sign in sign up
<<
Home , Adam Smith (ice hockey), Alexander Barabanov, Alexander Wennberg, Andreas Johnsson, Ben Chiarot, Ben Hutton (ice hockey)

SPORT-SCAN DAILY BRIEF NHL 5/9/2021 1212080 Ducks lose at Minnesota in finale as Ryan Miller 1212107 Detroit Red Wings lose high-scoring season finale to plays his last game Columbus in , 5-4 1212081 Ducks lose to Wild in retiring goalie Ryan Miller’s final NHL 1212108 Detroit Red Wings lose season finale to the Columbus game Blue Jackets, 5-4 (OT): Game thread recap 1212109 Red Wings finish season with OT loss but see progress 1212110 Red Wings drop season finale in overtime but avoid last 1212082 Coyotes score 5 unanswered goals to defeat the San Jose place Sharks 1212111 Red Wings wrap up season seeking to avoid Central cellar 1212112 Experience, confidence help ’s pursuit for Red Wings job next season 1212083 Bruins’ recalls mom Louise ahead of 1212113 Joe Veleno’s first , Jakub Vrana’s winner propels Red Mother’s Day Wings at Columbus 1212084 Rangers ride third-period comeback to defeat Bruins 1212114 Red Wings focused on final weekend in Columbus, not 1212085 Rangers’ dust-up escalates after James Dolan weighs in summer break 1212086 Bruins Notebook: Ondrej Kase could see a game 1212115 Sour note: Red Wings close season with 5-4 OT loss to 1212087 Bruins blow third-period lead, lose to Rangers Blue Jackets 1212088 Ranking Bruins' potential first-round playoff opponents 1212116 The Red Wings’ 10 biggest offseason priorities as an 1212089 Talking Points: Rangers Hand Boston Bruins ‘Perplexing’ important summer begins 5-4 Loss 1212090 Projecting A Deep, Diverse Boston Bruins Playoff Lineup Oilers |BHN+ 1212117 OILERS SNAPSHOTS: Tippett sees flashbacks of Gretzky in McDavid's game 1212118 Oilers' McDavid hits 100 points in vintage superstar 1212091 The Wraparound: Michael Houser magnificent, but Sabres performance drop season finale 1212119 JONES: Latest COVID numbers spiked Oilers' plans for 1212092 Mike Harrington's NHL Power Rankings fans in the stands 1212093 Sabres’ season is over, but and Michael 1212120 Oil Spills: Are Oilers' preferred playoff foe Jets or Houser hope their stories are just beginning Canadiens? 1212121 “He’s one of the top players to ever play the game”: Flames Connor McDavid’s 100- season puts him in rarified ai 1212094 Monahan moved to wing to make room for Gawdin 1212122 Lowetide: What will Tyler Benson’s role be for the 2021-22 Oilers? 1212095 Predators play their way into by beating Hurricanes 1212123 A hat trick, fights and 154 minutes: Panthers rout Tampa in fiery playoff preview 1212124 Fists fly as Panthers pepper Lightning; Florida needs win 1212096 Ranking the Blackhawks’ top 10 prospects after the 2021 or OT loss in finale for home-ice edge season 1212125 Wennberg’s hat trick leads Panthers over Lightning in first 1212097 Why Blackhawks didn't give goalie Delia more of a ? warmup for playoffs 1212126 Owen Tippett gets great opportunity as Panthers open Lightning Month 1212098 Avalanche, sans Nathan MacKinnon again, sweeps L.A. Kings behind Cale Makar 1212099 Chambers: , once again, goes too far. This 1212127 Kings fall to Devon Toews, Avalanche time, the NHL fails to act appropriately 1212128 FINAL – Kings 2, Avalanche 3 – Kupari, McLellan 1212100 Deen’s List: Avalanche prepare for crucial matchup at 1212129 Game Thread – Kings vs. Avalanche, 5/8 Vegas on Monday 1212130 5/8 Preview – No morning skate, Byfield/Kupari, learning, 1212101 Nathan MacKinnon to miss second straight game tonight iAfAllo, Reign, ceremony photos 1212102 Scott Takes: The Avs should protect Tyson Jost 1212131 Victor Rask continues bounce-back season by scoring in 1212103 's OT goal lifts Blue Jackets to victory in John Wild's overtime victory vs. Ducks Tortorella's swan song 1212132 Saturday's Wild-Anaheim game recap 1212104 will not return as Blue Jackets' coach 1212133 Victor Rask scores in OT to lift Wild past Ducks, 4-3 1212105 Sources: John Tortorella won’t return as Columbus Blue 1212134 Victor Rask wins it for the Wild in another overtime game Jackets coach after six seasons with Anaheim 1212136 Wild's Kirill Kaprizov showing knack for scoring big goals 1212137 Joel Eriksson Ek at last emerges as a scorer Wild believed 1212106 Dallas Stars eliminated from playoff contention after he could be Predators defeat Hurricanes 1212138 Wild GM found right coach down the hall 1212139 Wild host the Ducks following overtime victory 1212140 Victor Rask nets game-winner as Wild beat Ducks in OT 1212141 With playoffs in sight, Nick Bjugstad finding his niche in Wild lineup 1212142 Wild coach keeps pushing the right buttons, will likely get some deserved Jack Adams love 1212143 Was the Wild lineup without a preview of what will happen in the playoffs? Canadiens 1212144 In the Habs' Room: Montreal may resort to sneaking into 1212181 Alex Lyon sparkles as Flyers lose to Capitals, 2-1, in post-season play overtime 1212145 Canadiens squander quick start to fall 3-2 to Leafs 1212182 Brian Elliott, Flyers helping Capitals player in his time of 1212146 Liveblog replay: Leafs defeat Habs 3-2 on Saturday night grief 1212147 Canadiens' Phillip Danault out with a concussion 1212183 Flyers and Penn Medicine offering COVID-19 shots at 1212148 Canadiens have philosophical playoff decisions on Monday’s game horizon, but developing youth should remain priority 1212184 Will ‘Ghost’ disappear from Flyers, or will his resurgence cause him to stay? | Sam Carchidi 1212185 Don’t compare Broad Street Bullies to Tom Wilson’s 1212149 Nashville Predators clinch NHL playoff berth with win cheap-shot tactics against Carolina Hurricanes 1212186 Flyers Notebook: York and Allison could impact offseason 1212150 Nashville Predators clinch playoff spot with 3-1 win over of change Carolina Hurricanes 1212187 Vigneault honest about his evaluation of players without a playoff race 1212188 York shows his strengths in anticipated debut as Flyers 1212151 Islanders beat Devils, 5-1, in final regular season game at earn youth-led win ; P.K. Subban (COVID) done for the 1212152 Devils fall to Islanders, Kyle Palmieri in final trip to Nassau Coliseum 1212189 Minor league report: Penguins beat Devils in home finale 1212153 NJ Devils top Islanders, former teammates Travis Zajac 1212190 Goaltender Maxime Lagace records shutout in Penguins and Kyle Palmieri debut 1212154 Islanders pound Devils in last regular season game at 1212191 Penguins shut out Sabres, claim East Division Coliseum 1212192 Penguins to start goaltender Maxime Lagace in regular 1212155 Islanders rip Devils in final regular season game at season finale Nassau Coliseum 1212193 Penguins looking forward to loosened COVID-19 protocols in the NHL playoffs 1212194 Maxime Lagace shuts out Buffalo, Penguins clinch East 1212156 Islanders pound Devils in last regular season game at Division title Coliseum 1212195 Yohe’s 10 observations: The game wasn’t pretty, but the 1212157 Islanders rip Devils in final regular season game at Penguins’ season sure was Nassau Coliseum 1212196 PENGUINS WIN EAST DIVISION; 3-4 Seeds Still 1212158 Islanders dominate Devils for fitting farewell in likely final Unsettled regular-season game at Nassau Coliseum 1212197 Penguins Getting Vaccinated; NHL Relaxes COVID 1212159 NHL relaxes some COVID-19 protocol restrictions for Protocols teams meeting vaccination mark 1212198 Penguins 3 Stars & Recap: 1st Place? Carter Scores, 1212160 Disappointing season for Islanders' Bridgeport farm team Lagace 1-0 Shutout Win with a few highlights 1212199 1st Place at Stake, Gm 56: Penguins Lines, Notes & 1212161 Islanders cherish their final go-around at Nassau Matchups vs. BUF Coliseum, where they've enjoyed home-ice advantage 1212162 Nelson, Islanders Turn on Offense in 5-1 win over New Jersey 1212200 Coyotes beat Sharks in OT, spoil rookie goalie’s first start 1212163 Finally Saying Goodbye? Islanders Face Devils in 1212201 Sharks’ John Leonard likely done for season after scary Potential Regular Season Finale at Coliseum collision 1212164 Islanders Need to Find Their Game in Final Two Regular 1212202 How Chekhovich epitomizes Sharks rookies' adjustment to Season Contests NHL 1212203 SAN JOSE SHARKS Postgame Notes #55: Sharks Lose Melnichuk’s First NHL Start 5-4 1212165 Rangers beat Bruins to snap losing streak and end wild 1212204 Game Preview/Lines #55: Knyzhov’s Hard Work Paying season Off 1212166 James Dolan skates off easy after firing Rangers execs 1212205 Quick Thoughts: Young Sharks Show Positive Signs John Davidson and Jeff Gorton 1212167 Mika Zibanejad reaches career milestone in season-ending Rangers win 1212206 Kraken mailbag: Are there ROOT Sports streaming 1212168 Rangers cap wild week with thrilling season-ending win options? Will the T-birds keep Seattle in their name? 1212169 Craziest Rangers season ever isn’t what you think 1212170 Who will end New York’s title drought? St Louis Blues 1212172 John Davidson breaks silence after shocking Rangers 1212207 One day after clinching, Blues fall flat in 4-1 loss to Vegas firing 1212208 Blues notebook: How will Berube approach final games? 1212173 One final shoe to drop for NY Rangers: What will be coach 1212209 Vegas hosts St. Louis after overtime victory 's fate? 1212210 Marchessault’s OT goal lifts Golden Knights past Blues 4- 1212174 Rangers rally with four goals in third period to beat Bruins 3 1212175 Rangers' 2021 season was full of trials and tribulations 1212176 Will Rangers coach David Quinn get to see this through? Senators 1212177 Tim Stuetzle scores his first career hat-trick as the extend their winning streak to three str 1212178 SNAPSHOTS: Algonquin College honouring Leafs coach with a degree ... Brady Tkachuk still not use 1212179 With season winding down, Drake Batherson already excited for next year with the Ottawa Senators 1212180 Busy summer hockey season begins to heat up for coach André Tourigny Websites 1212211 Lightning’s sees ‘light at the end of the 1212242 The Athletic / “He’s one of the top players to ever play the tunnel’ in injury recovery game”: Connor McDavid’s 100-point season puts him 1212212 Outmanned Lightning fall to the Panthers 1212243 The Athletic / Stock up? Stock down? How NHL Draft 1212213 Lightning will benefit from NHL’s relaxed postseason prospects looked at the U18 World Championship protocols 1212244 .ca / McDavid caps historic season with 1212214 What we learned about Lightning-Panthers tone-setting breathtaking performance on national stage and ’s injury 1212245 Sportsnet.ca / Maple Leafs clinch North Division, but 'real 1212215 Lightning mailbag: Steven Stamkos eyeing Game 1, work starts now' expected playoff lineup, cap-related trades 1212246 Sportsnet.ca / Canucks once again see Gretzky greatness in McDavid's milestone night Maple Leafs 1212247 Sportsnet.ca / Canadiens’ Ducharme must install 1212216 Kings of the North: Maple Leafs beat Canadiens 3-2, meritocracy ahead of playoffs clinch division title 1212248 Sportsnet.ca / NHL relaxing COVID-19 protocols during 1212217 Maple Leafs clinch division title with win over Montreal, playoffs for fully vaccinated teams and it was a long time coming 1212249 Sportsnet.ca / Quick Shifts: Why Keefe's run with Maple 1212219 The Canadiens’ tangles with Maple Leafs Leafs is making history netminder Jack Campbell during Saturday night’s game at 1212250 TSN.CA / 'We want to play for him': Keefe inspires Leafs Sc with innovative ideas 1212220 It has been a long time between division titles for Maple 1212251 TSN.CA / NHL relaxes COVID-19 protocol for 'fully Leafs vaccinated' playoff teams 1212221 KOSHAN: Maple Leafs beat Canadiens, win division title for the first time in 21 years 1212222 Maple Leafs on cusp of clinching North Division: 'We feel 1212236 Speedy Senators down sluggish Jets 4-2 like we can do a lot of damage' 1212237 Jets revert to bad habits in loss to Sens 1212223 Maple Leafs report cards: leads Toronto to 1212238 JETS SNAPSHOTS: Connor not talking scoring drought; first division title in 21 years with win over Canadie Ehlers timeline on time 1212224 Meet Ben Hutton, the Maple Leafs’ ‘happy-go-lucky’ 1212239 Pionk to miss Saturday's game, listed as day-to-day playoff insurance on defence Canucks SPORT-SCAN, INC. 941-284-4129 1212240 Oilers 4, Canucks 3: Next stop the moon for McDavid 1212241 The Armies: Milestones, Jack Rathbone’s poise and the inside story of Nate Schmidt’s against-all-odds NHL jour 1212225 Reilly Smith, Golden Knights clinch home ice for first round 1212226 How the Golden Knights Victory Flamingo became a sensation 1212227 Silver Knights soak in experience of playing at T-Mobile Arena 1212228 Lehner, Knights could get NHL COVID protocol changes for playoffs 1212229 Golden Knights’ OT domination might be how the West was won 1212230 Golden Knights overwhelm Blues in potential playoff preview 1212231 VGK Polish Off Blues, 4-1, Behind Smith Hat Trick, Setting Up Season’s Biggest Game Against Colorado Monday 1212232 Injury-depleted Caps beat Flyers in OT, lose division 1212233 'I don't know how we pulled it off': Caps earn character win 1212234 Capitals’ loss to Flyers erases wiggle room to win division 1212235 Michal Kempny leaves Hershey game early after colliding with ice scraper 1212080 Anaheim Ducks Anze Kopitar became the 91st player in NHL history to score 1,000 points. It was fitting that he earned the milestone point on an assist.

Miller won the Vezina Trophy in 2009-10 with Buffalo, going 41-18-8 with Ducks lose at Minnesota in season finale as Ryan Miller plays his last .929 save percentage and a 2.22 goals-against average. He also game backstopped the United States to a silver medal at the 2010 Vancouver Olympics that season and was named the tournament’s MVP.

Staff Report Said Wild coach Dean Evason: “Hopefully our young guys really appreciate where these guys have come from and how they’ve competed for that long and try to do the same.”

MAY 8, 2021 UPDATED 9:10 PM PT Highlights from the visiting Ducks’ 4-3 loss to the Minnesota Wild in overtime Saturday night.

No Parise again ST. PAUL, Minn. — Wild left wing Zach Parise was a healthy scratch for the second straight Victor Rask scored 2:46 into overtime, and the Minnesota Wild beat the game and third time since April 5. “It’s numbers, and we have to make a Ducks 4-3 on Saturday night. decision,” Evason said. “It’s a tough call, obviously, but you’ve got to , Ryan Hartman and Nick Bonino also scored, and the make that decision.” Wild finished 4-1-2 on a season-high seven-game homestand. Kirill In the ninth season of a 13-year, $98-million deal, Parise has seven Kaprizov added two assists, and Cam Talbot stopped 19 shots. goals and 11 assists in 44 games but zero of either in nine straight Minnesota (35-14-5), which began the day a point behind Colorado for games as his playing time has steadily decreased. second place in the West Division and home-ice advantage for the opening playoff round, is 21-5-2 at this season, including 19-2-2 since Jan. 31. LA Times: LOADED: 05.09.2021 “Whenever you’re playing at home, you want to make sure you take care of business, and we’ve done that so far this year and we have to continue that going into playoffs,” Spurgeon said.

Rask took a pass from Matt Dumba and hammered a shot past Ryan Miller from the left circle.

“It was just a great pass by Dums,” Rask said. “He caught everyone off guard. I wasn’t very tired, so I still had legs.”

Miller concluded his stellar 18-season career by making 21 saves for the Ducks, who finished 17-30-9 and missed the playoffs for the third straight season.

Rickard Rakell, Trevor Zegras and scored for the Ducks, the latter on a slap shot with 25.5 seconds left in regulation.

“The last few games, we’re playing against very, very good teams, and you can see we’re right there and we just got to take that next step,” Ducks coach said.

Kaprizov, the favorite to be named the NHL’s top rookie, has 24 assists among his team-leading 51 points. He has 11 goals and five assists in his last 12 games.

His second helper of the night was a saucer pass to Hartman for an easy redirect for a 2-1 lead.

Bonino took a feed from Nico Strum to score less than a minute later.

Zegras scored early in the third period to get the Ducks within 3-2 and was robbed by a sprawling save by Talbot a few minutes later.

The Ducks did not score during their lone power play. Their 8.9% success rate this season is the worst in modern-era NHL history. Tampa Bay had a 9.4% power-play percentage in 1997-98.

The Wild’s Victor Rask, right, celebrates with after Rask scored the game-winner in overtime Saturday.

One last Miller time

Miller received handshakes from all Ducks and Wild players after the game, his 796th and final one. He also received a standing ovation following a tribute video played during the first period. Miller countered with a wave and stick salute.

His parents were among those watching in person.

“It was nice to have them there,” Miller said. “They were there at the beginning, and I felt it was the right thing to have them there at the end.”

Finishing with a career record of 391-290-1 playing for Buffalo, St. Louis, Vancouver and the Ducks, Miller is the all-time leader among American- born goaltenders in wins, second in shutouts (44) and games played (795), and is one of six goalies in league history to win 30 games in seven straight seasons (2006-12). 1212081 Anaheim Ducks

Ducks lose to Wild in retiring goalie Ryan Miller’s final NHL game

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

PUBLISHED: May 8, 2021 at 8:58 p.m. | UPDATED: May 8, 2021 at 9:50 p.m.

When it was done, when the Ducks had lost 4-3 to the Wild in overtime Saturday in St. Paul, Minnesota, goaltenders Ryan Miller and John Gibson embraced and spoke a few words to each other. It was not difficult to imagine the torch being passed from one generation to the next.

Miller, 40, played the 796th and final game of his Hall of Fame-worthy career, retiring with 391 victories over 18 seasons, the most by a United States-born goalie. Gibson, 27, has 148 wins, which puts him 17th on the all-time list of American goalies and fourth among those still active.

“It was a fun game,” Miller said. “I’m happy with the way we settled back in(to the game) in the third period. It was good to compete to the end.”

The worst season in Ducks history ended with a 17-30-9 record and a last-place finish. Miller made 21 saves to cap his career, which began while with the Buffalo Sabres with an OT loss Nov. 19, 2002 to the New Jersey Devils.

The Ducks must improve dramatically if Gibson is to catch Miller some day.

“Of course I do,” Ducks coach Dallas Eakins said when asked if he expected to continue to be a part of the rebuilding project next season.

Changes are expected between now and the start of training camp, tentatively set for Sept. 22. The Ducks will lose one player in the expansion draft July 21. But they also will get a high pick in the entry draft July 23, possibly the first No. 1 overall selection in franchise history.

To be sure, Miller provided a glimpse of the past Saturday, but the Ducks’ future also was on display, with Trevor Zegras, a 20-year-old rookie center, and Max Comtois, a 22-year-old left wing, rallying the Ducks with third-period goals, forcing the game to OT tied 3-3.

Have the Ducks found their top line for the future?

Zegras had three goals and 10 assists in 24 games, splitting the season between the Ducks and the of the AHL, after winning MVP honors and leading Team USA to the World Junior Championship in January. Comtois led the Ducks with 16 goals and 33 points in 55 games.

“There’s some talent there, for sure,” Miller said of the Ducks’ future. “There’s some growth. This league is just a difficult league to get things going in the right direction. You have to constantly do it. You can’t let off on it.

“So you have to find a way to come together as a group. Hopefully, this continues the process for this group because, in the end, the only thing that gets you over the hump is working together.”

The Ducks took a 1-0 lead on Rickard Rakell’s first goal in 13 games, a deflection of Josh Mahura’s perimeter shot at 12:02 of the first period. Rakell’s goal was only his ninth of the season, continuing a downward trend from back-to-back 30-goal seasons in 2016-17 and 2017-18.

Minnesota tied it 1-1 on Jared Spurgeon’s power-play goal at 16:32 of the first. Kirill Kaprizov recorded the first of his two assists on Spurgeon’s goal, freezing the retreating Ducks by faking a shot before passing to his unmarked teammate.

The Wild dominated the second period, but they didn’t have much to show for it until they got goals from Ryan Hartman, assisted by Kaprizov, and Nick Bonino only 51 seconds apart that gave them a 3-1 lead heading into the third period. The Ducks dominated the third, but Victor Rask won it for the Wild in OT.

Orange County Register: LOADED: 05.09.2021 1212082 Arizona Coyotes

Coyotes score 5 unanswered goals to defeat the San Jose Sharks

Staff Report

BY ASSOCIATED PRESS

MAY 7, 2021 AT 10:34 PM

Phil Kessel scored the go-ahead goal for his 900th career point and Victor Soderstrom scored his first NHL goal as the Arizona Coyotes beat the San Jose Sharks 5-2 on Friday night.

Conor Garland added a goal and two assists for Arizona, which also benefited from an overturned San Jose goal that would have tied it in the third.

Kessel scored a breakaway goal to snap a 2-2 at 4:53 of the third, just minutes after being denied by Sharks goalie Josef Korenar on a similar play.

Erik Karlsson appeared to net a tying goal with 12:14 left, but Arizona issued a coach’s challenge and the goal was denied when San Jose was found to be .

Karlsson’s first-period goal gave the Sharks the lead, and they made it 2- 0 on ’s 11th goal of the season early in the second. But Arizona answered right back with the first career NHL goal for Soderstrom, who patiently worked the puck down the right side and rattled a shot into the upper left corner of the net to make it 2-1.

The Sharks were close to killing off a 5-on-3 power play, but Garland scored on a one-timer for his first goal since March 31.

SCARY MOMENT

SAP Center went quiet in the first period after Sharks rookie forward John Leonard crashed head-first into the boards near Arizona’s bench and lay motionless on the ice for a couple minutes.

Eventually Leonard got to his feet with assistance from the training staff and was helped off the ice.

COUTURE SIDELINED

Sharks was scratched Friday with a lower-body injury that could sideline him for the team’s final two games.

San Jose coach said during his morning media session that Couture has been bothered by the injury for a while. With the Sharks out of playoff contention, the team will play it safe. San Jose hosts Arizona again Saturday and finishes the season at home Wednesday against Vegas.

Arizona Sports LOADED: 05.09.2021 1212083 Boston Bruins “At the end of the day, it’s Tuukka [Rask] first,” Cassidy said before puck drop. “We know that. We’ll deal with whatever the fallout is, if he’s not able to get it done or the schedule forces us to play two guys.

Bruins’ Bruce Cassidy recalls mom Louise ahead of Mother’s Day “Right now, Swayman’s done everything we’ve asked.”

This likely isn’t an easy time for Halak, 36. His contract ends after this By Matt Porter Globe Staff year. The team has yet to decide how it will use him, if at all.

Updated May 8, 2021, 7:59 p.m. “We’ve talked to him a little bit about how the starts will go down the stretch here, and even that was a little undetermined,” Cassidy said, noting that Halak, who lost his spot to Swayman after a bout with COVID- 19, has been a “terrific pro” while seeing just 80 minutes of action in the Growing up in Ottawa in the ’70s, young Bruce Cassidy followed the last month. Black and Gold. His mother, Louise, hailed from Montreal, which made her a Canadiens fan. “I’m sure he’s disappointed he hasn’t gotten in the net more,” Cassidy said. “That would be the obvious. Where it goes from there, I don’t know. “And I did hold it against her,” Cassidy joked. If he’s frustrated or feels that he has been overlooked or a better option, She was not fervent about the Habs when she sat with the boys on the only he can answer that. I have to make the decision on what’s best for family couch for Hockey Night in on Saturdays. Her real rooting the team. Obviously Tuukka’s played well. He’s our guy going forward. interests: her sons, Steve and Bruce. And we know Swayman has come in and done a great job. He may have won the backup job. But those are decisions we’ll make next.” The latter, a year and a half younger than his brother, grew emotional when he recalled their late mom before Saturday’s game. Mother’s Day David Pastrnak became the Bruins’ third 20-goal scorer this year (in the is always a time for the Bruins coach to salute Louise Cassidy, who died team’s 54th game) and registered his 200th career goal in his 437th in 2011 when he was a Providence assistant. game (200-226—426). Brad Marchand and are the others … Marchand moved into third place in scoring (28-39—67), or No. “Can’t say enough about both my parents,” said Cassidy, who was a 20- 1 outside of Edmonton … Nick Ritchie won the Seventh Player Award, a year-old Chicago prospect when his father, Leonard, died of a brain fan vote for the player who most exceeds expectations. The burly aneurysm at 52. “My mother was very influential. I know with me, she winger’s second-period goal gave him a career high (15-11—26). He also was the strict parent. There were a lot of times as you get to that teenage has a personal-best five power-play goals. “Marchy, Cam Neely, there years, get into high school, there’s stuff going on, on weekends when you are so many great players,” Ritchie said. “It’s an honor that the fans have early-morning games. She was always in my ear about what’s more chose me.” Postgame, he credited his success to “explosive skating” important.” sessions in the offseason … After practicing with his teammates Friday for the first time since a Jan. 16 concussion, Ondrej Kase felt well Cassidy, the 18th overall pick in the 1983 draft, still remembers how her enough Saturday morning to skate again. “Bodes well for next week,” guidance kept him on a path to the pros. Cassidy said. “Good progress.” It remains unclear if Kase can help the “‘You know how much you love the game, you’re out there every day on Bruins in the postseason … A major relief for cooped-up players, the street working on your shot, you’re on the outdoor rink when you coaches and staff: the league announced it will relax the restrictions for were younger,’” he recalled his mother telling him. “‘Those parties and teams that are at least 85 percent vaccinated. whatnot, those social gatherings will still be there. You want to be well- rested for your games.’” Boston Globe LOADED: 05.09.2021 Bruce Cassidy's had better days than Saturday, his team beaten at home by the out-of-the-playoffs New York Rangers.JOHN TLUMACKI/

GLOBE STAFF Though a knee injury limited Cassidy’s playing career to 36 NHL games, he rose through the minors as a coach, reached the NHL in the short stint with the Capitals, and rose again. She never saw him coach the Bruins, but he has leaned on her memory throughout.

“She reasoned with me as well as told me, so to speak,” Cassidy said. “I always appreciated that more when I was a young adult turning pro. Now you’re playing and realize she was right. When you’re at that age, you tend to know a lot more than you really do, right? Every parent goes through it. I was very appreciative of my mother.”

Cassidy’s parents, who rented their home, owned one car and had two boys traveling for hockey. They did everything they could in what Cassidy called “humble surroundings.”

“They were always eager to make sure we had the proper equipment to play before they worried about themselves,” he said, welling up.

Today, Cassidy and wife Julie enjoy the comforts of NHL life. They convey similar messages to daughter Shannon, 12, and son Cole, 10.

“I was out with Cole this morning at batting practice,” Cassidy said. “Last night we went through it. I said, ‘Do you want to be sharp for your batting lesson, or do you want to stay on your iPad all night?’ It’s come full circle.

“As for Julie, she’s terrific. We’ll celebrate her day tomorrow. Kids are very fortunate to have her.”

Cassidy weighing backup options

A major decision for the Bruins to make next week: Jaroslav Halak vs. Jeremy Swayman for the backup job.

Cassidy will have to weigh playoff experience against the hot hand. Halak has 39 career playoff games. Swayman has shutouts in two of his nine career starts. 1212084 Boston Bruins roof a backhand from in tight off an easy zone entry, and Vitali Kravtsov (9:36) hammer a one-timer past Rask.

“A tough start in the third period,” Pastrnak said. “They definitely came up Rangers ride third-period comeback to defeat Bruins hard and I felt we just wasn’t ready, which is, you know, unacceptable. We played a great 40 minutes. It was a tough lesson, but we’re going to learn and move on. We need to be 100 percent ready for next week.” By Matt Porter Globe Staff While the visitors — who were without rope-pullers Artemi Panarin, Chris Updated May 8, 2021, 5:52 p.m. Kreider, and Jacob Trouba — were pounding the Bruins, Kinkaid departed with an undisclosed injury. Marchand (14:08, power play) and

Patrice Bergeron (18:39, with the net empty) beat Igor Shesterkin to Tuukka Rask will be the Bruins’ starting netminder entering the playoffs. make it a one-goal game, but the Rangers (26-23-6) departed Causeway He has looked sharp lately, but before the first round begins next Street and cruised into the offseason buoyant. weekend, the ace needed to see more action. The Bruins aren’t in playoff mode quite yet. They’d rather he didn’t see as much as he did Saturday. “You have to trust your group to a certain extent to correct it,” Cassidy The Bruins lost a wild matinee, 5-4, to the Rangers after allowing four said. “This group typically has.” goals in the third period, leaving coach Bruce Cassidy not mad, not disappointed, just a bit bewildered by his team’s finish. Boston Globe LOADED: 05.09.2021 “Completely surprised. Did not see this coming,” said Cassidy, who is now forced to correct some mistakes in the regular season’s final days.

The Bruins (32-15-7), roaring since the deadline and ostensibly primed for the postseason, loosened their ties after David Pastrnak’s goal gave them a 2-1 lead 21 seconds into the third. They had scored two in a row, the other coming from newly minted Seventh Player Award winner Nick Ritchie.

Did they think it was going to be easier?

“I guess so,” mused Ritchie. “That’s what it looked like, anyway. We got sloppy and stopped playing the way we were the last two games.”

That meant a rash of uncharacteristic plays, and a veteran bunch couldn’t get back on track from its mistakes.

Before Mika Zibanejad (two goals) scored the winner with 1:53 left, defenseman Mike Reilly sent a hard breakout rim around the boards, despite a lack of pressure. That seemed to baffle Cassidy, who watched Reilly in previous games make tape-to-tape passes or find his partner. The puck took a funny bounce off the half-wall before Craig Smith could grab it. From the slot, Zibanejad beat Rask clean over the glove.

“That’s just one goal,” Cassidy said. “Even before that, we gave up a four on one. Typically that’s not us, either. Some of the slot coverages … a lot of stuff that — I don’t even want to call it frustrating. It’s just perplexing, more than anything, how it all happened at once.”

Rask, who is likely to start on Monday against the Islanders, made several glittering stops, including a left-pad flash on Pavel Buchnevich that had denied the Rangers winger an empty net. While Rask’s numbers — 18 of 23 stops for a .783 save percentage — were his worst of the season, Cassidy spread the blame around the defensive zone.

“We were excellent in front of him for two periods,” Cassidy said of his club, which whipped the depleted Rangers on Thursday, 4-0. “In the third we were extremely loose against a good team that can make plays. And obviously he did not bail us out of any of those situations, either. Not good from the blue line in from everybody in the third period.

“Five really good defensive periods and it got away from us.”

All three members of Boston's top line had goals on Saturday, David Pastrnak (right) putting the Bruins ahead 21 seconds into the second and Brad Marchand and Patrice Bergeron (left) each pulling them back within one late.JOHN TLUMACKI/

GLOBE STAFF The Bruins had plenty of scoring chances early. At five on five, they out-chanced the Rangers, 26-4, in the first two periods, per Natural Stat Trick, including a 12-1 edge in shot attempts in the slot and on the doorstep. Their edge in shot attempts: 53-14.

But they couldn’t dent Rangers third-stringer Keith Kinkaid (28 saves) until Ritchie stuffed in a rebound with 1:38 left in the second, erasing the visitors’ 1-0 lead (K’Andre Miller floater from the point). Pastrnak dunked a feed from Brad Marchand (goal, assist) to open the second, and the good times were rolling.

Or not.

The Blueshirts’ run of three straight saw Zibanejad (5:22) finish the aforementioned four on one, No. 1 overall pick Alexis Lafrenière (7:26) 1212085 Boston Bruins being able to defend your players, and it has to come from within the team. They certainly did that last night.”

Will Dolan be more involved now? If he believes the Rangers really are Rangers’ dust-up escalates after James Dolan weighs in that close, will he mortgage the future to steer to Broadway? Gorton reportedly already kicked those tires. At his boss’s behest, will Drury sweeten the pot? By Matt Porter Globe Staff And what about the rest of the management team? openly Updated May 8, 2021, 12:16 p.m. campaigned for a job, any job, on New York radio this past week. There’s also former netminder Kevin Weekes, who has interviewed for several

GM positions in recent years. David Quinn stepped to the lectern, scanning left and right as he readied As Dolan showed with his statement about Parros that drew a $250,000 a deadpan quip. fine from the NHL, money isn’t much of a concern. “So that happened,” he said, before taking questions from a room of The eyebrows remain raised. reporters. “We’re all surprised,” Quinn said of the shakeup. “We felt good about The Rangers coach served up that understated reaction to a stunning on- what we’ve done up to this point.” ice performance: five goals from Mika Zibanejad, on March 6, 2020. Quinn might have thought the same about the events of early this past Gorton and Davidson should have. Three years after the Rangers wrote week, and his team’s season as a whole. a letter to fans promising a thoughtful, sustainable rebuild, they were seemingly on track. They brought in free agent stars both established To review: (Panarin) and budding (Harvard’s Adam Fox), kept heart and soul Chris ▪ In February, the team’s second-highest-paid defenseman (Tony Kreider, added young talent (Ryan Lindgren) via smart trades, and DeAngelo) and hot goaltending prospect (Alexandar Georgiev) got into a lucked into blue-chippers at the draft (No. 2 Kaapo Kakko, No. 1 Alexis fight that led to the ostracism of the former, who had just signed a two- Lafreniere). year, $9.6 million deal. DeAngelo had spent election season popping off The team even transitioned from the era and handed on social media, against the wishes of the team. the keys to the promising Igor Shesterkin/Georgiev tandem. ▪ Later in February, superstar forward Artemi Panarin took a two-week Gorton, who robbed Ottawa of Zibanejad in a deal, was managing the leave of absence to deal with the aftermath of what appeared to be a No. 14 team in the NHL standings when he was canned. politically motivated story from his native Russia. The first big summer of Drury’s management career is coming in 2022, ▪ And then there was this past week, with L’affaire Tom Wilson, the team when Fox and Kakko will need second contracts, and Zibanejad — who statement that called for George Parros’s job, the removal of general could be a No. 2 center at that point — is unrestricted. manager Jeff Gorton and team president John Davidson, and the elevation of associate GM to fill both of those roles. It seems unlikely Gorton, of Melrose and Bridgewater State, won’t be running someone else’s team by then. If Davidson isn’t in a head office Just another quiet week on Broadway. somewhere, here’s hoping the beloved former broadcaster is calling So, what happens to Quinn, the favorite son of Cranston, R.I., who was games again. hired out of Boston University in 2018? Drury, a fellow ex-Terrier, will Former Bruins captain and Capitals defenseman Zdeno Chara, right, decide his fate in the coming weeks. Maybe Quinn, who took a slight step stayed silent on Tom Wilson's (left) antics.BRUCE BENNETT/GETTY back in his third season is the answer. Or, would a first-time GM/president hire a more veteran coach if Arizona moves on from Rick Speaking of opinions we’d like to hear, what did Zdeno Chara think of Tocchet, or Vancouver from ? Tom Wilson Week?

If the Kraken don’t wind up with expansion whisperer , Doubt we’ll ever know. Just in case, your eager pucks correspondent ran someone else will. If Carolina (for some reason) doesn’t extend Rod that question by Chara’s people, and was politely, albeit swiftly, shot Brind’Amour’s contract, the Rangers wouldn’t be the only team down. interested. (Seattle, headed by former Hurricanes GM Ron Francis, would be an obvious fit.) Chara, likely the only player east of Vegas (Ryan Reaves) who can handle his teammate in a fight, may not be talking, but seemingly More so than ever, it seems apparent that James Dolan will have a say. everyone else weighed in on Wilson. He was the ideal hockey player or a modern-day Ogie Ogilthorpe. As owner of both the Rangers and the NBA’s Knicks, Dolan has been involved, unpredictable, and misunderstood. He shows up nightly to My take? I was Wilsoned out in 2018, to be honest. What he did Monday watch the Knicks, which have largely been awful under his control, — using Pavel Buchnevich’s head as tom-toms and rag-dolling a despite being the world’s third-most valuable franchise (estimated at $5 helmetless Artemi Panarin — wasn’t the most unsavory act of his career, billion net worth, according to Forbes). He has reportedly pushed for ill- but it sure deserved more than a $5,000 fine. He was out of control and fated trades (Carmelo Anthony, a pending free agent who wanted to play could have seriously injured Panarin, who sustained an unspecified basketball in New York anyway), and had critics tossed from Madison injury. Square Garden (not just random loudmouths either; Knicks legend Charles Oakley charged that security assaulted him). Given Wilson’s lengthy rap sheet, the league should have sent a stronger message. Dolan has generally left the NHL’s most valuable franchise, his Rangers ($1.65 billion), alone. Until this past week. “Nothing I say right now is going to change anybody’s opinion,” Wilson said Friday. “They’ve already made that up.” Dolan, notoriously adverse to the press, told Larry Brooks of the New York Post that he didn’t like the direction of the team, the “overall spirit At minimum, he should have been suspended for Wednesday’s rematch and culture” he felt was lacking. That, in his view, was the “key with the Rangers. If so, there might not have been a line brawl off the component to us being a contender.” Right now, Dolan told opening faceoff, six fights in the first 4:14, and 141 PIMs doled out in all. Brooks, the Rangers have enough talent. They just don’t have the “Slap Shot” was, in part, a satire of the goonery of the 1970s, which had togetherness. gotten out of hand. Nothing close to that happens today, which was part , 77, will stay on as an adviser. It sounds like he’s singing of what made Wednesday appointment viewing. Right or wrong, hatred from the same hymn book as his boss. sells. No question some lapsed hockey fans tuned in to see Wilson get his comeuppance. (NBCSN ratings had yet to emerge as of Friday “I was proud of the way they reacted,” Sather said of Wednesday’s “Slap afternoon, but supporting anecdotal evidence was found in my text Shot” redux against the Capitals. “They all stuck together, they worked messages, feed, and e-mail inbox.) hard, they defended each other, and that’s part of the team-building process a young team has to go through. You need a certain element of The NHL wants some level of violence in the game, though the concussion lawsuits in recent history won’t let the league speak that above a whisper. Angry hockey is still good hockey. Is there a pregame Forget the bleak outlook in Buffalo — Michael Houser, take a bow. hype video in an arena that doesn’t show a home team player punching an opponent in the jaw? Toiling in the ECHL the last six seasons (210 games), the 28-year-old netminder was recalled amid injuries and made 82 saves in back-to-back Given what we know about head injuries, that’s hard to square. The wins over the Islanders. His most recent start before Monday: March 7, fighting, I still grapple with. I love the speed and skill, but I loathe that 2020. some players are addled for decades. And yet, I still watch. Born with bilateral clubfeet, the Youngstown, Ohio, native reportedly This past week, Derek Sanderson was saying his kids like today’s underwent 14 surgeries before the age of 2. stickhandling-happy game more than he does. “I think everyone’s just happy to win,” Houser said, before taking a “Fighting. Courage. Stand up and take nothing from anybody,” beating Thursday in his adopted hometown, Pittsburgh. “I’m sure they’re Sanderson said over the phone, when asked what would draw new fans. happy for me personally, as well. We only have a few games left. To feel “Defend a teammate. Jump in. Don’t let anything happen. You take a good heading into the summer is big.” shot at my guy, I’m taking a shot at you. That’s entertaining.” Derek Sanderson’s favorite Bruin of today — no surprise — is Brad We were speaking before the Wilson situation, but my guess is most of Marchand. the Big, Bad Bruins would have agreed with him. Likewise, plenty of players today. “The first time I saw him was in an exhibition game his rookie year,” Sanderson recalled. “He came down outside with such speed. I was “I mean, I’m old school,” said Bruins winger Jake DeBrusk, 24. “I don’t stunned at how quickly he could stop, turn, come back against the grain. know if line brawls are fun to watch . . . I feel like both teams were willing. Much like [Connor] McDavid. He could come back on himself and It’s part of the game, man.” nobody’s quick enough to pick him up.

What other choice is there for the Hart Trophy than Connor McDavid, “Two huge guys took a whack at him, but he didn’t care. He threw it who entered the weekend 4 points shy of 100 with four games to go? We under the goalie’s arm. It hit the crossbar, the post, and went out. All of are witnessing once-in-a-generation stuff. this is in a space of maybe 3½ feet. Just a remarkable sense of where you are and what you’re doing. He’s as good as any forward out there. A hundred points in 56 games equals 1.79 points per game. That rate has been achieved 26 times by 11 players, including (11 “Whether there was anyone else on that team or not, he would be worth times), (six), and (two). the price of admission. You can’t understand this game and not appreciate Brad Marchand.” As of Thursday — before collecting three assists in a 6-3 loss — McDavid was at 1.82 points per game. It was the highest mark since Sanderson, 74, is doing well after recent back surgery. He gave an 1996, when Lemieux (2.30) and Jaromir Jagr (1.82) hit that . update on ex-teammate Eddie Westfall, still swingin’ at 80: “He had a Lemieux (1.77 in 2001) and (1.61 in 2011) are the only new heart, new hip, and he’s still shooting 75.” players to finish above 1.60 since 2000. Loose pucks On 29 occasions has someone recorded 100 points or more through their team’s first 56 games. Most recently: Lemieux (116) and Jagr (104) in If we’re looking at Lady Byng candidates, why not top-pair Carolina 1996. defenseman Jaccob Slavin? Entering weekend play, the Slavin ranked 28th in ice time and had two penalty minutes (and it was a puck-over- Are there weak defensive teams in the North Division? Sure. Is McDavid glass call) . . . Kudos to Tyler Seguin, who after six months and 51 overwhelming some of those goalies over and over? Oh, yeah. Would he games rehabbing his surgically repaired right hip scored twice in his first have the same numbers if he had to play Vegas, the Islanders, Carolina, two games back. It brightened the Stars’ slim playoff hopes . . . Nice guy, Boston, or Colorado, the top five teams in goals-against average? Maybe that Milan Lucic, waiving his no-move clause so Calgary won’t have to not, but 12 of the bottom 14 defensive teams play outside of Canada. protect him for the Seattle expansion draft. Should the Kraken grab him, he’d be closer to home in Vancouver . . . Don’t think we’ll see Edmonton Thankfully, we’ll get to watch him in the playoffs. Entering the weekend, goalie Mikko Koskinen in the playoffs. Mike Smith’s backup allowed four Toronto and Edmonton had guaranteed home ice for the first round, goals on four Vancouver shots before his exit Thursday. That hadn’t having locked up the top two spots in Canada. happened since 1989 (Minnesota’s Don Beaupre) . . . One of the lead TV They call it the move, the Michigan, or the Svech. No one calls it voices for the upcoming TNT coverage will be , late of NBC. the Geekie. He will be calling the Stanley Cup Final in four of the next seven years. will reportedly become Turner’s lead analyst. But Morgan Geekie might have stumbled onto something. is in line for the same role at ESPN . . . The AHL season, slated to start Oct. 15, will include relocated affiliates for the Canucks (Utica, N.Y., to While the Hurricanes forward botched a scoop-and-stuff move in Abbotsford, British Columbia) and Devils (Binghamton, N.Y., to Utica, Tuesday’s game against Chicago, it caused a chain reaction that led to N.Y.) . . . Sabres coach Don Granato is a believer in Anders Bjork, who an easy goal for his teammate, and conceivably gave creative offensive scored twice and added a shootout goal in Tuesday’s win. “He’s minds something else to consider on the attack. dynamic,” Granato said. “Hell of a good kid and teammate, too.” . . . After Geekie darted around the net and cut back, forcing netminder Collin David Backes said Wednesday’s tearful goodbye in St. Louis was a Delia and defenseman to follow him from the other side of sweet ending. “The ultimate professional,” said former Bruins teammate the cage, he lifted the puck onto the forehand side of his blade, only to Jake DeBrusk . . . Quite a moment for T.J. Oshie, netting a hat trick have it roll off before he could do anything with it. Wednesday following the death of his father, Tim, of Alzheimer’s at 56. “We are trying to be there for him and take care of him,” teammate Nic The move made Keith hack at his stick, and more critically, Delia throw Dowd said, “and he ends up taking care of us” . . . Happy Mother’s Day his shoulders at the near corner of the net. With those two Blackhawks to all moms, especially mine, who always encouraged me to be myself committed, Geekie backhanded the loose puck to the slot, where a and follow my dreams. charging cashed it into an open side.

Could faking a lacrosse move lead to scoring chances? With the game so tightly checked, players should be looking at any way to open up ice. Boston Globe LOADED: 05.09.2021

“It was great, actually,” said Carolina teammate , who has twice pulled off the move made famous by Michigan’s Mike Legg in 1996. “Sometimes it works, or you fake it. It was a nice pass by him. An empty net.”

Geekie, recalled from the Hurricanes’ taxi squad amid injuries, isn’t a stickhandling wizard. But he does have a unique spin on things.

“At the end of the day,” Geekie mused on Zoom, “you can’t out-pizza the Hut, you know what I mean?” 1212086 Boston Bruins Cassidy was asked what Halak’s frame of mind has been like with the relative inactivity

“I’m sure he’s disappointed that he hasn’t gotten in the net more. I think Bruins Notebook: Ondrej Kase could see a game that would be obvious. Where it goes from there, I don’t know. If he’s frustrated or feels that he’s been overlooked and been a better option, only he can answer that,” said Cassidy. “I have to make the decision for By STEVE CONROY | [email protected] | Boston Herald what’s best for the team. Obviously Tuukka’s played well and he’s our guy going forward. And we know Swayman has come in and done a PUBLISHED: May 8, 2021 at 8:02 p.m. | UPDATED: May 8, 2021 at 8:09 great job, so he may have won the backup job. But those are decisions p.m. we’ll make next week. And hopefully Jaro, whatever we decide, is ready to go and be fully on board, puts the crest first and I’m sure he will. He always has. A good pro. So I don’t anticipate any issues there.” While Ondrej Kase still appears to be a long shot to play a significant role in the playoffs, the Czech winger is giving himself a fighting chance. NHL will loosen COVID protocols

Coach Bruce Cassidy said Kase, who practiced with the team on Friday Teams received a memo from the league informing that when the for the first time since suffering what’s believed to be a concussion in the playoffs start, club’s with 85 percent of their traveling parties fully second game of the season, came through the session well and could vaccinated will have some of their stringent protocols relaxed. Fully see some game action in the final two games of the regular season. vaccinated people will now be allowed to eat on planes and buses as well as eat and drink at restaurants with outdoor dining, among other “He had a good team practice (Friday), he had a little more exertion at relaxations. the end of practice. He skated (Saturday) morning with no ill-effects, so that’s a step in the right direction,” said Cassidy. “We did not believe he’d Cassidy said there were players who still need to get the second dose so be available this quickly (for Saturday’s game), but the fact that he had he didn’t know how close his team was to getting to 85 percent, but the no setbacks and was able to skate this morning bodes well for (Monday’s news was welcome. and/or Tuesday’s games). (Sunday) I’ll have a better idea if that’s going “However it shakes out, it’s just nice to relax a little bit,” said Cassidy. to happen or not. But it’s progress. Good progress.” “Obviously we’ve learned to live with whatever protocols are in place and Even if he plays one or both of the final regular season games, don’t I think we’ve done a good job. We’ve obviously had a lot of hiccups along expect Cassidy to redraw his forward lines for the playoffs, at least not the way, but for the most part adhered to the mandates and what they’ve immediately. requested. I think for everyone’s sake, not just in hockey, if things are getting safer then you’d like to loosen up a little bit, within reason. We’re “It’s pretty tough to hit the ground running, after not playing for that long, no different. Looking forward to it.” in the , particularly our division. We’ve got some big, physical teams. That’s one we’re going to have to weigh carefully,” said Ritchie honored Cassidy. “Obviously having the luxury of seeing him in some regular Nick Ritchie, who set a career-high with his 15th goal in the second season games next week would be the first step toward being better able period, was named the 7th Player Award winner. to make that decision on whether he could help us in the playoffs. It’s just too much of an unknown right now. It doesn’t mean we wouldn’t do it if “That’s nice being acknowledged by the fans,” said Ritchie. “It feels god we felt it gave us the best chance to win. But I think for everyone’s sake, that the fans voted for you and it’s a boost of confidence. There has been including his, he would want to play a little bit before. Obviously one some good hockey players who’ve won that award and I’m happy to join game is not going to change your whole entire preparation for the that list.” playoffs, but it’s one more than none, right?. So at least’s there’s one to go on, maybe two. That’s where we’re at with Ondrej. That one is truly an unknown.” Boston Herald LOADED: 05.09.2021 Decision on B’s backup for playoffs TBD

Presuming Tuukka Rask‘s mediocre performance on Saturday didn’t change his mind, Cassidy said before the game what most sane people assumed — Rask will be the starting goalie whenever the playoffs begin.

But who will be the first man in line should Rask falter? Cassidy said he’ll wait till this upcoming week to make his decision on who will back up Rask. And while he acknowledged the importance of experience that veteran Jaroslav Halak possessed, Cassidy certainly sounded like he was leaning toward having rookie sensation Jeremy Swayman on the bench and in uniform.

“Experience always matters. Swayman’s the one who said it. His coach Red (Gendron) used to tell him, ‘You can’t buy it at Target.’ You have to play. There’s some of that that goes into it. We’ll make that decision next week,” said Cassidy. “Obviously Swayman’s played really well. Unfortunately, one door closes when Jaro goes on COVID (Halak was unavailable for two weeks in April and went a month between starts) and another one opens in terms of that position for Swayman. And he’s kicked it down. We have to be mindful of that and do what’s best for the team. He’s played more games recently than Jaro so he’s probably more prepared in terms of game action. Obviously, Jaro’s been there and done that, played playoff hockey, as recently as last year for us in the Tampa series. That’s something we’ll weigh, but at the end of the day, it’s Tuukka first. We know that. And we’ll deal with whatever the fallout is if he’s not able to get it done or the schedule forces us to play two guys and whatnot. That’s something down the road. But right now, Swayman has done everything we’ve asked, so certainly a good problem to have when you have three capable goaltenders.”

Halak has not been able to help himself in the limited opportunity he’s had since coming back. He took the loss in relief on April 23 in Buffalo, then lost his first start in a month on May 4 in New Jersey, a 4-3 OT loss. 1212087 Boston Bruins second of the game for a 5-3 Ranger lead with 1:53 left. To Cassidy, Reilly’s miscue was emblematic of the B’s uncharacteristic meltdown.

“It’s just not a play Mike Reilly will make typically,” said Cassidy. “Why? Is Bruins blow third-period lead, lose to Rangers there a little fatigue setting in, did he lose focus for a second? He just has not made that play in every game he’s been here. … I don’t even want to call it frustrating. It’s just more perplexing how it all happened at once.” By STEVE CONROY | [email protected] | Boston Herald Patrice Bergeron quickly got the B’s back within a goal on a redirection of PUBLISHED: May 8, 2021 at 6:13 p.m. | UPDATED: May 8, 2021 at 7:46 a Matt Grzelcyk shot/pass with 1:21 left, but that’s as close as they would p.m. get.

Like it or not, the B’s have to wear this loss to an inferior team that had little more than pride on the line. Only time will tell if they take a valuable The Bruins are as deep as they’ve ever been in this decade-plus of lesson from it. excellence and they are certainly capable of going all the way to the Stanley Cup.

But if they play like they did in the third period on Saturday, they won’t Boston Herald LOADED: 05.09.2021 last much more than a week in the postseason.

For as good as the B’s can be, the game is still about hard work, team defense and attention to detail — all of which flew out the window for them in the third period in a 5-4 loss to the New York Rangers at the Garden on Saturday. After five periods of sheer dominance over the young Blueshirts — a span in which the B’s outshot them 62-27 — the B’s allowed quality scoring chance after quality scoring chance in the third, leading to four Ranger goals and an unsavory defeat.

Sometimes coaches don’t mind seeing their high-flying team receive some teachable moments. But with the regular season winding down, this was not one of those times for Bruce Cassidy.

“I’d have preferred we just close it out the way we should have, keep building good habits,” said a “completely surprised” Cassidy. “I don’t know if we just assumed it would be easy but, no, I’d prefer we closed it down and everyone felt good about their game. … Now we’re going into correct mode again.”

It was certainly not the last memory that Tuukka Rask wanted to have in his mind before the playoffs, if in fact that’s the last game he plays before the postseason. Though he did make a couple of good saves on the very good chances the Rangers generated in the third, he did not make enough of them, allowing five goals on 23 shots.

“We were excellent in front of him for two periods,” said Cassidy. “Obviously we didn’t do a good enough job in front of him in the third period. We were extremely loose against a good team that can make plays. And obviously, he didn’t bail us out of any of those situations, either. So not good from the blue line in from everybody in the third period.”

The Rangers, playing their last game of the regular season, showed from the get-go that they were not going to be the pushovers they were on Thursday. They blocked 19 shots in all on the afternoon and were much more competitive in every facet in the game than they were on Thursday.

Rookie defenseman K’Andre Miller put them up 1-0 early in the second period with a seeing-eye shot past a screened Rask, but late in the period Nick Ritchie tied it up with his career-high 15th goal.

Then the B’s took their first lead of the game 21 seconds into the third when the Rangers mismanaged the puck into David Pastrnak’s 20th goal of the season, also the 200th of his career.

If you could see a thought bubble over the B’s collective heads, it might have said, “Easy-peasy.”

“Yeah, that’s what it looked like,” conceded Ritchie. “We kind of just got sloppy and stopped playing the way we were the last two games. They’ve got a skilled team, they were making plays and they burnt us a few times there.”

The Rangers scored the next three goals in 4:14 from Mika Zibanejad on a 4-on-1, a nifty backhander from top rookie Alexis Lafreniere, and a slot shot from Vitali Kravtsov at 9:36.

As is typical of the B’s no matter how badly they might be playing, they did not give up. Brad Marchand pulled the B’s back to within a goal when, after knocking down a Ranger clear attempt that may have a been a high stick, he buried a backhander for a power-play goal.

But when Mike Reilly’s ill-advised, unforced wraparound clear attempt hit a stanchion, it kicked into the middle of the ice and led to Zibanejad’s 1212088 Boston Bruins playoffs arrive. He also has just three more games to find his footing before the regular season ends.

Not having home ice advantage also shouldn't be a huge issue for the Ranking Bruins' potential first-round playoff opponents B's in a series against the Penguins. Boston went 2-2-0 at Pittsburgh in the regular season and held the Pens to one goal or fewer in three of the four games. BY NICK GOSS 1) Washington Capitals

The Bruins can absolutely beat the Capitals, but there are a few reasons The Boston Bruins clinched a spot in the 2021 Stanley Cup Playoffs on you don't want to play them off the bat. Monday night, but we still don't know which team they will play in the first round. For starters, this series would be enormously physical. Washington plays a punishing style of hockey, and we saw plenty of that truculence in its The East Division standings are so tight that the first round matchups games against Boston this season. We all remember Tom Wilson being could shake out in several different ways. suspended for hitting B's defenseman Brandon Carlo up high.

The gap between first place and fourth place is only five points. The It's in the Bruins' best interest not to play a grueling matchup in the first Bruins have played 52 of the 56 scheduled regular season games, which round, which could weaken them for a potential second-round series. is tied for the fewest of the four playoff teams in the division. Washington's special teams also are very good. The Caps' power-play is Bruins playoff picture: Where B's stand in tight East race the third-best in the league while their penalty kill ranks eighth.

Which teams are the best and worst matchups for the B's in the first The B's have struggled against the Capitals for much of the last 10 years, round? Let's rank them, with No. 1 being the toughest and No. 3 being and Rask's stats are pretty bad versus Washington. He's posted a 4-11-7 the easiest. record with a .894 save percentage and a 3.03 GAA against the Capitals in his career. But first, here's a quick table showing how the Bruins fared against these three teams in key 5-on-5 stats through May 5 (all stats via Natural Stat Trick). Comcast SportsNet.com LOADED: 05.09.2021 3) New York Islanders

The Islanders are limping toward the playoffs. They are 5-6-2 in their last 13 games, including back-to-back losses to the last-place Sabres this week. The month of April was a grind for the Islanders as they earned a 7-5-1 record while opponents tallied more shot attempts, more shots on net and more goals at 5-on-5.

New York lost captain and top-six winger to a torn ACL in March. They tried to replace his production in the lineup by acquiring winger Kyle Palmieri and center Travis Zajac in a pre-trade deadline deal with the Devils. Palmieri has been a non-factor offensively with only one goal and 23 shots in 14 games since the trade.

The Islanders also have the 24th-ranked power play. Their penalty kill remains strong (fifth-best in the league), but they aren't a huge threat to score with the man-advantage.

The last two games between the Isles and B's came on April 15 and 16 in Boston, where New York was dominated and lost both matchups by a combined score of 7-1.

We shouldn't put too much stock in regular season head-to-head results, especially a two-game sample. However, these games made it very clear that the Bruins' new-look lineup post-trade deadline with Hall, Lazar and Reilly in the fold made them a much better matchup against the Islanders compared to earlier in the season when Boston lost its first five games to New York.

B's goalie Tuukka Rask also has played fantastic versus the Islanders in his career, posting a 18-7-1 record with a .937 save percentage and 1.88 GAA.

2) Pittsburgh Penguins

You could make a case the Penguins are the ideal first-round matchup for the Bruins solely based on the fact that Pittsburgh goalie Tristan Jarry has only one game of postseason experience. He also hasn't been great in the regular season. He's tallied a .911 save percentage and 2.71 GAA in 37 appearances -- hardly impressive numbers.

Another factor in the B's favor is they have someone who can slow down Penguins superstar center and leading scorer Sidney Crosby. That man is Patrice Bergeron. The four-time Selke Trophy winner did a fantastic job against Crosby in the regular season. In eight games, the B's had a 63- 29 edge in shot attempts, a 44-17 advantage in shots on net, a 29-16 lead in scoring chances and a 4-0 goal differential in the 59:25 of 5-on-5 ice time when Bergeron was on the ice with Crosby.

Pittsburgh's other all-world center, Evgeni Malkin, returned to the lineup Monday night after missing the previous 23 games with a lower body injury. It's fair to wonder whether he'll be 100 percent healthy when the 1212089 Boston Bruins

Talking Points: Rangers Hand Boston Bruins ‘Perplexing’ 5-4 Loss

Published 9 hours ago on May 8, 2021

By Jimmy Murphy

The Boston Bruins missed an opportunity to keep pace for first place in the East Division with a third period collapse that led to a 5-4 loss to the New York Rangers.

GOLD STAR: Pavel Buchnevich. After serving his one-game suspension in what turned out to be a 4-0 loss to the Boston Bruins for his team Thursday night, Buchnevich was everywhere on Saturday afternoon. The Rangers forward finished with three helpers and set up teammate Mika Zibanejad for what proved to be the game-winning goal with 1:53 left in regulation. Buchnevich finished with four shots on net and also blocked three shots in 20:47 TOI.

BLACK EYE: The third period. The Boston Bruins and New York Rangers were tied at one goal apiece after two periods of play and then the Bruins seemingly decided to stop playing team defense. After Pastrnak made it 2-1 Bruins with his 200th career goal 21 ticks into the final frame, the Bruins – despite the fact that the Rangers have a high octane offense – decided it would be a good idea to play pond hockey with the Blueshirts. With nothing to play for and in their final game of the season, the Rangers happily obliged scoring the next three goals and gaining a 4-2 lead 9:36 into the period. The Bruins did push back but every time they did, the Rangers had an answer, After winger Brad Marchand scored his 28th goal of the season on the powerplay to make it 4-3 at 14:08, Zibanejad scored his 24th of the season to make it 5-3 Rangers. Patrice Bergeron would score his 23rd of the season to make it 5-4 with 1:21 left in regulation but it was too little, too late.

“It’s just perplexing how it all happened at once. Just a lot of things that we don’t typically do,” Boston Bruins Bruce Cassidy said in his postgame Zoom Call.

TURNING POINT: The three-goal outburst in 4:14 after Pastrnak’s goal stunned the Bruins and they simply never recovered.

HONORABLE MENTION: Mika Zibanejad. The Rangers sniper was a force to be reckoned with when it mattered most for his team in their final game of the regular season. He finished with two goals on six shots and made the Bruins focus on him every time he was on the ice. The game- winner was his 200th of his career.

BY THE NUMBERS: 200 – As mentioned above, Pastrnak hit the 200- goal plateau with his 20th goal of the season early in the third period. He has 200 goals in 437 games in the NHL and the sky appears to be the limit for the affable Boston Bruins winger. Pastrnak is only the third active player in the NHL to score 200 regular-season goals and 20 playoff goals before the age of 25.

Boston Hockey Now LOADED: 05.09.2021 1212090 Boston Bruins Ritchie-Kuraly-Coyle

Frederic-Lazar-Wagner

Projecting A Deep, Diverse Boston Bruins Playoff Lineup |BHN+ Breakdown: The top-6 forwards for the Boston Bruins are a lock at this point. The Perfection Line looks primed and ready to go for the postseason even if David Pastrnak still seems curiously gun-shy with his Published 15 hours ago on May 8, 2021 one-timer, and the second line is as dangerous as they’ve been in the Bruce Cassidy era with Hall, Krejci and Smith really gelling into a By Joe Haggerty dangerous offensive trio with some serious second-effort vibes when they’re on the ice. If Charlie Coyle is healthy the beefy third line brings

puck possession, size and strength and will be a great strength as a Through the trials and tribulations of the 56-game regular season and the group of forwards that can “lean” on opposing defenders over the course three quality NHL players added at the NHL trade deadline, the Boston of a playoff series. Ritchie has only been with the team for one playoff Bruins boast the kind of lineup depth they haven’t had in years headed run, but you can see the kind of impact he has on a playoff series when into the postseason. he throws a few heavy hits on defensemen retrieving pucks in the corners. The fourth line is the real question mark for the Bruins and As Patrice Bergeron said following Thursday night’s win over the New something Bruce Cassidy is still tweaking. York Rangers, the Boston Bruins essentially go about 28 players deep on their NHL roster given the depth at forward, defenseman and goaltender Are the Bruins better off with a classic, physical fourth line of Trent along with the players normally shuttled on this year’s taxi squad. Frederic and Chris Wagner as bangers on the with Curtis Lazar in the middle? Is it worth pushing for Jake DeBrusk to man a fourth line role for “In the playoffs you never know what’s going to happen, injuries or the offensive upside even if that kind of lineup doesn’t necessarily play to whatnot and different lineup combinations. The depth is always really his strengths? He has always been a big game player and could come important,” said Bergeron. “We have that on this team. Everybody on this alive in a playoff series like he hasn’t during the regular season. If I were team is ready to play whenever they are asked or whenever their number Cassidy, I think I’d opt to sit DeBrusk to start and then bring him if the is up on the board. We’re always ready to go. Bruins need a shot of offense at some point during a playoff series. He’s way too one-dimensional with his game when you need 200-foot players “That’s what it takes to win in this league is everybody being ready and during the Stanley Cup playoffs. In our estimation, you want players that being valued and being a piece of it. I think it goes beyond the 20 guys hard to play against in the playoffs and that just isn’t Jake DeBrusk. that are dressed. I think we’re close to 28 guys or so and they all can play. It’s a great thing to have.” I also agree with my partner-in-crime Jimmy Murphy that there’s no need for a healthy Ondrej Kase in the forward lineup unless they get waylaid The B’s still have two games remaining on the schedule, so they have with injuries in the next month or two. their fingers crossed that good health will great them at the Stanley Cup playoff gates when they get going about a week from now. But if they do Defensemen enjoy unprecedented, good health (for the Boston Bruins, anyway) during the postseason, there are going to be some difficult decisions coming Matt Grzelcyk-Charlie McAvoy down the pipeline. Mike Reilly-Brandon Carlo Competition is a great thing when it comes to wringing the best effort out Jeremy Lauzon-Kevan Miller of a talented group of players, but it also means some very good hockey players are going to be sitting, watching and cheering instead of playing Breakdown: The top six defensemen for the Boston Bruins seem pretty at the most important time of year. The reality hit home at Friday’s Bruins locked in at this point with things like matchups and health becoming practice at Warrior Ice Arena as Jarred Tinordi was kept out of the main factors once the playoffs get going. Attrition is always the equalizer in the practice group because they already had eight healthy bodies out on the postseason when it comes to a team’s defensemen depth, and certainly practice ice. that will get tested with Jakub Zboril, Connor Clifton and Jarred Tinordi all waiting in the wings along with usual reserve defenseman Steve “I’ll use [Friday’s] practice as an example. You don’t want to have more Kampfer. than eight defensemen out there at a time. It’s a good number of reps. We had nine [defensemen] available, so Tinordi was the odd-man out,” The big question here is Miller’s knee and whether or not he’s going to be said Boston Bruins head coach Bruce Cassidy. “That’s a tough thing to able to hold up over the course of a two-month playoff journey given that tell a guy that you’re not going to practice with the main group because he’s not participating in morning skates or off-day practices at this point. the guys will be out-of-sync and won’t get the proper reps. There’s a Then there’s the sudden chemistry they’re hoping for with Reilly and challenge not even getting [a player into a regular practice. You would Carlo, who have only played together for the last couple of games even if hope by the time we get to next week [the players] understand the they have looked comfortable as a duo. decision-making process and they don’t become a drag on the group. We tend not to bring those kinds of guys in because we want high character, The good news is that Carlo has looked solid since his long layoff due to low maintenance [players]. I don’t expect players to be happy about it injuries, and that Reilly has played well with whomever the Bruins have when they don’t have their jersey hanging up for that particular game. paired him with over the last month.

“I’ve been very honest with them. Just don’t bring that moodiness or “When we started the year, you wanted a veteran guy and a young guy unhappiness into the dressing room. Take it home if you want but, but to help establish them. Then you gravitate away from that because of when you’re at the rink you have to put on a professional face. You don’t circumstance, injury and a new acquisition in Reilly. What we’re looking have to be joking around or like it, but you have to accept it because for who compliments the forward lines, which defenseman can get the we’re doing what’s best for the team. pucks to forwards in the right spots,” said Cassidy. “Reilly is a good puck- mover that can get it up there with some speed and he loves the stretch So, with all of this depth, there are questions about lineup building and pass with [Taylor] Hall and Smith. what things will look like on opening night of the playoffs. Some of it will depend on the matchup: A top defense pairing of Matt Grzelcyk and “That could become a good pair. Lauzon and Miller could be a hard [duo] Charlie McAvoy is more likely against a hard forechecking team like the and be a good match with the Kuraly line going up against bigger groups. Pittsburgh Penguins while a top pairing of Jeremy Lauzon and Charlie They’ll get pucks out, but maybe not be as fluid as some of the other McAvoy might make more sense against a big, heavy physical team like pairs. So that’s what you’re looking for and how the group of five [on the the Washington Capitals. ice] match up. There’s a little bit of who is in the lineup and who the opposition is. It might change from series-to-series based on the But here’s our best stab at the projected playoff lineup when the puck is matchups.” dropped in Game 1 for the Boston Bruins: If the Bruins stay healthy, they will have some very good players sitting Forwards on the sidelines in Clifton, Zboril and Tinordi, and one would suspect Clifton could push his way into the top six if there’s a lack of physical Marchand-Bergeron-Pastrnak intensity, or if there isn’t enough puck-moving oomph in a potential third Hall-Krejci-Smith pairing of Lauzon and Miller. The top pair will be dependent on which matchup they’re playing against, but it would be very easy to simply flip Grzelcyk and Lauzon depending on whether it’s a big, physical team or a speed team that they’re playing against.

Goaltenders

Tuukka Rask

Jeremy Swayman

Breakdown: This might be the toughest decision that Cassidy will have to make, but at this point it’s already been decided by the play on the ice. Given the kicking and stick-breaking fit of pique that occurred after the game was over, Jaroslav Halak seemed to know that he was going to be the odd-man out when the Bruins lost the overtime against the New Jersey Devils.

Tuukka Rask will start the postseason as the No. 1 goaltender as he still remains undefeated since coming back from his upper body injury, and rookie Jeremy Swayman has been lights out since being called up from Providence. Swayman is 7-2-0 with a .946 save percentage and still has yet to give up what anybody would call a soft goal at the NHL level. Swayman has been so good that he’s going to push Rask to be at his very best throughout the playoffs while clearly winning the backup job at this point.

If anything goes sideways for Rask as it has in the past at times during the postseason, the Bruins don’t seem to be hesitant at all to call on the 22-year-old. And there’s a danger for Rask that he’ll lose his gig to Swayman too just as clearly seems to have happened with Halak and the backup role headed into the postseason.

As with the other positions, having Halak as a third option and standout rookie Dan Vladar as a fourth option gives the Bruins unprecedentedly deep goaltending headed into this playoff run. There isn’t going to be a repeat of last summer when it felt like the Bruins were scrambling once Rask exited the playoff bubble.

Boston Hockey Now LOADED: 05.09.2021 1212091 Buffalo Sabres For context, the Sabres had fewer than 25 shots in 10 of ’s 28 games as coach this season.

