stay out of the penalty box.

The Knights are one of the least penalized teams during the postseason and must maintain their disciplined style against the Canucks during the Western Conference semifinals.

“I think our team has done an exceptional job of figuring out what the standard here is going to be as far as what’s going to be called and adhering to that,” coach Pete DeBoer said. “It’s going to be on us to continue to play with and check with the type of discipline that we have through the play-in and the first round.”

The Knights are averaging six penalty minutes per game in the postseason. Of the 24 teams that participated in the restart, only Columbus (5:54) averaged fewer penalty minutes.

Vancouver has drawn a league-high 57 penalties in 10 playoff games leading to 47 opportunities on the power play, which also is tops in the league.

The Canucks clicked at 30.4 percent (7-for-23) on the power play in their six-game quarterfinal series victory over St. Louis. They ranked fourth overall with the man advantage during the regular season.

Vancouver second-year standout Elias Pettersson was tied for the league lead in scoring entering Saturday with 13 points, and his eight points on the power play led the NHL. Defenseman Quinn Hughes notched seven of his 10 points on the power play.

The Knights went 11-for-12 on the penalty kill against Chicago after struggling during the regular season.

“At that time of the year, it’s no time to do selfish or bad penalties,” left wing Jonathan Marchessault said. “We just want stick on puck and go through the guy and play good defensively. We’re a smart group overall, so we do smart decisions.”

Florida connection

Goalie Jacob Markstrom was a heralded prospect when he was drafted 31st overall in 2008 by the Florida Panthers. He was rushed to the NHL and made his debut in 2011.

The Panthers’ coach at the time? DeBoer.

Florida fired DeBoer in 2012 and traded Markstrom in 2014 to Vancouver, where he’s blossomed into a quality starting goaltender at age 30.

“He’s a great example of … how long it takes goaltenders to develop and how quickly people can give up on guys,” DeBoer said. “And the fact that he’s persevered and turned himself into one of the best goaltenders in the world and how long it took for him to do that, I give a ton of credit to him because that path hasn’t been easy.”

Injury update

Forward Tomas Nosek was on the ice Saturday, according to DeBoer, after he missed the final three games of the opening round.

Nosek was injured in Game 2 and ruled unfit to play the next two games. The Knights were back at full strength for Game 5, bumping Nosek from the lineup.

“Everybody’s progressing. But I don’t have availability to play yet,” DeBoer said. “We’re going to get through morning skate tomorrow and then see where everyone’s at.”

LAS VEGAS REVIEW JOURNAL LOADED: 08.23.2020 1191980 Vegas Golden Knights

Recapping season series between the Golden Knights, Canucks

David Schoen

August 22, 2020

The Vancouver Canucks are the only team never to beat the Golden Knights in regulation.

In 10 meetings, the Knights are 8-0-2 and outscored Vancouver 44-25, excluding shootouts.

The teams have not met in 2020. They were scheduled to play March 23 at T-Mobile Arena and then face off in the regular-season finale March 4 in British Columbia, but the games were canceled due to the coronavirus pandemic.

The two games they did play were wide-open, entertaining affairs four days apart in December. Here is a recap:

Golden Knights 6, Canucks 3

Dec. 15, 2019

T-Mobile Arena

The Knights took advantage of Vancouver being on the second game of a back-to-back and cruised to the win in their 200th regular-season game in franchise history.

Max Pacioretty finished with two goals and two assists to extend his goal streak to four games. Two other players reached milestones. Jonathan Marchessault scored his 100th career NHL goal and defenseman Shea Theodore had three assists to reach 100 career points.

Marchessault and Mark Stone scored less than five minutes apart in the second period to stake the Knights to a 4-1 lead. Nick Holden and Valentin Zykov also had goals for the Knights.

Goaltender Marc-Andre Fleury made 26 saves and improved to 12-2-1 lifetime against the Canucks.

Brock Boeser led Vancouver with a goal and an assist, and Elias Pettersson and Jake Virtanen also scored for the Canucks.

Canucks 5, Golden Knights 4 (OT)

Dec. 19, 2019

At Rogers Arena, Vancouver, British Columbia

The Knights overcame a two-goal deficit after the first period but lost the first game of the Fathers Trip when Canucks defenseman Christopher Tanev scored 1:30 into overtime.

Mark Stone tied the game with 4:20 remaining in the third period after and Nick Holden scored in the second period to help the Knights overcome a 3-1 deficit.

Holden’s goal came less than 30 seconds after he delivered a check from behind to Josh Leivo. The Canucks forward sustained a fractured kneecap and hasn’t appeared in a game since.

Jonathan Marchessault added a goal and an assist for the Knights.

Pettersson’s second goal of the game put Vancouver ahead 4-3 with 10:41 left in the third period. Antoine Roussel and Tanner Pearson also scored for the Canucks.

LAS VEGAS REVIEW JOURNAL LOADED: 08.23.2020 1191981 Vegas Golden Knights The Flyers battled past Montreal in six tight games, while the Islanders dominated the Capitals 4-1, outscoring them 17-8 in the series.

Smith is taking the Islanders to advance. Sportsbooks see Knights-Avalanche showdown coming “Coach Barry Trotz has won a Stanley Cup (with Washington). They’re a defensive-minded team, but they’re getting some timely scoring now,” Smith said. “Philadelphia is a good young team, but they don’t have that Jim Barnes killer instinct.”

August 22, 2020 LAS VEGAS REVIEW JOURNAL LOADED: 08.23.2020

As far as the betting market is concerned, the Golden Knights and Colorado Avalanche are like two heavyweights taking tuneup fights before their title bout.

The Knights are -330 favorites at the Westgate to win their Western Conference semifinal series against the Vancouver Canucks (+270), which starts Sunday. The Knights are -180 favorites in Game 1 (total 5½ over -115).

The Avalanche were -275 favorites to win their semifinal series against the Dallas Stars (+235) before Game 1 on Saturday.

The Knights are 3-1 favorites to lift the Stanley Cup in readjusted futures odds at the Westgate, and the Avalanche are the second choice at +350.

“The Avalanche and Knights are two extremely popular teams,” Westgate sportsbook vice president of risk Jeff Sherman said.

The Knights always get support as Las Vegas’ hometown team, but the Avalanche made many fans of bettors with their romp past Arizona in the first round. Colorado won the series 4-1, including a pair of 7-1 victories to close out the series.

“People get behind teams with offense, same as any other sport,” Sherman said.

Parlaying the Knights and Avalanche to win their semifinal series has been a popular play, Sherman said.

He said the Knights and Avalanche would likely be lined as a pick’em for a potential conference final.

The Canucks, the No. 5 seed, pulled off the only upset in the West’s first- round series, eliminating the defending Stanley Cup champion St. Louis Blues in six games.

Sherman said the Canucks have been impressive but appear to be “a year away” from being serious contenders.

“They’ve got a lot of talent, sort of like the Avalanche,” he said. “But the Knights are so veteran-laden, and they have so much experience.”

Handicapper Alex B. Smith (@axsmithsports) also sees Vancouver as a team on the rise. He said he likes Vegas to eventually advance in six games, but he expects the Canucks to push the Knights, especially early in the series. He recommends betting the Canucks +145 in the first period in Game 1.

Unlike the West, the Eastern Conference semifinals are projected to be highly competitive. Top-seeded Philadelphia is a -125 favorite over the No. 6 New York Islanders (+105), who knocked off Washington in five games.

The main event is a pick’em showdown (-110 each way) between No. 2 Tampa Bay and No. 4 Boston. Sherman said the matchup is similar in quality to what Knights-Avalanche could be and that both are power- rated higher than the Flyers or Islanders on the other side of the bracket.

“It’s unfortunate they’re not playing on opposite sides so they could meet in the East finals,” Sherman said.

Tampa Bay and Boston are each 5-1 to lift the Cup. The Flyers are 8-1, and the Islanders are 10-1.

Tampa Bay beat Columbus in five games in the first round, avenging last season’s embarrassing playoff sweep. Boston took out Carolina in five games.

Smith said he’ll be betting on the Bruins (-105) in Game 1 on Sunday, expecting the Lightning to be flat after the emotional victory over the Blue Jackets. 1191982 Vegas Golden Knights concussion late in the 2016 regular season and early in the playoffs. Rookie Matt Murray took over the starting job and didn’t give it up.

The Penguins won the 2016 Stanley Cup in six games against DeBoer’s Marc-Andre Fleury’s agent creates drama on Twitter San Jose Sharks.

With Murray injured, Fleury began the following year’s playoffs as Pittsburgh’s starter. Murray reclaimed the crease late in the Eastern Ben Gotz Conference Finals, however, and started all six games of the 2017 Stanley Cup Final. August 22, 2020 The Penguins defeated the Nashville Predators to repeat as champions.

The 2017 started a week later, and Fleury was selected The Golden Knights’ goaltending situation received a dose of drama by the Knights. Saturday, one day before the team was scheduled to begin its second- Despite the potential for awkwardness, DeBoer praised how Fleury had round series against the Vancouver Canucks. handled the situation after the Game 3 win against the Blackhawks. Marc-Andre Fleury’s agent, Allan Walsh, took to Twitter to voice his “Everybody wants to play, especially players with his pedigree have great displeasure over his client only starting two of the Knights’ eight pride in their game,” DeBoer said “It’s not easy to sit. He handled it postseason games. Walsh tweeted artwork of Fleury playing goaltender exactly how you would expect a guy like him with his professionalism to with a sword in his back. The blade had the word “DeBoer” on it, referring handle it and did exactly what we needed him to do, which was come in to coach Pete DeBoer. and play his ass off.” The Knights’ bench boss is the one who decided to start Robin Lehner in LAS VEGAS REVIEW JOURNAL LOADED: 08.23.2020 two of the team’s three round-robin games, and four of its five games in the first round against the Chicago Blackhawks. It’s unclear if anything will change against the Canucks. pic.twitter.com/FarthdT0eX

— Allan Walsh (@walsha) August 22, 2020

Attempts to reach Walsh for additional comment Saturday were unsuccessful. DeBoer had already completed his video news conference in Edmonton, Alberta, when the tweet was published.

Fleury, for his part, has made little fuss publicly about being on the bench more often than not this postseason. He struggled in his first playoff start against the St. Louis Blues, but was spectacular Aug. 15 against the Blackhawks. He stopped 26 of the 27 shots in a 2-1 win in Game 3.

“I don’t feel I’m against Robin,” Fleury said afterward. “I just feel like I need to beat the Blackhawks. That’s where my focus is at. I’m just trying to do my best to help my team to get a win. … Robin likes to play, I like to play. It’s the coach’s decision, right? It’s playoffs and I think everybody is going to be a good team guy. All that matters is winning one game at a time here.”

Fleury, one of the faces of the Knights’ franchise, did not have his best statistical season. His .905 save percentage and 2.77 goals-against average were both below his career averages. The three-time Stanley Cup winner also dealt with personal hardship when his father Andre died in November.

Fleury, 35, is under contract for two additional seasons. His $7 million cap hit is tied for the fourth-highest among goaltenders with Boston’s Tuukka Rask. Only Montreal’s Carey Price, Florida’s Sergei Bobrovsky and the N.Y. Rangers’ Henrik Lundqvist cost more annually against the cap.

Fleury, a likely Hall of Famer, ranks fifth in career wins (466) and is tied for sixth in playoff wins (80).

Lehner is a pending unrestricted free agent the Knights acquired from Chicago at the trade deadline. He was a Vezina Trophy finalist last season and is 8-1 in his brief time with the team. The 29-year-old has a .904 save percentage this postseason.

DeBoer has never officially anointed Lehner his playoff starter. The coach has always maintained he plans to use both goaltenders this postseason, even though he’s played one more than the other so far.

“They are tough decisions to make only from a point of, particularly goaltenders, they want to play,” DeBoer said after Fleury’s Game 3 performance. “Starting goaltenders want to play. They want to get on a roll. They want that feeling of being in there every night.

“But I think we have to ask ourselves, is that what’s best for our team and our group or are we better spotting them off each other? I don’t know the answer to that, but so far we’ve gotten great goaltending from both guys. So we’re going to continue to evaluate that as we go.”

This isn’t the first time in Fleury’s career he’s dealt with an uncomfortable goalie situation. With the Pittsburgh Penguins, he missed time due to a 1191983 Vegas Golden Knights than Wilt Chamberlain, won four NBA championships and was elected to the Hall of Fame in 2040.

No word on whether the guy on the internet took the game back to the Henderson man gravitates to homes of Stanley Cup champions store and demanded a refund.

— Final practice made perfect, or at least close to it, for two of Henderson car owner Sam Schmidt’s drivers before Sunday’s Ron Kantowski Indianapolis 500. Patricio O’Ward clocked the fastest lap (224.355 mph), followed by fellow rookie Oliver Askew, who was fifth-quick among the 33 August 22, 2020 cars. Two-time Formula One champion Fernando Alonso was 23rd in another Arrow McLaren SP entry.

Gordie Howe and Wayne Gretzky won it four times; Maurice “Rocket” The cars can now rest until race day! Final results from Carb Day: Richard, eight; and younger brother Henri a record 11 times. @PatricioOward P1@Oliver_Askew P5@alo_oficial P23 But when it comes to celebrating Stanley Cup championships, Robert Leclerc of Henderson has them all beat. @ArrowGlobal // @McLarenF1 // #Indy500 pic.twitter.com/zpLrWWBwGS Leclerc has resided in the same city as the eventual Stanley Cup champion 24 times. No, it had nothing to do with owning Tim Hortons — Arrow McLaren SP (@ArrowMcLarenSP) August 21, 2020 doughnut shops. — Crazy stat of the week: Kyle Busch, the reigning NASCAR Cup Series He said nothing would please him more than to make it 25 Cups with the champion from Las Vegas, is winless over 23 starts this season and Golden Knights. winless in 45 dating to last year.

“Why not this year? We will be watching faithfully and hoping we serve as 2020 in a nutshell for Kyle Busch #NASCAR pic.twitter.com/zGvA9OjeZu a good luck charm for the boys,” the former attorney and mining — Erich Keplinger (@TheErich101) August 17, 2020 executive said of the Knights, whom he has adopted as his favorite team since semiretiring to Southern Nevada in 2004. 0:01

Leclerc was born in Montreal in 1944, when the Canadiens defeated The other night during the Golden Knights-Blackhawks playoff game they Chicago in four straight to win the Cup. He doesn’t recall much of the were showing that “Schmidty Approved” commercial for Henderson — Toe Blake, Elmer Lach and Rocket Richard — accounting Hyundai on continuous loop. Mrs. K. was impressed with how Nate for 10 goals in the first of 17 finals Montreal won when Leclerc lived Schmidt hammed it up in front of the camera, figuring he was the local there. Hyundai dealership’s answer to John Barr, who will do anything to sell you a car at Findlay Toyota. “We moved out to western Canada in 1978, picked up five more during our years in Edmonton,” Leclerc, 76, said. “And then we moved to “You mean that guy is a real hockey player?” Mrs. K. asked when the Denver in 1996 and bang, the Avs win the Stanley Cup. And they did it game resumed and was told that was Schmidty playing on the Vegas again in 2001. blue line.

“We didn’t become Avalanche fans — we were fans of Montreal and LAS VEGAS REVIEW JOURNAL LOADED: 08.23.2020 Edmonton, and I never thought Edmonton would replace Montreal in my heart, but they more or less did. And now my great dream is to see Montreal get all the way to the Stanley Cup finals … and get beat by the Golden Knights,” said Leclerc, adding that he is a much better hockey fan than he was a hockey goaltender.

“I played one year in Junior B, a level where, as my father said, you should really go into law school. I remember playing in an exhibition game where the opponent, the Lachine Maroons, had Yvan Cournoyer.”

Cournoyer played on 10 Stanley Cup-winning teams in Montreal en route to the .

Time for an afternoon coffee break with @max_domi, @BGALLY17 and Yvan Cournoyer. #GoHabsGo | @timhortons pic.twitter.com/1gxyeEtNS5

— Canadiens Montréal (@CanadiensMTL) December 20, 2019

“It’s a different speed at which these guys play,” said Leclerc, who is so happy cheering for the Golden Knights that he doesn’t envision relocating again and becoming a four-leaf clover for other teams pursuing the Stanley Cup — the one in Toronto in particular.

“I had no trouble cheering for Montreal, not wanting to see those dreaded Maple Leafs do anything good,” he said of the Canadiens’ fierce rival. “They haven’t won anything at all since 1967, and that gives me great pleasure.”

Around the horn

— What if a professional basketball world existed in which former UNLV star Anthony Bennett wasn’t an all-time draft bust?

A guy on the internet, using the same projections and algorithms the Cleveland Cavaliers must have been using when they made Bennett the NBA’s No. 1 overall pick in 2013, recently played out his career using the NBA 2K20 video game.

Over a 20-year career, the former Rebels’ flash in the pan averaged 19.8 points and 11.3 rebounds after being drafted fourth overall by New Orleans and becoming a late bloomer. He scored 12 more career points 1191984 Vegas Golden Knights Markstrom has been great and also has a better supporting cast in front of him than Crawford did. Vegas was able to overwhelm a struggling Chicago defense, but Vancouver has a much stronger defense in front of a goalie making the most of his first taste of the playoffs. Take 5: Getting to know the Golden Knights’ second-round opponent Power play got the job done The Canucks eliminated the defending Stanley Cup champion St. Louis Blues in six games Friday There wasn’t a ton of action for either side on the power play in the Vegas-Chicago series, but there was more than anyone’s fair share in the Vancouver-St. Louis series. Among first-round series, the Canucks’ 28.6% success rate on the power play was second in the league, and the Justin Emerson Blues’ 27.8% was third. Saturday, Aug. 22, 2020 That says the Canucks were both able to score with the man advantage but gave up quite a few short-handed. The Canucks were either up a man or down a man 39 times in six games against St. Louis, and saw 11 The Golden Knights found out late Friday night the Vancouver Canucks special-teams goals. Vegas and Chicago meanwhile had 22 special- would be their second-round opponent. teams chances and just two goals.

The Canucks eliminated the defending Stanley Cup champion St. Louis That means Vegas will need to be ready to both defend a better power Blues in six games Friday, and don’t have much time to rest, starting a play than it saw in the first round and attack a weaker penalty kill. The series with top-seeded Vegas at 7:30 p.m. Sunday. The Golden Knights Golden Knights didn’t need special teams to get through the Blackhawks, eliminated the Chicago Blackhawks in five games in the first round. but may need it against the Canucks.