Lineup: Defensemen Will Borgen and Matt Irwin, center Cody Eakin and The Wraparound: Michael Houser magnificent, but Sabres drop season winger Tobias Rieder were scratched by the Sabres. Borgen, 24, was finale expected to return to the lineup after sitting the previous three games for what Granato called “maintenance.”

Lance Lysowski Borgen appeared in six games after returning from a broken forearm suffered on Feb. 20. Irwin and Rieder are pending unrestricted free May 8, 2021 Updated 7 hrs ago agents.

PITTSBURGH – A season beset by a Covid-19 outbreak, significant Buffalo News LOADED: 05.09.2021 injuries and a coaching change finally ended Saturday.

Jack Eichel was not on the PPG Paints Arena ice to face Sidney Crosby and Evgeni Malkin. Neither was , the marquee signing that was supposed to push the Buffalo Sabres into contention. The roster deployed by interim coach Don Granato featured nine players who weren’t in the lineup on opening night back in January.

Yet, for all the Sabres endured during a tumultuous 56-game season, they skated off the ice a final time having come close to spoiling the Pittsburgh Penguins’ bid for home-ice advantage and an East Division title.

It was all thanks to Michael Houser, a 28-year-old whose unlikely ascent from minor-league mentor to NHL starter captivated the hockey world since his debut in Buffalo.

Starting a fourth consecutive game, and his second near his family's home in Wexford, Pa., Houser was magnificent in the season finale Saturday, delivering 22 saves in a 1-0 loss to the Penguins. The Sabres (15-34-7) finished at the bottom of the NHL for the fourth time in eight years, but they went 9-11-2 after a franchise-record 18-game winless streak.

“Mostly I think showing myself was what I wanted to do," said Houser, who posted a .901 save percentage in four games. "I’ve always thought that I could play at this level, I’ve always thought that I could win games here. It would have been nice to win today, but those first two, I think in a few weeks I’ll figure out that I can play here and play well and give our team a chance to win. I think that’s all you can ask from a goalie.”

Buffalo was shut out for the ninth time this season, but this wasn’t a flat performance. The Sabres finished with 29 shots on goal, as the Penguins (37-16-3) received a remarkable performance from third-string goalie Maxime Lagace, a 28-year-old with only 17 games of NHL experience.

Jeff Carter's 17th goal of the season broke the scoreless tie early in the second period.

Duel: Fans were treated to a goaltending duel between Houser and Maxime Lagace in the first period.

Houser made a split save to stop Jake Guentzel during a 2-on-1 odd- man rush, and Lagace used his left leg pad to turn away a Riley Sheahan one-timer. Lagace stopped all 11 shots he faced.

The Sabres, meanwhile, allowed only three shots in the first 20 minutes. It was only the third time in 20 games that Buffalo did not allow a goal in the first period.

Quick strike: The Penguins took a 1-0 lead at 1:58 into the second period when Frederick Gaudreau’s centering pass from behind the goal line ricocheted off Carter and in. Pittsburgh gained possession in the offensive zone after the Sabres turned the puck over deep in their own end.

Carter, who scored four times against Buffalo on Thursday, has 399 career goals, ninth-most among all active players. Entering Saturday, the Sabres were 7-27-2 when allowing the first goal.

Blitz: The Sabres were struggling with puck management and defensive- zone coverage until they received a power play midway through the second period. Lagace stood tall, stopping Anders Bjork’s shot from the slot, a power-play attempt from the point and a Drake Caggiula breakaway.

Houser continued his strong play, stopping Teddy Blueger’s backhander and a shot by Brian Dumoulin from the high slot. For as poorly as the Sabres played early in the second period, they outshot Pittsburgh, 24-9, through 40 minutes. 1212092 Buffalo Sabres 30. Anaheim Ducks. Bravo and farewell, Ryan Miller. (30)

31. Buffalo Sabres. Farewell to yet another ungodly season. Somebody fix this mess. (31) Mike Harrington's NHL Power Rankings

Buffalo News LOADED: 05.09.2021 Mike Harrington

May 8, 2021 Updated 7 hrs ago

Through Friday's games. Last week's rankings in parentheses.

1. Vegas Golden Knights. Astounding plus-59 goal differential with three games left in 56-game season. (1)

2. Carolina Hurricanes. In heat of Presidents' Trophy race after tying franchise record with 13-game point streak. (2)

3. Colorado Avalanche. Battle is for home ice vs. Wild. (5)

4. Tampa Bay Lightning. Vasilevskiy up to 31 wins in 40 games in net. (3)

5. . Matthews gets to 40 goals in a shortened season. (6)

6. Florida Panthers. Will meet Bolts in first cross-Florida playoff series in NHL history. (4)

7. Pittsburgh Penguins. Started slow, turned into class of the East. (7).

8. Minnesota Wild. Carve Kaprizov's name into the Calder right now. (9)

9. Washington Capitals. On fumes right now with Ovechkin injury, Wilson drama. (8)

10. Boston Bruins. Hall trade gave them huge addition to second line. (11)

11. . McDavid's run to 100 seemed inconceivable in January. (12)

12. New York Islanders. Houser was a wonderful story but those were two disgraceful losses for a playoff team. (10)

13. Winnipeg Jets. Sputtered to the finish as first-round fodder. (14)

14. St. Louis Blues. Claimed last West spot but how much of a challenge will they be to Vegas? (15)

15. Nashville Predators. Saros should get lots of Vezina consideration. (16)

16. . Playoff series with Leafs would be first since 1979. (18)

17. Dallas Stars. Just can't lose 14 points in OT/shootout and survive. (17)

18. New York Rangers. Drury shockingly inherits president/GM roles after ownership goes off the deep end. (13)

19. Philadelphia Flyers. Flamed out in East after 11-4-2 start. (20)

20. Chicago Blackhawks. Rebuilding nicely, could really use a healthy Toews back next season. (19)

21. Arizona Coyotes. Kessel gets 900th career point. (21)

22. Los Angeles Kings. Nice celebration for Kopitar's 1,000th career point. (24)

23. . Still waiting to see Sutter's big impact. (22)

24. . Green deserves more run behind the bench. (25).

25. Ottawa Senators. Prospects blooming during 7-2-1 run. (27)

26. San Jose Sharks. It's time to rebuild. (23)

27. Detroit Red Wings. Have battled hard down the stretch. (26)

28. Columbus Blue Jackets. Running for the bus in Tortorella's final days. (28)

29. New Jersey Devils. You wonder if Lindy is a tad too old for a rebuild. (29) 1212093 Buffalo Sabres Granato and Krueger each coached 28 of the Sabres’ 56 games. Granato certainly made the games more exciting by loosening the defensive principles and allowing the team to strive for offense.

Sabres’ season is over, but Don Granato and Michael Houser hope their “There’s so much talent in that room, and most of the talent is fairly stories are just beginning young,” Houser said. “They’re only going to get better. It was a great opportunity for a lot of guys this year to really showcase themselves, especially late in the season.” By John Vogl Granato’s top trait was getting more from Buffalo’s prospects: May 9, 2021 Rasmus Dahlin had one goal, 11 points and a minus-27 rating under Krueger. He upped that to four goals, 12 points and a minus-9 with Granato. Don Granato worked in hockey for 27 years before coaching an NHL team. Michael Houser spent nine years in the minor leagues before Mittelstadt had one goal and five points while playing just 13 games tending goal in the NHL. under Krueger. He had nine goals and 17 points in 28 games with Granato. But it wasn’t just the long waits that made their Buffalo debuts memorable. It was how they made the most of their chances. Thompson had one goal and one point in 13 games under Krueger. He increased his numbers to seven goals and 12 points in 25 games with “Everybody needs an opportunity,” Granato said of Houser in comments Granato. that apply to both. “We throw hundreds and hundreds of players in the NHL every year that can’t seize the opportunity. That’s the end of it for “A lot of guys, including myself, owe Donnie quite a bit,” Mittelstadt said. them. “He challenged me when he took over and pushed me to become a better player.” “Michael has prepared for his opportunity, just like every other player that’s been able to seize it. This could be a start for him.” “As a coach, you have nothing if you can’t push guys,” Granato said. “I really felt that the best thing was to be able to push guys. Guys wanted to The Sabres’ season is over, but Granato and Houser hope their NHL be pushed. They wanted more. They felt they could give more and they stories are just beginning. Granato would love to transition from interim had more within themselves. coach to permanent bench boss. Houser wants to stay in the big leagues, not return to the ECHL. “That was something very nice and very special to have as a coach.”

“I’ve always thought that I could play at this level,” Houser said after Granato and Adams were scheduled to meet Sunday to formulate an Saturday’s season-ending 1-0 loss in Pittsburgh. “I can play here and offseason plan. They’ll talk with veteran players Monday, including play well and give our team a chance to win. I think that’s all you can ask injured captain Jack Eichel. They’ll turn toward the younger players from a goalie.” Tuesday. The GM and interim coach will chat with the media Wednesday. Houser delivered more than was asked. He made Buffalo’s final week fun. The Sabres could have trudged toward their closing record of 15-34- “With me for the exit interviews, I care about these guys,” Granato said. 7, but instead they rallied around the goalie and won two of their final four “Unfortunately, when you’re in a position as a coach, I have lots of ex- games with him in net. players who wonder whether I actually cared about them. That saddens you as a coach because you have to push and demand and drive them, “It’s something we kind of needed,” center Casey Mittelstadt said. so you’re not always patting them on the back. A lot of times they wonder “Houser came and you see how excited he is. It gives guys kind of a slap whether you even care about them, but you do as a coach — very much. in the face. You realize you’re still playing in the NHL, go play hard and enjoy it because it can be taken away pretty quickly.” “I want to see all these guys be successful. I told them that. If there’s anything I can do to help them down the road, I’d be happy to do it It is indeed a harsh business. A number of Sabres will learn that as soon because they gave us as a coaching staff an awful lot.” as Monday, when the organization begins three days of exit interviews. Changes are coming after the fourth last-place finish in eight years. It was a two-way street. Now Granato waits to see how long the road goes. But the Sabres are heading into their evaluations with a better feeling than expected.

“I think we’re quite a bit better than what the record indicates,” Houser The Athletic LOADED: 05.09.2021 said.

Much of that has to do with Granato. The Sabres were a different team after he replaced fired Ralph Krueger on March 17.

“The belief in what we’re doing is nice to see,” Granato said. “The greatest reward as a coach is to see them be able to internalize, individually and collectively, and target what needs to be done with confidence and conviction.”

The confidence grew during the second half. The Sabres were a lost, demoralized group under Krueger. Now they want to keep playing because they’re competing.

“You don’t want to waste a day, you don’t want to waste a practice,” forward Tage Thompson said.

It’s that change in attitude that has helped Granato join the mix for the Sabres’ coaching job. General manager will conduct a thorough interview process, reaching out to experienced NHL coaches along with guys who’ve succeeded in college and the minors. But Granato will get a shot after taking his best one during the past eight weeks.

“I’m proud, first of all, to be part of the organization, the Sabres and honored to have the position of being in charge,” the 53-year-old said. “That in itself is a lot to be proud of.” 1212094 Calgary Flames game, but I tried to look at all the positives, as well, and continue to push for more ice-time and more opportunity.

“That’s what I’m getting now.” Monahan moved to wing to make room for Gawdin Gawdin is going to be playing between two big bodies, in Lucic and Ritchie, and while none of the Flames’ remaining games figure to be Daniel Austin particularly important in the standings, they do offer an opportunity for a young player like him to prove he should be part of management’s plans Publishing date: May 08, 2021 for next year.

“I’m just trying to bring some energy,” Gawdin said. “I’m on a line right now that we’re kind of more straight-forward guys, straight lines and doesn’t seem the least bit worried about how Sean working together. I don’t think one guy is going to do everything, so if we Monahan will adjust to playing left-wing. can get some chemistry, get pucks in deep, that sort of thing, we’ll be In a move that came as something of a surprise, the Calgary Flames successful.” head coach had Monahan playing on the left of centre Derek Ryan at

Saturday’s practice. Dillon Dube was on the right. Calgary Sun: LOADED: 05.09.2021 For eight seasons, Calgary hockey fans have grown used to seeing Monahan in the middle, so it’s understandable if the move to left-wing feels like a monumental decision.

Sutter, though, didn’t seem to think it would be all that big a deal.

“Centremen move around. I want to get a look at (Glenn) Gawdin,” Sutter said. “Most teams have seven or eight centremen in their lineup, to be quite honest. To say that that they’ve most been centremen, that might be true but (Monahan) plays all over on the power-play.

“Centremen can play all over, wingers can’t, so right now we’re going to put a lot of centremen in our lineup and see how it looks.”

In April, Sutter made the decision to split up Monahan and long-time partner-in-crime Johnny Gaudreau, who is now on the Flames’ first line alongside Elias Lindholm and Matthew Tkachuk.

Now, he’s being switched out of his natural position, although Sutter emphasized that it’s a move based on creating space in the lineup for Gawdin. The 24-year-old up-and-comer will be at centre between Milan Lucic and Brett Ritchie on the Flames’ fourth line when they take on the Ottawa Senators on Sunday evening.

Sutter has largely been complimentary of Monahan since he took over as head coach mid-season, crediting his work ethic and giving him time on the penalty-kill as well as the power-play.

With 28 points in 49 games this season, it’s true that Monahan’s production has slowed, especially compared to his phenomenal 2018-’19 season when he had better than a point-per-game pace, finishing with 82 points in 78 games.

Publicly, at least, there’s absolutely no indication that the move is a demotion for Monahan, who seemed to be taking the change in stride and believed that because he is a left-handed shot and Ryan was right- handed, there would be a fair bit of moving around throughout the game.

“Playing with Doc, we’re going to have two centres on a line. A right shot and a left shot, so I’m sure we’ll be swapping a lot of faceoffs and trying to start with the puck as much as we can,” Monahan said.

GETTING IN

As far as Gawdin goes, the young centre will get to build off the five games he played earlier in the season on Sunday night. He’s earned that opportunity by impressing Sutter with his work ethic in practice.

“His job is to work his a– off in practice, so that’s what he’s supposed to do. That’s how you get in the lineup,” Sutter said. “I did watch him play two or three games and he deserves an opportunity to get looked at. We need some production out of that position.”

After putting up 47 points in 53 games last season with the , there’s been lots of anticipation about what he can do in the NHL. While Gawdin made five appearances for the Flames in late-February while Geoff Ward was still head coach, he didn’t get a tonne of ice-time in any of those games so it was hard to draw any real conclusions from that stint.

It was still valuable for Gawdin, though, as he tries to make the transition from the AHL to the big show.

“Just got a taste of what the NHL’s all about, what it takes to be consistent and be in the lineup every night,” Gawdin said. “It was definitely an eye-opener for things I’ve got to work on and improve in my 1212095 Carolina Hurricanes past defenseman Brady Skjei and taking a pass from Mikaeal Granlund. The goal came 17 seconds after Granlund won a faceoff in the Nashville zone.

Predators play their way into playoffs by beating Hurricanes A bigger concern for the Canes was playing without defenseman Jaccob Slavin. He played eight shifts in the first period but during the intermission break was ruled out of the game with a lower-body injury. BY CHIP ALEXANDER The Canes have been outshot 20-15 through two periods and have had MAY 08, 2021 07:41 PM 12 shots blocked. The Canes’ top line of Sebastian Aho, Teuvo Teravainen and Andrei Svechnikov has generated little offensively.

FIRST PERIOD: GOALIES SHINE The Nashville Predators played like a team that desperately needed to win. The first 20 minutes of the game was mostly about watching goalies Alex Nedeljkovic of Carolina and the Preds’ Juuse Saros do good work. The Carolina Hurricanes played like a team that wanted to win. And good penalty killing. The Predators had two power plays but could In this game, desperation was the difference. The Predators played their not score. The Canes had one but could not score and had trouble trying way into the Stanley Cup playoffs Saturday with a hard-fought 3-1 victory to get set up in the zone. over the Canes at . The Preds had the edge in shots (9-7) and scoring chances (9-6) while The Predators (30-23-2) will face the Hurricanes in the opening round of both team had three high-danger chances (naturalstattrick.com). The the playoffs as the No. 4 seed in the Central Division. The Canes (36-11- Preds also had 12 hits to the Canes’ 3 in an increasingly physical first 8) clinched the division and the No. 1 seed on Friday when the Dallas period. Stars beat the Tampa Bay Lightning. NEWS AND NOTES While the Canes had a 13-game point streak end, a bigger concern was a lower-body injury to defenseman Jaccob Slavin in the first period. Nedeljkovic played his 23rd game and after 16th win of the season, Slavin was pulled from the lineup during the first intermission and did not which would have been a team high — both he and James Reimer have return to the game. won 15.

Canes coach Rod Brind’Amour said it was a precautionary move but said Forward Jordan Martinook, who has missed the past eight games with a Slavin “tweaked” something and said the situation was “a little bit lower-body injury, was at Saturday’s morning skate alternating on the alarming.” fourth line with forward Max McCormick.

“It’s exactly what you wouldn’t want to happen in these kinds of games,” Forwards Brock McGinn (upper-body injury) and Cedric Paquette (lower- Brind’Amour said. “We’ll know more (Sunday) but I’m hopeful it’s nothing body) continue to be sidelined — McGinn will miss his 18th straight game too serious.” and Paquette his fifth.

Luke Kunin scored the first two goals for Nashville and workhorse goalie McCormick, who was placed on NHL waivers Friday, cleared waivers Juuse Saros made it stand up with 21 saves in besting the Canes’ Alex Saturday. Nedeljkovic. Morgan Geekie scored his third goal of the season with 10:53 left in the third for the Canes off a Steven Lorentz pass, but that was all Saros allowed. News Observer LOADED: 05.09.2021 Kunin beat Nedeljkovic with a backhander with 7:33 left in the second, then with a forehand wrister at 7:41 of the third. Erik Haula had an empty- net goal with 1:03 left in regulation for the Predators.

For the Canes, it was the first loss to the Predators this season after six victories and Carolina’s first regulation loss since losing 3-1 to Detroit on April 12.

“I give my guys a ton of credit,” Brind’Amour said. “I thought we had a lull there in the second period. ... They got momentum and they poured it to us. But I thought we had a good bounceback in the third and played pretty hard considering everything that was going on.”

A preview of the playoffs? Maybe and maybe not. The Preds needed it more Saturday and was playing on home ice.

“They were playing for their playoff lives and they came out and they showed that,” Lorentz said. “We know they’re coming with a big push early on. We know we have to match their intensity. We’d be doing the same thing if we were in the same situation they were.”

The physical play increased in each period and was at a playoff level by the third period, when the hits and checks were frequent and hard.

The Canes pulled Nedeljkovic for a sixth attacker with two minutes left in regulation but Haula, a former Canes forward, sealed it at 18:57 with the empty-net score.

The Canes and Predators close out the regular season Monday at Bridgestone Arena. Then, they’ll go at it again in bigger games.

Updates from earlier in the game:

SECOND PERIOD: KUNIN SCORES FOR PREDS

Kunin has the game’s first goal and the Predators a 1-0 lead after controlling the pace of play and puck possession much of the second period.

Kunin scored his ninth of the season with 7:33 left in the period, beating Alex Nedeljkovic with a quick backhander after breaking down the slot 1212096 Chicago Blackhawks Stat line: 14 points in 26 games with Rockford (AHL)

Barratt is the top prospect scorer on the IceHogs this season. He has enjoyed a beneficial first pro season, gaining maturity and becoming Ranking the Blackhawks’ top 10 prospects after the 2021 season more comfortable with the puck.

He should see some NHL time next season, although Rockford coach By Ben Pope@BenPopeCST Derek King said this week he doesn’t think Barratt is quite ready yet.

May 8, 2021, 6:30am CDT “The big thing [he must improve] is his first two strides,” King said. “But...he’s getting a full boat of everything. It’s nice to see a prospect like that just get better every day.”

Eisbaren Berlin forward Lukas Reichel tops the Blackhawks’ prospect No. 5. Wyatt Kaiser, defenseman, age 18 rankings. Courtesy of Chicago Blackhawks Previous Ranking: Unranked The Blackhawks’ end-of-season prospect rankings look tremendously different than they did entering the season. Stat line: 10 points in 28 games with Minnesota-Duluth (NCAA)

Four of the 10 players listed in the November edition of this list — Ian Kaiser’s stock skyrocketed during his freshman year. The Hawks’ 2020 Mitchell (then No. 1), Philipp Kurashev (No. 3), Brandon Hagel (No. 4) third-round pick was one of the top defensemen on a Frozen Four team, and Wyatt Kalynuk (No. 6) — became regular NHL players for the Hawks as evidenced by his now-famous 59:39 ice time in a quintuple-overtime this season, and Lucas Carlsson (No. 8) was traded. win over North Dakota.

All told, six of the 10 players on this list are being ranked for the first time. No. 6. Alec Regula, defenseman, age 20 But most may stay for a while — the Hawks will be more focused on Previous Ranking: No. 10 developing their preexisting young players than integrating new ones next season — and a few may be bumped out by the Hawks’ 2021 draft Stat line: Four points in 16 games with Rockford (AHL) class. Regula, an ex-Red Wings prospect obtained in the Brendan Perlini trade, As always, the order of these rankings is determined partially by NHL made his Hawks debut Thursday. He’s a big body (6-4, 208 pounds) with readiness and partially by upside. Players in Rockford have five games surprising patience and poise with the puck. He projects as a third-pairing left, so their stat lines aren’t quite complete. defensive defenseman at the NHL level.

No. 1. Lukas Reichel, wing/center, age 18 No. 7. MacKenzie Entwistle, wing, age 21

Previous Ranking: No. 2 Previous Ranking: Others to watch

Stat line: 27 points in 38 games with Berlin () Stat line: 12 points in 22 games with Rockford (AHL)

Reichel, the 2020 17th overall selection, is the clear top prospect in the Entwistle has also played three games so far with the Hawks, recording Hawks’ system right now. his first NHL point Tuesday. His upside is relatively low, but his likelihood of establishing himself as a reliable bottom-six grinder is very high. The young German forward greatly impressed Hawks general manager Stan Bowman this year, ranking fifth on Eisbaren Berlin in scoring as an No. 8. Isaak Phillips, defenseman, age 19 18-year-old facing adults. Previous Ranking: Unranked Berlin’s season ended Friday, when they won the league championship. The Hawks would like to sign Reichel this summer and bring him to North Stat line: Seven points in 23 games with Rockford (AHL) America next season. He was originally projected as an NHL wing, but Phillips, seeking to become the first Jamaican hockey team alum to he played a lot of center this season and now looks even more versatile. reach the NHL, has more than held his own as one of the youngest No. 2. Henrik Borgstrom, center, age 23 defensemen in the AHL this season. He was skating, confidence and defensive instincts were already solid, and his development has only Previous Ranking: N/A (acquired from Panthers) accelerated.

Stat line: 21 points in 30 games with HIFK (Finland) No. 9. Landon Slaggert, center, age 18

After Borgstrom scored 18 points in 50 NHL games with the Panthers in Previous Ranking: Unranked 2018-19, it would’ve been difficult to justify classifying him as a prospect. But after falling out of favor in Florida and playing this season overseas, Stat line: 22 points in 25 games with Notre Dame (NCAA) he’s a prospect again. The Hawks picked Slaggert in the third round last October and he Borgstrom is overflowing with natural offensive talent — Bowman rewarded them with a very good freshman year at Notre Dame. He described the University of Denver product as the best college player ranked third on the team in points, trailing only two juniors: his older he’s ever seen — and could be a difference-making center in the NHL if brother Graham Slaggert and Maple Leafs signing Alex Steeves. He’s a he can finally put it all together. The Hawks hope to sign him this good defensive center, too. summer, too. No. 10. Alex Vlasic, defenseman, age 19

No. 3. Nicolas Beaudin, defenseman, age 21 Previous Ranking: Others to watch

Previous Ranking: No. 7 Stat line: Eight points in 16 games with Boston University (NCAA)

Stat line: Six points in 17 games with Blackhawks; 10 points in nine Vlasic took a huge step from his freshman to sophomore years of games with Rockford (AHL) college, doubling his point total in half as many games and adding Eleven of Beaudin’s 17 Hawks appearances this year came before Feb. strength to his huge 6-6 frame. The Hawks drafted him 43rd overall in 20. The 2018 first-round pick possesses a high hockey IQ and strong 2019 because of his raw tools, knowing he’d take a while to develop, and offensive instincts but needs to improve defensively. His 40.1% on-ice their patience may eventually pay off. scoring-chance ratio is the worst on the team. Honorable mention: Artur Kayumov, wing, age 23

“When he’s at his best, he’s moving the puck, he’s skating the puck, he’s Stat line: 29 points in 57 games with Lokomotiv Yaroslavl (Russia) getting us out of the ‘D’-zone, he can give us something on the offensive blue line,” Hawks coach said recently. Kayumov would not only appear but fall in the upper echelon of these rankings if it was more certain he’d one day come over from Russia and No. 4. Evan Barratt, center, age 22 join the Hawks’ organization. He’s already a dynamic skater, shooter and Previous Ranking: No. 5 playmaker in the world’s second-best league. But he has at least one year left with Lokomotiv.

Chicago Sun Times LOADED: 05.09.2021 1212097 Chicago Blackhawks (hip) and Ryan Carpenter (concussion protocol) both practiced Saturday, but both are unlikely to play in the Hawks' final two games. Duncan Keith and Brett Connolly (concussions) are both out for Why Blackhawks didn't give goalie Delia more of a shot? the season.

Nikita Zadorov took a maintenance day Saturday.

John Dietz Big boost?

Follow @johndietzdh Approximately 4,000 fans will be in attendance when the Hawks host Dallas on Sunday and Monday. It will be the largest crowd at the United Updated 5/8/2021 4:35 PM Center since the coronavirus halted league operations in March 2020.

"It'll be a good thing, no question for the players -- that energy and reconnecting with our fans," said coach Jeremy Colliton. "It's such a great Hindsight, as we all know, is 20/20. atmosphere, great experience when it's full building. And obviously it It's easy to second-guess a decision after the result of a play that goes won't be full, but hopefully the people who are there got a lot of awry or a performance goes off the rails. enthusiasm and I'm sure that energy will help our guys."

Rarely, however, do we wonder if the third-string , running back or point guard should have seen more playing time after they shred Daily Herald Times LOADED: 05.09.2021 the competition with some impressive performances down the stretch. After all, those guys are buried on the depth chart because the players ahead of them are far more talented.

That's not necessarily the case when it comes to the Blackhawks' situation in net, where Kevin Lankinen, Malcolm Subban and Collin Delia were going to battle all season for playing time.

Instead, Lankinen established himself as the clear No. 1 by going 7-2-2 with a sparkling .938 save percentage from January 22 to February 17.

There's no doubt the Hawks did the right thing by riding the hot hand as Lankinen was smooth, confident and definitely earned the job.

But the backup role should have been a rotation between Subban and Delia.

Not Subban, Subban, Subban, Subban ...

Nothing on Subban's resume suggested he would be anything but a backup, and he proved as much once again by going 6-8-1 with a .900 save percentage and 3.20 goals against average.

Did he have some fantastic performances and spectacular saves? Absolutely.

But he also allowed 3 or more goals in 11 of 16 apperances.

Meanwhile, Delia -- who has had just one extended shot at the NHL level -- sat in exile. He went 3½ months between NHL appearances before finally entering a 5-2 loss at Carolina last Monday.

Delia stopped all 19 shots he saw that night, 22 of 26 the next and 36 of 37 during a 2-1 overtime win Thursday. He was incredible during that last game, stopping high-danger chance after high-danger chance from some of the best players on the NHL's best team.

"I was talking to Lanky and Suby after the game and we were just commenting on when you can get into that rhythm, you start to really see the puck well," said Delia, whose save percentage in those three games was .939. "The puck seems big and it seems slow. You're able to read the situations coming at you, and the lag time between the decision making becomes less and less."

Look, this was a tough year for everyone. That includes every coaching staff as they had to navigate difficult roster requirements -- one of which required them to carry three goaltenders.

Still, this was obstentially a rebuilding year for the Hawks. They really should have given Delia more of an opportunity -- especially considering his first two games came at Tampa Bay and Florida when the Hawks were essentially still figuring each other out.

Asked if he agreed, Colliton said: "I think you take the situation you're in and information you have and make the decision. It doesn't mean it always turns out perfect, but all three guys have had some success and all three guys have had some struggles. That's part of what we expected to get this season.

"Obviously the order of it for all three is different. But I think ... having gotten through it it's going to be a great experience for all three and hopefully they can use it to make them better."

Injury update: 1212098 Colorado Avalanche he hit that milestone. Only Joe Sakic and Milan Hejduk have more 20- goal seasons in club history. Sakic and Hejduk both had 11.

Avalanche, sans Nathan MacKinnon again, sweeps L.A. Kings behind Cale Makar Denver Post: LOADED: 05.09.2021

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

PUBLISHED: May 8, 2021 at 11:28 p.m. | UPDATED: May 8, 2021 at 11:52 p.m.

Two games without star center Nathan MacKinnon, and a perfect four points for the Avalanche.

Cale Makar on Friday said no Avalanche player can replace MacKinnon, but Makar — the Norris Trophy candidate as the NHL’s best defenseman — again filled the giant void Saturday in a rematch with the Los Angeles Kings at .

Makar, who had a hand in two of Colorado’s three goals in Friday’s win, was again the offensive difference-maker Saturday to complete the two- game sweep of the Kings. The 22-year-old scored and assisted on a goal, and combined with defensive partner Devon Toews (two goals), the Avs got all the offense they needed in another 3-2 victory to keep pace for the West Division title.

“Dynamic,” Avs coach said of Makar’s play. “He was all over the ice. He skated unbelievably during both games, making plays, creating scoring chances. Every time he’s on the ice, something was happening. Just dynamic. And Toews was equally as impressive. A little bit more understated approach to the game, but just smart, intelligent hockey and he gets two goals. Cale had the other one to lead us to victory tonight, so great performance by those guys.”

Colorado also beat the Kings 3-2 on Friday without MacKinnon — his first game out with a minor lower-body injury. Bednar said he is unwilling to play any of his dinged-up regulars heading into the possible start of next week’s playoffs.

With Makar and Toews healthy, the coach can lean on his top two defensemen to create offense.

“That’s what we expect to do out there,” Toews said. “We contribute offensively while playing against top lines defensively, limiting time and space in our own zone.”

The Avs (36-13-4), who have three remaining games, stand second in the division — four points being the Vegas Golden Knights (39-13-2), who will host Colorado in Monday’s showdown at T-Mobile Arena. The Minnesota Wild (35-14-5) won again in overtime Saturday and remain a point behind Colorado.

The Avs, who have a game in hand over the Knights and Wild, will win the division if they finish 3-0. Bednar said he doesn’t know if MacKinnon will return to the lineup Monday against Vegas.

“We have three big games coming up — none bigger than the Vegas one. That’s our goal, to try to get that home-ice (advantage),” Bednar said. “That may be our goal with or without Nate, I don’t know yet. If he’s hurt and can’t go or we feel like there’s a risk of him getting worse then we won’t play him.”

The Avs won both games in Los Angeles after taking 3-1 leads into the third period and hanging on down the stretch. This time, it was Jonas Johansson (16 saves) in net, replacing Philipp Grubauer, who made 15 saves Friday. The Avs outshot the Kings 67-35 in the two-game set.

The Avs and Kings conclude the regular season with another back-to- back set Wednesday and Thursday — this time in Denver at . Colorado leads the eight-game series 5-1.

Footnotes. Colorado concluded its ninth back-to-back stretch of the season, improving to a combined 14-1-3. It is 8-1-0 to begin the series and 5-0-3 in the finale. … Avs forward Carl Soderberg had tightness in his back and was scratched in favor of , who played limited minutes on the fourth line. … Defenseman Patrik Nemeth was back in the lineup after missing most of Friday’s game with a neck injury after he crashed head-first into the corner boards. … Avs left wing Gabe Landeskog remains one-goal shy of 20, which would be the eighth time 1212099 Colorado Avalanche Exactly. So the NHL has to be proactive and try to quell bad blood instead of escalating it.

Or another Moore-Bertuzzi incident is bound to happen. Chambers: Tom Wilson, once again, goes too far. This time, the NHL fails to act appropriately

Denver Post: LOADED: 05.09.2021

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

May 8, 2021 at 5:45 a.m.

The ugly events between the Washington Capitals and New York Rangers in a two-game set last week at harkened back to incidents that led to Steve Moore’s career-ending injuries in Vancouver on March 8, 2004.

Moore, an Avalanche rookie forward, never played again after being assaulted by the Canucks’ Todd Bertuzzi, who sought revenge from Moore’s unpenalized hit on star teammate Markus Naslund weeks earlier in Denver. Moore, who had a “bounty” on his head from Vancouver forward Brad May, suffered three fractured neck vertebrae, facial cuts and a concussion.

Ten years after the repulsive incident, Moore’s civil lawsuit against Bertuzzi and the Canucks was settled confidentially.

Seventeen years later, the NHL still doesn’t recognize the real danger to its players, and its NHL Department of Player Safety was the laughingstock of the league last week. Led by George Parros, a former NHL enforcer who co-founded the Violent Gentlemen clothing brand, the DoPS is directly responsible for the melee off the opening faceoff between the Rangers and Capitals on Wednesday, as well as the ensuing fights and dangerous cheap shots that led to a suspension Thursday.

To prevent Wednesday’s bad blood, all Parros and the DoPS had to do was suspend the Capitals’ Tom Wilson for his neanderthal actions in Monday’s game against the Rangers, but instead, they only fined Wilson $5,000 for “roughing” New York’s Pavel Buchnevich. They ignored Wilson’s pulling of the hair and body-slamming Artemi Panarin, who had been stripped of his helmet and nearly hit his head on the ice when he landed.

That’s Bertuzzi behavior, and the NHL ignored it because Panarin was able to skate off on his own. He was lucky, albeit he’s finished for the rest of the season with a lower-body injury.

So what happens Wednesday, a day after the Rangers released a scathing statement saying they believe Parros’ slap on Wilson’s wrist was a “dereliction of duty?” The league fined the Rangers $250,000 for speaking out against Parros and then all hell broke loose on the opening faceoff.

Coincidentally, the league fined the Canucks $250,000 in 2004 for not controlling Bertuzzi for the Moore mugging, but it was far too late — similar to Wednesday in New York.

A minute into the game, Rangers defenseman Brendan Smith jumped Wilson and they fought. And early in the second period, Washington’s Anthony Mantha took exception to a clean Buchnevich check and was called for unsportsmanlike conduct for slashing Buchnevich’s legs before the two came together and Buchnevich delivered a one-hand cross- check to Mantha’s face.

The DoPS on Thursday suspended Buchnevich one game for the cross- check — three days after it should have suspended Wilson to quell the situation. Instead, Parros did very little and the situation escalated.

Hey, I’m all for fighting in hockey because it generally acts as a deterrent from playing dirty. And I believe there’s not a team in the league that wouldn’t want Wilson — a legitimate power forward who has an NHL- high 1,111 penalty minutes since 2013-14 — playing for them. But when Wilson crosses the line, like he has done eight previous times — suspended five times and fined three — the DoPS has to do its job.

“If they suspend Wilson you probably don’t have the pushback from the Rangers, but they felt like something needed to be done as a team and they did that,” Avs coach Jared Bednar told me Thursday. “It’s still a part of the game. Clearly a diminishing part of the game but I still think it’s part of the game where teammates are going to stick up for one another.” 1212100 Colorado Avalanche

milehighsports.com LOADED: 05.09.2021

Deen’s List: Avalanche prepare for crucial matchup at Vegas on Monday

By Aarif Deen

May 9, 2021

The West Division could come down to a winner-take-all scenario Monday.

The Avalanche defeated the Los Angeles Kings 3-2 on Friday and Saturday to remain in the race for both the West Division and the Presidents’ Trophy. They play at the division-leading Vegas Golden Knights on Monday in the NHL’s biggest game of the last week before the playoffs.

If Vegas wins, they clinch the West and the Presidents’ Trophy with the best NHL record. If the Avs win in regulation, they have a chance to win both the West and the Presidents’ Trophy.

Monday’s matchup won’t be easy. And the potential return of superstar center Nathan MacKinnon could be a major boost.

But with or without MacKinnon, Colorado is going to need guys like Devon Toews, Cale Makar and Andre Burakovsky to continue to produce as they have in recent games. Having strong special teams will also help.

The Deen’s List:

Wearing the alternate captain’s ‘A’ for the second consecutive game — the first time in his career — Toews scored two goals to increase his career-high goals to nine. He also matched his career-high in points (28) reaching the feat in 18 fewer games than a season ago with the New York Islanders.

Toews leads the Avs in ice-time, 24:47 per game.

Makar’s offensive production has taken off. He has three goals and eight points in his last six games to pull within a point of the top-five point- producers among defensemen in the NHL (43 points).

Makar has played at least 11 games less than each of the five players ahead of him. He is the only defenseman in the NHL with more than a point-per-game pace and remains in the Norris Trophy conversation as the league’s best defenseman — despite missing 12 games.

“It’s so much fun to watch him play and the way he creates time and space for his teammates,” Toews said of Makar. “Part of the Norris are points but I think the other half should be how you create for your teammates and what you can generate for them.”

Burakovsky increased his point streak to five games after recording two assists. He has three goals and eight points in that stretch to reach 40 points for the second consecutive season.

Before his trade to Colorado, Burakovsky had never reached the 40-point plateau or 20-goal mark. He scored 20 in 58 games last season and is currently at 17 with three games left.

Not bad for the third-highest scoring winger on the team.

A disciplined two games

The Avs were a perfect 2-for-2 on the penalty kill on Saturday. They had just three minors in the two-game series in L.A. and killed off all three penalties.

“Good discipline,” Bednar said of his team’s few penalties Saturday.

The Golden Knights are in the bottom 10 in the NHL on the power play but have the ability and the assets to turn it on at any given time. Staying out of the box Monday is going to be huge for the Avs.

Top-10 Special teams

Unlike the Knights, the Avalanche are among the top-10 in both the power play and penalty kill — one of five teams around the NHL to rank that high in both categories.

They rank eighth in the NHL in both power play (23.1) and penalty kill (82.4) percentage. 1212101 Colorado Avalanche

Nathan MacKinnon to miss second straight game tonight

Published 7 hours ago on May 8, 2021

By Adrian Dater

As I said in a story last night, I think the odds are high that we won’t see Nathan MacKinnon in a game for the Colorado Avalanche until Game 1 of a first-round playoff series, against either the St. Louis Blues or the Minnesota Wild. The odds are much higher the Avs will play the Wild, and the last remaining unanswered question is which team will have home-ice advtantage.

MacKinnon is out for tonight’s game against the Los Angeles Kings, with his lower-body injury. I am told it’s a minor thing and that MacK would have played if this had been a playoff game. But, it’s not, and so he won’t. I think we’ll see him back for Game 1 of the first-round series, unless the Avs have a chance to win a division title in the last game or two against Los Angeles at home this coming week.

Jonas Johansson is in goal for the Avs tonight against the Kings. I thought Philipp Grubauer would start, but as Jared Bednar said the other day, his main goal right now, as a coach, is to go into the playoffs with the most healthy, rested main roster as he can get. He currently has nine players out with injury – seven of which started on the opening-night roster.

Bednar, I think, is just of the mindset now: “Forget about the division, what matters is winning in the playoffs. And I can’t do that with half my team on the injured list.”

The Avs have been just so cursed by injuries, that I don’t think they want to tempt fate any longer before the start of the postseason later this week.

Colorado hockey now LOADED: 05.09.2021 1212102 Colorado Avalanche men. He’ll also almost certainly ask veteran defenseman Erik Johnson to waive his no-movement clause so he can be exposed.

I also think that Sakic offers a package deal to Seattle for the aging EJ, Scott Takes: The Avs should protect Tyson Jost likely retaining some of his salary and offering a pick or two in exchange for the Kraken not taking any of his other players.

Published 19 hours ago on May 8, 2021 Whether that happens or not, Sakic will still need to submit his protection list. By Scott MacDonald Cale Makar, Sam Girard and Devon Toews are locks for protection. Then there’s a tough call to make: expose Ryan Graves or protect him? I think they opt to protect Graves, given the high-probability a player of his Either way you look at it, the Avs are going to lose a great player to the stature, youth, talent and contract term would almost certainly be picked Seattle Kraken. by the Kraken. As the hockey world and its fans gear up for the postseason coming up in That leaves four forwards to be protected, and three of those will the next couple of weeks, all eyes are on Lord Stanley—and rightfully so. undoubtedly be used up by the top line. That leaves one remaining It’s the most exciting time of the year, as the regular season proves to be player left for protection, with a lot of players deserving to not be a 56-game appetizer for the 34.5-pound porterhouse main course that exposed. There’s Andre Burakovsky, Nazem Kadri and Val Nichushkin will be dished out sometime in the first or second week of July. all making cases to be protected. There’s also Joonas Donskoi and J.T. The obvious hope here is that the Avalanche are the ones cutting into it Compher. this summer. But the celebration could be short-lived for one Avs Then there’s Tyson Jost. member. So where does GM Joe go from here? That is the question that’ll need to Looming around the corner, just a week or two after the Cup is hoisted be answered come mid-summer. It’s going to be a very tough call, and and the dust is settling from the parades and parties, is the NHL I’m not envious of Sakic’s situation. expansion draft. As the league welcomes the Seattle Kraken as the 32nd member to its growing family, the newest NHL franchise will get to hand- But I know what I’d do. pick one player from each of the other member clubs (save Vegas, which is exempt from the expansion draft) in order to build their team as they ready for their inaugural voyage into the NHL’s treacherous waters next Colorado hockey now LOADED: 05.09.2021 season.

Given each club is only allowed to protect either nine total players (eight skaters and a goalie), or 11 (seven forwards, three D-men and a goaltender) depending on which protection structure the respective front office chooses, teams will be forced to expose a number of good players. And for a team bursting at the seams with talent, the Colorado Avalanche are sure to lose a great player come July.

My hope is that it isn’t Tyson Jost.

At the beginning of the season, I’ll be honest, I thought for sure Jost would be fed to the Kraken. And I was totally OK with that. I’d be quick to point out his consistency issues, his lack of production and fit on this 23- man roster.

Jost, however, is making me—and a lot of his naysayers—eat their words. The recently-turned 23-year-old former first-round pick has surprised—and impressed—me quite a bit this year. He’s carved out an interesting niche for himself. For a guy who was picked 10th overall, was drafted for his explosive offensive upside, and was once named the MVP of the BCHL and CJHL after scoring 42 goals and 104 points in 48 games, he has been anything but what he was as a junior.

But that’s not the worst thing.

As it turns out, Tyson Jost has carved out an interested, unexpected role for himself as one of the most reliable defensive forwards and penalty- killers in the league.

Of the Avs forwards, Jost is right there with Pierre-Edouard Bellemare for most PK time on a team that is among the best in the NHL while shorthanded. Jost is an integral part of the first PK unit and he’s among the team’s elite with regards to analytics and Corsi numbers. He’s earned high-praise from head coach Jared Bednar on numerous occasions throughout the season for his noticeably improved play this season.

Bednar said recently that Tyson Jost is “playing the best hockey he’s played for us” in his four years in the Burgundy and Blue. I’d have to agree.

At the beginning of the season, Jost started on the fourth line, where he was pulling barely a dozen minutes a night. On Friday night, he served as Nathan MacKinnon’s replacement on the top line. He’s earned that right, and he’s clearly earned it from coach Bednar’s perspective.

How does this relate to the expansion draft? Well, GM Joe Sakic will have some tough decisions to make with regards to which protection list structure he opts for—either seven forwards, three D and a goalie; or eight total skaters and goalie. Given the wealth of riches he has stockpiled on the blueline, he might need to protect more than three D- 1212103 Columbus Blue Jackets playoff appearances and one historic sweep of the Tampa Bay Lightning in 2019. The victory was also the 673rd of Tortorella's NHL coaching career, moving him past into sole possession of 12th place Max Domi's OT goal lifts Blue Jackets to victory in John Tortorella's swan all-time. song “I’m happy they win a game,” said Tortorella, who rewarded skills coach Kenny McCudden and longtime video coach Dan Singleton by including them on the bench with assistants Brad Shaw and . “It’s an Brian Hedger overtime win, which is exciting and exciting for them, so I’m proud of them. There’s a lot of work to be done, but I’m glad we ended on just The Columbus Dispatch winning a game.”

Max Domi got a second chance and buried it. Columbus Dispatch LOADED: 05.09.2021 If nothing else, Domi’s overtime goal for the Blue Jackets on Saturday night at was a great segue for a team losing the best head coach in franchise history and heading into an early offseason with the goal of “reloading” rather than rebuilding. e players, as far as what we lived through – just how bad it was when you know you’re not going to the postseason and having the struggles that we had,” said John Tortorella, the aforementioned coach whose tenure in Columbus ended when Domi lifted the Jackets to a 5-4 OT victory over the Detroit Red Wings. “You could be negative about (this season). It was miserable. It sucked. But I think you’ve got to try to turn it and try to learn from it. I hope we’re never involved in that situation ever again.”

The situation he referred to was this season as a whole.

At their best, the Blue Jackets were wildly inconsistent. At their worst, they were downright brutal – going nine straight games without a victory at one point. They dropped out of a tight race for a playoff spot not long before the April 12 trade deadline, sold off a trio of regulars – headlined by former captain Nick Foligno being traded to the Toronto Maple Leafs – and then plummeted all the way to the basement of an eight-team Central Division realigned for this season to limit travel distances amid the COVID-19 pandemic.

So, yes, the Blue Jackets would like a second chance next season.

Tortorella won’t be around, as news broke Saturday night about him opting not to re-sign with Columbus this summer, but a number of players who finished out this miserable 18-26-12 campaign will return next Fall.

They’ll be looking to do what Domi did in the season finale against the Red Wings, making good on a second chance by scoring 20.4 seconds before time ran out in OT. Less than a minute after missing a great chance to end it with a wraparound, Domi got the puck back in a 2-on-1 situation with teammate Seth Jones and ripped a wrist shot inside the left post on the far side of the net.

It was Domi’s ninth goal of the season and a fitting way to send Tortorella out – fighting right to the end.

“I’m glad they’re able to leave the season, a horrible season, with a win,” Tortorella said. “They played hard. I think for the most part, through the time (since) we were eliminated, they played the right way, tried to keep the integrity and the dignity of the hockey for us and ... just get ready to start another year next year.”

That dignity was preserved in one final matchup against the Red Wings (19-27-10), a rebuilding team that gave the Blue Jackets fits this year.

Columbus went 4-3-1 in the season series, but Detroit went 4-2-2 and sparked the beginning of the end for the Blue Jackets by sweeping a back-to-back Mar. 27-28 at Little Caesar’s Arena.

It wasn’t too much later that a trade deadline sell-off commenced, turning what had been a frustrating season for Columbus into a dreadful one with a 3-6-4 record in the final 13 games. The Blue Jackets needed something to feel good about as they finished things off and got with a victory in a game with four go-ahead goals and four tying goals before Domi ended it.

Jakub Vrana, Danny DeKeyser, and Valtteri Filppula scored the goals for the Red Wings, who started Calvin Pickard (31 saves) in net. Cam Atkinson, Oliver Bjorkstrand, Eric Robinson and Jack Roslovic scored in regulation time for the Jackets, who started Matiss Kivlenieks (33 saves) in both of the back-to-back games.

Several times in the game, fans chanted Tortorella's name as a sign of gratitude for a six-year tenure with the Blue Jackets that included four 1212104 Columbus Blue Jackets Tortorella’s departure leaves a lot of unanswered questions for the Blue Jackets, who also have contracts ending with assistant coaches Brad Shaw and Brad Larsen.

John Tortorella will not return as Blue Jackets' coach Will one or both be candidates for the head coaching role? Will general manager Jarmo Kekalainen go outside the box to find a replacement, as he’s known to do with draft picks? Will another name known throughout Brian Hedger the NHL take over?

The Columbus Dispatch Kekalainen’s decision and how the next coach’s staff is put together will be closely monitored. The biggest criticisms of Tortorella in Columbus

were tied to his harsh criticism of players, at times, his insistence on John Tortorella has coached his final game for the Blue Jackets. playing a rigid defensive style and the ongoing ineptitude of the Jackets’ power play – which was primarily directed by Larsen. The expected outcome of a frustrating season became a reality not long after the Jackets wrapped things up Saturday night with a 5-4 overtime The flip side of the Tortorella tenure was a lot more fun. victory against the Detroit Red Wings at Nationwide Arena – a game that “Torts” usually answered reporters' questions candidly, rarely gave stock included chants of “Tort-or-ella!” echoing through the building. answers and didn’t mince words. His annoyance with cellphones going As first reported by The Athletic and confirmed by The Dispatch, off during press conferences was often comical, particularly when he Tortorella has decided to let his contract run out and move onto the next doled out “fines” for those transgressions, and he once answered a chapter, whatever it might include. The veteran bench boss ends his Blue ringing phone during a press conference to speak with a reporter’s Jackets tenure with the most coaching victories in franchise history (227), mother. the lone playoff series victory in team history and he was a finalist for the Tortorella’s resistance to revealing goaltending or lineup information Jack Adams Award as the NHL’s top coach twice in Columbus – winning before game days was stout, his infamous temper earned him fines from the award in 2017 for the second time in his career. the league office and legendary status among many Blue Jackets fans — Tortorella, 62, declined to confirm his departure during postgame and who could forget that night in Philadelphia when he coached through comments Saturday, but spoke fondly about helping the Jackets change an illness while wearing a hoodie sweatshirt? their culture and the core group of players who got that done – including Tortorella's fiery interactions with players led to some clashes, including Nick Foligno, Cam Atkinson, , Seth Jones, Zach Werenski, memorable spats on the bench with former centers Pierre-Luc Dubois Boone Jenner and others. (Winnipeg Jets) and (Florida Panthers). Other Foligno and Savard are no longer around after trades took them each to players were able to sift Tortorella's message away from his choice of playoff contenders, but others who were around for Tortorella's arrival still words or tone a little easier. play significant roles. Most who've played for him, even some of those he clashed with, carry a “I love the guys on the team,” Tortorella said. “I don’t want to separate lot of respect for what he's done in his career and what he did for their anything, but the guys that we have been working with for the (past) four careers. or five years and have been trying to build this, I love those guys … “He’s helped me tremendously,” said Jones, who became one of because we grew up together. I know I’m old, but when I came here, this Tortorella’s projects after the Blue Jackets acquired him in a 2016 was a new challenge and we all accepted that to try to gain respect and blockbuster trade with Nashville. “He’s always on top of me, treats me get this organization on the right track.” the same as anyone who’s been in that dressing room and that’s what I A text message sent to general manager Jarmo Kekalainen was not appreciate about him the most. He’s going to be open and honest, and immediately returned, so it’s unclear whether the club was going to offer that’s something that has really helped our organization and the culture Tortorella a contract extension. A source told the Dispatch the coach change of this team.” made the decision himself, which he nearly said during his postgame In short, the Blue Jackets became winners under Tortorella. interview. “He’s got a competitive edge and he just wants to win … just like all of us “People talk about a shelf life,” Tortorella said. “I don’t think there’s a players,” Jones said. “He may not do it in the fashion that you appreciate shelf life for a coach, but what I believe in is ‘Is it the right fit?’ I think the in the moment. Sometimes it may be overboard, but at the end of the day fit of the coach and the players and personnel … I think that’s the most he’s just doing it how he knows how to do it and how he best sees fit for important thing and that’s something Jarmo and I have discussed very the team. That’s all that matters.” honestly. I get it. Am I the right fit? These are the things Jarmo and I have talked about. I think this will come to a solution very quickly here. Tortorella’s 227-166-54 record with the Blue Jackets is the best of any I’m sure Jarmo will speak on that and we’ll see where we go with it.” coach in franchise history and the win against Detroit on Saturday was the 673rd of his career – moving him past Mike Keenan into sole The team has not yet issued a statement confirming Tortorella’s possession of 12th place in NHL history. departure. Simply put, Tortorella is the most successful coach in the 20-year history Tortorella, 62, was hired by the Blue Jackets on Oct. 21, 2015. He took of the Blue Jackets and is one of the most accomplished coaches in NHL over from Todd Richards after a 0-7-0 start that season and nearly history. He won’t be out of work long, should he decide to seek another helped the Jackets qualify for the 2016 Stanley Cup playoffs. opportunity, but his legacy in Columbus will last a very long time. His second year, and first full season, was a record-setter. During a “We knew the direction we were going, which wasn’t a good one,” memorable 2016-17 campaign, the Blue Jackets rattled off a franchise Atkinson said of Tortorella's arrival in 2015. “We knew what to expect, but record 16-game winning streak that fell one short of tying the longest in I also knew from talking to a guy like (former Lightning hall-of-famer) NHL history and set a franchise record with 108 points – qualifying them Marty St. Louis what to expect out of Torts. He just said, ‘Work your (butt) for the postseason for just the third time in franchise history. off and you’ll be rewarded.’ I’ve taken that to the bank and used those Those two seasons set a new benchmark for a team that spent most of words and tried to make the most of it. He’s definitely been one of, if not its existence falling far short of the playoffs. Prior to this season, the the most important, person in this organization.” Jackets qualified for the playoffs the past four years and pulled off their only postseason series victory in 2019 with a stunning sweep of the Tampa Bay Lightning – a team that set a slew of NHL records on its way Columbus Dispatch LOADED: 05.09.2021 to the Presidents’ Trophy with a whopping 128 points.

Other than guiding the Lightning to that franchise’s first Stanley Cup in 2004, that might’ve been Tortorella’s most impressive accomplishment during a long, successful coaching career that has included stints with the New York Rangers (1999-00, 2009-13) and Vancouver Canucks (2013-14). 1212105 Columbus Blue Jackets There was more drama that first year, with veterans Fedor Tyutin and Scott Hartnell enduring healthy scratches and Jones, their prized trade piece, getting benched for the entire second period of the season finale.

Sources: John Tortorella won’t return as Columbus Blue Jackets coach Tortorella’s tactics paid off the next season, though, when the Blue after six seasons Jackets turned in the best regular season in their history. They came one short of an NHL record by winning 16 games in a row at one point, and finished with 50 wins and 108 points, both franchise records. Tortorella By Aaron Portzline won the Jack Adams Trophy that season as the NHL’s top coach.

May 9, 2021 The Blue Jackets made the playoffs in four straight seasons beginning in 2016-17, but it wasn’t until 2019 — their 19th season of existence as a

franchise — that they won a series, sweeping Presidents’ Trophy-winning COLUMBUS, Ohio — John Tortorella will not return as coach of the Blue Tampa Bay in the first round. Jackets next season, multiple sources told The Athletic. Before the series began, Tortorella gave Blue Jackets players a rousing The winningest coach in franchise history decided to move on when his pregame pep talk, one that lives forever in the franchise’s lore. contract expires this offseason, ending a six-year run in Columbus that “Forget about skills. Forget about Xs and Os. It’s a fucking mindset of included four playoff berths, the first playoff series win in franchise fucking believing. It’s amazing what can fucking happen. So you fucking history, and some memorable and turbulent moments along the way. stand in there. You stand in there, and you don’t take a god damn Tortorella, 62, coached his last game for the Blue Jackets on Saturday, a backward step. Not for a fucking second.” 5-4 overtime win over Detroit at Nationwide Arena. The Blue Jackets lost to Boston in the second round in 2019, and it’s There was no fanfare in the building and no “fond farewell” message on been a steady slide downward ever since. the scoreboard. Tortorella declined to discuss his future in his postgame Last season, the Blue Jackets qualified for the postseason bubble in press conference, saying he and general manager Jarmo Kekalainen will Toronto, and they beat the Maple Leafs in the qualifying round. But this talk in the coming days. time, in a rematch with Tampa Bay, they lost the best-of-seven series in But sources tell The Athletic that Tortorella has already begun saying five games. goodbye to certain players and staff members, and that Kekalainen has In many ways, Tortorella’s time in Columbus ended the way it began — been told by Tortorella that he won’t return for 2021-22. in a spat with the club’s No. 1 center. With less than six minutes remaining in Saturday’s game, fans in Tortorella was constantly trying to push Pierre-Luc Dubois’ game to new Nationwide Arena began chanting “Tor-tor-el-la!” heights, which led to public confrontations on the bench during games. It’s not certain that Kekalainen was interested in signing Tortorella to a But the relationship fractured further early this season after it became new contract anyway. It has been an awful, drama-filled season for the known that Dubois had requested a trade. Blue Jackets, who finished last in the Central Division and near the Dubois was traded in early January, a deal that brought winger Patrik bottom of the NHL standings, by far their worst showing during Laine and center Jack Roslovic to Columbus. Tortorella’s tenure. In 447 games behind the Blue Jackets’ bench, Tortorella was 227-166- Major changes are expected to the Blue Jackets’ roster this offseason as 54, setting club records for games coached, wins and points percentage Kekalainen seeks to “reload” quickly and be competitive again next (.568). His 673 career wins are 12th on the NHL’s all-time list and the season, he has said. That will now include a new voice behind the bench. most among U.S.-born coaches. Few expected Tortorella to last as long as he did in Columbus, but he was the fourth-longest tenured coach in the NHL as of Saturday, surpassed only by Tampa Bay’s , Winnipeg’s The Athletic LOADED: 05.09.2021 and Detroit’s .

All indications suggest Tortorella plans to continue coaching. As with the end of any season, there are expected to be a handful of openings across the NHL in the coming days.

It’s unclear what will become of Tortorella’s two assistant coaches, Brad Shaw and Brad Larsen. Both are in the final year of their contracts with the Blue Jackets, too, and both will likely be granted interviews as candidates to replace Tortorella.

Blue Jackets goaltending coach Manny Legace has a contract that extends beyond this season.

Tortorella found a poignant way to leave a memory with members of his coaching and support staff during the final two games of the season, Friday and Saturday against Detroit.

On Friday, assistant development coach Jared Boll was on the bench next to Tortorella and his assistants. On Saturday, assistant coach Kenny McCudden and video coach Dan Singleton were on the bench.

The Blue Jackets were a bland, underperforming club with a propensity for ruining seasons with slow starts and ruining draft picks with strong finishes when Tortorella was hired two weeks into the 2015-16 season.

An 0-7 start was too much to overcome, but Tortorella started making his mark immediately in Columbus. Only one period into his tenure — during the first intermission of a road loss in Minnesota — he confronted No. 1 center about his conditioning.

The Tortorella-Johansen relationship continued to broil — demotions, benching, healthy scratches, etc. — until Johansen was ultimately traded to Nashville for defenseman Seth Jones in early January. 1212106 Dallas Stars Should coach have played a more offensive style? It would have been more entertaining, sure, but would that have been feasible with Tanner Kero, Kiviranta and Ty Dellandrea rotating through Dallas Stars eliminated from playoff contention after Predators defeat the top six? And amid lengthy slumps from and Denis Hurricanes Gurianov? It’s unlikely.

Knowing that Bishop and Seguin were out long-term, and with the understanding in training camp that Radulov and Hintz were hurt, GM By Matthew DeFranks Jim Nill could have added more talent to try to salvage the season. The played a part in Nill’s inactivity (though there is always a way 9:39 PM on May 8, 2021 CDT to get around cap issues) but the Stars were neither sellers nor buyers at the trade deadline.

CHICAGO — This year’s version of the Dallas Stars was a lesson in The result was a banged-up roster in a condensed schedule that lost regrets, a master class in hypotheticals. It was rife with maddening close games while playing a style that resulted in a lot of close games. It disappointments — the overtime losses, the piling injuries, the added up to an early summer in Dallas. postponements — and it met its demise Saturday night.

The Stars were eliminated from postseason contention when host Dallas Morning News LOADED: 05.09.2021 Nashville beat Carolina 3-1, clinching the final playoff spot in the Central Division and rendering Dallas’ final two games of the regular season meaningless.

Dallas will finish fifth in the redesigned Central Division, and it missed the postseason for the first time since 2017-18, when a late-season eight- game losing streak doomed the Stars. With a chance to make the playoffs this season, the Stars lost five straight games, including the first four of the crucial, season-ending seven-game road trip.

They’ve missed the playoffs in nine of the last 13 seasons.

This season will be remembered as a disappointment because of the heights reached last year with a run to the Stanley Cup Final. It should be, and there’s no doubt the organization feels a year was lost with the current core. But the obstacles the Stars faced should not be forgotten.

They were without Tyler Seguin for the first 51 games of the season after offseason hip and knee surgeries. Ben Bishop never played a game after knee surgery. played just 11 games before he needed surgery on his core. Roope Hintz played on an injury that should have sapped his productivity. Joel Kiviranta missed 29 games. Only three Stars have played all 54 games.

As early as January and as late as this week, the thoughts have been present among the Stars: What if Seguin were around? What if Hintz weren’t battling a lower-body injury? What if Dallas’ No. 1 goalie were available? The hypotheticals became more tempting.

The run to the Cup Final meant a short offseason to heal after Dallas was battered and beaten against the Tampa Bay Lightning in September, contributing to Bishop and Seguin’s recovery timelines.

Because of a coronavirus outbreak during training camp and the winter storm-induced blackouts in February, the Stars will finish the season with the most condensed 56-game season in the league. Dallas will complete the season in 108 days, five days shorter than the next closest team (Panthers).

Nashville dealt with injuries better than the Stars. Tampa Bay dealt with the short offseason after the Cup Final. Florida dealt with the tight schedule. Carolina dealt with a COVID-19 shutdown. But no team had to deal with it all like Dallas did.

But that doesn’t mean the Stars are blameless.

Too often offensive chances went unfinished. Too often did Dallas rely on its power play too much. Too often was Anton Khudobin not the same goalie as the previous two seasons.

The undeserved losses became more and more commonplace as a playoff spot slipped away.

The Stars found success the previous two postseasons playing to their identity of a defensive team that plays low-scoring games. It’s a style that lends itself to tight games, which then become overtime games. The long list of injuries meant the Stars were the least-talented team on the ice for many overtimes, and all together, the cocktail was too much for Dallas in 14 overtime losses.

Had the Stars won half of their 19 overtime games — instead of five — they would be in the playoffs. Instead, they’re out, and five overtime and shootout losses to Nashville are other big reasons. 1212107 Detroit Red Wings

Detroit Red Wings lose high-scoring season finale to Columbus in overtime, 5-4

Helene St. James

The Detroit Red Wings wrapped up an unusual season Saturday, engaging in a back-and-forth affair that showed their fortitude.

Their matchup Saturday at Nationwide Arena against the Columbus Blue Jackets went to overtime before the Wings lost, 5-4.

"These games, especially this one in particular — you get to the last game and both teams are out, they’re not really super fun to play in," coach Jeff Blashill said. "But we put ourselves in this spot. I would give our guys credit again for hanging in there and finding a way to get it to overtime. You’d like to win it and go off with a good taste."

The Wings (19-27-10) finish seventh in the Central Division but will have to wait to find out where they finish in the overall standings, because the pandemic has forced the Vancouver Canucks to reschedule games through May 19.

Calvin Pickard got the start in net. Jakub Vrana put the Wings up early, but Cam Atkinson took advantage of being left alone to tie the game in the first period. Danny DeKeyser scored for the second time in two games when he fired a shot that snuck underneath Matiss Kivlenieks’ left arm, but Oliver Bjorkstrand scored less than two minutes later.

With Columbus' Max Domi serving a penalty for roughing Gustav Lindstrom, the Blue Jackets converted on a shorthanded goal by Eric Robinson , but the Wings also converted, with Sam Gagner scoring a power play goal to tie the game 3-3 .

Jack Roslovic and Valtteri Filppula traded goals late in the third period, and Domi ended the game with 21 seconds to play in overtime.

Veleno reassigned

Joe Veleno, a first-round pick from 2018, celebrated his first NHL goal Friday, but he and Givani Smith were assigned to the taxi squad Saturday. Veleno appeared in five games since returning from playing with Malmö in the , making a favorable impression that he’s ready to be a regular next season.

Vrana keeps points coming

Early in the first period, defenseman Dennis Cholowski lined up the puck at the left point and ripped a shot towards the net. Vrana got a piece of the puck, picking up his second goal in two nights. It was Vrana’s eighth goal since coming over from the Washington Capitals on April 12 in the Anthony Mantha trade. This wasn’t a goal that showed off Vrana’s hands so much as simply his knack for being in the right spot at the right time. Vrana also assisted on Filppula’s goal to reach 11 points in 11 games.

Svechnikov’s last stand

With Veleno assigned to the taxi squad, Evgeny Svechnikov entered the lineup for the first time since May 1, in what may well have been his last game in a Wings uniform. The Wings drafted Svechnikov at No. 19 overall in 2015, but his development has been hindered by injuries and he was waived twice this season, a clear indication he’s not part of their future plans. Svechnikov assisted on DeKeyser’s goal. In limited opportunities, Svechnikov managed to produce eight points in 21 games.

Detroit Free Press LOADED: 05.09.2021 1212108 Detroit Red Wings

Detroit Red Wings lose season finale to the Columbus Blue Jackets, 5-4 (OT): Game thread recap

Andrew Hammond

Detroit Red Wings (19-27-9) vs. Columbus Blue Jackets (17-26-12)

When: 7 p.m. Saturday.

Where: Nationwide Arena, Columbus, Ohio.

TV: Bally Sports Detroit.

Radio: WWJ-AM 950 (Red Wings radio affiliates).

How to bet: Place legal, online bets at BetMGM Sportsbook.

• Box score

Game notes: The Red Wings season ends with the finale of a two-game series in Columbus. Last night's contest saw the Wings put up a five-spot on the road in a 5-2 victory over the Blue Jackets.

Detroit Free Press LOADED: 05.09.2021 1212109 Detroit Red Wings we never really let it snowball too much, which was good," DeKeyser said. "After those games, we were able to come back and get wins or compete hard and have a chance to win instead of just laying down and going into long losing streaks. Red Wings finish season with OT loss but see progress "That was a positive for us."

Detroit News LOADED: 05.09.2021 Ted Kulfan

One of the strangest NHL seasons ever came to a close Saturday for the Red Wings.

And of course the Red Wings and Columbus went to overtime, and dragged it even a little further, before the Blue Jackets' Max Domi scored with 20.4 seconds left to defeat the Wings 5-4.

The victory gives both teams 48 points this season, but the Wings (19- 27-10) finish ahead of Columbus (18-26-12), and out of the Central Division basement, by virtue of having more regulation wins.

After a dreadful 2019-20 season, the Wings showed progress and cause for optimism for the future.

"Not really comparable," Red Wings coach Jeff Blashill said, comparing this season to last. "We were a much improved hockey team from a season ago, both in how we play the game and our habits and structure. Especially down the stretch, with a number of young players being thrust into significant roles, it's not even comparable (to last season).

"In terms of the arc of the organization, it's starting to head in the right direction. Last year was a bad year for sure, and this year, again for me, it was totally different."

Blashill will learn his fate, whether he'll return for a seventh season or not, after talking with general manager within the next few days.

Blashill has a lifetime record of 172-221-62, and the Wings have missed the playoffs the last five seasons under Blashill (they lost in the first round in Blashill's first season).

"I'll sit down with Steve and we'll discuss things," Blashill said. "I've been a Red Wing for a long time and certainly I've enjoyed every second I've been part of this organization and we'll see what tomorrow brings."

Columbus forward Jack Roslovic broke a 3-3 tie with his 12th goal, after taking a pass from Seth Jones off a rush, and beating goaltender Calvin Pickard with a shot from the dot.

But Valtteri Filppula tied it 4-4 with his sixth goal, and fourth point in this two-game series, tapping a loose puck in the crease at 16:18.

Twice in the third period the Wings rallied from one-goal deficits to tie the score, showing an admirable competitiveness in a rather meaningless game.

"It was not an easy game to get up for, but you never know how many games you get in this league and you have to cherish every one and not take any one of those for granted," Danny DeKeyser said. "For me, I just try to go out and play hard and a lot of guys did as well."

Columbus took a 3-2 lead in the third period when Eric Robinson scored a shorthanded goal at 6:43. Nathan Gerbe (Oxford) raced down the ice, gathered the puck, and backhanded a pass to Robinson, who knuckleballed a shot past Pickard.

But the Wings got it back on the same power play when Sam Gagner scored his seventh goal, snapping a shot from the slot, at 8:04.

Jakub Vrana and DeKeyser had other Wings goals, while Pickard, getting the rare start, stopped 31 shots.

BOX SCORE: Blue Jackets 5, Red Wings 4, OT

Cam Atkinson and Oliver Bjorkstrand added Columbus goals.

After a difficult first month when COVID-19 ravaged the Wings' lineup, the Wings had a competitive second half of the season.

The Wings were 15-15-7 over their last 37 games (they started 4-12-3), and were 6-4-4 over their last 14 games.

"I was pretty proud after some of those games (bad losses), the Nashville games, the Tampa game earlier in the year we got whacked pretty good, 1212110 Detroit Red Wings

Red Wings drop season finale in overtime but avoid last place

Updated 9:45 PM; Today 9:45 PM

By Ansar Khan

Maxi Domi scored with 21 seconds remaining in overtime Saturday to lift the Columbus Blue Jackets past the Detroit Red Wings 5-4 at Nationwide Arena in the season finale for both teams.

The teams finished tied with 48 points but the Red Wings (19-27-10), based on more regulation wins (16-12) wind up seventh and the Blue Jackets (18-26-12) in last place.

Jakub Vrana had a goal and an assist while Danny DeKeyser, Sam Gagner and Valtteri Filppula also scored for the Red Wings. Dennis Cholowski contributed two assists.

Calvin Pickard made 31 saves in his first appearance since March 30, when he was pulled 12:25 into the first period of a 4-1 loss at Florida.

Mattis Kivlenieks, starting on consecutive nights in his lone NHL games this season, stopped 33 shots.

The Red Wings twice tied it in the third period.

Filppula made it 4-4 with 3:42 remaining by banging in a loose puck in the crease.

Jack Roslovic had given Columbus the lead at 14:45, snapping in a shot from the face-off dot.

Gagner tied it at 3-3 on the power play at 8:04 of the third period. He chipped in a rebound from the slot following a shot by Filip Hronek.

The Blue Jackets had taken the lead on Eric Robinson’s shorthanded goal at 6:43.

The teams traded goals in each of the first two periods.

Vrana opened the scoring at 6:40 of the first, a deflection in the slot off of Cholowski’s shot from the point. Vrana finished the season with 19 goals in 50 games, including eight goals in 11 games with Detroit.

Cam Atkinson tied it at 10:16, rushing to the net and converting a pass from Patrik Laine. Cholowski lost coverage on the play.

The Red Wings regained the lead on DeKeyser’s second goal in as many games, his fourth of the season, at 11:55 of the second. He capped a nice passing sequence by blasting in a shot from just inside the face-off circle.

Oliver Bjorkstrand tied it again for Columbus at 13:15. He wired a wrist shot off the post and in for his 18th goal.

Michigan Live LOADED: 05.09.2021 1212111 Detroit Red Wings

Red Wings wrap up season seeking to avoid Central cellar

Updated May 08, 2021; Posted May 08, 2021

By Ansar Khan

The Detroit Red Wings wrap up what has been one of the most bizarre seasons in NHL history tonight in Columbus, needing one point to avoid the Central Division cellar.

The Red Wings (19-27-9) are one point ahead of the Blue Jackets (17- 26-12) and hold the tie-breaker (more regulation wins), so if the teams finish tied, Detroit, technically, would be in seventh place and Columbus eighth.

That would also give the Blue Jackets slightly better odds to win the June 2 draft lottery.

The Red Wings are 6-4-3 in their past 13 games, due mostly to strong goaltending and solid defense. They have allowed 29 goals during that stretch, after a 7-1 loss to Nashville on April 8 that represented the season’s low point.

Jonathan Bernier is expected to start tonight. He is 0-4-1 in his past five starts.

Thomas Greiss, who started Friday’s 5-2 victory in Columbus, went 6-0-3 over his final nine starts. Including a relief stint during that stretch, Greiss posted a 1.50 goals-against average and .950 save percentage in his past 10 appearances.

Friday was only the third time in 10 games the Red Wings have scored more than two goals.

Jakub Vrana notched his third game-winning goal and seventh goal in 10 games since arriving from Washington. He has nine points during that stretch.

It figures be the final game in a Red Wings uniform for some players. Pending unrestricted free agents that the club might not re-sign include Darren Helm, Valtteri Filppula and Marc Staal.

Helm, 34, has the longest continuous service among Red Wings, having made his NHL debut on March 13, 2008. Helm, Luke Glendening and Adam Erne have formed the club’s most consistent line for most of the season.

Filppula, 37, equaled a career-best with three assists Friday. After being a healthy scratch all of March, he has finished well, with three goals and nine points in 17 games. After posting a minus-42 rating in 70 games last season, he is a minus-1 in 37 games this season.

Staal, 34, is one of only two Red Wings to appear in all 55 games. The other is Filip Hronek, who will finish as the team’s leading scorer with 25 points, including two goals, both empty-netters.

While the Red Wings and many other teams wrap up this weekend, the regular season continues through May 19 because of postponements caused by COVID protocol, particularly involving the Vancouver Canucks.

Michigan Live LOADED: 05.09.2021 1212112 Detroit Red Wings

Experience, confidence help Joe Veleno’s pursuit for Red Wings job next season

Posted May 08, 2021

By Ansar Khan

Joe Veleno has gained valuable experience finishing the season with the Detroit Red Wings, and a boost of confidence Friday by scoring his first NHL goal.

It can only benefit the 21-year-old center in training camp when he tries to earn a roster spot for 2021-22.

“I think a lot of guys want to make some good last impressions, so we got something to play for,” Veleno said. “I want to have an opening spot next year and start off with the Wings and stay here the whole season. I got to make sure I play my best and we’ll go from there.”

Veleno hasn’t looked out of place through five games, his improved strength, skating ability and defensive game helping his transition to the league.

His first NHL point was a goal-scorer’s goal. He took a nice cross-ice pass from Jakub Vrana and wired a wrist shot past Matiss Kivlenieks from the face-off circle on the power play. It launched a three-goal outburst in the second period that led the Red Wings past the Columbus Blue Jackets 5-2 at Nationwide Arena.

“It was a great play, good puck movement,” Veleno said. “(Valtteri Filppula) gave it me, I gave it back to him. He gave it to V, and I just tried to find an open lane to get that pass. It was a hell of a pass and I was able to get it on and off my stick real quick. The goalie wasn’t fully there yet.”

Veleno plans on having the puck and his stick framed.

“Obviously, it feels really good to have that first one go in, and to have it in a victory,” Veleno said. “I always said to myself, if you work hard, good things are going to happen, and you’ll get chances when you’re playing your game and not cheating the game. That’s exactly what I’ve been doing. If you work hard, the hockey gods will somehow find a way to reward you.”

Said coach Jeff Blashill: “He did a real good job with his shot. He’s got to get back to winning every battle. He won some battles tonight, he lost some battles, so he’s got to keep finding ways to win those battles.”

The club’s second selection in the 2018 draft (30th overall), Veleno was well-prepared for his first NHL action during his 46-game stint this season with Malmo in the Swedish Hockey League.

“I worked super hard in the offseason on the things I needed to work on,” Veleno said. “When I went to Malmo, I wanted to make sure I continued my good habits. It was frustrating at times that the offensive production wasn’t all there, but I stuck with it and tried to get better at my game every day so that went I came here I’d be ready for the opportunity.”

Veleno and the Red Wings wrap up the season tonight in Columbus (7 p.m., Bally Sports Detroit).

“One thing that stands out for me is how much stronger I got, how much more consistent my 200-foot game is compared to years before,” Veleno said. “I learned a lot with the development staff in Detroit. They helped me tons turning into a 200-foot centerman, paying attention to details, and having good positioning all over the ice. I feel a lot more confident. It’s going to be no different next year coming into training camp.”

Michigan Live LOADED: 05.09.2021 1212113 Detroit Red Wings

Joe Veleno’s first goal, Jakub Vrana’s winner propels Red Wings at Columbus

Updated May 07, 9:31 PM; Posted May 07, 9:29 PM

By Ansar Khan

The Detroit Red Wings matched their offensive output from their previous five games in a span of 3:02 late in the second period Friday, on the way to a 5-2 victory over the Columbus Blue Jackets at Nationwide Arena.

Jakub Vrana scored what proved to be the winning goal and added an assist. Joe Veleno notched his first NHL goal in his fifth game. Vladislav Namestnikov sealed the outcome with a pair of empty-net goals. Valtteri Filppula tallied three assists and Flip Hronek picked up a pair of assists.

Thomas Greiss made 22 saves to improve to 6-0-3 in his past nine starts.

The Red Wings (19-27-9) moved one point ahead of Columbus (17-26- 12) into seventh place in the Central Division. The teams meet again Saturday in the season finale.

The Red Wings scored three unanswered goals in near-rapid fire fashion to take a 3-2 lead in the second period. They had scored only three goals in their previous five games, since a 7-3 victory over Dallas on April 22.

Veleno scored at 13:50 on the power play, converting a cross-ice pass from Vrana. It was Detroit’s first power-play goal in 11 games, after a 0 for 21 stretch.

Danny DeKeyser tied it at 14:48, whipping in a shot from a sharp angle following a rebound off the back boards.

Vrana capped the rally at 16:52, taking a pass from Richard Panik and snapping in a shot from the slot. It was his 18th goal of the season, his seventh in 10 games with the Red Wings.

Michigan Live LOADED: 05.09.2021 1212114 Detroit Red Wings

Red Wings focused on final weekend in Columbus, not summer break

Updated May 07, 12:05 PM; Posted May 07, 12:05 PM

By Ansar Khan

Detroit Red Wings coach Jeff Blashill described his team’s final practice of the season Thursday as “spirited, focused,” a really good effort not unlike any other this year.

Their summer vacation starts on Sunday, but they are not taking for granted their final two games, tonight and Saturday at Columbus.

“I did not get a sense at all that guys were checked out, that school was over,” Blashill said. “They all recognize these games are special. Every game you play in the NHL is a special game, so make the most of it. I think our mentality will be right heading into the game.”

The games will determine who avoids the Central Division cellar, and that’s important, at least for optics.

“Would I like to look at the standings and see us ahead of Columbus? Yeah. For sure,” Blashill said. “Would our players like to see that? For sure. But I think our focus still has to be what it’s been all season and that’s doing the very best we can in the game that’s in front of us.”

The Red Wings (18-27-9, 45 points) currently are tied for 28th in the NHL in points percentage (.417), one point behind the Blue Jackets (17-25-12, 46 points).

Detroit can finish no lower than 29th and no higher than 24th.

These final games will have draft lottery implications. The Red Wings currently have the fourth-best odds of winning the lottery at 9.5 percent and a 19.1 percent chance of garnering one of the top two selections, according to Tankathon.com.

That is the best odds they can finish with, even if they gain no more points, since the expansion Seattle Kraken are assured of the No. 3 pick.

If the Red Wings win these final two games, depending on results of other games, their odds could fall to as low as 4.5 percent for the No. 1 selection and 9.3 percent for a top-two pick, per Tankathon.

Regardless of draft positioning or the standings, the Red Wings are grateful to be able to complete even an abbreviated 56-game season considering how much havoc the COVID-19 pandemic has had on the sports world and life in general.

“My message to each player, from our Zoom calls in the summer to when we got into camp, has been to let’s appreciate every single day that we have,” Blashill said. “You never know what tomorrow brings. There was no greater lesson than last season on that.

“I said something about that to the guys the other day in practice. I wanted to make sure we all continued to recognize we have two NHL games ahead of us this weekend. They’re not for playoff spots, but they’re still NHL games and those matter. Let’s make the most of those games.”

Michigan Live LOADED: 05.09.2021 1212115 Detroit Red Wings

Sour note: Red Wings close season with 5-4 OT loss to Blue Jackets

By MITCH STACY AP Sports Writer 7 hrs ago

COLUMBUS, Ohio — Max Domi scored 4:39 into overtime to lift the Columbus Blue Jackets over the Detroit Red Wings 5-4 on Saturday night in the season finale for both teams.

Matiss Kivlenieks had 33 saves for the Blue Jackets, who despite the feel-good win to end the season couldn't avoid finishing in the Central Division cellar. Columbus needed a win in regulation to finish ahead of the Red Wings.

Eric Robinson had a goal and an assist, Cam Atkinson got his 15th goal of the season for the Blue Jackets, Oliver Bjorkstrand got his team- leading 18th and Max Domi also scored for the Blue Jackets, who won for just the third time in the last 15 games.

Jakub Vrana, acquired from Washington at the trade deadline, got his eighth goal in 11 games with his new team. Dennis DeKeyser, Sam Gagner and Valtteri Filppula also scored for the Red Wings. Calvin Pickard had 31 saves.

The Blue Jackets missed the playoffs for the first time in five seasons under John Tortorella, who has been mum about his future with the team.

Scoring in the yo-yo game began when a long shot by Dennis Cholowski was redirected by Vrana 6:40 into the game. Columbus tied it when Atkinson tapped in a doorstep pass from Patrik Laine at the 10:16 mark.

In the second, DeKeyser's slap shot from the right circle shot beat Kivlenieks, but Bjorkstrand answered for the Blue Jackets with a shot over Pickard's shoulder.

Columbus got a slick short-handed goal in the third when Nathan Gerbe, his back turned to the play in the Detroit zone, shoveled the puck out from the boards for Robinson. But before the Blue Jackets could kill the Detroit penalty, Gagner put back a rebounded puck to tie it at 3.

Roslovic lifted a shot over Pickard's shoulder with 5:15 left, but Filppula poked in a rebound that had gotten behind Kivlenieks to ensure overtime.

Macomb Daily LOADED: 05.09.2021 1212116 Detroit Red Wings squarely in his prime. Resolving this situation will be one of the most important, and most challenging, tasks this offseason for Yzerman.

3. Short or long term with Jakub Vrana? The Red Wings’ 10 biggest offseason priorities as an important summer Vrana was consistently dangerous for the Red Wings after coming over begins from Washington in a trade-deadline blockbuster. In 11 games with the Red Wings, he had 11 points (including eight goals), highlighted by a four-goal game that showed his potential to be a top-of-the-lineup player By Max Bultman May 9, 2021 for the Red Wings. Especially with how injury-riddled they were down the stretch, he gave the Red Wings instant offense on multiple occasions.

Now, Detroit has to figure out what kind of contract it wants to give him. And now, the page turns. Thus far in his career, Vrana has scored at a rate that is roughly The Red Wings’ 2021 season ended Saturday night, with a 5-4 overtime comparable to the player he was traded for, Anthony Mantha. Last fall, loss in Columbus. It was the final leg in a grueling, fast-paced season, the Red Wings gave Mantha a four-year, $5.7 million AAV contract. And and now the Red Wings’ players and staff can take a well-deserved sure enough, Evolving Hockey has Vrana’s most likely deal projected at breath. four years, $5.56 million.

Except, of course, for general manager Steve Yzerman. His work is just It would certainly make sense to lock in Vrana now, considering how beginning. So, as the offseason begins, here are 10 of the top priorities badly the Red Wings need the kind of offense he provides. At the same he’ll need to address in the coming days, weeks and months. time, though, the sides could also opt for a one-year deal, allowing Yzerman to see Vrana over a full season in Detroit, and allowing Vrana 1. Clarity behind the bench to try to push his numbers up before setting his long-term salary. Each avenue has risks for both sides (one of which was laid out by Bertuzzi’s This one is right up there with the most important decisions Detroit will circumstances this season). make this summer and should be first on the list chronologically. Yzerman has already said he and coach Jeff Blashill will “sit down very Vrana’s first games in Detroit have been promising, though, and with quickly after the season and discuss” Blashill’s future as coach of the more opportunity, he could raise his profile even further. Red Wings. “Him and I have talked about, it’s one thing to be a complementary player Yzerman opted to retain Blashill last season after the Red Wings had one on a team with a whole bunch of skilled players, it’s another thing to try to of the worst seasons of the salary-cap era. So after Detroit took a clear be a driver,” Blashill said Friday night. “And I’d love to see him become a step forward in 2021 (even though the bar to do so wasn’t especially driver, and be a guy who can really be a go-to guy. And to do that, you high) the likeliest outcome would appear to be another contract for have to have a complete game, and I think he understands that and he’s Blashill, who is the league’s third longest-tenured coach. working at it. I knew he was a good player, (but) he’s more skilled than I realized. He’s got legit, legit ability to score, without a doubt. He’s got a Working in Blashill’s favor is that Detroit was far more competitive on a great stick. And so now it’s just a matter of becoming that complete nightly basis this season than last, even in the face of major injuries player and I’ve learned that he wants to be that.” (including Tyler Bertuzzi for nearly the full season, Robby Fabbri for half the season and for the final three weeks). Defensively, in 4. Tough expansion draft decisions particular, Detroit showed significant improvement. And some of the team’s young players, including Michael Rasmussen, and Seattle is set to enter the league next season, which means it’s finally Adam Erne, took meaningful strides, solidifying their roles in the lineup. almost time to stop projecting the expansion draft and actually … have it!

Yzerman still could conclude the Red Wings would benefit from a new And while the Red Wings won’t face the same kind of crunch some of the voice. Detroit’s low scoring totals, even from the Red Wings’ top league’s teams will, they still have a couple of key decisions to make in offensive players, remain an issue, especially when it comes to some of the next two months. the younger players they will need to drive the bus going forward. Expect the Red Wings to protect seven forwards, three defensemen and But the team’s overall progress gives Blashill an important indicator to one goaltender (Thomas Greiss), with Larkin, Bertuzzi, Fabbri, Vrana, point to when he and Yzerman do sit down. Rasmussen and Hronek mortal locks to be on that list. Erne and defenseman Troy Stecher certainly seem likely to be protected as well, 2. Bertuzzi’s next deal which leaves one more defenseman and one more forward to protect.

Bertuzzi had back surgery April 30 after sitting out injured for three Up front, do the Red Wings opt to secure Vladislav Namestnikov, a 28- months. The most important next step for him is getting healthy, not just year-old forward who plays a key role for them, or one of their younger for the sake of hockey but for his overall well-being. And the Red Wings, forwards in Givani Smith or Evgeny Svechnikov? Detroit’s handling of for what it’s worth, have said they expect Bertuzzi to make a full recovery Svechnikov, including waiving him twice, would seem to indicate he’s not and be ready for the start of the 2021-22 season. likely to be protected, but Detroit will have a decision to make between Namestnikov and Smith (younger forwards Filip Zadina and Joe Veleno But after a contract negotiation that had to be resolved in arbitration last are exempt). offseason, the injury and surgery won’t make Bertuzzi’s next contract any less complicated this time around. Bertuzzi is still a restricted free agent And on defense, the final spot should come down to Dennis Cholowski this summer, but his next contract (no matter the length) will take him to versus Gustav Lindstrom. Cholowski, as a former first-round pick, has unrestricted free agency. That means another one-year deal would risk more pedigree and a compelling offensive skill set (although he had just walking him to the open market next summer. On the flip side, though, a three points this season). Lindstrom, meanwhile, has a more defensive longer-term deal becomes a tougher proposition after the back injury this profile and has rated better than Cholowski this season by Goals Above season. It could make for a tough line for both sides to walk. Replacement (as measured by Evolving Hockey), which could be relevant for determining which player an analytics-heavy Kraken front Those challenges are reflected in Evolving Hockey’s contract projection, office is more likely to select. which has Bertuzzi signing a one-year deal worth $3.3 million. That would represent a pay cut for the player and walk him to unrestricted free By now, both have made their cases with their play, and it’s up to the agency, arguably an undesirable outcome for both sides. It is likely Red Wings to determine who is most prudent to protect. though, that projection is being strongly influenced by Bertuzzi’s limited number of games this season (nine). It has his two-year projection listed And, as a bonus, the Red Wings will need to be monitoring the pulse of at a $3.56 million average annual value and a three-year contract the rest of the league, to see if they can leverage the expansion draft to projected at $5 million annually. And on deals between four and seven add any players who might otherwise be exposed by other teams. years, the site projects a contract to land somewhere between $5.2 5. A crucial amateur draft million and $5.8 million AAV. July 23-24 are the dates Red Wings fans have circled on their calendars For the brief period when he was healthy this season, Bertuzzi was one all season long. Detroit won’t know exactly where it’s drafting for a few of the few Red Wings consistently scoring, so there’s no doubt he’s an more weeks yet, and the three points in the final series against Columbus important piece of their top six. And after turning 26 this spring, he is didn’t help in that regard, but whether the lottery lands them right at the Numerous factors contribute to that, and one obvious culprit was the top or drops them down again, finding impact talent at the top of the draft team’s power play, which ranked among the league’s worst in 2021 and is an absolute must. stands out as an area the Red Wings simply must devote major time to revamping this offseason. But it won’t be easy. It’s been an immensely difficult year for amateur scouting, with travel limited and major leagues offering small samples Getting healthy will help, but beyond that, Detroit will need to assess why (including the OHL not having a season). Especially if Detroit misses out it had such a hard time consistently scoring this season. Perhaps some on a pick at the very top of the draft, that’s going to leave some big of the scoring burden can be alleviated with steps forward by young decisions to be made with less data than in years past. It makes you feel players such as Zadina, Rasmussen and Joe Veleno, and a return to for Detroit’s scouts. form from Larkin. If so, then maybe the Red Wings can improve their offense internally. The Red Wings’ high picks are some of the most important assets they have in their rebuild, which means major pressure on the decisions they But while Detroit’s defensive growth made the team competitive, the Red make there. The extra first-rounder they acquired from the Capitals gives Wings won’t win consistently until they can score more than two goals a them some extra ammo, as do three picks in the second round. But game. Detroit’s single quickest path to adding a difference-maker will be with their own first-rounder. Here are some names worth considering in the 9. Which veterans return? top 10. There are two prongs to this one, with both free agency and buyouts in 6. Decide where they stand in the trade market question.

The Mantha trade reinforced that there are few untouchables in Detroit, On the buyout front, all eyes will turn toward Frans Nielsen after Yzerman and while Vrana’s inclusion in the deal signaled that Yzerman wanted the bought out Justin Abdelkader last fall. Nielsen has one year left on his team to continue to improve, it’d be irresponsible not to at least consider contract at a $5.25 million cap hit and $3 million in actual salary, whether the Red Wings are really done “selling.” according to CapFriendly, despite playing in just 29 games this season for the Red Wings and tallying six points. A buyout wouldn’t save Detroit Bertuzzi’s situation is, again, complicated, but his style of play is exactly as much real money as it did in Abdelkader’s case, with CapFriendly what contenders tend to seek for playoff hockey. That adds a layer to his projecting just $500,000 in total savings via a Nielsen buyout. But if contract situation because if Detroit doesn’t want to go long term with Nielsen is not expected to play a meaningful role next season, it could be Bertuzzi, trade possibilities would have to at least be considered. Robby worth considering regardless, adding merely a $500,000 cap hit for 2022- Fabbri is a year away from unrestricted free agency, too. 23.

Trading a forward would certainly run counter to one of Detroit’s primary Beyond that, Detroit has a few key pending UFAs it needs to make needs this season (adding offense) but if there’s any concern about decisions on, including the aforementioned Bernier. It is likely none would retaining either of the Red Wings’ top young forwards, it could become a be re-signed before the expansion draft regardless, to preserve topic, especially once the expansion draft has passed and teams around maximum flexibility, but Sam Gagner, Bobby Ryan, Luke Glendening, the league can be more aggressive in adding for next season. Valtteri Filppula, Darren Helm, Marc Staal and Alex Biega are all set to hit the market this summer. Or, on the flip side, could the Red Wings look to accelerate, and use their pile of picks to try to add? In a cap-crunched world, Detroit is one of the That will leave Detroit with some decisions to make, especially up front. If few teams well-positioned to take on salary, and Yzerman has hinted you pencil in Larkin, Bertuzzi, Vrana, Fabbri, Zadina, Rasmussen, he’s open to trading futures for established talent, as long as the players Namestnikov, Erne, Veleno and Panik into next season’s lineup, that involved fit the team’s desired age range. leaves room for two forwards in the nightly lineup, and up to four on the active roster (though Veleno may still have a bit more to prove in training Yzerman could even try to blend the two with a hockey trade, or camp to cement his spot). Ryan, Gagner and Glendening each make something in the mold of what he did with the Mantha deal, wherein he sense to bring back, but practically speaking, Detroit may need to narrow also took on Richard Panik’s contract (with two years left), likely upping that down and re-sign just one or two out of the three, depending on what the return. else Yzerman wants to do in free agency or with trades.

Yzerman’s trades have been some of his most impactful moves as GM Ryan is the best scorer of the three, but Gagner has better underlying so far, and this summer’s expansion draft frenzy and cap crunch could numbers, and Glendening fills a tough matchup role. His line with Erne set up an environment ripe for more. and Helm had some of Detroit’s best underlying numbers all season. Jonathan Bernier was a primary source of stability for the Red Wings the Each player can fill veteran leadership roles, too, and the Red Wings past two seasons. (Raj Mehta / USA Today) wouldn’t go wrong with any of the three.

7. Jonathan Bernier’s future 10. The excitement factor

Another reason, thanks to Greiss’ arrival and Jonathan Bernier’s Red Wings fans will likely be excited when they are (hopefully) allowed to continued consistency. return en masse to next season. That novelty should last for a while. Greiss will be back this fall, with another year left on his contract, and now all eyes turn to Bernier, the free-agent-to-be who has been a rock for But it won’t last forever. And when it starts to fade, fans will be left with a the Red Wings in each of the past two seasons. The Red Wings will need team that has missed the playoffs in five straight seasons and will be another goalie to pair with Greiss next season, and the best fit may very expected to do so for a sixth time in 2022. well be the guy already doing the job. Soon to be 33, Bernier finished the Yzerman has been patient in rebuilding the franchise, and the fan base, season with a .914 save percentage and has given no reason to think he to its credit, has been patient, too. At some point, though, they’ll want can’t keep that up. more than the vague hope of prospects and draft picks to get them There are some other interesting names set to hit the market if talks fall excited about coming to LCA. In reality, every rebuild is bound to hit that through, including Florida’s Chris Driedger, but Bernier has said he’d like point: years into the process, but before the team is ready to turn the to remain in Detroit, and it’s hard to argue with his results the past two corner. seasons. And with all of Detroit’s pro teams rebuilding at once, it may be magnified Either way, his fate likely won’t be resolved until after the expansion draft, in this instance. so Detroit doesn’t have to decide between protecting him or Greiss. The impending arrival of 2019 No. 6 pick should go a long 8. Finding more offense way toward fueling that excitement, after a dominant season in the Swedish Hockey League. The possibility Swedes Jonatan Berggren and While the Red Wings got better at keeping the puck out of their net in Lucas Raymond push for NHL time at some point next season lingers, 2021, that defensive improvement came with minimal increase in scoring. too. In fact, some of Detroit’s top scorers saw their offense regress this season, including Larkin. But especially if those two aren’t in Detroit, a little sizzle this offseason would go a long way toward setting the tone for next season. It doesn’t have to contradict Detroit’s overall patient approach, and it may even come in the form of one of the items listed above.

It just needs to give the fan base something it can look forward to, beyond getting back into the building.

The Athletic LOADED: 05.09.2021 1212117 Edmonton Oilers With the playoffs 10 days away, nobody’s advocating Nurse fight in case he breaks a hand, as Montreal’s did against the Canucks’ J.T. Miller on March 15. But stuff happens.

OILERS SNAPSHOTS: Tippett sees flashbacks of Gretzky in McDavid's “It’s been awhile since my emotions got that high. You don’t think about it game in the moment,” said Nurse.

EYES ON THE BALL

Jim Matheson • Publishing date:May 08, 2021 • 3 hours ago Oilers goalie Mike Smith, 39, isn’t a big numbers guy, except for wins and losses, so when told only five other netminders aged 38 and older had save percentages over .920 with at least 25 games played in a season over the last 65 years, he shrugged. was 20 and on the hockey team at the University of North Dakota on Dec. 30, 1981, when Wayne Gretzky scored five goals and hit Even if the list, as compiled by The Athletic’s Jonathan Willis, includes 50 in just 39 games against Philadelphia, so there was no, “I was there Jacques Plante, Gump Worsley, Johnny Bower, Dominik Hasek and when” moment for the Edmonton Oilers coach. — the first four in the Hall of Fame, and Luongo a lock when eligible. But after watching his captain, Connor McDavid reach 100 points in a game Saturday,Tippett knows how the stars Smith doesn’t care about save percentage, but he must be smiling that come out at night and go about their business when the light is shining his name is in the Vezina trophy race. With him, it’s wins that matter brightest on them. When he became an NHL centre, Tippett admits he most, as Hall-of-Famer Grant Fuhr used to say during the glory 1980s. If was scared silly of Gretzky, just as today’s NHLers have little chance he gave up four goals and the Oilers scored five, that was great with against McDavid, who got to 100 points in 53 games when Leon Draisaitl Fuhr. got his second of the night (500th and 501st career points). “To be honest, I don’t look at stats. I want to win and be a good leader on Sadly nobody was there in the rink to see McDavid’s staggering feat, and off the ice. I couldn’t agree more with what Grant said. I’ve played as unlike that Gretzky night 40 years ago when he had five goals on the long as I have to chase the (Stanley Cup dream),” said Smith. Flyers. “We really miss the fans They would have been going nuts tonight,” said McDavid. With Anaheim’s Ryan Miller now 41 and playing his final game this weekend, will Smith be around that long? Gretzky came in on a heater with 10 goals in the preceding four games– three against Minnesota, two against Calgary, one against Vancouver “Ryan’s had an incredible career and to be playing into your late 30s and and four against Los Angeles. Just as McDavid did with 16 points in his 40s, that’s obviously a unique statement,” said Smith. “I’m just enjoying last five games. “We were talking after the game, the coaches, about the ride right now. To be playing at my age, I’m still as hungry as I was Connor and what he had just one, and we said “you’ve got to remember when I was younger. I still have the drive to want to compete.” this is the NHL, the best league in the world,” said Tippett. Indeed, VACCINATION UPDATE McDavid is 21 points clear of Draisaitl, 33 of Mitch Marner and 35 of right now, all phenomental players. While many players on U.S.-based teams have been vaccinated, it’s a far different story in Canada. The Oilers aren’t jumping the line and, say, “Speaks to the magnitude of the year Connor’s having,” said Tippett. bringing in a nurse to vaccinate the players, en masse, with the playoffs There was a delirious full-house at on that looming. They’re following Alberta Health Services guidelines. Their December night in 1981 with Pete Peeters stoning Gretzky three times in medical personnel have been vaccinated but it’s not a team-wide thing. the last 10 minutes before Flyer coach pulled him for an extra Tippett has had the needle, but he’s 59. Presumably general manager skater as Peeters argued that he wanted to be in net if Gretzky scored. Ken Holland, who is 65 has, as well. The only cheering came from the Oiler bench when McDavid found Draisaitl for his 100th point. “Yup, I’ve had my first shot,” said Tippett.

“Probably fitting that it was Leon who helped him do it, on a one-timer POINTS ARE THE POINT that goalies have an awful lot of trouble stopping,” said Tippett. Gretzky scoffs at the idea that McDavid has so many points because he’s Tippett was a very good defensive centre in his day. playing teams nine and 10 times that aren’t that good in the North Division. Same story for Toronto’s Auston Matthews and Mitch Marner. “I was one of those guys who chased Gretzky around and I tried to keep But they’re 30 points behind McDavid. him off the board. You didn’t want Wayne embarrassing you. You’re playing for your life, you know it’s an awfully hard job,” said Tippett, who “Because of salary-cap issues, there’s so much more parity in the would have been gasping and grasping at straws trying to handle league. Don’t be surprised if the team coming out of the Canadian McDavid too. division gets to the Stanley Cup final. The teams in Canada are much better than people are giving them credit for,” said Gretzky. “Look at the “The game is a lot faster now than when I used to try and check Gretzky. division Vegas is in. They could play St. Louis in the first-round and Seemed kind of slow (in his day) as I look at it now. Connor’s skating and they’re no pushover. They won the Stanley Cup two years ago.” hand speed is phenomenal. No one guy can check a player like Connor,” said Tippett. According to media reports, ESPN has sounded out No. 99 on whether he would be interested in being a commentator on their new hockey Gretzky, Mario Lemieux, McDavid. The sky’s the limit with them. package next season. The vice-president of the Oilers Entertainment “The elite, elite players have a knack for impacting the game. I also Group may be intrigued, but would Gretzky, who lives in California, want played with Mario in Pittsburgh and there were games where he would a regular TV gig? just be dominant. The other team would be doing everything they could This ‘n’ that: Oiler Adam Larsson played his 600th NHL to stop him, but couldn’t. Certain players have that element. Connor’s in game. “That’s a hard, hard 600 games. I don’t think I’ve ever played with that group.” said Tippett. a guy who played that hard consistently,” said Draisaitl…Canucks’ Tyler NURSE GOT HIS DANDER UP Graovac only has 11 career goals but five have come against the Oilers…Lost in McDavid’s heroics has been an outstanding season by Darnell Nurse didn’t like Zack MacEwen’s knee to his head as he was on Draisaitl. With three games left he could wind up with 85 points over 56 all fours by the Vancouver bench after being high-sticked on the chin games and nobody has noticed… Dmitry Kulikov (lower-body) missed his Thursday, but didn’t cast any stones after MacEwen got a one-game first Oilers game since the April 12 trade with New Jersey, but it’s only suspension and missed Saturday’s tilt. day-to-day … Oilers centre Gaetan Haas sat out his fourth in a row but should be ready for the playoffs. “He took a shot off his foot (May 1 “I’m not going to sit up here on my high horse and say I’ve never done against Calgary) but he’s skating and it’s improving,” said Tippett. anything dirty. These things happen in the heat of the battle,” said Nurse, who cross-checked MacEwen in the back, later in front of the net, and Edmonton Sun: LOADED: 05.09.2021 they fought. 1212118 Edmonton Oilers And then lifted the roof off an empty by setting Draisaitl up again for a patented one-timer at 19:20.

“Everyone in the building was counting, the 20 people in the building Oilers' McDavid hits 100 points in vintage superstar performance were all counting,” grinned Draisaitl. “It was a very special night — mostly for him — but for us as teammates to be a part of it.

“You could sense early on that he had his legs and he wanted to do it Robert Tychkowski Saturday night on Hockey Night in Canada. He’s the best player in the world.” Publishing date:May 09, 2021 • 2 hours ago • One hundred points in 53 or fewer games isn’t a first. Mario Lemieux hit

100 in 38 games, twice. Wayne Gretzky did it in 50 and Jaromir Jagr did Expect anything different? it in 52.

In one of golf’s great moments, NBC’s Dan Hicks asked that famous But the last time it happened was 25 years ago. Those great seasons rhetorical question after Tiger Woods drained a 15-foot putt on the 72nd were back in the days of small goalies in brown leather pads on teams hole of the 2008 U.S. Open to force a playoff he would win the next day. that paid only passing attention to defensive structure.

The answer is no. And it helps illustrate that the true measure of That McDavid can do it in this era, and the fact that the next closest greatness is not so much an athlete’s ability to surprise people with player (who isn’t on his line) is 33 points behind him, tells you all you amazing accomplishments, it’s to be so dominant and do it so often that need to know about what he’s accomplishing right now. these accomplishment are what people come to expect. “It just speaks to the magnitude of the year he’s having,” said Tippett. So, it tells you all you need to know about Connor McDavid that hockey “And it’s remarkable. To distance yourself from elite players in the league fans across the country sat down in front of their televisions Saturday and is a special, special year. You don’t see this very often. It’s something fully expected the Edmonton Oilers captain to deliver four points on that adds to aura of what he’s doing.” Hockey Night in Canada to reach 100 in 53 games. Edmonton Sun: LOADED: 05.09.2021 And then, watching McDavid respond to the challenge tells you a little bit more. Four points in one game? How about four points in 40 minutes?

Like all superstars, McDavid flexed his flair for the dramatic and brilliant sense of theatre, registering a goal 45 seconds after the opening faceoff and three assists in the second period of a history-making 4-3 win over the Vancouver Canucks.

“What it does is solidifies that he is one of the top players to ever play the game,” said head coach Dave Tippett. “The level he’s played at this year, what he’s accomplished He’s taken his talents to another level that is just elite for the league.”

McDavid pulverized this chase, putting up three or more points in eight of his last 10 games. After spending all season producing at a rate that nobody else could match, he found another gear and totally eliminated any conversation whatsoever about who is the best and most valuable player in hockey.

“We were talking with the coaches,” said Tippett. “He’s had how many points in the last month? (31 in the last 11 games). Somebody said, ‘You have to remember this is the NHL, the best league in the world, and this is a player who gets checked harder than any other player in the league.’

“Every team comes in here and talks about how they’re going to check him and keep him off the board and he still does what he does. It’s an amazing, amazing feat, what he’s doing.”

McDavid was characteristically nonchalant about pushing hockey’s Richter scale deep into the red one more time.

“I was trying not to think about it, I was just trying to get myself ready for the playoffs and keep my game where it needs to be,” he said.

“But when you’re sitting there 97, 98 and you get to 99 points, it’s obviously in the back of your mind. Thankfully, I didn’t have to wait too long to get there.”

Leon Draisaitl says this season, this chase, has been a pleasure to watch and to be a part of.

“It’s just impressive,” he said. “I don’t think my English is good enough to find another word for it right now. It’s incredible. We’ve played 53 games and he’s at 100 points. It’s very impressive and fun to be a part of.”

When McDavid scored on his first shot of the game Saturday, it seemed like only a matter of time. He was a one-man swarm and his teammates were on high alert to make sure he got to 100. You could see it coming.

“Four-point nights aren’t something that come regularly,” said McDavid, who has three of them in the last eight games. “I was just trying to play a good game, play like I can. My legs felt pretty good. I was able to get on the board on the first shift. That always helps.”

He set up Jesse Puljujarvi at 6:52 of the second period for point 98. He set up Draisaitl (for the 500th point of Draisaitl’s NHL career) at 12:27. 1212119 Edmonton Oilers feature teams of NHL Entry Draft eligible players from the Quebec Major Junior Hockey League, Hockey League and and involve a round robin plus a final.

JONES: Latest COVID numbers spiked Oilers' plans for fans in the Sportsnet, the CHL right’s holder, is expected to build significant stands programming components around the actual game broadcast.

The three teams will all be headquartered in the same bubble as the 14 NHL teams and 10 world junior teams. Terry Jones Pre-event camps and quarantine would be involved, with the same AHS Publishing date:May 08, 2021 • 3 hours ago • protocols as the other near-perfect productions.

There are detailed plans being developed for the seating for the general managers and scouts of the now 32 NHL teams, involving mandatory Do you want to be a fan in the stands at Rogers Place for an Edmonton mask-wearing and social distancing in Rogers Place for the games. playoff game should the Oilers emerge from the four-team, first two rounds of the Canadian division of the one-off north-of-the-border playoff It is expected the NHL teams will have input on the players they want to series? have a ‘last’ look at, and in the case of some OHL players who didn’t have a season this year, the ‘only’ look at prior to the July 23-24 draft. Get a vaccination. Wear a mask. Social distance. Stay home. The WHL this week is completing a 24-game, division-only regular Do you want to see a Prospects Showcase & season. The QMJHL has managed to get in between 26 and 42 games NHL Combine added to Edmonton’s hockey bubble hosting triumphs in per team in a on-again, off-again schedule. There are no playoffs and for early July? a second straight season, there is no . Get a vaccination. Wear a mask. Social distance. Stay home. It’ll be a special made-for-TV event benefiting the poor players who lost The former may feature the first Montreal Canadiens-Toronto Maple much of their draft-year hockey season, but it continues to sit in limbo Leafs Stanley Cup playoff series since 1979, and the first Edmonton awaiting the AHS blessing. Oilers-Winnipeg Jets series since 1990. The winners would meet. A Get vaccinated. Wear a mask. Social distance. Stay home. whole lot would have to go right on the ice in the next month for Edmonton to advance to the final four. As soon as Alberta’s numbers drop, AHS and the provincial politicians won’t feel compelled to delay giving the event the go because of optics. Even more would have to go right in the coronavirus pandemic world for And with the vaccinations, who knows how the landscape might change that to happen. in a matter of a month if the Oilers get out of the North? It may seem like a long shot to some. But it was close, so very close, to Edmonton Sun: LOADED: 05.09.2021 having the first NHL game on Canadian ice with fans in the stands when the COVID-19 numbers suddenly spiked with the added component of new variants. If the numbers come down, it should promptly be close again.

Close? A plan was in place for April 2, 3 and 11 games in Edmonton in which there would have been a crowd made up of frontline workers invited to attend for free and be honoured and celebrated.

Back on March 1, it was confirmed that a 50-page document had been submitted to Alberta Health Services seeking permission to begin the process and after meetings with the provincial government, the verdict was that It looked good, that they trusted the Oilers organization in knowing how to do it as a result of the Stanley Cup and world junior experiences.

It was all set up.

Then came the spike and the skyrocketing numbers.

When it comes to the CHL Showcase Series & NHL Combine, there’s every indication that it is a lock.

The one-off event that specifically searched out Edmonton as the ideal location from the get-go has been teed-up for days to announce. Only one thing is missing. AHS and the provincial government have yet to sign off on it.

My belief is the hold-up totally involves optics tied to Alberta going from among the lowest coronavirus numbers to the current situation as one of the highest on the continent.

When awarded the front-to-final 81-game host-with-the-most Stanley Cup playoffs Hub City bubble honours, it was a no-brainer to come here. There wasn’t a single positive test involved in the ballistic staging of that event.

Those numbers held through the subsequent 10-team Hub City bubble hosting of the International Federation world junior championships. While Germany and showed up with players testing positive entering the bubble, it was a triumph the rest of the way.

With that track record, the only conclusion I can come to is that the delay is not about performance, it’s perception.

The event has basically been built for weeks now.

I can tell you that the CHL Prospects Showcase Series & NHL Combine has been organized for the first week of July. The showcase series will 1212120 Edmonton Oilers

Oil Spills: Are Oilers' preferred playoff foe Jets or Canadiens?

Craig Ellingson

Publishing date:May 08, 2021 • 23 hours ago

Just a couple of weeks from now, the Edmonton Oilers will be facing off against either the Winnipeg Jets or the Montreal Canadiens in the first round of the NHL playoffs.

But which of these two North Division rivals would the Oilers rather play?

The Oilers did have the upper hand on the Jets this season, winning seven of nine regular-season games between them, while the Canadiens have taken five of seven from them so far with two more to go.

Still, the Jets have an impressive collection of forwards and the reigning Vezina winner in goal, while the Habs don’t have the same quality of firepower up front.

Hockey writer Jim Matheson talks to host Craig Ellingson about which matchup would suit Edmonton best to start.

Edmonton Sun: LOADED: 05.09.2021 1212121 Edmonton Oilers Wayne Gretzky 85-86

41 “He’s one of the top players to ever play the game”: Connor McDavid’s 100-point season puts him in rarified air 129

170

By Daniel Nugent-Bowman and Jonathan Willis May 9, 2021 3

Cooney Weiland

Connor McDavid did the remarkable, likely the most remarkable 29-30 individual accomplishment of his career so far. 70 The Oilers captain recorded his 100th point of the 2021 season Saturday when he set up running mate Leon Draisaitl on a two-man advantage at 98 19 minutes, 20 seconds of the second period. 168

The assist capped off a four-point night as part of a 4-3 win over the 4 Canucks. Wayne Gretzky “Four-point nights aren’t something that come regularly,” said McDavid, who now has seven of them this season. “I was just trying to come in and 84-85 play a good game, play like I can. After the first one, it crosses your mind.” 58

Draisaitl immediately turned and looked toward McDavid, eager to 108 embrace him after the goal was scored. The Tragically Hip’s “Ahead by a 166 Century” blared over the speakers as players went to the dressing room for the intermission. 5

“He set me up a few times before that. I’m surprised he tried me one Mario Lemieux more time,” Draisaitl jokingly said. “It’s fun to be a part of it and he should enjoy this night.” 88-89

Though it was a milestone that seemed inevitable for days as McDavid 71 racked up an astonishing 27 points over his previous 10 games, it wasn’t 94 any less impressive. 165 “It solidifies he’s one of the top players to ever play the game,” Oilers coach Dave Tippett said of McDavid reaching the century mark in the 6 truncated season. Wayne Gretzky “This is a player that gets checked harder than any other player in the 83-84 league. I guarantee any team that comes in here talks about how they’re going to check him and keep him off the board, and he still does what he 69 does.” 94 “Unbelievable,” added goaltender Mike Smith before the game. “He’s a special talent who just continues to improve — which is mind-blowing in 163 itself. 7 “I don’t know why he’s settling on 100. There are higher goals out there Frank Boucher that he can hit.” 29-30 Hitting 100 points before the end of a 56-game season is easily McDavid’s most prolific offensive season. It’s also one of the best 42 campaigns in NHL history. 118 But just how good is it? 160 According to Hockey-Reference, McDavid went into Saturday’s game enjoying the ninth-best offensive season in league history. That’s 8 probably an understatement. Wayne Gretzky The list ahead of him is undeniably impressive. Wayne Gretzky and 82-83 Mario Lemieux are both featured, as one would expect. So too is legend Howie Morenz, who somewhat unexpectedly takes the top 57 spot on the list. Yet there are two other names that would surprise not just the casual observer but even a fan well-versed in hockey history. 102

HR's top-10 adjusted seasons 159

1 9

Howie Morenz Connor McDavid

27-28 20-21

67 51

123 107

190 158

2 10 Wayne Gretzky 20-21

81-82 22%

68 48%

88 Mario Lemieux

156 88-89

It’s because the 1929-30 season was a mess. Cooney Weiland and 19% Frank Boucher are deserving Hall of Famers, but neither managed to place higher than third in the Hart voting that year. The explanation of 19% their freakish numbers can be found in the only midseason rule change Cooney Weiland to be found in the NHL’s abbreviated guide to historical rule changes: 29-30 “Forward passing rules instituted at the beginning of the 1929-30 season more than doubled number of goals scored. Partway through the season, 5% these rules were further amended to read, ‘No attacking player allowed to 5% precede the play when entering the opposing defensive zone.’ This is similar to modern offside rule.” Frank Boucher

In other words, for the first and only time in NHL history, players were 29-30 permitted to sit in front of the opposition net and wait for the puck, wherever it happened to be. It created chaos, and the league reversed -5% itself a little over a month later, but not before six players in 1929-30 had -5% posted seasons that currently place in the top 40 by Hockey-Reference’s criteria. There are two columns here. The first shows percentage lead over the second-place scorer, regardless of team. The second eliminates a Even Morenz’s inclusion here is suspect, despite his three Hart wins. The player’s own teammates from consideration. NHL’s experimentation with new rules in the 1920s mean that 1925-30 was a golden age for scoring. Fourteen of the 40-best seasons of all time Peak Gretzky is simply unassailable. For four consecutive seasons, he fall in that five-year window. Even the 1980s, an era legendary for had a 50 percent lead on the next-best scorer in hockey, and a lot of offence and spanning twice the time period, contribute just nine and all of times it was a teammate. He remains the most impressive offensive them are courtesy of either Gretzky or Lemieux. talent in league history, and it isn’t even all that close.

What happens if we take those 10 all-time seasons and look at how But if you’re looking for the best non-Gretzky season of all time, McDavid much better a player having the legendary season was over the next- is in the mix. best skater? Lemieux was cursed with a career overlapping that of Gretzky, and he HR's top-10 adjusted seasons looks less impressive than he should here as a result. Gretzky’s 1988-89 season is the 22nd best in league history, according to Hockey- Wayne Gretzky Reference, and probably deserves to rank ahead of higher-rated 1920s’ 83-84 seasons posted by Weiland, Boucher, , Dick Irvin and Andy Blair. That’s the head-to-head competition Lemieux had in his own best 63% season.

70% Morenz, who led the NHL in goals, assists, and points in 1928, deserves to be in there, too. It’s all but impossible to fairly gauge a season played Wayne Gretzky so long ago and under such different rules, but three times Morenz was 82-83 chosen as the best player in the game and 1928 represents the absolute peak of his offensive powers. 59% McDavid’s also right there. Exclude his frequent collaborator Draisaitl 59% from consideration and he towers over Colorado’s brilliant Nathan Wayne Gretzky MacKinnon by almost 50 percent, a Gretzkian standard.

85-86 It’s a shame to reduce the brilliance of McDavid’s campaign to numbers, but it’s almost only by the numbers that we can appreciate how incredible 55% his achievement really is. Exclude Gretzky, and it’s the kind of accomplishment an NHL player has managed just three times in the past 55% 100 years.

Wayne Gretzky OK, so McDavid stacks up pretty darn well if we’re adjusting for eras. But 84-85 how about if we just look at the numbers in their totality?

54% Hockey historian and author Eric Zweig said he believes what McDavid is doing this season is astonishing, especially considering the point totals of 61% scoring champions since the 2004-05 lockout.

Howie Morenz Joe Thornton led the NHL in the first season back with 125 points and Sidney Crosby followed that up with 120. Those totals weren’t bettered 27-28 until Nikita Kucherov racked up 128 points in 2018-19. (It’s worth noting 45% Draisaitl had 110 points with 11 games to go on the Oilers’ schedule last season when the pandemic halted play.) 86% McDavid, on a prorated basis, is on pace to blow way past any of those Wayne Gretzky players’ career highs. He’s tracking to hit 155 points if this were a normal 82-game campaign. 81-82 “It’s kind of Gretzky-like,” Zweig said. 44% McDavid became the ninth player in NHL history to record 100 points in 44% no more than 53 games. The others? Gretzky 11 times, Lemieux six Connor McDavid times, twice, Phil Esposito twice, Jaromir Jagr, Bernie Nicholls, Steve Yzerman and Marcel Dionne.

The last player to surpass 150 points was Lemieux in 1995-96. The Magnificent One had 161 points that season.

That season, however, was slightly higher scoring than it is today. Per Hockey-Reference, teams scored 3.14 goals per game compared to 2.93 this season before Saturday’s action. Only three times have teams averaged three goals since — 2005-06 (3.08), 2018-19 (3.01) and 2019- 20 (3.02).

Without adjusting for era, Lemieux’s and Gretzky’s best year-end totals are in a league of their own — as any hockey fan knows. It’s not fair to compare McDavid to them, considering roughly two more goals per game were scored during Gretzky’s peak in the 1980s.

Hitting the 150-point mark has only happened 16 times in NHL history — nine times by Gretzky, four times by Lemieux, and once each by Yzerman, Esposito, and Nicholls.

It’s a shame, Zweig said, this isn’t a full season because McDavid might have been able to reach rarified air.

Instead, McDavid hitting the 100-point mark in a 56-game campaign brought the 1974-75 season to Zweig’s memory. Esposito hit 100 points in 54 games. Guy Lafleur did it in 56 games. needed 57 games.

“I’m not prepared to say he’s Bobby Orr yet — he might be — but he’s certainly Guy Lafleur in his prime,” Zweig said, adding McDavid should be a far more accomplished player than Lafleur by the end of his career.

None of those players, however, made it to 150 points. Orr led the league in scoring with 135 points in an 80-game season where teams netted 3.43 goals per contest.

That McDavid’s at the same pace in a far-lower-scoring era highlights the season he’s having.

“He’s going to be one of the all-time greats when all is said and done,” Zweig said of McDavid. “Unless the rules change or the style changes, he’s never gonna get 200 points. But if he wins six or eight scoring titles, that’s a pretty good indication he was the greatest player of his generation.”

McDavid will win his third Trophy — tying him with Lafleur and for seventh all time —in only his sixth NHL season. He’s finished second in scoring each of the past two seasons, too.

Gretzky’s 10 Art Ross wins will be tough to match, but Lemieux and Gordie Howe are second on the list with six, a total McDavid’s already halfway within reach at age 24. That Lemieux and Howe accomplished their scoring titles in eras with far fewer teams — just six for the bulk of Howe’s career — makes McDavid’s start to his career even more incredible, Zweig said.

“Gretzky, Lemieux, McDavid, Orr, Howe — those are gonna be the names,” he said.

The one knock against McDavid’s scoring prowess this season is his inability to face all NHL teams because of the COVID-19 intradivisional schedule. That means no matchups against the league’s top-seven defensive teams by goals against per game entering Saturday’s games — the Islanders, Golden Knights, Hurricanes, Bruins, Avalanche, Lightning and Stars.

Zweig understands why some might question McDavid’s achievement, but he believes it’s a red herring for anyone to harshly critique.

“It’s hard to know what McDavid would be doing if he was playing everybody,” he said. “But then again, you’d think playing against the same teams nine times, they’d have figured out how to stop (him) by now. And they haven’t.”

The Athletic LOADED: 05.09.2021 1212122 Edmonton Oilers 41 1.00

Tyler Benson Lowetide: What will Tyler Benson’s role be for the 2021-22 Oilers? Edmonton

68 By Allan Mitchell May 8, 2021 66

0.97 On May 3 in San Jose, mid-third period, winger Tyler Benson received a pass close to his own blue line. The clock read Benson was the fourth-best offensive forward among age-20 rookies in 7:24 remaining in a 3-3 tie as he reached his own blue line, 7:22 when he the AHL in 2018-19. Troy Terry (32 games), Dillon Dube (25) and Drake arrived in the Barracuda’s zone and sent a dart pass across the ice to Batherson (20) all spent some time in the NHL during the season, but linemate Cooper Marody. Five seconds after Benson sent the pass to an Benson spent the entire season in the minors. The prevailing wisdom at open Marody, the Condors grabbed a lead and would hold on for the 5-3 the time involved making sure he could stay healthy for an entire season win over San Jose. and post significant offence. Both were accomplished in his first pro season, with Benson proving to be a fantastic power-play option (22 Benson is money in AHL rinks with the puck on his stick and two skill points). linemates. As a rookie in the league in 2018-19, Benson posted the best numbers at age 20 among all Oilers forward prospects going back to 2019-20 AHL sophomores 2000. Drake Batherson Over 162 AHL games (including playoffs), Benson has 111 assists. In his three AHL regular seasons, Benson’s points-per-game rate (.914) is Ottawa slightly behind that of Marody (.937) and easily clear of other Condors in 44 the same time frame. 54 Benson’s entry-level deal expires at the end of this season, meaning he will be waiver-eligible. He’s also a candidate for selection by the Seattle 1.23 Kraken in this summer’s expansion draft unless the Oilers choose to protect him. Logan Brown

Should the club protect Benson? What possible role could he play for Ottawa next year’s Oilers? 25

Benson the player 28

Benson’s draft day scouting reports detailed excellent vision and passing 1.12 ability, along with great work ethic, defensive awareness and a rugged style. The Athletic’s Corey Pronman quoted a scout as saying he didn’t Dillon Dube make wow plays but was always around the puck and making good Calgary plays.

A few years later, Pronman’s comments were: “Benson is a very 13 intelligent playmaker. His skating remains a concern, and while he makes 13 a lot of plays, he has trouble finishing them.” 1.00 Reading between the lines, Benson appears to be the same exceptional passer, but he isn’t getting to as many plays in pro hockey because of Jordan Kyrou foot speed. He has also seen his deployment modified, spending time on St. Louis the penalty kill in the AHL this season in anticipation of his NHL usage. 16 AHL performance 15 Benson’s three seasons in the minors have been interesting compared with other forwards who arrived in the same season (2018-19). Here are 0.94 the numbers for the top players who were age-20 AHL rookies that season: Matthew Phillips

2018-19 AHL rookies Calgary

Drake Batherson 38

Ottawa 33

59 0.87

62 Janne Kuokkanen

1.05 Car/NJD

Dillon Dube 56

Calgary 48

37 0.86

39 Vitaly Abramov

1.05 Ottawa

Troy Terry 51

Anaheim 41

41 0.80 Benson has real value to Oilers general manager Ken Holland, and this is the summer to take advantage or lose the player to waivers (or New Jersey expansion). Benson is learning to penalty kill in the minors, indicating the 44 organization sees his entry into the NHL as a bottom-six role-playing left winger. In a recent piece on Dominic Kahun, I wrote the following about 34 the competition for No. 3 left winger in 2021-22:

0.77 Kahun is 102-84 for his career at five-on-five in on-ice scoring differential.

Tyler Benson James Neal has struggled to stay in the lineup this season.

Edmonton is a productive offensive player who doesn’t play as a regular. 47 Joakim Nygard has barely played this season. 36 Benson is pushing from the minors. 0.77 Dylan Holloway is a rookie pro next season and a risk due to a lack of Benson’s offence fell off in his second season, owing mostly to losing experience. Marody for long stretches due to injury. Still, he was a high performer for the Condors and remained in the range with his graduating class. Among As the Oilers currently align, left wing is the least-certain position entering the nine players listed, the NHL games played by the end of the 2019-20 summer. Will the team sign Ryan Nugent-Hopkins and another skilled season were significant. Benson played in seven games, while Terry winger such as Tomas Tatar for the top two lines? That’s going to cost (81), Dube (70) and Batherson (43) from the original group were gaining plenty and may force a Neal buyout. more traction. As I see it, Benson’s main competition for an NHL job in Edmonton is Among the players listed only in their second seasons, Jordan Kyrou (44 Kahun, who has more experience and is a successful five-on-five games) had played in the NHL for more than half a season by the time performer. Beyond that, it’s possible Holloway blows away the the second year of his entry deal expired. competition.

That brings us to this season, an unusual one because of COVID-19. Current management and the coaching staff have seen Benson and, in Benson played in Europe until the AHL season got underway and is one my opinion, project him as an inexpensive bottom-six forward who might of the best remaining from the fall of 2018’s AHL rookie class still working have some offensive potential. That likely puts him ahead of much of this for an NHL break. year’s group, with Kahun and Holloway as his main competition.

2021 AHL third-year forwards The role for Benson is as a two-way winger who makes the safe play, kills penalties and chips in enough offensively to stay in the lineup. I Boris Katchouk expect he’ll be in the 2021-22 opening-night lineup for the Edmonton Tampa Bay Oilers.

27 The Athletic LOADED: 05.09.2021

33

1.18

Taylor Raddysh

Tampa Bay

25

28

1.12

Tyler Benson

Edmonton

32

34

1.06

As Benson’s entry-level deal contract ends, he’s running with two Tampa Bay Lightning prospects as the prime group of candidates for recall. Benson has been passed by eight notable forwards selected after him in the 2016 draft who played in the AHL before heading to the NHL. If we use 50 NHL games as the official graduation for former AHL forwards, I count Dube (116 games), Dylan Gambrell (107), Kyrou (94), Carl Grundstrom (70), Janne Kuokkanen (60), Rasmus Asplund (56), Joey Anderson (53) and Brandon Hagel (51) as graduating before Benson.

Should the club protect Benson?

There are seven key forward spots on an NHL team: the top two lines and No. 3 centre. Benson has NHL ability but is unlikely to occupy a skill role next season in the NHL even with the expansion draft. The Kraken will be looking to fill those key forward positions along with top-four defence and a starting goaltender.

It’s likely a defenceman such as Caleb Jones will be the Kraken’s choice from the Oilers’ unprotected list.

What possible role could he play on next year’s Oilers? 1212123 Florida Panthers The cross check against Acciari set off boiling tensions. In the third period, Lightning defenseman Luke cross checked Acciari

again away from the play and tensions heated even more. The Lightning A hat trick, fights and 154 penalty minutes: Panthers rout Tampa in fiery finally lost it with 10:02 left in the game, when Owen Tippett lifted Tampa playoff preview Bay forward off his feet with a check and Lightning center Ross Colton tackled the right wing, throwing a punch at his head once he pinned the rookie onto the ice.

BY DAVID WILSON Bennett, Cirelli and Tampa Bay defenseman Fredrik Claesson all came out of the ensuing mayhem with misconduct penalties. Four minutes MAY 08, 2021 10:47 AM, UPDATED 3 HOURS 3 MINUTES AGO later, Montour, Gourde, Lomberg and Lightning winger Pat Maroon all got some, too, after a fight broke out between Montour and Maroon when the ice crew was already out on the rink for an official stoppage. Noel Acciari spent the last 30 minutes of the Florida Panthers’ rout of the Tampa Bay Lightning on Saturday looking for revenge. A dirty cross While time ticked away, a sellout crowd of 5,040 serenaded the Panthers check in the second period sent him tumbling headfirst into the boards, with cheers and chants. and back to the locker room to get his head and neck checked out, and Saturday was only the first taste and both teams planned to ease their fully ignited a brewing rivalry between in-state foes. way into a super-sized series. He already revenge on the scoreboard — the Panthers were cruising to a Florida held out forwards Patric Hornqvist and Carter Verhaeghe, who 5-1 win late in the third period — and still he searched until he found a are both recovering from upper-body injuries and plan to play in the partner away from the action. With 2:43 left in a blowout win, Acciari regular-season finale Monday. Tampa Bay scratched star defenseman landed punch after punch against Barclay Goodrow to punctuate a tone- Victor Hedman with a lower-body injury and decided not to rush versatile setting win in South Florida. superstar forward Steven Stamkos back from injured reserve before the The forwards both headed for the tunnels for the final two fighting playoffs begin. With only home-ice advantage at stake the possibility of penalties in a game filled with them. The Panthers and Lightning nine straight games against one another, the Panthers and Lightning combined for 156 penalty minutes in a final tune-up before the two rivals looked at the penultimate game of the regular season as part meaningful meet again in the first round of the 2021 Stanley Cup playoffs later this late-season showdown, and part preseason tune-up before the games month. really get important in the next few weeks.

“Both teams know we’re going to be facing one another,” coach Joel Instead, it became the birth of a rivalry 27 years in the making. Quenneville. “The score kind of went up and it sometimes we go back to “Honestly,” Huberdeau said, “I didn’t expect it to go this way.” old-time hockey.” Miami Herald LOADED: 05.09.2021 With two games in Sunrise to close out the regular season and a first- round series locked in, Florida (36-14-5) and Tampa Bay (36-16-3) could potentially play nine straight games against one another. The Panthers — by securing a four-goal win and goading the defending Stanley Cup champion into 78 penalty minutes — made their statement in the penultimate game of the regular season.

On Monday, they can lock up the No. 2 seed and home-ice advantage for the first round. They now lead the Lightning by two points and only need an overtime loss to finish second in the Central Division.

For nearly 30 years, Florida and Tampa Bay — natural geographic rivals with wildly divergent levels of on-ice success — have longed for reasons to hate each other. Now they have a reason.

Forward Alex Wennberg notched a hat trick. Defenseman Gustav Forsling, All-Star left wing Jonathan Huberdeau and versatile forward Sam Bennett all finished with two points, and Bennett added 12 minutes worth of penalties, including a 10-minute misconduct. Left wing Ryan Lomberg piled up 29 penalty minutes, including two misconducts, in his enforcer role.

“It’s a really tough game,” Wennberg said. “We both want to win and there’s a good chance here that you kind of rub people off a little bit, get a little intensity, get a little fire.

“It’s the playoffs coming up.”

The Panthers never trailed after Wennberg put them ahead 1-0 with 7:12 left in the first, and their lead swelled to 4-1 by the end of the second after goals by Huberdeau and Bennett, and another by Wennberg. Florida put at least four goals past star goaltender Andrei Vasilevskiy for the third time this season — something that has only happened eight times all year for the likely Vezina Trophy winner.

Goaltender Sergei Bobrovsky outdueled him with 28 saves on 29 shots.

“We played a good game tonight. That’s how we’ve got to play,” Huberdeau said. “We’ve got to make it hard on him and that’s how it has to be in the playoffs.”

When the final whistle blew on the second period, a scrum broke out around Vasilevskiy. Left wing Mason Marchment laughed while Mikhail Sergachev came after him. Bennett jumped in to tussle with the Lightning defenseman. Before the officials could pull everyone apart, defenseman Brandon Montour pried Yanni Gourde out of the mess to start a fight with Tampa Bay’s versatile forward. 1212124 Florida Panthers The teams meet again on Monday in Sunrise. Sun Sentinel LOADED: 05.09.2021

Fists fly as Panthers pepper Lightning; Florida needs win or OT loss in finale for home-ice edge

ASSOCIATED PRESS |

MAY 08, 2021 AT 10:06 PM

Alex Wennberg scored three goals to lead the Florida Panthers past the Tampa Bay Lightning 5-1 on Saturday night, keeping alive Florida’s hopes of earning home-ice advantage in the upcoming first-round playoff series between the intrastate rivals.

The Panthers (36-14-5) moved two points ahead of the Lightning (36-16- 3) and into second place in the Central Division in the fight-strewn affair that saw 146 penalty minutes handed out.

“You’ve got to be smart about how you’re playing,” Panthers coach said. “The score kind of went up and sometimes we went back to old-time hockey, but I thought we did a good job of staying together and doing what we had to do.”

Florida can clinch home-ice advantage if it finishes ahead of Tampa Bay in the standings after the teams meet again Monday night to end their regular seasons.

The Lightning, who failed to pick up a point for the second consecutive game after going 6-0-1 in their previous seven, need a regulation victory to finish ahead of the Panthers.

[Popular in Sports] Winderman: Heat-Celtics a rivalry with meaning, mouthiness, melodrama | Commentary »

Wennberg’s hat trick was the second of his career — both coming this season — and gave him 16 goals. Jonathan Huberdeau and Sam Bennett each had a goal and an assist.

“Obviously this year it’s been a little crazy, but for me to come in with this new team and get a fresh start with coaches, players and all, it’s been a blast,” Wennberg said. “But there’s still a lot left in the season here, so I’m excited to be even better.”

Luke Schenn scored for Tampa Bay.

Bennett returned after missing the Panthers’ overtime win over Dallas on Monday with an upper-body issue. His 10th goal of the season came on a power play with 16:53 left in the second.

The Lightning answered 1:45 later when Schenn controlled a crossing pass from Barclay Goodrow and slid the puck through traffic past goalie Sergei Bobrovsky for his second goal this season.

Wennberg’s second goal off an assist from Frank Vatrano with 7:07 left in the second gave Florida a multiple-goal lead for the remainder of the game.

NARROWING THE GAP?

The Panthers have won four of seven games this season against the reigning Stanley Cup champions with one of the Lightning’s victories coming in overtime. They have outscored the Lightning 27-24 this season.

OFFICIAL SWAN SONG

The game was the last in the career of longtime NHL linesman Pierre Racicot, who is retiring. Racicot officiated over 1,800 games and 10 as well as the 2006 Winter Olympics. Both teams lined up to honor Racicot after the game, with Panthers defenseman Keith Yandle giving Racicot, a Weston resident, his stick following their embrace.

ALMOST READY

Patric Hornqvist (upper body) and Carter Verhaeghe (upper body) sat out for Florida, but coach Joel Quenneville said both would have played had Saturday’s contest been a playoff game.

UP NEXT 1212125 Florida Panthers

Wennberg’s hat trick leads Panthers over Lightning in first warmup for playoffs

Published 7 hours ago on May 8, 2021By George Richards

Back in the day, the Florida Panthers used to host boxing matches at BB&T Center.

On Saturday, the Panthers and Lightning engaged in a little Saturday Fight Night as the two teams got reacquainted with one other — and their fists.

The Panthers won Saturday’s opening appetizer before the main course comes in the playoffs next week, getting another Alex Wennberg hat trick in a 5-1 win over the Lightning in Sunrise.

It appears whatever bad blood Florida’s two NHL teams have between them is warmed up again.

Get FHN+ today!

Both teams already appear sick of each other — and this thing hasn’t even really started yet.

The Panthers and Lightning played the first of what could be a nine-game set on Saturday.

The two teams combined for over two hours — 154 minutes (at last count) to be exact — of penalty time as six misconducts were handed out. By the time the game was over, both benches had plenty of room on them as a few teammates had been thrown out.

Saturday’s game not only featured at least a half dozen fights, but even had one during a timeout when Brandon Montour and Pat Marrone went at during a break as workers cleaned up rubber rats and ballcaps following Wennberg’s third goal.

This is really going to be fun, eh?

”I love it,’’ Sergei Bobrovsky said. “That’s the game of hockey and that’s the best of it. We had a good crowd behind us, had a great atmosphere and we’re going to see those guys a lot. I love everything about tonight’s game.”

Florida Hockey Now LOADED: 05.09.2021 1212126 Florida Panthers

Owen Tippett gets great opportunity as Panthers open Lightning Month

Published 19 hours ago on May 8, 2021By George Richards

After spending part of this season alternating between the taxi squad or a checking-line role, Owen Tippett finds himself in the limelight as the Tampa Bay Lightning visit the Panthers on Saturday night.

Due to various injuries among the Florida forwards, Tippett has been given a bigger responsibility in playing up on the second line and the rookie forward is thriving in his new position.

Even though the Panthers are getting healthier as we head toward the playoffs, Tippett is continuing to get his chance.

Get FHN+ today!

In practice this week, Tippett was on the right side of Huberdeau with Sam Bennett in the middle.

Patric Hornqvist, who had been playing on the second line for much of the season, remains playing with Alex Wennberg but now it’s with Frank Vatrano.

Not only is Tippett getting to show off the big shot he is known for, but the Panthers’ 2017 first round pick is showing off some pretty sweet playmaking ability as well.

Florida Hockey Now LOADED: 05.09.2021 1212127 Los Angeles Kings Center Gabe Vilardi combined his formidable reach with his soft hands as he extended his stick around defenseman Patrick Nemeth to deliver a deft pass to Walker. Walker controlled the puck off his skate and then went backhand to forehand for his fourth goal of the season with 6:02 left Kings fall to Devon Toews, Avalanche in the first period. Walker has 16 points on the year, five of which have come in his last three games, and Vilardi has three goals and an assist

over his three-game scoring streak. By ANDREW KNOLL |PUBLISHED: May 8, 2021 at 11:30 p.m. | “I liked our game tonight. There were moments where I thought where we UPDATED: May 9, 2021 at 12:32 a.m. were, especially early, maybe a little bit intimidated; they are a very good team,” McLellan said. “Once we started to play we were aggressive, our forecheck was much better than it was yesterday.” Though the Kings played a superior game to their effort Friday, they lost by an identical 3-2 score to the same opponent, the Colorado Avalanche, The Avs had gone up by a pair 3:27 earlier off a power-play goal. A failed at Staples Center Saturday. clearing attempt that hit the skate of forward Adrian Kempe extended Colorado’s zone time. While it was Makar to winger Mikko Rantanen on Defenseman Sean Walker and rookie center Rasmus Kupari lit the lamp the power play for a one timer on Friday, the play went the opposite for the Kings. Cal Petersen negated 27 of 30 shots. direction Saturday with Rantanen sending a nimble pass for a heavy one- timer from the point by Makar. Winger set an effective Defenseman Devon Toews scored twice for the Avalanche while screen in front for Makar’s eighth goal and his second in as many games. defenseman Cale Makar produced a goal and an assist. Winger Andre Burakovsky had two assists for the second straight night, stretching his Petersen had to contend with point-blank shots from forwards Joonas point streak to five games. Jonas Johansson made 16 of 18 saves for his Donskoi and J.T. Compher off miscues, and his work kept the Kings in a fourth win in six starts since being acquired by Colorado. game where they were despite being doubled up in shots through 20 minutes. “They pushed, they played hard, to a man, through the whole lineup,” Kings Coach Todd McLellan said of his team despite its defeat. Colorado had opened the scoring less than five minutes in when Compher’s pass off the rush first struck Burakovsky’s skate and then McLellan said that in the dying days of a season condemned to end next Kupari’s stick before landing on Toews’s blade for a rising wrist shot that week, he was attempting to focus on a specific area each night. became his eighth goal of 2021. Saturday, it was the forecheck, and McLellan liked what he saw for most of the game. Additionally, he said he was evaluating intangibles among Orange County Register: LOADED: 05.09.2021 his young group.