The first four games will all be televised on NBC Sports Network. They’ve never beaten Vegas in regulation

Here are five things to know about the Vancouver Canucks. The Canucks are the only team left in the league that has yet to beat the Golden Knights in a 60-minute hockey game in Vegas’ three seasons of Two young superstars existence. Vancouver does have two wins — a shootout victory in 2018 Vancouver is the poster child for the level of young talent in the league. and an overtime win in December — but the Golden Knights have had no The Canucks have last year’s Calder Trophy winner as Rookie of the trouble with the Canucks in three years. Year at center, a finalist for this year’s award at defense, and neither It’s more than just winning the games. Vegas has averaged 4.50 goals have hit their 22nd birthday. per game against Vancouver, tied with Florida for the most against any Last year’s winner was Elias Pettersson, the electrifying Swede who has opponent, and has allowed 2.60, the seventh-fewest. The Golden recorded 66 points in both his regular seasons so far. He has become Knights’ plus-19 goal differential against the Canucks is tied for second must-watch TV with not only the way he controls the puck as he smoothly against any Vegas opponent. They have a .900 points percentage skates around defenders, but also comes with a shot much harder than against Vancouver, the most against any team in the league. you’d expect from a 176-pound frame. This though, is the best Canucks team the Golden Knights have faced, On the blue line is Quinn Hughes, who has found a home in the new riding high off a series win against the defending champion Blues. St. wave of offensive defenseman. He had 45 assists this season and will Louis, by the way, was the only team the Golden Knights had never either win the Calder or finish in second to Colorado’s stud defenseman beaten in regulation until they did in the round-robin. Cale Makar. Schedule: Both have been terrific for Vancouver in the postseason, topping the Game 1 — 7:30 p.m. Sunday Canucks’ leaderboard in expected-goals percentage against Minnesota and St. Louis. They also lead in points, where Pettersson has 13 points Game 2 — 6:45 p.m. Tuesday in 10 postseason games and Hughes is tied for second with 10 points. Game 3 — 6:45 p.m. Thursday Established veteran stalwarts Game 4 — 5 p.m. Saturday The Canucks’ strength is that they’re not just two young talents. Pettersson didn’t even lead the team in scoring this season. That was Game 5* — Aug. 31, TBD J.T. Miller, an offseason acquisition who fit in perfectly to the tune of 72 Game 6* — Sept. 1, TBD points in 69 games. Game 7* — Sept 3, TBD Miller, Pettersson and Brock Boeser form a rather terrifying line that Vegas will have to deal with. Miller is tied with Hughes for second on the *if necessary team with 10 postseason points. LAS VEGAS SUN LOADED: 08.23.2020 That doesn’t include Bo Horvat, the Canucks captain who has upped his game to a new level against the Blues. He’s tied for the NHL lead with six goals this postseason, four against St. Louis.

Vancouver is a top-heavy team, much like Chicago but to a less extreme. The Canucks’ top six can match Vegas’ in skill, but where the Golden Knights have a clear advantage is further down in the lineup, especially on the blue line.

Goalie playing hot

If Vegas thought it was going to get a reprieve from hot goalies after Chicago’s Corey Crawford, think again. Jacob Markstrom was tremendous in the regular season and has followed that up with one of the better postseasons so far by any netminder.

Markstrom was particularly goof against the Blues at 5-on-5, where he allowed 8 goals compared to more 12 expected, according to Natural Stat Trick. The Blues used a ferocious power play to fight their way back into the series, but at 5-on-5 Markstrom was a tick behind the Islanders’ Semyon Varlamov for the most goals saved above average this postseason. An all-strengths .930 save percentage doesn’t hurt either. 1191985 Vegas Golden Knights But while it’s fair not to expect Vegas to repeat such territorial dominance, Vancouver’s five-on-five play isn’t that much better than Chicago’s, and you should expect markedly different results. During the regular season, Vancouver’s 48.3 percent expected goals rate was only 2020 NHL playoff preview: Golden Knights vs. Canucks a shade better than Chicago’s 47.4 percent, and though the Canucks have shooting and goaltending talent to overcome that, it added only 1

percentage point to the team’s goal rate. For the year, the Canucks were Dom Luszczyszyn out-chanced and outscored at five-on-five, and that doesn’t bode well against a team that makes its living at even strength, especially Aug 22, 2020 considering Vancouver’s underlying numbers haven’t been any better in the playoffs. The Canucks have 65 percent of the goals at five-on-five

during the playoffs, but that appears to be good fortune more than good Vancouver wasn’t favoured against Minnesota, but with the series play. essentially being a coin flip, it wasn’t entirely unsurprising to see the By no means does that mean the Canucks are doomed in this series, but Canucks prevail in the qualifier, especially considering their youth it does mean the team will have to start controlling the run of play more movement and star power running the show. Their hunger for victory was or continue relying on goaltending while being opportunistic on offence. readily apparent, and they were beginning to look like a team ready to It’s not the most reliable long-term strategy, but it can work sometimes in take the next step. a short playoff series, and Vancouver has the players who can get that Vancouver wasn’t favoured against St. Louis, either, this time looking like done. Against Vegas’ dominance it’s unlikely, yes, but not impossible. a much longer shot in the first round against the defending Stanley Cup Though Vegas looks like it will be able to control play to a large degree champions. But with St. Louis’ lacklustre round-robin showing, a window against Vancouver at five-on-five, special teams looks like it favours the to victory was evident. The Canucks took full advantage, throttling the Canucks, as both the team’s power play and penalty kill were better than Blues in the opening two games to take a commanding series lead. what the Golden Knights mustered this past season. Vancouver’s biggest When the resilient Blues tied the series, the Canucks didn’t let up, strength is its power play, and that’s continued into the playoffs, where lighting up both Blues netminders to advance to the second round. Next the Canucks have scored 11 goals per 60, good for the fourth-best rate in step: taken. the league and the same rank the team had during the regular season. Against Vegas, Vancouver is in a familiar spot: the underdog, ready to It’s looked dominant throughout the playoffs, often carrying the team to prove itself against one of the league’s best. This is the team’s toughest victory, but it faces what could be a tough test in Vegas’ penalty kill, challenge yet, and though the Canucks come out as massive underdogs which is running hot in the bubble. Not much has changed in terms of here, that role hasn’t fazed them yet. expected goals against for the Golden Knights down a man, but With a 70 percent chance of victory, Vegas is the most likely of the eight goaltending has come through in a big way, regressing from their remaining teams to advance to the next round. Based on what we’ve wretched play during the season. Whether it can hold up against the previously known about both teams, that shouldn’t be all that surprising. Canucks’ illustrious power play remains to be seen, but Vegas will need Vegas has looked like a legitimate contender, a team with a real shot at it, too, if its own power play remains middling. winning it all, while the Canucks have looked more like a team that’s just There aren’t many routes for Vancouver to win this series against a happy to be here, ready to play spoiler. Now, though, it’s clear the team thoroughly strong team like Vegas, but the power play is definitely one of wants more, and the Canucks are not done playing spoiler yet. them. An elite top unit is the reason for that, and it’s those five players The Canucks have been impressive through these playoffs, and propelling the Canucks forward. upsetting a tough team like the Blues is a mighty feat. My model is Elite talent can take a team farther than it has any business being. It can prepared for those surprising scenarios, utilizing an Elo adjustment carry an otherwise lacklustre group to victory after victory, and that’s throughout the playoffs to alter team ratings accordingly to more mostly what we’ve seen so far with these Canucks, who are living and accurately capture those that are playing well throughout the playoffs. dying by the play of Elias Pettersson, J.T. Miller, Brock Boeser, Bo The Canucks, as a result, have seen the third-highest positive Horvat, Quinn Hughes and, of course, Jacob Markstrom. adjustment during the postseason, meaning the model is much higher on the team than it was 22 days ago. It’s essentially measuring how That’s not completely fair, as the team has gotten some timely impressive a team has been relative to its baseline expectation. The only contributions elsewhere, but the bulk of the success is squarely on those problem? Vegas has been even more impressive, with the second- players’ shoulders. Pettersson is tied for the league lead in points with largest positive increase in team rating. 13, Horvat is tied for the league lead in goals with six, Hughes and Miller are at a point per game and Boeser has chipped in eight points in 10 Considering the Golden Knights have lost just one game in the bubble so games. A lot of that is tied to a Vancouver power play that has scored 11 far, that shouldn’t be surprising. It’s why this series will present a much goals in the playoffs. Aside from Horvat, who has just two power-play tougher challenge for Vancouver. There was a lot more daylight as the points, the other four have scored over half their points with the man underdog against a Blues team that struggled to find its footing in the advantage. Add Markstrom’s .927 save percentage to that list and you bubble compared with a Vegas team that’s absolutely rolling. The Golden get Vancouver’s current recipe for success. Knights were in top form during the round robin and trounced the Blackhawks, leading to some of the strongest numbers of the remaining Stop the top power play and you stop Vancouver because Vegas looks eight teams. well-equipped to handle the Canucks at five-on-five just fine. At even strength, Vancouver’s best players are getting results, but it’s hard to No team has possessed the puck more than Vegas this season. That have too much faith in the degree of those results at the moment. Every goes for the regular season, when the team was first in Corsi and player but Hughes — who has a sterling 56 percent expected goals rate expected goals, and it goes for the playoffs, too, with the Golden Knights — is getting out-chanced for the playoffs. Horvat, in particular, is getting again first in both metrics. They have looked even stronger during the caved in — to the tune of a 43 percent expected goals rate, the second- postseason, earning 62 percent of the expected goals, a ludicrous worst mark on the team. While that’s likely a byproduct of getting tougher number that’s hard to lose with. That they’ve managed to earn 59 percent matchups, it doesn’t fully excuse his efforts. Things are only going to get of the goals at five-on-five despite .898 goaltending — the third-worst tougher against a Vegas team that has some real five-on-five mark in the bubble — speaks volumes about how effective their territorial heavyweights who will likely have their way against Horvat’s line, edge is. That goaltending should only improve, too, with Robin Lehner whatever that may be. between the pipes. That’s what makes Vegas even scarier. The makeup of Vancouver’s top six will be very interesting to watch after You could make the argument that Vegas’ numbers here are inflated by what happened to Pettersson in the first round. With a 49 percent playing five games against a lowly Chicago team, and you’d be right. expected goals rate, Pettersson remains one of the team’s top drivers of Vegas smashed Chicago to the tune of a 64 percent expected goals rate play, but he struggled in particular against Ryan O’Reilly in the first for the series, and that means some of the team’s dominance should be round. Over the first three games of the series, Pettersson played 56 taken with a grain of salt. The Golden Knights are good but not that good. percent of his minutes against the reigning Selke Trophy winner and got No team is. taken to school, earning a 17 percent expected goals rate head-to-head. It’s no wonder that the next three games saw Pettersson play a grand total of 2:47 against O’Reilly. A matchup against a Vegas team headlined Theodore, free from the shackles of tough minutes, has been a monster by Mark Stone poses a similar problem. in the playoffs, and his play has mostly gone unheralded. He has four goals and seven points in eight games, but more impressive is his play at There won’t be many places for Vancouver’s best forwards to hide in this five-on-five: Vegas has earned 66 percent of the expected goals and series at five-on-five, as Vegas has a much stronger top six than St. outscored opponents 14-5 with him on the ice. No other defenceman has Louis did. For the playoffs, the top line, featuring Stone with William been on for as many goals for in the postseason, with the next closest Karlsson and Max Pacioretty, has played only 27 minutes together, but ones at 10. Theodore is a master of driving offence and creating they’ve been stupid good in that time, earning an absolutely ridiculous dangerous plays. His play behind the top two lines is a big key to Vegas’ 90.4 percent expected goals rate and outscoring opponents 2-0. In 45 effectiveness. minutes without Pacioretty, the remaining duo has still been excellent (69 percent). How do you stop that? It’s a tough job that the Canucks don’t It’s very similar to the effect Hughes has in Vancouver, though the young seem well-equipped for, and though 90 percent is obviously not Canuck is obviously much more dynamic. He was incredible in his first sustainable, it’s more than likely that the team’s top trio will be the one season, but it’s clear he’s only getting better given how he’s performing in tilting the ice, no matter who it’s up against. Stone is one of the league’s the playoffs. With how thin the rest of the blue line is, it feels like the best possession-driving forwards and is cementing himself as a bona fide Canucks only ever look truly dangerous with Hughes on the ice, thanks playoff performer. He makes others around him instantly better, and to his innate ability to move the puck up ice. He’s really the only that’s evidenced by the career resurrection Pacioretty had this season. defenceman on the team who can reliably do so with consistency, and The two have had excellent chemistry all year and have looked at their that’s probably the team’s biggest problem, leading to the struggles with best with Karlsson manning the middle. him on the bench.

Most teams should expect to lose that matchup nine times out of 10, but With Hughes on the ice, the Canucks have earned 55.6 percent of the the rest of the lineup poses similar problems, especially the second line, expected goals during this postseason, and he’s the only defenceman on which is ticking at a 57 percent expected goals rate for the playoffs while the team above 50 percent, which was true during the regular season, earning 65 percent of the actual goals. Jonathan Marchessault and Reilly too. Without him, the Canucks have earned just 41.2 percent of the Smith have been lights-out for the Golden Knights, notching seven and expected goals during the playoffs, a terribly low number. Hughes is the eight points to go along with their strong five-on-five numbers and looking team’s engine, its driving force, and his ability to control the pace of play like legitimate first-line talents. Imagine being the guy who gave those is rare on the team’s back end. He might be the team’s most important guys away. player as a result. Chris Tanev has been the team’s next most impressive blueliner and deserves some credit for his stability on that Vancouver’s top six looks outmatched here, but the potential return of pair, allowing Hughes to do his thing, but the team needs a lot more from might just be the team’s saving grace. He looked close to a the rest of the group. I’m not sure they’re capable of providing it. return against St. Louis, and I’d imagine he’s ready to go for Game 1 against Vegas. He brings a much-needed balance to the top six. Without While Hughes might be the team’s most important player, it’s difficult to him, Vancouver was stuck stacking one line but can now comfortably run ignore Markstrom when answering that question. His play has been two lines with Toffoli in the fold. He was amazing when playing with extraordinary in the playoffs, bailing out the team at even strength. At Pettersson and Miller, allowing Boeser to slide down and give Horvat five-on-five, Markstrom has saved nine goals above expected during the some much-needed support at both ends of the ice. Toffoli’s playoffs off the strength of his absurd .957 save percentage. That’s three contributions probably aren’t enough to tip the scales in Vancouver’s better than the next-best goalie and nearly one goal saved per game. It favour, but it does edge the Canucks a bit closer. sure feels like it when you watch the team play defence in front of him, and as long as he stays hot, the Canucks have a chance in any series. It’s not just the top six the Canucks have to worry about, though; it’s the bottom six, too. From top to bottom, Vegas has the superior line. Through Based on recent history, though, it looks like Vegas has the edge the playoffs, only one player — Nick Cousins — has an expected goals between the pipes. Lehner’s numbers trump Markstrom’s over the past rate below 56 percent, a stark contrast to Vancouver, which has only one couple of seasons. Of course, the same was said last time around with player above that mark and just three players with an expected goals rate the Blues’ Jordan Binnington, and it was quite clear who the superior above 50 percent. It’s what makes this such a mismatch. Vegas wants goaltender was in that series. Lehner hasn’t been nearly as strong as the puck more than anything, and the team works hard to get it Markstrom during the playoffs, hovering right around expectations, but he throughout the lineup. Even the fourth line has been lights-out in these doesn’t really need to be with the way Vegas controls play. It’s a luxury playoffs, with William Carrier and Ryan Reaves earning a 70 and 67 not to have to be the better goaltender in a series to win it, but if Lehner percent expected goals rate, respectively, while also chipping in a few does end up winning the duel, it’s hard to see the Canucks having a shot. points. That’s extremely uncommon for a fourth line. They need Markstrom to be a lot better than Lehner. A lot. Or this series won’t be close, as the Golden Knights are too good everywhere else. Vancouver’s bottom six just doesn’t compare, but there have been some nice storylines within that give a reason for optimism. Jake Virtanen and The bottom line Antoine Roussel have been the team’s best play-driving forwards, with Virtanen being particularly impressive with a 61 percent expected goals This is the biggest mismatch of the second round, and it’s difficult to see rate. It was shocking to see him out of the lineup to start the playoffs, but many outside Vancouver siding with the underdogs. The Golden Knights he’s done extremely well since getting in, even if the production hasn’t have the best player in the series in Stone, they are a five-on-five been there. Tyler Motte and Jay Beagle have been a very pleasant powerhouse and they have incredible depth at every position. It’s a poor surprise, too, and the above ratings haven’t done them justice during matchup for a Canucks team that has no shortage of star power but is a these playoffs, in which they’ve become folk heroes. Motte has four relatively thin group outside the big dogs. Those guys have taken them goals, while Beagle has quietly put up a much better shot share than this far, but the ride very likely ends here. usual. If that continues, Vancouver’s bottom-six situation isn’t as dire as The Canucks are a fun team, and just reaching the second round is an it’s made out to be. accomplishment worth celebrating for a team many were skeptical would Overall, the forward group tilts decisively in Vegas’ favour, and it’s a even make the playoffs this year. They have a shot if their power play similar story on defence, where the Golden Knights have much stronger stays hot and they keep getting great goaltending, but the odds are depth, especially if Tyler Myers isn’t able to return soon. Jordie Benn isn’t stacked against them. Whatever happens here, this is just the beginning going to cut it. for an elite core. Though they look outmatched against the Golden Knights, the series will be a useful measuring stick to figure out where The Golden Knights have three quality pairs that can play puck they need to be going forward. possession hockey, led by a No. 1-calibre defenceman on each of the top two pairs: Nate Schmidt and Shea Theodore. Both players are — Data via Evolving-Hockey, Natural Stat Trick and All-Three Zones excellent at moving the puck up ice, and it’s what drives their value and Comparison Tool using data from Corey Sznajder. the team’s possession numbers. Schmidt takes on the tough minutes The Athletic LOADED: 08.23.2020 with Brayden McNabb, and the duo has been magnificent at performing that task throughout the playoffs. It’s easier when you get to play against a weak team behind a strong forward group, but still, 63 percent expected goals is nothing to scoff at no matter the competition. The top of Vancouver’s lineup is much stronger than Chicago’s, creating a tougher matchup, but it should be one the top duo handles just fine. 1191986 Washington Capitals

TJ Oshie reunites with his wife and three children after leaving the NHL bubble

Lia Assimakopoulos

August 22, 2020

While the Capitals didn’t leave the NHL bubble in Toronto on the highest of notes, their homecoming is certain to put a smile on any Caps fan’s face.

TJ Oshie was the first to document his reunion with his wife Lauren and three children Lyla, Leni and Campbell. On Saturday morning, the Capitals shared a video and a few photos of him seeing his kids for the first time since he left for the bubble back in July.

Reunited with all the Oshbabes pic.twitter.com/DtPGEelWX0

— Washington Capitals (@Capitals) August 22, 2020

The video shows Oshie picking up his son Campbell, who was born back in March right as NHL action paused. The Capitals also shared an adorable photo of Campbell smiling in his father’s arms – clearly happy to be reunited.

Then, after a long trip home and an exhausting month in Toronto, Oshie and his daughters Lyla and Leni took a much-needed nap together, which was captured in another precious photo shared by the Capitals.

Oshie had a solid run in the bubble as one of the few Capitals to get on the board. He tallied three goals across the round-robin games and first round, including two power-play goals in Game 1 against the Islanders.

While the playoffs didn’t turn out as the Capitals might have hoped, they can now enjoy their time at home with their families as they prepare to dominate again next season.

Comcast SportsNet.com LOADED: 08.23.2020 1191987 Washington Capitals

The Caps may not have as much offensive depth as we thought

J.J. Regan

August 22, 2020

The playoffs have a way of always exposing a team's weaknesses and the Capitals may have one that no one really anticipated. We knew the Capitals would be in trouble if something happened to Braden Holtby with Ilya Samsonov already out injured. We knew the team had very little depth on the right side of its defense. The one part of the roster that was thought to have a fair amount of depth was on offense, but it was quickly shown in the first-round series against the New York Islanders that this was not the case.

Lars Eller and Nicklas Backstrom are important players for the team. There is no easy way to replace them and the Caps were faced with that prospect in the postseason. Eller returned home to be with his family for the birth of his son and, in his first game back, Backstrom was out after getting knocked out of Game 1 against the Islanders with a concussion.

Travis Boyd, who had spent almost the entire season with the team, was the first choice to plug into the lineup. He even scored in the round robin against the Philadelphia Flyers while in for Eller. But when the games really started to matter, that's when questions began to arise.

In Game 1 of the series, Boyd played 14 minutes. In Game 2, however, he played just 6:38. Yes, there were a fair amount of penalties and Boyd does not play on the penalty kill, but that is hardly any playing time at all, especially for a player on the third line. In Game 3, Boyd was replaced by Brian Pinho. Pinho played the first two games of his NHL career in this postseason in Games 3 and 4. If you did not notice him, that's not a surprise considering he played just 8:11 in Game 3 and a paltry 3:22 in Game 4. That's it.

If you're only going to play a player 3:22, you might as well not dress him at all.

There were no injury issues for Boyd or Pinho, at least none that were disclosed. Neither appeared to be benched due to some obvious mistake or poor play and even their underlying stats do not paint a picture of players who were overmatched. But when it mattered, Todd Reirden did not seem to trust either player.

Neither player can replace what Backstrom brings which is why Backstrom is one of the most important players on the team, but he is only one player. The loss of one player essentially rendered the team shorthanded with Reirden significantly restricting the minutes of Boyd and Pinho.

What would have happened if another forward had gone down? You have to have enough trust in the depth players to play them when needed. Otherwise, you don't really have trust in them at all.

Boyd had 10 points in 24 games this season and was dependable as a plug-in player. Heck, he even beat out Chandler Stephenson for a spot on the roster leading to Stephenson getting traded to the Vegas Golden Knights. For some reason, however, Reirden was not impressed with him come the playoffs. Was the issue Boyd or mismanagement of the lineup? Considering that Boyd's contract is up and he will be a restricted free agent, that is a question Brian MacLellan will have to answer in the offseason.

A number of playoff seasons and late draft picks means the Caps do not have a stable of high-end prospects to draw from at the drop of a hat. Losing one center very quickly into the postseason all of the sudden crippled the team's third line. Maybe the prospects will develop more by next season to the point there are more options or perhaps the answer is a depth free agent signing. Either way, the total lack of depth on offense the team displayed in the 2020 postseason is something MacLellan will have to address.

Comcast SportsNet.com LOADED: 08.23.2020 1191988 Vancouver Canucks

Vegas crease crisis: Marc-Andre Fleury's agent pulls no punches

PATRICK JOHNSTON

August 22, 2020

All signs now point to Robin Lehner starting against the Canucks and Marc-Andre Fleury possibly playing somewhere new next season.

A day before the Vegas Golden Knights faceoff against the Vancouver Canucks, VGK goalie Marc-Andre Fleury’s agent has thrown some serious shade towards the Vegas head coach.

In a Tweet posted Saturday afternoon, Allan Walsh, Fleury’s longtime agent, posted a photoshopped image of Fleury tending the Vegas crease with a sword through his back and the name “DeBoer” written on the blade.

DeBoer, of course, is Vegas head coach Peter DeBoer.

The motivation, one presumes, is that DeBoer has told his goalies that Lehner will be the starter against the Canucks on Sunday night in game 1 of the second round Stanley Cup playoff series. pic.twitter.com/FarthdT0eX— Allan Walsh (@walsha) August 22, 2020

So far in the playoffs, DeBoer has mostly gone with Lehner as the team’s starting goaltender. Fleury has been the starting goalie for most of the Golden Knights’ three-year existence, but Lehner was picked up at the trade deadline and has played well.

Fleury has struggled this season but DeBoer said earlier this week that he wasn’t worried about Fleury, saying that Lehner had simply played better.

Here’s what Vegas head coach Pete DeBoer told me this week when asked about riding Robin Lehner so far in the playoffs: pic.twitter.com/6AHH6d4jzF— Pierre LeBrun (@PierreVLeBrun) August 22, 2020

Lehner is a free agent this coming off-season while Fleury still has two years left on his contract at a cap hit of $7 million per season. That’s a cap hat that would be difficult to move straight up, but perhaps VGK would retain some of it, or even a third team could be involved in a trade to absorb some of the cap hit themselves.

If they can’t retain Jacob Markstrom, might the Canucks be interested in picking up Fleury if they could find a way to get creative and reduce his cap hit by a couple million? Even at 35 years old, Fleury seems to still have the physical tools to succeed and you’d think Ian Clark would be able to get him back towards the star he was in his early days in Vegas.

And here’s a curious note: the last two goalies the Canucks have traded for are Walsh clients: current third-stringer Louis Domingue and last year’s late-season emergency pickup in .

Vancouver Province: LOADED: 08.23.2020 1191989 Vancouver Canucks OK, it helps when you’ve got the goalie — and over the life of the series, Markstrom was the biggest difference between the two teams. HIs triple- crown numbers don’t exactly jump out at you. But he’s the only goalie in the post-season with seven wins and turned the series against the Blues Ed Willes: Confident Canucks learning the best way — by doing when he stole Game 5.

Night-in, night-out, he provides a baseline performance that gives the Canucks a chance to win. He’s also the best goalie still standing in the Ed Willes West and that will be the Canucks’ edge against the Vegas Golden August 22, 2020 Knights in the next round.

“There’s a lot of things that go into it,” Beagle said of Markstrom. “But elite goaltending, that’s something that’s huge. That’s your backbone and After the final buzzer sounds, coaches go through a ritual of searching we have that with Marky.” the game sheet for statistical trends that reflect positively on an aspect of their team’s performance. “It’s just so much fun to play hockey right now,” said Markstrom. “You win a series like this and it’s pure joy. This is a stepping zone. Now we need Some nights — and the Vancouver Canucks have had a lot over the past to take a couple more steps.” five years — that search is a painful exercise. But after Friday night’s series-clinching win over the St. Louis Blues, didn’t have to It also helps that Pettersson has quietly driven the offence in his first look hard to find things that pleased him. exposure to the grind of playoff hockey.

The Canucks’ head coach could point to two five-on-five goals by his “I don’t think he’s under the radar,” Green said of the 21-year-old centre. nominal fourth line, a goal from the third line and another goal from a “I think he’s front and centre. Teams are trying to get their best guys out five-man mix-and-match configuration of Elias Pettersson, J.T. Miller, against him. We’re playing him with different guys. But he’s more than Brandon Sutter, Quinn Hughes and Troy Stecher. capable of playing against anyone in the league.”

He could point to Pettersson’s two assists, which left him tied for the And now he and his colleagues face the Knights, a team that, NHL’s post-season scoring lead with Colorado’s Nathan MacKinnon, or theoretically, is faster and deeper than the Blues. There will be doubters, the goal and assist from Jay Beagle, who is not tied for the scoring lead. those who view the Canucks’ win over the Blues as a random act and not the work of a legitimate contender. Then there were the 27 shots his team blocked, seven by Alex Edler, which isn’t surprising, and one by Brock Boeser, which is. Or the 34 But those doubters don’t exist in the Canucks’ dressing room. saves on 36 shots by goalie Jacob Markstrom. Or Edler’s 24:46 of ice Vancouver Province: LOADED: 08.23.2020 time after he missed the third period of Game 5 of the series with a ghastly cut to his ear. Or a rock-solid 18:33 for Jordie Benn, who was in quarantine two weeks ago.

Green, in short, could find some contribution from every player in his lineup and, on this night, the healthy scratches probably had a big game as well.

“To beat a team like (the Blues) or to have success in the playoffs, you have to have contributions throughout your lineup,” Green said after the Canucks’ 6-2 win. “With our team, every night someone is stepping up. That’s what we love about our team.”

And it could be others are starting to love the Canucks as well.

Canucks defenceman and goalie Jacob Markstrom squeeze out St. Louis Blues winger David Perron during Game 6 of their NHL Western Conference first-round series on Aug. 21, 2020

Friday night, the too-young, too-inexperienced Canucks dispatched the defending Stanley Cup champs with a comprehensive, top-to-bottom performance that put an exclamation mark on their series win. There were big things — Markstrom and Pettersson — and little things like the shot blocks and the resuscitation of Jake Virtanen.

But the sum total of the past 10 days is the Canucks seem to have announced themselves as one of the NHL’s good young teams and a threat this playoff season.

That, at least, was the message out of their post-game Zoom session. And after Game 6, who could argue with them?

“You figure out what it takes to win in the playoffs and the only way to do that is be in the playoffs,” said Beagle, whose post-season pedigree showed in this series. “It’s a great learning experience, but I’ve said from the beginning this is a special and dangerous team.”

Especially when players like Tyler Motte scored as many goals in the final two games of the series (4) as he did in the regular season.

“It’s the commitment,” said Motte. “It’s the will to pay the price. You see a lot of guys blocking shots, some guys you don’t expect. (Boeser) had a couple tonight. (Hughes) had a few in Game 5.

“Guys are laying it on the line. They’re committed to the D-zone and that’s what it takes to win.”

Defenceman Troy Stecher greets teammates Brandon Sutter and Elias Pettersson after scoring in the second period of Game 6 of their NHL Western Conference first-round playoff series against the St. Louis Blues at Rogers Place in Edmonton on Aug. 21, 2020 1191990 Vancouver Canucks Before Troy Stecher scored, I noticed something funny: Elias Pettersson had yet to be on the ice for a Canucks scoring chance.

That was so odd. He was matched up against Brayden Schenn’s line, a The Skate: Late night love-in good trio, but hardly of Ryan O’Reilly’s calibre. Was he hurt, I pondered?

And then everything unfolded in thrilling fashion.

Patrick Johnston How about this passing from the @Canucks #StanleyCup

August 22, 2020 : https://t.co/OA1A5xzw0l @NHLonNBCSports

: https://t.co/e6KaB3ymex @Sportsnet pic.twitter.com/3LoWN5LorG— For the first time in nine years, the Vancouver Canucks have won a NHL (@NHL) August 22, 2020 playoff series. Depth scoring

The late-night radio wars have been a wild thing to witness. Just one Blues forward on their third or fourth line scored at even Both stations going late into the night, putting everyone and almost strength in the series: Sammy Blais. anyone on the air. Four Canucks forwards in similar roles did: Tyler Motte, Jake Virtanen, There were callers from everywhere, from Kamloops, from Richmond, Jay Beagle and Antoine Roussel. from Surrey, wanting to share their amazement. When we looked at the series beforehand, the assumption was that the I asked the late-night hosts at both Sportsnet 650 and TSN 1040 for their Blues would win the depth battle. They didn’t. As well as Pettersson thoughts on what it all meant, both in terms of Canucks fandom and if it played — he’s among the playoffs’ leading scorers — the win was very meant anything for the state of sports radio. much about the surprising turnaround in play from the Canucks’ third and fourth lines in games five and six. Andrew Walker (Sportsnet 650): “Canucks fandom has been funny, because so much emotion and anger directed to god knows what got Crazy schedule turned around soooo quick. Basically mea culpas to guys like Sutter after One good thing about the Canucks winning in six games is they avoid a a good play-in series. I think end of the day the true dagger to 2011 in the crushing schedule against VGK. sense of being able to move on. The logic was obvious: if the series had to wait till Tuesday to start, “Now, as for radio, more my area of opinion. I love the staying power of they’ve have been two games behind the Dallas vs. Colorado series local AM sports talk. It’s instant. It’s current. It’s up to the second. It’s in- already. depth. It’s long form. It’s interactive. It’s truly a special medium that is hard to duplicate. As good as podcasts and papers and TVs are, it’s not That likely would have meant a pair of back-to-backs in the first four the same. Sports radio ratings are highest in depressed markets games of the series to catch up, and it would have been hard to imagine typically. Buffalo. Cleveland. Detroit. Broken spirits and broken the only Canadian team left in the playoffs not featuring on Hockey Night economies. It’s like religion, cheering for something bigger than yourself. in Canada next Saturday. You can lose your house, job and wife, but you can always grab a beer That likely would have meant four games in five days. and watch your team. No matter how bad life gets. Bullet dodged. “Not that Van is a depressed market but it’s a trying time for sure in the world. And when your team is in early stages of good…it’s new and Chayka aftermath exciting and sports radio is the easiest outlet to scratch that itch. Call in shows to 3 a.m. is a great example. People are insatiable, and Facebook Did Chayka read the room in Arizona and look for a way out before comments aren’t gonna do it.” things got bad?

Jeff Paterson (TSN 1040): “It’s fun for me because this was something BREAKING: Sources say the #Coyotes have furloughed and laid off a we did back in the Sedin-era heyday and it’s great to see and feel the significant number of employees today. Team has confirmed a number of reaction of the city again. We know how much the Canucks mean to the layoffs. Exact details not yet known. Story coming soon @azcentral— fan base and going late gives people a chance to share their excitement. Richard Morin (@ramorin_azc) August 21, 2020

“With social media, people have options and various ways to have their The whole sequence of events there is bizarre. voices heard nowadays. So it’s great that they take some time to pick up His record of building the Coyotes is middling at best. He’s a numbers the phone and call in. We don’t do as much open line as we once did. guy, but just because you like numbers doesn’t mean you’re any good at And it’s fun in a non-traditional time slot to hear from callers because you reading them. hear different voices than you do in other day parts.” Most stats-minded analysts think he’s a snake-oil salesman. Certainly his Something special player assessment — drafting Barret Hayton ahead of Quinn Hughes I’ve said it before but I’ll say it again, louder for those in the back. made no sense to anyone — is dubious.

Quinn Hughes may be the best we’ve ever seen in Vancouver. Their owners have interests in a number of teams, not just in hockey.

Hughes is the 4th rookie defenseman in NHL history to record 10 career Chayka’s claim that he was moving to a job above his current status sure postseason points in 10 games or fewer. The others: Gary Suter (10 in 9 looks like a smoke screen, though of course it’s possible that somehow GP), Al MacInnis (10 in 9 GP) and Ray Bourque (10 in 9 GP), per the Devils’ owners think he’s the brain to run data systems for all their @PR_NHL #Canucks @TSN1040 @TSNHockey teams. https://t.co/azVdRGBFe0— Farhan Lalji (@FarhanLaljiTSN) August 22, The Devils have talked to a lot of people in filling their front office, so who 2020 knows. Certainly everyone’s understanding was their owners were Yes, that’s saying a lot. focused primarily on filling the hockey jobs, not so much on whatever this bigger role that Chayka has apparently been chasing is. Where the power play goes… In the end, the NHL is unhappy with how he acted. So go the Canucks. And that comes on the heels of him getting in trouble for breaking the In Vancouver's four wins, they were 7-for-13 on the PP. rules in physical assessments of pre-draft prospects. And it’s stinky that he made a big trade *with the Devils* for Taylor Hall, meaning he’d be In their two losses, they were 0-for-10.— Jeremy Rutherford involved with the other side of the trade. That’s pretty corrupt. (@jprutherford) August 22, 2020 But could he really land on his feet with the Devils’ owners? Pettersson presence Let’s move hockey forward JORDAN BINNINGTON 2020 COLLAPSE VS VANCOUVER: THE MOVIE pic.twitter.com/pZnuoMvTZe— Mr Booth (@MrBooth_7) August Hockey is a pretty good game. But it should be a great game. There is a 22, 2020 turnover happening, but it shouldn’t take commentators saying ludicrous things on air to force change. The Colder trophy winning goalie— ©ɦ@ʂ (@chaswood01) August 22, 2020 Mike Milbury was a mediocre NHL manager. So was Pierre McGuire. That they got handed TV jobs as soft landing spots speaks badly for the Did this is all start with dumping Gudbranson? sport. The original acquisition of Erik Gudbranson was clearly a mistake. Not That hockey is finally looking to add new voices like Kevin Bieksa, AJ only was he a bad player, but the price paid was hefty. Given the Mleczko Griswold and Anthony Stewart is good. Canucks offered picks over and above the original asking price of just Jared McCann makes it worse. Bieksa, in particular, has raised the level of analysis on the Sportsnet panel to an outstanding level. And the fact that the second-round pick that was shipped the other way would likely have been used on Alex DeBrincat — that’s how the He’s funny. He’s smart. He’s got great insights into the game that he also Canucks’ draft board would have played it — is salt in the wound. explains simply and directly. But the salvation of the trade makes it less harrowing, though still not a You can see how the rest of the panel is taking on his style and everyone total fix. is benefitting from it. Tanner Pearson is the true unsung hero of this team. He’s been the It’s not just regular fans who are benefitting, there are ex-players who perfect winger for Bo Horvat. The captain has had some pretty good have told me they’re learning stuff from him. wingers over the years — Sven Baertschi, Alex Burrows, Brock Boeser There are teams that are keen to hire him. and Loui Eriksosn are his three most common before this season — but none have meshed with him as well as Pearson. He’s got plenty of options in front of him. He’d already set a career high in points when the season when on pause Money man in March.

Jacob Markstrom’s $6 million case is getting stronger and stronger. Just as J.T. Miller proved to be the best-case scenario, so has Pearson.