“We’re looking for the character part. That, I think, is as important at this time of year as structure, passing skills and all those types of things. We passed that test tonight,” McLellan said.

The Kings managed to piece together a solid third-period push including a promising rush and an opportunity for center Anze Kopitar to feed winger Lias Andersson in the slot. They did not record a shot on goal in the former instance, and were thwarted by a last-instant stickcheck by Makar in the latter.

They pulled Petersen with around two minutes to play but failed to score. They have not yet scored six-on-five this season, which has three games remaining for the Kings.

“That third period was as fast of a period as we’ve played in a long time,” McLellan said.

An early third-period power play breathed life into the Kings’ game. First they sustained pressure on one trip up the ice, and then they scored two seconds after Colorado’s penalty expired, 5:21 into the period.

Andersson extended his point streak to three games when he made a short pass to Kupari, who had somehow found ice between the circles that was quiet enough to load up a lively shot. It was Kupari’s first NHL point, and in his first game action since March 8.

“Obviously it’s a great feeling to score my first NHL goal. I’ve got to give credit to Lias, it was a great pass,” Kupari said.

Kupari said he continued working on his physical play and puck protection over the past two months. McLellan said he felt the rookie settled in as the game progressed, carried the puck with confidence and made effective use of his respectable shot.

In the second period, the Kings did not build significantly on the momentum of a strong finish to the first period. Their best shift of the second came right near its conclusion. Earlier, they needed an authoritative glove save from Petersen on a sterling chance for center Nazem Kadri during a power play to avoid falling down three goals.

Near the halfway mark of the game, Colorado earned some breathing room. They drew the Kings to the right side of the zone, at which point Toews activated, creeping from the left point to the left faceoff circle. There, he received the puck from Makar, lurched toward Petersen and whipped a shot high to the short side for the second time Saturday for his ninth goal of the campaign.

The first period featured the Avs darting out to a two-goal lead before the Kings halved their deficit, all on goals where a skate came into play. 1212128 Los Angeles Kings Yeah, you used the word settled in, I think he was better in the second half of the game, but our whole team was. He transported puck well, I thought he skated with authority when he had it, he made some nice plays to keep pucks alive in the offensive zone. The goal was a great FINAL – Kings 2, Avalanche 3 – Kupari, McLellan play by Lias, to look off, and one of the things that Ras has is a heavy, accurate shot and he used it in that situation. Our bench was excited for

him, I know he was real excited. He’s got a memory now, and hopefully By Zach Dooley4 hours ago there’s a lot more to come.

On the things he feels Kupari improved on from his first stint

For the second consecutive game, the Kings pulled themselves to within Obviously his game has improved, the more experience he gets at the a goal in the third period but were unable to find that next one, in another American League level the better. Fortunately for him, he’s playing on the 3-2 defeat against the Colorado Avalanche. power play there a lot, he’s been able to penalty kill, he’s one of the go-to guys, and that transfers over into confidence at the NHL level. That’s The Avalanche scored the game’s first two goals, as a part of an opening where we’re at as an organization. Some of these kids could be here half of the first period that was spent mostly in front of the Kings net. probably a little bit longer, and a little bit more, but they won’t get what First, Colorado capitalized on a defensive miscue, which left Devon they need. Playing down there is a great thing for many of them. Quinton, Toews alone in the slot, where he buried off the post and in for the Rasmus, Lias has a ton of confidence right now because he was patient game’s first goal. Just past the midway point of the opening frame, the enough with us to go there and find his game. He’s become a very Avalanche made it two, as Cale Makar scored on a one-timer from the effective player for us. It’s a real good tool for us to have that American center point for his second goal in as many nights. League team here.

Los Angeles pushed back, however, as they didn’t allow a shot on goal On his focus points in terms of player evaluations in the final three games for the rest of the first period following Makar’s tally. The Kings then got on the board just over six minutes before the intermission, as Gabriel We’re looking for the character part, and that is as important right now, at Vilardi threaded a pass to a charging Sean Walker, who corralled the this time of the year, as structure, passing, skills, all those types of puck off his skate and buried his fourth goal of the season to cut the things. We passed that test tonight. We plan on giving them a few things deficit in half. to focus on each night, tonight was forecheck and a few adjustments to see if we need to change the way we play a little bit. I liked our forecheck Colorado scored the lone goal of the middle stanza, with the Makar – tonight, it was the first time in a long time I thought we were more Toews pairing combining yet again. Makar fed Toews across the high aggressive. We’ll give them assignments that way, there’s some targets slot, and Toews fired top shelf, over Petersen’s glove hand, from the top that we need to hit, power play, penalty kill, some 5-on-5 goals that we of the circle for his second goal of the evening. want to achieve down the stretch. The pure organizational evaluation of individuals right now. If you haven’t already won a job or lost a job, this is Kings forward Rasmus Kupari pulled his team within one early in the third when it’s beginning to really happen. We’ll probably remember the last period, with his first career NHL goal. With the hosts just coming off of a five games a lot more than we’ll remember the first five, so without man advantage, Lias Andersson fed Kupari in the low slot, and the rookie putting pressure on a whole bunch of players, that’s just how it is. Next forward beat Colorado netminder Jonas Johansson with a wrist shot to year, another crop comes in and it challenges. Attrition is a good thing for make it a 3-2 game. every team in the league and we’re getting younger and we’re moving Down the stretch, the Kings played with heart and had a few good looks forward. If you’re not along for the ride, if you’re not getting better, we’re to potentially tie the game, but for the second straight night, they came going past you. A great challenge for some of the guys that have been up one short, with Colorado winning by a 3-2 final. here for a little while, keep your job.

Hear from Kupari and Head Coach Todd McLellan from after tonight’s Notes – game. – Forward Rasmus Kupari scored his first career NHL goal with a power- Rasmus Kupari play tally in the third period.

Todd McLellan – Kupari became the fourth Kings player this season to score his first career NHL goal, joining Jaret Anderson-Dolan, Tobias Bjornfot and On the team’s play tonight, and the character and intensity shown Arthur Kaliyev.

I liked our game tonight. There were moments where I thought, early, we – With his first-period goal, defenseman Sean Walker extended his were maybe a little bit intimidated, they are a very good team, but I scoring streak to three games. Walker also added an assist and now has thought once we started to play, we were aggressive, our forecheck was eight points (2-6-8) over his last eight games. much better than it was yesterday. I liked our game. We made a few mistakes and against a team like that, with their ability to score, they – Forward Gabriel Vilardi also extended his scoring streak to three make you pay. The character and the drive, there’s nothing there to games, with the lone assist on Walker’s goal. question. Our guys showed up with it tonight, they pushed and they – Forward Lias Andersson joined Walker and Vilardi as he too extended played hard to a man, right through the whole lineup. While it’s his scoring streak to three games, with the primary assist on Kupari’s disappointing losing, there are some positive signs, especially playing in goal. that type of game. That third period was as fast a period as we’ve played in a long time. – Goaltender Cal Petersen started games on consecutive nights for the second time this season and the fourth time in his NHL career. On what he liked most from the team in the third period The Kings are not scheduled to practice tomorrow, following the back-to- The forecheck, we made a few adjustments to our forecheck, changed a back this weekend. The team is slated to return to the ice on Monday, for few things up, the guys bought into it. I thought we were a lot more morning skate in advance of the home finale versus St. Louis. aggressive, it didn’t hurt us defensively and it created a couple of power- play opportunities. I’m not sure if the goal that Ras scored was a power- LA Kings Insider: LOADED: 05.09.2021 play goal or not, it was right at the end, but after that, we pushed and we challenged them to be a real good defensive team, which they were and are. We were close, but those are moral victories. We’ll take some of them right now, as we wind things up, but eventually, moral victories don’t get you a whole lot and we have to get better as a team. I’m actually pleased that we’re playing against teams like Colorado and St. Louis to finish the year, because as I said yesterday, it gives us a great evaluating tool, there’s nothing easy about playing against these teams and we get to evaluate against the best.

On Rasmus Kupari settling in and getting his first career NHL goal 1212129 Los Angeles Kings

Game Thread – Kings vs. Avalanche, 5/8

By Zach Dooley8 hours ago

Los Angeles Kings 2, Colorado Avalanche 3

9:33 Left, Third Period

Game Previews: LA Kings Insider – NHL.com – Colorado Avalanche

Bally Sports Live Stream

Pre-Game Live Show (Call-In 877-KINGS20)

SOG: LAK – 16 COL – 30

PP: LAK – 1/2 COL – 1/3

First Period

1. COL – Devon Toews (8) – (Andre Burakovsky, J.T. Compher) – 4:46

2. COL – Cale Makar (8) – (Mikko Rantanen, Andre Burakovsky) – 10:31 (PP)

3. LAK – Sean Walker (4) – (Gabriel Vilardi, Alex Iafallo) – 13:58

Second Period

4. COL – Devon Toews (9) – (Cale Makar, Pierre-Edouard Bellemare) – 9:45

Third Period

5. LAK – Rasmus Kupari (1) – (Lias Andersson, Sean Walker) – 5:21 (PP)

Saturday, May 8, 2021 – 7:00 p.m. PT

STAPLES Center – Los Angeles, CA

Referees: #18 Tom Chmielewski, #37 Pierre Lambert

Linesmen: #67 Travis Gawryletz, #74 Trent Knorr

Bally Sports West, Fox Sports GO, LA Kings Audio Network

LAK Starters: G Cal Petersen, D Mikey Anderson, , F Adrian Kempe, Anze Kopitar,

LAK Scratches: Dustin Brown, Blake Lizotte, Matt Luff, Kurtis MacDermid, , Christian Wolanin

COL Starters: G Jonas Johansson, D Devon Toews, Cale Makar, F Gabriel Landeskog, Tyson Jost, Mikko Rantanen

COL Scratches: Devin Dubnyk, Samuel Girard, Nathan MacKinnon, Liam O’Brien, , Carl Soderberg

LA Kings Insider: LOADED: 05.09.2021 1212130 Los Angeles Kings AVALANCHE VITALS: Despite having several players out of the lineup due to injury, Colorado had one of its most dominant puck-possession nights of the season, controlling nearly 68 percent of the shot attempts at even strength yesterday. 5/8 Preview – No morning skate, Byfield/Kupari, learning, iAfAllo, Reign, ceremony photos Colorado Head Coach Jared Bednar indicated that the team would likely split the starts in goal this weekend, which points to Jonas Johansson between the pipes for Colorado. Johansson has never faced the Kings in his NHL career, and while he had a difficult start to the season with By Zach Dooley13 hours ago Buffalo, the Swedish netminder has posted a 3-2-1 record, with a .910 save percentage and a 2.27 goals against average, with one shutout since joining the Avalanche. WHO: Los Angeles Kings (21-25-6) vs. Colorado Avalanche (35-13-4) Here’s how Colorado lined up yesterday at STAPLES Center – WHAT: NHL REGULAR SEASON GAME Landeskog – Jost – Rantanen WHEN: Saturday, May 8 @ 7:00 PM Pacific Nichushkin – Kadri – Donskoi WHERE: STAPLES Center – Los Angeles, CA Burakovsky – Newhook – Compher HOW TO FOLLOW: Video: – AUDIO – iHeart Radio Soderberg – Bellemare – Sherwood – TWITTER: @DooleyLAK Towes – Makar TONIGHT’S MATCHUP: The Kings and Avalanche complete their back- to-back set tonight, with the final game between the two teams at Graves – Timmins STAPLES Center this season. MacDonald – Nemeth HEAD-TO-HEAD: Forward Anze Kopitar leads all Kings skaters with five points (0-5-5) from five head-to-head games played this season against Grubauer / Johansson Colorado. Forwards Gabriel Vilardi and Adrian Kempe each have two Notes – goals against the Avalanche this season, with Vilardi tallying last night. Colorado forward Mikko Rantanten scored on the power play last night, – McLellan talked after last night’s game about preferring to play a game for his team-leading fourth goal and seventh point against the Kings so like that to a “token” game against another non-playoff team. The far this season. Avalanche are still fighting for playoff seeding and are taking these games as such, though rest is also a priority for the visitors, at the end of KINGS VITALS: Following the back-to-back, the Kings did not hold a such a condensed season. morning skate today. Colorado has controlled the puck all season in the five head-to-head Goaltender Cal Petersen made 34 saves on 37 shots last night, as he fell matchups with the Kings, with more than 60 percent of the shot attempts to 0-4-0 versus Colorado this season, despite very solid splits (.932 at even strength going in their favor in total. McLellan pointed to SV%, 2.55 GAA). Petersen has started games on consecutive days once defensive awareness and game management as being key points of this season, on April 23 and 24. Goaltender Jonathan Quick is currently emphasis for his younger players in these types of games, where they considered day-to-day with an upper-body injury, but has not been don’t have as much of the puck. officially ruled out, while Troy Grosenick is also an option, after serving as the backup yesterday. “A lot of it is our defensive awareness in play and game management. They’re so good off the rush and so good off of transition, they do such a On the backend, the Kings seem to have found their preferred group of good job of drawing players to the puck and finding open people off of it. six, with the six blueliners who dressed last night playing their tenth Makar’s goal, their third goal, is a prime example. The player delays, we consecutive game together. all migrate to the puck and they hit the late guy. We’ve talked about it and Up front, expect to see at least one change, with yesterday’s game talked about it and we still have players that have a real tough time not against Colorado likely serving as Quinton Byfield’s final game in the chasing the puck all over the place. Reading the dangerous area of the NHL this season. Byfield’s stat line concludes with one assist from six ice, taking that away, but some of that is experience. Maybe some aren’t games played, but a very positive impression left on his head coach. going to get it, others are going to improve, but that’s where we’re at right now and we just continue to sort it out.” “From a coaching perspective, I think he’s a trusting player, and why do I say that about a young, 18-year-old? Because of the way he – Alex Iafallo wore an “A” for the first time in his NHL career last night. comprehends things and how he applies them, puts them into the game,” Following the trade, the vacant letter fell to an obvious Todd McLellan said of Byfield yesterday. “I thought he improved as time candidate in Dustin Brown, but with Brown now shut down for the went on, it was a big test for him to play tonight. He supported the puck season, Iafallo earned what he described as a huge honor. really well on a lot of the breakouts, he won battles, he showed escape “It’s definitely a huge honor,” he said yesterday. “I saw it when I got into skills with the puck. I think he had vision and wanted to make plays, the locker room and I had a big smile on my face. It’s a huge honor, we sometimes they were knocked down, but he’ll get used to the pace of have a lot of leaders on this team and to be a part of that core is very play and wingers will get in better positions for him over time. He’s special. I’m just honored to be a part of it.” certainly an NHL player at the age of 18, I can’t wait to see him when he’s 22.” While Todd McLellan said that he believes the concept of the letter to be overstated in some ways, he commended Iafallo for not changing Byfield’s play leaves us wanting to see more, but with a long-term focus anything about himself, with or without a letter on his jersey. on both his development, as well as the organization as a whole, the team is not planning to use a year of his entry-level contract, which limits “Alex didn’t play out of character, he didn’t change his character at all, his involvement to six games in this shortened season. he’s been a quiet leader in the locker room,” McLellan said last night. “He leads by example on the ice, all the little things that he does, and it was An option to step in is forward Rasmus Kupari, who was reassigned from quite easy to put it on him when Dustin couldn’t go.” the AHL’s to the taxi squad yesterday, with Kupari taking morning skate yesterday. Kupari made his NHL debut in March, and was Whether or not Iafallo will continue to wear a letter this evening remains scoreless from three games played with the big club. Of those who have to be seen, but his growth and development as a part of the team’s played at least 30 games with the Reign this season, Kupari’s .71 points- secondary core is apparent, with the letter on his jersey just another step per-game is the second-highest rate amongst all skaters. A good in that process. opportunity for a young player to get another crack at impressing at the NHL level. – The Ontario Reign won again last night and have now won five straight games, including all three played during the month of May. After a slow We’ll get a better sense of tonight’s lineup closer to puck drop. start to the season, with several younger players making their professional or North American debuts, the Reign have found their stride at the right time. After a trio of wins in Colorado, Ontario swept a home and home against San Diego, with wins in both El Segundo and Irvine over the last three days. The Reign have three regular-season games remaining, including the home finale tomorrow afternoon, before participating in the AHL’s Pacific Division playoff tournament.

The Reign will begin their playoff adventure on May 18 at FivePoint Arena in Irvine, CA. The Reign will need to win two games in two days in the play-in round to reach the semi-finals, which would be a best-of- three, followed by a potential best-of-three finals, with all games on the road.

Lastly, some photos from last night’s ceremony, honoring Kings captain Anze Kopitar on his 1,000th career NHL point.

LA Kings Insider: LOADED: 05.09.2021

1212131 Minnesota Wild

Victor Rask continues bounce-back season by scoring in Wild's overtime victory vs. Ducks

By Sarah McLellan Star Tribune MAY 9, 2021 — 12:57AM

The Wild started the same group for overtime Saturday as it did Friday when the Wild quickly picked up a 4-3 victory over the Ducks.

And although the team secured the same outcome, another 4-3 win against Anaheim at Xcel Energy Center, a new crew delivered.

Victor Rask turned a Matt Dumba stretch pass into a game-winning shot, unleashing the puck behind Ducks goalie Ryan Miller 2 minutes, 46 seconds into overtime for Rask's second goal in as many games.

"He makes plays," coach Dean Evason said of Rask, who reached the 10-goal mark with the tally. "There's lots of ice out there. He's such an intelligent player. He's one of those guys that is one step ahead. He's always thinking one step ahead."

The previous night, captain Jared Spurgeon and center Joel Eriksson Ek set up Kirill Kaprizov for the clincher. That trio was back on the ice again Saturday in overtime, but this time the game didn't end in the Wild's favor until Rask took the ice. He scored late into his shift with Dumba and winger Mats Zuccarello.

And while Rask usually anchors his line defensively at 5-on-5, his goal was yet another reminder of how effective he can be at the other end of the rink.

After scoring just five goals last season to go along with eight assists, Rask has been much more productive in 2021. Aside from his 10 goals, he also has 13 assists. His 23 points are the most since he had 31 with Carolina in 2017-18.

"We do feel very good about his game period," Evason said. "We have from the start. We made a commitment as an organization in the summer when we sat down as a management team we had to give a guy like him a shot. We talked about it. He needs to get an opportunity to play. He was given the opportunity. But more importantly he's taken it and run with it."

The Wild finished the regular season 21-5-2 at home for a .786 points percentage that is tops in franchise history – besting 2006-07 (.768), 2017-18 (.756), 2013-14 (.695) and 2016-17 (.683).

"Obviously, we have a great record at home," winger Nick Bonino said. "So, we took care of business this weekend, gave ourselves a chance at home ice in the playoffs, and then see where the chips fall with Colorado's games moving forward. But we'll just try to handle what we can and see if we have home ice. That's something we'd really like."

Before leaving the ice after the game, the Wild shook hands with Miller, who was playing his final NHL game. Miller announced last month he'd be retiring after the season, and the Ducks' schedule ended Saturday.

"The game is such a wonderful game and for guys like that, for Miller, to play as many games as he did and how many years and with the standard of his play has been absolutely phenomenal," Evason said. "We have a great respect for that."

The Wild will close out its regular season in St. Louis, playing the Blues Wednesday and Thursday before the playoffs begin.

"We could start Saturday next week," Bonino said. "We'll recharge for two days, get a good skate in and play two heavy games against a good team and kind of get back to that playoff mode and go from there."

Star Tribune LOADED: 05.09.2021 1212132 Minnesota Wild

Saturday's Wild-Anaheim game recap

MAY 8, 2021 — 11:44PM sarah mclellan

GAME RECAP

STAR TRIBUNE'S THREE STARS

1. Victor Rask, Wild: The center scored the game-winner in overtime.

2. Kirill Kaprizov, Wild: The rookie assisted on two Wild goals.

3. Ryan Miller, Ducks: The goalie made 21 saves in his last NHL game before retiring.

BY THE NUMBERS

4 Consecutive games in which Kaprizov has tallied multiple points.

5 Overtime finishes for the Wild in its past six games.

12 Wins in 16 starts on home ice this season for goalie Cam Talbot.

Star Tribune LOADED: 05.09.2021 1212133 Minnesota Wild Said Wild coach Dean Evason: "Hopefully our young guys really appreciate where these guys have come from and how they've competed for that long and try to do the same."

Victor Rask scores in OT to lift Wild past Ducks, 4-3 NO PARISE AGAIN

Wild LW Zach Parise was a healthy scratch for the second straight game and third time since April 5. "It's numbers, and we have to make a By MIKE COOK Associated Press MAY 8, 2021 — 10:45PM decision. It's a tough call, obviously, but you've got to make that decision," Evason said.

In the ninth season of a 13-year, $98 million deal, Parise has seven goals ST. PAUL, Minn. — Victor Rask scored 2:46 into overtime and the and 11 assists in 44 games, but zero of either in nine straight games as Minnesota Wild beat the Anaheim Ducks 4-3 on Saturday night. his playing time has steadily decreased. Jared Spurgeon, Ryan Hartman and Nick Bonino also scored and the UP NEXT Wild finished 4-1-2 on a season-high, seven-game homestand. Kirill Kaprizov added two assists and Cam Talbot stopped 19 shots. Wild: First of two games at St. Louis starting Wednesday.

Minnesota, which began the day a point behind Colorado for second Star Tribune LOADED: 05.09.2021 place in the West Division and home-ice advantage for the opening playoff round, is 21-5-2 at Xcel Energy Center this season, including 19- 2-2 since Jan. 31.

"Whenever you're playing at home, you want to make sure you take care of business, and we've done that so far this year and we have to continue that going into playoffs," Spurgeon said.

Near the end of his shift, Rask took a pass from Matt Dumba and hammered a shot past Ryan Miller from the left circle.

"It was just a great pass by Dums, he caught everyone off guard. I wasn't very tired, so I still had legs," Rask said.

Miller concluded his stellar 18-season career by making 21 saves for Anaheim, which finished 17-30-9 and missed the playoffs for the third straight season.

Rickard Rakell, Trevor Zegras and Max Comtois scored, the latter on a slap shot with 25.5 seconds left in regulation.

"The last few games we're playing against very, very good teams and you can see we're right there and we just got to take that next step," coach Dallas Eakins said.

Kaprizov, the favorite to be named the league's top rookie, has 24 assists among his team-leading 51 points. He has 11 goals and five assists in his last 12 games.

His second helper of the night was a saucer pass to Hartman for an easy redirect for a 2-1 lead.

"I would be more than fine with him shooting that puck too. Good chance he's going to put it in the net. … The goalie has to respect his shot and his ability to score and I was just there," Hartman said.

Bonino took a feed from Nico Strum to score less than a minute later.

Zegras scored early in the third period to get the Ducks within 3-2 and was robbed by a sprawling save by Talbot a few minutes later.

Anaheim did not score during its lone power play. Its 8.9% success rate this season is the worst in modern-era league history. Tampa Bay had a 9.4% power-play percentage in 1997-98.

ONE LAST MILLER TIME

Miller received congratulations from all Ducks and Wild players after the game, his 796th and final one. He also received a standing ovation following a tribute video played during the first period. Miller countered with a wave and stick salute.

His parents were among those watching in person.

"It was nice to have them there. They were there at the beginning and I felt it was the right thing to have them there at the end," Miller said.

Finishing with a career record of 391-290-1 playing for Buffalo, St. Louis, Vancouver and Anaheim, Miller is the all-time leader among American- born goaltenders in wins, second in shutouts (44) and games played (795) and is one of six goalies in league history to win 30 games in seven straight seasons (2006-12).

Miller won the Vezina Trophy in 2009-10 with Buffalo, going 41-18-8 with .929 save percentage and a 2.22 goals-against average. He also backstopped the United States to a silver medal at the 2010 Vancouver Olympics that season and was named the tournament's MVP. 1212134 Minnesota Wild "There's multiple teams in this league where you go into their building you know it's going to be a tough night," Hartman said, "and we want to be one of those teams where they come into the Xcel and they're expecting a long night." Victor Rask wins it for the Wild in another overtime game with Anaheim Star Tribune LOADED: 05.09.2021

By Sarah McLellan Star Tribune MAY 8, 2021 — 11:55PM

The next time the Wild plays at Xcel Energy Center will be in the playoffs, opponent to be determined.

But whoever the Wild faces could be in for an uphill climb when the series descends on St. Paul.

Despite needing overtime for the fifth time in the past six games, the Wild still defended its ice by outlasting the Ducks 4-3 on Saturday in front of 3,300 fans to finish the regular season 21-5-2 at home, for the best points percentage in franchise history (.786).

"Whenever you're playing at home, you want to make sure you take care of business," captain Jared Spurgeon said. "We've done that so far this year, and we have to continue that going into playoffs."

Victor Rask was the latest to capitalize in the extra session, taking a stretch pass from Matt Dumba and wiring it into the back of the net at 2 minutes, 46 seconds for his 10th goal of the season, second in as many games and third career overtime tally.

"It was just a great pass by [Dumba]," Rask said. "He caught everyone off guard."

The finish spoiled Anaheim goalie Ryan Miller's final game. The NHL's all-time wins leader among U.S.-born goalies is retiring, and after the game, Wild players lined up to shake hands with Miller, whose family was at Xcel Energy Center. He made 21 saves against the Wild.

"It was nice to have them there," Miller said of his parents. "They were there in the beginning. Felt it was right to have them there at the end."

This trend of bonus hockey started with the Wild rallying in the third to extend the action, but recently it's been the Wild blowing late leads — including against the Ducks.

With 26 seconds left in the third and Miller on the bench for an additional attacker, Max Comtois served up a game-tying goal on a one-timer. Earlier in the period, Anaheim moved within a goal of the Wild at 3-2 on a Trevor Zegras shot at 2:18.

Overall, though, this was a much crisper performance by the Wild after a bevy of turnovers to the Ducks in the 4-3 overtime win on Friday. Cam Talbot had 19 saves, improving to 12-2-2 at home.

BOXSCORE: Wild 4, Anaheim 3 (OT)

"We just weren't risky," coach Dean Evason said. "We didn't try to make plays between legs and sticks. The guys were very committed."

After the Ducks scored 12:02 into the first on a Rickard Rakell deflection, the Wild responded at 16:32 of the period when Kirill Kaprizov dropped the puck for Spurgeon for a redirect on the power play.

"He's so deceptive with the puck, and obviously he's a threat to shoot at any time," Spurgeon said. "So, it makes the goalie honor him."

The assist was Kaprizov's 50th point and pushed his point streak to a career-high six games. Kaprizov has five goals and five assists during that run, and he's the first Wild rookie to record three point streaks of five- plus games in a single season. The Wild finished 1-for-4 on the power play; the Ducks were 0-for-1.

That 1-1 tie hung around until Kaprizov set up Ryan Hartman on a 2-on-1 break that Hartman finished 15:05 into the second. The helper extended Kaprizov's multipoint-game streak to four, another Wild rookie record. Kaprizov finished the week with four goals and two assists in four games.

"I would be more than fine with him shooting that puck, too," Hartman said. "Good chance he's going to put it in the net."

On the very next shift after Hartman's goal, the Wild doubled its lead after Nick Bonino slapped the puck by Miller at 15:56. The next Wild goal was Rask's clincher, a goal that helped the team get closer to possibly snagging home-ice advantage in the first round of the playoffs. 1212135 Minnesota Wild "There's multiple teams in this league where you go into their building you know it's going to be a tough night," Hartman said, "and we want to be one of those teams where they come into the Xcel and they're expecting a long night." Victor Rask wins it for the Wild in another overtime game with Anaheim Star Tribune LOADED: 05.09.2021

By Sarah McLellan Star Tribune MAY 8, 2021 — 11:55PM

The next time the Wild plays at Xcel Energy Center will be in the playoffs, opponent to be determined.

But whoever the Wild faces could be in for an uphill climb when the series descends on St. Paul.

Despite needing overtime for the fifth time in the past six games, the Wild still defended its ice by outlasting the Ducks 4-3 on Saturday in front of 3,300 fans to finish the regular season 21-5-2 at home, for the best points percentage in franchise history (.786).

"Whenever you're playing at home, you want to make sure you take care of business," captain Jared Spurgeon said. "We've done that so far this year, and we have to continue that going into playoffs."

Victor Rask was the latest to capitalize in the extra session, taking a stretch pass from Matt Dumba and wiring it into the back of the net at 2 minutes, 46 seconds for his 10th goal of the season, second in as many games and third career overtime tally.

"It was just a great pass by [Dumba]," Rask said. "He caught everyone off guard."

The finish spoiled Anaheim goalie Ryan Miller's final game. The NHL's all-time wins leader among U.S.-born goalies is retiring, and after the game, Wild players lined up to shake hands with Miller, whose family was at Xcel Energy Center. He made 21 saves against the Wild.

"It was nice to have them there," Miller said of his parents. "They were there in the beginning. Felt it was right to have them there at the end."

This trend of bonus hockey started with the Wild rallying in the third to extend the action, but recently it's been the Wild blowing late leads — including against the Ducks.

With 26 seconds left in the third and Miller on the bench for an additional attacker, Max Comtois served up a game-tying goal on a one-timer. Earlier in the period, Anaheim moved within a goal of the Wild at 3-2 on a Trevor Zegras shot at 2:18.

Overall, though, this was a much crisper performance by the Wild after a bevy of turnovers to the Ducks in the 4-3 overtime win on Friday. Cam Talbot had 19 saves, improving to 12-2-2 at home.

BOXSCORE: Wild 4, Anaheim 3 (OT)

"We just weren't risky," coach Dean Evason said. "We didn't try to make plays between legs and sticks. The guys were very committed."

After the Ducks scored 12:02 into the first on a Rickard Rakell deflection, the Wild responded at 16:32 of the period when Kirill Kaprizov dropped the puck for Spurgeon for a redirect on the power play.

"He's so deceptive with the puck, and obviously he's a threat to shoot at any time," Spurgeon said. "So, it makes the goalie honor him."

The assist was Kaprizov's 50th point and pushed his point streak to a career-high six games. Kaprizov has five goals and five assists during that run, and he's the first Wild rookie to record three point streaks of five- plus games in a single season. The Wild finished 1-for-4 on the power play; the Ducks were 0-for-1.

That 1-1 tie hung around until Kaprizov set up Ryan Hartman on a 2-on-1 break that Hartman finished 15:05 into the second. The helper extended Kaprizov's multipoint-game streak to four, another Wild rookie record. Kaprizov finished the week with four goals and two assists in four games.

"I would be more than fine with him shooting that puck, too," Hartman said. "Good chance he's going to put it in the net."

On the very next shift after Hartman's goal, the Wild doubled its lead after Nick Bonino slapped the puck by Miller at 15:56. The next Wild goal was Rask's clincher, a goal that helped the team get closer to possibly snagging home-ice advantage in the first round of the playoffs. 1212136 Minnesota Wild vaccinated to gather without masks and social distancing, dine outdoors at restaurants and even golf as a group.

Other permissible activities include eating on team buses and flights, Wild's Kirill Kaprizov showing knack for scoring big goals valeting vehicles and use of saunas and steam rooms.

These changes apply to only players and staff who are two weeks past their final dose of a COVID-19 vaccine. By Sarah McLellan Star Tribune MAY 9, 2021 — 1:01AM Unvaccinated individuals must still abide by the previous protocols, including wearing masks and practicing social distancing.

Kirill Kaprizov keeps finding new ways to impress during his rookie The Wild has not yet reached the 85 percent threshold to implement season. these new rules.

After he showcased how consistent he can be, scoring in five straight Star Tribune LOADED: 05.09.2021 games in late April to help the Wild lock up a playoff berth, Kaprizov revealed another skill of his during the seven-game homestand the Wild wrapped up Saturday and that's how clutch he is.

"It just shows what kind of player he really is," defenseman Ryan Suter said. "He's on fire, and we have to keep him going."

Kaprizov delivered the game-winner Friday in overtime to push the Wild past the Ducks 4-3, the fifth time he's scored in the third period or beyond in the last five games.

He tied the score at 4 on April 29, a 5-4 overtime loss to the Blues, and had the equalizer Monday on the way to a 6-5 rally against the Golden Knights. Kaprizov scored twice in the third on Wednesday, pulling the Wild even and burying the go-ahead goal before the team fell 3-2 in overtime in the rematch with Vegas.

Then, on Friday, he added an overtime finish for his 11th goal in 11 games.

And where that late-game prowess could really shine is in the playoffs, where the action is constantly at a make-or-break intensity.

"The harder the game, the grittier he becomes and steps up in those situations," coach Dean Evason said. "Probably everybody in the league feels that they've played playoff type of hockey games already this season. So, it shouldn't not only set him up but set our group up to go forward."

Parise scratched again

The Wild made a switch in net from Friday, subbing Cam Talbot in for Kaapo Kahkonen, but the rest of the lineup stayed the same Saturday and Zach Parise was a healthy scratch for a second straight game.

"We have to make a decision," Evason said. "It's a tough call, obviously, but you have to make that decision. We've used so many people this year. We've seen so many different scenarios and obviously if you want to get to where you want to go, you're going to have to use a lot of bodies.

"So, we ask everybody to stay ready when called upon. We expect you to be ready physically, mentally to help us have success, and we don't anticipate anybody that's not in the lineup to not do that."

Parise was pointless in nine consecutive games before getting bumped from the lineup, the latest rough patch in a tumultuous season for the veteran winger.

He's been slotted lower in the lineup this year, taking up residence mostly on the fourth line. Parise has played infrequently on the power play, and his ice time and production have declined from previous seasons.

Also, after he was a healthy scratch in March for the first time in his Wild tenure, Parise was sidelined by the COVID protocols.

"I feel terrible for him," Suter said. "He works his butt off. It's just too bad that it has to be like this."

Evason said everybody is told the same way, one-on-one, when they're out of the lineup.

"It's not just your name's not up on the board so you're not playing," Evason explained. "You have a conversation. You open the communication line for the player to vent his displeasure or concerns or reasonings why. It's no different for any player that goes through it."

Change in protocols

The NHL has modified its COVID protocols for the playoffs, allowing vaccinated personnel on teams that have 85% of its traveling party 1212137 Minnesota Wild The Wild drafted Eriksson Ek 20th overall in 2015 because he was the diligent, two-way center he was brought up to be, but the team also felt he had offensive upside.

Joel Eriksson Ek at last emerges as a scorer Wild believed he could be Eriksson Ek previewed some of that potential when he started with the Wild, scoring three goals and assisting on four others in 15 games in 2016-17.

By Sarah McLellan Star Tribune MAY 9, 2021 — 12:59AM But his production became sporadic as he settled in with the organization. Eriksson Ek picked up only six goals in 2017-18 and had

just seven the season after that. The Wild sent him to the minors to find Joel Eriksson Ek's parents never miss a Wild game. his game; at other times, he was a healthy scratch.

Puck drop is usually in the middle of the night in Sweden, like 2 or 3 a.m., Still, Eriksson Ek was effective elsewhere. He was clean in his own zone. but Clas and Anna either stay up or catch the action first thing in the He killed penalties. And he forechecked like a fiend. morning. "I hate to play against him when we do the scrimmages in the summer," What they have seen this season is Joel at his finest. said Wild defenseman Jonas Brodin, who has the same hometown, Karlstad. "I always try to get on the same team because I just hate to "You're proud," Clas Eriksson said. "You're glad that he is doing good." play against him. He's so good with his stick. He works so hard and is all over. I always try to be on the same team as him." A first-round draft pick as a defense-first center, Eriksson Ek has transformed into a reliable goal scorer, graduating from supporting cast Last season, when he went full time with the Wild, it looked as if Eriksson to headliner while discrediting projections that pigeonholed him into a Ek had established what kind of player he would be in the NHL: a depth role. checker who matched up against the opposition's best and not so much the dual-threat center the team pegged him as when the Wild drafted "We wanted to see him take the next step in the offensive part of the him. game, and he's done that," Wild General Manager Bill Guerin said. "Meanwhile, he hasn't sacrificed his 200-foot game doing so." But then the dynamics around Eriksson Ek changed. The Wild overhauled the roster and, by cutting ties with veteran centers Mikko Eriksson Ek has introduced a new version of himself, but to a family Koivu and Eric Staal, the team created a void — not just up the middle that's had a front-row seat to his entire career, this isn't an epiphany. but on its masthead, too. It's a revival. And that's when Eriksson Ek seized the spotlight. "He's like the boy he's always been," Clas said. "It's been pretty exciting to see how he's grown into the player he is now," Education in defense linemate Marcus Foligno said.

Although he never considered his son following in his footsteps, Clas isn't Center of attention surprised Joel took up hockey. In his first stint as the undisputed No. 1 center, Eriksson Ek has shattered Clas played professionally in Sweden and Anna Ek worked with children his previous record for goals in a season, going from eight to 19 with two at the community rink, so Eriksson Ek was always around the game. He games to go. and younger brother Olle, now a goalie in the Anaheim Ducks Only St. Louis' Ryan O'Reilly has had a better turnaround in the NHL organization, went to the arena after school. after playing at least 50 games last season, each scoring 12 more goals. "He loved stepping on the ice," Clas recalled in a telephone interview. "I always knew how good he was skating with him in the summers," "He was so happy. It was like the best thing he could do." Brodin said. "It's nice to see him play with confidence and make plays When he was about 5 years old, Eriksson Ek started playing, and early in because I always knew he could score." his education he learned to defend. He practiced being in the correct His output is third on the Wild, trailing dynamic Kirill Kaprizov (27) and position and leveraging his stick, concentrating on the details in the sport. (20), and Eriksson Ek is tied with Kaprizov for the most goals "That's the way it starts in Sweden," Clas said. "You're going to have to at even strength (19). He's also been clutch late in games with 11 third- start to do the defensive side of the play because otherwise you're not period goals. going to play." But what's been admirable about this rebrand is where Eriksson Ek has This focus didn't neglect offense. scored.

"You have five guys defending," Joel said, "but you also have five guys All but two of his goals have been buried from the hash marks in, or trying to score." within about 20 feet of the net. He routinely causes dust-ups near the crease with an aggressive style that irritates opponents. But it explains why, as he progressed through the ranks, Eriksson Ek was a defensive stalwart. "I like to go there," Eriksson Ek said. "Most of the goals are scored there."

It's the foundation of his game. Aside from close-range shots, Eriksson Ek has capitalized on a greasy buffet of deflections, a wraparound and six rebounds, including two off And after that was in place, he revealed the rest of his skill set. his own shots. His .164 shooting percentage is more than double his "He's always been able to score all the levels he's been at," Clas said. efficiency in each of the past three seasons. "But every time it's taking a while before he begins to score because he's Overall, Eriksson Ek has generated the most scoring chances at 5-on-5 always wanted to start from the right side." for the Wild (96), according to Natural Stat Trick, and the most high- Keeping score danger chances (62), all while taking the most punishment among forwards, absorbing 65 hits. Eriksson Ek moved through junior hockey in that manner, scoring seldom and then more regularly. The same thing happened when he finally "He has the guts to be where the goals are scored," Clas said. progressed to Sweden's top division as a teenager. He finished with four Eriksson Ek is averaging a career-high 17 minutes, 4 seconds, almost a goals as a rookie and then got to nine when he returned for his second minute and a half more than last season, and he believes the added ice season, a decent total for the low-scoring league. time has helped his confidence. His goals have come without power-play His evolution with the Wild is no different. time, but responsibility breeds expectation, and Eriksson Ek recognized that he was being put in a position to deliver. "In the NHL, it's even tougher," Clas said, "because the players are much better, and it takes even longer." "Once you get to play a little bit more, I think you almost have to score a little more than I did before," he said. The surge, however, didn't short-circuit his hardwiring. Eriksson Ek makes among the most defensive-zone starts on the team for forwards and his line faces more top players than anyone else — almost 30% of their ice time, according to PuckIQ.com. And yet the number of goals the Wild gives up per 60 minutes when Eriksson Ek is on the ice is lower than most of his teammates.

That's been his trademark, his defense, but Eriksson Ek also wants to be known for his offense.

Succeeding at both like he has this year might merit him Selke Trophy attention as the NHL's best defensive forward.

"I definitely knew who he was, knew the name," said goaltender Cam Talbot, who is in his first season with the Wild. "Did I know he was as good as he is? No. He just does so many of the little things that it takes to be successful in this league. He just does them all right, and he does them with intensity and he does them the right way."

Stepping up

A former face of the Wild's future, Eriksson Ek is now prominently presiding over the team's present.

The 24-year-old took a turn as an alternate captain when Zach Parise was sidelined, has a key contract negotiation looming and wields the clout to help decide how far the Wild advances through the playoffs. His line with Foligno and Jordan Greenway has been the Wild's most consistent, their brash style a natural fit for the 6-3, 208-pound Eriksson Ek.

"We like playing with each other," Eriksson Ek said. "We think pretty much the same."

Eriksson Ek realizes he is relied on to do more, and he enjoys that because it means coach Dean Evason trusts him.

"He's feeling that he is important," Clas said, "and he has a great group around him and great coaches with him."

Clas believes his son can be an even better hockey player, but he doesn't offer up advice despite his credentials. When they talk after games, Clas and Anna just want to know how Eriksson Ek is doing and if he's healthy.

"We are Mom and Dad," Clas said. "We are more concerned about other things than the performance on the ice."

What makes them happy is when they can tell Eriksson Ek is happy.

And he is.

He's happy.

"He has more in him than he's showing now," Clas said, "so I think this is a step. If I know him, and I hope I do, he's going to work to get a couple of steps more."

Star Tribune LOADED: 05.09.2021 1212138 Minnesota Wild "Whether you are first-line left wing, fourth-line right wing, if you're sharpening skates, if you're driving the equipment truck, doing video … everybody is important," Guerin said. "We're going to do what we have to do to win." Wild GM Bill Guerin found right coach down the hall Evason approaches his job in that manner. Team over individual always, which is why he would rather take a puck to the face off a slapshot than talk about himself. His demeanor is steely-eyed intense. He probably MAY 9, 2021 — 1:04AM went undefeated in staring contests in elementary school. Chip Scoggins He is unafraid to hold players accountable. He has scratched Zach Parise, benched Kevin Fiala and shuffled lines to find combinations that work better. Handling egos can be tricky, but Evason seems to strike the Bill Guerin had an opening for a head coach and, like any good general right balance of being demanding while getting players to respond the manager, he already had a list of candidates he wanted to interview. right way. Winning certainly helps.

The assumption was that Guerin would bring in "his guy" to coach the "You have to treat people fairly and treat players with respect, which he Wild. That's how the world of usually works. A new does," Guerin said. "It's not just about that one guy." GM comes in after a regime change, fires the coach he inherited and replaces him with "his guy." A tale as old as time. Never is, but Guerin needed to find a coach who shared that foundation. He didn't need his list. The guy was right down the hall. Guerin followed that script to a point. He fired Bruce Boudreau last February, named assistant coach Dean Evason the interim boss and Star Tribune LOADED: 05.09.2021 made plans to conduct a true search with the names on his list.

Evason figured to be a long shot. Or no shot. He was here because the previous general manager, Paul Fenton, brought him in, presumably to replace Boudreau at some point.

Then Fenton got fired. And Evason was "his guy." And Guerin had his own list.

On top of that, hockey is known for its cronyism. With so much recycling of coaches, the NHL is doing its part to save the planet.

Guerin kept an open mind, though. He spent more time with Evason late last season and liked how the Wild responded to his direction, going 8-4 before the COVID pause.

Guerin decided last summer to buck convention and stay in-house.

"I liked the way he carried himself," Guerin said in a conversation this week. "It was like somebody I would enjoy being teammates with."

The move looks smart so far. The team is 43-21-5 in one-plus seasons under Evason, and it will finish the regular season this week as one of the three best teams in its division. The Wild has been one of the league's biggest surprises under Evason's leadership, a playoff-bound team in what initially looked like a transition season.

Here's the ultimate compliment to Evason, besides the win-loss record: His team is fun to watch. The Wild's style of play is fast and exciting and no longer induces naps on the couch.

Of course, having a superstar of Kirill Kaprizov's caliber step into the lineup will make any coach look better, but Evason has done a masterful job of implementing Guerin's no-excuses philosophy inside the locker room.

"I felt like this is a guy that I can grow with," said Guerin, who still maintained flexibility by giving Evason a two-year contract.

Though their playing careers overlapped, Guerin only knew Evason as an opponent — a "pain in the ass" to play against, he notes. The two really didn't know each other when Guerin assumed control of the operation.

Guerin sees a lot of himself in his coach.

"We are very blunt, we call it like we see it and we're not afraid to say the hard things," Guerin said.

Being so alike that way occasionally has its moments.

"We've had our blowups, but we don't hold a grudge," Guerin said. "It's just, 'Hey, this is what's happened. Let's talk about it.' I think it's made us both better."

They are unified in creating a new culture for the organization. Guerin has been upfront about turning the page on the previous way of doing things. He only looks forward, not backward.

Only two things matter in their sphere: team and winning.

Neither has time nor interest in anything that interferes with that. 1212139 Minnesota Wild

Wild host the Ducks following overtime victory

By The Associated Press Associated Press MAY 8, 2021 — 2:05AM

Anaheim Ducks (17-30-8, eighth in the West Division) vs. Minnesota Wild (34-14-5, third in the West Division)

St. Paul, Minnesota; Saturday, 8 p.m. EDT

FANDUEL SPORTSBOOK LINE: Wild -294, Ducks +235; over/under is 5.5

BOTTOM LINE: The Anaheim Ducks visit Minnesota after the Wild knocked off Anaheim 4-3 in overtime.

The Wild have gone 34-14-5 against division opponents. Minnesota ranks ninth in the league averaging 3.3 goals per game, led by Kirill Kaprizov with 27.

The Ducks are 17-30-8 against West Division opponents. Anaheim is last in the league averaging only 3.5 assists per game. Cam Fowler leads the team with 18 total assists.

The teams meet for the second game in a row.

TOP PERFORMERS: Kaprizov leads the Wild with 49 points, scoring 27 goals and adding 22 assists. Kevin Fiala has 13 points over the last 10 games for Minnesota.

Maxime Comtois has 31 total points while scoring 15 goals and totaling 16 assists for the Ducks. Trevor Zegras has four assists over the last 10 games for Anaheim.

LAST 10 GAMES: Wild: 7-1-2, averaging 4.2 goals, 6.6 assists, 2.6 penalties and 6.1 penalty minutes while giving up 3.1 goals per game with a .900 save percentage.

Ducks: 3-6-1, averaging 2.1 goals, 3.2 assists, three penalties and 6.6 penalty minutes while giving up 2.9 goals per game with an .895 save percentage.

INJURIES: Wild: Kevin Fiala: day to day (lower body).

Ducks: Jakob Silfverberg: out (lower body).

Star Tribune LOADED: 05.09.2021 1212140 Minnesota Wild

Victor Rask nets game-winner as Wild beat Ducks in OT

By DANE MIZUTANI PUBLISHED: May 8, 2021 at 9:44 p.m. | UPDATED: May 8, 2021 at 10:52 p.m.

Nobody on the Wild felt good about their effort in Friday’s overtime win over the the Anaheim Ducks.

Though superstar rookie Kirill Kaprizov ultimately stole the show to help the Wild secure the two points, coach Dean Evason lamented the seemingly constant stream of turnovers throughout the game.

Asked about the overall effort, Evason summed it up in a succinct statement: “Tonight, we didn’t respond properly. Tomorrow, we need to.”

Likely, the Wild blowing a two-goal lead in Saturday’s game wasn’t what Evason had in mind. In the end, though, Victor Rask scored the game- winner to lift the Wild to a 4-3 overtime win.

More than the win itself, Evason was happy with the way the Wild cleaned up their game after a sloppy effort 24 hours earlier.

“Tremendous,” Evason said. “We talked in between both periods about how we were doing the right things. It wasn’t like we dumped it in every time either. We just weren’t risky. We didn’t try to make plays between legs and sticks The guys were very committed. They talked their way through it and adjusted themselves and came out the right way tonight.”

Still, the Wild found themselves chasing the game midway through the first period after Rickard Rakell redirected a shot to put the Ducks ahead 1-0.

That seemed to energize the Wild and Jared Spurgeon tied the score at 1-1 late in the first period thanks to a perfect pass from Kaprizov in close.

“I thought he was going to look me off a couple more times,” Spurgeon said with a smirk. “He’s so deceptive with the puck and obviously he’s a threat to shoot at anytime so it makes the goalie honor him, too.”

That paved the way for the second period where the Wild started to take over. It started with Ryan Hartman netting a tap-in goal to make it 2-1. It was eerily similar to Spurgeon’s goal earlier in the night as Kaprizov found Hartman with a brilliant pass.

“I would be more than fine with him shooting that puck, too,” Hartman said with a smile. “There’s a good chance he’s going to put it in the net. But like Jared said, the goalie has to respect his shot ,and his ability to score. I was just there.”

Less than a minute later, Nick Bonino increased the lead to it 3-1 with a blast from the slot.

While it looked like the Wild had the game in the bag at that point, the Ducks had other ideas in the third period.

The comeback started when Trevor Zegras cut the deficit to 3-2 with a blistering wrist shot that snuck past Cam Talbot. Then, with the game winding down, Max Comtois tied it at 3-3 with 26 seconds left on the clock.

That set the stage for overtime where Rask played hero after sneaky stretch pass by Matt Dumba to spring him loose. It was a fitting finish after Rask missed an empty-netter in the waning seconds of regulation.

“Just a great pass by Dumbs,” Rask said. “He caught everyone off guard. I wasn’t very tired. I still had legs.”

Those legs lifted the Wild to a big win.

“We did a better job tonight,” Spurgeon said. “Obviously there’s still room to improve. Every game we go out there we have to be getting better at something and perfecting our game and keeping it consistent throughout the playoffs. I think there’s still things to work on but we’re happy with the wins.”

Pioneer Press LOADED: 05.09.2021 1212141 Minnesota Wild

With playoffs in sight, Nick Bjugstad finding his niche in Wild lineup

By DANE MIZUTANI | PUBLISHED: May 8, 2021 at 6:47 p.m. | UPDATED: May 8, 2021 at 6:48 p.m.

After dealing with injuries throughout a condensed 56-game schedule, the Wild are finally back at full strength heading into the playoffs.

Which means coach Dean Evason has started tinkering with his lineup, trying to find the best fit with the first round coming up in about a week.

As of Saturday’s game at Xcel Energy Center — and this might change over the next week or so — it looks like Zach Parise is the odd-man out. For the second straight game, the 36-year-old sat out as a healthy scratch while former Gophers star Nick Bjugstad took his spot in the lineup.

If anyone knows what it’s like to be a healthy scratch, it’s Bjugstad. He spent most of last month trying to break into the rotation after recovering from an upper-body injury.

In the meantime, Bjugstad approached each game with a positive attitude, and his patience has been rewarded.

Asked why Bjugstad continues to draw into the lineup as of late, Evason responded, “He’s just competed his butt off. He’s probably playing the best hockey since before he got hurt.”

That was evident in Friday’s game against the Anaheim Ducks as Bjugstad used his 6-foot-6, 210-pound frame to carve out space for linemates Nico Sturm and Nick Bonino.

“He’s come back strong,” Evason said. “He’s clearly a big strong body that can grind and play in all situations. He has a skill set to score and to defend as well. Just a very versatile guy for us.”

As for Parise sitting out as a healthy scratch once again, it sounds like Evason is trying to treat this situation like he would any other player.

“Everybody is the same,” Evason said. “You have a conversation and open the communication line for the player to vent his displeasure or concerns. It’s no different for any player that goes through it.”

The only expectation is that Parise stay ready when his number is called. If the Wild are going to go on a long playoff run, chances are they are going to need Parise’s services at some point.

“It’s numbers and we have to make a decision,” Evason said. “It’s a tough call. But we have to make that decision. We have used so many people this year and seen so many different scenarios. And obviously, if we want to get where we want to go, we are going to have to use a lot of bodies. We ask everybody to stay ready and when called upon we expect them to be ready physically and mentally to have success.”

Pioneer Press LOADED: 05.09.2021 1212142 Minnesota Wild “He makes plays,” Evason said. “He’s such an intelligent player. He’s one of those guys that is one step ahead. He’s always thinking one step ahead. We do feel very good about his game, period. We have from the start. We made a commitment as an organization in the summer when Wild coach Dean Evason keeps pushing the right buttons, will likely get we sat down as a management team. We had to give a guy like him a some deserved Jack Adams love shot. We talked about it. He needs to get an opportunity to play. He was given the opportunity. But more importantly, he’s taken it and run with it.

He’s been a highlight for everybody.” By Michael Russo 3h ago Evason is coaching a team that improved to 35-14-5 with two games left Wednesday and Thursday in St. Louis. The Wild are still hoping to chase down Colorado for the second-place spot in the West Division, which When Dean Evason took over for coach Bruce Boudreau 15 months ago, would earn them home-ice advantage. It’ll be interesting to see where the I’ll be honest, I thought he was just a place holder. Wild stand when they next play Wednesday. If they can’t get home-ice anymore, do they hold a player or two out? Would they consider recalling And even when Evason had the interim tag removed last summer by Matt Boldy and giving him a look? That was still something that seemed general manager Bill Guerin and his contract was extended basically by unlikely Saturday but also something the Wild brass is expected to a year through the end of 2021-22, even then I thought, “Makes sense. discuss Monday. Next season’s going to be a weird, shortened one likely with no — or few — fans, so you’re basically giving Dean a year to prove himself, and if he The Wild posted a 21-5-2 home record in the regular season, 19-2-2 in doesn’t, you go out and get the coach you want in the summer of 2021 or their past 23. He coached a team that took advantage of the bottom four 2022.” teams in the West with a 25-6-1 record.

Well, not only won’t that be happening this offseason, Evason almost That’s very unWild-like as they have historically played down to their surely will be a contender for the Jack Adams Award when the league’s competition. broadcasters get their awards ballots beginning Thursday. Wild coach Dean Evason went from placeholder to a likely Coach of the Agree or disagree with some of his decisions and/or line combinations, Year contender. (David Berding / USA Today) Evason continues to push the right buttons for a Wild team that certainly has the makeup to be a spoiler whether it goes up against the Colorado So don’t be surprised if Evason is in the running for Coach of the Year Avalanche or Vegas Golden Knights when the Stanley Cup playoffs with the likes of Florida’s Joel Quenneville, Carolina’s Rod Brind’Amour, begin next weekend. Toronto’s Sheldon Keefe and others.

The Wild completed their regular-season home slate Saturday night with If you take The Athletic’s Dom Luszczyszyn’s preseason projections, his another overtime victory, this one by a 4-3 score over the Anaheim model had the Wild finishing with 63 points this season. Their 75 points Ducks one night after Kirill Kaprizov took things into his own hands by put them 14 above that mark, second best in the NHL in terms of ending a game against the same opponent 17 seconds into overtime. exceeding expectations.

Well, guess who the hero was this time? But you look up and down the lineup, and the Wild are getting great years from so many that Evason’s guiding. The guy that many Wild fans and critics have been clamoring to be a healthy scratch or, at a minimum, cemented to the bench during three- Kaprizov, who had two more assists Saturday night to extend his point on-three overtime — Victor Rask. streak to six games and give him a team- and rookie-leading 51 points, should be a lock to win the Calder and should at least be in the Hart Four games after he made a great play in the neutral zone to maintain conversation after anticipated landslide winner Connor McDavid. The possession before Kevin Fiala’s overtime heroics against the St. Louis Hart, remember, is supposed to go to the player who’s most valuable to Blues, Rask got out there again Saturday night on the Wild’s third shift of his team, not MVP of the league, and other than McDavid, there aren’t the extra session even though he swung and missed at a puck in front of many more valuable to his team than Kaprizov is to the Wild. the near post for what could have been a game-sealing empty-net goal in the last minute of regulation. He’s completely transformed the franchise, and this is his first season.

Rask whiffed, and the Ducks sent the game to overtime with 25.5 Fiala, who is clearly playing through some kind of injury and should really seconds left. benefit from these next three days off, is turning it on at the perfect time.

But in overtime, Rask didn’t whiff. Instead, he smacked his stick on the Joel Eriksson Ek has 19 goals and is one of the best shutdown pivots in ice in front of the offensive blue line to get the attention of teammate Matt the NHL, and he should be a bona fide Selke contender. Cam Talbot, Dumba, who chased down a loose puck at the defensive blue line. who finished the season 12-2-2 at home, may end up on some Vezina Dumba caught the Ducks off guard by connecting with Rask on a perfect ballots, while gentlemen such as Jared Spurgeon, who scored Saturday, pass. and Jonas Brodin should be Lady Byng contenders.

Rask then skated into the left circle and, after first looking to see if he Marcus Foligno has been excellent. Nico Sturm has 10 goals in limited should pass to Mats Zuccarello, unleashed a beauty to end the game ice time. Nick Bonino, who scored Saturday, has become the Wild’s most and, sadly, Ryan Miller’s outstanding career with his third career overtime valuable utilityman, whether it’s a big faceoff win needed or penalty killer. winner and first in 5 1/2 years. Ryan Hartman, who scored Saturday for the first time since April 7, has had his position changed from wing to center, and now centers the Wild’s Rask’s goal 2 minutes, 46 seconds into overtime ended a 53-second most skilled line with Kaprizov and Zuccarello. shift. “They’ve been great from day one,” Spurgeon, the Wild’s first-year “I wasn’t very tired, so I still had legs,” Rask said. captain, said of Evason and his staff. “There’s been a lot of trust in everyone and preaching work and working hard and doing the right Again, you’ve got to hand it to Evason, who stands by his convictions and things, and you’re getting rewarded. And, obviously, we’re a deep team continues to trust Rask in every situation after he spent most of last this year with a lot of skill. But at the same time, I think every guy in that season on the fourth line or the press box. locker room plays the right way and works hard and is willing to sacrifice Despite Rask’s lack of foot speed and tendency to throw pucks away, for the team.” Evason continues to deploy him between his most skilled players, Guerin has worked hard to change the culture in the past several whether it be the Kaprizov-Zuccarello or Marcus Johansson-Fiala duos, months. He traded veterans Eric Staal and Devan Dubnyk, he didn’t re- use him on the No. 1 power play and give onlookers heart attacks by sign , he dealt youngsters Luke Kunin and Ryan Donato, he using him in three-on-three. gave Evason a shot, then grew to appreciate and trust his coaching. To some, it makes no sense. This is a player Evason didn’t even use in He also loves the fact that Evason stands by his convictions, like his one game during August’s Edmonton bubble. belief in Rask, or his willingness to go toe-to-toe with the vets, whom But, this season, Evason just does it, and it works. coaches of yesteryear may have allowed to run the show. Ryan Suter’s ice time has decreased. Fiala has found himself benched at times. And Zach Parise, the all-time leading Wild playoff scorer, found himself out of the lineup for a second consecutive game with a forecast of what very likely will come if the Wild are healthy heading into the playoffs.

“It’s numbers, and we have to make a decision,” Evason said Saturday morning. “And, it’s a tough call, obviously. But you have to make that decision. We’ve used so many people this year, we’ve seen so many different scenarios. And obviously, if you want to get to where you want to go, you’re going to have to use a lot of bodies. So we ask everybody to stay ready. when called upon, we expect you to be ready physically and mentally to help us have success, and we don’t anticipate anybody that’s not in the lineup to not do that.”

In Evason coachspeak, that was his way of saying he expects Parise to handle this maturely.

This is a tough time for Parise, last season’s leading goal scorer who in recent weeks found himself on the fourth line, off the power play and now out of the lineup. He’s obviously not happy and undoubtedly embarrassed that this is going on in his hometown.

In recent weeks whenever Parise talked to the reporters, there was a sense he wasn’t receiving a lot of communication from Evason and the coaching staff. But Wednesday morning, Evason said his job is to treat every player the same.

And when a player comes out of the lineup like Parise, “We communicate one-on-one,” Evason said. “It’s not just your name’s not up on the board, so you’re not playing. You have a conversation, you open the communication line for the player to vent his displeasure or concerns or reasonings why. It’s no different for any player that goes through it.”

It’s not an easy decision to take a player of Parise’s stature out of the lineup, but Evason again is standing by his convictions, probably because he knows he has Guerin’s support.

No coach in his first NHL season as the head honcho plucks a $7.5 million player from the lineup without management being in on that conversation.

But, again, like it or not, it’s working. The Wild are 23-8-4 since they scratched Parise for the first time March 3 in Las Vegas. And Saturday they wound up winning the regular-season home finale because Rask, one of the candidates some think should be yanked for Parise, is the hero.

Can’t make it up, but that’s another reason Evason could be a Jack Adams finalist later this summer.

The Athletic LOADED: 05.09.2021 1212143 Minnesota Wild It wasn’t a shock: He had basically been a healthy scratch the past four games, logging ice times of 7:36, 8:00, 8:33 and 7:14 in a row. After scoring 12 power-play goals in last year’s shortened season and despite being nine goals from matching Phil Housley’s record for most power- Was the Wild lineup without Zach Parise a preview of what will happen in play goals by a Minnesota-born NHLer, Parise has been removed from the playoffs? the power play for the past couple of months. He barely gets on the penalty kill anymore.

And Parise was coming off a tough game where he had trouble handling By Michael Russo May 8, 2021 the puck and wound up turning it over a handful of times. It can’t be easy when you’re a top-six forward your entire career and suddenly have to get used to getting into a rhythm when you’re not playing a regular shift. Hockey can be a complex sport, but sometimes it’s pretty simple to figure out what the heck is going wrong when things are sloppy and not going But Wednesday night it was noticeable that Parise was struggling. When well. he first came back from the protocol list, Parise had four goals and two assists in his first six games. But one goal from his 200th with the Wild, Friday night, after five consecutive games of heated, tense games Parise now has no points in his past nine and was healthy scratched for against fellow playoff contenders St. Louis and Vegas, the Wild played a the second time this season. lethargic, reckless game against one of the worst teams in the NHL, the Anaheim Ducks, because they decided it was time to give away the puck The biggest question? like bags of clothes at Goodwill. Was Friday’s game a one-off or a sign of things to come once the At one point in the third period, coach Dean Evason would have been postseason starts? well in his right to lose his skull on the bench and scream, “How many Evason said after the game that this was a decision made specifically for $&#@ing times do you guys have to cough up the bloody puck at center- Friday’s game, so we’ll see if Parise returns Saturday night. But it would ice before you realize you should get it deep?” not be shocking heading into a postseason that could feature fast games The other way sure wasn’t working, yet there was plenty of evidence that turn into track meets if Evason goes with speedier forecheckers in even in this contest alone that when the Wild dumped pucks and went to that fourth-line spot, such as Sturm and Bjugstad rather than Parise, the work against the Ducks’ pedestrian blue line, that’s when they had their Wild’s all-time leader in playoff goals with 14, assists with 20 and points most success and, frankly, scored their goals. with 34 in 40 games.

Luckily for them, even after the Wild took a late lead and almost And, yeah, yeah, yeah, we’re all aware Rask is one of the worst skaters instantaneously relinquished it, Kirill Kaprizov reminded us all that it’s on the team and constantly turns pucks over. But Evason clearly has good he plays for the Wild. After a rough game himself, the young star tremendous trust in him because he continues to be treated like Teflon finally said, “Enough is enough,” and single-handedly snagged the Wild and didn’t even pay the piper when he slipped on a banana peel or an extra point just 17 seconds into overtime for a 4-3 thievery of a victory. something and wiped out next to the net en route to a second-period Ducks goal. “We didn’t like our game at all,” Evason said. “We knew that they were going to play hard and that they were going to be good. … Our players This is the hardest part of Parise’s career, no doubt, yet the initial healthy knew that and we just constantly turned the puck over. But for us, the scratch clearly didn’t disrupt the team. The Wild is 22-8-4 since. good part is, if there is a good part, (our players) said all the good things Parise bit his tongue and continues to work hard in his limited shift, but on the bench. We asked them if they got tired of hearing themselves say, his tag-team free-agent partner from 2012, Ryan Suter, said after ‘Get it in deep and don’t turn it over,’ because that’s how we felt. Friday’s game, “I feel terrible for him. He works his butt off. It’s just too Hopefully, we got it out of our system and we can go forward (Saturday).” bad that it has to be like this.” In Saturday’s rematch during the Wild’s regular-season home finale It’ll be fascinating to watch if this comes to a head this offseason. against the Ducks, Evason won’t have to dive deep into archives to find the examples of carelessness with the puck vs. simplifying things, getting Parise, who turns 37 in July, has four years left on his 13-year, $98 pucks deep and establishing a forecheck. million contract after this season. Eighty-eight million of that has been paid; he makes $6 million next season, then $2 million in 2022-23 and $1 He’ll just have to pull clips of Victor Rask and Nico Sturm’s first-period million each in 2023-24 and 2024-25. goals and Joel Eriksson Ek’s third-period goal. When the Wild played smart Friday – a rarity — they were effective. When they played The Wild are getting younger and faster, and if Parise can’t crack the top- dimwitted hockey, they circled the defensive zone like a dreidel. three lines now or stick in the lineup, what will happen when the Matt Boldys, Connor Dewars and Brandon Duhaimes are ready to crack the “We had our moments when we played well. I think we got to stay playing big club? like that,” Eriksson Ek said. “We can’t start doing those things in the neutral zone, just throwing pucks. We’ve got to stay humble and play the They can’t really have this distraction or have a miserable Parise on their game the right way. I mean, they are a good team, too. We’ve got to be hands next season, let alone the next four. ready to play hard; otherwise, you’re not gonna be winning in this league.” At this point, Parise would probably waive his no-movement clause for a summer trade, but trading the veteran at this stage in his career with a The game also could have given us a glimpse of what Evason has in $7.5+ million cap hit could be damn near impossible. mind for a potential playoff lineup if the Wild are healthy. Buying him out costs only $833,333 in real money the next eight years, Kevin Fiala missed Wednesday’s game out of precaution with a lower- but they’d be charged nearly a $2.4 million cap hit next season, $6.4 body injury. He returned Friday night, meaning somebody had to come million cap hit in two seasons, his full $7.538 million cap hit the following out of the lineup. two years, then $833,333 the four years after that.

The player chosen was Zach Parise, the third-leading goal scorer and If he were to be traded and then subsequently retired before his contract point-getter in franchise history. was up, the Wild also be subject to these cap recapture penalties, according to Cap Friendly. The reality is this was the way things seemed to be heading the past couple of weeks. Wild cap recapture with offseason trade

Since returning from the NHL’s COVID-19 protocol April 7, Parise had 2021 played on the Wild’s fourth line for 15 games. When Nick Bjugstad was close to returning to the lineup a few weeks ago, it seemed there was a 36 good chance Parise could be plucked from the lineup until Marcus $20,153,851 Johansson got hurt. 4 But with Bjugstad, Johansson and now Fiala healthy, Parise was the one taken out with four games to go before the playoffs. $5,038,463 2022 night like many of his teammates, took it upon himself to send the fans home gleeful when he raced down the right side of the ice, took a shot 37 and then pounced on the rebound when John Gibson couldn’t handle the $20,153,851 initial snipe.

3 It was Kaprizov’s 27th goal and 11th in the past 11 games and his second overtime winner after assisting on Rask’s earlier goal in the $6,717,950 game. That was Kaprizov’s 22nd assist on the season, breaking Filip Kuba’s rookie record. 2023 “Every time he gets the puck, you can feel it in the arena,” Eriksson Ek 38 said. “It’s amazing the things he does. He’s just creating all the time, and $20,153,851 it doesn’t really matter who’s close to him.”

2 After the Wild got off to a sluggish start but scored a tying goal by Rask less than a minute after the Ducks opened the scoring, Sturm made it 2-1 $10,076,926 when he buried Nick Bonino’s pass from the high slot after a great forecheck by Bonino and Bjugstad. 2024 “For our line, obviously, best shift of our game,” said Sturm, whose 10 39 goals are tied with Kurtis Foster for seventh for a rookie in a single Wild $20,153,851 season. “And that’s when we had the most success. I think that’s got to be our recipe for (Saturday). Everything else was subpar tonight.” 1 There’s no doubt it’s not easy late in the season playing non-playoff $20,153,851 teams. Teams such as the Ducks have got nothing to lose, and playoff teams often find themselves even subconsciously in do-not-get-hurt 2021-22 mode with the postseason on the horizon. $5,038,463 But there were so many turnovers on this night, the most egregious 2022-23 coming from the likes of Johansson, Marcus Foligno and Matt Dumba, who was minus-3 along with defense partner Jonas Brodin and had a $5,038,463 whopping eight giveaways recorded by the off-ice officials.

2023-24 “It’s good learning and a lesson for us to play in these games,” Eriksson $5,038,463 Ek said. “I think we got to play like we want to play in the playoffs. It doesn’t matter who is on the other side. I think we’ve got to play with 2024-25 energy and come ready (Saturday).”

$5,038,463 The Wild did get some good performances, mainly from Eriksson Ek, who now has 19 goals, including 11 in the third period (tied for fifth in the PENALTY FOR 2022 RETIREMENT NHL). Suter, who had eight combined shots or attempted shots and three 2022-23 hits, and Jared Spurgeon played a strong game. And Kaapo Kahkonen made 22 saves for his fourth straight win. $6,717,950 But, in the end, the Wild were lucky they were playing Anaheim. If they 2023-24 play like this in the playoffs, it won’t be pretty.

$6,717,950 Speaking of which, the Golden Knights and Avs both won, so the Wild remain five points behind Vegas and one behind the Avs with three 2024-25 games left in the regular season.

$6,717,950 “For the most part, it was a full team effort negatively,” Evason said. PENALTY FOR 2023 RETIREMENT “Obviously happy with getting a win, but we have to play the right way.”

2023-24 The Athletic LOADED: 05.09.2021

$7,538,461

2024-25

$7,538,461

2025-26

$5,076,929

PENALTY FOR 2024 RETIREMENT

2024-25

$7,538,461

2025-26

$7,538,461

2026-27

$5,076,929

This is obviously premature and the Wild have bigger and better things to worry about with the playoffs around the corner, but this situation will be a topic after the season.

In the meantime, the Wild finished Friday’s sloppy game with another exciting win when Kaprizov, who seemed off his game for much of the 1212144 MontrealCanadiens

In the Habs' Room: Montreal may resort to sneaking into post-season play

Pat Hickey • Publishing date:May 08, 2021 • 5 hours ago •

Canadiens forward Joel Edmundson loses his balance in front of Maple Leafs goalie Jack Campbell in the first period at in Toronto on Saturday, May 8, 2021.

It’s not the ideal situation, but the Canadiens might have to be content with reaching the playoffs through the back door.

Coach Dominique Ducharme said Saturday he hopes Montreal can earn their spot in the post-season, but the Canadiens missed a third consecutive opportunity to do so when they dropped a 3-2 decision to the Maple Leafs on Saturday at Scotiabank Arena in Toronto.

The Canadiens also missed a chance to pull even with the Winnipeg Jets in the battle for third place in the Canadian division. The Jets learned why the Senators are the hottest team in the division when they lost 3-2 at in Ottawa. Winnipeg remained two points ahead of Montreal and the Jets also hold a game in hand.

Montreal is still in the driver’s seat in terms of wrapping up the fourth and final playoff berth even if they lose their two remaining games at home against the Edmonton Oilers on Monday and Wednesday. That’s because Calgary or Vancouver would have win all of their remaining games to have a chance to overtake the Canadiens. One team is certain to be eliminated Thursday when Calgary and Vancouver meet in the first of their four remaining games against each other.

The big question mark after Saturday night is will the Canadiens be ready to compete in the playoffs?

There was a decent effort in Toronto, but Montreal has lost three in a row and they finished the season series with a 3-6-1 record against the Leafs, who are their likely first-round playoff opponent.

Ducharme tied to be positive with his post-game comments.

“There are always highs and lows in a game,” he said. “We always want to play 60 minutes, but there are always going to be changes in rhythm. In general, I think the game could’ve gone either way. I’d say they maybe had one more favourable bounce than we did.

“I have confidence in our team,” Ducharme added. ‘We have players who’ll be coming back soon. We came out with energy tonight, and I think we played a good game. It wasn’t perfect. (The Leafs) just capitalized on their chances.”

Those players coming back are the wild cards. A healthy will help, will shore up the defence and Brendan Gallagher’s presence will give everyone a lift even if his broken thumb limits his effectiveness.

But it is crucial Phil Danault recovers from his concussion in time for the playoffs because the don’t have a player who can do what Danault does. He plays hard minutes against the opposition’s top lines and he’s the most reliable Canadien in the faceoff circle.

Danault might have made the difference Saturday. In his absence, Nick Suzuki was the Canadiens’ busiest faceoff man and, on a night when the Canadiens won only 38 of the faceoffs, he was uncharacteristically good. He won 12 of 24 draws and his 50-per-cent success rate was one of his best performances this season and a win against led to Suzuki’s 13th goal of the season.

The flip side was his head-to-head matchup against Auston Matthews. Suzuki won only four of 14 faceoffs against Matthews and the Toronto star had a clean win to set up Mitch Marner for the winning goal in the second period.

If that situation arises in the playoffs, the Canadiens will need Danault in the faceoff circle.

Montreal Gazette LOADED: 05.09.2021 1212145 MontrealCanadiens

Canadiens squander quick start to fall 3-2 to Leafs

Pat Hickey • Publishing date:May 08, 2021 • 6 hours ago

The Canadiens finally got the quick start they wanted, but it wasn’t enough as the Maple Leafs scored three unanswered goals in the second period and held on to defeat Montreal 3-2 Saturday at Scotiabank Arena in Toronto.

The win allowed the Leafs to clinch first place in the Canadian division, while the Canadiens are looking to punch their ticket to the post-season. They have comfortable leads over Calgary and Vancouver, the teams with slim mathematical chances of advancing.

Montreal scored the first goal and limited the high-octane Leafs’ offence to three shots in the first period. But things fell apart after Nick Suzuki scored in the first minute of the second period to give the Canadiens a 2- 0 lead.

Pierre Engvall ran his scoring string to three games to put the Leafs on the scoreboard and William Nylander and Mitch Marner added goals before the period was over. Toronto scored its three goals on 13 shots and goaltender Jake Allen didn’t appear to see the puck on the Engvall and Marner goals.

Auston Matthews set up Marner when he won a faceoff against Suzuki and the assist to give him seven goals and seven assists in 10 games against Montreal this season. He has 31 points in 24 career games against the Canadiens.

Montreal received some offence from unexpected sources as they opened the scoring for the first time in seven games.

Defenceman Brett Kulak scored at 3:34 of the first period with journeyman Alex Belzile providing the lone assist after some strong work to control the puck down low. Kulak walked the puck along the blue line and took advantage of heavy traffic in front of the net. Jack Campbell never saw the puck, which deflected off Toronto defenceman ’s arm. It was only his second goal since March 28, 2019.

The 29-year-old Belzile was pressed into service because Phil Danault is injured and, while the St-Eloi native played for the Canadiens in the playoff bubble last summer, he was making his first regular-season appearance in the NHL.

Suzuki gave the Canadiens a 2-0 lead when he scored at the 31-second mark of the second period. He won a defensive zone faceoff against Marner and Tyler Toffoli sent him free on a 2-on-1 break with Joel Armia. Suzuki elected to keep the puck and scored with a fluttering shot that eluded Campbell’s glove and dribbled across the goal line.

Coach Dominique Ducharme delivered more bad news after the morning skate when he said Danault returned to Montreal on Friday to go through the NHL concussion protocol. Danault left in the first period of Thursday’s game in Toronto with what was described as an upper-body injury. Ducharme said it was a lingering problem and the revelation he had a concussion was a surprise.

The injury will keep Danault on the sidelines for the season-ending games against Edmonton on Monday and Wednesday at the .

Montreal Gazette LOADED: 05.09.2021 1212146 MontrealCanadiens

Liveblog replay: Leafs defeat Habs 3-2 on Saturday night

Erik Leijon • Publishing date:May 08, 2021 • 7 hours ago

The Canadiens will be without yet another veteran leader when they take on the Maple Leafs on Saturday night at Scotiabank Arena in Toronto at 7 p.m. (CBC, TVA Sports, TSN 690 Radio, 98.5 FM).

Phillip Danault is the latest Hab to leave the lineup because of an injury following a concussion he suffered Thursday against the Leafs. With three games remaining in the season, that may be all she wrote for the centre until the playoffs.

Dominique Ducharme indique que Phillip Danault souffre d'une commotion cérébrale. Il poursuit son rétablissement à Montréal.

Danault joins an already crowded sick bay that includes captain Shea Weber, Carey Price, Brendan Gallagher, Jonathan Drouin and Paul Byron. Tomas Tatar returned Thursday night after missing time with an upper-body injury.

With a major piece missing up the middle, that means even more responsibility will be foisted on the shoulders of their young centre trio of Nick Suzuki, Jesperi Kotkaniemi and Jake Evans.

Alex Belzile enters the lineup for his first game of the season.

Montreal Gazette LOADED: 05.09.2021 1212147 MontrealCanadiens

Canadiens' centre Phillip Danault out with a concussion

Pat Hickey • Publishing date:May 08, 2021 • 14 hours ago

The Canadiens will likely finish the regular season without centre Phillip Danault, who is suffering from a concussion.

Danault left Thursday’s game in Toronto with what was described as an upper-body injury which had bothered him prior to the game. Coach Dominique Ducharme said Saturday that Danault has returned to Montreal and is going through the NHL concussion protocol.

That means he’s out for Saturday’s rematch against the Maple Leafs (7 p.m., CBC, TVA Sports, TSN-690 Radio, 98.5 FM) and unlikely that he’ll play in the season-ending home games against Edmonton Monday and Wednesday.

The best case scenario is that Danault is ready for the playoffs, but there are no guarantees when dealing with a concussion. Goaltender Carey Price suffered a concussion on April 19 and only resumed skating earlier this week.

The injury forced Ducharme to juggle his forward lines and Jesperi Kotkaniemi will return to centre on a line with Tomas Tatar and Joel Armia.

Danault’s place in the lineup will be filled by 29-year-old Alex Belzile. He made a good impression in the playoff bubble last summer but Saturday’s game will be his first NHL regular season game. There will be a bit of a comfort level as he’ll be playing with Jake Evans, his linemate for two seasons in the AHL.

The Canadiens are attempting to wrap up a playoff spot in the Canadian division after coming up short in their last two games, losing 5-1 to Ottawa Wednesday and 5-2 to the Leafs on Thursday. The two teams chasing them — Calgary and Vancouver — have to win all their remaining games to overtake Montreal but Ducharme said it was preferable for the Canadiens to go in through the front door and build some momentum for the playoffs.

Montreal Gazette LOADED: 05.09.2021 1212148 MontrealCanadiens prize — they were clearly identified as players who get you through the playoffs.

But this is where the Canadiens will need to make a philosophical Canadiens have philosophical playoff decisions on horizon, but decision, because in deciding who they will lean on in the playoffs, the developing youth should remain priority philosophy last year appears as if it will no longer apply. These playoffs will not be looked at as an opportunity for their young players to gain experience, it will be looked at as an opportunity for the Canadiens to lean on their experienced players. By Arpon Basu May 9, 2021 The thinking, of course, is that experience equals success in the playoffs.

But what if the Canadiens could have their cake and eat it, too? It is impossible to really take a whole lot away from how this version of What if the path to success was the same path that allowed their young the Canadiens is performing when attempting to predict how another players to gain playoff experience? version of the Canadiens will perform in the playoffs. Staal and Perry were on a line with Cole Caufield, and that line was We are talking about two different teams. tabbed to start the game for the Canadiens. Except Caufield wasn’t on This version of the Canadiens lost its third straight game Saturday night the ice. It was Josh Anderson instead. in Toronto, falling 3-2 to the Maple Leafs after jumping out to a 2-0 lead. Ducharme had placed an emphasis on how the Canadiens started the Its backup goalie allowed a goal — if not two — that he probably should game, especially after the disastrous start the previous game. So he not have, but then again, Jake Allen was playing for the 19th time in the chose Staal and Perry to set the tone, except he wanted Anderson on the Canadiens’ last 22 games. So maybe this was to be expected. ice because he has a rare ability to set a tone early in a game. Nothing The team itself has played an inordinate number of games in an wrong with that. extremely short period of time with an ever-growing list of significant Except it made it clear that Ducharme does not see Caufield as a player injuries, the latest being a concussion for Phillip Danault, which makes capable of doing that, but just doing it in a different way. pinpointing a date for his eventual return highly theoretical. Staal had two goals and an assist in his 19 games with the Canadiens When the playoffs begin, this Canadiens team will look quite different. before the game Saturday, and now he has the same totals in 20 games. Shea Weber, Brendan Gallagher and Carey Price should be back, and Maple Leafs coach Sheldon Keefe chose to use the line of Mitch Marner, they will be rested. We will see what happens with Danault, but anyone Auston Matthews and Joe Thornton against the Staal line, and that was else on this team who is trying to play through an injury — as Danault no accident. Some might feel that was because of the presence of was when he sustained a concussion Thursday — should have some Caufield, but it is more likely to be because Keefe felt Staal was the time to heal up. Considering everything this team is facing, there were easiest matchup for his top centre. encouraging signs against the Maple Leafs, at least compared with the previous game. They were not a tire fire defensively, they were The Staal line was caved in, totally buried in terms of shot attempts, competitive for most of the game. scoring chances, expected goals, you name it. Meanwhile, the line centered by Jake Evans with Artturi Lehkonen and Alex Belzile — a line Coach Dominique Ducharme was not exactly pleased with the outcome. whose most frequent opponent was also the Matthews line — excelled in But he didn’t appear overly upset about it, either. all the same metrics. “I’m confident in our team,” he said. “We know we’re in a unique What has become increasingly obvious over the past couple of weeks — situation, we have guys coming back soon, there’s lots of things going that Evans is a far more effective player than Staal right now — was only on. I have confidence in our team. You could see, we had a day off reinforced in this game. (Friday) and we came back and played with energy, we played a good game. It wasn’t perfect, and they took advantage of those moments. It “I feel like I’ve been close to a lot of looks and some bounces was a bounce that made the difference.” offensively,” Staal said. “I really would like to see them go in, obviously, it would be big for our group and I understand that. But within the system Ducharme knows that the team he is coaching now is not the team he and how we play, I definitely feel like I’m right there. I’ve got to try and will be coaching when the playoffs begin. But this is where it appears the contribute as best I can offensively and in any situation Dom asks me to Canadiens will be at a crossroads. Decisions will need to be made, and play, whether it’s faceoffs or against certain matchups. I’ll keep working with every game, those decisions appear to grow more difficult. at it and try to be ready Monday.” Think back to the opening of training camp last season. The second When Danault returns to the lineup, the Canadiens will likely have to training camp, the one before the bubble. The Canadiens had nothing to decide between the veteran savvy and past accomplishments of Staal lose; the whole experience was the very definition of playing with house and the present-day effectiveness and future importance of Evans. money. While they were confident they could beat the Pittsburgh Penguins in the play-in round, that didn’t seem to be the most important Which brings us back to Caufield and what Bergevin said before the play- thing that was going on. in last summer.

No, what was important was that Nick Suzuki and Jesperi Kotkaniemi got This is what makes it somewhat ironic to see Caufield on a line with Staal a free shot at gaining some playoff experience. That a lot of their players and Perry, who were each drafted in 2003, when Caufield was 2 years got that opportunity. old. Staal and Perry were each first-round draft picks. They were highly effective players as soon as they reached the NHL and they each had In other words, what was important about that opportunity was how it playoff success very early in their careers. could affect the future of the organization. They know what they see in Caufield because they have been Caufield. “It can only help moving forward for years to come,” general manager Marc Bergevin said at the opening of training camp when asked what he “He’s a good kid, he soaks everything up. He’s always talking, always hopes his young players can gain from the play-in. “I can’t see the bad asking questions,” Perry said before the game Saturday. “But on the ice, side of going to this little tournament and gaining some experience.” he can skate, he can shoot it, he’s smart, and I think you’re starting to see something really special.” The problem for the Canadiens now is they no longer look at the playoffs the same way. They are not playing with house money, they have in fact Staal really hit it on the head when it comes to Caufield’s importance invested a lot in this team having some measure of success in the right now. playoffs. And much of that investment has been to bring in players who have previously won the Stanley Cup, something Bergevin recently said “I’ve liked him, I think he’s improved every game, which for any young was no coincidence. player, when you see that, that’s important,” he said. “He’s shifty, he’s quick, he shoots the puck real hard, he’s an elite shooter, obviously. You Bergevin used to say that there are players who get you to the playoffs can tell that right away just in practice and in different situations. He’s got and those that get you through the playoffs. When you look at Eric Staal some smarts, he’s an intelligent, competitive kid. He’s been fun to play and Corey Perry and Joel Edmundson and Tyler Toffoli — all players with. who have made it all the way through the playoffs to reach the ultimate “He’s going to have successful times scoring a lot of goals, and we hope it’s right now, because it’s a big time of year and it’s fun to be out there.”

We hope it’s right now. Can it be right now if Caufield is not playing in the playoffs?

Perry was 22 when he won his only Stanley Cup. Staal was 21 when he won his. Caufield is only 20, but he brings something the Canadiens need not only right now but in the future as well.

For Caufield to stay in a healthy Canadiens lineup, he would likely need to bounce Paul Byron, and that would be a difficult decision. But when you take the future of this team into account, it really shouldn’t be all that difficult.

The Canadiens have a lot invested in these playoffs and there is a lot on the line. Ducharme is an interim coach. Bergevin is entering the final year of his contract. Winning a round or two would help the job security of both men a great deal, which would mean prioritizing the present over the future.

But what if the present and future can coexist? Would that not be better?

When it comes time to make these decisions in a week or so, Ducharme and Bergevin would do well to remember what the priority was last summer, just ahead of entering that bubble, that getting the playoff experience for their young players would be beneficial for years to come.

But they should also realize that it could be beneficial right now.

The Athletic LOADED: 05.09.2021 1212149 Nashville Predators Nashville still has to close the regular season at home against Carolina on Monday, but its playoff status will not change regardless of the result of those games,

Nashville Predators clinch NHL playoff berth with win against Carolina Tennessean LOADED: 05.09.2021 Hurricanes

Mike Organ

The Nashville Predators have locked down their spot in the postseason.

On Saturday, Nashville beat the Carolina Hurricanes 3-1 in Bridgestone Arena. As a result, Nashville has secured fourth place in the Central Division. The top four teams from each of the four divisions earn a spot in the NHL playoffs.

The Preds (30-23-2) have 62 points, while Dallas has 58. Though the Stars still have two games left, Nashville holds the tiebreaker.

Due to postseason changes for 2021, which creates intradivisional matchups in each of the first two rounds, Nashville will face Carolina— the Central Division's top seed— in the first round in a best-of-seven series.

Dates and times for the playoffs are not set.

If Nashville can get past Carolina, it will play either Florida or Tampa Bay.

It will be the Predators' seventh straight postseason appearance and 14th in the franchise's history.

Several factors including COVID-19, a bad start to the season and a flurry of injuries made this year's playoff berth unique for Nashville.

"This one has a little bit more meaning for the guys in the room, for management, for the coaches," defenseman said. "Obviously, it was a strange year and we've had our ups and downs. It was a tough start to the year, kind of on the outside looking in. But the guys, the coaches, the management still believed and we buried our heads and went to work."

The Predators have not made it past the second round of the playoffs since 2017, when they lost to Pittsburgh in the Stanley Cup Final.

It was the Predators' first win this season against Carolina (36-11-8) after six losses.

"Tonight was a step in the right direction in (building confidence against Carolina)," coach said. "We had to win to get in, but I also I talked to the guys a lot about there's a certain way that we need to play. You know things get elevated in the playoffs, but this is a good step for us building a foundation here."

It was the Hurricanes' first loss in regulation in 13 games.

Luke Kunin scored both of Nashville’s goals – the first midway through the second period and the second with 12:19 left in regulation, which put the Predators up 2-0.

Kunin’s first score came off a pass from Mikael Grunland. Kunin skated in front of the net and flipped the puck in backhanded.

His second goal was a shot in the top corner over the glove of Hurricane’s goalie Alex Nedeljkovic.

Kunin, who has six goals in the last nine games, said finally beating Carolina made earning the playoff berth even more special. It was the first time this season Nashville scored more than two goals against the Hurricanes.

"I don't think we played particularly well in all the other games (against Carolina) besides tonight," Kunin said. "We did a lot of good things pretty much for the whole game. That was big for us and now we hope to do that for the next few games obviously."

Morgan Geekie got Carolina on the board two minutes after Kunin’s second goal.

Erik Haula scored an empty net goal for Nashville with 1:03 remaining.

Even though the Hurricanes had already clinched the division championship they played their full lineup. 1212150 Nashville Predators

Nashville Predators clinch playoff spot with 3-1 win over Carolina Hurricanes

Mike Organ

The Nashville Predators are back in the playoffs for the seventh consecutive year and got there by beating one of the best teams in the NHL.

Nashville knocked off the Carolina Hurricanes, who have already clinched the No. 1 seed in the Central Division, 3-1 Saturday night.

The Predators (30-23-2) secured fourth place in Central Division by claiming their sixth win in their last seven games at Bridgestone Arena.

The regular season ends Monday night with another game against the Hurricanes at Bridgestone Arena.

It was Nashville’s first win this season against Carolina (36-11-8) after six losses.

It was the Hurricanes' first loss in regulation in 13 games.

Luke Kunin scored both of Nashville’s goals – the first midway through the second period and the second with 12:19 left in regulation, which put the Predators up 2-0.

Kunin’s first score came off a pass from Mikael Grunland. Kunin skated in front of the net and flipped the puck in backhanded.

His second goal was a shot in the top corner over the glove of Hurricane’s goalie Alex Nedeljkovic.

Kunin has six goals in his last nine games and 10 in 38 games.

Morgan Geekie got Carolina on the board two minutes after Kunin’s second goal.

Erik Haula scored an empty-net goal for Nashville with 1:03 remaining.

Even though the Hurricanes had already clinched the division championship they played their full lineup.

Tennessean LOADED: 05.09.2021 1212151 New Jersey Devils Tyce Thompson and Marian Studenic were benched to make room in the lineup.

COVID IMPACTING DEVILS DEFENSEMEN Islanders beat Devils, 5-1, in final regular season game at Nassau Jonas Siegenthaler returned to New Jersey’s lineup from an eight-game Coliseum; P.K. Subban (COVID) done for the season absence due to COVID-19, taking the place of Connor Carrick. The Devils also announced that P.K. Subban will not play again this season due to his recovery from COVID-19. Subban has not played since April Updated 9:55 PM; Today 9:55 PM 18.

By The Associated Press ISLANDERS CONTINUE RESTING PLAYERS

Cal Clutterbuck was a healthy scratch for the Islanders, who have been resting key players in preparation for the playoffs. Eberle, Leo Komarov, UNIONDALE, N.Y. (AP) — Brock Nelson scored twice in the second and returned to New York’s lineup after being rested for period as the New York Islanders beat the New Jersey Devils 5-1 Thursday’s game against the Devils. Saturday night in the final regular season game at Nassau Coliseum. UP NEXT had a goal and an assist, and and Kyle Palmieri also scored for the Islanders. Ilya Sorokin stopped 23 shots to Devils: At Philadelphia on Monday night to close the season. help New York snap a three-game losing streak and get its sixth regulation win in the last 23 games. Islanders: At Boston on Monday night in the regular season finale.

New York moved one point behind third-place Boston in the East Star Ledger LOADED: 05.09.2021 Division. The Islanders visit the Bruins on Monday night. New York will face either Pittsburgh or Washington in the first round of the playoffs.

Andreas Johnsson scored for New Jersey while Mackenzie Blackwood made 22 saves. The Devils lost for just the second time in their last seven games.

Eberle opened the scoring for the Islanders with just under 2 minutes remaining in the first period. Barzal led a break across the blue line before orchestrating a give-and-go with Eberle, whose shot beat Blackwood short side and high. It was Eberle’s 16th goal of the season, equaling his total from last year.

Miles Wood had a chance on a breakaway to tie the game for the Devils with just under a minute left in the first but was unable to jam the puck past Sorokin.

A flurry of penalties early in the second period resulted in a 4-on-3 advantage for the Devils but they failed to capitalize. The Islanders finished their last home game of the season 2-for-2 on the penalty kill. New York’s home penalty kill of 92.3% for the season ranks second in the NHL since the league started tracking the stat in 1977-78, topped only by the 1998-99 Bruins (92.4%).

Johnsson scored for the Devils to tie the game at 1-1 nearly 5 minutes into the second period. Matt Tennyson’s pass from behind the net found Johnsson in the slot and he scored his fifth of the season — all of which have come on the road.

Nelson gave New York a 2-1 lead midway through the second period. Just 15 seconds after Will Butcher was sent to the penalty box for hooking, Nelson took advantage of a rebound in front of net.

Nelson scored again 3:40 later to give New York a two-goal advantage. got a rebound and slid the puck across the slot to Nelson, who fired it past a lunging Blackwood for his 18th. It was Nelson’s second multi-goal game of the season. Bailey’s assist was his 349th for the Islanders, moving him into a tie with John Tavares for fifth on the franchise list.

The Islanders scored twice in 37 seconds early in the third period. Palmieri scored the first at 3:32 on a breakaway, netting his first goal against his former team since being traded from New Jersey to New York last month. Barzal then had a 2-on-1 break alongside Eberle but chose to shoot the puck himself for his 16th to mae it 5-1.

REGULAR SEASON FAREWELL TO COLISEUM

This was the Islanders’ 1,738th and final regular season game at Nassau Coliseum. Beginning next season, the team is moving to the new UBS Arena at . The Islanders played at Nassau Coliseum from their inception in 1972 until they moved to in 2015, returning to the Coliseum in 2018. New York finished 21-4-3 at home this season.

DEVILS FORWARDS RETURN

Johnsson and Wood both recovered from injury to return to the Devils’ lineup. Johnsson had missed the past six games with a lower-body injury, while Wood had missed one contest due to an upper-body injury. 1212152 New Jersey Devils Siegenthaler (COVID protocol) and Johnsson returned on Saturday night on after being cleared to play.

Sidelined only six games after a trade from Washington, Siegenthaler Devils fall to Islanders, Kyle Palmieri in final trip to Nassau Coliseum called it "probably the worst time to get COVID".

"For me, these last two games are pretty important," Siegenthaler said. "I want to show what I'm capable of." Sean Farrell Sean Farrell is a high school sports reporter for NorthJersey.com. For full access to live scores, breaking news and analysis from our Varsity Aces team, subscribe today. To get breaking news directly to your inbox, sign The Devils made their final trip to Nassau Coliseum one to forget. up for our newsletter and download our app. Brock Nelson had two goals and Kyle Palmieri scored against his former Bergen Record LOADED: 05.09.2021 team to lead the Islanders to a 5-1 win over the Devils on Saturday night. It was the last regular season game in Uniondale before the Isles move to UBS Arena at Belmont Park.

New Jersey (19-29-7) is now on pace for its worst points percentage in at least 30 years. The Devils will likely finish with the third-best odds in the lottery, only behind Buffalo and Anaheim. They will head to Philadelphia for the season finale on Monday, while the playoff-bound Isles will finish up in Boston.

"I'm hoping that we have more energy than we did tonight," coach said. "When we have good energy, we usually play well."

The Islanders outshot the Devils, 27-24, and took the lead just before the first intermission. Jordan Eberle scored on a drop pass from Mat Barzal, who drew both Devils defensemen on a 2-on-2.

The Devils tied it up early in the second period on a goal from in his return to the lineup. Matt Tennyson fed a pass from behind the net and Johnsson took advantage for his fifth goal of the season and second in 36 games.

"It helps a lot with confidence," Johnsson told the MSG crew during the second intermission. "Sometimes you feel like you're working hard and you don't get points."

Johnsson is only two years removed from a 20-goal season in Toronto, but he hasn't quite endeared himself with his new fanbase. After scoring in back-to-back games before the Devils' COVID pause, he never found his rhythm again.

The Swedish winger went into the COVID protocol and felt like that hurt his conditioning "for a month probably" upon his return. A nagging lower- body injury kept him out of the last six games.

"For me to come out and play again fully healthy and try show myself for next season, it's very important for me."

Nelson gave the Islanders a 3-1 lead with back-to-back goals in the second period. The Isles forward put back a rebound on the power play, then scored a nearly identical goal in the crease minutes later.

Early in the third, the clean-shaven Palmieri beat his former teammate on a breakaway when he slid a backhand past Mackenzie Blackwood. Barzal chipped in the final goal when he fired a high shot on another odd- man rush.

"We mismanaged the puck a lot of times," Ruff said. "I think almost on every goal, the puck was on our stick and we made a bad decision."

Ruff said he isn't sure how to account for the extenuating circumstances of a COVID season, but "none of us from the players to coaches and management are happy with where we're at."

If there's any consolation, it's that the Devils had won five of their previous six games. That resurgence came a few weeks after Miles Wood and the fellow captains called a players meeting during a season- long 10 game losing streak.

The pushback from the Devils leadership core at least offers a glimmer of hope for 2022 and beyond.

"I think those are moments that the culture changes," Ruff said. "You respect each other as teammates, but you know that losing teammates aren't going to last together. So if you want to build something, you got to win hockey games."

Two Devils make their return

Johnsson and Jonas Siegenthaler both welcomed a chance to make one last impression with their new teams. 1212153 New Jersey Devils “I’ll try to be bugging those guys a little bit every chance I can and try to knock them off their game a little bit,” the seventh-year Devil said. “But they’re both such good professionals, such good players, that we might say whatever we want to them, and they just might block us out. NJ Devils top Islanders, former teammates Travis Zajac and Kyle Palmieri “I’m going to have some fun with it,” Severson added, “hopefully play good hockey, and when we see those guys on the ice, we’ll definitely be giving them a hard time.”

Greg Tartaglia Major announcement in the minors

Thursday, the Devils also made it official that their AHL affiliate will be moving from Binghamton, N.Y., to Utica, effective for the 2021-22 For as many unusual games and moments as the Devils have season. experienced in 2021, Thursday night's contest was the one that players and coaches unanimously dubbed "weird." The ’s Board of Governors approved the relocation, and Devils president Jake Reynolds and GM Tom Fitzgerald New Jersey once again took the ice with Travis Zajac and Kyle Palmieri, released a joint statement. albeit this time as opponents. The two former Devils started for the Islanders in a 2-1 New Jersey win at Nassau Coliseum. “After multiple discussions and evaluating the options available for the future of our [AHL] franchise, we have agreed to partner with a local Michael McLeod scored the go-ahead goal with 4:29 left in the second operating group, Mohawk Valley Garden, in Utica, N.Y., led by Comets period. Pavel Zacha opened the scoring with his 16th of the season, President … We are pleased to announce that this is a 10- which helped the Devils (19-28-7) deal New York only its fourth year partnership which establishes a mutual commitment between our regulation loss at home (20-4-3). organization and the city of Utica.” Goalie Mackenzie Blackwood chipped in 32 saves in recording his fifth The current will remain as such until new jersey designs straight win. and colors are unveiled at a later date. From 1987-88 through 1992-93, Zajac and Palmieri were traded to the Islanders on April 7 – the former the Utica Devils were New Jersey’s AHL affiliate. after having spent his entire career in New Jersey. The teams had last “We could not be happier for the opportunity to partner with the New faced off on March 14. Jersey Devils, an organization with a rich history not only in the NHL but “When you're playing, you don't really notice it,” Devils captain Nico also in our own community,” Esche said. “The spirit of Comets hockey Hischier told MSG-Plus during the second intermission. “But if they skate and the culture our fans have created will continue to grow as it has for around and you're on the bench, it's definitely kind of weird." decades and evolve through the next 10 years, and we are honored to be a part of that with the Devils.” The Islanders (31-17-6) opened the game with Zajac and Palmieri flanking center Mathew Barzal. In the third period, they changed things Bergen Record LOADED: 05.09.2021 up with Zajac centering Palmieri and Ross Johnston.

“Automatically, it’s going to be a little bit strange,” Devils coach Lindy Ruff said Thursday morning. He called the duo “two great players for the organization… the first time coming back and playing them seems a little bit awkward.”

A coach who knows

Ruff got a taste of that as a player when he was traded from Buffalo to the Rangers during the 1988-89 season.

“Within a week or two, I had to face [former] teammates, good friends — physically, getting in 50-50 battles with a guy I roomed with for a year,” he recalled. “It really wasn’t a great feeling, but I think you put that aside, and you know that you’re a hockey player, and in every situation on the ice, you have to play for keeps.”

The former roommate to which he referred was Mike Ramsey. “We were able to laugh about it after the game was over, and really, years later,” Ruff said. “He said he got the best of me, I said I got the best of him.”

In February, Zajac became the fourth player to appear in 1,000 games with the Devils. He totaled 550 points (202 goals, 348 assists) in 14-plus seasons with New Jersey and has played 12 games with the Islanders since the trade, netting a goal and an assist.

Palmieri, who spent much of his youth in Montvale, came to the Devils in a trade from Anaheim in 2015. In 397 games with the franchise, he tallied 266 points (140 goals, 126 assists) and has since scored three points (one goal) in 15 games with New York.

In a better place?

The biggest difference for the pairing is that their old team is locked into a seventh-place finish in the East Division, while their new team has sewn up a postseason berth with three games to play.

“Obviously, they’re ramping it up for a playoff run here, and they’re going to have that on their mind as well,” New Jersey defenseman Damon Severson said before the game. “But I think it’ll be a little bit weird for a lot of us Devils who have been here for a while that have played with them – and a little bit different for them as well.”

Severson was an alternate captain alongside Palmieri and Zajac when the season began. Now, his role is to treat them as he would any opposing player. 1212154 New Jersey Devils injury, while Wood had missed one contest due to an upper-body injury. Tyce Thompson and Marian Studenic were benched to make room in the lineup.

Islanders pound Devils in last regular season game at Coliseum COVID IMPACTING DEVILS DEFENSEMEN

Jonas Siegenthaler returned to New Jersey’s lineup from an eight-game absence due to COVID-19, taking the place of Connor Carrick. The ASSOCIATED PRESS | Devils also announced that P.K. Subban will not play again this season due to his recovery from COVID-19. Subban has not played since April MAY 08, 2021 AT 11:31 PM 18.

ISLANDERS CONTINUE RESTING PLAYERS Brock Nelson scored twice in the second period as the New York Cal Clutterbuck was a healthy scratch for the Islanders, who have been Islanders beat the New Jersey Devils 5-1 Saturday night in the final resting key players in preparation for the playoffs. Eberle, Leo Komarov, regular season game at Nassau Coliseum. and Andy Greene returned to New York’s lineup after being rested for Mathew Barzal had a goal and an assist, and Jordan Eberle and Kyle Thursday’s game against the Devils. Palmieri also scored for the Islanders. Ilya Sorokin stopped 23 shots to UP NEXT help New York snap a three-game losing streak and get its sixth regulation win in the last 23 games. Devils: At Philadelphia on Monday night to close the season.

New York moved one point behind third-place Boston in the East Islanders: At Boston on Monday night in the regular season finale. Division. The Islanders visit the Bruins on Monday night. New York will face either Pittsburgh or Washington in the first round of the playoffs. New York Daily News LOADED: 05.09.2021

Andreas Johnsson scored for New Jersey while Mackenzie Blackwood made 22 saves. The Devils lost for just the second time in their last seven games.

Eberle opened the scoring for the Islanders with just under 2 minutes remaining in the first period. Barzal led a break across the blue line before orchestrating a give-and-go with Eberle, whose shot beat Blackwood short side and high. It was Eberle’s 16th goal of the season, equaling his total from last year.

Miles Wood had a chance on a breakaway to tie the game for the Devils with just under a minute left in the first but was unable to jam the puck past Sorokin.

A flurry of penalties early in the second period resulted in a 4-on-3 advantage for the Devils but they failed to capitalize. The Islanders finished their last home game of the season 2-for-2 on the penalty kill. New York’s home penalty kill of 92.3% for the season ranks second in the NHL since the league started tracking the stat in 1977-78, topped only by the 1998-99 Bruins (92.4%).

Johnsson scored for the Devils to tie the game at 1-1 nearly 5 minutes into the second period. Matt Tennyson’s pass from behind the net found Johnsson in the slot and he scored his fifth of the season — all of which have come on the road.

Nelson gave New York a 2-1 lead midway through the second period. Just 15 seconds after Will Butcher was sent to the penalty box for hooking, Nelson took advantage of a rebound in front of net.

Nelson scored again 3:40 later to give New York a two-goal advantage. Josh Bailey got a rebound and slid the puck across the slot to Nelson, who fired it past a lunging Blackwood for his 18th. It was Nelson’s second multi-goal game of the season. Bailey’s assist was his 349th for the Islanders, moving him into a tie with John Tavares for fifth on the franchise list.

[More Sports] Michael McLeod, Mackenzie Blackwood lead Devils to win over Islanders »

The Islanders scored twice in 37 seconds early in the third period. Palmieri scored the first at 3:32 on a breakaway, netting his first goal against his former team since being traded from New Jersey to New York last month. Barzal then had a 2-on-1 break alongside Eberle but chose to shoot the puck himself for his 16th to mae it 5-1.

REGULAR SEASON FAREWELL TO COLISEUM

This was the Islanders’ 1,738th and final regular season game at Nassau Coliseum. Beginning next season, the team is moving to the new UBS Arena at Belmont Park. The Islanders played at Nassau Coliseum from their inception in 1972 until they moved to Barclays Center in 2015, returning to the Coliseum in 2018. New York finished 21-4-3 at home this season.

DEVILS FORWARDS RETURN

Johnsson and Wood both recovered from injury to return to the Devils’ lineup. Johnsson had missed the past six games with a lower-body 1212155 New Jersey Devils “Throughout the night, all four lines were generating changes,” Palmieri said. “It was nice to be able to contribute and pop one in there.”

This was the Islanders’ 1,738th and final regular season game at Nassau Islanders rip Devils in final regular season game at Nassau Coliseum Coliseum. Beginning next season, the team is moving to the new UBS Arena at Belmont Park.

The Islanders played at Nassau Coliseum from their inception in 1972 By Associated PressMay 8, 2021 | 10:29PM until they moved to Barclays Center in 2015, returning to the Coliseum in 2018. New York finished 21-4-3 at home this season.

New York Post LOADED: 05.09.2021 Brock Nelson scored twice in the second period as the New York Islanders beat the New Jersey Devils 5-1 Saturday night in the final regular season game at Nassau Coliseum.

Mathew Barzal had a goal and an assist, and Jordan Eberle and Kyle Palmieri also scored for the Islanders. Ilya Sorokin stopped 23 shots to help New York snap a three-game losing streak and get its sixth regulation win in the last 23 games.

“It’s a step,” Islanders coach said. “It goes to our veteran group. We were going to worry about our own game and we did that.”

New York moved one point behind third-place Boston in the East Division. The Islanders visit the Bruins on Monday night. New York will face either Pittsburgh or Washington in the first round of the playoffs.

“We’re in tune-up mode,” Eberle said. “We want to find ourselves, find our game so that we’re our best moving into the playoffs.”

Andreas Johnsson scored for New Jersey while Mackenzie Blackwood made 22 saves. The Devils lost for just the second time in their last seven games.

The Islanders celebrate after their 5-1 win over the Devils in the final regular season game at Nassau Coliseum.

Eberle opened the scoring for the Islanders with just under 2 minutes remaining in the first period. Barzal led a break across the blue line before orchestrating a give-and-go with Eberle, whose shot beat Blackwood short side and high. It was Eberle’s 16th goal of the season, equaling his total from last year.

Miles Wood had a chance on a breakaway to tie the game for the Devils with just under a minute left in the first but was unable to jam the puck past Sorokin.

A flurry of penalties early in the second period resulted in a 4-on-3 advantage for the Devils but they failed to capitalize. The Islanders finished their last home game of the season 2-for-2 on the penalty kill. New York’s home penalty kill of 92.3% for the season ranks second in the NHL since the league started tracking the stat in 1977-78, topped only by the 1998-99 Bruins (92.4 percent).

Johnsson scored for the Devils to tie the game at 1-1 nearly 5 minutes into the second period. Matt Tennyson’s pass from behind the net found Johnsson in the slot and he scored his fifth of the season — all of which have come on the road.

“Not a good game at all,” Johnsson said. “I don’t feel like we skated for each other and got open for each other. They did a good job, but we didn’t answer at all.”

Nelson gave New York a 2-1 lead midway through the second period. Just 15 seconds after Will Butcher was sent to the penalty box for hooking, Nelson took advantage of a rebound in front of net.

“Barry has been stressing a guy at the net,” Nelson said. “Just trying to get some traffic, get some second opportunities. It’s not always going to be pretty but you’re happy to take them if you get that opportunity close.”

Nelson scored again 3:40 later to give New York a two-goal advantage. Josh Bailey got a rebound and slid the puck across the slot to Nelson, who fired it past a lunging Blackwood for his 18th. It was Nelson’s second multi-goal game of the season. Bailey’s assist was his 349th for the Islanders, moving him into a tie with John Tavares for fifth on the franchise list.

The Islanders scored twice in 37 seconds early in the third period. Palmieri scored the first at 3:32 on a breakaway, netting his first goal against his former team since being traded from New Jersey to New York last month. Barzal then had a 2-on-1 break alongside Eberle but chose to shoot the puck himself for his 16th to make it 5-1. 1212156 New York Islanders Tyce Thompson and Marian Studenic were benched to make room in the lineup.

COVID IMPACTING DEVILS DEFENSEMEN Islanders pound Devils in last regular season game at Coliseum Jonas Siegenthaler returned to New Jersey’s lineup from an eight-game absence due to COVID-19, taking the place of Connor Carrick. The Devils also announced that P.K. Subban will not play again this season ASSOCIATED PRESS | due to his recovery from COVID-19. Subban has not played since April 18. MAY 08, 2021 AT 11:31 PM ISLANDERS CONTINUE RESTING PLAYERS

Cal Clutterbuck was a healthy scratch for the Islanders, who have been Brock Nelson scored twice in the second period as the New York resting key players in preparation for the playoffs. Eberle, Leo Komarov, Islanders beat the New Jersey Devils 5-1 Saturday night in the final and Andy Greene returned to New York’s lineup after being rested for regular season game at Nassau Coliseum. Thursday’s game against the Devils. Mathew Barzal had a goal and an assist, and Jordan Eberle and Kyle New York Daily News LOADED: 05.09.2021 Palmieri also scored for the Islanders. Ilya Sorokin stopped 23 shots to help New York snap a three-game losing streak and get its sixth regulation win in the last 23 games.

New York moved one point behind third-place Boston in the East Division. The Islanders visit the Bruins on Monday night. New York will face either Pittsburgh or Washington in the first round of the playoffs.

Andreas Johnsson scored for New Jersey while Mackenzie Blackwood made 22 saves. The Devils lost for just the second time in their last seven games.

Eberle opened the scoring for the Islanders with just under 2 minutes remaining in the first period. Barzal led a break across the blue line before orchestrating a give-and-go with Eberle, whose shot beat Blackwood short side and high. It was Eberle’s 16th goal of the season, equaling his total from last year.

Miles Wood had a chance on a breakaway to tie the game for the Devils with just under a minute left in the first but was unable to jam the puck past Sorokin.

A flurry of penalties early in the second period resulted in a 4-on-3 advantage for the Devils but they failed to capitalize. The Islanders finished their last home game of the season 2-for-2 on the penalty kill. New York’s home penalty kill of 92.3% for the season ranks second in the NHL since the league started tracking the stat in 1977-78, topped only by the 1998-99 Bruins (92.4%).

Johnsson scored for the Devils to tie the game at 1-1 nearly 5 minutes into the second period. Matt Tennyson’s pass from behind the net found Johnsson in the slot and he scored his fifth of the season — all of which have come on the road.

Nelson gave New York a 2-1 lead midway through the second period. Just 15 seconds after Will Butcher was sent to the penalty box for hooking, Nelson took advantage of a rebound in front of net.

Nelson scored again 3:40 later to give New York a two-goal advantage. Josh Bailey got a rebound and slid the puck across the slot to Nelson, who fired it past a lunging Blackwood for his 18th. It was Nelson’s second multi-goal game of the season. Bailey’s assist was his 349th for the Islanders, moving him into a tie with John Tavares for fifth on the franchise list.

The Islanders scored twice in 37 seconds early in the third period. Palmieri scored the first at 3:32 on a breakaway, netting his first goal against his former team since being traded from New Jersey to New York last month. Barzal then had a 2-on-1 break alongside Eberle but chose to shoot the puck himself for his 16th to mae it 5-1.

REGULAR SEASON FAREWELL TO COLISEUM

This was the Islanders’ 1,738th and final regular season game at Nassau Coliseum. Beginning next season, the team is moving to the new UBS Arena at Belmont Park. The Islanders played at Nassau Coliseum from their inception in 1972 until they moved to Barclays Center in 2015, returning to the Coliseum in 2018. New York finished 21-4-3 at home this season.

DEVILS FORWARDS RETURN

Johnsson and Wood both recovered from injury to return to the Devils’ lineup. Johnsson had missed the past six games with a lower-body injury, while Wood had missed one contest due to an upper-body injury. 1212157 New York Islanders “Throughout the night, all four lines were generating changes,” Palmieri said. “It was nice to be able to contribute and pop one in there.”

This was the Islanders’ 1,738th and final regular season game at Nassau Islanders rip Devils in final regular season game at Nassau Coliseum Coliseum. Beginning next season, the team is moving to the new UBS Arena at Belmont Park.

The Islanders played at Nassau Coliseum from their inception in 1972 By Associated PressMay 8, 2021 | 10:29PM until they moved to Barclays Center in 2015, returning to the Coliseum in 2018. New York finished 21-4-3 at home this season.

New York Post LOADED: 05.09.2021 Brock Nelson scored twice in the second period as the New York Islanders beat the New Jersey Devils 5-1 Saturday night in the final regular season game at Nassau Coliseum.

Mathew Barzal had a goal and an assist, and Jordan Eberle and Kyle Palmieri also scored for the Islanders. Ilya Sorokin stopped 23 shots to help New York snap a three-game losing streak and get its sixth regulation win in the last 23 games.

“It’s a step,” Islanders coach Barry Trotz said. “It goes to our veteran group. We were going to worry about our own game and we did that.”

New York moved one point behind third-place Boston in the East Division. The Islanders visit the Bruins on Monday night. New York will face either Pittsburgh or Washington in the first round of the playoffs.

“We’re in tune-up mode,” Eberle said. “We want to find ourselves, find our game so that we’re our best moving into the playoffs.”

Andreas Johnsson scored for New Jersey while Mackenzie Blackwood made 22 saves. The Devils lost for just the second time in their last seven games.

The Islanders celebrate after their 5-1 win over the Devils in the final regular season game at Nassau Coliseum.

AP

Eberle opened the scoring for the Islanders with just under 2 minutes remaining in the first period. Barzal led a break across the blue line before orchestrating a give-and-go with Eberle, whose shot beat Blackwood short side and high. It was Eberle’s 16th goal of the season, equaling his total from last year.

Miles Wood had a chance on a breakaway to tie the game for the Devils with just under a minute left in the first but was unable to jam the puck past Sorokin.

A flurry of penalties early in the second period resulted in a 4-on-3 advantage for the Devils but they failed to capitalize. The Islanders finished their last home game of the season 2-for-2 on the penalty kill. New York’s home penalty kill of 92.3% for the season ranks second in the NHL since the league started tracking the stat in 1977-78, topped only by the 1998-99 Bruins (92.4 percent).

Johnsson scored for the Devils to tie the game at 1-1 nearly 5 minutes into the second period. Matt Tennyson’s pass from behind the net found Johnsson in the slot and he scored his fifth of the season — all of which have come on the road.

“Not a good game at all,” Johnsson said. “I don’t feel like we skated for each other and got open for each other. They did a good job, but we didn’t answer at all.”

Nelson gave New York a 2-1 lead midway through the second period. Just 15 seconds after Will Butcher was sent to the penalty box for hooking, Nelson took advantage of a rebound in front of net.

“Barry has been stressing a guy at the net,” Nelson said. “Just trying to get some traffic, get some second opportunities. It’s not always going to be pretty but you’re happy to take them if you get that opportunity close.”

Nelson scored again 3:40 later to give New York a two-goal advantage. Josh Bailey got a rebound and slid the puck across the slot to Nelson, who fired it past a lunging Blackwood for his 18th. It was Nelson’s second multi-goal game of the season. Bailey’s assist was his 349th for the Islanders, moving him into a tie with John Tavares for fifth on the franchise list.

The Islanders scored twice in 37 seconds early in the third period. Palmieri scored the first at 3:32 on a breakaway, netting his first goal against his former team since being traded from New Jersey to New York last month. Barzal then had a 2-on-1 break alongside Eberle but chose to shoot the puck himself for his 16th to make it 5-1. 1212158 New York Islanders

Islanders dominate Devils for fitting farewell in likely final regular-season game at Nassau Coliseum

By Andrew Gross

Updated May 8, 2021 11:52 PM

If this indeed was the playoff-bound Islanders’ final regular-season game at Nassau Coliseum, they gave the outdated but beloved barn a worthwhile ending.

Reversing their sluggish play during a post-clinching three-game losing streak, the Islanders beat the Devils, 5-1, on Saturday night. The passing was crisper, there was good structure in their defensive game and they consistently got pucks deep.

"A lot of memories, so just trying to finish on a positive moment," said Brock Nelson, who scored two goals in the second period as he played in his 300th consecutive game. "Then, also staying in the moment and realizing where we are and trying to build our game for the playoffs and make this a special run."

There was a lingering cheer from the limited-capacity sellout crowd of 1,400 as the Islanders gathered at center ice to salute the fans after the win.

"We talked about it," said Jordan Eberle, who completed a two-on-one with Mathew Barzal to make it 1-0 at 18:01 of the first period. "We wanted to finish off in the win column. This building has got a lot of history behind it. It’s tough without all of the fans in the building, but it’s always good to send the regular season off with a win."

The Islanders (32-17-6) still have a slim possibility of finishing third in the East Division. They need a regulation win in Monday’s season finale in Boston and for the Bruins to lose their finale against the Capitals in regulation on Tuesday.

"All four lines were generating chances," said ex-Devil Kyle Palmieri, who made it 4-1 at 3:32 of the third period with his second goal as an Islander since being acquired on April 7. "It was nice to be able to contribute and pop one in. But it’s nice to get contributions up and down the lineup like that."

The Islanders, of course, left the Coliseum once before, moving to Barclays Center for the 2015-16 season before returning to split games between the buildings in 2018-19 and last season.

This season marked a temporary full-time return to the Coliseum before opening UBS Arena at Belmont Park. But there’s still a chance the Islanders will have more regular-season home games at the Coliseum. UBS Arena is targeted to open in November, but the NHL wants to start next season on Oct. 12, so the Islanders might have to play a handful of games at the Coliseum.

The Islanders ended with a 21-4-3 home record this season and are 877- 629-169 (ties)-63 (overtime or shootout losses) at the Coliseum. This season’s home winning percentage of .804 is the fourth best in team history, per team statistician Eric Hornick. The Islanders were 33-3-4 (.875) in 1981-82.

Andreas Johnsson tied the score at 4:58 of the second period as the Islanders’ defense was caught flat-footed. Nelson regained a 2-1 lead with a power-play goal at 9:00 of the period, knocking in a rebound from the slot after Mackenzie Blackwood (22 saves) could not keep Oliver Wahlstrom’s blast from the left circle in his glove. Nelson made it 3-1 at 12:40 as Blackwood could not control Anthony Beauvillier’s initial shot.

Barzal capped the scoring on a two-on-one rush 37 seconds after Palmieri’s goal.

Ilya Sorokin had to make 13 of his 23 saves in the third period, leaving coach Barry Trotz unhappy that his team couldn’t maintain its intensity after taking a four-goal lead.

"I thought some of our players got very loose with the puck," Trotz said. "That would be the only concerning thing for me is that we didn’t stay to our game. That’s something we said we’d do."

Newsday LOADED: LOADED: 05.09.2021 1212159 New York Islanders

NHL relaxes some COVID-19 protocol restrictions for teams meeting vaccination mark

By Andrew Gross

Updated May 9, 2021 12:29 AM

The NHL and the NHL Players Association announced on Saturday relaxed COVID-19 protocols for the playoffs and the offseason for teams in which 85% of the 56-person maximum traveling party has been fully immunized, meaning two weeks after the second dose.

The playoff-bound Islanders meet that criteria, and coach Barry Trotz thinks the amended guidelines will benefit teams.

"It’s been a grind for a lot of players," he said before a 5-1 win over the Devils at Nassau Coliseum. "It will be an ease for players that, ‘Hey, this has been worth it.’ We’re seeing things change a little bit. I think it will give a boost of energy to all involved.

"If you’re vaccinated, you’re still going to have to do the right things. But I think if people are smart enough and diligent enough, if we just stick with it and we get vaccinated, you’re going to have pretty good success and life will get back to normal, which is going to be a blessing to us all."

The relaxed guidelines will mean players undergo fewer tests, can eat and drink on team flights, can socialize in small groups in hotels and can eat at restaurants with outdoor dining. Team meetings will be easier to conduct.

Isles files

Brock Nelson played in his 300th straight game and can tie Bobby Nystrom for second place on the team’s all-time list if he plays in Monday’s season finale in Boston. "The mentality to have that consistency night in and night out is pretty good," Trotz said. "He’s grown. He’s very comfortable in his own skin." . . . The Islanders went 6- 2-0 against the Devils . . . Cal Clutterbuck did not dress as Trotz rotates whom he rests . . . Linesman Tony Sericolo worked his 1,500th and final NHL game. He was honored with a video tribute and both teams remained on the ice after the game to shake his hand . . . Anders Lee, who suffered a season-ending knee injury against the Devils on March 11, attended the game . . . Josh Bailey’s 349th assist tied him with John Tavares for the fifth most in team history.

Newsday LOADED: LOADED: 05.09.2021 1212160 New York Islanders with seven goals and five assists in 33 games — before his five-plus seasons with the Devils yielded just one playoff berth. Palmieri had one goal and two assists in five games in 2018.

Disappointing season for Islanders' Bridgeport farm team with a few "I came in here and wanted to try and find a way to fit in and contribute," highlights Palmieri said. "Right now it hasn’t exactly gone the way I hoped. As a group, we’re excited to try find our game and we’re really looking forward to getting into some playoff hockey."

Updated May 8, 2021 5:25 PM By Andrew Gross Iron Men

Mathew Barzal had his consecutive games streak snapped at 284 when he was rested in Tuesday’s 4-3 shootout loss in Buffalo. Brock Nelson The Islanders have qualified for the playoffs for the third straight season reached 300 on Saturday night against the Devils. Here are the and will know by Tuesday which East Division foe they will face in the Islanders’ top iron man streaks, courtesy of team statistician Eric Hornick: first round. 1. Billy Harris 576 – Oct. 7, 1972-Nov. 30, 1979 But the same yearly success has not been duplicated with AHL- Bridgeport, their top minor-league affiliate. The Sound Tigers finished this 2. Bobby Nystrom 301 – Jan. 7, 1975-Nov. 25, 1978 truncated season 8-14-2, playing solely against the Rangers’ Hartford affiliate and the Bruins’ Providence affiliate. It marks the eighth time in 11 3. Brock Nelson 300 – March 16, 2017-present years Bridgeport will not play postseason hockey. 4. Anders Lee 295 – Jan. 26, 2017-March 13, 2021 To be fair, the COVID-19 pandemic forced the cancellation of last 5. Mathew Barzal 284 – Oct. 6, 2017-May 3, 2021; 284 – season’s AHL playoffs and there was no postseason tournament for the Oct. 3, 2009-April 4, 2013 three-team Atlantic Division this year. Newsday LOADED: LOADED: 05.09.2021 Still, 8-14-2 is 8-14-2, even with a 5-1-1 finish.

"Anytime you practice, you’re trying to win the practice, you try to win the game," Bridgeport general manager Chris Lamoriello said. "I think the record is always something you have to look at. For us, we were disappointed to be on the wrong side of .500. We were satisfied with some of the things we went through during the year. If you look at the last few weeks, we were happy to make some adjustments and then see some positive results in those adjustments."

There also must be some understanding of what the players lost in this unique season beyond a full schedule. Health guidelines limited contact off the ice. There were Zoom team meetings. League-wide salary cuts forced many players to scramble financially.

"I think it’s a lot of respect for the guys on the team that we all came together and we were able to succeed in this odd year," captain Seth Helgeson said. "You don’t realize how much stuff you do take for granted. It might be just the smallest things, whether it’s fans in the stands or being around the guys. Not having restrictions around the rink. You definitely have an appreciation for everything we did have last year."

But the true measure of AHL success is how the young talent develops to eventually benefit the NHL squad.

So, there were certainly positive signs. Defensemen Bode Wilde and Mitch Vande Sompel, both coming off major injuries, made it through the season healthy. And defenseman Samuel Bolduc, a 6-4, 215-pound road block in front of the crease, also showed a good offensive touch with six goals and eight assists.

"For me, I think it’s the execution and the little details that can make a big difference in the game," Bolduc said. "So, at the NHL it would probably be even a bigger thing."

Simon Holmstrom, selected 23rd overall in 2019, had just four goals and three assists in 24 games (and was a minus-14, worst among the forwards). But after also playing in Sweden this season, Holmstrom was encouraged he can improve his game.

"For me, it’s just to be able to play with intensity the whole time," Holmstrom. "Get stronger, get a better shot. Just all around, especially the intensity level. Always keep it up."

Great expectations

The Islanders never expected Kyle Palmieri to fully replace injured captain Anders Lee, a former 40-goal scorer who had a prominent role both on the top line and the first power-play unit.

But Palmieri knew after the Islanders shipped a package that included a first-round pick to the Devils for him and Travis Zajac on April 7, the expectation was for him to be a consistent offensive producer.

Instead, Palmieri had one goal and two assists in his first 15 games with the Islanders.

But Palmieri also knows he still has the playoffs to prove his worth. Palmieri went to the playoffs four times with the Ducks from 2011-15 — 1212161 New York Islanders "That’s our home," Cizikas said. "We take pride in playing at the Coli and we want to make this as tough as possible."

Newsday LOADED: LOADED: 05.09.2021 Islanders cherish their final go-around at Nassau Coliseum, where they've enjoyed home-ice advantage

By Andrew Gross

Updated May 8, 2021 4:58 PM

There will still be, at the very least, two more Islanders’ playoff games at venerable Nassau Coliseum.

But, if things go as planned, Saturday night’s match against the Devils will stand as the final regular-season game at the outdated but beloved barn before the Islanders move to UBS Arena at Belmont Park next season.

"Yeah it’s definitely sad," said Casey Cizikas, an Islander since 2012. "The Coliseum is the Coliseum. There’s nothing like it. We’re going to try and leave this building with good memories."

The Islanders, of course, left the building once before, moving to Barclays Center for the 2015-16 season. That arena quickly proved unsuitable and the Islanders returned to split home games between the Coliseum and Barclays in 2018-19 and last season. This season marked a temporary full-time return to the Coliseum before opening their new home.

The Islanders entered Saturday’s game with a sterling 20-4-3 home record.

"I don’t know if you can pinpoint one thing, there’s just such a strong connection with the fans and the team being the only team out here on the Island," said Brock Nelson, who also first played for the Islanders in 2012. "The atmosphere when fans get going and the Barn is rocking is second to none. I think everybody can relate to one memory or moment they had at the Coliseum that brought them some excitement and good memories."

"It’s definitely a huge deal for guys that have been there for a while, especially me," said defenseman , acquired from Chicago in 2014. "When I first got here, I always enjoyed playing here and I think that building has become a real home to me and the guys that have been here for a while."

The Islanders are certainly sending the Coliseum into NHL mothballs on a high note. This season’s home winning percentage is the fourth best in team history at .796 entering Saturday, per team statistician Eric Hornick. The Islanders went 33-3-4 (.875) in 1981-82.

Overall, the Islanders entered Saturday 876-629-169 (ties)-63 (overtime losses) at the Coliseum.

Coach Barry Trotz believes some of that is the atmosphere created at the Coliseum, even with attendance limited to 10% of capacity — 1,400 fans at the final 14 regular-season home games since March 18. But he also believes the home record is also a function of players feeling more comfortable at home, rather than facing the restrictive COVID-19 protocols on the road.

"Well, we’re big-time homers, you look at our record," Trotz said. "I think it’s a comfort level. As much as it is a comfort level with the arena, it’s a comfort level of just being at home. But the Coliseum has always been a good place for the Islanders to play out of. A great history. And I just think our guys just feel comfortable.

"I laugh at our record because I know we’re not that big of a homer team. But I can’t dispute it with our record this year. I just think it’s an intimidating place to come into. It’s got a great history."

There’s still a chance the Islanders will have more regular-season home games at the Coliseum. UBS Arena is targeted to open in November, but the NHL wants to start next season on Oct. 12. Depending on when UBS Arena is ready, the Islanders may have to play a handful of games at the Coliseum.

But the team treated Saturday as if it was the regular-season finale. 1212162 New York Islanders — x – Isles on MSG+ (@IslesMSGN) May 9, 2021

Barzal scored his 16th goal of the season at the 4:09 mark of the third to put the Islanders up by four. Leo Komarov forced a turnover in the Nelson, Islanders Turn on Offense in 5-1 win over New Jersey Islanders’ end and allowed for Barzal and Beauvillier to break out on a two-on-one.

“I thought throughout the night all four lines were generating chances,” Published 7 hours ago on May 8, 2021By Christian Arnold Palmieri said. “I think all the lines were going tonight and generating. It’s nice to kind of get contributions up and down the lineup like that.”

UNIONDALE, N.Y. — Were the New York Islanders exercising some of The Islanders did open the scoring late in the first period of the game. their demons on Saturday night? Perhaps. Eberle snapped a goal drought of his own by scoring with 1:59 left in the first period to put the Islanders up 1-0. The Islanders scored five goals against the New Jersey Devils and snapped a three-game skid with a 5-1 win in what could be the last Andreas Johnsson scored at 4:58 into the second period to tied the game regular-season game at the Nassau Coliseum. Saturday marked the first at one. time since April 20 against the New York Rangers that the Islanders have scored five or more goals in a single game.

“Basically we’re in tuneup mode and we want to find ourselves,” Jordan Eberle said. “Find our game so we’re at our best moving into the playoffs. Sometimes these games can be a little bit difficult, but we definitely worked hard. Found a way to win and the next game against Boston we’re still fighting to move up. We’re going to need a win against them moving into the playoffs.”

Brock Nelson scored twice in the second period to break a 1-1 tie and Kyle Palmieri and Mathew Barzal each added a goal in the third to extend the Islanders lead. The goal was Palmieri’s second since being traded to the New York Islanders on April 7.

AGAIN.

#2 of the night for Brock Nelson https://t.co/nak8TJtEEH pic.twitter.com/4mH8hh4Byq

— x – Isles on MSG+ (@IslesMSGN) May 9, 2021

Ilya Sorokin made 23 saves in his 21st start of the season. He finished the year with a 13-6-0 record on his rookie campaign.

While the New York Islanders hopes for home-ice in the playoffs is gone, they still have a chance at moving up one spot in the East Division. The win moved the Islanders a point behind Boston, which lost to the Rangers on Saturday afternoon, for third in the division.

“I think we wanted to come out with a good effort and get a good win for our final home game of the season,” Josh Bailey said. “Pretty good game from us. We had good goaltending. I thought everyone played hard and got the job done.”

The win came at a time the Islanders desperately needed one after dropping three straight to non-playoff teams. The Islanders also found themselves in a 4-6-2 rut that has raised concerns about the team’s ability to go deep in the playoffs.

“I think we said we’re going to worry about our own game and we did that,” Islanders head coach Barry Trotz said. “We practiced that way yesterday, with a lot of purpose, and then for the first two periods we did a fantastic job of playing our game. We had a couple of moments where we just didn’t manage the puck. Then when we scored the two goals to make it 5-1 I thought some of our players got very loose with the puck.

“Turnovers that transition to chances against.”

Nelson scored his first of two goals nine minutes into the middle frame while the Islanders were on the power play. Oliver Wahlstrom had his one-timer attempt stopped, but Mackenzie Blackwood failed to hold onto the rebound and Nelson had the easy putback.

The Isles forward made it a 3-1 game just under four minutes later after New Jersey turned over the puck in the neutral zone. This time it was Anthony Beauvillier who had his initial shot stopped and the rebound was moved over to Nelson for the goal by Josh Bailey.

The two goals snapped an eight-game goal drought for Nelson and it was his first multi-goal game since March 7 against Buffalo.

Palmieri added to the Islanders’ lead early in the third off the rush. Wahlstrom flipped the puck up to Palmieri, who sprung past the New Jersey Defenders and then slid the puck past Blackwood.

Palmieri and Barzal go back to back!

5-1 #Isles pic.twitter.com/73mAC33atO 1212163 New York Islanders Pavel Zacha — — Jesper Bratt Miles Wood — Michael McLeod — Nathan Bastian

Nolan Foote — Jesper Boqvist — Andreas Johnsson Finally Saying Goodbye? Islanders Face Devils in Potential Regular Season Finale at Coliseum — Damon Severson

Will Butcher — Jonas Siegenthaler

Published 14 hours ago on May 8, 2021By Christian Arnold Kevin Bahl — Matt Tennyson

Mackenzie Blackwood

Is this finally goodbye? Scott Wedgewood

The New York Islanders host the New Jersey Devils in their regular- HOW TO WATCH season home finale tonight at the Nassau Coliseum. More significantly, it may be the last regular-season game at the Nassau Coliseum with the Tonight’s game airs locally on MSG+, MSG+2 and can be streamed on Islanders scheduled to move into their new home at UBS Arena in the MSGGo or NHL.tv. On the radio dial, the game can be heard on 1050 fall. AM ESPN, 88.7 FM WRHU and 103.9 FM LI News Radio.

Like everything else surrounding the New York Islanders drawn-out NYI Hockey NowLOADED: 05.09.2021 arena saga, there may still be time left at the old barn on Hempstead Turnpike.

“Quite a few (memories). So many things have happened there,” Brock Nelson said about his time playing at the Nassau Coliseum. “Haven’t reflected on it, but it’s been quite a few years for me and probably a few other guys that have a lot of memories. First game for me, first goal. Some playoff series. Just big wins, big games. A lot of memories you look back on.

“It’s a special place for not just the team right now, but for the guys who have played here before, the fans and everybody in the community. I think everybody will cherish it.”

The Islanders will likely try to draw upon the occasion as they look to snap their current three-game skid as they approach the playoffs. The Islanders have dropped two games to the lowly Buffalo Sabres earlier in the week and fell to the same New Jersey Squad on Thursday.

Anthony Beauvillier was the only Islanders player to score on Thursday and Semyon Varlamov stopped 23 shots in the loss.

The Islanders’ playoff spot has all but been locked up, with the team sitting as the fourth seed. The three straight losses eliminated the team’s chances of sneaking back into a spot with a home-ice advantage.

The New York Islanders are 20-4-3 this season at the Nassau Coliseum. Thursday’s loss was only the fourth time this year that the Islanders lost in regulation on home ice.

Head coach Barry Trotz isn’t expecting a heavy game from New Jersey or the Islanders tonight when they square off. He described the previous meeting as “not very taxing.” Trotz has been switching his lineup in the final games of the regular season to try and rest some of his regular players before the postseason.

“The most important thing is to have is to get the group healthy,” Trotz said. “That’s number one. Win or lose right now it’s not going to affect what’s happening with us. I do want us to do certain things. Certain details in how we play certain situations, those protocols have to be addressed and have to be executed.”

NEW YORK ISLANDERS LINEUP (PROJECTED)

Leo Komarov — Mathew Barzal — Jordan Eberle

Kyle Palmieri — Travis Zajac — Oliver Wahlstrom

Anthony Beauvillier — Jean-Gabriel Pageau — Josh Bailey

Matt Martin — Casey Cizikas — Cal Clutterbuck

Adam Pelech — Ryan Pulock

Nick Leddy — Scott Mayfield

Andy Greene — Noah Dobson

Ilya Sorokin

Semyon Varlamov

NEW JERSEY DEVILS LINEUP (PROJECTED)

Janne Kuokkanen — Jack Hughes — Yegor Sharangovich 1212164 New York Islanders “Sometimes results don’t necessarily reflect that, but it’s kind of more about a team dynamic and how the group is coming together.”

Right now, though, why not finish the season strong to instil some Islanders Need to Find Their Game in Final Two Regular Season confidence for the playoffs. Contests NYI Hockey NowLOADED: 05.09.2021

Published 16 hours ago on May 8, 2021By Christian Arnold

It’s no secret where the New York Islanders will finish the regular season. The Isles punched their ticket to the playoffs against the New York Rangers earlier this month, but since then things have gone downhill landing them the fourth seed in the postseason.

The Islanders’ last two games of the season will not mean much in the standings, but they will be one final chance for New York to end the year on a high note and not limp into the playoffs, whenever they may start. They have gone 0-2-1 since clinching and are a paltry 4-6-2 since the NHL trade deadline in April.

Scoring has dried up, with the New York Islanders being outscored 26-24 by their opponents over the last 12 games, and uncharacteristic miscues have cost the Islanders dearly.

“We’re not built where we can just out skill you every night,” Islanders head coach Barry Trotz said on Friday. “We’ve got to play with a lot of heart and dignity and hardness, and it’s a grind. We out-will teams at times and we out defend teams and we out hit teams. It is taxing and that’s the way we were built.

“Mentally I think the guys are taking a little bit of a breather and I understand that fully because they know the playoffs are around the corner.”

Trotz remains confident in his group’s ability to pull it together once the playoffs begin. The Islanders coach did say on Thursday that it isn’t easy to just “flip the switch on” as soon as the postseason begins.

That’s what the last two games of the regular season need to be about for the New York Islanders. New York cannot wait until Game 1 of the first round to find their game and Saturday and Monday provide them with the opportunity to figure things out sooner than later.