Wrote about his situation Friday. Trading Gudbranson was also simply addition by subtraction. The Canucks really struggled to break the puck out last season and the Markstrom has a lot of cards in his favour. The Canucks really need him. Gudbranson glass-and-out or random forced icing were emblematic of He does have viable options elsewhere. the whole problem. LeBrun thinks the best chance to win is here in Vancouver, but surely Adding Tyler Myers in his place was expensive and Myers is flawed Edmonton would be appetizing, assuming they really are looking for a defensively, but there’s no doubt that the difference between the two is new goalie. obvious immediately. Myers can move the puck in ways that Gudbranson You have to figure Dave Tippett would love to have a reliable netminder only dreams about. of Markstrom’s calibre. Elias Pettersson and Quinn Hughes are incredible Obviously the additions of Elias Pettersson and Quinn Hughes are the talents — but are they Connor McDavid and Leon Draisaitl? biggest parts of this story, but this remarkable run in the bubble begins all "If I'm Jacob Markstrom, can I make more elsewhere? I think there's no the way back in Feb. 2019. The Canucks can actually get the puck up to question given the #Canucks cap situation, but what's my best path to Pettersson even when Hughes isn’t on the ice now and Horvat isn’t alone winning a championship? I think it's in Vancouver"@PierreVLeBrun on on an island anymore. the Markstrom contract, and which other teams may be suitors The best seat in the house pic.twitter.com/UpR9Ftezk3— TSN Radio Vancouver (@TSN1040) August 21, 2020 I’m now team playoffs btw so save me a seat at the next meeting— Jason Botchford (@botchford) April 25, 2019 Filling from the top We did, Botch, we did. When you’re building your lineup, you shouldn’t be looking too hard for grinders. Vancouver Province: LOADED: 08.23.2020 You should be looking for players who push the ones you already have down the lineup.

It feels like it happened in a different life but I just remembered played 51 games for the Canucks this season.— Israel Fehr (@israelfehr) August 22, 2020

Tim Schaller was a decent roll of the dice when the Canucks signed him in 2018. But he proved to be underwhelming.

He was moved for Tyler Toffoli not because the Kings saw potential in him but simply to even out the numbers.

Toffoli, when healthy, pushes players down the lineup, making the overall picture of the Canucks’ forward corps better.

That’s how you build depth: is perfectly fine as a third- or fourth-line winger. He’s playing too high up the lineup at the moment.

The goalie matters

“I’m not taking anything away from Vancouver. They’re a good young hockey team. But we just gave them goals.” — @StLouisBlues coach Craig Berube— Greg Wyshynski (@wyshynski) August 22, 2020

Tell us, Craig Berube, why you swapped the struggling goalie back in for the guy who’d saved your series? 1191991 Vancouver Canucks But while it’s fair not to expect Vegas to repeat such territorial dominance, Vancouver’s five-on-five play isn’t that much better than Chicago’s, and you should expect markedly different results. During the regular season, Vancouver’s 48.3 percent expected goals rate was only 2020 NHL playoff preview: Golden Knights vs. Canucks a shade better than Chicago’s 47.4 percent, and though the Canucks have shooting and goaltending talent to overcome that, it added only 1

percentage point to the team’s goal rate. For the year, the Canucks were Dom Luszczyszyn out-chanced and outscored at five-on-five, and that doesn’t bode well against a team that makes its living at even strength, especially Aug 22, 2020 considering Vancouver’s underlying numbers haven’t been any better in the playoffs. The Canucks have 65 percent of the goals at five-on-five

during the playoffs, but that appears to be good fortune more than good Vancouver wasn’t favoured against Minnesota, but with the series play. essentially being a coin flip, it wasn’t entirely unsurprising to see the By no means does that mean the Canucks are doomed in this series, but Canucks prevail in the qualifier, especially considering their youth it does mean the team will have to start controlling the run of play more movement and star power running the show. Their hunger for victory was or continue relying on goaltending while being opportunistic on offence. readily apparent, and they were beginning to look like a team ready to It’s not the most reliable long-term strategy, but it can work sometimes in take the next step. a short playoff series, and Vancouver has the players who can get that Vancouver wasn’t favoured against St. Louis, either, this time looking like done. Against Vegas’ dominance it’s unlikely, yes, but not impossible. a much longer shot in the first round against the defending Stanley Cup Though Vegas looks like it will be able to control play to a large degree champions. But with St. Louis’ lacklustre round-robin showing, a window against Vancouver at five-on-five, special teams looks like it favours the to victory was evident. The Canucks took full advantage, throttling the Canucks, as both the team’s power play and penalty kill were better than Blues in the opening two games to take a commanding series lead. what the Golden Knights mustered this past season. Vancouver’s biggest When the resilient Blues tied the series, the Canucks didn’t let up, strength is its power play, and that’s continued into the playoffs, where lighting up both Blues netminders to advance to the second round. Next the Canucks have scored 11 goals per 60, good for the fourth-best rate in step: taken. the league and the same rank the team had during the regular season. Against Vegas, Vancouver is in a familiar spot: the underdog, ready to It’s looked dominant throughout the playoffs, often carrying the team to prove itself against one of the league’s best. This is the team’s toughest victory, but it faces what could be a tough test in Vegas’ penalty kill, challenge yet, and though the Canucks come out as massive underdogs which is running hot in the bubble. Not much has changed in terms of here, that role hasn’t fazed them yet. expected goals against for the Golden Knights down a man, but With a 70 percent chance of victory, Vegas is the most likely of the eight goaltending has come through in a big way, regressing from their remaining teams to advance to the next round. Based on what we’ve wretched play during the season. Whether it can hold up against the previously known about both teams, that shouldn’t be all that surprising. Canucks’ illustrious power play remains to be seen, but Vegas will need Vegas has looked like a legitimate contender, a team with a real shot at it, too, if its own power play remains middling. winning it all, while the Canucks have looked more like a team that’s just There aren’t many routes for Vancouver to win this series against a happy to be here, ready to play spoiler. Now, though, it’s clear the team thoroughly strong team like Vegas, but the power play is definitely one of wants more, and the Canucks are not done playing spoiler yet. them. An elite top unit is the reason for that, and it’s those five players The Canucks have been impressive through these playoffs, and propelling the Canucks forward. upsetting a tough team like the Blues is a mighty feat. My model is Elite talent can take a team farther than it has any business being. It can prepared for those surprising scenarios, utilizing an Elo adjustment carry an otherwise lacklustre group to victory after victory, and that’s throughout the playoffs to alter team ratings accordingly to more mostly what we’ve seen so far with these Canucks, who are living and accurately capture those that are playing well throughout the playoffs. dying by the play of Elias Pettersson, J.T. Miller, Brock Boeser, Bo The Canucks, as a result, have seen the third-highest positive Horvat, Quinn Hughes and, of course, Jacob Markstrom. adjustment during the postseason, meaning the model is much higher on the team than it was 22 days ago. It’s essentially measuring how That’s not completely fair, as the team has gotten some timely impressive a team has been relative to its baseline expectation. The only contributions elsewhere, but the bulk of the success is squarely on those problem? Vegas has been even more impressive, with the second- players’ shoulders. Pettersson is tied for the league lead in points with largest positive increase in team rating. 13, Horvat is tied for the league lead in goals with six, Hughes and Miller are at a point per game and Boeser has chipped in eight points in 10 Considering the Golden Knights have lost just one game in the bubble so games. A lot of that is tied to a Vancouver power play that has scored 11 far, that shouldn’t be surprising. It’s why this series will present a much goals in the playoffs. Aside from Horvat, who has just two power-play tougher challenge for Vancouver. There was a lot more daylight as the points, the other four have scored over half their points with the man underdog against a Blues team that struggled to find its footing in the advantage. Add Markstrom’s .927 save percentage to that list and you bubble compared with a Vegas team that’s absolutely rolling. The Golden get Vancouver’s current recipe for success. Knights were in top form during the round robin and trounced the Blackhawks, leading to some of the strongest numbers of the remaining Stop the top power play and you stop Vancouver because Vegas looks eight teams. well-equipped to handle the Canucks at five-on-five just fine. At even strength, Vancouver’s best players are getting results, but it’s hard to No team has possessed the puck more than Vegas this season. That have too much faith in the degree of those results at the moment. Every goes for the regular season, when the team was first in Corsi and player but Hughes — who has a sterling 56 percent expected goals rate expected goals, and it goes for the playoffs, too, with the Golden Knights — is getting out-chanced for the playoffs. Horvat, in particular, is getting again first in both metrics. They have looked even stronger during the caved in — to the tune of a 43 percent expected goals rate, the second- postseason, earning 62 percent of the expected goals, a ludicrous worst mark on the team. While that’s likely a byproduct of getting tougher number that’s hard to lose with. That they’ve managed to earn 59 percent matchups, it doesn’t fully excuse his efforts. Things are only going to get of the goals at five-on-five despite .898 goaltending — the third-worst tougher against a Vegas team that has some real five-on-five mark in the bubble — speaks volumes about how effective their territorial heavyweights who will likely have their way against Horvat’s line, edge is. That goaltending should only improve, too, with Robin Lehner whatever that may be. between the pipes. That’s what makes Vegas even scarier. The makeup of Vancouver’s top six will be very interesting to watch after You could make the argument that Vegas’ numbers here are inflated by what happened to Pettersson in the first round. With a 49 percent playing five games against a lowly Chicago team, and you’d be right. expected goals rate, Pettersson remains one of the team’s top drivers of Vegas smashed Chicago to the tune of a 64 percent expected goals rate play, but he struggled in particular against Ryan O’Reilly in the first for the series, and that means some of the team’s dominance should be round. Over the first three games of the series, Pettersson played 56 taken with a grain of salt. The Golden Knights are good but not that good. percent of his minutes against the reigning Selke Trophy winner and got No team is. taken to school, earning a 17 percent expected goals rate head-to-head. It’s no wonder that the next three games saw Pettersson play a grand total of 2:47 against O’Reilly. A matchup against a Vegas team headlined Theodore, free from the shackles of tough minutes, has been a monster by Mark Stone poses a similar problem. in the playoffs, and his play has mostly gone unheralded. He has four goals and seven points in eight games, but more impressive is his play at There won’t be many places for Vancouver’s best forwards to hide in this five-on-five: Vegas has earned 66 percent of the expected goals and series at five-on-five, as Vegas has a much stronger top six than St. outscored opponents 14-5 with him on the ice. No other defenceman has Louis did. For the playoffs, the top line, featuring Stone with William been on for as many goals for in the postseason, with the next closest Karlsson and Max Pacioretty, has played only 27 minutes together, but ones at 10. Theodore is a master of driving offence and creating they’ve been stupid good in that time, earning an absolutely ridiculous dangerous plays. His play behind the top two lines is a big key to Vegas’ 90.4 percent expected goals rate and outscoring opponents 2-0. In 45 effectiveness. minutes without Pacioretty, the remaining duo has still been excellent (69 percent). How do you stop that? It’s a tough job that the Canucks don’t It’s very similar to the effect Hughes has in Vancouver, though the young seem well-equipped for, and though 90 percent is obviously not Canuck is obviously much more dynamic. He was incredible in his first sustainable, it’s more than likely that the team’s top trio will be the one season, but it’s clear he’s only getting better given how he’s performing in tilting the ice, no matter who it’s up against. Stone is one of the league’s the playoffs. With how thin the rest of the blue line is, it feels like the best possession-driving forwards and is cementing himself as a bona fide Canucks only ever look truly dangerous with Hughes on the ice, thanks playoff performer. He makes others around him instantly better, and to his innate ability to move the puck up ice. He’s really the only that’s evidenced by the career resurrection Pacioretty had this season. defenceman on the team who can reliably do so with consistency, and The two have had excellent chemistry all year and have looked at their that’s probably the team’s biggest problem, leading to the struggles with best with Karlsson manning the middle. him on the bench.

Most teams should expect to lose that matchup nine times out of 10, but With Hughes on the ice, the Canucks have earned 55.6 percent of the the rest of the lineup poses similar problems, especially the second line, expected goals during this postseason, and he’s the only defenceman on which is ticking at a 57 percent expected goals rate for the playoffs while the team above 50 percent, which was true during the regular season, earning 65 percent of the actual goals. Jonathan Marchessault and Reilly too. Without him, the Canucks have earned just 41.2 percent of the Smith have been lights-out for the Golden Knights, notching seven and expected goals during the playoffs, a terribly low number. Hughes is the eight points to go along with their strong five-on-five numbers and looking team’s engine, its driving force, and his ability to control the pace of play like legitimate first-line talents. Imagine being the guy who gave those is rare on the team’s back end. He might be the team’s most important guys away. player as a result. Chris Tanev has been the team’s next most impressive blueliner and deserves some credit for his stability on that Vancouver’s top six looks outmatched here, but the potential return of pair, allowing Hughes to do his thing, but the team needs a lot more from Tyler Toffoli might just be the team’s saving grace. He looked close to a the rest of the group. I’m not sure they’re capable of providing it. return against St. Louis, and I’d imagine he’s ready to go for Game 1 against Vegas. He brings a much-needed balance to the top six. Without While Hughes might be the team’s most important player, it’s difficult to him, Vancouver was stuck stacking one line but can now comfortably run ignore Markstrom when answering that question. His play has been two lines with Toffoli in the fold. He was amazing when playing with extraordinary in the playoffs, bailing out the team at even strength. At Pettersson and Miller, allowing Boeser to slide down and give Horvat five-on-five, Markstrom has saved nine goals above expected during the some much-needed support at both ends of the ice. Toffoli’s playoffs off the strength of his absurd .957 save percentage. That’s three contributions probably aren’t enough to tip the scales in Vancouver’s better than the next-best goalie and nearly one goal saved per game. It favour, but it does edge the Canucks a bit closer. sure feels like it when you watch the team play defence in front of him, and as long as he stays hot, the Canucks have a chance in any series. It’s not just the top six the Canucks have to worry about, though; it’s the bottom six, too. From top to bottom, Vegas has the superior line. Through Based on recent history, though, it looks like Vegas has the edge the playoffs, only one player — Nick Cousins — has an expected goals between the pipes. Lehner’s numbers trump Markstrom’s over the past rate below 56 percent, a stark contrast to Vancouver, which has only one couple of seasons. Of course, the same was said last time around with player above that mark and just three players with an expected goals rate the Blues’ Jordan Binnington, and it was quite clear who the superior above 50 percent. It’s what makes this such a mismatch. Vegas wants goaltender was in that series. Lehner hasn’t been nearly as strong as the puck more than anything, and the team works hard to get it Markstrom during the playoffs, hovering right around expectations, but he throughout the lineup. Even the fourth line has been lights-out in these doesn’t really need to be with the way Vegas controls play. It’s a luxury playoffs, with William Carrier and Ryan Reaves earning a 70 and 67 not to have to be the better goaltender in a series to win it, but if Lehner percent expected goals rate, respectively, while also chipping in a few does end up winning the duel, it’s hard to see the Canucks having a shot. points. That’s extremely uncommon for a fourth line. They need Markstrom to be a lot better than Lehner. A lot. Or this series won’t be close, as the Golden Knights are too good everywhere else. Vancouver’s bottom six just doesn’t compare, but there have been some nice storylines within that give a reason for optimism. Jake Virtanen and The bottom line Antoine Roussel have been the team’s best play-driving forwards, with Virtanen being particularly impressive with a 61 percent expected goals This is the biggest mismatch of the second round, and it’s difficult to see rate. It was shocking to see him out of the lineup to start the playoffs, but many outside Vancouver siding with the underdogs. The Golden Knights he’s done extremely well since getting in, even if the production hasn’t have the best player in the series in Stone, they are a five-on-five been there. Tyler Motte and Jay Beagle have been a very pleasant powerhouse and they have incredible depth at every position. It’s a poor surprise, too, and the above ratings haven’t done them justice during matchup for a Canucks team that has no shortage of star power but is a these playoffs, in which they’ve become folk heroes. Motte has four relatively thin group outside the big dogs. Those guys have taken them goals, while Beagle has quietly put up a much better shot share than this far, but the ride very likely ends here. usual. If that continues, Vancouver’s bottom-six situation isn’t as dire as The Canucks are a fun team, and just reaching the second round is an it’s made out to be. accomplishment worth celebrating for a team many were skeptical would Overall, the forward group tilts decisively in Vegas’ favour, and it’s a even make the playoffs this year. They have a shot if their power play similar story on defence, where the Golden Knights have much stronger stays hot and they keep getting great goaltending, but the odds are depth, especially if Tyler Myers isn’t able to return soon. Jordie Benn isn’t stacked against them. Whatever happens here, this is just the beginning going to cut it. for an elite core. Though they look outmatched against the Golden Knights, the series will be a useful measuring stick to figure out where The Golden Knights have three quality pairs that can play puck they need to be going forward. possession hockey, led by a No. 1-calibre defenceman on each of the top two pairs: Nate Schmidt and Shea Theodore. Both players are The Athletic LOADED: 08.23.2020 excellent at moving the puck up ice, and it’s what drives their value and the team’s possession numbers. Schmidt takes on the tough minutes with Brayden McNabb, and the duo has been magnificent at performing that task throughout the playoffs. It’s easier when you get to play against a weak team behind a strong forward group, but still, 63 percent expected goals is nothing to scoff at no matter the competition. The top of Vancouver’s lineup is much stronger than Chicago’s, creating a tougher matchup, but it should be one the top duo handles just fine. 1191992 Vancouver Canucks 6, 4-3-7 A lot of what we said about Pettersson’s performance can also be

echoed with Miller. He wasn’t at his apex form carrying play at even Canucks playoff report card: Grading each player’s Round 1 performance strength, but he more than made up for it as the primary handler on the sizzling first power-play unit, came clutch with goals in four of the six contests and helped contain Ryan O’Reilly (relatively speaking) in the final two games. Harman Dayal and Thomas Drance If Pettersson is the gravitational force on the perimeter, then Miller is the Aug 22, 2020 point guard who surveys all the available options and runs plays for the power play. He orchestrates many of the entries, helps with faceoffs and is the main playmaker in adapting to what the defence gives him. He’s The Vancouver Canucks have set the stage for a potential Cinderella the key to unlocking the bumper, the tic-tac-toe play that goes from goal run. line to bumper and runs in tandem with Quinn Hughes. If the power play was a symphony, Miller would be the conductor. He was ultimately Entering 2019-20 with relatively low expectations, the club outperformed rewarded with two goals and four points on the man advantage. during the regular season, beat Minnesota in the qualifiers and has now dethroned the defending Stanley Cup champions. Despite that power-play dominance, it was actually even strength where Miller had his signature moment. With the Canucks down 3-1 and on the Continuing that party will be a stiff task against the formidable Vegas ropes in Game 5, he directed one of his team-leading 12 five-on-five Golden Knights, but if there’s a reason for hope, it’s that nearly the entire scoring chances toward the net to force a greasy goal past Jake Allen, Canucks roster is contributing right now. which gave the Canucks juice and sparked their come-from-behind The elite talent has shone through, with Elias Pettersson tied with Nathan victory. MacKinnon for the playoff scoring lead, Jacob Markstrom standing on his That Game 5 really personifies Miller’s impact on the Canucks this head and Quinn Hughes similarly dominating, and the bottom end of the season as the club’s lifeblood when all else appears bleak. lineup has really picked up the slack in a way it hadn’t in the regular season. It’s been a complete team effort, particularly as the club battled Brock Boeser: C+ through injuries to Tyler Toffoli and Tyler Myers. 6, 1-4-5 After the massive Game 6 win, let’s dive into The Athletic Vancouver’s individual report cards for the first-round series against the Blues. Notching five points in six games looks good on paper, but it’s a rather flattering way of looking at Boeser’s performance. The truth is that he Note: All grades are relative to expectations. was quiet for most of the first round after flashing far more dynamic ability in the qualifiers against Minnesota. Forwards That disappointment was particularly felt at five-on-five, when Boeser Elias Pettersson: A- was more or less unnoticeable. Some of that has to do with the fact that 6 games, 3 goals-6 assists-9 points he consistently saw minutes against O’Reilly, but two shots and just a single secondary assist aren’t enough five-on-five production for six In many ways, Pettersson’s first-round playoff performance seemed to games. mirror the start of his regular season. Boeser was better on the power play and blasted an important one-timer Pettersson wasn’t the story of the series, he didn’t catch people’s eyes all goal from the right circle in Game 6, in which he was moved away from that often at even strength, but he continued racking up points at will. The the down-low spot on the first unit. That’s at least a positive sign. The 21-year-old didn’t overwhelm St. Louis at five-on-five possession-wise, Canucks will need Boeser to be versatile and productive in different spots but Travis Green was able to carve out minutes for him away from Ryan of the 1-3-1 formation to show Vegas a few different looks in the second O’Reilly where he controlled play, and it resulted in a crucial 5-2 on-ice round if Toffoli’s status remains unclear. goal differential at evens. Tanner Pearson: B- But, really, where Pettersson and the rest of Vancouver’s stars made their hay was on an electric power play that rolled over the Blues. 6, 1-2-3 Special-teams efficiency was unquestionably the story of the Canucks’ Pearson is all business. Round 1 victory. The Canucks’ second-line left winger has been quietly effective all IN VANCOUVER'S FOUR WINS, THEY WERE 7-FOR-13 ON THE PP. postseason, and he actually led all Canucks forwards in five-on-five ice IN THEIR TWO LOSSES, THEY WERE 0-FOR-10. time in the Blues series. That tells you just about everything about the level of confidence he enjoys from Vancouver’s coaching staff. — JEREMY RUTHERFORD (@JPRUTHERFORD) AUGUST 22, 2020 Pearson’s line fared poorly at five-on-five by the underlying data, but the At five-on-four, Pettersson notched a couple of terrific goals, including a context here is crucial. Pearson started 47 shifts in the defensive zone at bat-out-of-midair-and-tally reminiscent of a fadeaway jumper. five-on-five, and as the series turned, he spent time alternately checking SICK HAND-EYE COORDINATION FROM ELIAS PETTERSSON O’Reilly alongside Bo Horvat or offering some additional defensive heft PIC.TWITTER.COM/DAUVXSEQ3K on Pettersson’s or Jay Beagles’ wing.