The Islanders started Thursday’s game well against the New Jersey Devils, who they’ll see once again on Saturday night. Then things began to slow down. The Islanders’ passing became troublesome and the team found themselves hemmed in their own zone for longer than they would like.

In the end, a soft clearing attempt in their own zone led to Michael McLeod’s game-winning goal in the second period.

That has been the Islanders MO during their current rough patch. While the Islanders beat up on their rivals from Manhattan, they haven’t been able to replicate that same effort against other teams, in fact, they haven’t won against another team besides the Rangers since April 18 when they defeated the Philadelphia Flyers 1-0 in the overtime.

Hardly a comforting fact considering the Islanders played potential first- round opponent Washington three times during their current 4-6-2 span. Before a rough set of losses to the Buffalo Sabres earlier this week, the Islanders had been 22-4-2 this season against East Division teams that did not qualify for the playoffs.

Now they’re staring down four straight losses to teams that have not only missed the playoffs, but missed them by large margins. Not exactly a comforting thought and one that Islanders fans made well aware of on Thursday night as they booed as the team exited the ice following the loss.

Could the Islanders turn it on once the playoffs begin? It’s possible and Braydon Coburn has certainly seen that happen.

“I’ve seen a number of different ways and it’s worked out a number of different ways,” said Coburn, who went to the Cup Final twice with the Philadelphia Flyers and won the Stanley Cup last year with Tampa Bay. ” I’ve been on teams that have played unreal towards the end of the season and then laid an egg right away. I think generally it’s more about the kind of just overall kind of the way the team is playing as you go to the playoffs 1212165 New York Rangers Associate general manager Chris Drury became the new president and GM after owner James Dolan fired president John Davidson and GM Jeff Gorton on Wednesday.

Rangers beat Bruins to snap losing streak and end wild season “It’s been difficult, but it was great to finish the way we did,” Quinn said. “It’s exciting for us to get Chris’s first win as a general manager.” 4 New York Daily News LOADED: 05.09.2021 By KEN POWTAK

ASSOCIATED PRESS |

MAY 08, 2021 AT 7:18 PM

BOSTON — Mika Zibanejad scored two of New York’s four third-period goals, and the Rangers ended their season with a 5-4 victory over the Boston Bruins on Saturday to halt a five-game losing streak.

Alexis Lafrenière and Vitali Kravtsov also scored in a wild third when the Rangers turned a 2-1 deficit to a 4-2 edge. K’Andre Miller added a goal for the Rangers, and Keith Kinkaid made 28 saves before leaving with an injury midway into the third. Igor Shesterkin finished up in net with seven saves.

New York, which was eliminated from the playoffs, will finish in fifth in the NHL’s East division. It ended a strange week for the Rangers, who fired their president and general manager and were fined by the NHL.

“The last 10 days or so have been kind of crazy,” said Zibanejad, who finished up with 24 goals and 26 assists. “We got the win and got to finish up the season in somewhat of a nice way.”

David Pastrnak scored his 200th career goal, Brad Marchand had his team-leading 28th, and Patrice Bergeron and Nick Ritchie also scored for the Bruins, who had earned at least a point in their previous six games (5-0-1). Tuukka Rask stopped 18 shots.

“They definitely came up hard and I felt like we weren’t ready,” Pastrnak said. “We’ve got to learn and move on.”

Boston can clinch third in the East if the New York Islanders lose Saturday night or by earning two points in its final two games. The Bruins host the Islanders on Monday night.

Zibanejad tied it 2-2 with a wrister from the slot 5:01 after Pastrnak scored on a one-timer from the right circle 21 seconds into the third.

“It’s just perplexing how it all happened at once,” Boston coach Bruce Cassidy said of the Bruins falling apart.

Lafrenière cut in alone and slipped a backhander over Rask at 7:26. Kravtsov then one-timed in a shot in at 9:36.

[More Sports] James Dolan skates off easy after firing Rangers execs John Davidson and Jeff Gorton »

Marchand’s power-play goal sliced it to 4-3 with 5:52 left in the third, but Zibanejad’s second of the game and 200th of his career made it 5-3. Bergeron scored with Rask pulled for an extra skater, but the Rangers held on.

“You’re talking about an elite hockey player,” Rangers coach David Quinn said of Zibanejad. “To finish with 50 points after the start he had shows the type of player he is.”

Ritchie, voted the club’s Seventh Player Award by the fans for someone who “exceeded expectations,” tied it after Miller had moved New York ahead 6:21 into the second.

“I think we can learn from that,” Ritchie said. “You never give up in a hockey game or get complacent.”

Kinkaid was solid through two periods, stopping 27 shots — 18 in the second — and even had a little luck when Pastrnak fired a shot off the crossbar.

A WEEK TO FORGET

The Rangers closed their final week of the season with the firing of the team’s president and general manager, a night filled with fights against Washington in response to the Capitals’ Tom Wilson not being suspended and a $250,000 fine from the NHL for the club’s public criticism of the league’s head of player safety George Parros about Wilson’s punishment of only a fine for his actions during a melee on Monday. 1212166 New York Rangers Yet as the old saying goes, one man’s trash is another man’s treasure. So, Amazon Prime Video suits last week agreed to take the package off

Fox’s hands one year early and start streaming “TNF” in 2022. The James Dolan skates off easy after firing Rangers execs John Davidson Amazon deal runs through the 2032 season. Amazon, reportedly, is and Jeff Gorton paying the league over $1 billion per for exclusive rights to “TNF.”

[More Sports] Rangers beat Bruins to snap losing streak and end wild season » By BOB RAISSMAN We are sure Roger Goodell is “rooting” for Amazon to do something the MAY 08, 2021 AT 8:00 AM former “TNF” rights holders couldn’t: Make money airing “TNF.” With that goal in mind, Amazon execs must decide what its “TNF” production will

look like. Traditional? Quirky? Or alternate streams, designed for a It wound up costing James Dolan $250,000 to publicly accuse NFL specific niche? Safety Czar George Parros of being “unfit to continue in his current role.” Amazon must have discovered broadcasters, whether they are play-by- If you, the fan, said the same thing about Guitar Jimmy, within earshot of play voices or analysts, can’t be shipped to the booth in cardboard the Garden boss, you would be accosted by his security operatives boxes. Unlike the former “TNFers,” there will be no league requirements before being ejected from the building. on what voices they will be allowed to use (the other networks were required to use their No.1 NFL broadcast team on “TNF”), which leaves All it cost Dolan to fire Jeff Gorton and John Davidson, the revered them a wide range of mouths to select from. former Rangers’ goalie and straightest shooting analyst in Madison Square Garden Network history, was the money he owed them on their What will the criteria be based on? Will Amazon base its selections on contracts, and whatever aspersions he could cast on their job past reputations or audition tapes. Or the number of followers a particular performances, as they exited his Gulag after likely signing non-disclosure voice has on social media? Will they eschew those voices already agreements. employed by networks and turn to fresh faces?

Although it wasn’t meant to be funny, the most humorous line amidst all Amazon can’t re-invent the game, but it can attempt to bring a different the hubbub, came from ESPN-98.7′s Don La Greca, one of the fine kind of look and sound to the production, like Fox did when it got into the Rangers’ radio play-by-play voices. “You (Dolan) have to be careful when NFL business in 1994. Shaking things up is still the way to go. it comes to ticking off the fan base (by firing an icon like Davidson),” DLG THE VALUE OF STEPHEN A said Thursday on “The Michael Kay Show.” When it comes to cash, moo-la-dee, there is no ceiling for Stephen A. Really? There is nothing Dolan can do to upset Rangers’ fans. He has Smith. At least in his mind. them by their wallets. They have a history of filling the Garden and bringing their eyeballs to MSGN through good times and bad when all Already ESPN’s highest paid Gasbag, hovering around $10 million per, Dolan was selling was hope; much of it false. Now, without much you could hear the wheels of the future spinning in SAS’ head as he pushback from a placid media, Dolan gets a free pass to start all over spoke with Kyle Brandt on his “10 Questions” podcast. again with local hero Chris Drury running the show and Guitar Jimmy’s blankie, Glen Sather, riding shotgun. “Despite the huge contract that everybody wants to lean on, I am still underpaid,” SAS said. “I am paid well, but I know I am worth more. James Dolan (r.) dumps John Davidson during wild week for the During a negotiation, you get what you can get and move on.” Rangers. It would not be surprising if SAS, in the second year of five-year contract, Those in the know rapidly reported (it sounded like quick-spin) the firing scans the landscape and sees former colleagues fully invested in, and of the two Rangers execs had nothing to do with Dolan overreacting to running, their own media companies. Maybe that’s what he has his eyes Washington’s Tom Wilson putting a Monday beatdown on Pavel on. Maybe that’s what he means when he says: “….I know I’m worth Buchnevich and Artemi Panarin. Multiple reports, parroted by Gasbags, more.” said while Davidson and Gorton wanted nothing to do with the organizations attempt to “fire” Parros, their unwillingness played no role A MUTED VOICE in their demise. Dolan told one outlet it was an “unfortunate coincidence.” It must have been tough for Sam Rosen, MSG’s voice of the Rangers. Yeah, sure. The impulsive Dolan has a history of dumping MSG execs For two decades, beginning in 1986, he worked side-by-side with John for daring to disagree with him only to try and convince them to return Davidson in the broadcast booth. shortly after their dismissal. That will not be the case here. Judging by They were more than colleagues. They are friends. When Davidson the scribe’s soft reaction to Davidson and Gorton being dumped on flimsy became president of the Rangers in May, 2019, Rosen was full of hope. grounds, (Dolan said there “needs to be a change in leadership”) they “He (Davidson) will work tirelessly. This is not just coming to New York have finally become used to, and accepted, his impetuous and irrational and celebrate a welcome home,” Rosen said at the time. “This is to come process. back to bring a championship to the Rangers.” Have those waving the white flag, tired of beating their heads against That won’t happen. Davidson ends up as just another victim on James stone, become satisfied taking a lighter approach with Dolan? Like Dolan’s hit list. Thursday, on the air prior to Rangers-Bruins faceoff, all emphasizing how the Knicks have suddenly become the model Garden Rosen could say was Davidson and Jeff Gorton were good men who he franchise. Dolan gets credit for that irony while also skating after firing wished well. We’re sure he would’ve liked to say more. Gorton and Davidson. Maybe even offer an opinion. Sadly, Davidson has to shoulder some of the blame. He knew what the deal is in Dolan’s world. He saw the dysfunctional machinations, up- Unfortunately, Rosen was wearing Dolan’s invisible muzzle. close, when he worked here on TV. And as an executive with St. Louis and Columbus his education continued. So sad, but not surprising, that Rosen was prohibited from paying a fitting tribute to his pal. Knowing what he was getting into, Davidson still decided to take the Rangers’ gig. Since he had a history here, maybe Davidson thought, like AROUND THE DIAL many others, he could handle Dolan’s “unique” personality. Craig Carton was so upset, so distraught, over how he was Davidson’s dream ended in nightmare. characterized, after asking Jets No. 1 draftee Zach Wilson about his “really hot mom,” he couldn’t stop talking about it. Carton even boasted Too bad. Very Dolan. about his WFAN bosses giving him a “bonus” for all the attention his inquiry brought to the station. ... Did someone light a stick of dynamite THURSDAY NIGHT LIGHTS under Marc Malusis’ posterior? On Tuesday, the FAN mouth went off, Three of the NFL’s TV partners (CBS, NBC, Fox) couldn’t run away fast way off, on the Mets using “process” as an “excuse” to fire hitting coach enough from the dog of a package known as Thursday Night Football. Chili Davis. Nice rant. ... Working all Mets games from the broadcast booth must be taxing for SNY’s Keith Hernandez. On Monday, with the Cardinals leading the Mets 6-5 with two outs in the ninth, the lights went out in Busch Stadium. Back in , Hernandez’s first concern: “How long do I have to stay here?”

DUDE OF THE WEEK: MICHAEL ROBINSON

Excellent call-out by the NFL Network analyst, urging Aaron Rodgers to come out of his bunker, step in front of a camera, and air his grievances. “If you are really pissed off, step up to the microphone and say it,” Robinson said. Agreed. It’s time for Rodgers to inform the Free World why life with the Packers is so bad.

DWEEB OF THE WEEK: AARON RODGERS

If Mr. Rodgers’ goal is to supply talk radio Gasbags and TV debate shows with an endless stream of low-brow theatrical drama he scored a touchdown. How soon before he goes for the two point conversion by playing the Jeopardy card.

DOUBLE TALK

What James Dolan said: “…In order for the team to succeed in the manner our fans deserve there needs to be a change in leadership.”

What James Dolan meant to say: “…In order for the team to succeed in the manner I deserve there needs to be change in leadership.”

New York Daily News LOADED: 05.09.2021 1212167 New York Rangers

Mika Zibanejad reaches career milestone in season-ending Rangers win

By Mollie WalkerMay 8, 2021 | 9:08PM

Who will end New York’s title drought?

Ex-Rangers president breaks silence after shocking firing

It was only fitting that Mika Zibanejad spearheaded the Rangers’ final win of the season, a 5-4 victory over the Bruins on Saturday, in which the top-line center had two goals including the game winner.

Because even though the matchup in Boston had absolutely no meaning after the Blueshirts were eliminated from playoff contention earlier in the week, Zibanejad had a strong finish to his rocky 2020-21 campaign and allowed his team to do the same.

After recording three points (one goal, two assists) through the first 15 games of the shortened season, Zibanejad managed to find his game, with 23 goals and 24 assists over the final 41 contests, to finish with 50 points.

Zibanejad’s winner at 18:07 of the third period Saturday counted as his 200th career goal.

“We all knew what was going to happen,” head coach David Quinn said of Zibanejad’s slow start. “A lot was made of what went on early in the season, and I think people kind of lost sight of the fact that it was a difficult summer for a lot of people to train. He got COVID right before the season started. Anybody that’s had COVID knows there are lingering effects. Who knows how it affected him? It affects everybody differently.

“But you’re talking about an elite hockey player that means an awful lot to this organization. It was no fluke what he’s done the last two years before this year. And he finished with 50 points after the start he had; I think that really speaks to the type of player he is. We’re fortunate to have him.”

Asked about how his struggles through the first few games culminated in a 50-point season and a milestone of his NHL career, Zibanejad deflected and wanted to keep the focus on the victory.

“Right now, just after this game, I’m happy we won and, obviously, happy I got to 200,” he said.

With forward Justin Richards in the lineup Saturday, the Rangers had seven different players make their NHL debuts this season.

Additionally, 11 of the Rangers’ players in Saturday’s win were 23 or younger, nine of which were rookies.

Kaapo Kakko was scratched for precautionary reasons after getting hit into the boards in the third period Thursday against the Bruins. Richards replaced him in the lineup, playing on the third line. Brendan Smith was ruled out with a lower-body injury. Tarmo Reunanen took his place.

After serving his one-game suspension in Thursday’s shutout loss due to high-sticking Capitals forward Anthony Mantha in the face, Pavel Buchnevich was back in the lineup Saturday. He replaced Jonny Brodzinski.

Zibanejad, Ryan Strome and Alexis Lafreniere finished the season as the only Rangers to have played in every game.

New York Post LOADED: 05.09.2021 1212168 New York Rangers

Rangers cap wild week with thrilling season-ending win

By Mollie WalkerMay 8, 2021 | 6:27pm | Updated

The Rangers were on their last legs, but they willed themselves to the finish line in a game that they had no business being in, let alone winning.

In their 2020-21 season finale, Mika Zibanejad scored two of the Blueshirts’ four third-period goals in a 5-4 victory over the playoff-bound Bruins on Saturday at TD Garden. The last five losses certainly didn’t make for the high note on which the Rangers hoped to go out, but they made the last one count.

“It means more than what you would think right now,” Zibanejad said after the win.

This wasn’t expected, given the fact the Rangers took the ice with a depleted lineup that featured four players who spent most of the season in the AHL. Not to mention the mental and physical toll this past week probably took on the Rangers, from the beating they endured against the Capitals to dealing with the aftermath of a shocking front-office change.

“These last 10 days, it just felt so bad,” head coach David Quinn said. “Just the way things have gone and all that’s going on within our organization. You kind of forget that you want to judge your season by the totality of it. To be in a hunt, up to 10 days ago, it seems like 10 years ago, and not have [Jacob] Trouba and [Chris] Kreider for those two games against the Islanders [losses on April 29 and May 1], that is so pivotal for us.

“To lose those two guys, losing the way we have lately, and obviously with what’s going on within the organization with the [Tom] Wilson incident and Jeff [Gorton] and [John Davidson] situations, it’s been difficult. It was great to finish the way we did.”

With the score tied 1-1 heading into the third period, the Bruins’ perfection line capitalized on a turnover by Pavel Buchnevich 21 seconds in with a goal from David Pastrnak. But while Boston seemingly expected the Rangers to lay down after the exhausting week they had, the Blueshirts did the opposite.

The Rangers potted three straight goals in the span of 4:14 early in the third period to take a 4-2 lead.

After a spurt of stellar passing failed, the Rangers tried it again, and this time Zibanejad finished the play. Alexis Lafreniere scored two minutes later, and then so did Vitali Kravtsov, giving the Rangers a two-goal lead.

The Bruins’ Brad Marchand and Patrice Bergeron forced the Rangers to dig deep, recording a goal each in the final six minutes in an attempt to avoid what they surely knew would be an embarrassing loss. But Zibanejad’s second goal of the game, sandwiched between those Boston scores at 18:07, proved to be the game winner.

Playing without Kaapo Kakko (who was out for precautionary reasons), Artemi Panarin, Jacob Trouba, Chris Kreider and Ryan Lindgren, the Rangers rallied to avoid finishing their season on a losing streak and to beat a Bruins team with legitimate Stanley Cup aspirations.

And goaltender Keith Kinkaid, making his first start since March 28 and just his seventh of the season, played a major role in the win. He recorded 28 saves on 30 shots before heading to the locker room with 11:10 left in regulation due to an injury. Igor Shesterkin finished the job with seven saves on nine shots.

So it all came to an end, with the Rangers finishing the season at 27-23- 6. The team was dilapidated in the final few games, but they went out with their heads held high.

“You want to go out on a winning note because you’re going to carry whatever happens today throughout the summer,” Quinn said. “We talked about it from an individual standpoint and, collectively, a team standpoint. I thought our guys did a hell of a job, we showed a lot of characteristics you’re going to need moving forward.”

New York Post LOADED: 05.09.2021 1212169 New York Rangers changing their uniforms and making them the fashion antecedents of the Winnipeg Jets.

So, within 10 weeks: Goodbye to Villemure, Giacomin, Park, Ratelle and Craziest Rangers season ever isn’t what you think Francis. One. Shockwave. After. Another.

And unlike any other season. Even 2020-21.

By Larry BrooksMay 8, 2021 | 4:22pm | Updated Lost in the uproar created by the enfeebled Department of Player Safety’s failure to suspend Wilson, along came another example of inexplicable leniency from Parros’ office, which gave teh Flyers’ Shayne Gostisbehere just a two-game sentence for his cross-check that sent the So this just has to be the craziest, most eventful and most traumatic Penguins’ Mark Friedman into the end boards after the Pittsburgh winger season in Rangers history, correct? had scored an empty-net goal. I mean, the Tony DeAngelo fiasco that was organizationally self-inflicted; George Parros the Artemi Panarin matter of Russian intrigue, in which he departed the team for a self-subscribed leave of absence after being targeted with The puck was in the net. The play was over. Friedman began to swing unsubstantiated assault charges against a young woman from a decade away. Gostisbehere, one of two Flyers chasing, then delivered the earlier leveled in what was believed a political hit piece. gratuitous cross-check/shove. Not only was that dangerous, it was a breach of hockey etiquette, if not quite in the same territory as the 1993 Then the Tom Wilson matter, in which Panarin was rag-dolled and body- Dale Hunter-Pierre Turgeon episode, but nevertheless entirely slammed to the ice twice in the aftermath of a goalmouth scrum. That unacceptable. was followed the failure of the NHL to suspend Wilson, the Rangers’ statement excoriating the league and George Parros, and the six first- Gostisbehere should have gotten 15 games to carry over into next period fights that followed two nights later at the Garden. season. Instead, he got two. That apparently was Parros’ statement.

And right during the heart of the Wilson Madness came the seemingly And the NHLPA remains silent. out-of-nowhere firing of John Davidson and Jeff Gorton as the club’s two chief executive hockey officers, which prompted cries of betrayal from a So you know what was one of the most underrated terrible trades of the fan base that had become hooked on a rebuilding process the franchise Francis era? The one on Nov. 30, 1973 in which the Rangers sent Mike might have sold too well. Murphy, Tom Williams and Sheldon Kannegiesser to the Kings for Gilles Marotte and Réal Lemieux. Anything else? Well, the coaching staff missing six games in the middle of the season was noteworthy, but every team in the league had to Marotte, known as Captain Crunch — actually, I’m not sure if that was his endure anomalies created by the pandemic, so that becomes just one of nickname or just the nickname by which he was known, and derisively many asterisked footnotes to the season. so, in Section 419 — was on the wrong side of three of the most lopsided deals in NHL history. So, was this the most eventful and traumatic year in franchise history? The defenseman went from Boston to Chicago in the deal for Phil Only if you are not familiar with 1975-76. Esposito, Ken Hodge and Fred Stanfield that merely enabled the Bruins’ Cups in 1970 and 1972, then from Chicago to Los Angeles in the trade Because through the first four months of that season featuring a series of that brought the great Bill White to the Black Hawks. And then this one. hockey earthquakes followed by unrelenting shockwaves, and the entire Rangers universe spun off its axis. Imagine.

Goalie Ed Giacomin waves to the Garden fans upon his return after The Tom Williams the Rangers dealt in the Marotte deal is not the Bruins’ landing with the Red Wings in 1975. Tom Williams of the 1960s, whose name carried the obligatory suffix of “the American boy,” when he was the lone Yank in the NHL. Frank Leonardo Maybe that was just a Win Elliot Saturday Night Sports Special thing. First, Ed Giacomin was waived on Oct. 31. Then, on Nov. 7, the legendary and were traded to Boston for the Question: Did you have to sit in Section 419 to know who had the despised Phil Esposito and Carol Vadnais, and suddenly fans were nickname of, “To the boards, Billy, to the boards?” forced to accept the enemy who had been dropped into their midst. You know, I remember writing poorly about Nick Beverley’s performance And you know what, three days before Giacomin was sent away, so was as Kings’ GM, and I am now hoping that it was not because I held it Vezina-winning and Jack-O-Lantern-mask-wearing Gilles Villemure. against him for being the player who came to the Rangers in exchange for Vic Hadfield. Now, Villemure’s exit was foretold by the summer trade for Davidson, and he had not played a game that season, but the deal yielded Chicago Finally, upon reading that the Rangers’ statement generated support for defenseman Doug Jarrett, who became one of the first of a flock of faded Parros among NHL general managers, I am reminded that was the veterans to join the Rangers and give them an expansion-type feel for a august body of gentlemen who once gave VP of officiating Stephen year or two. Walkom a standing ovation.

Come on. Bill Goldsworthy? New York Post LOADED: 05.09.2021 The shockwaves subsided off the ice for a spell, but there was that 7-3 humiliation by the Red Army team at the Garden on Dec. 28 in the first game of the NHL-USSR Super Series ’76, which three nights later featured one of the most celebrated international matches in history, the New Year’s Eve 3-3 draw between the Canadiens and Red Army at the Forum in Montreal.

Of course while that game was being played, the Rangers were being crushed 8-1 at the Garden by the Atlanta Flames.

Less than a week later, , who was the Founding Father of the franchise’s modern era, was fired. He was dismissed on Jan. 6, 1976, along with head coach Ron Stewart, whose team was 15-20-4. The guys The Cat had hired to coach the team between his own gigs behind the bench, seriously, Bernie Geoffrion, Larry Popein and Stewart?

And in came John Ferguson, another mortal enemy off his days as a Canadiens policeman who tormented the Rangers, in the dual role of GM-coach the following day. He continued to torment the team by 1212170 New York Rangers pitching staff that can give any opponent the short-series blues. If they could only still be standing in October, they could stand for quite a while.

Rangers Who will end New York’s title drought? Drought: 27 years

Title likelihood: 8 By Mike VaccaroMay 8, 2021 | 3:28pm | Updated This week’s shenanigans notwithstanding, the Rangers’ rebuild hasn’t exactly laid them at the door of elite status just yet. And who knows what Chris Drury is capable of. Hard to believe we are already halfway back to We are a parched city. This year will mark No. 10 since the Giants won a 54 years, isn’t it? Super Bowl, and you can’t really call a title-free decade a drought. Still, we do have a sports Sahara feel to us. Devils

This week, with so many New York teams on the upswing, a popular Drought: 18 years question I’ve fielded is this: Who’s next? Who will be the next New York Title likelihood: 9 team of the Big Nine to make it to the finish line? I’m going to list the teams from longest drought to shortest (as of Sunday), and the number I The Devils aren’t quite the Jets when it comes to starting-over territory, give is where they fall on the spectrum — 1 for most-likely to win next, 9 but the disparity between them and the other two teams in town is big for least. enough, and it’s not like either the Rangers or Islanders are anyone’s version of an immediate contender. Feedback, as always, isn’t just welcome it is mandatory. Yankees Jets Drought: 12 years Drought: 53 years Title likelihood: 1 Title likelihood: 7 Wring your hands all you want about the slow start. We’ve already seen The Jets have a new coach, a new franchise quarterback, a new how brutal much of the AL is. There is still way too much in The Bronx to direction. Jets fans — for the time being anyway — no longer bear the believe they won’t be playing in October. And they are still at or near the beleaguered look of the folks behind the desk at the DMV who’ve waited top of the AL. And who knows? Maybe the Dodgers really will have an off too long to take a lunch break. But they have so far to go: from dregs to year. Would you bet against the Yankees if so? respectable to competitive to contender to champion. That’s a lot of steps. They can get there. But it’s going to take a while. Joe Judge and Daniel Jones have the Giants moving in the right direction. Nets Charles Wenzelberg/New York Post Drought: 45 years Giants Title likelihood: 2 Drought: 9 years You expected them to be 1, right? Well, look: If everyone stays healthy, they really should be good enough to run the table to the NBA title. But Title likelihood: 6 that’s the issue, right? The Nets haven’t shown any skill for staying healthy — and the playoffs are a two-month grind in which every game is Half the battle in the NFL — as the Giants themselves have proven more necessary, and rife with possibilities for strains, sprains and other than anyone else — is just getting in the playoffs. And the NFC East is adventures. Do you think they’ll escape that gauntlet unscathed? Really? surely winnable. And once you are in … well, we know. We’ve seen it. It may not be likely. But it is certainly possible. Kevin Durant is hoping to lead the Nets to the NBA title this season. Vac’s Whacks AP Personally, I think Springsteen’s tale about the Magic Rat and the Knicks Barefoot Girl is still the gold standard for rodent tales around here, with apologies to the Citi Field racoon and possum. Drought: 48 years Yes, the Knicks have been alternately taken to school and to the Title likelihood: 5 woodshed by the Nuggets and the Suns the past few nights but, show of It is hard to determine just how close the Knicks are because they are at hands: Who was willing to sign up for 2-2 after four games of this road least one huge impact player (and maybe two) away from being in a title swing this time last week? conversation. Still, the positive vibes from this season are impossible to It was so good to see one of New York’s true originals, Ed Kranepool, ignore. They are definitely trending as well as any of our teams. We just represent the Mets at the minor league opener in Syracuse this week. need to see what the rest of the team is going to look like. Friday marked the two-year anniversary since his life-saving kidney Islanders transplant at Stony Brook University Hospital. “I have my life back,” No. 7 reports, and for that we can all be grateful. Drought: 38 years I thought Jonathan Villar pulled off one of the more heads-up plays I’ve Title likelihood: 4 seen a New York baseball player execute last Sunday in Philly, dashing home when Rhys Hoskins dallied with the ball. Then four days later There have been times this year (mostly on nights when they’ve played Gleyber Torres upped the ante with that wonderful mad dash home from the Rangers) when it’s seemed the Islanders could take those last two second on an infield hit. Baseball fun really isn’t limited to home runs. steps from last summer and seize a Cup for the first time since 1983. But they have also lately gotten beaten a lot by the Sabres and Devils. Which Whack Back at Vac team shows up for the playoffs? That is an awfully good question. Derryn Avery: While reading the article you wrote about Derrick Rose, Mets one name kept going through my mind: Ruben Sierra. He was disliked during his first stint with the Yankees but was a fan favorite the second Drought: 35 years time around. Title likelihood: 3 Vac: Sierra is 100 percent the closet thing we ever had to Derrick Rose II Sure, a lot of things have to go right. But that’s the way the baseball before Rose returned from Detroit. That is a great call. crapshoot is. The National League looks far more wide open than anyone Robert Papp: I wonder if Isiah Thomas was consulted on the Chris Drury could have believed, and the Mets, when full, still do have the kind of promotion? Vac: I half-expected Isiah to rip off his Chris Drury facemask right in the middle of the introductory press conference and laugh, “Gotcha!” Didn’t you?

Mets manager Luis Rojas congratulates Patrick Mazeika after his hit scores Pete Alonso to win the game on Friday night.

Corey Sipkin

@amf9933: Baseball in 2021. Mets win with a fake runner at second base in the 10th inning; a minor league lifer gets the game-winner on a swinging bunt and gets his shirt ripped off. And all we can talk about is how big rats are in the Mets dugout. Classic. Should be a movie.

@MikeVacc: You’re suggesting we’re all already NOT trapped in that movie?

Salvatore Pasquale: I am 100 percent certain now that the Rangers will not win another Stanley Cup in my lifetime, and I am still a young man. James Dolan should do what is best for the Rangers now and fire himself and make everyone in the sports world happy.

Vac: And you thought only Knicks fans could get this angry!

New York Post LOADED: 05.09.2021 1212171 New York Rangers pitching staff that can give any opponent the short-series blues. If they could only still be standing in October, they could stand for quite a while.

Rangers Who will end New York’s title drought? Drought: 27 years

Title likelihood: 8 By Mike VaccaroMay 8, 2021 | 3:28pm | Updated This week’s shenanigans notwithstanding, the Rangers’ rebuild hasn’t exactly laid them at the door of elite status just yet. And who knows what Chris Drury is capable of. Hard to believe we are already halfway back to We are a parched city. This year will mark No. 10 since the Giants won a 54 years, isn’t it? Super Bowl, and you can’t really call a title-free decade a drought. Still, we do have a sports Sahara feel to us. Devils

This week, with so many New York teams on the upswing, a popular Drought: 18 years question I’ve fielded is this: Who’s next? Who will be the next New York Title likelihood: 9 team of the Big Nine to make it to the finish line? I’m going to list the teams from longest drought to shortest (as of Sunday), and the number I The Devils aren’t quite the Jets when it comes to starting-over territory, give is where they fall on the spectrum — 1 for most-likely to win next, 9 but the disparity between them and the other two teams in town is big for least. enough, and it’s not like either the Rangers or Islanders are anyone’s version of an immediate contender. Feedback, as always, isn’t just welcome it is mandatory. Yankees Jets Drought: 12 years Drought: 53 years Title likelihood: 1 Title likelihood: 7 Wring your hands all you want about the slow start. We’ve already seen The Jets have a new coach, a new franchise quarterback, a new how brutal much of the AL is. There is still way too much in The Bronx to direction. Jets fans — for the time being anyway — no longer bear the believe they won’t be playing in October. And they are still at or near the beleaguered look of the folks behind the desk at the DMV who’ve waited top of the AL. And who knows? Maybe the Dodgers really will have an off too long to take a lunch break. But they have so far to go: from dregs to year. Would you bet against the Yankees if so? respectable to competitive to contender to champion. That’s a lot of steps. They can get there. But it’s going to take a while. Joe Judge and Daniel Jones have the Giants moving in the right direction. Nets Charles Wenzelberg/New York Post Drought: 45 years Giants Title likelihood: 2 Drought: 9 years You expected them to be 1, right? Well, look: If everyone stays healthy, they really should be good enough to run the table to the NBA title. But Title likelihood: 6 that’s the issue, right? The Nets haven’t shown any skill for staying healthy — and the playoffs are a two-month grind in which every game is Half the battle in the NFL — as the Giants themselves have proven more necessary, and rife with possibilities for strains, sprains and other than anyone else — is just getting in the playoffs. And the NFC East is adventures. Do you think they’ll escape that gauntlet unscathed? Really? surely winnable. And once you are in … well, we know. We’ve seen it. It may not be likely. But it is certainly possible. Kevin Durant is hoping to lead the Nets to the NBA title this season. Vac’s Whacks AP Personally, I think Springsteen’s tale about the Magic Rat and the Knicks Barefoot Girl is still the gold standard for rodent tales around here, with apologies to the Citi Field racoon and possum. Drought: 48 years Yes, the Knicks have been alternately taken to school and to the Title likelihood: 5 woodshed by the Nuggets and the Suns the past few nights but, show of It is hard to determine just how close the Knicks are because they are at hands: Who was willing to sign up for 2-2 after four games of this road least one huge impact player (and maybe two) away from being in a title swing this time last week? conversation. Still, the positive vibes from this season are impossible to It was so good to see one of New York’s true originals, Ed Kranepool, ignore. They are definitely trending as well as any of our teams. We just represent the Mets at the minor league opener in Syracuse this week. need to see what the rest of the team is going to look like. Friday marked the two-year anniversary since his life-saving kidney Islanders transplant at Stony Brook University Hospital. “I have my life back,” No. 7 reports, and for that we can all be grateful. Drought: 38 years I thought Jonathan Villar pulled off one of the more heads-up plays I’ve Title likelihood: 4 seen a New York baseball player execute last Sunday in Philly, dashing home when Rhys Hoskins dallied with the ball. Then four days later There have been times this year (mostly on nights when they’ve played Gleyber Torres upped the ante with that wonderful mad dash home from the Rangers) when it’s seemed the Islanders could take those last two second on an infield hit. Baseball fun really isn’t limited to home runs. steps from last summer and seize a Cup for the first time since 1983. But they have also lately gotten beaten a lot by the Sabres and Devils. Which Whack Back at Vac team shows up for the playoffs? That is an awfully good question. Derryn Avery: While reading the article you wrote about Derrick Rose, Mets one name kept going through my mind: Ruben Sierra. He was disliked during his first stint with the Yankees but was a fan favorite the second Drought: 35 years time around. Title likelihood: 3 Vac: Sierra is 100 percent the closet thing we ever had to Derrick Rose II Sure, a lot of things have to go right. But that’s the way the baseball before Rose returned from Detroit. That is a great call. crapshoot is. The National League looks far more wide open than anyone Robert Papp: I wonder if Isiah Thomas was consulted on the Chris Drury could have believed, and the Mets, when full, still do have the kind of promotion? Vac: I half-expected Isiah to rip off his Chris Drury facemask right in the middle of the introductory press conference and laugh, “Gotcha!” Didn’t you?

Mets manager Luis Rojas congratulates Patrick Mazeika after his hit scores Pete Alonso to win the game on Friday night.

New York Post LOADED: 05.09.2021 1212172 New York Rangers

John Davidson breaks silence after shocking Rangers firing

By Mollie WalkerMay 8, 2021 | 12:18pm | Updated

Who will end New York’s title drought?

John Davidson said he was “very proud” of his work as Rangers’ team president, two days after he and general manager Jeff Gorton were shockingly fired by owner James Dolan.

“It has been an honor and pleasure serving as President of the New York Rangers the past two years,” Davidson, also said in a statement Friday through his talent agency, The Montag Group. “I am very proud of the work we have done and believe this team’s future is very bright. I want to thank all the great people in the organization for their tireless and passionate work day in and day out.”

Davidson, a former beloved goalie with the Blueshirts, was lured to New York in May 2019 after stints rebuilding the Blues and Blue Jackets. He was at the helm of the Rangers for just two years before philosophical differences on the direction of the team between him and Dolan got him canned.

Former Rangers captain Chris Drury was promoted to both GM and team president.

In the two seasons with Davidson as president, the rebuilding Rangers showed promise, stockpiled tons of young talent and seemed to be on the upswing.

They appeared in the 2019-20 season’s expanded playoffs qualifying round, in which the team was swept in three games by the Hurricanes, but fell short of the postseason this year.

“I first came to New York as [a] 22-year-old and it has been in my blood ever since,” Davidson said. “The energy and vibrance of the city will always be something I cherish. Most of all I want to thank you, the fans. You welcomed my wife Diana and me with open arms and I want to express our sincerest and most heartfelt gratitude for the tremendous love and support you’ve always shown us.”

It’s unclear what’s next for Davidson, who played eight of his 10 NHL seasons with the Rangers. After he retired from hockey, Davidson joined MSG Network in 1983 and was the color commentator for the Rangers from 1986-2006. He also contributed to NHL coverage on various national television networks, including Fox, ABC, ESPN and NBC.

New York Post LOADED: 05.09.2021 1212173 New York Rangers the second half of the 2019-20 season and a 25-game run this season from mid-March through April in which they went 16-6-3.

But while those hot streaks were impressive, the Rangers spent equal One final shoe to drop for NY Rangers: What will be coach David Quinn's time battling inconsistency. fate? Quinn's emphasis on improving the team's defense (and hiring of Jacques Martin as an assistant coach) led to encouraging results in 2021, with the Rangers finishing in the top half of the league in goals Vincent Z. Mercogliano allowed, shots allowed and penalty-kill efficiency after ranking near the bottom in those categories last season. But his pleas for more

physicality, more aggression on the forecheck, cutting down on the high- After a seemingly endless week (and season, for that matter) of drama, risk passes and working to get to the "dirty areas" of the ice sometimes it's time for everyone to catch their breath. failed to resonate.

The New York Rangers — from players to coaches to various Still, from an individual standpoint, most players experienced positive organizational employees — are spent, physically and emotionally. growth the last few years.

David Quinn's response when I asked if he felt drained and in need of Mika Zibanejad, Ryan Strome and Pavel Buchnevich each had their best rest following Saturday's 5-4 win over the Boston Bruins in the regular- seasons under Quinn (as did Artemi Panarin, but he was already a star season finale said it all. when he arrived), while a host of prospects broke into the league. High- end forwards such as Alexis Lafrenière and Kaapo Kakko have yet to "Do I ever," he said after leaning back in his chair and smiling. produce points at the pace they're capable of, but they've developed into better all-around players who can be trusted in all three zones. And a trio Barring something unforeseen, I've been hearing we shouldn't expect of young defensemen have blossomed in Ryan Lindgren, K'Andre Miller any breaking news on Sunday. Rather, we can focus our attention on and Norris Trophy candidate Adam Fox. doing something nice for the moms in our lives. January 11, 2021: The New York Rangers 2021 season training camp However, it's understandable if everyone is on high alert in the wake of takes place at the MSG Training Center in Tarrytown, NY. Pictured is the abrupt firings of both team president John Davidson and general coach David Quinn and Mika Zibanejad. manager Jeff Gorton, with Chris Drury being elevated to take on both roles. And, of course, there is one final shoe that needs to drop. While Quinn can point to those success stories when making his case to stick around — not to mention the swarm of adversity his team had to The fate of the head coach. deal with this season and the fact that they played in the league's Mum is the word so far, with Drury declining to show his hand — or offer toughest division — the main factor working against him is this: Quinn a vote of confidence — when asked at his introductory press He's yet to prove the Rangers can win big games on his watch. conference on Thursday. But a decision should come down early this week. Getting swept by the Carolina Hurricanes in last summer's play-in tournament can be written off as a small sample size, but it certainly In the scramble for information after the news broke on Wednesday, one raised questions. The fact that it was followed by dud performances of the first questions I asked a few sources was why would Davidson and down the stretch this season, particularly three late losses to the Gorton be fired with just three games remaining? Islanders in which the Rangers were outscored 13-1, didn't help his I was told that owner James Dolan wanted Drury in place to conduct exit cause. Dolan was not pleased by the manner in which they were pushed interviews with players, coaches and staff, which he felt would give the around by the teams that Quinn refers to as "hard to play against." new man at the helm the best opportunity to gather information before It's valid to point out that the Rangers aren't equipped to win those types making crucial decisions about the future of the franchise. Dolan stressed of games yet. Not only are they raw and inexperienced, but they don't that point in Thursday's interview with the New York Post while noting have the personnel to matchup with the NHL's most physically imposing that whether Quinn returns next season is "totally Chris' call." teams. That was a primary reason for the dismissals of Davidson and "Listen, this is pro sports," Quinn said this week. "When you sign up for a Gorton. job like this – and I certainly understood it when you get in the NHL – But is it possible for those two shoulder all the lack-of-grit blame while every day, anything can happen." Quinn gets a pass? I'm skeptical, but perhaps the fact that six different Mar 9, 2021; Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, USA; New York Rangers head Rangers willingly dropped the gloves against the Washington Capitals on coach David Quinn (left) talks to his team during a time-out against the Wednesday was seen as a sign that Quinn rallied the troops in the face Pittsburgh Penguins in the third period at PPG Paints Arena. The of criticism over the team being too "soft." Penguins won 4-2. Another part of the equation is identifying a replacement. If Drury decides It's hard to believe that Dolan (and alternate governor/top adviser Glen to move on, he has to have at least a couple candidates in mind who Sather) won't have any say, but if Drury gets the final call, there are two would represent an upgrade. schools of thought. Would he trust AHL Hartford coach Kris Knoblauch to succeed in his first The first is that Drury and Quinn have what the coach has deemed, "a NHL job under the weight of high expectations? Does he have a soft spot great working relationship." Drury was instrumental in poaching Quinn for any of the coaches in the recycling bin, such as Bruce Boudreau, from Boston University prior to the 2018-19 season and respects the 54- Gerard Gallant or Claude Julien? Can a brand-new GM work with a big year-old's hard-working approach, as well as the fact that he demands a personality like John Tortorella? Or does he have an outside-of-the-box well-rounded game from his players. target he can lure in from the college ranks, another NHL team or elsewhere? There's no question that Drury has been a Quinn fan — but is that enough to convince him he's the right man for the job as the Rangers Trying to predict the future shift from rebuilding to win-now mode? It's entirely possible Drury already has his mind made up. At a minimum, The other conclusion to draw is, given the upheaval of the front office and he must have a gut feeling. Dolan's stated displeasure with the team's lack of fortitude at various But with both him and Dolan stressing the importance of exit interviews, points, the logical choice is to start fresh on the bench, too. which will begin Monday, it could be a day or two (or three) before any The good and the bad decisions are announced. Players and other members of the organization should be afforded the opportunity to offer their opinions. Assessing Quinn's tenure in New York presents a mixed bag. If Davidson and Gorton were still around, Quinn would almost surely be The Rangers have posted back-to-back winning seasons with an back. I'd been hearing that for months. But now, all bets are off. incredibly young roster, with Quinn's three-year record sitting at 96-87- 25. Things seemed to come together for two stretches, in particular — My ever-so-slight sense is that Quinn has coached his final game in New York — not necessarily because he deserves to be fired, but because it's rare for a coach to stay on after management has been ousted. (In fact, if you asked me a few weeks ago who would be gone first from the trio of J.D., Gorton and Quinn, I would have guessed Quinn.)

That may seem like a hasty move, but this has been a week of hasty moves.

If changing the culture is Dolan's goal, I expect the Rangers to go all the way.

Vincent Z. Mercogliano

Bergen Record LOADED: 05.09.2021 1212174 New York Rangers

Rangers rally with four goals in third period to beat Bruins

By Colin Stephenson

Updated May 8, 2021 7:06 PM

In a game that should have meant more to the Boston Bruins than the Rangers, the Rangers closed out an emotional week, and a weird, up- and-down season by scoring four goals in the third period to come from behind and beat the Bruins, 5-4, ending a five-game losing streak in their season finale.

"It means more than you would think right now, especially the way things have been gone, the whole season, but especially the last 10 days or so,’’ said Mika Zibanejad, who scored two goals, including the 200th of his NHL career. "It's been kind of crazy and with the guys that are not here right now either, that can't play (because of injury). And the way we battled through it and get the win, that was good.’’

"Losing the way we have lately, and obviously, with what's going on within the organization with the Wilson incident, and obviously the Jeff (Gorton) and JD (John Davidson) situations… it's been difficult,’’ coach David Quinn said. "But, you know, it was great to finish the way we did. It was exciting for all of us to get Chris (Drury)'s first victory as a general manager.

Zibanejad ended the season with 50 points, on 24 goals and 26 assists, after having COVID-19 during training camp and starting with two goals and four assists in his first 19 games. Rookies K’Andre Miller, Alexis Lafreniere and Vitali Kravtsov had the other three goals for the Rangers, who finished the 56-game season with a record of 27-23-6.

Notes & quotes: Igor Shesterkin, who had started 18 of the previous 24 games, came off the bench when starter Keith Kinkaid was injured with 11:10 remaining in the game and the Rangers leading 3-2 at the time. Shesterkin stopped 7 of 9 shots and earned the win. Kinkaid, who hadn’t dressed since his last appearance (March 28), stopped 28 of 30 shots in 48:50… Pavel Buchnevich returned after serving his one-game suspension for his cross-check of Anthony Mantha in Thursday’s game against Washington, but Kaapo Kakko (precautionary reasons) and D Brendan Smith (lower-body injury) were out. Chris Kreider (lower-body injury) ended up missing the final six games of the season… Forward Justin Richards entered the lineup after being scratched Thursday and became the seventh Ranger to make his NHL debut this season, and earned an assist on Miller’s goal… Zibanejad, Ryan Strome (two assists) and Lafreniere played all 56 games. Adam Fox played 55, missing one because of COVID protocol.

Newsday LOADED: LOADED: 05.09.2021 1212175 New York Rangers DeAngelo seemed to mature with the Rangers, though, and his 15-goal, 53-point season in 2019-20 earned him a two-year, $9.6 million deal last offseason. But things went off the rails this season.

Rangers' 2021 season was full of trials and tribulations UNIONDALE, NEW YORK - APRIL 09: Alexis Lafreniere UNIONDALE, NEW YORK - APRIL 09: Alexis Lafreniere

It started with what the team perceived as DeAngelo’s questionable Updated May 8, 2021 6:48 PM behavior on social media, which prompted management to speak to him. Gorton warned DeAngelo that the next transgression would be the end of By Colin Stephenson him with the Rangers. So when DeAngelo wouldn’t stop chirping at Alexandar Georgiev for allowing the overtime goal to Sidney Crosby in a loss to the Penguins Jan. 30, and Georgiev had enough and punched It’s been a weird year, 2020-21. DeAngelo, that was it.

Weird for the Rangers, too. The Rangers put the South Jersey native on waivers the next day, and, assuming he’s not taken by the Seattle Kraken in the expansion draft New Rangers president and general manager Chris Drury, appointed next month, he’ll be bought out of the final year of his contract this Wednesday, following the shocking dismissals of John Davidson and Jeff summer. Gorton, promised on Thursday that he wasn’t about to abandon the organization’s rebuild, which seems clearly to be in its end stages. Mika Zibanejad had COVID during training camp, and struggled the first half of the season, which hurt. And Artemi Panarin sat out nine games "I don't think it's anything too drastic,’’ Drury said, when asked about the following the publication of an article in Russia in which he was accused state of the Rangers’ rebuild now that the architect and general by a former coach of hitting a woman in Latvia in 2011. That hurt, too. contractor of the plan, Gorton, is gone. "I really believe in what we have accomplished since the letter.’’ The entire bench coaching staff came down with COVID in March, and Hartford coach Kris Knoblauch and associate Gord Murphy had to come That would be the letter to the fans, in February 2018, that announced up and coach the team, which was just weird. The last three games the club’s intention to tear down and start from scratch, in order to build a against the Islanders… ugh. Especially the last two, when, with a playoff long-lasting contender for the near future. Things appeared to have gone spot on the line, they were shut out in both. perfectly according to plan, with the accumulation of high draft picks and top prospects, and the development of some of those prospects in this The Tom Wilson episode, that was ugly. The firings of Davidson and coronavirus-shortened, 56-game season. Gorton – unbelievable.

The next step in the plan had always been to make the playoffs in 2022, THINGS THAT NEED TO BE DONE but the decision by Madison Square Garden CEO James Dolan, who owns the Rangers and Knicks, to fire Davidson and Gorton indicated the Before anything else, Drury needs to make the call on whether to bring owner had grown tired of waiting for a return to the postseason. back coach David Quinn, whose record in three years was 95-87-25 entering Saturday’s season finale in Boston. Drury had a big say in the "Honestly, we have enough talent now to compete for a Stanley Cup,’’ hiring of Quinn, a close friend of Drury’s older brother, back in 2018. And Dolan told the New York Post in an interview Thursday. the former Boston University coach seems to have done the job he was hired to do, which was to develop the young prospects. Now, Drury must So the pressure will be on Drury next year to press the right buttons to decide if Quinn deserves a crack at leading the ready-or-not Rangers in get the Rangers into the playoffs and maybe even do more than that. the next phase, the playoff contender era. If they do, 2021 will have done much to lay the groundwork. Player personnel-wise, even before the Tom Wilson thing, the Rangers THINGS THAT WENT RIGHT knew they needed to add a big, physical player to their top nine forwards. That would have been priority No. 1 for Gorton, had he stayed. Prospect Actually, a lot of things went right, beginning with getting swept by the Morgan Barron, who is a 6-4, 220 pounds, maybe could do some of that, Carolina Hurricanes in last summer’s NHL restart, which led to the but ideally, Drury will need to bring in a guy who can skate, score, check Rangers being put into the lottery for the first overall pick, which led to and fight, more than occasionally – a guy that sounds a lot like Tom them winning and getting Alexis Lafreniere. Wilson, actually.

That was unexpected good fortune, and Lafreniere is going to end up Newsday LOADED: LOADED: 05.09.2021 being a star in this league soon enough. The 19-year-old had a good season (he scored his 12th goal in Saturday's season finale, and also has nine assists), especially considering he had no real training camp, no preseason games, and a 56-game regular season where his parents couldn’t come down from Quebec to visit him even once.

Most of the other young players developed, too. Beyond his Norris Trophy candidacy, Adam Fox and Ryan Lindgren were a solid first defense pair, and 21-year-old rookie defenseman K’Andre Miller – also without benefit of a camp or a preseason – was an instant success and a legitimate top four defenseman, even if he did wear down toward the end of the season.

Igor Shesterkin picked up the mantle as the No. 1 goaltender, as the Rangers moved on from franchise icon Henrik Lundqvist. After a slow start, Shesterkin was magnificent for most of the season, including overcoming a three-week absence because of a groin injury and starting 18 of the final 25 games. He did fade a little at the end, but still finished the season 16-14-3 with a .916 save percentage and 2.62 goals-against average.

THINGS THAT DIDN’T GO QUITE RIGHT

The whole Tony DeAngelo thing didn’t end well. The Rangers understood, when they acquired the defenseman in a draft day trade in 2017, that they were taking a risk in taking on a volatile player with quite a rap sheet, dating back to junior hockey. 1212176 New York Rangers I know for sure some of the most critical players are indeed on his side. I do know that he’s loud and rough on his players at times, and that can get old. I also know he’s arm-around nurturing and attempts to have person-to-person relationships with each of them. Will Rangers coach David Quinn get to see this through? He’s critical after games, even after victories, and that can be wearing. He doesn’t particularly like the East-West game that is preferred by some of his top-skilled players, at least not without some North-South mixed in By Rick Carpiniello May 9, 2021 when needed — like, for example, against teams such as the Islanders and the crowded neutral zone they create. But, believe it or not, he loves the skill that’s here, and the offensive success it brings. It just needs “The true meaning of life is to plant trees, under whose shade you do not some pepper added to the salt. expect to sit.” — Nelson Henderson. The figurative adding of “pepper,” of course, was in the plans of Davidson I’m pretty sure Nelson Henderson was never an NHL coach. and Gorton, without question, when they were shown the door. It’s foolish to think they didn’t recognize the need since even before the bubble- But I’m also certain that many NHL coaches have lived, and figuratively sweep by Carolina last summer and the late-season shortcomings of the died, with that phrase. last few weeks. It would have been addressed and Dolan, we can say David Quinn must be one of them, because he was hired by the Rangers with 100 percent certainty, wasn’t the one who figured it out. three years ago to oversee a rebuild, at least the behind-the-bench part As far as Quinn having the room, or the 51 percent Stengel would have of that rebuild, to develop and nurture and teach the flood of young wanted, well this is more than a very, very educated guess: He has Mika players into the organization. Well, many of them did indeed make strides Zibanejad and Chris Kreider, Adam Fox, Jacob Trouba, Ryan Lindgren, this season, some of them major strides, some more modest. Alexis Lafrenière, K’Andre Miller, Brendan Smith, Colin Blackwell and And Quinn had to know — in fact, I’m sure he did — that he might never many of the bottom-sixers. I think he’s won over Pavel Buchnevich, and get to sit in the shade when the team got to the next level, whatever that that he’s got Kaapo Kakko. I know that the coach loves Ryan Strome, the level turns out to be. person and player, and I think it’s mutual, even if Strome was buddies with the exiled Tony DeAngelo (who gave Quinn all sorts of credit) and Not to hammer away at this point, but it’s preposterous to me that Jeff Brendan Lemieux. Gorton, who devised the plan as general manager, bought the seeds, planted them, did all the heavy lifting of the rebuild, is somehow kicked Quinn also has great regard for Artemi Panarin. Loves him as a person out by the owner at this point. Completely unhinged. And that John and a player. Panarin gets the superstar treatment he deserves, too, not Davidson got two pandemic-shortened seasons as president. But I that he demands much at all. If Panarin wants a particular linemate, he digress. generally gets him. If he wants to stay out on a long shift, so be it. If he wants to play virtually the entirety of a power play, well, OK. I don’t think So Quinn coached the final game of his third season on Saturday, two of there’s any reason to believe that relationship isn’t strong, but not having those shortened by a pandemic, and now awaits his fate. For what it’s had any non-video-call access for the last 14 months, who knows for worth, the greatly depleted roster showed me a hell of a lot, about how sure? they feel for each other and the coach, between Wednesday’s fight fest (and who fought whom) and this most unlikely finale, a 5-4 win over the Do Vitali Kravtsov, banished to Hartford last season, or Filip Chytil, who Bruins in Boston. gets almost no power-play time, have issues with the coach? I don’t know. Does it matter? There are no guarantees, but I can tell you that Quinn was almost assured of coming back under the leadership of Davidson, Gorton and In fact, does any of this matter if Dolan doesn’t like the culture? (The Chris Drury, who got his first win as president/GM on Saturday in Boston. correct answer is “no.”) And I have mentioned this, but Drury had a gigantic hand in hiring Quinn, There are shortcomings, too. Faceoffs have been a disaster since before a friend, out of his alma mater, Boston University. Vigneault walked in the room. The power play is inconsistent. The coach But given the team owner’s ramblings in the New York Post that he didn’t wants his players to shoot the puck more and they don’t, preferring the like the “culture” and that he wasn’t happy with the team’s starts to extra pass. He wants them to be more careful between the blue lines, certain big games, you must conclude that Quinn is very much in the and they often aren’t. He wants them to spend more time in the offensive crosshairs. If you know a damn thing about Jim Dolan, too, you have to zone, and not just rely on pretty one-and-done rush chances. He know that when he said this will be Drury’s call, well, it won’t be totally definitely wants them to have more battle level in their collective game, Drury’s call. It will be a call made by Dolan, his now front-and-center and at times they have had that despite their DNA. adviser Glen Sather, and Drury. Which changes everything about where But there have been dramatic improvements, too, by the youngest team the coach stands. Can his odds be any better than 50/50? in the NHL (at least until the Devils had their fire sale). Defensively they This won’t be an exit-meetings (Monday) mutiny like the one orchestrated tightened up remarkably, though that had slipped lately and then been a by a few crybaby players to get John Tortorella to walk the plank in 2013. wreck since the injuries hit. The penalty kill went from among the worst to I don’t expect it will be being canned within hours of the among the best in the NHL, also at least until recently. And yes, new final game in Philadelphia — he might have actually been fired on the assistant coach Jacques Martin deserves gigantic credit for both. way back to New York, in 2018. When the Rangers were rolling, their effort was unquestioned. There But, in all likelihood, if Quinn survives until the exit meetings on Monday, were a few times when it most certainly could be questioned. then he’s probably going to coach on opening night 2021-22. Then again, They actually overachieved given their age, the many doses of adversity some wild cards are now involved in the decision-making process. — all together now — the DeAngelo saga, Panarin’s leave of absence, To very much consider: When this franchise — which has one Stanley half a season of a COVID-19-affected Zibanejad, or non-Zibanejad, a Cup in 81 years — fires a coach, it often results in a worse choice third of a season, or more, of mediocre goaltending, and the virus that coming in. Emile Francis (three times) to Bernie Geoffrion/Larry took down most of the coaching staff in midseason, not to mention the Popein/Ron Stewart etc.; to Ted Sator; Colin Cambell to recent injuries to Trouba, Kreider, Panarin, Lindgren, Kakko, Smith (and John Muckler to Ron Low to to Sather. Then throw in Brett Howden and Julien Gauthier). Only three Rangers were able to play Dolan’s decisions on the basketball side of the Garden. in every game in a 56-game season.

There’s another saying in place here, and Billy Martin stole it from Casey The Tom Wilson incident was an indictment on the roster makeup, Stengel. Half the players on a team, Stengel said, will love you, half will perhaps the Rangers counting on the incompetent NHL Department of hate you, and the rest are undecided. The key, he said, is to keep the Player Safety to protect them, but the response, to me at least, was eye- half that hate you away from the undecided. popping.

I don’t think nearly half the team hates Quinn and actually don’t know of Quinn was hired to bring along all these 23-and-unders, to help plant the anybody who does. tree. With few exceptions, they have blossomed or at least started to blossom. The full shade is still likely a year or more away (which probably won’t make the owner happy next season). Will Quinn get to sit in that shade? Gorton sure didn’t. And that, to me, is 9. Taylor Hall, the way he’s playing now for the Bruins, should be loco. embarrassed for the way he mailed in three quarters of the season for Buffalo. Thoughts 10. My Great Aunt Tillie Could Have Scored: Just 21 seconds into the 1. One last thing about the Rangers’ statement about George Parros, the third, oof-fa. Kinkaid mishandled the puck, then Buchnevich corralled it head of the NHL’s Department of Player Safety. It was on Twitter before and blindly threw it, on his backhand, toward the front of the net. To Brad Davidson or Gorton even knew about it. So there’s that. Marchand, of all people, who whipped it to a wide-open Pastrnak. 2-1. 2. All I know is I’m exhausted because of what went on since Monday, Just brutal. The 200th and easiest goal of his career. Great Aunt Tillie just wiped the hell out, and I spent most of it in a chair. I can only imagine didn’t get a lot of these this season compared with past seasons. how the athletes and coaches feel. The drama and the injury list (Justin 11. Zibane-jectory: Rask robbed Buchnevich twice in the following Richards became the seventh Ranger to make his NHL debut this minutes and Blackwell ripped one off the crossbar. The Rangers went tic- season) and all they’ve endured made this closing victory very sweet. tac-toe, Strome to Buchnevich to Zibanejad, for his team-leading 23rd “It means more than you would think right now, especially the way it’s goal of the season. Despite that nightmare first half. 2-2. been going, the whole season but especially the last 10 days,” Zibanejad 12. Laf-Track: It didn’t take long (2:03) for Zibanejad to carry into the said after scoring his 200th career goal, his team-leading 24th of the Boston zone, get it to Buchnevich. He found Anthony Bitetto, who set up season, and closing with 50 points despite his start. “Ten days that’s Lafrenière driving to the net for a really neat drag and backhander under been kind of crazy, and with the guys that aren’t here right now, that can’t the crossbar. 3-2. Before he was drafted, people compared Lafrenière’s play, and the way we battled through it and get the win, that was good. … style with Sidney Crosby’s. I think Crosby has the best backhander in the We got the win and got to finish the season in a somewhat nice way. league, and Lafrenière’s is pretty outstanding, too. A few minutes later, “I think it can definitely carry over. We showed a lot this week with Lafrenière stole the puck and set up Buchnevich two-on-one and Rask everything that’s been going on and the way we responded and the way made a terrific save. we played today, as well, I think just caps this week off. I’m really proud 13. Shortly after the goal, Kinkaid was forced to do another split and of the guys and I’m really, really happy that I’m part of this team.” again looked to have pulled something. Trainer Jim Ramsay trotted onto 3. Quinn was asked if he felt drained and in need of a break. “Do I ever,” the ice with Igor Shesterkin coming in from the bullpen. he smiled. 14. Constant Krav-ing: Mid-third, Strome won a faceoff, Zac Jones took Quinn said he spoke to Strome earlier in the day about “how these last the puck deep and put it behind the net for Strome, who threw it to the 10 days have felt so bad, just the way things have gone and all that’s slot for a Kravtsov one-timer past Rask. 4-2. His second of his gone on within our organization. You kind of forget that you want to judge season/career. your season on the totality of it, and to be in the hunt up to 10 days ago, 15. Marchand knocked a puck out of midair — and the Rangers thought it which seems like 10 years ago … and losing the way we have lately, and was with a high stick — then finished a give-and-go with David Krejci. 4- what’s gone on with the Wilson incident and obviously Jeff and JD’s 3. That’s not reviewable. But a skate a fraction of an inch offside is situations, it’s been difficult. But it was great to finish the way we did. It reviewable. was exciting to get Chris his first victory as a general manager. There’s so much that’s gone on and that might get lost in all of this, that Chris has Late third, Buchnevich stole a Boston pass off the glass and quickly set an opportunity to be the general manager and president here, which is a up Zibenejad in the slot for his 24th. 5-3. The 200th goal of his career. great opportunity for him. I know all of us and our players were very Lafrenière, the teen, had the wherewithal to go get the puck for him. happy that we were able to get him his first win as a general manager.” 16. But … Patrice Bergeron redirected one past Shesterkin, who 4. Sunday the offseason begins, too early, for the fourth year in a row. nevertheless cherry-picked a win allowing two goals on nine shots. 5-4.

“Listen, you want to go out on a winning note because you’re going to 17. Brendan Smith (lower-body injury) may have played his last game as carry whatever happens today into the summer,” Quinn said. “I thought a Ranger on Thursday. If he did, he went out proudly. To be very much our guys did a hell of a job today. We’ve shown a lot of characteristics applauded. that you’re going to need moving forward. Obviously, the game against the Caps spoke an awful lot about the players we have here and how 18. We’re going to have a lot to say in the coming days and weeks, plus they want to play for each other, and taking a step forward as a team, a readers’ mailbag, so please stay tuned. Also, as always, I want to thank and I thought we did that as well today as an organization. These are everybody who read, reacted and interacted with our coverage all things we can carry over through the summer and into next fall. season. It is always much appreciated.

“I knew they had all these things in them, and we had an opportunity to My Three Rangers Stars: show it, and we certainly did. And as we continue to grow as an 1. Pavel Buchnevich organization, these characteristics and the traits we showed over the last week are going to bode well for us moving forward.” 2. Mika Zibanejad

5. The Rangers, late in the first, got another one of those 1:40 power 3. Keith Kinkaid plays, and I say that because they almost always lose the faceoff and The Athletic LOADED: 05.09.2021 have to go back and get the puck behind their net. Buchnevich, back from his one-game suspension, had the puck 10 feet from the net and instead of shooting it, passed it to Zibanejad 25 feet from the net, and it went off Zibanejad’s stick.

6. Key-note: Mid-second, the Rangers finally got a lead. Filip Chytil won a draw in the O-zone and K’Andre Miller sent a long wrist shot through Morgan Barron’s screen and past Tuukka Rask. 1-0. Richards, in his NHL debut, got his first NHL assist. Moments later he nearly got his first NHL goal, too.

7. David Pastrnak’s shot nicked Miller’s stick on its way past Keith Kinkaid, getting his first start since March 28 as kind of a reward, but it clanged the crossbar.

8. Late in the second, a long Charlie McAvoy shot sailed wide and Kinkaid did a big stretch for it but missed. The puck caromed off the back wall right to Nick Ritchie, who buried it before Kinkaid could get all the way across, breaking his 132-minute shutout streak against Boston. 1-1. Kinkaid looked as if he pulled something on the play. 1212177 Ottawa Senators Stuetzle tipped a Zub shot from the point past Hellebuyck at 11:29 of the period to extend the lead to 2-0. The 19-year-old Stuetzle became only the fourth teenager in franchise history to score 10 goals or more in a season, joining Alexandre Daigle (23), Havlat (19) and Brady Tkachuk Tim Stuetzle scores his first career hat-trick as the Ottawa Senators (22). extend their winning streak to three straight Brown opened the scoring at 10:13. He tipped a Victor Mete shot from the point by Hellebuyck, thus reaching the 20-goal plateau for only the second time in his career. The last time he hit that mark was in 2015-16, Bruce Garrioch during an 82 game season with the Toronto Maple Leafs. This time, he Publishing date: May 08, 2021 scored his 20th in the 54th game of a shortened schedule.

“It’s great. For a couple of years there I wasn’t sure if I was going to be able to get that production back I had in my rookie year,” Brown said. “To Senators 4, Jets 2 be able to find that offence again, and even a new level of offence, it’s been satisfying and fun. I’m excited to keep it going, keep getting better Give a tip of the cap to Tim Stuetzle. with this team. Facing the Winnipeg Jets for the 10th time this season, the Senators “This team is upcoming and it’s been fun. We’ve been really good as of were led by Tim Stuetzle’s first career hat-trick and another solid late.” performance from goaltender Filip Gustavsso with 27 stops as they extended their winning streak to three games with a 4-2 victory at Bell The Senators will close out the season next Wednesday at home against MTS Place on Saturday night. the Maple Leafs.

The Senators won’t be going to the post-season, but they’re giving plenty This late-season success bodes well for the future for the Senators and of hope for next season with a 8-1-1 record in their past 10 games. they’re confident, with the steps they’ve made in the past couple of Winger Connor Brown also chipped in with a goal for the Senators months, they’re headed in the right direction. against Winnipeg goalie Connor Hellebuyck.

Only Mason Appleton and Mark Scheifele were able to reply for the Jets. Ottawa Sun LOADED: 05.09.2021 Rookie centre Shane Pinto had two assists for Ottawa, while Brown also had a helper.

Scheifele scored with 43 seconds left to pull the Jets to within a goal, at 3-2, but Stuetzle capped his special night scoring into an empty net to seal the victory. He’s the youngest player in franchise history to score three goals, moving ahead of Martin Havlat and Alexei Yashin.

“I was a little bit scared because I thought Andrew Copp was coming at me really fast,” Stuetzle said of his empty-netter. “I just tried to get it into the net and it was a great play from Brown to see me there.”

The Senators have been able to give their young players chances to contribute down the stretch, and they’ve done a solid job defending leads. Stuetzle’s second of the night at 5:11 of the third period marked his first multi-goal game of the season, and it turned out to be the game- winner.

By the way, Smith had no issue with having Stuetzle on the ice while trying to protect a lead. He now has 12 goals this season and will head back to Mannheim knowing he had a solid first year in the NHL.

“It’s just a lot of confidence,” said coach D.J. Smith. “A hat-trick, as a kid, 19-years-old, he’s had his ups and downs. That line with Pinto and Brown has been really good. They’re looking for him out there and he’s done a nice job.”

The Senators came into this game with a 3-5-1 record against the Jets. Gustavsson also came up big Monday with 28 stops in a 2-1 victory against Winnipeg at home in Ottawa.

This was the start of the Senators’ final road trip of the season, which wraps up Sunday against the Calgary Flames.

“As a whole I thought we did a really nice job,” Smith added.

The Senators led 2-1 after 40 minutes.

Look, the Senators’ blue-line is a bit of patchwork because they don’t have injured top defenceman Thomas Chabot so that has made life a little more difficult. They did a better job in the second period, just making simple plays and not allowing the Jets to get too many opportunities on Gustavsson.

The Jets had struck quickly to start the second, though. Scheifele stole the puck off Artem Zub’s stick and threw it out front to Appleton, who fired it by Gustavsson on the glove side at the 55-second mark. The Ottawa goalie had no chance on that one, and it felt like, one way or another, a Winnipeg goal was coming on that shift.

Outshot 11-5 by the Jets in the first, the Senators had to rely on Gustavsson, but they cashed in on their opportunities, beating Hellebuyck on two of the first three shots. 1212178 Ottawa Senators The seven Canadian teams likely won’t receive clearance to have fans in their arenas during the 2021 playoffs, but everybody is hopeful there will be at least some fans by the time next season gets under way in October. SNAPSHOTS: Algonquin College honouring Leafs coach Sheldon Keefe with a degree ... Brady Tkachuk still not used to empty rinks The players miss the atmosphere at Canadian Tire Centre, Bell MTS Place in Winnipeg, Bell Centre in Montreal, Scotiabank Arena in Toronto or anywhere else on a game night.

Bruce Garrioch “That’s what we miss most about this year is being at home in front of our fans and being away riling up the other fans,” Tkachuk said. “That’s the Publishing date: May 08, 2021 goal (on the road): You always want to get booed because that’s when you know you’re doing your job.