— HARMAN DAYAL (@HARMANDAYAL2) AUGUST 15, 2020 You’d ideally like Pearson and his linemates to spend more time playing with the puck than they did in this series, but you give him some credit for ELIAS PETTERSSON: 1 handling tough matchups — the Schenn line in the first half of the series and the O’Reilly line in the second half — while not being outscored. JORDAN BINNINGTON 0 PIC.TWITTER.COM/HMYDTBSTVX Three points are useful, too, if not spectacular. — HARMAN DAYAL (@HARMANDAYAL2) AUGUST 13, 2020 Bo Horvat: B Pettersson isn’t the primary puck-handler on the first unit, but his presence on the ice alone carries gravity. Just like having a knockdown 6, 4-0-4 3-point shooter spaces the floor and creates extra operating room for others in basketball, the threat of Pettersson’s shot from the right circle It was really a tale of two series for Horvat. forces penalty killers to cheat over. In the first half of the series, when the Canucks were playing the He enters Round 2 tied with Nathan MacKinnon for the NHL playoff Pettersson line straight up and Horvat was matched up against the scoring lead. It’s pretty damn scary to think about what Pettersson can do Schenn line, Horvat was shooting Hadukens all over the ice. In a if he can ratchet up to his highest gear at five-on-five, too. traditional second-line role, Horvat’s offensive prowess shines through as it did in the first two games against St. Louis. J.T. Miller: A- He was dominant and scored some of the prettiest goals in the playoffs. Gaudy, unlikely point production aside, Sutter was serviceable. The underlying data were ugly, but he was noticeable and positionally sound, In the second half of the series, Horvat’s role changed. With O’Reilly he had by far the best on-ice results of any Canucks penalty killer, and wrecking Vancouver and driving play like an absolute madman, the Vancouver outscored the Blues when he was on the ice at five-on-five. Canucks turned to Horvat as the primary O’Reilly matchup in Games 4-6. Throw the point production into the mix and you have a very solid series Horvat started playing more often with Miller and Boeser, before closing from Sutter, who continued to look relatively rejuvenated in this games with his more familiar linemates. He was out for seemingly every tournament. key defensive zone draw. Tyler Motte: A He was thrown to the wolves the way he so often has been throughout his NHL career. And unsurprisingly, the point production dried up a bit. 6, 4-0-4 Horvat finished the series with four goals, seemingly all of them off of spectacular individual efforts, and the Canucks managed to outscore the Another fact that’s true and incredible: Motte’s four goals have him tied Blues at five-on-five with him on the ice, which was crucial, especially with Nathan MacKinnon, Alex Ovechkin, Andrei Svechnikov, Johnny considering the way Horvat was counted on to hold O’Reilly in check in Gaudreau, Mark Stone and Pettersson among the NHL’s playoff scoring the latter half of the series. lead.

Still, while accounting for the difficulty of his deployment and how often There arguably isn’t a player in the bottom six more deserving of this hot he started in the defensive end — Horvat’s 60 defensive zone starts at streak than Motte. The 25-year-old brings his lunchpail and never-quit five-on-five were the most on the team by 17 (!) — you’d like to see attitude every day, solidifying himself as one of the club’s most reliable Horvat play a bit more with the puck than he did against St. Louis, even if penalty killers and as a trustworthy five-on-five option defensively. the Blues didn’t make their zone time and scoring chances count with Nothing reflects that better than his ice time. Motte ranked sixth among Horvat on the ice at even strength. Canucks forwards in averaging roughly 16 1/2 minutes per game during the series. His underlying numbers suggest he spent a little more time Loui Eriksson: C+ without the puck than you’d like, but that was to be expected against a deep Blues squad, and the key is that the Canucks didn’t get outscored 6, 0-0-0 at five-on-five with Motte deployed.

Eriksson did his job. And his job is really simple: make sure nothing Meaningful scoring, pivotal short-handed minutes and holding your own happens when he’s on the ice. Eriksson played nearly 70 minutes at at even strength? You’re rarely able to get those types of results from a even strength against St. Louis, and in those nearly 70 minutes, the fourth-liner. Blues scored just one goal. Considering that Eriksson faced a steady diet of top-six matchups — mostly the Schenn line or the O’Reilly line — Antoine Roussel: C+ that’s mission accomplished. 6, 1-1-2 Would it be great if Eriksson could provide some more offence? Of course. Would we love to see what Horvat could do with the sort of Roussel didn’t play too often, but he was annoying, threw a ton of hits dynamic offensive linemate he’s had for only one season (Boeser, in his and fared pretty well when he was on the ice. He scored a huge goal in rookie campaign)? Most definitely. Game 6, he took a massive Troy Brouwer spear in Game 1 to a very sensitive area — and was heckled roundly and savagely by the Blues as Still, while the marginal cost is through the roof, the Canucks have found he caught his breath — and really was used in fourth-line, energy-type a way to mine what remains of Eriksson’s value in the NHL effectively. minutes in the series. He’s still so strong on his stick and, honestly, borderline elite on the wall, and he’s still an oddly effective defensive stopper. In those minutes, it must be said, Roussel fared well. He’s one of only three Canucks forwards, along with Virtanen and Beagle, to come out Adam Gaudette: C+ ahead by expected goals at five-on-five in this series. He was also pretty consistently audible on the bench. 2, 0-0-0 It wasn’t a work of art, maybe. But Roussel was helpful, he stirred it up, Gaudette didn’t play too much in this series, just two games and 17:38 and he did his job pretty well. overall. He was fine in those minutes, albeit a bit high-event. Zack MacEwen: C In limited ice time, the Canucks outshot the Blues with Gaudette on the ice at five-on-five, and both teams scored a goal. There was a lot going 4, 0-0-0 on in those minutes overall, with both teams taking a ton of attempts and the action quickly transitioning from end to end. Zack MacEwen offered the Canucks a physical edge against a heavy Blues side, but his play beyond that was a little bit short of what we would As usual, Gaudette brought his work rate and made some nice plays with have liked to see. The scrappy winger struggled with turnovers and the puck, but he had just one shot on goal. The Blues probably defensive details, and the scoring chances were lopsided to the tune of a generated more high-quality looks than the Canucks did in Gaudette’s ice 19-8 advantage for St. Louis when he stepped on the ice. time, but he still added a bit of offensive skill to the bottom six and looked totally fine on a “third line” with Antoine Roussel and Brandon Sutter, Jay Beagle: B which was really used more as a fourth line by coach Travis Green. 6, 1-1-2

Brandon Sutter: B The Canucks were outshot with Beagle on the ice at five-on-five, but he 6, 0-4-4 did an admirable job of protecting the middle and preventing quality chances. That shows up in the underlying metrics, as he didn’t possess We should note something that’s both true and incredible and is lost in all the puck a lot and yet held an impressive 52.2 percent of the expected the other storylines: In the game in which the Canucks advanced to the goal share. In Game 6, his line came out of the gate very aggressively on second round of the Stanley Cup playoffs for the first time in nine years, the forecheck and managed to open the scoring. Sutter had three points and all were assists. This is the type of performance the Canucks need from their fourth line Deployed as he customarily is when healthy as a third-liner — seven more consistently — reliable five-on-five play with the occasional ability Canucks logged more five-on-five ice time against St. Louis — Sutter to chip in offensively. spent time in the middle and on the wing while factoring into the power play and the penalty kill. As you’d expect, he spent a ton of time without Jake Virtanen: B the puck, although he factored in a major way into Antoine Roussel’s key 6, 1-1-2 second-period insurance marker to give the Canucks a 2-0 lead in Game 6. Just when it seemed like nothing was working for Virtanen, it all turned around. Sutter’s four five-on-five points actually led all Canucks skaters in the series. A series they won! Pretty hard to believe, actually. Moved up the lineup for a few shifts with Pettersson and Miller, Virtanen gave Vancouver’s top six the spark it needed in Game 5 with an assist on Miller’s goal before potting one of his own to drive the club’s second- period comeback. That confidence carried over into Game 6, as the plays top-pair minutes, the seams often show. They did for Myers this Abbotsford native had a couple of impressive looks off of quick rushes. year.

The ice was tilted in Vancouver’s favour when Virtanen stepped over the Myers is solid, his presence in the lineup slots everyone else in a more boards. He owned a team-leading 63 percent expected goal share and suitable spot, and the Canucks miss his puck-moving ability from the outscoring opponents 3-0 at five-on-five. Context is necessary for those back end significantly when he’s out of the lineup. It’s telling that it took numbers; his deployment was quite sheltered and favourable. But you’re the Canucks a bit to adjust to losing Myers against the Blues, but once deservedly seeing Virtanen win a little bit of rope back with Green. Hughes and Tanev began to see a steady diet of top competition, things normalized. Defencemen Alex Edler: C Quinn Hughes: A+ In some respects, Edler is similar to Tanev as far as being a veteran With four points in six games, Hughes might not have produced quite the defensive presence who does a lot of grunt work on the PK while way he did against the Minnesota Wild in the qualifying round, and yet generally going underappreciated. his performance against St. Louis was better. That said, Edler’s skating is being exposed more and more as he creeps For all of Green’s Game 5 subterfuge, the most consequential up in age. The 34-year-old wasn’t as defensively sturdy, struggled to adjustment the Canucks made after Game 4 was to have Chris Tanev break pucks out in Games 3 and 4, both St. Louis wins, and was outshot and Hughes as their primary matchup pair against O’Reilly in Games 5 and out-chanced by fairly significant margins at five-on-five. and 6. It was a choice that fundamentally altered the dynamic of the series. The Edler-Troy Stecher pairing honestly looked out of sorts at times.

While barely throwing a hit in a wildly physical series, Hughes dominated Troy Stecher: C the puck and permitted the Canucks to outscore the Blues 5-3 with him on the ice at five-on-five, while out-chancing St. Louis by a solid margin. It was nice to see Stecher rise with a couple of goals, but it was Hughes also quarterbacked the Canucks’ power play and was on the ice otherwise a tough series for him. Stecher has operated well in these for six of Vancouver’s seven power-play goals, all of which were playoffs when on the third pair, but he had a number of defensive absolutely crucial to their six-game series victory. miscues and simply looked overwhelmed in the top four. Those struggles are apparent in the five-on-five results, which show that the Canucks Hughes also had his first real signature playoff moment, walking out from were caved in defensively for long periods when Stecher played. behind the net and delivering a casual 50-foot bank stretch pass off of the board to Horvat for the Game 2 overtime winner. Oscar Fantenberg: C+

By series end, Hughes led all Canucks skaters in ice time, recorded four By the eye test, Fantenberg showed incredibly well. He was physical, points and turned the series when he helped the Canucks contain sturdy defensively, hardworking and perfectly low-event. The underlying O’Reilly, relatively speaking, in the final two decisive games. There’s just data are a bit less bullish on him, but that’s mostly because the Canucks nothing more you can ask for from a player at this stage of his career. just spent a bit too much time without the puck when the Fantenberg- Jordie Benn pair was on the ice. When you stop and consider what he accomplished against St. Louis and note that he was the best defencemen on the ice in a series that also The fact is, Vancouver’s third pair was sturdy and did its job. included Alex Pietrangelo and Colton Parayko, it’s hard not to be in awe. It wasn’t necessarily sexy, but against the Blues, Fantenberg gave the Hughes is clearly wired differently. Canucks key minutes on the back end when they needed them.

To be this ice-cold on this stage at the end of an unusually lengthy rookie Jordie Benn: B+ season is wildly impressive. It speaks volumes about why Hughes is already one of the NHL’s best defencemen. We’re giving Benn a B+ because he came in cold, having missed Phase 3 training camp to attend to the birth of his first child, and performed Chris Tanev: B+ really well.

Tanev continues to lead this team as an absolute stalwart defender. Like Fantenberg, Benn spent a lot of time playing without the puck, but While Hughes is the guy driving play, Tanev’s presence and overall his defensive results were even better than his most frequent defense defensive intelligence are the keys to enabling the Canucks to throw their partner, and he played more when the chips were really down as the rookie into insanely difficult situations. Canucks held on to a lead — and played spectacular team defense — in As a penalty killer, Tanev was Vancouver’s stingiest defender in terms of Game 5. Considering the circumstances, that he’d played only seven limiting quality looks against. The Blues’ power play is potent and scored games since Christmas and that the Canucks surrendered shots against five goals with Tanev on the ice in this series, but they generated higher- a lower rate with Benn on the ice than they did with any other series quality looks against most other Canucks defenders than they managed regular, this is a well earned B+. against Tanev. Tanev’s aggressiveness in blocking shots taken by St. Goaltender Louis’ flankers on the kill was enormously impressive throughout the series, as it always is. Jacob Markstrom: A

At five-on-five, the Canucks out-chanced the Blues with Tanev on the ice The edge in this series for Vancouver really came down to two and surrendered scoring chances against at a lower rate than they did departments: special teams and goaltending. with any other Canucks defender (aside from Myers, who played only a Markstrom is dialled back into MVP form, registering a sparkling .930 game and a half). He was second among all Canucks defenders in ice save percentage. There’s no way the team would have won Game 5 time and was a key contributor in the O’Reilly hard match in Games 5 without a number of the spectacular saves he made to keep St. Louis at and 6, which was really a mammoth factor in swinging the series in bay. Each of his teammates who spoke with the media raved about his Vancouver’s favour. performance in the series. That included particularly high praise from You just can’t ask for much more from a defensive defencemen than Stecher: what the Canucks received from Tanev. He was nothing short of “IT’S ABSOLUTELY MIND BOGGLING THAT HE WASN’T A VEZINA tremendous. (FINALIST)” – STECHER ON MARKSTROM. Tyler Myers: B+ — THOMAS DRANCE (@THOMASDRANCE) AUGUST 22, 2020 Myers had a really strong game and a half, but we’re giving him a B+ If it wasn’t obvious before the playoffs, it’s crystal-clear now: The because, in a lot of ways, his absence crystallized what he brings to the Canucks need to do all they can to bring Markstrom back next year. Canucks when he’s in the lineup. Coach Myers is a second-pair defender by true talent at this stage of his career. He was probably overused in the regular season. The NHL is a savage Travis Green: A league, especially for defenders, in that you’re matching up against the most skilled offensive stars in the world. When a second-pair defender Vancouver had a lot of problems in this series with St. Louis’ overall quality, as you’d have expected, but the Canucks triumphed, in part, because they consistently found creative answers.

If there’s one phase of a free-flowing game that coaches really exert additional control over, it’s special teams. The Canucks had an edge there.

When Craig Berube loaded up the O’Reilly line, it took Vancouver a few games to come up with something of an answer. Realistically, the Canucks never came up with a full answer. O’Reilly is a monster, and he played like it.

Still, Green found a way to stem the bleeding. He changed his primary defense matchup from Stecher and Edler to Hughes and Tanev. That worked. He started juggling his lines like crazy, hiding them in the warmup skate.

At times there seemed to be no rhyme or reason, but in Games 5 and 6, the Canucks built early leads and throttled the Blues by the run of play, trying all manner of insane things to counteract St. Louis’ five-on-five advantage. We saw Pettersson play not just with Eriksson and Pearson but also with Motte and Virtanen in Game 6. Green loaded up his two best two-way forwards, Miller and Horvat, against O’Reilly as much as possible while matching them with Hughes and Tanev as much as possible. That five-man unit, most commonly with Boeser at right wing, was essential in keeping the Blues in check, relatively speaking.

Throughout the series, the Canucks were flexible and creative. They solved the problems in front of them ably and unconventionally. Their improved defensive structure paid off. They upset the defending Stanley Cup champions in six games, blowing them out in the final contest.

Honestly, there’s not much else you can ask for from a head coach.

The Athletic LOADED: 08.23.2020 1191993 Websites Coach’s pick: Lightning in 6. Executive’s pick: Bruins in 7.

Scout’s pick: Lightning in 6. The Athletic / NHL predictions unplugged: Anonymous scout, coach and exec pick series winners Consensus advancing team: Lightning

Western Conference

Craig Custance No. 1 Vegas Golden Knights vs. No. 5 Vancouver Canucks

Aug 22, 2020 Coach’s outlook: “I think the Canucks’ rhythm is hitting right now. Everything is firing. I think eventually it’s going to fall off, but they’ve got

juice right now, they’ve got mojo right now. Their power play is lethal. I It’s a quick turn to the second round of the Stanley Cup playoffs but that don’t know what their power-play percentage is, but their ability for that is doesn’t mean our anonymous panel is off the hook. We had to swap out lethal. They’re really good. our executive after a solid 5-3 showing last round from our original “I think Vegas is just a little tired looking. I think they’re going to run out of panelist because he didn’t immediately pick up the phone Saturday. But gas. It’s going to be a longer series that could go either way, but I think otherwise, the original group is intact. it’s Vancouver’s time and I think Vegas’ D is a little suspect.” Just a refresher: Since the start of the postseason, The Athletic has Executive’s outlook: “Vegas might be the favorite to win the Cup. They asked an NHL scout, coach and executive to pick winners of each series have the deepest team. They have the goaltending. Vancouver has been to come to a consensus on who will advance. great, but they beat a team that was ripe to be knocked off in St. Louis. I Last round, the consensus went a solid 6-2 to improve its series just think, now, the stage might be too big.” predictions record to an overall 10-6. Now, with more viewings and more Scout’s outlook: “Vancouver has been very impressive. Very impressive. information, let’s see if the improvement continues: Vegas is so solid. I think because of the way life is going, I’m going Eastern Conference Vancouver. Right now, their goalie looks rock solid. They’ve sped up the process a little bit more. They battled through. Their goaltending masked No. 1 Philadelphia Flyers vs. No. 6 New York Islanders a few of their problems, and so maybe we’re overrating them. If Jacob Markstrom is more average, then they become more average. Coach’s outlook: “This was the hardest one for me. Barry Trotz has done a phenomenal job there. I just think Philly, there’s a (bunch) of really “Vegas is a real good team. Good goaltending. I’ll hang up the phone and good players … and guys like (Claude) Giroux, Jakub Voracek, this is think I should have picked Vegas.” your year. If they don’t do it now, they’re in trouble.” Coach’s pick: Canucks in 7. Executive’s outlook: “It’s about physicality and goaltending and team defense for the Islanders. And I still don’t trust Carter Hart as opposed to Executive’s pick: Golden Knights in 6. (Semyon) Varlamov. I think Varlamov could be the difference. Carter Hart Scout’s pick: Canucks in 6. is a really good goalie, but it’s going to be different when the pressure mounts.” Consensus advancing team: Canucks

Scout’s outlook: “The last Flyers game, Montreal should have won or No. 2 Colorado Avalanche vs. No. 3 Dallas Stars they were the better team for a good portion of that game. That kind of scared me on the Flyers. Maybe I’m undervaluing Montreal, but I didn’t Coach’s outlook: “Colorado has everything going. Maybe goaltending is think going into it they were a very strong team. The fact that the Flyers something that’s a little concerning. They have a couple of the best stubbed their toe in that series brought me some concern. forwards in the game, they’re deep. They have a stud on D. They have secondary pieces, like (Ryan) Graves, that people never talk about. “The Islanders are playing a very playoff game right now. Everybody is They’re playing great. I think that’ll be a good series. playing well. All their players. I watch their games, and everybody has a good game. When you get 18 guys all pulling in the same direction, it’s “But I think Dallas is going to run out of gas. Miro Heiskanen, Esa Lindell quite a positive result. If that continues, they have a playoff game going and John Klingberg all stepped up last series. Joe Pavelski had right now. Josh Bailey is probably playing the best hockey I’ve seen him something to prove. I think Roope Hintz is a star. Hockey fans should be play. They look good.” ready for a great up-and-down series. All these series are fantastic. But like Vancouver, I think it’s destiny for Colorado. And if they’re not winning Coach’s pick: Flyers in 6. it this year, they’re winning in the next couple years. They’re so good.”

Executive’s pick: Islanders in 7. Executive’s outlook: “I don’t fucking know about this one. Flip a coin? Is Ben Bishop playing? I would go Colorado, but it wouldn’t surprise me if Scout’s pick: Islanders in 6. Dallas won. They’re deep and playing well. But (Nathan) MacKinnon — Consensus advancing team: Islanders you have Connor McDavid and then MacKinnon is not far behind him. He’s playing at a different level. But if any defense can control No. 2 Tampa Bay Lightning vs. No. 4 Boston Bruins MacKinnon, it’s Dallas’ defense. Heiskanen is a superstar. I don’t know if anyone can stop MacKinnon but they have the defense to slow him Coach’s outlook: “The periphery stuff going on in Boston might catch up down.” to them. I’m concerned about the goaltending situation. I think some of the guys have a lot of miles on them. If you can solve their high-end guys Scout’s outlook: “The Avs were my favorite team for the Stanley Cup — (Patrice) Bergeron, (Brad) Marchand — you can solve the Bruins. going into the whole thing. It doesn’t seem like they’ve disappointed the Tampa should win the whole thing now, for me. It should be Tampa and whole way. Whenever I see a highlight or watch MacKinnon play, it’s like, Colorado in the finals.” ‘Who is going to stop him? How do you stop him?’

Executive’s outlook: “I gotta go with the Bruins even though (Jaroslav) “As quickly as I make that decision, it’ll be a tougher series than their last Halak scares the piss out of me. They’ve got it all going. Does beating one, for sure. But if Bishop is out, (Bishop and Anton Khudobin) have Columbus get Tampa over the hump and help them jell? I don’t know. been 1A and 1B and it worked really well during the regular season. But Boston is one of the best teams in the league.” Now, if Bishop is out, it’s 1A and 2D, that’s a huge difference for that guy going into the net, now knowing he has to be the guy. That’s a big Scout’s outlook: “I think the Lightning are playing a really good game. difference.” They’re getting a lot of people to buy in, and they don’t seem to be missing (Steven) Stamkos. They had to play good in that series against Coach’s pick: Avalanche in 6. the Blue Jackets, and they did. I expect that to continue. Executive’s pick: Avalanche in 6. “If they do get Stammer back, it’ll help their power play, but I think they still have enough depth to survive without him.” Scout’s pick: Avalanche in 6. Consensus advancing team: Avalanche

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The Athletic / The Athletic’s 2020 NHL playoff predictions for the second round

The Athletic NHL Staff

Aug 22, 2020

Without a moment to blink between rounds, the conference semifinals begin with the final eight teams.

So that means it is time for The Athletic’s crew of hockey scribes to make their predictions for the second-round matchups – Flyers vs. Islanders and Lightning vs. Bruins in the East. Golden Knights vs. Canucks and Avalanche vs. Stars in the West.

Looking back, this didn’t always go well. The group was incredibly confident that Montreal and Chicago were going to exit in the round robin.

But, the favorites to win the Stanley Cup have not changed since the beginning. We are sticking with Colorado and Tampa Bay.

Here is a breakdown of our voting:

Stanley Cup winner

Eastern Conference matchups

Western Conference matchups

Check out Dom Luszczyszyn’s Stanley Cup odds and playoff probabilities for daily updates on each team’s likelihood of winning each game and advancing to each round, including winning the Stanley Cup.

The Athletic LOADED: 08.23.2020 1191995 Websites “We had a little bit of a slow start and weren’t ready to engage and compete the way we needed to…I thought we were starting to come for a while, but we weren’t. That was just our big guys playing. Obviously our big guys had a good night. They were here to play to win the hockey Sportsnet.ca / Stars fuse top trio's two-way play with depth support to game and we had a lot of guys that weren’t. And when I say a lot, I’m seal Game 1 win talking half our team.”

MacKinnon will get his, but if everyone else on the Avalanche is neutralized they don’t really have a second way of scratching out wins. Rory Boylen Even if Dallas’ top line is slowed, they can always fall back on their August 23, 2020 system, team defence, and the fact that each player can contribute to it equally.

“It’s just playing the right way, paying attention to the details,” Benn said. If there’s one thing we expect from the second round series between the “We want to look kind of like Blake’s (Comeau) line, like (Joe Pavelski’s) Dallas Stars and Colorado Avalanche it’s that it will run long, at least six line like Roope’s (Hintz) line. games, and that both teams will at times carry the play in the way they desire. “We all want to play the same and when we get in their end do what we do. Be creative and move the puck around.” For Colorado, they’d prefer this to be a more wide-open series, with room for Nathan MacKinnon to generate offence and for Nazem Kadri to Colorado now has to make some adjustments to try and figure how continue his early hot start. For Dallas, the 27th-best offence in the anyone other than MacKinnon can get through this stifling defence. The regular season (the worst of any returning Western Conference team), top unit accounted for 15 of the Avalanche’s 31 shots. That’s not a great their goal is to play tight defence that closes off the middle of the ice. start, but they’re facing an uphill battle for other reasons, too.

And we did see both teams get what they wanted at times in Game 1. Goalie Philipp Grubauer, who’s been consistent for two years whenever MacKinnon was his usual stupendous self, impossible to check and using healthy, left this game in obvious pain after trying to move from one side his speed and elusiveness to seemingly always be in dangerous ice. of his crease to the other. Though the Oilers are out, there are flashes of Connor McDavid still “He’s in a position where he tweaked something and he’s unable to darting around Rogers Place. The Avalanche superstar had two goals continue, so that’s already bad news,” Bednar said. “Time will tell how and an assist in 24:02 of ice time, including playing over half of the third long he’s going to be out…I’m not expecting him to be hitting the ice (at period. He did all he could, but didn’t have enough support. practice) tomorrow.” Dallas was smothering as well. They carried the play through most of the So now the duty falls to Pavel Francouz, a 30-year-old with one season first period, and in the third they limited Colorado to just eight shots, one of NHL hockey under his belt. Francouz was 21-7-4 with a .923 save of which qualified as “high danger.” But the difference in the Stars’ 5-3 percentage in 34 games for Colorado this season, but it’s not automatic win to open the series was that, as unstoppable as MacKinnon was, the to transition a small sample performance like that into the playoff trio of Alexander Radulov, Tyler Seguin and Jamie Benn was better at spotlight. He did face 20 shots after coming in relief, saving 18 of them. both ends — and they had the support of the rest of the lineup. On top of that, Erik Johnson left the game and returned a couple of times From the Stanley Cup Qualifiers to the Stanley Cup Final, livestream after falling awkwardly, and though he sat on the bench in the third period every game of the 2020 Stanley Cup Playoffs, blackout-free, on as vocal support, he did not play a single shift. Sportsnet NOW. If Colorado now has to worry about a suddenly hot scoring line in Dallas, It’s expected that Dallas will hold the advantage on defence, but if their losing a 6-foot-4 penalty-killing blueliner for any period does not help the offensive stars are going to match MacKinnon at the other end as well, situation. that only spells trouble. It’s not that the Stars’ trio of marquee talents are incapable of scoring — after all they each have a career points per game This was a discouraging start for an Avalanche team that looked average of .76 or better and Benn has an Art Ross. It’s just that they unstoppable last round against Arizona. Game 1 of Round 2 was an early haven’t needed to be star-level offensive contributors to make Dallas a reality check against a much more polished team. But this is far from Stanley Cup contender. None of them reached 20 goals this season and over, and perhaps the Avs can actually take solace in something the all of them were well off their career pace in points. opposing coach said before this series started about the back-and-forth battle that was anticipated. Seguin and Radulov each scored in the first period off primary assists from Benn, and Radulov potted the eventual game-winner in the second “There’s going to be times where we’re really good defensively and off assists from Seguin and Benn. They were difference-makers on the slowing them up. There’s going to be times, bouncing pucks or whatever, score sheet early on, but just as valued by the Stars, they became a and they’re coming at us in waves. There’s going to be times where we shutdown unit in a third period — and that’s what separates this team can shut them down in the defensive zone, there’s going to be times from most others. when they have control of the puck and they’re bringing three high, four high and dominating us on the outside,” Bowness acknowledged. “So “It’s nice to see them score goals, but going into the third with a one-goal there’s going to be a lot of ebbs and flows to this. lead you need everyone to buy in and play Dallas Stars hockey and play good defence,” Stars head coach Rick Bowness said after the win. “They “Bend, but don’t break,” he continued. “That’s going to be our same bought in. And give (Radulov) credit, he had two goals, you know he’s mental approach. When they’re coming and they’re on top of their game going to try and get a hat trick, but he passed up some opportunities. we’re going to bend a little. Just don’t break.”

“For me, do we need them to score? Absolutely. We need them to buy in There’s a lot of series to come here and while Colorado’s outlook and help lead the way defensively, which they certainly did in the third certainly bent Saturday night, it’s far from broken yet. period. That was impressive as well.” Sportsnet.ca LOADED: 08.23.2020 These Stars take pride in being a four-line team and you can see in the ice time how different they can be compared to the Avalanche. While Colorado’s top trio of MacKinnon between Gabriel Landeskog and Mikko Rantanen each logged over 20 minutes in Game 1 as five other Avs forwards played less than 11 minutes, the Stars were much more spread out. In fact, Dallas’ top three in ice time among their forwards weren’t even those who starred on the score sheet, but rather were Radek Faksa, Blake Comeau and Joe Pavelski.

“To me the biggest thing was we had half our team not show up to play,” Avalanche coach Jared Bednar said. “I could pick apart a lot of that game that I didn’t like, but when it comes down to it they were as a team engaged, ready to go. 1191996 Websites But you know what the GM hasn’t had over that time? The evidence he needed to see in order to believe just a couple of sacrifices made to improve the Canadiens in the short run would go a long way towards cementing their place as perennial playoff participants moving forward. Sportsnet.ca / Bergevin's best opportunity to improve Canadiens is in front of him “Today we see a team going in the right direction, a team fans should be proud of,” Bergevin said before exalting the virtues of his fresh-faced and talented Suzuki-Kotkaniemi punch up the middle.

Eric Engels Bergevin also talked about his unwavering faith in Price and Weber, saying both players, aged 33 and 35, respectively, proved they’re still on August 22, 2020 top of their game.

So how can he not look to bridge the gap between those four parts as MONTREAL — It feels like years ago, but it’s only been eight months. quickly as possible?

Surely you remember when Marc Bergevin held court with reporters in A lot has changed here in a short span. So much so that what was best December, just two weeks after the Montreal Canadiens dropped eight for the Canadiens in March is no longer what’s best for them now, which consecutive games, when he repeated for what seemed like the 1000th is a reality Bergevin acknowledged when he said he wouldn’t trade the time over the last three years that he wouldn’t mortgage the future for a experience his players just gained for a top-10 pick in this year’s draft. quick fix. Boy, was he ever right at the time, as his team was bulldozing “The experience of our young players and the way they showed their its way towards the bottom of the NHL standings. progression has no price,” Bergevin said. “So to move back seven picks But if Bergevin is still thinking that way after what he just saw from this (from ninth to 16th), that’s a very small price to pay. What we team in these Stanley Cup Playoffs, the Canadiens are never getting out experienced the last month will really help the organization to move of neutral under his watch. forward … The trade-off was worth it, to have lived this experience with our kids, how they showed their character and also the evolution of our To witness young centres Jesperi Kotkaniemi and Nick Suzuki take organization.” massive leaps in their development in just over three weeks, to see Carey Price and Shea Weber play as well as they ever have over their It won’t be worth as much if Bergevin doesn’t cash in on the opportunity illustrious careers, and to be right there to feel the Canadiens gelling at his feet. together in a way that allows for the future-is-bright narrative to actually Sportsnet.ca LOADED: 08.23.2020 ring true, is to know the time to strike is right now.

Because for as good as the Canadiens were—and they were full value in knocking off the Pittsburgh Penguins in the qualifying round and giving the top-seeded Philadelphia Flyers all they could handle and then some in the first round—it still took everything they had to go as far as they did, which was nowhere near as far as they’d like to go.

They need more, and they need it immediately while the mojo is as positive as it is. Because the fact is, the Canadiens aren’t the only young team on the rise in National Parity League.

If they want an edge on some of the other ones, Bergevin is going to have to do the best work of his eight-year tenure before the puck drops next season.

The good news is he’ll never be in a better position to do it than the one he finds himself in right now.

General managers dream of having the kind of leverage Bergevin currently possesses. He has a desperate need for elite-level scoring — and some depth on defence and in net — and he has 14 picks in the upcoming draft, a loaded prospect pool, good non-core roster players he could part with, and an abundance of cap space to make the necessary acquisitions to fill those needs.

“As far as assets, yes, we have I believe 10 picks in the top three rounds in the next couple of years, [and] we have 25 overall. So we’re set that way,” Bergevin said during his 30-minute, season-ending press conference Saturday. “We’ve put ourselves in a good position to look around. If anything becomes available, we should be looking into that… If we can make our team better by moving a pick or players that we feel can make us better for a long period of time, we’ll do that.”

If not now, then when?

Here’s what else is in Bergevin’s favour: the NHL’s salary cap is going to be stagnant at $81.5 million for at least one more season and several of his competitors will have to shed salary (and some pretty good players) to comply with it.

And Bergevin can downplay it as much as wants — and he did in saying several times during Saturday’s availability that he has to be cautious and careful about how he spends Canadiens owner Geoff Molson’s money — but he’s got just over $63 million committed to a near-complete roster for next season and roughly $18 million to play with to make the team better.

This is the part where you retort with: Bergevin has had loads of cap space over the last two seasons and done little with it from that advantageous position. 1191997 Websites for a game of socially distanced cards, the deck must be tossed at the conclusion of the activity. Playing table tennis is okay, but singles matches only; you can’t have two guys whipping rackets around at the same end of the table. Sportsnet.ca / NHL and NBA bubble life is challenging, if full of neat quirks – Sportsnet.ca As for the note-takers and mic-holders, Stein portrayed a bit of a “Groundhog Day” existence.

Every morning he wakes up and logs his temperature and oxygen Ryan Dixon saturation reading into a league-issued health app. Assuming you’re all good, your info is inputted into a thick wristband that you must swipe at August 22, 2020 various access points to get around — including the spot where your nose and throat swabs occur.

You probably can’t spend two minutes with an NHL coach without Then there are the proximity sensors everyone has as part of their hearing the words “accountability” and “no excuses.” There must be credentials. These little guys — as if out of a sci-fi movie — must be multiple dressing rooms with one or both of these terms painted charged overnight and beep if you spend more than 10 seconds within prominently on the wall. six feet of someone else wearing one. That’s all well and good when you’re in your room or walking around the roughly one-square mile media But following his team’s first-round Stanley Cup Playoffs victory over the members have to roam. But when you’re in a common space for post- Calgary Flames, there was Dallas Stars coach and hockey lifer Rick game interviews or taking the bus to an arena, it can get loud. Bowness offering up an alibi after a crazy game that saw both squads come apart at different times before the Stars grabbed a wild 7-3 victory. “Our proximity sensors tend to create quite a symphony of chirping,” The first question Bowness was asked on Thursday night had nothing to Stein said. do with living conditions. Rather than pick up the thread, the 65-year-old Though bubble life can feel stifling at times, it has done nothing to quell went his own way. the creative juices flowing in Domingue. Among the characters he draws The bottom line: Bubble life ain’t easy. for his kids at bedtime is Swiper, a mischievous fox from the world of Dora the Explorer who tries to steal treasured items from those around “You know what, let me say something,” he began. “People don’t him. understand how hard it is, this bubble. It’s great that we’re playing and the league is back, but it’s tough. I think that game, it was a mess for It’s easy to imagine everyone existing in a bubble right now feeling like both sides. It’s tough to explain, but I don’t think people understand how Swiper has snagged a few things from them. tough it is living in this bubble. The league, give them a lot of credit, Sportsnet.ca LOADED: 08.23.2020 they’ve done the best job they can, everyone is handling it as best we can, but it’s tough.”