Toronto Maple Leafs head coach Sheldon Keefe will be receiving an “That’s probably been the biggest struggle for us is that we just want the honorary degree from Algonquin College at their June 23 virtual fans there so badly and we just want to ride their excitement and they convocation ceremony “to recognize his on-ice and community create momentum for us. It’s definitely what I think we missed the most.” accomplishments.” THE LAST WORDS A former owner, general manager and coach of the Central Canada Senators winger Alex Formenton, who collided with teammate Chris Hockey League’s Pembroke Lumber Kings, Keefe, 40, had a strong Tierney in the second period of Wednesday’s 5-1 win over the Montreal relationship with the Ottawa Valley campus of the school while he was Canadiens, wasn’t able to suit up Saturday. Formenton did finish there. He assisted to raise money for a building campaign and helped Wednesday’s game, but he didn’t skate Friday. “He won’t go. It was started a bursary at the school while also encouraging players to further really close, but we’re not going to put him in a bad situation,” Senators their education. head coach D.J. Smith said. “We’re hopeful he can play (Sunday in The announcement was made Saturday, the 10th anniversary of Keefe Calgary).” Winger Evgenii Dadonov, who wasn’t able to suit up winning the RBC Cup national championship with the Lumber Kings, and Wednesday, returned to the lineup Saturday … The Senators defence is the ceremony will be recorded in the new few days so it doesn’t conflict inexperienced with Thomas Chabot sidelined with a shoulder injury, but with the playoffs. Smith not only credits the club’s goaltending, he also believes Erik Brannstrom and Victor Mete have been solid. “Without Thomas Chabot, “It’s an incredible honour when they called to let me know they were the Senators aren’t close to the same team, and let’s be clear there,” presenting me with that opportunity,” Keefe told Toronto reporters. “To be Smith said. “But the guys in his absence have played really well, Mete honoured, my connections to the city of Pembroke, the Lumber Kings and Brannstrom especially. They’ve logged some of those big minutes and the Ottawa Valley in general, are very strong. and, at the end of the day, we’re a better team when Thomas is in there. We’re happy we’ve won a couple of games, but here on the road it’s a “I wouldn’t be here today with the support of that community. Algonquin different animal altogether. We’ll get through these games without College is a real pillar in the community itself and represents a lot of (Chabot), but we certainly want him here.” things that the Ottawa Valley stands for. So, for them to offer this to me is something I’m incredibly grateful for it. Certainly it’s a huge honour.”

DOUBTFUL FOR CANADA Ottawa Sun LOADED: 05.09.2021 Ottawa Senators winger Drake Batherson is studying the issue, but sounds doubtful he’ll play for Canada at the IIHF world championship starting later this month in Riga, Latvia.

Given his status as a restricted free agent this summer, the 23-year-old Batherson is waiting on advice from agents PaulCapizzano and Anton Thun before making a final determination. Batherson would have to get insurance to attend the world tournament, and that adds another layer to what has already been a long season.

If it was simple decision, he’d be on the plan to Riga next weekend without a doubt, but it’s complicated, plus there would be a 14-day quarantine after arriving back at home in Nova Scotia.

“It’s a lot to do with my contract. Usually when you get asked to play for Team Canada, you’re going and it’s 100 per cent,” Batherson told this newspaper Saturday before the Senators faced the Winnipeg Jets at Bell MTS Place. “I haven’t been through a contract situation before, so we’re being patient right now with what we’re going to decide.

“My agents know what the best plan is for me. We’ll make a decision this week with the season coming to an end. The biggest factor is the contract and I don’t want anything to affect that, for sure.”

THAT EMPTY FEELING

Brady Tkachuk still has a hard time getting used to playing in an empty arena.

Being an agitator on the ice, the Senators alternate captain also doesn’t mind making sure the people in visiting rinks aren’t happy with his performance, either.

That was why, as the Senators prepared to open their final road trip of the season Saturday in Winnipeg, Tkachuk just didn’t feel the rink was the same without fans as much as the NHL has pulled it off this year in Canada without spectators.

Nobody is sure what’s going to happen next season, but we’re all hopeful fans are back in some fashion. 1212179 Ottawa Senators when we’re up by a goal with a couple of minutes left, to kill off and win the game. It’s nice to be put in those defensive roles.

“I’ve learned a lot and everyone is great to me. Being able to play on both With season winding down, Drake Batherson already excited for next sides of the puck has been the biggest thing that I’ve been able to learn.” year with the Ottawa Senators In 53 games heading into the visit to Winnipeg, Batherson had 17 goals and 33 points. He has been playing mostly on the top line with Brady Tkachuk and Josh Norris the last little while. The trio looks comfortable Bruce Garrioch together and Smith has stated in the last couple of weeks “they look like they could be a line that’s together for years.” Publishing date: May 08, 2021 That’s what Batherson likes about this group, they’re being given the

opportunity to grow up together which is what owner Eugene Melnyk and Drake Batherson would like to have a strong finish to his first full season general manager Pierre Dorion were trying to achieve when they started in the NHL. this rebuild in Feb., 2018.

He will have lots of time to relax once the Ottawa Senators season “We’re so similar off the ice, all of us young guys, we like doing the same comes to an end Wednesday. stuff,” said Batherson. “We’re always hanging out together on the road so when it comes to on the ice we’re just having a blast out there. We’re As the Senators prepare to wrap up 2020-21 Wednesday against the doing what we love and to be able to do it with such great guys around is Toronto Maple Leafs at the Canadian Tire Centre, the 23-year-old winger so much fun. is excited to get home to see his family and friends but he’s not looking forward to the two-week quarantine when he arrives back at his home “It just clicks because we all love working hard and trying to get better. located in Nova Scotia’s Annapolis Valley. We push each other and it’s great.”

But, once those two weeks are over he won’t waste a lot of time getting back on the ice with his Halifax-based skating coach Jill Plandowski to Ottawa Sun LOADED: 05.09.2021 prepare to come back even stronger when training camp opens in September.

Time is of the essence after this 56-game season and Batherson doesn’t want to throw off his off-season regime.

By the time the likes of Pittsburgh’s Sidney Crosby, Colorado’s Nathan MacKinnon and Boston’s Brad Marchand return to the Halifax area when the playoffs are over, Batherson will be raring to return to skating with them. That’s why by mid-June he will be working on his skating and skills before they arrive.

“I will probably get right into it,” Batherson told this newspaper in a telephone interview from Winnipeg Saturday as the Senators prepared to face the Jets at Bell MTS Place. “In a normal year, we’d probably be heading into the second or third round of the playoffs so the off-season’s going to be pretty short.

“After a two-week quarantine, I’ll take three weeks off and then I’ll be right back at it. It’s not going to be a long summer, but I think it’s going to be a good one and it will be nice to get back here next season because we’re all looking forward to next year. We’re making a bit of noise right now and we’re looking forward to starting next year.”

Heading into the game against the Jets, the Senators were 7-2-1 in their last 10 games and were coming off a 5-1 victory over the Montreal Canadiens Wednesday at home. Yes, Ottawa has been eliminated from the all-Canadian division playoff race for a week, but when the dust settles the club won’t be far behind the fourth-place finisher.

The hole the Senators dug for themselves was way too deep for them recover from the 2-14-1 start and that’s why the focus is to be ready to push for a spot in the playoffs with a much stronger start.

“Everyone wishes we had a few games and more time to make a push at that final (playoff) position,” said Batherson. “We all feel like we’re playing pretty good. We’ve got a lot of young guys that are starting to find their way and everybody is feeling comfortable right now. We’re playing good as a team and having tons of fun.

“Come training camp next year, everybody’s going to be ready to roll. We know what we have to do so it’s going to be fun to see what happens.”

Batherson has played a big role in the turnaround this club has made. His game has made huge strides since the start of the season and he appreciates the fact coach D.J. Smith has put him in situations to be a strong two-way forward that has the chance to succeed on a nightly basis.

A restricted free agent this summer, Batherson has been pleased with the way his year has gone.

“I feel like I’ve had a pretty good year. Coming in I had some personal goals I wanted to achieve and I think I’ve come close to those goals,” said Batherson. “I’ve gotten better overall. D.J. has put in a position, 1212180 Ottawa Senators Tourigny acknowledges it has been a difficult season for junior players, many of whom saw little or no game action or were forced to play overseas to find competitive action due to COVID-19 restrictions.

Busy summer hockey season begins to heat up for coach André “You just don’t know how they would have developed if it was a normal Tourigny year,” he said.

Tourigny now has his attention on the world championship, where he’s part of the player evaluation process with Gallant and general manager Ken Warren Roberto Luongo.

Publishing date: May 08, 2021 Initially, Canada can draw NHL players from non-playoff bound teams. It’s a difficult sell for some players, who have been in a bubble

environment during the condensed NHL season and would have to go Saturday morning, André Tourigny was packing his things, on his way into another bubble situation in Latvia. home to Ottawa after evaluating Canada’s “really talented” squad at the Players without contracts for the 2021-22 season are also wary of playing world under-18 championship in Dallas. in the world championship for fear of getting injured. Next Saturday, Tourigny will be flying to Riga, Latvia, with the first batch Ottawa Senators wingers Connor Brown and Nick Paul could be invited, of National Hockey League players representing Canada in the world but defenceman Thomas Chabot — who is also in the running for the championship. 2022 Olympic team — is doubtful after sitting out the final stretch of the By the time that tournament wraps up June 6, a few other summer season because of a shoulder injury. calendar details could fall into place for Tourigny, ’s “We can get the insurance for the restricted free agents, but the bigger coach-at-large. thing is all the injuries from the shortened season, the treatments and the His hands will be all over every major international men’s hockey event possible surgeries for some of the players,” Tourigny said. “Chabot, for over the next 12 months. example, is one of those guys, and that makes it a bit tricky.”

There will be an Olympic orientation camp for the Canadian NHL players The NHL season, extended due to COVID-19 outbreaks, also hoping to represent the country in the 2022 Olympics at Beijing. complicates final roster decisions for Canada.

On top of that, there are also plans for an evaluation camp for Canada’s While Tourigny and the first wave of players are to leave Saturday for the world junior team. May 21 start of the tournament in Riga, Vancouver and Calgary only wrap up the NHL season next Sunday. It will be hard a sell for players on “Yes, I’m pretty organized,” Tourigny said, laughing that he wouldn’t have the Canucks, who endured an extended quarantine in February and much time for golf even if Ontario courses were open. March because of a COVID-19 outbreak.

“We’ll be prepared for everything. Things are going in the right direction. “It’s difficult, absolutely,” said Tourigny, who endured a similar isolation Slowly, but surely, we’ll make it all happen.” period during Canada’s world junior team training camp last winter.

To recap, Tourigny is serving as an assistant coach to “old friend” Gerard One reasons he’s in his current position, however, is that he has Galland, head coach for the Canadian squad heading to Latvia. displayed time and player management skills.

In December, Tourigny will return as head coach of Canada’s world junior team, following the disappointment of being behind the bench for the silver-medal performance last time. Ottawa Sun LOADED: 05.09.2021

Tourigny will also serve as an assistant to the as-yet-unnamed head coach of Canada’s Olympic squad and will follow that up as head coach of the world championship team next May.

Somewhere in all that, Tourigny will do what he can to stay as involved as possible with the Ottawa 67’s, who he serves as head coach and vice- president of hockey operations.

It’s a long laundry list of roles and responsibilities, but Tourigny is more excited than exhausted as he juggles so many pucks and keeps his eyes on so many players.

Top of mind is the dominating performance of the national under-18 team. The best of that lot — including 17-year-old Shane Wright, 15- year-old Connor Bedard and Brandt Clarke, the Ottawa defenceman expected to be a top selection in the upcoming NHL draft — will be in consideration for the next world junior team.

“They had a really talented group of forwards, really special,” Tourigny said of a team that outscored its opponents 51-12, including a 5-3 win over Russia in Thursday’s championship game. “Some could play in the world juniors (next year), but it’s tough to compare different age groups.”

Wright, who scored nine goals and five assists in five games in Dallas, isn’t eligible for the NHL draft until 2022. Bedard, who scored seven goals and seven assists in seven games, must wait for 2023.

However, Clarke, younger brother of former 67’s star Graeme Clarke, could have improved his stock for the upcoming draft after making the under-18 tournament all-star team.

“He can move the puck and make big plays, as well,” Tourigny said of Clarke, who played in this past season while the was shut down. “I know him really well. I’ve seen him play in (Barrie) of the OHL and when he was in minor midget.” 1212181 Philadelphia Flyers Philadelphia Inquirer / Daily News LOADED: 05.09.2021

Alex Lyon sparkles as Flyers lose to Capitals, 2-1, in overtime

Ed Barkowitz

Collectively, the Flyers will not be feeling good about this season once it ends on Monday.

But personally, Alex Lyon should.

Lyon was a wall for most of the night, but the Capitals scored late in regulation and again in overtime to escape with a 2-1 win Saturday night.

Lyon, an unrestricted free agent after the season, had stopped the Capitals’ first 36 shots before Lars Eller forced overtime with a goal with 40 seconds remaining. Washington was coming off a late power play and had pulled its goalie when Eller slipped a shot through Lyon’s five hole.

Conor Sheary won it in the 3-on-3 overtime.

“It would have been good for Alex to get another win,” coach Alain Vigneault said, “but unfortunately we weren’t able to get the job done.”

Lyon, who has never had a shutout in 15 career starts, finished with 38 saves.

“It’s super-frustrating,” said Lyon, who made just four starts this season and appeared once in relief. The rest of the time he was parked in neutral on the club’s taxi squad as the required third goalie.

“As good as you play, you still give up a goal in the last 40 seconds and then you give one up in overtime and lose the game,” he said, glumly.

The Capitals needed to win in regulation to stay alive in the division race. Instead, Pittsburgh won the East. Washington, Boston, and the New York Islanders have clinched the other three spots.

Scott Laughton’s third-period laser was the game’s first goal as offense was hard to come by on the choppy ice at Washington’s .

The shorthanded Capitals were forced to dress just 17 skaters when stars John Carlson and Nicklas Backstrom were scratched shortly before faceoff. missed his third consecutive game and seven of the last eight.

Among Lyon’s better saves was a stop on Carl Hagelin, who had gotten free midway through the second period. He also Eller in overtime and Justin Schultz on a one-timer just before Eller’s regulation goal.

The most newsworthy items to come out of the first two periods were injuries to a couple of the Caps’ top players. Tom Wilson returned from a scary, knee on knee collision with Nic Aube-Kubel. But T.J. Oshie did not. He also got tangled up with Aube-Kubel and seemed to be favoring his hip or groin as he skated gingerly back to the bench.

The Flyers will conclude their season on Monday when New Jersey visits the Wells Fargo Center.

With Carter Hart the No. 1 goalie entering next year, a decision is looming for the Flyers and Lyon, who will be 29 in December. Does he come back and try for the backup job? Does he explore the market? And what about Elliott, who also is a free agent?

“Given how the season’s gone, not being able to play [much], It’s nice to string together a few performances that I feel good about,” he said. “I don’t feel like I’m doing anything crazy. I just feel like I’m playing my game. It just gives me confidence to do the things I’m doing.”

Breakaways

Rookie defenseman Cam York was banged around and pressured more than in Friday’s debut, but he also drew a penalty for the second consecutive game. ... committed a career-high three minor penalties. ... The Flyers were miserable on their two power-play opportunities and were 3-23 in their eight games against the Caps. ... Washington outshout the Flyers 18-7 in the third period.

1212182 Philadelphia Flyers Doors open at 6 p.m. and health-care workers from Penn Medicine will dispense the Johnson & Johnson vaccine until 7:30 p.m. Other goodies will be handed out, as well.

Brian Elliott, Flyers helping Capitals player in his time of grief

Philadelphia Inquirer / Daily News LOADED: 05.09.2021

Ed Barkowitz

It’s been a difficult week for Capitals forward T.J. Oshie, but he said the Flyers are among those lending him a hand as he deals with the loss of his father.

Oshie is one of the more respected players in the NHL. The nature of his story this week has acted as a counterbalance to the Tom Wilson/non- suspension-mania saga that engulfed the league. Still not sure how Shayne Gostisbehere got two games, Pavel Buchnevich only one, and Wilson zero for their various infractions. Maybe the Rangers can enlighten us with another hand-grenade statement.

In the midst of all that turmoil was Oshie, whose father, Tim, died Monday following a battle with Alzheimer’s. The picture and video of Oshie crying and hugging his dad, affectionately known as “Coach” after Washington won the Stanley Cup in 2018, is indelible.

Wednesday’s Capitals-Rangers game will be remembered dubiously for the six fights in the first period and Buchnevich’s nasty cross-check to the face of Anthony Mantha. Oshie had a hat trick that night, calling it “the most meaningful game of my career.”

“That game the other night was awesome to watch,” said Flyers defenseman Justin Braun, who played frequently against Oshie when they were in the Western Conference. “You don’t see a lot of things [that emotionally raw] like that in sports.”

Oshie scored again on Friday not long after a quick chat with Flyers goalie Brian Elliott during pregame warmups. The two were teammates in St. Louis for four years.

“Moose came over and, you know, gave his condolences, as well as some of the other Flyers’ players,” Oshie said. “A lot of the Rangers players, despite how crazy that game was, a lot of them came up and gave their condolences.”

Oshie left Saturday’s game late in the second period with a lower-body injury.

The Capitals are fighting for playoff positioning, the Flyers are trying to spoil that, and the Rangers were standing up for themselves and hitting any Capital who moved. In the midst of all that, there is simple compassion.

“All that support, it makes the process of getting through the grieving easier,” Oshie said following Friday’s game. “I can’t thank everyone enough for reaching out, for the support for me and for my family. So many kind words said about my dad, Coach.”

List of the day

The 20 minutes, 19 seconds Cam York logged on Friday marked the second-highest total in a debut by a Flyers defenseman this century according to Hockey-Reference.com. The Flyers’ top five since 2000-01:

1. Robert Hagg, 2016-17, 21:19, five shots on goal.

2. Cam York, 2020-21, 20:19, also quarterbacked the power-play.

3. Ivan Provorov, 2016-17, 20:18, had an assist.

4. Randy Jones, 2003-04, 20:05, game after epic brawl with Ottawa; Flyers were short on D-men.

5 Egor Zamula, 2020-21, 19:19, Jones and Zamula were undrafted.

Tampa Bay’s Victor Hedman had the most ice time for any defenseman in his debut when he logged 26:27 as an 18-year-old in 2009-10.

Shots for free tickets

As part of their COVID-19 vaccination campaign, the Flyers are offering a voucher for two tickets to a game next season to every fan who gets a vaccine shot at Monday’s season finale. They must limit it to those who have tickets to the game. 1212183 Philadelphia Flyers

Flyers and Penn Medicine offering COVID-19 shots at Monday’s game

Diane Mastrull

Arguably, no more important shot will be made at Monday’s Flyers final regular-season game.

The single-dose Johnson & Johnson COVID-19 vaccine will be available to all ticketed fans and employees at Wells Fargo Center through Penn Medicine before and during the game.

Health-care providers will start administering shots as soon as the doors open at 6 p.m. and continue until 7:30 outside Section 104 in the southwest food hall on the main concourse.

Protection from the deadly virus won’t be the only upside. Anyone who gets a shot will receive a voucher for two free tickets to a Flyers game next season, as well as an “I Took My Shot” T-shirt, hand sanitizer, and a sticker, according to an announcement Saturday.

Meanwhile, the team will concentrate on making other vital shots that night: those on goal against the New Jersey Devils.

Philadelphia Inquirer / Daily News LOADED: 05.09.2021 1212184 Philadelphia Flyers was big, right-handed, and blossoming, clearly one of the Flyers’ top three defensemen.

And then... Will ‘Ghost’ disappear from Flyers, or will his resurgence cause him to The 6-foot-5, 210-pound Myers regressed this year, was a healthy stay? | Sam Carchidi scratch several times, and, when he did play, was used on the third pairing late in the season. He began the weekend with one goal, 10 points, and a minus-13 rating in 41 games. Sam Carchidi “I thought Myers sat back a lot and didn’t seem involved in the offensive part of it, and that’s his game, getting up in the offense,” Howe said. “I don’t know if it’s his confidence or the system he was in, but I know he’s Fans attending the Flyers’ season finale Monday against New Jersey at a better player than that.” the Wells Fargo Center may be seeing the last game played by Shayne Gostisbehere for the Orange and Black. Gostisbehere’s bounce-back season after two sub-par years – coach Alain Vigneault gave him only lukewarm praise the other day – and the And if it is his last game as a Flyer, that would be a shame because the fact he can play either side, has complicated things. There is no longer a player they call “Ghost” is almost back to the level that took the league by clear-cut answer as to whom the Flyers should protect. storm as a rookie in 2014-15. That was the season the swift-skating Gostisbehere displayed a wicked shot that made the power play potent, Option 3 and he finished second in the rookie-of-the-year race, behind Artemi Panarin and ahead of players like Connor McDavid (because of an Protect Myers, 24, and expose Gostisbehere to the expansion draft. injury), Jack Eichel, Dylan Larkin, and Colton Parayko. Because he is nearly four years younger than Gostisbehere and probably The Flyers will have some interesting decisions to make in the offseason, has more upside, it wouldn’t be surprising if the Flyers opted to protect and Gostisbehere, who has had an up-and-down career, is in the middle Myers. of lots of them. Then again, Gostisbehere was much better on the power play than Option 1 Myers was on the penalty kill. And Gostisbehere was clearly the more productive player this season. They trade the 28-year-old defenseman after he revived his offensive game this season, and open a spot for Cam York, 20, a promising Their Corsi percentage at even strength is similar. Myers entered the defenseman who can also quarterback a power play. weekend at 53.8%, and Gostisbehere was at 51.9%, meaning the team controlled the puck slightly more than its opponents with those players on On the surface, some might think Gostisbehere, who is serving a two- the ice. game suspension this weekend, has little value because teams could have claimed him off waivers in late March but bypassed. As for salaries, Gostisbehere has two years left at an annual cap hit of $4.5 million, while Myers has two years remaining with an annual $2.55 Since then, however, Gostisbehere has scored four goals in 15 games million cap hit. and shown that his surgically repaired knee is all the way back. He entered the weekend with nine goals (five on the power play), 20 points, Howe sees Myers as more of a No. 3 or No. 4 defenseman. and a minus-5 rating in 40 games. “I think he took most of the heat, but I thought Sanheim struggled just as Gostisbehere skating with the puck against the Washington Capitals much -- or even more -- in the first half of the year,” Howe said. earlier this season. Option 4 Yes, he has some defensive flaws, but his offense and his ability to direct If the Flyers want to keep both Myers and Gostisbehere, they could a power play could make him attractive to a team that, unlike when probably send Seattle a draft pick to make sure they don’t select one of Gostisbehere was placed on waivers, might have cap space because of them. expiring contracts this summer. Seattle may find that intriguing, especially if it didn’t plan to take, say, Option 2 Gostisbehere because of his salary. Agreeing on the draft pick, then, Protect Gostisbehere and expose Phil Myers in the July 21 expansion becomes the issue. draft with Seattle. Epilogue The Flyers are expected to use the option where they can protect three The decision on whom to protect is important, but it isn’t as critical as defensemen in the expansion draft. Ivan Provorov and Travis Sanheim getting someone to be Provorov’s partner on the top pairing. are locks. The third defenseman will be either Myers or Gostisbehere. No matter what the Flyers do, their No. 1 priority is to find a way to finally Decisions, decisions. replace Niskanen. Maybe they do that by including Myers or Mark Howe, the best defenseman to ever play for the Flyers, is the Gostisbehere as part of a trade. Detroit Red Wings’ longtime director of pro scouting. He believes the

Flyers will protect Myers if it comes down to a choice between him and Gostisbehere. Philadelphia Inquirer / Daily News LOADED: 05.09.2021 At the same time, “I think Ghost was their only defenseman who had a better year this year than he had last year,” Howe said Friday. “I think he gained a little confidence and it showed.”

Most of the Flyers’ defensemen took a step backward as the units were affected by Matt Niskanen’s retirement and the frequent shuffling of pairings this year.

Howe said the Flyers need their defensemen to continue to “do the strengthening and conditioning and filling out their bodies in the summer. And also to try to study the game a little bit. Those are the guys that get better. You can see it. You want to see guys continue to improve well into their 20s.”

Deciding which defensemen to protect looked like a no-brainer before the season. Myers was coming off a strong season, had signed a contract extension, and was expected to be on the top pairing with Provorov. He 1212185 Philadelphia Flyers Oh, that’s right, this is the same league whose commissioner continues to go on record claiming there’s no scientific evidence out there to confirm there’s a connection between fighting and brain injuries (i.e., concussions). Don’t compare Broad Street Bullies to Tom Wilson’s cheap-shot tactics The Rangers’ Ryan Strome probably summed it up best about the puny fine.

Wayne Fishflyingfishhockey.com “(Panarin) with no helmet on — a superstar in our league — I think it’s a joke,” Strome said. “As players, you want the league to have your back in

those situations, and I think a lot of guys in our dressing room just feel It’s bad enough we have to keep hearing all the fallout from the Tom like they didn’t.” Wilson-New York Rangers cheap shot festival last Monday night. Years ago, superstar Mario Lemieux once called the NHL a “garage But when so-called hockey “experts” rush to their keyboards and league.” microphones to start comparing Wilson’s attacks on New York’s Pavel Now that you own the five-time Stanley Cup champion Pittsburgh Buchnevich and Artemi Panarin to what took place during the 1970s’ Penguins, Mario, maybe you can explain what you meant by that. Broad Street Bullies era, it borders on revisionist history.

See, there’s no denying the Hammer, Big Bird, Moose & Co. were not exactly the Mormon Tabernacle Choir. They were more proactive than Burlington County Times LOADED: 05.09.2021 reactive when it came to the physical stuff.

That said, we have trouble recalling hardly one instance where Dave Schultz, Don Saleski and Andre Dupont didn’t throw down the gloves and challenge an opponent in what amounted to Marquis of Queensbury fashion.

In other words, “Put up your dukes!”

There was never a scenario where one of the Flyers’ so-called “goons” grabbed, say, Hall of Famer Guy Lafleur and repeatedly smashed his head on the ice the way Wilson did with the much smaller Panarin, who was lost for the last few games of the season due to injuries suffered in the melee.

Sure, there were nights in the Bullies’ era when a mismatch took place, like when Schultz beat the tar out of a much-undermanned New York Ranger defenseman Dale Rolfe in the 1974 Stanley Cup playoffs. But Rolfe had the option to just skate away.

What you didn’t see was Schultz grabbing Rolfe’s hair and body- slamming him to the ice the way Wilson did with Panarin.

In fact, the Bullies almost never went after “skill” players but rather the Wayne Cashmans and Terry O’Reillys of the world.

To make it all worse, George Parros, the NHL’s director of player safety, hands down only a $5,000 fine (and no suspension) to a player (Wilson) who already had six suspensions on his record, several after incidents where serious injuries occurred.

Doesn’t the league consider these the two most key elements to supplemental discipline: 1. Past history of violence; 2. Severity of the medical damage suffered by the injured party.

Oddly enough, Wilson was only fined for punching Buchnevich in the back of the head. Apparently Parros fast-forwarded the video segment where Panarin gets his skull bounced off the ice.

The Rangers had it right when they called for Parros’ head. What kind of message does it send, what kind of deterrent does it provide when the only punishment is a fine?

And, by the way, why is an ex-fighter running the DOPS in the first place? Isn’t this like the fox guarding the hen house? Why would you let someone who spent their entire career inflicting damage on other players determine right and wrong when it comes to these sorts of incidents?

To top it off, NHL commissioner decides to fine the Rangers a quarter-million bucks for having the audacity to make a “personal” attack on Parros.

We would like to see a poll of the 30 NHL owners (excluding Washington) the day after one of their star players gets put out of commission to get their opinion of whether a $5,000 fine is justice.

Also, while we’re at it, let’s check to see if those same owners were happy with the first 10 seconds of the “rematch” game on Wednesday night when the Rangers started three separate brawls with the Caps at center ice right after the first puck dropped to try to get some retribution.

Isn’t the NHL on record to claim it’s trying to put an end to fighting? 1212186 Philadelphia Flyers Delaware County Times LOADED: 05.09.2021

Flyers Notebook: York and Allison could impact offseason of change

By Rob Parent [email protected] @ReluctantSE on Twitter

It is likely with equal parts urgency and anxiety that the Flyers will enter their fifth non-playoff postseason in the last nine years on Tuesday.

Since well before the trade deadline, general manager has been hinting at, or outright admitting, an obvious need for changes, though salary cap issues and high veteran salaries on long-term contracts will probably hinder his efforts on that front.

Either way, Fletcher has hit the go button on his offseason tinkering by directing head coach Alain Vigneault to incorporate would-be future stars Wade Allison and Cam York into the Flyers' end-of-season death march.

York, the 20-year-old from Anaheim, Calif., was the Flyers' No. 1 draft choice (14th overall) in 2019. In two years at the University of Michigan the smooth-skating, two-way blue line force compiled 36 points (9 goals, 27 assists) in 54 games, then went on to captain the United States' World Junior Championship team to a gold medal. He signed his professional entry level contract with the Flyers at the end of March and averaged nearly a point a game in a short stay with the Phantoms before being called up.

Allison, 23, was a second-round pick in 2016. In a dozen Flyers games this season he's scored four times, and in eight games with the late- starting Phantoms he scored four goals and registered five assists.

With such an infusion of youth, the Flyers hardly looked peacefully prone Friday night, as Allison's two goals and York's steady blue line presence in his NHL debut contributed to the Flyers' 4-2 road win over current East division runner-up Washington.

The loss dealt the Capitals a tough blow as they were trying to keep pace with the Pittsburgh Penguins, who Saturday won their third straight in their season finale against Buffalo to move close to the division title.

The Capitals had to defeat the Flyers in the teams' rematch game Saturday night, then beat the Bruins in their finale on Tuesday in order to overtake the Pens in a tiebreak for the No. 1 seed.

Of course, playoff seedings are the furthest things from the Flyers' minds right now.

And you can tell that by listening to their head coach.

"I want my players to conduct themselves as professionals, and go out and play hard," Alain Vigneault said before the Capital rematch Saturday. "But I don't put a lot of stock into performances at this time. The games basically don't mean much, so in my estimation this is not a 'statement' game, far from it. But I do expect the players to go out and play hard."

Certainly the likes of rookies Allison and York, and second year man Joel Farabee, who also scored on Friday, should have no problem getting motivated for this game and Monday's overdue season-ender with the New Jersey Devils at Wells Fargo Center.

As for those older guys with the long-term big contacts? Well, time will tell.

One thing is for sure, however: The more the upstarts continue to impress, the more the others should feel the push.

"I thought he looked good," elder defensive partner Justin Braun said of York's major league debut Friday. "He looked poised on the puck, made the right plays on the breakouts, skated well through the neutral zone ... yeah, for a first game, I thought he looked good."

Vigneault agreed about York, saying, "I've only really seen him for one practice and one game, but like I mentioned yesterday, I thought he looked smooth. He seems like a quiet young man but definitely showed some positive things yesterday on the ice and hopefully he'll follow it up tonight."

1212187 Philadelphia Flyers

Vigneault honest about his evaluation of players without a playoff race

BY JORDAN HALL

FLYERS

In their penultimate game of the season Saturday, the Flyers (24-23-7) match up with the Capitals (34-15-5) again.

• Alain Vigneault is accustomed to assessing players when games are meaningful, when the playoff race is heating up and when the pressure is on.

In his 18 seasons as an NHL head coach, 12 have featured playoff berths, with nine of those teams advancing past the first round.

The 2020-21 Flyers were officially eliminated from postseason contention on April 29, but they sold off parts at the April 12 trade deadline because their chances in the race were looking bleak at that point.

So while the Flyers have gotten a look at some different players and combinations, Vigneault won't decide winners and losers for jobs next season in these circumstances.

"I will say, though, on a personal level, I don't put a lot of stock if a player under these games has a real good showing or a bad showing," Vigneault said before the Flyers' 4-2 win Friday night over the Capitals. "Our games for a while here have been, in the standings, meaningless. They don't mean very much, so I've always felt you don't put a lot of stock in these games. It's good to see that your guys are pros, that they're trying to do the right things, but if a guy would play extremely well under these conditions, I would wait and have a bigger sample size to make a better assessment of his play."

• The Flyers are aiming to win consecutive games for just the second time going back to the beginning of March.

Since the start of March, in games after a victory, the Flyers have gone 1-11-0 and been outscored 65-28.

• The Capitals are in second place of the East Division. They're two points behind the Penguins and have a game in hand on Pittsburgh. They're two points ahead of the Bruins, who have a game in hand on the Capitals.

The Flyers again won't see Alex Ovechkin, who will remain out with a lower-body injury. Ovechkin finished with eight goals in six games against the Flyers this season.

Comcast SportsNet.com LOADED: 05.09.2021 1212188 Philadelphia Flyers Elliott had little chance to stop Washington's first goal. Ivan Provorov committed a turnover along the back wall, which led to Daniel Sprong burying one from the slot.

York shows his strengths in anticipated debut as Flyers earn youth-led T.J. Oshie made an impressive redirection late in the second period to win cut the Flyers' lead to 3-2. The Flyers had a lead at second intermission for just the 12th time this season.

Capitals netminder Vitek Vanecek recorded 25 saves on 28 shots. BY JORDAN HALL • With two assists, surpassed his point total of 40 from last season. JVR has 41 points (16 goals, 25 assists) in 54 games this season. FLYERS • For the first time since he was dealt to Washington at the April 12 trade Led by good production from their youngsters, the Flyers picked up a 4-2 deadline, faced his former team. He delivered a big check win Friday night over the Capitals at Capital One Arena. on Couturier during the second period and played 13:11 minutes. Cam York became the sixth Flyer to make his NHL debut this season, • The Flyers are right back at it Saturday in D.C. against the Capitals for while Wade Allison and Joel Farabee combined for three goals. their penultimate game of the season (7 p.m. ET/NBCSP). The Flyers (24-23-7) notched just their second win over Washington this season and first since Super Bowl Sunday on Feb. 7. Comcast SportsNet.com LOADED: 05.09.2021 The Capitals (34-15-5), who were without Alex Ovechkin (lower body), Evgeny Kuznetsov (COVID protocols) and Justin Schultz (lower body), are two points behind the first-place Penguins with two games left.

• York, the club's 2019 first-round draft pick, made his anticipated debut at 20 years old.

The native of Anaheim Hills, California, had his parents at the game.

"We're not allowed to see them at the rink unfortunately, but I'm sure at the hotel I'll be able to see them," York said postgame. "They flew out from California this morning and were in attendance tonight, so that was really special for me."

York's confidence belies his age. The catch-me-if-you-can defenseman plays with a controlled pace and impressive poise. He showed those attributes in his first taste of the NHL.

During the first period, he had a takeaway and pushed the puck into the offensive zone. On the same shift, he had a smart pinch to keep the Flyers in the offensive zone. He's also smart in the defensive zone.

York, who was a proficient power play quarterback at the USNTDP and Michigan, was on the Flyers' first man advantage in the second period. He played 2:19 minutes on the power play and 20:59 overall on the night.

"You could tell right from the beginning that the young man is a very good skater, smooth on his feet, had the ability tonight to beat the first forechecker and make a good pass," Flyers head coach Alain Vigneault said. "Good for him, it's just one game there, but good for our team."

York played his natural left side as he was paired with steady veteran Justin Braun. When Braun was selected in the seventh round of the 2007 draft, York was 6 years old.

Both were good together. Real solid first impression for York.

"This is the first of a long career," Allison said of York. "This guy's going to play a lot of games because as you can tell from tonight, he's a really special player."

Zack Hill/Philadelphia Flyers

• With the third and fourth goals of his end-of-the-season audition, Allison handed the Flyers a 3-1 lead in the middle frame.

On the 2-1 goal, the 23-year-old winger put his big-time shot on display. On the 3-1 goal, Philippe Myers made a strong offensive play below the goal line to set up Allison in front.

Allison has three goals — two of them snipes — over his last three games.

Flyers' Wade Allison scores his 3rd goal of the season on a nasty shot

• Farabee is flirting with 20 goals and 40 points in this shortened season.

The 21-year-old winger scored his team-leading 18th goal of the season during the first period. He has 36 points in 53 games after putting up eight goals and 21 points through 52 games as a rookie last season.

• After playing in his 500th game Tuesday, Brian Elliott was back between the pipes. He made 28 saves on 30 shots for the win. He also recorded an assist on 's empty-net goal. 1212189 Pittsburgh Penguins

Minor league report: Penguins beat Devils in home finale

SETH RORABAUGH

Saturday, May 8, 2021 10:33 p.m.

Two goals by forward Nick Schilkey helped the Wilkes-Barre/Scranton Penguins win their final home game of the season, 4-1, against the at Mohegan Sun Arena in Wilkes-Barre on Saturday.

Forward Jonathan Gruden added a goal and an assist for Wilkes- Barre/Scranton (12-11-4-2) while forward Justin Almeida recorded two assists. Goaltender Tommy Nappier made 22 saves on 23 shots in the victory.

Highlights:

The Penguins’ next game is a road contest against the rival on Sunday, 3:05 p.m.

Forward Patrick Watling had four goals and an assist for the Wheeling Nailers in an 8-5 road win against the at the VyStar Veterans Memorial Arena in Jacksonville, Fla.

Defenseman Adam Smith and forward Cody Sylvester each added a goal and an assist for Wheeling (18-29-5-1) while forward Matt Alfaro recorded three assists. Goaltender Taran Kozun made 33 saves on 38 shots in the victory.

Highlights:

The Nailers’ next game is a road contest against the Icemen on Sunday, 3 p.m.

Tribune Review LOADED: 05.09.2021 1212190 Pittsburgh Penguins time, I’ve learned a lot about myself as a goalie. I like where my game is at.”

The Penguins certainly liked where it was on Saturday. Goaltender Maxime Lagace records shutout in Penguins debut “Obviously, coming into my first NHL game in two years, I just wanted to keep it simple, clear my head as much as I could and go as the game came to me,” Lagace said. “I tried to have fun. I think I did. And the boys SETH RORABAUGH played in front of me a good game. It was a good team effort and I’m obviously happy with the result.” Saturday, May 8, 2021 9:22 p.m. Notes: Following the game, Penguins coach Mike Sullivan indicated most

members of the team, players and staffers, would receive their second Maxime Lagace hasn’t had many positive results this season. vaccination shot for covid-19 on Saturday evening. That would mean the Penguins would exceed the NHL’s threshold of 85% of a traveling party Or bad ones for that matter. being vaccinated that is required to participate in the league’s loosened protocols with regards to covid-19. … Penguins defenseman Chad Mainly, he just hasn’t played a great deal this season. Ruhwedel returned to the lineup after being a healthy scratch for 26 And that’s by design. consecutive games.

When the Pittsburgh Penguins signed Legace to a one-year, two-way contract in October to be their third goaltender on the organizational Tribune Review LOADED: 05.09.2021 depth chart, it was under the premise Lagace would not appear in many games barring anything unforeseen.

With the NHL staging the 2020-21 season under the extraordinary circumstances of a global pandemic, rosters were expanded to include a taxi squad. Part of that group’s composition includes at least one goaltender who does little more than practice.

Typically, the organization’s third goaltender is the top goaltender with that franchise’s American Hockey League (AHL) affiliate.

But in 2020-21, Lagace has only appeared in nine AHL games with Wilkes-Barre/Scranton, having been intermediately assigned to the Poconos simply to get some game action.

His 10th game of the season might have been his best.

Especially because it was his first NHL contest in more than two years.

Making 29 saves, he guided the Pittsburgh Penguins to a 1-0 shutout of the Buffalo Sabres at PPG Paints Arena in their regular season finale.

For Lagace, who last played in the NHL as a member of the Vegas Golden Knights in February of 2019, he recorded his first career shutout and became the first goaltender in Penguins history to get a shutout in his debut for the franchise.

He was pressed into duty because starter Tristan Jarry and backup Casey DeSmith are each sidelined with undisclosed injuries.

“I’m very proud to be able to be part of the Penguins,” Lagace said via video conference. “And obviously tonight is going to be a night that I’ll remember for sure. (The moment) that I’ll remember the most is when the buzzer sounded at the end there. I don’t even know how to describe it. It was such a relief. Within the last four minutes, I’d say I started thinking about the shutout. It was creeping into my head a little bit. I wanted it so bad. The boys didn’t give up a shot. I’m thankful. I’m very, very happy to be here.”

Despite facing an underwhelming Sabres team stocked with AHL-caliber players, Lagace had to earn this milestone, especially considering the Penguins were outshot 24-9 in the first two periods.

Perhaps his toughest stop came at 10 minutes, 41 seconds of the third period when he robbed Sabres forward Victor Olofsson on a one-timer from the slot, fighting the puck off with his left arm.

“I obviously read the pass, but the reaction on the shot was instinct honestly,” the 28-year-old said. “When he shot it, I literally just put my glove up and it hit. Sometimes you’ve got to be lucky, and I’ll take it obviously.”

If things go well for the Penguins, Lagace doesn’t play another game for the next two months. Despite such little action in any games of consequence, he feels he’s taken strides in his game this season.

“(This season is) lot different than we’re used to,” Lagace said. “At the same time, I think my game keeps growing. I work a lot with (Penguins goaltending development coach Andy Chiodo) and (Penguins goaltending coach Mike Buckley). It helps a lot. Obviously, you want to get into games. That’s where you get your feels. That’s where you feel good about yourself. It’s not been easy, I would say. But at the same 1212191 Pittsburgh Penguins Having just completed a challenging regular season unlike any in NHL history because of the pandemic, the Penguins are ready for an entirely different challenge in the postseason.

Penguins shut out Sabres, claim East Division “As an organization, we’ve handled very well,” McCann said of the rigors of the regular season. “Moving forward here, we’re just going to stay focused and look forward to the playoffs.”

SETH RORABAUGH

| Saturday, May 8, 2021 5:47 p.m. Tribune Review LOADED: 05.09.2021

The Penguins’ Jeff Carter celebrates his goal in the second period on Saturday, May 08, 2021, at PPG Paints Arena.

Pittsburgh Penguins forward Jared McCann used the “F” word repeatedly Saturday evening in the aftermath of his team’s 1-0 home win against the Buffalo Sabres at PPG Paints Arena.

He uttered it at least three or four times.

It was clear he had a message he wanted to convey.

“We did everything we did to put ourselves in the best possible spot,” McCann said. “We’re just going to look to who we’re going to play and just stay focused.”

With the Penguins wrapping up the 2020-21 regular season Saturday, McCann and his teammates appeared to turn their gaze quickly to the postseason, for which the NHL has yet to announce a start date.

When the Penguins will play next will remain uncertain.

What seed they will have was determined later Saturday night thanks to their rivals, the Washington Capitals, requiring overtime to defeat their other rivals, the Philadelphia Flyers, 2-1, at Capital One Arena in Washington. That result allowed the Penguins to win their first division title since 2013-14.

Locked into the top seed of the East Division, the Penguins will have home ice for the first round of the postseason, as well as the second round, should they advance that far. They will face the Boston Bruins or the New York Islanders in the first round.

“We like how our game has grown here over the course of the (season),” coach Mike Sullivan said. “For the most part, when you look at the last six weeks of the season, I feel like we’ve got better at our team game. Some of our newer guys are more familiar with how we’re trying to play right now. … We really like the group that’s assembled here. They’re real good people. I think they’re a tight group. They play hard for one another. We think we have sufficient depth here.

“We’re excited about the opportunity that’s in front of us. We know how difficult it is to win. We’re going to have go out and earn it each and every game.”

The Sabres definitely made the Penguins earn a victory in their season finale, outshooting them 29-23.

The only score came 1 minute, 58 seconds into the second period thanks to forward Jeff Carter, who collected four goals during Thursday’s 8-4 home win against the Sabres. Stealing a puck from Sabres defenseman Colin Miller off of Buffalo’s end boards, Penguins forward Frederick Gaudreau shuffled a pass to the front of the crease. Sabres forward Anders Bjork broke up the pass but deflected the puck into Carter’s right shoulder and it caromed into the cage. Carter was credited with his 17th goal of the season.

Goaltender Maxime Lagace, making his Penguins debut, made 29 saves to record his first career shutout.

There was an anxious moment late in regulation over the well-being of Penguins forward Evgeni Malkin. After his right knee collided with Sabres forward Dylan Cozens in the third period, Malkin did not record a shift for the final 8:48 of regulation.

“(Malkin) thought he tweaked something on that collision,” Sullivan said. “He got checked out afterwards and felt fine. We don’t anticipate any issues moving forward. We held him out for precautionary reasons down the stretch.”

The Penguins’ second line center, Malkin recently missed 23 games due to a presumed right knee ailment. 1212192 Pittsburgh Penguins

Penguins to start goaltender Maxime Lagace in regular season finale

SETH RORABAUGH

Saturday, May 8, 2021 11:57 a.m.

In nine AHL games this season with Wilkes-Barre/Scrangon, Penguins goaltender Maxime Lagace has a 4-3-2 record.

The Penguins are scheduled to start goaltender Maxime Lagace in their regular season finale, a home contest against the Buffalo Sabres at PPG Paints Arena on Saturday.

Lagace’s status was announce via statement.

With starter Tristan Jarry and backup Casey DeSmith each sidelined due to undisclosed injuries, Lagace will be making his debut for the Penguins.

A free agent signing this past offseason, Lagace has split the 2020-21 season between the Penguins’ taxi squad and Wilkes-Barre/Scranton of the American Hockey League (AHL). In nine AHL games this season, he has a 4-3-2 record along with a 2.30 goals against average and a .907 save percentage.

The 28-year-old’s most recently NHL game came as a member of the Vegas Golden Knights in a 5-2 road loss to the Carolina Hurricanes on Feb. 1, 2019. He made 27 saves on 31 shots in that contest.

Notes:

• The Penguins could potentially secure first place in the East Division with a regulation win against the Sabres as well as a regulation loss by the Washington Capitals against the Philadelphia Flyers when those two squads face off in Washington, also on Saturday.

• Penguins forward Colton Sceviour could potentially play in his 500th career game.

• The Sabres are expected to start goaltender Michael Houser. The native of Youngstown, Ohio who grew up in Wexford was in net for Thursday’s 8-4 road loss to the Penguins. During that contest, he made 26 saves on 34 shots.

In three games this season, Houser has a 2-1-0 record along with a 4.22 goals against average and an .890 save percentage.

Tribune Review LOADED: 05.09.2021 1212193 Pittsburgh Penguins seven weeks. Malkin took his next regular shift but didn’t play again the rest of the afternoon.

“He thought he tweaked something in that collision. He got checked out Penguins looking forward to loosened COVID-19 protocols in the NHL afterward and felt fine. So we don’t anticipate any issues moving playoffs forward,” said Sullivan, who added that he was held out late in the game “for precautionary reasons.”

Still, the 34-year-old’s status is something to monitor in the coming days. Matt Vensel Following the initial injury to his right knee, Malkin returned to the lineup 5-6 minutes 5/8/2021 Monday in Philadelphia. He has recorded four points in four games since then.

Milestone for Sceviour The NHL and NHL Players’ Association on Saturday announced revised COVID-19 protocols for the postseason for teams that hit vaccination Twice this season, Colton Sceviour was placed on waivers and he at thresholds. times has been a healthy scratch. He has since picked up his play to become a regular. On Saturday, Sceviour suited up in his 18th straight In a Friday memo, the NHL told teams that once 85% of their traveling game – and the 500th of his career. party is fully vaccinated, restrictions will be loosened in the playoffs. The new protocols when that threshold is met will allow more freedom when it “Obviously, getting in a game at any point is exciting and an honor. It’s comes to masks, testing and permissible activities at the rink or on the crazy to think I have a chance to play 500,” he said after Friday’s road, among other things. practice. “It’s something I probably didn’t see coming at certain points in my career. It’s awesome.” The Penguins are expected to surpass the 85% vaccination threshold in two weeks. Participating players, coaches and staff members were Sceviour, who was acquired along with Mike Matheson in the Patric scheduled to get the second dose of the vaccine following Saturday’s Hornqvist deal last offseason, has 64 goals and 151 points in those 500 game, coach Mike Sullivan said. career games.

“We’ll be well over the 85% threshold that the league has set,” Sullivan “These are great accomplishments,” Sullivan said. “It’s hard to play in this said. league. There are a lot of great players in the world. There’s only 700- some odd players that play in the NHL each year. It’s a hard league to However, as far as the NHL and the revised protocols are concerned, the make it. It’s a hard league to stay in. When someone reaches these Penguins will not be “fully vaccinated” until 14 days after receiving that milestones, they’re accomplishments.” second dose. Around the boards This comes as welcome news to players, coaches and other team employees who away from the team have essentially been shut-ins since Chad Ruhwedel replaced Mark Friedman in the lineup and skated on the early February, when the NHL made its protocols stricter due to a few second pair with Cody Ceci. … With Tristan Jarry and DeSmith sidelined, outbreaks around the league. it was Alex D’Orio who backed up Maxime Lagace. … Freddy Gaudreau assisted on Jeff Carter’s goal, giving Gaudreau five points and a plus-7 Now, once the team meets the threshold, those vaccinated can gather rating the last three games. indoors or outdoors in groups of up to eight people. They can again eat at restaurants that have outdoor dining. And guys can now gather in hotel rooms on the road. Post Gazette LOADED: 05.09.2021 At arenas or team practice facilities, masks will no longer be required in non-public areas. Team meetings can resume without masks or social distancing requirements for vaccinated individuals. Saunas and steam rooms will be reopened.

Those fully vaccinated will no longer need to undergo testing on off days.

“I haven’t familiarized myself with the details of that yet. I know some of the things. But what I do think it will provide for us is an opportunity to just have more interaction,” Sullivan said. “When you look at the COVID protocols to this point, by design they’re set up to limit the interaction for obvious reasons.”

Despite those looser restrictions on the horizon, Jared McCann said the Penguins don’t plan to let their guard down, not with the Stanley Cup on the line.

“Our main focus right now is the playoffs. So we’re not going to look to take any chances with COVID and we know the world is in a tough spot right now with all of that and stuff going on,” he said. “We’re focused on the playoffs right now.”

Many players and coaches voluntarily received their first dose during an April 13 event that the Penguins put on at PPG Paints Arena with partner UPMC.

Any member of a team’s traveling party who opted to not receive the vaccine must continue to abide by the stricter measures that are currently in place.

Malkin sidelined late

Evgeni Malkin sat out the final 8:48 of Saturday’s 1-0 win over the Buffalo Sabres at PPG Paints Arena after a collision with an opponent in the neutral zone.

On the bench, head athletic trainer Chris Stewart took a look at Malkin’s right knee, the same one that was injured on March 16, sidelining him for 1212194 Pittsburgh Penguins Carter, who was acquired from Los Angeles in exchange for a pair of mid-round picks, has not only flashed his own scoring potential. His addition could have a major ripple effect through the entire lineup. The Penguins entered Saturday as the NHL’s highest-scoring team, Maxime Lagace shuts out Buffalo, Penguins clinch East Division title averaging 3.49 goals per game. They rose up the leaderboard while playing a considerable chunk of the season without Malkin or Carter.

Now, with those two centers in the fold, the Penguins appear to have Mike DeFabo three legitimate scoring lines to go along with a shut-down Teddy Blueger 6-7 minutes 5/8/2021 line that can be trusted against any opposing line.

That firepower wasn’t necessarily on display on Saturday. Instead, the Penguins needed their netminder to bail them out on several instances. When the Penguins embarked upon this unprecedented season staged Lagace spent most of the season on the taxi squad, only going to Wilkes- in the midst of the COVID-19 pandemic, the coaching staff preached to Barre/ Scranton for nine games to keep his game sharp. He was ready expect the unexpected and roll with the punches. when it mattered.

Well, they probably didn’t anticipate this. “I give [the players on the taxi squad] a lot of credit,” Sullivan said. “They work so hard at just controlling what they can to keep their game sharp A general manager resigned. The entire left side of the blue line was and stay ready. You just don’t know when you’re going to get tapped on decimated by injury at one point. Later in the season, five of the top eight the shoulder to get in the lineup. Today was a perfect example of that.” forwards were missing, including Evgeni Malkin. Games got changed, moved and postponed due to the virus. Mid-way through the first period, the 6-foot-2 Lagace made a nice left pad save on Riley Sheahan. Then in the second period, Lagace kicked The Penguins weathered all those storms to enter the final day of their out his right leg to deny Drake Caggiula on a breakaway. 56-game regular season with a chance to win the parity-packed East Division. The formula was two-fold. They’d need a regulation win and Perhaps the biggest save came in the third. With just under 10 minutes, some help from the Flyers. Lagace squared up to shut down Victor Olofsson’s Grade-A chance from the slot. They got both. “I was telling the boys, when he shot it, I literally just put my glove up and Backstopped by taxi squad goalie Maxime Lagace, Pittsburgh shut out it hit it,” Lagace said. “Sometime you’ve got to be lucky. I’ll take it, the Sabres, 1-0, at PPG Paints Arena on Saturday afternoon. obviously.” Later in the evening, the Capitals won, 2-1. But because it was in On the other side of the ice, Buffalo goalie Houser, who moved to overtime, Washington lost out on the tie-breaking scenarios. Pittsburgh Wexford as a kid, bounced back. After allowing eight goals on Thursday, claimed its ninth division title in franchise history and first since the 2013- he stood tall on several instances to keep Buffalo in a tight game. 14 season. But ultimately, the Penguins got the timely saves and just enough offense Fittingly, in this turbulent season, the Penguins had to roll with one more to claim a regulation win on their last game of the regular season. big punch to earn their win. Injuries to Tristan Jarry and Casey DeSmith thrust third goalie Lagace into the net for his first NHL action since Feb. Now they wait for an opponent and a game date. 1, 2019. “We like the group that’s assembled here,” Sullivan said. “We think we In a performance that epitomized the Penguins’ next-man-up season, he have become a team. Now our challenge is in front of us. We’re excited stopped all 29 shots he faced to shut out Buffalo. about it. We understand right now it’s just an opportunity. We’ve got to go out and earn it.” “Tonight is going to be a night I’ll remember for sure,” Lagace said. “Probably the thing I’ll remember the most is when the buzzer sounded at the end there. I don’t even know how to describe it. It was such a relief. Post Gazette LOADED: 05.09.2021 “Within the last four minutes, I started to think about the shutout. It was creeping into my head a little bit. I wanted it so bad.”

With the win in regulation, the Penguins finished the regular season with a record of 37-16-3 and 77 points. While the Capitals have 75 points and the potential to match those 77 points with a win over Boston on Tuesday, the Penguins would still have the edge on the third (ROW, which is wins excluding shootouts). Washington needed the regulation win to beat the Penguins in the second tiebreak scenario (regulation wins).

The Penguins will play either the Boston Bruins or the New York Islanders, who are currently in fourth place, depending on how the final games of the regular season shake out.

While the Penguins got the critical two points in regulation to keep their hopes of winning the division alive, their performance was far from their best game. Playing against a Buffalo team with the league's worst record, the Penguins were out-shot, 29-23, and out-chanced 18-17, according to Natural Stat Trick.

However, they got just enough offense from what’s become an emerging weapon. After a four-goal game on Thursday, Penguins deadline addition Jeff Carter kept the hot streak rolling in the second period on Saturday.

Freddy Gaudreau dished a pass from below the goal line. The puck hit Carter’s stick and then his chest. He got just enough of it to put it past Buffalo’s Michael Houser for his 399th career goal.

“He’s a very skilled player, obviously,” his linemate McCann said. “He plays the right way. He’s an easy guy for me to play with. It doesn’t take too much chemistry when you have a guy that skilled.” 1212195 Pittsburgh Penguins The good news for the Penguins is that they earned the two points and did their part in terms of attempting to win the division. Now, they sit back and wait. I expect Mike Sullivan to give the Penguins a couple of days off this week, perhaps even Sunday and Monday. It would be richly Yohe’s 10 observations: The game wasn’t pretty, but the Penguins’ deserved. And, I suspect, it would be much needed. season sure was • Evgeni Malkin went down in pain in the third period after a chin-on-chin collision with Dylan Cozens. Malkin did play a few more shifts but didn’t look at all comfortable. He flexed his right leg numerous times after By Josh Yohe whistles and appeared in discomfort on the bench. May 8, 2021 Sullivan said Malkin thought he “tweaked” something after the hit. The coach also said that he doesn’t believe anything seriously wrong occurred. Malkin didn’t play the final few minutes of the third period, but If the Penguins win the East Division — they will do so if the Capitals fail Sullivan said that was for precautionary reasons and that he expects him to win both of their remaining games in regulation — they can thank, of to be fine. all people, Maxime Lagace. I’m not sure what to make of these past four games in which Malkin has Really. played. He put up four points and looked OK, but I don’t think his skating has been anywhere near where it was before his injury against Boston in The Penguins’ third-string goaltender was called into action Saturday March. This latest injury doesn’t figure to help in that regard. Still, it’s because of injuries to Tristan Jarry and Casey DeSmith and promptly good that he got four games in before the playoffs. stole the show in a 1-0 victory over the Sabres. For reasons that defy explanation, given the magnitude of the game, the Penguins produced • I realize the sample size is small and that it’s foolish to be close-minded something of a no-show for the second time in six days. about the idea of altering your line combinations in the postseason. Sometimes, it simply has to be done. Buffalo finished with the NHL’s worst record this season but easily outplayed the Penguins and outshot them 29-23. Lagace was forced to However, were I Sullivan, I wouldn’t be touching the third line of Carter, make a number of 10-bell saves and came through on each occasion. Jared McCann and Frederick Gaudreau. Not a chance. The early returns on the chemistry between McCann and Carter is pretty easy to see. It’s Jeff Carter stayed hot by scoring the only goal. almost overwhelming at times. McCann’s all-around game right now is Now, the Penguins will sit and wait. They’ve assured themselves of sensational and Carter, using his size and his penchant for barging to the finishing no worse than second in the East Division. Neither the Bruins net, is a perfect fit. Gaudreau might not seem like an obvious choice for nor the Islanders can catch them. Only the Capitals can. the third line, but this trio is working, and I wouldn’t ignore Gaudreau’s contribution. This is a high-level defensive player who plays a very Washington played later Saturday at home against Philadelphia and intelligent game. He’s slippery on the boards and plenty skilled enough to plays host to the Bruins on Tuesday. If either of those games goes to play with McCann and Carter. overtime, the Penguins win the division. Washington, for tiebreaker reasons, must win both games in regulation to pass the Penguins. Everything about this line is working at the moment and I’d be surprised if Sullivan touches it. If I had to guess what the lines will look like in the The Penguins can’t play the Capitals in the first round. They’ll play host playoffs, presuming everyone is happy, I’d currently guess: to either the Bruins or Islanders in Game 1 on a day and time to be determined. Guentzel-Crosby-Rust

10 postgame observations Zucker-Malkin-Kapanen

• I can’t say enough about how Lagace performed. This wasn’t one of McCann-Carter-Gaudreau those games in which a team goes out of its way to protect the house ZAR-Blueger-Tanev because a third-string goaltender was between the pipes. Perhaps that was the intent. But the Penguins allowed a breakaway, multiple odd-man It would be a perfectly sensible approach and Evan Rodrigues qualifies rushes and forced their goaltender to move side to side to make several as a very, very good 13th forward because of his ability to play up and above-average saves. down the lineup and on the left or right wing.

I loved Lagace’s poise in this game. He didn’t look like a guy playing in • What else is there to add about Carter? He has played in 14 games the NHL for the first time in two years. It was only his 18th NHL game, in with the Penguins and has scored nine goals. He’s big, he can still skate, fact, but Lagace did everything at a high level. His athleticism was fairly and he’s still got that terrific release. impressive, and he appeared calm and utterly in control throughout the afternoon. On the surface, his goal Saturday was a bit of a fluke. But like Carter seemingly always does, he made his way directly to the net, and the The Penguins didn’t do much to help their goaltender in this game, but he Penguins badly require that mindset. He brings that to the table. did plenty to help them. Good for him. That was a very difficult position for Lagace, and his performance speaks highly of him and speaks highly Carter’s offensive instincts are so impressive. He just knows where to go, of the Penguins’ organizational depth. when to get his nose dirty and, like all good goal scorers, knows how to get open. He just feels things on the ice that lesser players don’t. The Penguins believe Jarry and DeSmith will be ready when the postseason begins but, if disaster strikes, the Penguins should feel more Other trades made more waves before the deadline, but it’s hard to confident after this performance. imagine there has been a more impactful one. There is plenty of gas left in this guy’s tank, and it feels like he’s changed the way the Penguins are “Lots of nerves coming into my first game in two years,” Lagace said. “I perceived around the league. They were already very good, maybe a just wanted to clear my head. The game came to me.” Stanley Cup contender. Now, they most certainly are. He has played a very large role in that. It sure as heck did. And he responded like a real pro. • I’m being picky again, but I really don’t like Chad Ruhwedel on his off • I don’t mean to be overly harsh on the Penguins. To their credit, they side. He played with Cody Ceci on the left side Saturday and, while it shut things down nicely in the final 10 minutes and they did what they was good for him to get some game action in case he’s needed in the had to do. It was an absolutely marvelous regular season for them, but playoffs, he looked a little uncomfortable. I’m a big Ruhwedel fan. He’s a my sense is that the week off is going to serve them very, very well. very solid player and a solid man in the locker room. But it’s asking a lot There have been occasions in the past few weeks when the Penguins of him to play on the left side, and he was burned a couple of times in simply weren’t mentally equipped to play. This game struck me as one of this game. those times. It happens. The Bruins lost at home to the struggling If Mike Matheson isn’t ready to go, the Penguins have a ton of options: Rangers on Saturday. We’ve seen countless examples of this around the P.O Joseph, Mark Friedman, Juuso Riikola or Ruhwedel could play. league recently. While I’d use Ruhwedel over all of those players if a player on the right side of the blue line was injured, I would not insert him into the lineup on his left side.

Matheson, by the way, is skating again, a very good sign. If he’s ready for the postseason, that would be a big deal in my estimation.

• Sullivan said the Penguins would be getting their second COVID-19 vaccination shots Saturday evening. While I’m not really around the team these days (because no one in the media is allowed to be), I do think the organization deserves a lot of credit for how it has handled the pandemic. Namely, the players. I’ve been at the team hotel on a couple of occasions on the road this season, and I haven’t seen a soul out looking for a good time. I haven’t heard one story about a rule or a curfew being broken. This is a professional bunch.

I’d give Sullivan and Sidney Crosby an enormous amount of credit. When your leadership structure possesses that kind of maturity and commands that kind of respect, people are typically going to follow along.

• Kudos to the Buffalo Sabres. Seriously. In February and March, they were one of the worst NHL teams I’ve seen in my 12 years of covering the league.

Since then, they’ve been notably better. Buffalo should make it official that Don Granato will be the head coach, given the job he has done in replacing Ralph Krueger, who by all accounts was an astonishingly bad coach. Granato has the Sabres playing hard and with structure.

• I don’t know when the postseason is going to begin, but from what I’ve heard, next weekend is the most likely start date. I wouldn’t be shocked if Game 1 against the Bruins or Islanders is May 15 at PPG Paints Arena, but that’s merely a guess. I’ve been told by team officials that May 15 is probably the earliest the playoffs will begin. But again, it’s kind of a guessing game at the moment.

Prepare accordingly.

• The Penguins finished the season with 77 points in 56 games. Over the course of an 82-game season, that would give the Penguins 113 points, which would be the second best in franchise history.

This is a great hockey team. Rest assured, they could lose to the Bruins or the Islanders in the first round. They’d be a pretty heavy favorite against the Islanders, but stranger things have happened. Against Boston? That’s the all-time 50/50 series, in my view.

Still, no matter what happens, it shouldn’t take away from what was a remarkable regular season. The Penguins finished fourth in man games lost and may well win their division.

Sullivan deserves the Jack Adams Award for the job he’s done.

It has been a sensational season of hockey for the Penguins, and now, they rest. The real season is about to begin. I don’t know how many more opportunities the Penguins will have to add a championship in the Crosby era, but this strikes me as one of their best chances, even though the road will be brutal.

This is quite a hockey team.

The Athletic LOADED: 05.09.2021 1212196 Pittsburgh Penguins A strange season, indeed.

Pittsburgh Hockey Now LOADED: 05.09.2021 PENGUINS WIN EAST DIVISION; 3-4 Seeds Still Unsettled

Published 8 hours ago on May 8, 2021

By Dan Kingerski

The enemy of my enemy is my friend. And so the Pittsburgh Penguins and Penguins fans found themselves in an awkward position on Saturday night. After the Penguins beat the Buffalo Sabres 1-0 in regulation on Saturday afternoon, the Penguins needed a little bit of help from the Philadelphia Flyers to win the MassMutual East Division.

If the Flyers beat Washington Capitals or took them to overtime, the Penguins would win the division and the important first seed in the East Division.

And Philadelphia did just enough. The Flyers held Washington scoreless for 59 minutes. Washington tied the game with 39 seconds remaining but could not get the regulation winner.

The Penguins were watching. After the Penguins beat Buffalo, Mike Sullivan said:

“Well, we wanted to gain home-ice advantage, and we were thrilled that we were able to do that. Having said that, we know we’re going to get a difficult opponent. All the teams that advance are really good hockey teams. We know we’re going to get a difficult opponent. We’ll watch the games, but we’re more focused on our team, quite honestly, and trying to make sure that that we put our best game on the ice.”

Also on Saturday night, the Penguins (or most) received their second COVID vaccination shot and will be a “fully vaccinated team” in 14 days.

The Penguins finished the 2020-21 campaign with a 37-16-3 record, good for 77 points. The Penguins .688 points percentage this year is the third-best in team history.

Washington won in OT, 2-1 but even if Washington beats the Boston Bruins on Tuesday, the Penguins will win the ROW tiebreaker.

So, the Pittsburgh Penguins won the East Division and will forever be the ONLY MassMutual East Division champion because the league will revert to the next season.

Washington was without five of their top scorers. Alex Ovechkin is still nursing a lower-body injury. Top-line center Evgeny Kuznetsov is currently in the COVID protocol for the second time this season. T.J Oshie was injured in the second period against the Flyers. Defenseman John Carlson and center Nicklas Backstrom are out with lower-body injuries.

Washington also started third-string goalie, 39-year-old Craig Anderson.

The Flyers also continued their recent spirited play. They split with the Pittsburgh Penguins earlier in the week and beat Washington 4-2 on Friday.

Despite the Penguins winning the division crown for the first time since 2013-14, the East Division seedings are not yet settled.

Boston lost to the New York Rangers on Saturday, 5-4, and missed their chance to lock up at least third place. Boston is three points ahead of the New York Islanders and four behind Washington for second place.

UPDATE: Washington locked up second place with the comeback win. PHN changed our original headline to reflect the updated situation.

The NHL has not yet set the playoff schedule. The final regular-season game is May 19 because of the COVID outbreak, which hit the Vancouver Canucks organization and paused their season. However, the NHL may begin the playoffs before the end of the Canucks season for scheduling and TV purposes.

It has been a unique 56-game season with multiple-game sets to reduce travel, reworked divisions because Canadian teams couldn’t cross the border into the U.S. (and vice versa). And it ended, at least in Pittsburgh, with Penguins fans cheering for the Philadelphia Flyers. 1212197 Pittsburgh Penguins -Commuting – Two (2) or more Fully-Vaccinated Individuals may commute unmasked together.

-Team meetings and social gatherings of Fully Vaccinated Individuals Penguins Getting Vaccinated; NHL Relaxes COVID Protocols can resume with no requirement for Fully-Vaccinated Individuals to socially distance or wear face coverings. Unvaccinated Individuals may participate in the same room (including in team lounges) but must socially distance and wear face coverings. Published 10 hours ago on May 8, 2021 -Fully-Vaccinated Individuals will be permitted to eat on flights and buses. By Dan Kingerski -Fully-Vaccinated Individuals may also gather indoors to dine, with no

requirement for masks or social distancing (no limitation on group size), if On the same day the NHL and NHLPA announced they will relax COVID a separate section of the restaurant is designated and secured from the restrictions internally and externally for vaccinated teams effective at the rest of the restaurant’s patrons, ideally in a reserved room AND Fully- end of each team’s regular season, the Pittsburgh Penguins will get their Vaccinated team members are served by masked restaurant employees. second vaccination shot. And just for fun: According to Penguins head coach Mike Sullivan, the team will get their –FORE! Golf – Fully-Vaccinated Individuals may golf as a group. Such second poke Saturday night. individuals shall not enter the clubhouse or other indoor facilities and A couple of weeks after the NHL was criticized by Vegas Golden Knights should remain distanced from other patrons. Rented golf equipment goalie Robin Lehner for not relaxing the rules for vaccinated teams, the should be accessed separately (and in a different area) from other league made the big steps on Saturday. patrons.

Among the notable changes back towards normalcy will be visitations You wouldn’t want the Pittsburgh Penguins entering Nemacolin in the and player interactions. Players will now be able to visit with each other same entrance, would you? in restaurants, public spaces, and on the road, players will be able to visit teammates’ hotel rooms. Masks will no longer be required in team meetings and players will be allowed to socially gather with other fully Pittsburgh Hockey Now LOADED: 05.09.2021 vaccinated individuals beyond the team traveling party.

Earlier this season, the Washington Capitals incurred penalties when Alex Ovechkin and several teammates gathered in a hotel room. Washington goalie Ilya Samsonov missed several weeks after testing positive.

Per the NHL statement, all changes have been agreed upon by the League’s and the NHLPA’s medical advisors after extensive consultation with medical experts in both the United States and Canada.

Players will be considered “fully vaccinated” 14 days after their second vaccination. For the Penguins, that will be May 23. And the league says a “vaccinated team” means that more than 85% of the players and traveling party have been vaccinated.