The idea that it’s a bit of a battle within the bubbles is nothing new. After a couple weeks away from his family, Boston Bruins goalie Tuukka Rask made the decision to leave his team and return home. On a lighter — and tastier — note, Richaun Holmes of the NBA’s Sacramento Kings crossed a bubble boundary to pick up some chicken wings.

The heart wants what the taste buds dictate.

Vancouver Canucks goalie Louis Domingue outlined an experience with some perks cut by tough personal moments in a behind-the-scenes video that offered a glimpse into his day-to-day. The 28-year-old gave a big thumbs up to things like the suite at Edmonton’s Rogers Place that’s available to players to watch any live action they want — complete with the option to enjoy some beverages and a bite while taking it all in. He loves sitting in the sun with fellow Francophone Antoine Roussel enjoying the “best coffee in the bubble” as they watch games on a big outdoor screen and, as Domingue puts it, “break it down and hot stove.” His favourite spot is a mini shooting rink inside the Oilers’ extended dressing room where he can forget his usual existence as the guy being fired upon and, instead, crack a few pucks himself.

But even for a well-adjusted person making the best of an abnormal situation, there are taxing aspects. Hanging out in the hotel suite with your Canucks buddies, beating them at the French board game Super Tock or playing a round of Mario Kart on the Nintendo 64 is one thing; only seeing your wife and children via screens is another.

Domingue does what he can, drawing pictures to aid in the nightly bedtime storytelling to Mila and Liam. But nothing is the same as being there and, as he knows, there’s another side to this equation that is struggling at least as much as him.

“I bet you it’s even harder for the people waiting for you at home,” he said.

Senior Writer Ryan Dixon and NHL Editor Rory Boylen always give it 110%, but never rely on clichés when it comes to podcasting. Instead, they use a mix of facts, fun and a varied group of hockey voices to cover Canada’s most beloved game.

While NHL bubble life is restricted almost exclusively to league employees, the NBA did allow a limited number of independent media inside the walls of its Walt Disney World temporary home. New York Times writer Marc Stein has been in Orlando covering the action for more than a month now and, speaking on The Daily podcast, he described some of the restrictions governing life there. If NBA players get together 1191998 Websites Many celebrants probably arrived early on Friday when the Canucks torched Binnington with three goals on five shots early in the second period to build a 4-0 lead and chase the Blues’ fallen star in favour of Allen. Sportsnet.ca / Canucks appear on cusp of golden era as unexpected playoff march continues Hoping for a little of last year’s Stanley Cup magic, Berube ignored evidence from the last three weeks — Binnington had a save percentage of .862, Allen .939 — and went back to his starter after Allen lost 4-3 on Wednesday in Game 5. Iain MacIntyre The magic, however, was obviously gone from Binnington. Most of it August 22, 2020 seems to be with the Canucks now.

Antoine Roussel rattled a quick shot through Binnington to make it 2-0 at EDMONTON — Like captain Bo Horvat’s baby, the Vancouver Canucks 2:09 of the second period after Roussel and Brandon Sutter forced Vince have arrived, exciting and beautiful and full of promise, sooner than Dunn into a turnover inside the St. Louis blue line. The only shot that anyone expected. beat Binnington cleanly was Troy Stecher’s one-timer at 6:49, set up by some extraordinary passing that included Sutter, Pettersson and Hughes. The National Hockey League team, which went nine years without a playoff series win but has suddenly won two in the span of three weeks, Binnington’s season, and essentially the Blues’ season, ended 77 eliminated the Stanley Cup champion St. Louis Blues with a 6-2 win seconds later when Brock Boeser, goal-less in the series, blasted a Friday that sent the Canucks into the final eight for the first time since power-play slapper between the goalie’s arm and torso at 8:06. 2011. Even the Calgary Flames couldn’t screw up a 4-0 lead. Actually, maybe Nearly half of their lineup had not experienced an NHL playoff game until they could. But the Canucks have learned a lot about five-on-five play this month, and with emerging superstars Quinn Hughes and Elias and stout defending during their games against the Blues and, in the Pettersson still years from their peak, the Canucks were not expected to qualifying round, the Minnesota Wild. They also had Markstrom in net. gather much more than experience this summer. The Canucks won wire-to-wire after opening scoring just 3:45 into the Their window to win was not supposed to be open already. But here they first period when Blue Jacob de la Rose stood on the puck and fell in his are, Canada’s last-standing team, getting ready to open the Western own zone, leaving it for Beagle to collect, skate to the slot and fire in off Conference semi-finals against the Vegas Golden Knights. Binnington.

“This team, I’ve said it from the beginning, is a special and dangerous Jaden Schwartz had a couple of late goals for the Blues, while speedy team,” veteran Jay Beagle said after opening scoring on Friday. “We checker Tyler Motte scored twice in the third period for Vancouver, giving have a lot of heart and a lot of will in the locker room. him four goals in two games — matching his total from the regular season. “The character that we have in the room, we have a great group of guys that have a lot of fun together. And when you have that and mix some The people least surprised by what the Canucks have accomplished skill in there, you make for a great team. That will to win, that hunger to were in their dressing room celebrating late Friday. win, I saw it from Day 1 when we came in. We’re kind of seeing what we “We got better and better as the season went on,” Roussel said, “and we all in the room knew already. But we’re seeing it now in the playoffs.” came back with just one focus: play hard and go as far as we can.” So is everyone else. They’re already farther than anyone expected. The mighty Blues appeared to seize the series when they surged back Sportsnet.ca LOADED: 08.23.2020 from a 0-2 deficit after ditching struggling starting goalie Jordan Binnington in favour of backup Jake Allen. But the Canucks merely raised their level again, and when St. Louis coach Craig Berube unwisely chose to put his team back in Binnington’s shaky hands for Game 6, Vancouver won the series 4-2.

Interestingly, each of the three eras of superior hockey for the Canucks franchise in the last three decades has included a playoff win against the Blues. This sure looks like the start of another golden era, perhaps the brightest of all.

“It means a lot for our group and for our organization as well,” Canuck Jacob Markstrom, who turned the goaltending battle into a mismatch, said after waiting 10 years in pro hockey to get to this stage. “We’ve got a great group of guys here, on and off the ice. Everybody likes each other, and on the ice everybody is battling and working their behind off. It’s just so much fun to play hockey right now. When you’re winning a series like this, it’s pure joy.

“We’ve still got a long ways to go before anybody is satisfied. But it sure is a good feeling right now and it’s a stepping stone. And we need to take a couple of more steps.”

Playing in the bubble, in unnatural isolation from family, is difficult mentally. But with so many young players desperate for playoff hockey, and some key veterans hungry for success, the Canucks are attacking this tournament with exuberance.

“It’s pretty easy; we’re playing for the Stanley Cup,” defenceman Troy Stecher, who grew up in the Vancouver suburb of Richmond, explained. “That’s what fuels you to keep going throughout the games. If you remember the end goal in sight, it’s pretty easy to get up. We definitely feel the support. I know Scott Road is going to bumping tonight. I’m excited for the fans. They deserve to have some fun.”

Scott Road, in Surrey, has become a post-victory parade route for fans who saw more NHL losses than any fan base outside Buffalo over the last four years. 1191999 Websites the rest? It’s like Bobby Orr when he broke in. And his vision’s like Gretz — sees everybody on the ice. Pretty good release. Mario had that release, that quick snapshot. He used to play in a summer hockey league here with OHL guys. He was worth the price of admission, and it was free Sportsnet.ca / Quick Shifts: Why contenders should consider trading for to get in. (laughs) Some of the stuff he’d do was incredible, and it was on Gaudreau a nightly basis. Only a select few like him come along.”

Ditto for Dale.

Luke Fox 2. Teams curious about acquiring Johnny Gaudreau from the Calgary Flames this off-season must absolutely be concerned about his ability to August 22, 2020 perform in big moments. Gaudreau’s 0.96 career points-per-game production rate in the regular season shrinks to 0.63 points per game come playoff time. A quick mix of the things we gleaned from the week of hockey, serious and less so, and rolling four lines deep. Yes, we’ll trade your player But there will be a great financial incentive here. Once Gaudreau collects before he packs his bags and exits the bubble. his $3.5-million signing bonus cheque for 2020-21, an acquiring club could get two seasons of a dynamic offensive weapon and great power- 1. When I spotted Dale Hawerchuk at a charity event — because that is play asset for a total of $10 million. where you spotted Hawerchuk in his 50s — the reporter in me was taken over by the kid in me who was raised in awe of ’80s hockey. In an era where plenty of owners are looking to save money, that’s fantastic value for a player who gets you 60-plus points in his sleep. I got the kind of nervous one gets when they have a chance to meet Worst case, if he’s not a good fit, Gaudreau would make a heckuva someone they admired growing up, but I knew I’d kick myself if I let a deadline rental at the 2022 deadline. chance to request an interview slip. I say meet your heroes. They’re not all jerks. Think of a potential Gaudreau trade along the lines of Toronto’s Phil Kessel deal to Pittsburgh: Don’t expect him to be The Man to carry your So, three playoffs ago, well before his diagnosis, Hawerchuk was kind team, but he’s absolutely valuable as a complementary star if cast in the enough to sit for a beer to simply talk hockey with a stranger holding a proper role. mini recorder. Understanding the pros and cons, the Penguins sacrificed futures and Upon learning of his death Tuesday — at 57, much too young — I may not have won a Cup or two had they not been so bold. As for the Googled back to re-read our conversation. Here are a few highlights to Maple Leafs, they understood they were giving away the best player, but give you a glimpse into how he viewed some stars of today. it was time.

On Jonathan Toews: “People ask me who I cheer for, and you have a Neither side regrets the trade. closeness with the teams you played for. But honestly, I just love watching a good game. Jonathan Toews is the epitome of a great 3. Given 48 hours to calm down, John Tortorella was much more centreman. He’s the Bryan Trottier of this era. Not because they’ve won generous with insight into his eliminated Blue Jackets Friday than he was Cups, just the way they played. So selfless. But they’ve had good after his group let a Game 5 lead slip to Tampa. wingers. When I teach my kids, I say, ‘Let’s Watch video on Jonathan Tortorella shared his thoughts on Pierre-Luc Dubois’s development and Toews. That’s how you play in your own end. If you want to learn the two-sided coin that is Alexander Wennberg’s infuriating/encouraging positioning, he’s the guy.’ ” performance. On Mark Schiefele: “Some people say I’m a players’ coach, I’m an He also gave us a window into his end-of-season process. Tortorella offensive coach, I’m a creative coach, whatever. I never want to take that explained why he still hasn’t spoken to his players after the loss and now away from a player. The guys who play for me know it all starts before allows management to handle all exit interviews. they get the puck. If you’re not good defensively, you don’t get the amount of touches you want to get. Mark has learned that so well. Each “It just doesn’t prove beneficial, with all the emotions being so raw, to year in our league (the OHL) he got better and better. Now I watch him in speak with the players right after the season. So, I stopped doing those the pros, he’s one of the top centres in the league. If you want to be the exit meetings,” Tortorella said. best, you have to keep pushing yourself. He’s a pusher. “The coach and the players are with one another every day, especially in “He was the dream kid coming into junior hockey. His attitude surpasses the bubble here. I’ll wait a couple weeks. And during the summer I tick so many people’s. He loves walking into the rink, grinning ear to ear, and along and talk to players that way instead. can’t wait to work hard. He almost makes the coach’s job easier because he pushes the pace all the time, and everyone tries to keep up. People “Players need a release. After the series, they go out and enjoy don’t know this: They think I really steered Winnipeg onto Mark. No. themselves a little bit.” Winnipeg called me once. They said, ‘We just interviewed this kid. Is he 4. So much is made of the New York Islanders’ suffocating defensive really for real?’ That was their only question. I said, ‘Oh, yeah. He’s the game, and rightly so, but it’s time to give Barry Trotz’s offence some love. real deal.’ He blows you away when you meet him — you see the passion in his personality, and he brings it out in his game.” The Isles arrived to the Toronto bubble with the second-weakest regular- season offence (to Columbus). In making relatively quick work of the Our website is officially live. Visit https://t.co/liZEummrSH to support Florida Panthers and Washington Capitals, the Islanders lead all Eastern Dale Hawerchuk in his fight against cancer and raise money for causes Conference teams in both post-season goals (30) and goals per game that are important to Dale and his family. (3.33). — #HawerchukStrong (@HawerchukStrong) July 30, 2020 Through nine games, New York has seen six players pitch in a minimum On not being named to the NHL’s 100 Greatest Players list when he of three goals apiece and seven players contribute a minimum of five totally should’ve been: “A lot of people called wanting to interview me. I points. said, ‘Look. It’s 100 years. That’s one player a year.’ There’s so many The second line of Anthony Beauvillier, Brock Nelson and Josh Bailey, in great players on the list; there’s so many great players off the list. I didn’t particular, is on a heater, racking up a total of 26 points. lose any sleep over it. It would’ve been an honour, for sure. It’s not going to change my life. A lot of people that were there came back and told me Congrats to the @NYIslanders on their victory against the @Capitals! that a lot of the (top-100) guys were saying that (I should’ve been included). You know what? Everyone’s got their opinion. It is what it is. I Our lights shine in blue & orange tonight to celebrate the team’s watched it; it was great. I loved all those players. I was a student of the advancement to round 2 of the @StanleyCup Playoffs! #ESBright #Isles game. I love the history of the game. Those old guys — they were great #StanleyCup #ESBright players. How can you argue with that? mattpugs/IG pic.twitter.com/TPRwp43LZY

On coaching against a young Connor McDavid: “His speed. Think how — Empire State Building (@EmpireStateBldg) August 21, 2020 fast the game is. Who thought someone could be that much quicker than 5. May we all be blessed with some Nathan MacKinnon confidence. Pete DeBoer on the challenges of bubble life: "Even on the worst day in here, there’s all the hockey you can watch and all the beer you can When the Hart Trophy finalist was asked if he felt tired after logging drink" 21:30 in Colorado’s Game 2 win over Arizona, if he was concerned about playing Game 3 with under 24 hours’ rest, this was his response: — Justin “Wear A Mask” Emerson (@J15Emerson) August 21, 2020

“No. It’s why I win fitness testing every year. I’ll be buzzing tomorrow.” 9. David Krejci, 34, finished fifth in team scoring during the regular season but has raised his game in the bubble. MacKinnon then went out and skated 23:33 on the second half of a back- to-back. He’s an animal. Of his eight games since the NHL returned to Like most Bruins, Boston’s second-line centre coasted through the action, MacKinnon has recorded at least a point in each one and erupted round-robin, but he exploded for eight points in Boston’s five-game series for four points en route to eliminating the Coyotes in Game 5. victory over Carolina, filled in admirably for David Pastrnak on the top power-play unit, and now leads the team in points (nine). 6. There is no obligation for an NHL star to take a political or social stance, but it is refreshing when a guy like Blake Wheeler feels Over his career, only Ray Bourque has amassed more post-season increasingly comfortable using his voice. points as a Bruin.

I really liked @MichelleObama speech last night. Empathy: take a Bruins postseason points leaders: walk in someone else’s shoes and VOTE! If you are American make sure you are registered at https://t.co/s7cOLx81vR and vote early if you are 1 – Ray Bourque – 161 voting by mail. 2 – David Krejci – 112

— Blake Wheeler (@BiggieFunke) August 18, 2020 3 – Patrice Bergeron – 109

7. In reference to the wagon that is the Colorado Avalanche and all the 4 – Phil Esposito – 102 hype around a playoff star Nazem Kadri, Kris Versteeg brought up an interesting point on Will Butcher. 5 – Rick Middleton – 100

Speaking on Sportsnet’s Lead Off, Versteeg whisked us back to the — Conor Ryan (@ConorRyan_93) August 19, 2020 summer of 2017, when Colorado’s hockey team was in the dumpster and President Cam Neely compares Krejci’s offensive approach to that of the Hobey Baker Award winner decided to spurn the club that drafted him unsung ’90s star centre Craig Janney, who consistently put up 751 points and exercise his rights as an NCAA free agent. over a 760-game career. Butcher instead signed with the New Jersey Devils. Versteeg wondered if “He makes those nice, soft, feathery passes. He’s more of a pass-first Butcher could even crack the Avs’ top six today. Erik Johnson–Nikita guy, but he’s worked on his shot. He’s scored some big goals for us over Zadorov is a pretty sturdy third pairing. the years in the postseason, but he sees the ice extremely well,” Neely Incredible how much a couple short years can change perspective on said. hockey decisions that seem like a good idea at the time. “He does like to slow the pace down a little bit when he gets into the Lead Off with Ziggy and Scotty Mac offensive zone. He really wants to see what his options are to move the puck. What I’ve found with him over the years is that if he doesn’t see a Kris Versteeg believes Maple Leafs could use a player like . . . Nazem pass right away, he won’t be afraid to put it on net.” Kadri 10. The founders of Harris Blitzer Sports & Entertainment, which runs the August 18 2020 New Jersey Devils and Philadelphia 76ers, is doing much more than Your browser does not support the audio element. tweeting a supportive statement.

8. Rod Brind’Amour and Torey Krug touched on the oppressive nature of HBSE unveiled a company-wide plan to fight systemic racism, beginning being stuck in the bubble during the Bruins-Hurricanes series. with a pledge of $20 million to fighting systemic racism and championing Washington Capitals coach Todd Reirden alluded to the bubble as equality, including a $10 million contribution from the 76ers to the NBA’s motivational hindrance to his group. new foundation to drive economic empowerment in Black communities.

Dallas Stars coach Rick Bowness dived in on this unique challenge after “As leaders and stewards of community pillars, the eyes of the world are his team booted the Calgary Flames 7-3 in a sloppy Game 6: on us to do better, and they should be. While we will never be able to correct the past harm and injustice faced by Black Americans, it’s our “It’s tough to explain, but I don’t think people understand how tough it is duty to provide resources that enable tangible action and greater living in the bubble,” Bowness said post-game. “This bubble living is not opportunities for equality,” HBSE Founder Josh Harris said in a release. what you think it is. Until you’re living it day to day, you don’t understand what everyone is going through. “We are committing to a fundamental change in our business strategy by embedding our organization with Black communities and businesses “Did we have a messy start? Yeah. Did they kind of lose it a little bit? through significant and sustained investment and support. We are deeply Yeah. You look around the league and that’s what’s happening, but a lot committed to fighting for a better, more inclusive future and we pledge to of it has to do with [living in a bubble]. be leaders in doing so.”

“I can only speak for myself. I’ve gone a couple of days where I haven’t 11. Keep an eye on the Columbus Blue Jackets this off-season. They even gone outside. Because the way we’re set up here, the hotel is have no unrestricted free agents to take care of and cap space to spare. connected to the rink, so you walk from the hotel through the tunnel, get to the rink, then you go back to your room. You’ve really got to make a “Everybody’s screaming about our power play. How can we make that concerted effort just to get outside and get some fresh air.” better? How can we better hold the lead at the end of games? Those are things we’ll have conversations,” general manager Jarmo Kekalainen Bowness gave credit to league’s safety and testing protocol, which has a said Friday. perfect record thus far. “I don’t believe in the July 1 signings to be the answer or recipe for “That being said, it’s not like we’re walking out to a park. We’re going to a success. That’s been shown very many times. It’s going to be a different courtyard and there’s three other teams sitting there. You go to the gym date, obviously, this off-season. But growing from within is going to be a and you’re working out with the people that you’re playing against that key for us.” night. Top-line centre Pierre-Luc Dubois (restricted free agent), who thrived “Again, kudos to the league. But people think living in a bubble is great. under playoff pressure, is deserving of a hefty raise but lacks arbitration It’s tough. It’s mentally tough, and everyone’s making the best of it.” rights. Second-pairing defenceman Vladislav Gavrikov, too, needs a manageable pay bump. Stray thought: I wonder how much the Eastern Conference teams that advance to the final four will benefit mentally from a simple change of Most franchises would kill for a goalie tandem and blue line at the price scenery, a slight shakeup in city and surroundings. A new bubble. point Kekalainen has built, and the list of affordable, young forwards here — Oliver Bjorkstrand, Alexandre Texier, Eric Robinson, Liam Foudy — is enticing.

While so many Eastern Conference contenders are struggling with a flat cap ceiling, there is opportunity in Columbus to bring in another impact forward or two either via free agency or trade.

Judging by the tea leaves, we’d be shocked if RFA Josh Anderson isn’t used as a trade piece. The Jackets are flush with physical middle-six wingers, and competitors will want what he brings. Anderson’s recovery timeline is Sept. 2.

“It’s easy to be the armchair GM, or whatever they call it, and say, ‘OK, trade this guy for that guy.’ There’s 30 other teams,” Kekalainen reminded. “They’re all pretty smart people, and they don’t just give away their players. It’s a little harder to make a trade than a lot of people imagine.”

12. Some personal news.

For the first time in 163 days, I played shinny this week. It was weird and sanitized. The benches were shortened, the dressing rooms were locked, and I had to arrive at the rink in full gear like a six-year-old.

That was the longest I’ve gone without making errant passes and shooting pucks directly into the goalie’s logo in my adult life.

I realized I missed playing the game even more than I missed reporting on it.

Here’s to a return of beer leagues and kids’ leagues, however cautiously it has to come.

Finally found some ice!! It was so nice to do something I was really missing. It gave me an energy I was lacking lately. It has been a challenge to be kept away from the things that we enjoy during these times. I hope everyone is finding ways to stay engaged & feel fulfilled. pic.twitter.com/X63z4DnLd9

— Ryan Miller (@RyanMiller3039) August 17, 2020

Sportsnet.ca LOADED: 08.23.2020 1192000 Websites "Very," said coach Bruce Cassidy. "A little surprised it came out that way [instead] of alternating nights."

In normal circumstances playing on consecutive days might have been TSN.CA / More fireworks expected as Boston Bruins, Tampa Bay an advantage for the Bruins, who saw Tuukka Rask and Jaroslav Halak Lightning renew rivalry team up to win the William M. Jennings Trophy this season. But Rask, a Vezina Trophy nominee, has left the bubble for family reasons so Halak, 35, must carry the load and he hasn't started on consecutive nights since Nov. 10-11, 2018. Boston's newly designated back-up, 23-year-old Dan Mark Masters Vladar, has yet to play an NHL game.

"Do we play Vladar or do we have to ride Halak," Cassidy mused, "that's TSN Toronto reporter Mark Masters checks in daily with news and notes a lot to ask for Jaro." on the NHL playoffs. The Tampa Bay Lightning and Boston Bruins held Lightning starter Andrei Vasilevskiy has not started on back-to-back Zoom sessions on Saturday ahead of Game 1 on Sunday night. nights this season, but is nine years younger than Halak. And, if needed, The Bruins and Lightning combined for 94 penalty minutes, five back-up Curtis McElhinney is a veteran of 237 NHL games. misconducts and four fighting majors in their final regular season --- encounter back on March 7. Tampa Bay seemed determined to make a point that night at TD Garden. The series pits perennial Selke Trophy nominee (and four-time winner) Bergeron against 23-year-old Anthony Cirelli, an emerging two-way "They have a bit of a different make-up now," observed Bruins winger force. Brad Marchand. "They compete a lot harder. They are a lot more physical." "The similarity between the two of them is they think the same," observed Cooper. "They don't sacrifice any inch of the ice. They're just responsible Barclay Goodrow and Blake Coleman, acquired in February trades as the players and not all guys are like that. Tony, as he matures in this league, Lightning sought to add some sandpaper to their lineup, made an I think more offence is going to come. During big moments they both immediate impact on the rivalry with Boston. Coleman received a seem to come to the forefront ... but one's been in the league a lot longer misconduct for mixing things up with Marchand in that game on March 7 and is a lot more experienced and we hope, at some point, Tony's while Goodrow dropped the gloves with Chris Wagner and also took a trajectory in this league and his career is going to go that way." roughing penalty on Patrice Bergeron. Bergeron has scored at least 30 goals in five of the last seven seasons "That game, specifically, felt like a playoff game," Goodrow said. "It was while Cirelli's career high, set in his rookie season of 2018-19, is 19. the most intense game I played before the stoppage. It was fun and I'm sure that’s what this whole series will be about." "Bergeron's game has really evolved especially the offensive side of it," said Cooper. "He's really taken steps as he's grown in this league and The Bruins and Lightning open their second round series on Sunday that's what Tony’s eventually going to have to do." night in Toronto. They also faced off in the second round of the playoffs in 2018 with Tampa moving on in five games. ---

"We've had some pretty intense games with them since," said Lightning Pulled in Game 2 and almost pulled again in Game 5, Flyers goalie coach Jon Cooper, "and usually they're one-goal games and usually Carter Hart held his nerve in a battle against his childhood idol, Carey there's some sort of fireworks that have happened. It's two competitive Price, and the Canadiens. In his Stanley Cup playoff debut, Hart stopped teams and two teams that have been at the top of the standings battling it 217 of 230 shots over six games (.943 save percentage) as Philadelphia, out over the years so that's what you're going to get. If the series is long labelled a goalie graveyard, advanced to the second round for the anything like the last time we played them up in Boston it should be a fun first time since 2012. one." "It's remarkable," gushed general manager Chuck Fletcher. "He's 22- "It's two teams that play with a lot of pride," said Lightning defenceman years-old and he's out there giving us a chance to win every game. He's Ryan McDonagh. "The intensity is going to be there for sure so if you're obviously very talented and his track record speaks for itself, but maybe not prepared or ready for that physicalness and prepared to play at a the most impressive thing about Carter is if he gives up a bad goal or a high pace you'll be exposed." game doesn't go as well as he wants it to he just has this uncanny ability to bounce back and really our team has taken on that persona the The Lightning are a different team and Marchand believes the Bruins second half of the season as well. We'll have a bad shift, a bad period, a have also taken a big step since that 2018 loss especially on defence bad game, but we find a way to get going again and Carter has that with Charlie McAvoy (22-years-old), Brandon Carlo (23), Connor Clifton mentality and as he continues to grow he'll give us a chance to be (25) and Matt Grzelcyk (26) coming into their own. competitive for a while." "We've grown on the back end with how fast we're playing now," — #StanleyCup Playoffs on NBC (@NHLonNBCSports) August 22, Marchand said. "Our D are a couple years older and stronger and more 2020 used to that tempo and I think that's a huge strength of our team. Every year that goes by the experience that you gain and situations you go The Flyers haven't dropped consecutive games since early January in through just helps you grow and I just think our D corps now is on part because they do a good job of protecting their goalie. Fletcher another level from a couple years ago." credits new coach Alain Vigneault and his staff for creating a strong culture. The Lightning edged the Bruins 3-2 in the round-robin portion of the NHL restart on Aug. 5. In that game Coleman dropped the gloves with Torey "We're a team that now has an identity," Fletcher explained. "A season Krug, Goodrow took a charging penalty on Anders Bjork while Brayden ago, I don't think we played the game the right way. We didn't defend Point and McAvoy took roughing penalties. And that was only the well. We didn't manage the puck well. We didn't manage the game well. I appetizer. think we have a much better defensive identity now. The players understand what's expected of them. They've bought into it so that's very "These are the series that people want to see," Marchand said, "and important." these are the series that guys want to be part of and play in. You know, this is what makes the Cup worth it because you have to play teams like --- Tampa ... They're very fast, have a great goalie, they have everything." Hart is doing his part, but the Flyers could certainly help him out with --- some more run support. Philadelphia was actually outscored by the Canadiens 13-11 in the series. If the Lightning-Bruins series goes the distance that means the teams will play seven games in 11 days. There are two back-to-back sets in the Travis Konecny, Philadelphia's leading scorer in the regular season (61 schedule (Games 2-3 and, if needed, 6-7). points in 66 games), has produced just three assists in nine games in the bubble. How challenging is that for the Bruins? "Travis is one of those players who has another level I think he needs to "We've made a commitment to each other and the group to come here get to," said Fletcher. "In terms of using his speed to create and getting and we're all sacrificing to be here," said Marchand. "The drive is there to more pucks to the net, I think he's getting better, but there's still another want to make it all worth it. You get on the ice and you want to win level he needs to get to. That line produced a lot of chances the last few because otherwise this whole thing is for nothing. You know, there's no games so I think they're starting to get going." point in coming and being stuck in the bubble for this amount of time and potentially another couple weeks and another month if you're not going to Fletcher pointed out that Konecny isn't the only Flyer who's been win so I think that's going to drive you even more to want to win and to grounded offensively. Kevin Hayes has just one goal since the restart compete and sacrifice for each other." while Claude Giroux, Sean Couturier and James van Riemsdyk have yet to bulge the twine. ---

--- Islanders winger Cal Clutterbuck, who missed Game 5 against the Capitals, was back on the ice at Saturday's practice. Cooper has made it clear he doesn’t want to talk about the status of Steven Stamkos until he's available to play again, but that hasn’t stopped "He got up and down the ice pretty good today," said Trotz. "I don't reporters from seeking out any morsel of information about the Lightning foresee anything going into the series that we have to be too concerned captain's condition. about."

"I'll just give the same exact answer I gave in the first round," said Game 1 against the Flyers is set for Monday night. Cooper. "He's not available right now and, again, [he's] rehabbing and when he is going to be available I will let you know. There's no further TSN.CA LOADED: 08.23.2020 updates and so it's pointless to keep asking about it."

---

Players and coaches have been asked constantly about life in the NHL bubbles and the mental strain associated with being away from home for an extended period of time. And while many, like Dallas coach Rick Bowness, have said it's very difficult, you won't hear anything like that from the New York Islanders.

"Well, I'm reading a lot of stuff, but our group is having fun," said coach Barry Trotz. "There's the odd time you miss your family and all that, but for the most part the guys understand and their wives understand that this is something you have to accept if you want to have success and there's got to be commitment on both sides. So, we understood that going in and I think the players are doing a good job of having fun and staying together and focusing on what needs to be focused on. This is a great opportunity for the teams that are left and the families and players understand that."

Trotz pointed out that the long road trip has helped newcomers like Jean- Gabriel Pageau and Andy Greene build chemistry with their teammates.

#Isles ping pong tournament getting serious... JG Pageau looks ready to go pic.twitter.com/fpSLfseuhr

— Mollie Walker (@MollieeWalkerr) August 8, 2020

Teams entered the bubble on July 26 and the Stanley Cup finalists won't leave until late September or early October.

"It seems like a long time, but if you really look at it in the big picture it’s not that long," said Trotz. "I think guys understand it’s unique, it’s an opportunity and they're embracing it and I think that's what you see with our group."

Marchand, meanwhile, is grateful that the top five teams in the Eastern Conference got to stay at Hotel X, which opened in 2018, from the start.

"The big thing is that we have a good situation here at our hotel," said Marchand. "We actually popped over to the other one, I can't imagine how those guys were at that other hotel there and I heard the same thing out West in Edmonton so we just got to enjoy the time we have here at Hotel X, because if you make it out to Edmonton the situation is going to get worse mentally."

Well, the Islanders have been at the Royal York, an older hotel, since Day 1. They are actually the only team of the seven lower seeds there to survive. On Saturday, they made the move to Hotel X.

"We've seen quite a few teams heading out so I mean we're happy to still be here," said Brock Nelson. "We got pretty comfortable at this hotel so maybe a little bittersweet. I'm sure it will be nice having a change of pace, change of scenery, but at the same time we've been here for a while and know what we can do and the set up and the walk to the rink so it will be different. But the fact we're still here playing is the big thing."

The NHL is doing its best to get players some outdoor time and keep them as comfortable as possible. The Lightning, for example, went on a golf outing Friday and the Bruins had that chance on Saturday.

Considering what’s happening in the world right now, Marchand stressed that he feels lucky to be in this situation even if it can be challenging at times. 1192001 Websites series was another indication this guy can defend in the NHL, too. He led all Canucks players in ice-time in the series, held an individual Corsi of 58.3% and helped his team outscore the Blues 11-4 in all situations and 5-3 at even-strength. His finest period of the series was likely the third TSN.CA / Five Takeaways: Canucks vs Blues (game 6) period of Game 5 when the Canucks were without Alex Edler. In stepped Hughes to log 9:29 of the final period as the Canucks kept the Blues off

the scoresheet and prevailed 4-3. Hughes has tilted the ice all season for Jeff Paterson the Canucks and that has continued into the playoffs.

While Tyler Motte scored twice in each of the last two games and Jay Beagle was the surprising tone-setter with the opening goal on Friday, The Vancouver Canucks are moving on to the second round of the Antoine Roussel’s goal 2:09 into the second period last night may have Stanley Cup Playoffs for the first time in nine years -- and deservedly so. been the most-important goal the Canucks scored in their series clincher. The St. Louis Blues finished 16 points ahead of the Canucks in the To that point it had been a quiet series for Roussel, but in one impressive truncated regular season, so it’s open to debate whether the Canucks sequence he forced Blues defenseman Vince Dunn off the puck just are a better team than the Blues top to bottom. But make no mistake, inside the St. Louis blueline, played give and go with Brandon Sutter, and over the course of a six game series in a bubble in the middle of summer, then snapped a quick shot past Jordan Binnington to give the Canucks a the Canucks were the better of the two teams when it mattered most. I 2-0 lead. It was important on a number of levels. It was an impressive gave the Canucks a legitimate chance to beat the Blues heading into the example of puck pursuit by Roussel who needs to do more of that in the series based on two key factors: the Canucks played St. Louis hard in all next round against Vegas. It continued a late series trend of Canucks three of their regular season match-ups winning two of them and depth forwards stepping up and showing up on the scoresheet. And it dropping the other in overtime. As well, based on their uninspired play extended the Canucks led and further crushed the spirit of the Blues. during the round robin after a four month layoff, the defending champs After a strong start to the first period and grabbing a 1-0 lead, the looked vulnerable. I can’t say I’m surprised the Canucks came out on top. Canucks couldn’t afford to try to protect the one-goal led. And they didn’t. They so clearly had the better goaltending in the series. With Quinn They opened the second period with a push that resulted in the Roussel Hughes handling his own at both ends of the rink, the Canucks had the goal. Four minutes later, Troy Stecher scored and two minutes after that best defenseman in the series, the Canucks top end was more Brock Boeser found the back of the net and the rout was on. But looking productive than the Blues best scorers and over the final two games the back on the night, it was the Roussel goal that sparked the second period Canucks depth forwards stepped up and outperformed their counterparts scoring spree and gave the Canucks some much-needed breathing on the other side. Throw in timely special teams goals and it all added up room. to the Canucks pulling off the upset. TSN.CA LOADED: 08.23.2020 Like Craig Berube, I thought going back to Jordan Binnington was the right call for the St. Louis Blues in Game 6. Okay, we all missed the mark on that one. I figured with no margin for error, the Blues would be best served by turning to the players that led them to the Stanley Cup just over a year ago – and Binnington was a huge part of that. The Canucks shredded the St. Louis starter scoring four times on 18 shots in the first 38:06 of the hockey game. In the series, Binnington went 0-3 giving up 13 goals in less than eight full periods. That performance was in stark contrast to what was taking place at the other end of the ice. Jacob Markstrom, the two-time Canucks MVP, got stronger as the series went on. His 36-save masterpiece in a pivotal Game 5 victory set the stage for another solid outing on Friday night. It’s so clear that the Canucks draw confidence from their big puck stopper who has been up to the challenge throughout the post-season. Markstrom is now 7-3 in the Edmonton bubble with a 2.44 GAA and a sparkling 92.9% save percentage. Where Binnington was torched for 14 goals in three starts, Markstrom allowed 16 goals over six full games (plus a pair of overtimes in the series). The play of the starting goalies is the biggest reason the Canucks are moving on while the Blues are heading home.

Bo Horvat was the driving force for the Canucks early in the series against St. Louis, JT Miller stepped up throughout, Elias Pettersson was ruthlessly consistent and for all the talk about his scoring silence since Game 3 against Minnesota, it was nice to see Brock Boeser lean into one on Friday night. The Canucks best players were their best players against St. Louis. And while there were stretches at even-strength where they spent too much time defending, they ultimately figured out a way to contribute. Pettersson led the Canucks with 3+6=9 in the series and has simply crushed the Blues with 5+13=18 in 12 career meetings – regular and post-season combined. Miller scored in four of the six games and had 4+3=7 in the series. Boeser’s goal gave him five points in the six- game set while Horvat led the team to wins in the first two games with a pair of two-goal efforts. Offense has rarely been an issue for this team all season and it certainly wasn’t against the Blues – a team with towering blueliners and a championship pedigree. The Canucks ended up outscoring St. Louis 22-16 in the series and 10-5 over the final two games as they kicked the champs to the curb.

I’ve lost count how many times Quinn Hughes has done something only to have fact-finders reveal that Ray Bourque is the last or only other defenseman to have done it in the NHL. Just stop and think about that for a moment. At the age of 20, getting his first look at Stanley Cup playoff hockey, Hughes had four points in six games against St. Louis and has 1+9=10 in his first 10 games in the post-season. With his assist on Boeser’s power play goal on Friday, he joined Bourque, Al MacInnis and Gary Suter and the only rookie defensemen in NHL history to reach double-digits in their first 10 post-season games. That is ridiculous company to keep. And as good as Hughes is offensively, the St. Louis