“I can tell you, we will be well over the 85% threshold,” Sullivan said.

Changes:

-Vaccinated players will no longer have to quarantine after being exposed to a positive individual or after commercial travel.

-Players no longer have to submit to PCR testing on off days.

-“POC” Point-of-Care testing will no longer be required on game days, unless the player did not have a PCR test the previous day.

As an alternative, teams may arrange same-day rapid local PCR results from a reputable local facility on game day.

NOTE: Any individual who returns an initial positive test for COVID-19 must enter the Positive Test Protocol, regardless of their vaccination status.

-Players and club staff will still be required to wear face masks at the arena in the pregame and public spaces. However, vaccinated teams will not have to wear masks in non-public areas at the arena or practice facility.

SOCIAL CHANGES for the Pittsburgh Penguins and vaccinated teams:

-Fully-Vaccinated Individuals may meet in groups of up to eight (8) at a social gathering. The group may include persons not in the Club Travelling Party, as long as all members of the gathering have been fully vaccinated.

Face coverings and social distancing are not required during these gatherings.

-Fully-Vaccinated Individuals are permitted in the hotel rooms of other Fully-Vaccinated Individuals.

-Dining/Restaurants: Fully-Vaccinated Individuals may eat and drink at restaurants that offer outdoor dining, either individually, or with other Fully-Vaccinated Individuals. 1212198 Pittsburgh Penguins Pittsburgh Penguins winger Jake Guentzel avoided injury late in the third period when Buffalo defenseman Rasmus Ristolainen cross-checked him from behind into the boards. Sidney Crosby, who was feisty throughout the game, was prepared to exact revenge but pulled up at the whistle Penguins 3 Stars & Recap: 1st Place? Carter Scores, Lagace 1-0 and penalty call. Shutout Win The Penguins finally turned the shot clock in their favor in the third period, though Lagace made the save of the game when he swiped a one-timer Olofsson midway through the final period. The save preserved Published 11 hours ago on May 8, 2021 the slim Penguins 1-0 lead and spurred the Penguins to control the puck By Dan Kingerski for the next several minutes.

“Coming in, (I had) lots of nerves. So when you get a couple of shots right off the bat, you can get rid of those nerves and you just feel more The Pittsburgh Penguins had to win in regulation and hope either the confident as the game goes on…” Lagace said. “They put a lot of pucks Philadelphia Flyers, or Boston Bruins take the Washington Capitals to OT on net for the first two periods. So I felt really comfortable. The guys or outright beat them. The Penguins took care of their end of the bargain cleared any rebound that had to be cleared. So it makes my job that with a 1-0 win over the Buffalo Sabres at PPG Paints Arena on Saturday. much easier and have them to thank for the results as well.”

The Penguins needed some help from their third-string goalie Maxime Penguins center Evgeni Malkin could be seen flexing his leg in the third Lagace. The 28-year-old journeyman goalie Leg-A-Saved the Penguins a period. He missed 23 games due to a lower-body injury and only few times, including a dandy glove save on Victor Olofsson midway returned this week. through the third period. Lagace stopped all 29 shots he faced. “Geno thought he tweaked something on that collision. He got checked “I don’t think we had our sharpest game, so we really relied on him. And I out afterward and felt fine,” head coach Mike Sullivan said. “…We held thought from the get go, we didn’t think much of it,” Penguins him out for precautionary reasons.” defenseman said. “We felt comfortable with him. And he was calm and poised back there. So I thought he did a great job.” PHN’s Pittsburgh Penguins 3 Stars:

Overall, Buffalo outshot the Penguins 29-23. Michael Houser

The Penguins start was, at best, conservative. Buffalo outshot the The pride of Youngstown was pretty, pretty good on Saturday. Who Penguins 11-3 in the opening 20 minutes, though the Penguins didn’t knows how many more NHL games he’ll get in his career. He lost on play poorly. Saturday, but he played out of his skates.

Instead, the Penguins were not aggressive in the offensive zone. With Jeff Carter Maxime Lagace in net, the Penguins were protecting their goalie. The Penguins center is on his game. So is Freddy Gaudreau. But Carter “We don’t want to be a team that goes back and forth, trading chances,” gets the goal, so Carter gets the glory. Pettersson said. “I think we want to create offense from our defense … Maxime Lagace like I said, I don’t think it was our sharpest.” His first NHL shutout. The Penguins had a few breakdowns and called on The Penguins overly conservative mindset changed in the second period, their goalie a few times. Lagace answered the bell. and they changed quickly.

The Penguins first and the only goal was scored by Jeff Carter, of course. And the goal was set up by Frederick Gaudreau, of course. Pittsburgh Hockey Now LOADED: 05.09.2021 Gaudreau disrupted the Buffalo breakout then stole the puck behind the Buffalo net. “Freddy Apples” served his fourth assist in two games to Carter with a soft pass in front of the net. Carter (17) neatly finished Gaudreau’s handiwork for his fifth goal in five periods against Buffalo.

“It doesn’t take too much chemistry when you have a guy that skilled down the middle of the ice,” Jared McCann said of his linemate Carter. “So it’s been going really well for us here. We’re going to look and try to carry that in the playoffs.”

Still, the Penguins shots were few and far between.

Buffalo goalie Michael Houser, who played his youth hockey in the Pittsburgh area, only had to make three saves in the first period, but one of those was an outright robbery. Sidney Crosby and Jake Guentzel bore down on Houser on a two-on-one, and the 28-year-old Buffalo rookie did the splits to swipe a sure goal away from Guentzel.

In the first period, Jared McCann had two shots. Guentzel one. And that was it for the Penguins. Yikes.

Things weren’t much different in the second. Team MVP Sidney Crosby did not have a shot in the first 40 minutes, but he had one hit, one takeaway, and won eight of 11 faceoffs.

Lagace was increasingly good in the Penguins net. He made a few sparklers in the second period. On the Buffalo power play midway through the second period, he stuffed Casey Mittelstadt on a point-blank chance. A few minutes later, he firmly denied Drage Caggiula, who scored a pair of goals on Thursday, on a breakaway.

“He was awesome for us. You know, he was a big part of our win,” McCann said. “If it wasn’t for him, it would definitely have been a different story. So we’re all happy for him.”

Despite Buffalo’s 24-9 shot advantage, the scoring chances were dead even, 15-15, according to NaturalStatTrick.com. 1212199 Pittsburgh Penguins Jacob Bryson Colin Miller What to WATCH:

Here’s the simple: The Penguins must protect Lagace, play structured 1st Place at Stake, Gm 56: Penguins Lines, Notes & Matchups vs. BUF defense and get to their offense game to finish off Buffalo before the Sabres decide they can win.

Published 16 hours ago on May 8, 2021 The Penguins and Sabres played a very entertaining 8-4 game on Thursday, but the Penguins film room probably burned through a few By Dan Kingerski hours discussing defensive assignments and their importance.

The Jeff Carter line has been nearly perfect, but even Sidney Crosby’s line has loosened in the waning days. Crosby has carried the load all This is the end. My only friend. The end. The Pittsburgh Penguins season. Through Evgeni Malkin’s slump and injury, he’s probably a bit arduous, injury racked, compressed, physical, exhausting, and ultimately burned out. The week, or two, between the regular season and playoffs successful regular season comes to a close Saturday at PPG Paints should be a great reset. Arena against the Buffalo Sabres. The puck drops at 3 p.m. or thereabout with national TV considerations. Buffalo can skate, and they are enjoying playing hockey with no pressure. Head coach Mike Sullivan calls them “free spirits,” which is a Of course, if you’re watching on the telly, be prepared for at least three term Zach Aston-Reese humorously and begrudgingly used, too. Tom Wilson montages and six East Division graphics. I feel your pain. This should be fun. Again. God bless the Sabres for playing good Here’s the simplest scenario: The Penguins must beat the Buffalo Sabres hockey, not the defensive hockey that other bad teams resort to (Looking in regulation and hope the Washington Capitals don’t win their two at you, New Jersey). remaining games in regulation. If Washington fails to win both in regulation, then the Penguins would win the MassMutual East Division Pittsburgh Penguins Game Notes and most likely draw the New York Islanders in Round One. Position, Player (Consecutive Games Missed, Total Games Missed) Penguins coach Mike Sullivan will start third-string goalie Maxime Lagace. Tristan Jarry is out with an upper-body injury but will be ready for F Brandon Tanev (16 consecutive, 22 total) the playoffs. Backup Casey DeSmith is out with a lower-body injury and F Evan Rodrigues (4 consecutive, 20 total) will also be ready for the playoffs. D Mike Matheson (3 consecutive, 11 total) The Penguins also recalled Alex D’Orio to serve as the taxi-squad goalie today. G Casey DeSmith (2 consecutive, 3 total)

For all the marbles, maybe… 2020-21 Total Regular-Season Man-Games Lost: 268

Get your free bets and goodies for today’s game: RECENT TRANSACTIONS

BetMGM Sportsbook May 7 – F Alex D’Orio recalled on an emergency basis.

States: NJ, PA, IN, CO, MI, VA, WV May 6 – F Valtteri Puustinen signed a two-year, entry-level contract.

GET THE APPSIGNUP BONUS$600 May 4 – G Maxime Lagace recalled on an emergency basis.

RISK-FREEBET NOW -The Penguins have points in 25 of their last 28 games against Buffalo (22-3-3) dating back to Oct. 5, 2013. During that span, the Penguins Expected Pittsburgh Penguins Lines & Special Teams have outscored the Sabres by a 108-56 margin. TEAM Power Play Penalty Kill -Big Finish: The Penguins have earned points in 13 of their last 16 Pittsburgh Penguins (36 for 150) 24% 5th NHL (119 for 154) games (12-3-1). Going back further, they have points in 20 of their last 25 77.3% 25th NHL games overall (18-5- 2).

Buffalo Sabres (30 for 142) 21.1% 13th NHL (106 for 137) -Frederick Gaudreau notched a career-high three points (3A) on 77.4% 24th NHL Thursday night, giving him four points (4A) in his past two games. Gaudreau has nine points on the season (2G-7A), which is more points LW C RW than his first three seasons in the NHL combined (8 PTS).

Jake Guentzel Sidney Crosby Bryan Rust -Evgeni Malkin has picked up assists in three-straight games (4A) since returning to the lineup. He has 16 points (4G-12A) over his last 12 games Jason Zucker Evgeni Malkin dating back to Mar. 2 versus Philadelphia Jared McCann Jeff Carter Frederick Gaudreau

Zach Aston-Reese Teddy Blueger Colton Sceviour Pittsburgh Hockey Now LOADED: 05.09.2021 LD RD

Brian Dumoulin Kris Letang

Mark Friedman Cody Ceci

Marcus Pettersson John Marino

LW C RW

Anders Bjork Victor Olafsson

Rasmus Asplund Casey Mittelstadt Tage Thompson

Arttu Ruotsalainen Riley Sheahan Dylan Cozens

Jeff SKinner Cody Eakin Drake Caggiula

Rasmus Dahlin Henri Jokiharju

Mattias Samuelsson Rasmus Ristolainen 1212200 San Jose Sharks Fischer past Melnichuk for a 2-1 Coyotes lead at the 11:36 mark of the first.

Labanc got that goal back less than four minutes later, heading up the ice Coyotes beat Sharks in OT, spoil rookie goalie’s first start on a 2-on-1 with Erik Karlsson and beating Hill with a wrist shot high glove side for his 12th goal of the season.

Melnichuk, who signed with the Sharks a free agent out of the KHL a By CURTIS PASHELKA | [email protected] | Bay year ago, is thought to be one of the brighter prospects in the Sharks’ Area News Group system even though he has had an up-and-down season with the Barracuda. In 17 AHL games, Melnichuk has a 7-7-3 record with a .868 PUBLISHED: May 8, 2021 at 10:12 p.m. | UPDATED: May 8, 2021 at save percentage. 11:32 p.m. In his last AHL start on Monday, a 5-3 Barracuda loss to the Bakersfield

Condors, Melnichuk allowed five goals on 19 shots as a personal three- SAN JOSE – Phil Kessel spoiled Alexei Melnichuk’s first career NHL start game winning streak came to an end. on Saturday. The numbers don’t jump off the page. But Boughner said he spoke with Kessel scored at the 2:30 mark of overtime, beating Melnichuk — San Barracuda coach Roy Sommer earlier this week to get a better feel of Jose’s rookie goalie who is playing in his first season of North American how Melnichuk has been playing recently. professional hockey — with a wrist shot to give the Coyotes a 5-4 win “He said he’s a fighter, he’s a battler and he’s had some good games and over the Sharks at SAP Center. not so good games, but he’s a guy who comes to work hard every day,” The loss was the Sharks’ fifth in the last six games as they continue to Boughner said. “This is an opportunity for him (Saturday) night to get his limp toward the finish line. The Sharks have a handful of injured players, first start. including captain Logan Couture and defenseman Radim Simek, and end “He’s gone through a lot, starting in the KHL and then coming over and the regular season on Wednesday at home against the Vegas Golden being on the taxi squad for a while and then going down in the American Knights. League. So it’s nice to see him get a start.” Saturday’s game was hardly a defensive masterpiece for either team or Melnichuk has split time this season mainly between the AHL and the either goalie, although Melnichuk finished with 27 saves and Coyotes Sharks’ taxi squad. It’s been an education, to say the least, as he had to netminder Adin Hill had 44 stops. spend a lot of time away from San Jose in his first year in the United “He battled hard, he played hard,” Sharks coach Bob Boughner said. States. “There were probably one or two that he wanted back. I’m sure there “It’s a tough season for him, as it is for everyone,” Knyzhov said for were some nerves for his first start in the NHL.” Melnichuk. “It’s a very unstable atmosphere. Being in the AHL, going on Conor Garland’s goal with 3:53 left in the third period gave the Coyotes a the taxi squad, and going back on the road. At one point, he was on the 4-3 lead with 3:53 left in the third period. Garland got took a pass from road for almost a month. Alex Goligoski, found an open lane to the net around Erik Karlsson and “It’s not for everyone but he says that it’s a great experience and he beat Melnichuk with a shot from in close. wants to take away from it as much as he can.” Alexander Barabanov got that goal back with 48.1 seconds left in regulation time, taking a pass from Tomas Hertl next to the Coyotes net and scoring his third of the season. San Jose Mercury News: LOADED: 05.09.2021 Melnichuk made 25 saves in regulation time as the Sharks were swept by the Coyotes in their last two-game series of the season. The Sharks finish the regular season on Wednesday at home against the Vegas Golden Knights.

Through an interpreter, Sharks defenseman Nikolai Knyzhov, Melnichuk said he felt good going into the second period. “Got a little more confidence after the first 20 minutes, and got into the game,” Knyzhov said for Melnichuk. “Unfortunate goal there (in the second period), but he still felt good going into the third.”

Sharks winger Jeffrey Viel was hurt midway through the first period, as he was involved in a scrum with Jakob Chychrun and Michael Bunting. Boughner said Bunting’s glove caught Viel in the eye, causing him to leave the game. He did not return.

The Sharks and Coyotes were tied 3-3 after two periods.

Melnichuk stopped 16 of the 17 shots he faced in the second period. The only shot to get by him was one from Coyotes rookie forward Jan Jenik, who roofed a shot from a sharp angle over Melnichuk’s shoulder pads and just under the cross-bar to tie the game 3-3 at the 6:20 mark of the third period.

Timo Meier had given the Sharks a 3-2 lead, as he skated in from the wing and tucked a shot around Adim Hill at the 5:26 mark of the second period for his 12th of the season.

Melnichuk allowed two goals to Christian Dvorak in the first period but didn’t have much of a chance on either.

With the play at 4-on-4, Dvorak shook off Brent Burns inside the Sharks’ zone along the boards, turned toward the middle of the ice and fired a wrist shot from the slot that beak Melnichuk high glove side at the 3:32 mark of the first period.

Later in the first, six seconds after Jeffrey Viel was assessed a minor penalty for unsportsmanlike conduct, Dvorak, stationed near the faceoff dot to the right of the Sharks net, one-timed a pass from Christian 1212201 San Jose Sharks “Not being in the playoffs here, I think guys get a chance to extend their years,” Boughner said of the Sharks who will be playing overseas. “Playing for their country is obviously a very prideful and important thing for each guy as an individual. Just to get that experience of playing a Sharks’ John Leonard likely done for season after scary collision different style and on a different ice surface and being able to enjoy themselves is number one for me.

“Getting over there and trying to play hard, but enjoy yourself. I was over By CURTIS PASHELKA | [email protected] | Bay there a couple of years ago in World Championships and it was kind of a Area News Group once-in-a-lifetime experience.” PUBLISHED: May 8, 2021 at 11:53 a.m. | UPDATED: May 8, 2021 at

11:58 a.m. San Jose Mercury News: LOADED: 05.09.2021

SAN JOSE — Add John Leonard’s name to the list of Sharks players who have likely played their last NHL game of the season.

Leonard, 22, was injured in the first period of Friday’s game with Arizona after he lost his balance — possibly getting the blade of his skate caught in the ice — and collided face-first into the boards in front of the Coyotes bench. Leonard was in pursuit of Arizona forward Christian Fischer in the neutral zone at the time of the accident.

Leonard remained face down on the ice for several moments before he was helped off and led into the Sharks’ dressing room.

“It’s pretty scary,” Sharks winger said Saturday. “You just hope that nothing bad happens, but he looks like he’s doing well. But it was just a scary couple of seconds there.”

Leonard was at SAP Center on Saturday morning but will not play in the second game with the Coyotes and is “very doubtful” to play Wednesday when the Sharks finish the regular season at home against the Vegas Golden Knights, coach Bob Boughner said.

“He is here at the rink today, which is a good sign,” Boughner said. “He’s walking around.”

Sasha Chmelevski will take Leonard’s place in the Sharks’ forward group tonight as the Sharks look to split the series with the Coyotes, who won Friday’s game 5-2.

Leonard is in his first professional season. He came into Friday with 13 points in 43 games with the Sharks.

“It’s nice to see that he’s here,” Sharks defenseman Erik Karlsson said of Leonard. “I don’t know the severity of what he’s dealing with. But it was a good sign to see him walking around and talking.”

Other injured Sharks players who are unlikely to return before the end of the season include forwards Logan Couture, Matt Nieto, Marcus Sorensen and Joachim Blichfeld, and defenseman Radim Simek.

Couture has been hampered by a nagging lower-body injury that caused him to miss his first game of the season Friday.

Asked how much the Sharks miss Couture when he’s not out there, Karlsson said, “he’s a big part of this team. He’s our captain and he plays an important role and in a lot of situations out there. So anytime a guy like that — or anyone goes down for that matter — you miss them, mostly for the camaraderie and sharing the ice with him.

“So hopefully he gets his foot taken care of and he should be ready to start next year.”

It’s the first time Labanc will be representing his country since 2013 when played at the U18 World Championships in Sochi, Russia. That team, which also included Jack Eichel and Thatcher Demko, among others who went on to play in the NHL, won the silver medal.

Labanc said the American team will meet in Newark, N.J. late next week before flying to Latvia.

“It’s an honor to go to the World Championships,” Labanc said. “It’s very patriotic so it’s going to be an awesome experience.”

Other Sharks competing in the tournament include forward Timo Meier (Switzerland) and Nikolai Knyzhov (Russia). Karlsson said he hasn’t made a final decision about playing for Team Sweden but added, “it’s not looking like I’m going to go.”

Boughner was an assistant coach for Team Canada at the 2018 World Championships in Denmark. 1212202 San Jose Sharks

How Chekhovich epitomizes Sharks rookies' adjustment to NHL

BY MARCUS WHITE

Ivan Chekhovich's 2020-21 season has transpired across three leagues on multiple continents.

The Sharks' seventh-round pick (No. 212 overall) in 2017, Chekhovich opened this season on loan with Torpedo Nizhny Novgorod in the KHL. He scored 36 points in 47 regular-season and playoff games against teams from Russia, Finland, Latvia, Kazakhstan, Belarus and even China, before joining up with the AHL's Barracuda in March.

Chekhovich made his NHL debut a week ago, and the 22-year-old assisted on Timo Meier's first-period goal Friday during the Sharks' 5-2 loss to the Arizona Coyotes and picked up his first career NHL point.

The Russian winger told reporters in a video conference Friday that a week made a world of difference.

"[My] second game was way better than the first one," Chekhovich said. "The first one was really tough. The second one was easier."

Chekhovich said the difference in speed surprised him during his first game, in which he played 10:55 and didn't record a shot on goal. He had two Friday night, feeling his way through an adjustment that takes some time for young players.

That much was evident in the Sharks' defeat at SAP Center, during which San Jose very much showed its age. Including Chekhovich, the Sharks iced seven rookies, two skaters playing in their second NHL seasons, one playing in his third and another in his fourth.

Twenty-two-year-old rookie goaltender Josef Korenar, for instance, stopped four of the 33 shots he faced after recording a .909 save percentage (or better) in each of his previous three starts. His and the Sharks' struggles Friday were epitomized during a two-minute stretch in the third period.

Korenar denied Phil Kessel on a breakaway with 17:05 remaining in regulation, preserving a 2-2 tie. One minute and 58 seconds later, Kessel made no mistake when sprung for another breakaway, which coach Bob Boughner said resulted from a forward failing to cover for defenseman Mario Ferraro as he jumped up in the offensive zone.

That mistake, and many others Friday, fit a larger pattern of inconsistency Boughner has seen in the Sharks' youngsters over the last few games, many of whom are being given an extended look following San Jose's elimination from playoff contention. Those growing pains are all part of the process.

"From a coaching perspective, I want to get guys to play hard all the way to the end," Boughner said. "Although we started well tonight, [we] didn't finish the way I wanted. But back at it tomorrow. Yeah, it would be nice to put a couple wins up in the win column right now, but there's a lot of other things that I'm looking for as well. We're gonna battle tomorrow, we're gonna come back just like we always have here, and try and find a way and make a lineup we think we can win with."

The Sharks will make yet more changes Saturday on the second half of a back-to-back. Rookie forward Sasha Chmelevski will draw back in, and Boughner said he was happy with the 21-year-old's play in Wednesday's win over the Colorado Avalanche. Alexei Melnichuk, meanwhile, will make his first NHL start in net after debuting in relief of Martin Jones nearly three months ago.

Neither player has racked up nearly as many flight miles as Chekhovich, but they'll both try to follow his lead Saturday by finding more comfort with another game under their respective belts.

"I wasn't ready in the first game," Chekhovich recalled. "I didn't expect that guys were gonna be so fast. In the second [Friday], it was way better."

Comcast SportsNet.com LOADED: 05.09.2021 1212203 San Jose Sharks 7 in: Soderstrom closed on Barabanov there, but then, along wall, he surprised Kessel with indirect pass to point. Small, slick stuff.

10 left: You want to see Chekhovich win that 1-on-1 against Keller. Small SAN JOSE SHARKSPostgame Notes #55: Sharks Lose Melnichuk’s play, no big in end, but those are some of the battles that add up to NHL First NHL Start 5-4 player or just KHL star.

Garland goal: Again, Karlsson taken to the outside. If Karlsson could just fix that flaw or mitigate it significantly, you could probably repair a lot of Published 4 hours ago on May 8, 2021 his value right there.

By Sheng Peng Kane runs a soft pick on Kessel in neutral zone lol before the Barabanov goal. Aids entry. Nice patience by Barabanov on goal, doesn’t rush it, but

gets off his shot with Coyote in his face. Dvorak goal: Burns’s slip will get the eyeballs, but you probably want the rookie goalie to get that. Was defended OK even after Burns fell. Ah well, that’s youth. Surely nervous too. San Jose Hockey Now LOADED: 05.09.2021 4 in: Wow, Barabanov does nice work coming out with the puck with two Coyotes on him along the wall. Re-watching: Okay, it was Keller and Soderstrom that he evaded until Ekman-Larsson stopped him in his tracks. Good play, but obviously, opposition matters.

Then Meier up top does a nice job to let a hard Burns pass go, lift the defending Coyotes stick, give Ferraro a chance to get it. Smart.

5 in: Garland takes Karlsson to the outside. Obviously a theme this year, I’ll explore that more in the off-season. Not a good theme, mind you.

8 in: Pretty Karlsson-Chekhovich high-low exchange – twice – then Gregor split the Yotes’ D with his feet and surprising strength. After a tough start, Sharks start to pile up chances.

9 left: Crowd ooh and ahhs as Gregor knifes through the Coyotes’ NZ forecheck.

You can’t pull a guy in his first NHL start, can you? Hopefully, Melnichuk settles down.

It’s Melnichuk’s first NHL start. What’s Adin Hill’s excuse? Good job by Labanc to pull puck back to avoid Chychrun’s long reach and key play here, not a great one or anything, but important, is Karlsson jumping up as a threat, occupying both defensemen’s attention. That goal doesn’t happen without Karlsson pushing back the defense.

2 left: Backhanded no-look breakout pass up the middle by Chekhovich…and it works. Skill play, good sense, you can live with the danger if he pulls it off consistently.

San Jose Sharks owned that period: Per SPORTLOGiQ, 7-4 Slot Shots, 4-1 Rush Chances. Per Natural Stat Trick, 5-0 High-Danger at 5-on-5.

PERIOD 2

3 in: I don’t know if Burns knew that Hill had lost his stick there – if he did, guessing he fires it instead of going for highlight-reel pass.

4 in: Dynamic work by Karlsson to navigate through 3 Coyotes in slot, uncork a good shot in a dangerous area. Very high-skill play, that very few defensemen in the world would have the confidence to pull off at the NHL level.

9 left: Like how Barabanov stopped up, created space going one-on-one against Ekman-Larsson. Good effort. Then went up middle, got tripped up? No call though.

Every once a while, Karlsson pulled out an effort like this out of his hat. There’s no doubt that there’s still elite skill in him. But it’s just been a chore getting it on a nightly basis from him anymore.

That was a very loose middle frame from both teams: San Jose Sharks 7-6 High-Danger. Arizona 6-3 Rush Scoring Chances, San Jose 8-7 Slot Shots All Situations.

PERIOD 3

1 in: Good burst by Pasichnuk to close on I think Oesterle in corner. First step seems to need work, but once he got going, closed.

2 in: Chekhovich comes down slot for give-and-go with Gregor, but looks like Ness ties his stick up there. Strength or craftiness to get stick free there will be on the to-do list this summer.

4 in: Good Ferraro recovery on Jenik. For a second, looked like Jenik might have a step. 1212204 San Jose Sharks

Game Preview/Lines #55: Knyzhov’s Hard Work Paying Off

Published 11 hours ago on May 8, 2021

By Sheng Peng

SAN JOSE SHARKS (21-27-6)

Projected lines for the #SJSharks. Melnichuk makes his first career start and Viel and Chmelevski draw in for Leonard and True.

Nikolai Knyzhov revealed yesterday that he would be skating for Team Russia in the World Championships later this month.

Just think about that for a second: Knyzhov went undrafted. The San Jose Sharks signed him out of Russia in July 2019, and at that point, the 21-year-old had played a grand total of 3 KHL games, spending most of his time in juniors. He didn’t exactly dominate in his North American debut last year either; he was among the least-used Barracuda defensemen for much of the season.

And while he did make his NHL debut last year, he wasn’t necessarily considered a favorite to even break camp with the Sharks this season. But now?

He’s a top-four defenseman in San Jose, paired with Erik Karlsson, and he’s going to be representing a “Big Six” hockey country in a major international tournament.

“At the beginning of the season, there wasn’t even a shot [of being asked], I guess. But having that opportunity come my way shows,” Knyzhov said, “the hard work pays off.”

For Knyzhov, the hard work has included swearing off junk food and gaining 20 pounds of muscle.

“No. 1, it’s a great find by the organization,” Boughner pointed out. Knyzhov has previously noted that the Sharks were one of just three NHL teams that were interested in his services.

“But I always said when I saw him a couple years ago, in his power and his legs, he’s got NHL tools, big, strong, played physical,” Boughner recalled. “He had all the tools. It was just a matter of giving him some time and developing.”

Karlsson has had a front row seat for Knyzhov’s development.

“He’s been a steady guy for the most part of the year,” the two-time Norris Trophy winner offered. “Team Russia is going to be very pleased with having him.”

But it’s the San Jose Sharks who are going to reap most of the rewards of Knyzhov’s growth – and they’re happy for it.

“I think you’re gonna see, a lot like Mario [Ferraro], [Knyzhov] play against top lines and log heavy minutes,” Boughner predicted.

Like Ferraro last year, Knyzhov has come out of nowhere this year to be San Jose’s most impactful rookie. And now Ferraro, in just his second full season, plays over 22 minutes a night and tasked with a shutdown role.

“The way he keeps improving,” Karlsson said, “he’s got a bright future in this league for a long time.”

San Jose Hockey Now LOADED: 05.09.2021 1212205 San Jose Sharks This is a great example of Ferraro playing fast and slow. We know the youngster, with his frantic style, is always going a 100 miles per hour. But knowing when to slow things down a little from time to time will make Ferraro, who’s already handling top-four minutes, even more effective. Quick Thoughts: Young Sharks Show Positive Signs

San Jose Hockey Now LOADED: 05.09.2021 Published 13 hours ago on May 8, 2021

By Sheng Peng

What’s left to say about the San Jose Sharks after another disappointing loss?

Up 2-0, they gave up five unanswered goals last night to drop a 5-2 decision to Arizona.

Of course, the Sharks line-up was comprised mostly of younger players, as they audition talent for next year. And that inexperience, as you might expect, flashed skill but also displayed some poor judgment. But let’s focus on the positive in this space – here are a few small plays from the youngsters that I liked – and let’s hope the kids iron out more of the negatives by next season.

“We’re just looking for some more consistency from all those guys,” Bob Boughner said.

More positive than negative from the youngsters next year might turn a 5- 2 loss into a 5-2 victory.

BARABANOV ON THE FORECHECK

For a smallish skill forward, Alexander Barabanov has been more effective on the forecheck than expected.

Barabanov (94) lifts Victor Soderstrom’s stick and gets body position on the young defenseman. It’s worth noting that Soderstrom (77) is just 5- foot-11 and a very raw 20.

Perhaps more impressive is Barabanov’s pass through Oliver Ekman- Larsson (23), right into ’s (9) wheelhouse. Of course, the 26-year-old Russian is no youngster, but that’s a high-skill play to get a perfect pass through a defenseman who knows exactly what you’re trying to do.

GREGOR’S SPEED

Ekman-Larsson has a clear headstart, but Noah Gregor (73) beats him up the ice to negate the .

These are small plays that can add up for a team – a waved-off icing means better ice position for the San Jose Sharks, which can lead to winning results.

The 22-year-old Gregor is a fantastic example of a player whose attributes will really shine, once the flaws in his game become less obvious.

TRUE ALONG THE WALL

The reverse image of Gregor, Alexander True will never wow with his feet. But if he can get better there – even get himself to NHL-average – his abilities elsewhere can make him a very useful forward.

True (70), along the wall, protects the puck with his 6-foot-5 frame as Alex Goligoski (33) pinches. True continues to protect with John Hayden (15) double-teaming him – then the big centerman makes a quick, crafty turn, leaving an overaggressive Hayden in the dust. True then indirects the puck through Goligoski, runs over the Coyotes defenseman, and now Ivan Chekhovich (82) has an easy exit.

True’s combination of size, strength, and smarts will play in this league – if his feet can catch up a bit.

FERRARO’S PATIENCE

Here’s a veteran play from the 22-year-old Mario Ferraro.

Down two men, Ferraro uses his quick feet to get to a dump-in first – that’s not a puck that a lot of the San Jose Sharks defensemen would’ve got to – then, instead of rushing the puck, he holds, waits for Clayton Keller (9) to fly by. The sophomore blueliner then reverses and clears. 1212206 Seattle Kraken makes sense that Fubo TV would look at adding ROOT Sports here but, again, at a cost.

Anyone hoping to see Kraken games for $30 a month, or whatever these Kraken mailbag: Are there ROOT Sports streaming options? Will the T- services used to cost when streaming was in its infancy, had best forget birds keep Seattle in their name? it. The cost of securing broadcast rights to sporting events hasn’t gone down. TV networks paying for those rights aren’t about to give them away at a bargain.

May 8, 2021 at 6:00 am Updated May 8, 2021 at 8:17 pm Q: @brycetacoma asked: So will the Seattle Thunderbirds still be Seattle? Or will they change their name to Ken? It seems it could cause Geoff Baker By Geoff Baker confusion with two Seattle hockey teams. Seattle Times staff reporter A: They are keeping their name exactly as is. The Kraken has pledged to help them and the Everett Silvertips through marketing ventures and other support. Neither junior team feels at risk of losing many longtime in- What a week for the NHL, which showed fans everywhere how its person fans to the NHL club. Different economics at play. present is still shaped by forgettable parts of its past. Anyone who hasn’t seen NHL-style “frontier justice” dished out on 1980s YouTube videos I put the question directly to T-birds communications director Ian Henry, needed only watch a pair of New York Rangers-Washington Capitals and he replied: “We are proud to play in Kent and have the city as our affairs this week to understand it. partner. We are not going to be changing our name.”

On Monday, notorious Capitals tough guy Tom Wilson did a number on Q: @jcoulterbrown asked: Is it me or is this arena more on top of the ice Rangers forward Pavel Buchenevich, punching him while he was than most? Looks like fans are going to have amazing views. facedown on the ice in a scrum. Having triggered the expected melee, A: Yes, it is more “on-top” due to steepness. When the renovation was Wilson body-slammed Rangers star Artemi Panarin after first pulling his planned, architects looked at some of the steepest-grade seating venues hair and continued striking him to where he’s now injured and out the in hockey. In the old days, before the “bigger is better” mentality, several remainder of the season. revered hockey buildings — including Boston Garden, Maple Leaf The head of the NHL’s Department of Player Safety, former on-ice Gardens and The Forum in Montreal — were intimate, steeply graded enforcer George Parros, fined Wilson only $5,000 without suspending and boasted great views. him. The livid Rangers erupted with a public statement accusing Parros The AECOM report commissioned by the Seattle City Council in 2014 of “dereliction of duty” and being “unfit” for his job. As expected, following recommended steeper seating to fit a revamped KeyArena arena within 24 hours of angry buildup, the puck drop for Wednesday’s rematch the tight confines afforded beneath its roof, which had to be historically resembled the movie Slap Shot, as the Rangers sought retribution. Three preserved. The architectural firm, hired by the sets of players from both teams immediately paired off and started developer at what’s now , followed the report’s throwing down. recommendation. In all, there were six fights in the opening five minutes, one involving “The roof, I think, forces you to create a very intimate seating bowl,” Chris Wilson, who’d barely stepped on the ice for his first shift. Buchenevich Carver, a senior principal with that firm, told me in 2017. “We’re trying to later high-sticked Caps forward Anthony Mantha and — unlike Wilson — compress things … so it gives us more of an opportunity to create great did land a one-game suspension, which did nothing to silence critics of seats — even in the upper deck.” Parros and his old-school-minded boss, NHL executive vice president and 1970s and ’80s defenseman Colin Campbell. The Rangers were also So they dug deeper, built an intimate bowl of just more than 17,000 seats fined $250,000 for their Parros statement — 50 times what Wilson got for mostly below ground, and the rest should be easy — or at least, a lot starting everything. easier — to see.

Capitals alternate captain T.J. Oshie of Stanwood also recorded a hat Here’s how the NHL and Kraken plan to showcase Seattle with a trick Wednesday in his first game back following the death of his 56-year- televised expansion draft ‘event’ old father, Tim, after a battle with Alzheimer’s disease. Unfortunately, few were talking about that part after the smoke had cleared. Jordin Canada has soared with the Storm. With a contract year on the horizon, she’s just focused on taking Seattle to new heights. VIEW Bring on the playoffs! And your mailbag questions. A: Yes, they are planning something before the opening game but also Q: @kpedraja asked: Is there any chance @ROOTSPORTS_NW makes after the opener. They’ve already invited some season-ticket holders to their service (and Kraken games) available on a streaming service like come check out their physical seats on a limited basis. But those open YouTube TV? Would really help to build the fan base. houses I referenced will be for general fans. Details to come as we approach the reopening. A: There have been talks between ROOT Sports Northwest and several streaming services. But I doubt you’ll see YouTube TV get involved, Q: @The_blakeshow88 asked: Expansion draft and rookie draft because that service doesn’t seem to have regional sports network previews: Who are the players most likely on the Kraken short list? (RSN) interest as part of its business. A: It would take thousands of words to run down every team and player This isn’t 2015. As a streaming service, you’ll either have the appetite to possibility for the expansion draft, but goalies are key. They’ll likely go after sports and pay for what they cost, or continue to carry cheaper include two or three of Jake Allen of Montreal, of programming less in demand. If you look at AT&T TV, the lone streaming Vancouver, Vitek Vanacek of Washington, Chris Driedger with Florida, service offering ROOT Sports, it also offers the Bally Sports line of 21 Cam Talbot with Edmonton and Aidin Hill of Arizona. former FOX Sports regional outlets. Yes, AT&T TV costs more than YouTube TV — about $85 a month compared with $65 — but that’s Defenseman possibilities include Matt Dumba of Minnesota, Shayne because AT&T TV paid the going rate for what regionalized live sports Gostisbehere of Philadelphia, Brady Skjei of Carolina, Devon Toews of cost. Colorado and maybe some salary add-ons such as Brent Burns of San Jose, or P.K. Subban of New Jersey. Forwards will likely include at least I’d expect to see a couple additional services possibly pick up ROOT one of three local guys in Oshie, Tyler Johnson of Tampa Bay, or Dylan Sports before the Kraken’s debut season. But only those with a Gambrell of San Jose. James Van Riemsdyk of Philadelphia is a salary- committed sports platform. bumper, but he’s productive and the Kraken needs to spend at least $48.9 million for next season on its 30 picks. Honestly, too many combos Fubo TV fits that description. The company’s starter package runs $65 a and side deal possibilities to guess in a few graphs. month for channels that include ESPN, ESPN2, FS1 and FS2, the NFL Network, Big Ten Network, NBCSN and a small handful of RSN options The entry draft is easier, given the Kraken is guaranteed a top-five pick depending on location. and there are several prized defensemen to choose from if the lottery goes Seattle’s way. Owen Power, 18, of the University of Michigan is a 6- Two of those are the former ROOT Sports networks in Pittsburgh and foot-5, 214-pounder known for his maturity, poise and slick passing, and Houston, since rebranded under the AT&T SportsNet banner. So, sure, it he’s possibly the only NHL-ready blue-liner given the lack of pandemic- era playing time for other prospects.

Simon Edvinsson, 17, from Sweden, is a 6-4, 203-pounder known for his ability to move the puck, and 6-2 Luke Hughes, 17, from the U.S. National Team Development Program has two recent NHL top-10 picks for brothers and is a strong, mobile skater. Unlike Power, Edvinsson and Hughes likely need more seasoning before any NHL jump.

Brandt Clarke, 18, at 6-2 and 190 pounds, is another strong-skating defender projected to go high. But the Ontario Hockey League didn’t play this season, and he sought ice time with a Slovakian pro team. He played well in limited games, and the Kraken scouted him at the just-completed IIHF Under-18 world championships in Texas.

If the Kraken opts for offense, there’s Dylan Guenther, 18, a 6-1, 175- pound pure-goal-scoring right wing from the WHL’s , who the Kraken also scouted — along with Edvinsson — at the U-18 event. Guenther is known for solid work in tougher areas of the ice, demonstrated by his keeping a play alive for a tying Team Canada goal in Thursday night’s U-18 championship game win over Russia.

Also, 6-1, 175-pound Michigan center Matthew Beniers, 18, looked great for Team USA at the world juniors in January and is considered NHL- capable at his position, whereas other young centermen are often converted to wings.

Seattle Times LOADED: 05.09.2021 1212207 St Louis Blues Just 29 seconds after Smith’s goal made it 1-0, was sent off for slashing David Perron. Out came the Blues’ ninth-ranked power play. This would be a chance to get back in the contest, right?

One day after clinching, Blues fall flat in 4-1 loss to Vegas Wrong. After yielding a shorthanded goal to the Blues on Friday night, Vegas returned the favor Saturday. Attempting a stretch pass out of his own zone, Perron instead sent it right to former teammate , who fed Stephenson for a slap shot and a goal. Jim Thomas During an intermission interview on the video scoreboard at T-Mobile,

Pietrangelo said the Knights noticed something on tape that helped them LAS VEGAS – On the day after the clinching, talked about against the Blues’ power play. the need to maintain intensity and good habits. He then confessed, smiling: “It’s something we ran last year. I kind of “I think it’s really important,” Berube said pregame Saturday. “This game knew what was coming.” for me is still a big game. We might face this team in the playoffs. We Pietrangelo ran it last year. . . as a member of the Blues. need to go play our game and play ‘em hard.” “Yeah, that’s correct,” Schenn said. “Petro made a good play and read it.” And then the game started. One team looked like it was playing for first place in the West Division – that would be the Vegas Golden Knights. “We ran it a few times (last year),” Berube said. “He’s a smart player. He anticipates well. David’s probably gotta get a little air on it so he can’t The other team looked like it had nothing to play for – that would be the pick it off.” St. Louis Blues. Having wrapped up a playoff berth in Friday’s 4-3 overtime loss they’re locked into fourth place, marking time until the The tone of the game changed late in the second period when Kyle postseason. Clifford had a near breakaway but was detained Pietrangelo as he closed in on Fleury. Pietrangelo drew a hooking penalty, causing an off-balance So perhaps it’s not surprising that the team closing in on first place won Clifford to minimal contact with Fleury. 4-1 Saturday at T-Mobile Arena. Minimal or not, in these parts that’s a no-no. “I don’t think the first period, or the first period and a bit, we came out with enough emotion,” Brayden Schenn said. “Whatever the reason may A skirmish ensued behind the net, with Mackenzie MacEachern drawing be, I don’t know. We gotta ramp our game up here for the next three, get a roughing penalty coming to Clifford’s aid. The resulting 4-on-4 play, us feeling good heading into the playoffs.” with Pietrangelo and MacEachern in the penalty box, came out in the Blues’ favor with Parayko’s goal with just 37 seconds left in the second. While some teams are wrapping up their regular seasons this weekend – this is when everything was supposed to end – the Blues have makeup But hope quickly faded for St. Louis when Smith scored again, this time games remaining against Los Angeles on Monday at Staples Center and on a power play four minutes into the third. He finished with his first against Minnesota on Wednesday and Thursday at . career hat trick with an empty-netter in the final minute.

“It’s a weird scenario, three games left and parts of the league and teams Things got progressively more physical and chippy after the Clifford being done,” Schenn said. “And obviously us being clinched. For the scrum; seven penalties were called in the third period. most part, you want to get your game as a team and individually feeling good heading into a playoff series.” “I think the way it’s shaping out, both teams are obviously aware of what could be the (playoff) matchup and you try and send a message,” If so, Saturday was not a step in the right direction. It took 16 minutes Schenn said. “It was physical towards the end. There were some hits, before the Blues even had a shot on goal. By then they were down 2-0 there were some scrums, and guys getting in each other’s way. on a Reilly Smith goal that deflected in off the leg of and a shorthanded goal by Chandler Stephenson. “If we play them, I’m looking forward to it. That’s what we play, and that’s what they play - a physical brand of hockey.” The Blues showed a little life late in the second period, and into the third. Nonetheless, they had trouble generating offense against the NHL’s top But the Vegas brand is doing most of the winning against the Blues. defense, getting only a Colton Parayko backhand goal against the great

Marc-Andre Fleury. St Louis Post Dispatch LOADED: 05.09.2021 “I thought last game we did (generate offense),” Berube said. “We out- chanced them last game in the game. So we know how to generate offense against them, I don’t think that’s an issue.”

The numbers say otherwise. In going 2-4-2 against Vegas in the season series, the Blues managed only 19 goals – to Vegas’ 34. In four of those eight contests, the Blues scored only once.

It’s hard to see that translating into success over a best-of-seven first- round playoff series against Vegas, a matchup which seems increasingly likely.

At 39-13-2, the Golden Knights are four points ahead of Colorado. Minnesota was eliminated from first-place contention Saturday; the Wild can only finish second or third in the West.

“They got a good team over there,” Parayko said of Vegas. “I think they do a lot of good things well. They do play with a lot of speed, protect the net well and stuff like that. . . .They’re everywhere on the ice.”

The Blues fell to 24-20-9, their season-high eight-game points streak (5- 0-3) coming to an end. Perhaps a letdown of some sort was inevitable Saturday after all the energy expended to wrap up a playoff berth 24 hours earlier.

“I think that we had some tired guys today in the lineup,” Berube said. “That’s the way it is. To me, (Vegas) didn’t have a whole lot of jump, either.”

Not at first, anyway. But Vegas woke up. The Blues did not, at least not until the second period was winding down. 1212208 St Louis Blues Neighbours had a strong season, finishing first in scoring in the WHL’s Central Division with 33 points — on nine goals and 24 assists in only 19 games. The Oil Kings won their third consecutive Central title, with a 20- 2-1 record, in a season shortened considerably because of COVID Blues notebook: How will Berube approach final games? issues.

Because of the shortened season, the 19-year-old Neighbours spent training camp with the Blues and was on the team’s taxi squad until the Jim Thomas end of January.

Kostin watch LAS VEGAS — Now that the Blues have clinched a playoff berth, the Fresh off his championship season in the Kontinental challenge for coach Craig Berube is to balance the need to get players Hockey League for Avangard Omsk, forward Klim Kostin is in St. Louis healthy and rested with the need to carry momentum into the fulfilling quarantine requirements and has been added to the Blues’ taxi postseason. squad. Following Saturday night’s contest with the Vegas Golden Knights, the Berube said Kostin could be eligible to play the Blues’ final regular- Blues have just three games left in the regular season. season game, on Thursday against the Wild. On Saturday at T-Mobile Arena, it was pretty much business as usual.

Granted, Ville Husso was in goal instead of Jordan Binnington. But that’s been the case basically all season, with Husso getting a start in 10 of the St Louis Post Dispatch LOADED: 05.09.2021 team’s 11 back-to-back game situations — as was the case this time.

Otherwise, there were no lineup changes. Berube tweaked the second and third lines, moving Mike Hoffman to the second and Jaden Schwartz to the third. But the same personnel was used from Friday’s game.

None of the four injured players — Sammy Blais, , Torey Krug and Vladimir Tarasenko — played. Berube had indicated earlier that there was a chance Krug could play on this trip. But there’s only one game left, Monday in Los Angeles against the Kings, before the Blues conclude the regular season with home games Wednesday and Thursday against Minnesota.

When it comes to sitting out a game, Berube won’t leave it up to his players.

“If I let my players decide it, they won’t want a night off,” Berube said. “They’ll want to play the rest of the games, the rest of the season. It’s tough to let those players make that decision. I think at times you gotta make it for ’em. They’re hockey players, they want to play the games.”

Berube also said he’ll try to keep an eye on the ice time of some of his heavy-minute guys, such as Justin Faulk, Colton Parayko and Ryan O’Reilly.

“We’ll deal with that as we go along,” Berube said. “We’re gonna make sure we manage them a little bit.”

But as veteran Tyler Bozak put it, the Blues can’t just close down shop until the playoffs start.

“We still gotta keep building,” he said. “I know we clinched, but these last however-many games we have are important to keep our good habits, keep building our game and go into the playoffs on a strong note.”

Fans in stands

When the Blues played at Vegas on Jan. 26, the stands were empty at T- Mobile Arena. When they returned for a game on March 22, there were 3,750 fans in the stands — slightly fewer than the 4,100 allowed at Enterprise Center recently.

On Friday, there were 7,567 fans at T-Mobile, the largest crowd for an NHL game this season. Take it from Bozak, the Blues’ noticed. (There was the same-sized crowd on hand Saturday.)

“It felt like there were 40,000 fans in there, just with how little (fans) it’s been all year,” Bozak said. “So that part’s a lot of fun. … It’s funny how loud it sounded, how many people it kind of felt like were there ’cause we’re used to playing with so few since the (Edmonton) bubble and this year. Hopefully, everyone stays safe and we keep getting more fans back as quickly as we can.”

Neighbours done early

Forward Jake Neighbours, the Blues’ first-round pick in the 2020 draft, finished his Western Hockey League season a little early. Neighbours missed the final three games of the Edmonton Oil Kings’ season because of a minor knee injury that occurred when he was hit from behind.

Neighbours does not need surgery, just a couple of weeks rest according to Blues director of player development Tim Taylor. 1212209 St Louis Blues

Vegas hosts St. Louis after overtime victory

Staff Report

BY THE ASSOCIATED PRESS

MAY 08, 2021 02:11 AM

St. Louis Blues (24-19-9, fourth in the West Division) vs. Vegas Golden Knights (38-13-2, first in the West Division)

Paradise, Nevada; Saturday, 10 p.m. EDT

FANDUEL SPORTSBOOK LINE: Golden Knights -181, Blues +150; over/under is 5.5

BOTTOM LINE: Vegas hosts the St. Louis Blues after the Golden Knights knocked off St. Louis 4-3 in overtime.

The Golden Knights are 38-13-2 against the rest of their division. Vegas is eighth in the league with 32.4 shots per game and is averaging 3.4 goals.

The Blues are 24-19-9 against the rest of their division. St. Louis has converted on 22.6% of power-play opportunities, recording 33 power-play goals.

The teams meet for the second straight game.

TOP PERFORMERS: Max Pacioretty leads the Golden Knights with 24 goals, adding 27 assists and collecting 51 points. Shea Theodore has seven assists over the last 10 games for Vegas.

Ryan O'Reilly leads the Blues with a plus-23 in 52 games this season. David Perron has three goals and seven assists over the last 10 games for St. Louis.

LAST 10 GAMES: Golden Knights: 8-2-0, averaging 3.7 goals, 6.3 assists, 3.5 penalties and 7.3 penalty minutes while giving up 2.4 goals per game with a .919 save percentage.

Blues: 5-2-3, averaging 3.3 goals, 5.6 assists, 3.1 penalties and 7.9 penalty minutes while allowing 2.8 goals per game with a .909 save percentage.

INJURIES: Golden Knights: Tomas Nosek: out (undisclosed), Max Pacioretty: day to day (undisclosed).

Blues: Mackenzie MacEachern: out (upper body), Vladimir Tarasenko: day to day (lower-body), Torey Krug: day to day (upper body), Vince Dunn: day to day (upper body), Carl Gunnarsson: out for season (lower body), Oskar Sundqvist: out for season (knee).

Belleville News-Democrat LOADED: 05.09.2021 1212210 St Louis Blues Martinez reignited the sold-out crowd when he blasted a one-timer from the point to cut St. Louis’ lead back down to one with 8.2 seconds left in the second period.

Marchessault’s OT goal lifts Golden Knights past Blues 4-3 Roy notched his 10th point in his last 15 games with an equalizer midway through the final period, when he grabbed the loose puck after a scramble in front, spun around in the right circle, and roofed a wrist shot past Binnington glove side. BY W.G. RAMIREZ ASSOCIATED PRESS The Blues had a good opportunity to regain the lead when Lehner MAY 08, 2021 12:36 AM slipped while backpedaling, and Kyle Clifford skated around the back of the net to the opposite side — only to be stopped by Martinez, who dropped into a butterfly stance and stuffed the wraparound attempt. LAS VEGAS “You want to impose your will and play your game,” Martinez said. “I Jonathan Marchessault scored with 17 seconds left in overtime to lift the sound like a broken record, but you’ve got to play playoff hockey before Vegas Golden Knights to a 4-3 victory over the St. Louis Blues on Friday you get to the playoffs.” night. MISSING MAX After clearing the puck cross-ice to Alex Tuch on a give-and-go, Marchessault took the return pass after slipping behind two Blues skaters Vegas was without leading goal-scorer Max Pacioretty for the third and beat Jordan Binnington over his glove, sending the NHL’s biggest straight game. Pacioretty, who has 24 goals this season, has been out crowd of the season of 7,567 into a frenzy. with an undisclosed injury.

“It was a great feeling,” Marchessault said. “It was a good backcheck ELITE COMPANY from Tuchy. Robin (Lehner) made a big save again; he made a lot of big St. Louis is one of three clubs to reach the postseason in at least nine of saves in overtime. It was the loudest we had all year, and it was a great 10 seasons since 2011-12, along with the Pittsburgh Penguins (10) and feeling.” Washington Capitals (9). Those three teams have won four of the nine Lehner stopped 22 shots to improve to 16-3-2 during the regular season Stanley Cup Finals in that span. since joining the Golden Knights last season.

Reilly Smith, Alec Martinez, and Nic Roy scored in regulation for Vegas, Belleville News-Democrat LOADED: 05.09.2021 which won after trailing by two goals for the sixth time this season. The Golden Knights also continued to show a knack for coming back when trailing after two periods, doing so for the sixth time this year.

The Golden Knights also inched closer to winning their third division title in four seasons since joining the NHL in 2017.

“Tonight was a night we were a little flat as a group and they got better as the game went on,” Vegas coach Peter DeBoer said. “That’s what you need to win consistently. Your big guys are going to score, but they can’t score every single night for you.”

Meanwhile, the Blues’ much-needed point in the standings coupled with Los Angeles’ loss to Colorado to clinch the final playoff berth in the West Division. The Blues have reached the postseason for the 44th time in franchise history, the most among non-Original Six clubs.

Ryan O’Reilly, David Perron, and Jaden Schwartz scored for St. Louis. Binnington made 31 saves.

The Blues have earned at least one point in eight straight games (5-0-3) and will ride a four-game road point streak (2-0-2) into Saturday’s series finale with Vegas.

CLAIM OFFER

St. Louis, which is now 14-8-4 on the road this season, is also 14-0-4 when leading after two periods.

“Overall I thought guys competed hard throughout the whole game, 60 minutes,” St. Louis coach Craig Berube said. “Binner played well in net, guys did a good job. We found a way to get a point and that’s what we needed.”

Smith opened the scoring late in the first when he gathered a pass from Nic Hague at the doorstep and tapped it home with 6:37 left in the period. O’Reilly, who has 12 points over his last eight games, tied the game when he took Tyler Bozak’s pass from behind the net and buried a short- handed goal to tie it with 1:52 left in the first period.

St. Louis scored two goals in a span of 1 minute, 44 seconds to take a brief 3-1 lead in the second period.

First, it was Perron, who came off the bench in time to receive Zach Sanford’s cross-ice pass to the bottom of the right circle and fired the puck past Lehner to make it 2-1. Marco Scandella registered his 100th career assist on Perron’s goal.

Moments later, Schwartz ripped a shot from a tight angle just in front of the goal line, sneaking the puck under Lehner and just inside the far post to make it a two-goal game. 1212211 Tampa Bay Lightning

Lightning’s Steven Stamkos sees ‘light at the end of the tunnel’ in injury recovery

By Eduardo A. Encina

Published Yesterday

Updated Yesterday

TAMPA — Steven Stamkos is optimistic he will be able to return in time for the first game of the Lightning’s playoff run.

Speaking for the first time since suffering the lower-body injury that has sidelined him for the past month, Stamkos said Friday that it’s been a long month for him but all indications are that he will return for the opening game of the postseason, likely May 15 or 16.

“I’m feeling much better, definitely in a better place than I was a couple of weeks ago,” Stamkos said. “The goal has always been to be ready come Game 1 of the playoffs and everything has been trending in that direction, so that’s been exciting.”

Stamkos left the ice in the third period of the Lightning’s game on April 8 and shortly thereafter went on long-term injured reserve, meaning he wouldn’t be eligible to return before this past Wednesday. He returned to practice Tuesday, which marked the first time this season that both he and Nikita Kucherov — who is also slated to return for the playoffs following offseason hip surgery — practiced on the ice together.

Though they haven’t played together all season, Stamkos and Kucherov rehabbed together. Stamkos said having Kucherov by his side over the past month has been helpful.

“Kuch and I are really close,” Stamkos said. “Anytime you can have a rehab buddy, it makes things a lot easier just from a mental standpoint to have someone to bounce things off of behind the scenes.

“So we’re always together doing work, whether it’s before practices, we’re out there working hard. During the games, we’re either in the gym or getting some treatment or together talking. So I think we’re just excited to get a chance to be back on the ice in a game situation.”

Stamkos said he will provide more details about the nature of his injury after the season. Given the various injuries he’s had, he said his recovery has had its share of physical and mental challenges.

“There’s no one that wants to be out there more than myself,” Stamkos said. “But you have to put in the work, and in the first couple of days out, you’re down on yourself and you kind of can’t see the light at the end of the tunnel. When you’ve had the surgeries that I’ve had in the past on the leg, the knee, now the core, it’s all connected. It’s frustrating. You’re never going to feel the same way you did before all that stuff.

“Unfortunately, no matter how much hard work or rehab you put in or pre- hab you put in, things just happen when you’ve had those significant injuries. I do see the light at the end of the tunnel right now. I’ve been working extremely hard. I’m feeling a lot better than I was a couple weeks ago in a much better place mentally as well.”

Tampa Bay Times LOADED: 05.09.2021 1212212 Tampa Bay Lightning Defenseman Erik Cernak tried to bat the puck out of the air but whiffed. “I wouldn’t say (that goal) was a backbreaker, but that was a tough one,”

Cooper said. “I think the tougher one was when they scored right after Outmanned Lightning fall to the Panthers that. We won the faceoff, we had full possession of the puck, and then we just turn it over and get scored on.

Jonathan Huberdeau hit on a backhand shot from the slot with 5:07 left in By Eduardo A. Encina the second.

Published Yesterday “I think those two (goals) together, right at the end of a period, that made it a little tough on us,” Cooper said. Updated 5 hours ago

Tampa Bay Times LOADED: 05.09.2021 SUNRISE — This wasn’t the way the Lightning wanted to begin their string of games against the Panthers.

The Lightning were outmanned and outplayed in a 5-1 loss Saturday night at the BB&T Center, and while there were stakes to the game, they weren’t as high as the stakes will be in the teams’ upcoming playoff- opening series.

The win moved the Panthers into second place in the Central Division, two points ahead of the third-place Lightning (36-16-3). Monday’s game between the teams, the regular-season finale for both, will determine the final seeding and which team gets home-ice advantage for their playoff series.

Without three starting defensemen — including Norris Trophy candidate Victor Hedman — the Lightning were far from full strength Saturday night. Hedman, who had played in all 54 games this season and had 25:03 of ice time in Friday’s 5-2 home loss to Dallas, sat out with a lower- body injury. Lock-down defenseman Ryan McDonagh, who left late in Friday’s game, was out with an upper-body injury. Jan Rutta, who returned Friday after missing 18 games due to injury, was sidelined again with a lower-body injury.

Coach Jon Cooper was cryptic about the injuries. He wouldn’t say whether Hedman’s injury was existing or new. When asked whether the three would be back for the beginning of the postseason, he said, “I don’t know. I hope so. We’re planning on it. We’ll have to see.”

The start date for the postseason hasn’t been announced.

The defensemen’s absences were well noted, as the Lightning were forced to play a much more defensive game with many players forced into unfamiliar roles. Typically on the right side, defenseman Luke Schenn played on the left. Defenseman Fredrik Claesson made his Lightning debut, paired with trade-deadline acquisition David Savard. With four games of NHL experience under his belt, rookie Ben Thomas was called on to play.

“Obviously, you take the best defenseman in the world out of your lineup (Hedman) and another unbelievable player (McDonagh) who eats huge minutes and is great defensively and on the (penalty kill), obviously you’re not going to replace those guys,” Schenn said.

“But other guys stepped up.”

Both teams were looking to establish their physicality in a game full of pushing, shoving and jawing after the whistle. Schenn and Panthers forward Ryan Lomberg exchanged punches during a second period that ended with several scrums after the buzzer. The teams combined for 136 penalty minutes on 32 penalties in the game, including five fighting majors and seven game misconducts.

Between the punches, Panthers forward Alex Wennberg recorded a hat trick, his third goal coming with 6:22 left in the third period on a puck that goalie Andrei Vasilevskiy couldn’t track once it deflected off Savard.

Vasilevskiy allowed a season-high five goals on 35 shots.

Schenn’s goal 4:52 into the second period cut the Panthers’ lead to 2-1, and the Lightning started to control the puck better as the period progressed. But before the end of the period, Florida had scored two goals in two minutes.

The first of those goals came on the strangest of plays.

Skating behind the net, Wennberg looked to put the puck in front, but his pass hit off Savard’s skate and the puck shot into the air. Vasilevskiy couldn’t find the puck as it made a crazy backspin in the air and landed behind him and in for a goal. 1212213 Tampa Bay Lightning

Lightning will benefit from NHL’s relaxed postseason protocols

By Eduardo A. Encina

Published Yesterday

Updated Yesterday

SUNRISE — After winning the Stanley Cup in a bubble environment last season, the Lightning will benefit from relaxed postseason coronavirus protocols, which were announced by the NHL on Saturday.

The Lightning qualify as a “fully vaccinated” team for the postseason because at least 85 percent of the club’s travel party has been fully vaccinated.

The relaxed restrictions for fully vaccinated players will mark the beginning of a return to normalcy. Throughout the regular season, members of the travel party were limited to the arena, practice facility and team hotel on the road.

Daily testing will continue, though fully vaccinated players will no longer have to be tested on off days or take point-of-care tests on game days. Masks still will be required in all game scenarios while in public areas (non-locker room and on-ice areas).

As a team, the Lightning can hold in-person team meetings and social gatherings, with fully vaccinated members allowed to be mask-free and unvaccinated members allowed in the same room while remaining socially distant.

They can eat in outdoor settings free of social distancing guidelines and masks, and also indoors if they are in a separate room away from other diners. Throughout the season, players were prohibited from going to restaurants on the road.

Other minor but significant practices will be permitted, like eating on team flights and buses, using saunas and steam rooms, valet parking at club facilities and playing golf.

Tampa Bay Times LOADED: 05.09.2021 1212214 Tampa Bay Lightning I’ve asked around about this and haven’t been able to confirm that Hedman’s injury will eventually require surgery. Some people I checked in with were surprised that there was a major question about Hedman’s health. When I asked Cooper postgame if Hedman’s injury is new or What we learned about Lightning-Panthers tone-setting and Victor something that’s been lingering and they’ve had to manage, he said, Hedman’s injury “When Heddy gets up (for a media availability), you can ask him.”

I do remember being stunned that when Hedman got helped off the ice March 30 that it wasn’t a serious injury. “It ended up being a scare,” By Joe Smith Cooper said that night. “Thank goodness it was just that.” May 9, 2021 Not only did Hedman not miss a game, he returned a few minutes later in racking up a career-high 10 shots on goal, playing 24:33.

There is more on the line in Sunrise than just home-ice advantage. “It’s one of those things that you go through as a player,” Hedman said then. “I was fortunate enough to come back and felt OK throughout the The Lightning’s final two games against the Panthers — their first-round rest of the game.” opponent — are about “setting the tone.” Hedman hasn’t been his usual self the past month, admittedly not playing “When they leave the rink Monday, they should be thinking about, ‘Holy up to his high standards, so an injury would make sense. I did ask shit, we’re playing the Tampa Bay Lightning,'” Pat Maroon said Friday Hedman a couple weeks ago how he was doing physically, and he said, night. “We want to make it hard on them, make it physical. We’ve got to “I feel good, it’s been more mentally.” Hedman is as competitive of an play with jam, be hungry.” athlete as I’ve ever covered, so it wouldn’t surprise me that he’d play through an injury. Nor would it surprise me if he had a terrific playoffs. Well, Tampa Bay got the physical part down. The 136 penalty minutes, But what also strikes me about the situation is this: five fighting majors, seven misconducts in the Lightning’s 5-1 loss to the Panthers on Saturday night are a precursor for what should be a nasty As important as Hedman is to this team, if he was indeed banged-up (and long) series. Even Maroon appeared to have words (and a flip a few enough to where he needed eventual surgery, I would have thought he fingers) to the Florida bench as he was escorted off by a linesman would have missed a game the last month of the season (before following a scrum. It made me think of Maroon’s famous words for the Saturday). Or the team would have tried to manage the injury by having Bruins bench while with the Blues during the Cup Final a couple years him sit out practices or morning skates due to “body maintenance.” The ago: Lightning sat David Savard for a game recently because of a minor issue they didn’t want to linger, and I’m sure they would for Hedman, too. “You’re fucked.” But Hedman played around 27 minutes in each of the next two games The Panthers don’t look like a team that will be intimidated, showing the following the March 30 fall, and has logged between 22 and 26 minutes kind of mental and physical toughness this year that’ll make them a down the stretch, including 23:45 on Friday. He was at Tampa Bay’s final formidable foe. Yet, we shouldn’t read too much into Saturday’s lopsided practice of the regular season Tuesday, same with the skate Friday. loss by Tampa Bay. The Panthers weren’t playing the Tampa Bay Lightning. Well, they were playing about half of them. Hedman’s health will be something to watch down the stretch, and he may very well be dealing with an issue, but I can’t say for certain that it’s Already missing top forwards Nikita Kucherov and Steven Stamkos, the something he’ll need surgery for. At least, not yet. Lightning were without three of their top-six defensemen — Victor Hedman (lower body), Ryan McDonagh (upper body) and Jan Rutta • The Lightning didn’t play that bad Saturday in Sunrise, Fla., and were (lower body). All are considered day-to-day, but coach Jon Cooper down by just a goal in the second period when they were handed the first sounded a bit cryptic when I asked if they would be ready for Game 1 of of a few bad breaks. On Alex Wennberg’s second goal, a pass behind the playoffs next weekend. the net went off Savard’s skate, floated in the air over Vasilevskiy’s head, with Erik Cernak swinging and missing to get it out of harm’s way. The “I don’t know,” Cooper said. “I hope so. We’re planning on it. But we’ll puck seemed to have some backspin and ended up in the net. I’ve never have to see.” seen anything like it. Let’s start there, since there’s nothing more important for the Cup • What really was the backbreaking goal, however, came two minutes champions the next few days, including Monday’s game, than to remain later on Jonathan Huberdeau’s backhand. The Lightning had won the healthy for the playoffs. faceoff in their own end and had possession when Savard turned the McDonagh, who missed the final seven minutes of Friday’s game with puck over and Huberdeau converted from the slot. Savard had another the Stars, isn’t expected to miss much time. I’ve been told that while tough night, a minus-3, though that included that crazy goal a few McDonagh was sidelined Saturday, he should be OK soon. McDonagh is minutes before. It’s a huge transition to get moved at the trade deadline, an important piece of the blue line, taking on the toughest assignments acclimate to a new team and system, and Savard said he’s feeling better (and a ton of penalty-killing time), so they can ill afford to lose him. with each game. Savard’s true value will come in the playoffs, and that’s what Tampa Bay is counting on. Remember when Blake Coleman had Rutta appeared in his first game Friday since March 30 and played well. one point in his first eight games with the Lightning? The pause played a He logged 15:09 of total ice time, with his last shift in the final minute of big role in Coleman and Barclay Goodrow being more comfortable in the the game. It’s hard to tell what his exact injury is, or if the lower-body playoffs. Savard won’t have that time, but I wouldn’t be worried about him injury that kept him out Saturday was the same one that he’s dealt with quite yet. since late March and this was just managing it. The Lightning had hoped to get Rutta in at least one of the final few games, so it would be helpful (Via HockeyStatCards.com) to have him play Monday, but the priority is having him closer to full • It was a rare off game for Vasilevskiy, who gave up a season-high five strength. goals. A few were bad breaks, but a couple Vasilevskiy would no doubt Now, there’s Hedman. like to have back. Vasilevskiy has been terrific this season, and I’ve written why he should receive Hart Trophy consideration. But the The Trophy winner is critical to the Lightning’s chances to Panthers have been one of the few teams to be able to get to him. repeat, with his value ranking up there with No. 1 goalie Andrei Vasilevskiy has allowed four goals or more in eight starts this season — Vasilevskiy. As Hedman goes, Tampa Bay usually goes. So when three have come against Florida. He’s 2-2 with a 2.78 goals-against Hedman missed his first game of the season Saturday, it raised some average in four starts this year vs. Florida. I would expect Vasilevskiy eyebrows. Then came the report from Sportsnet’s Chris Johnston on the starts Monday as Tampa Bay won’t play again until either Saturday or Hockey Night in Canada broadcast. Sunday and he’ll want to stay sharp.

Johnston said Hedman’s lower-body injury is connected to when the 6- • The Lightning can still clinch home-ice advantage for the first round of foot-6 Swede crashed awkwardly into the boards against Columbus on the playoffs with a regulation win Monday. It’ll be challenging, especially March 30, which resulted in him having to get helped off the ice (he if their top defensemen are still out. You’d think that the intensity and returned that same game). “It’s serious enough, I’m told he’s going to physicality will carry over from Saturday’s game, but Cooper said he require surgery after the season,” Johnston said. believes the teams will be more careful during the playoffs of not being “reckless.”

Does Tampa Bay worry about getting pulled too much into these scrums (and taking penalties)?

“I think we play between the whistles, but if anything happens, we step up,” Savard said. “I don’t think anyone was out of line from our side. We’ve got to keep the same attitude, play between the whistles hard. But we’ve got a lot of guys that aren’t scared in there and will go to bat for each other. So it’s going to be fun.”

• The good news for the Lightning is that they’re among the NHL teams who will get to enjoy some relaxed COVID-19 protocols the rest of the season. Teams who have 85 percent of their travel party fully vaccinated will get a chance to gather in groups of eight (including family), do team meetings without masks, not get tested on off days, golf in groups and eat at outside restaurants. Considering how mentally taxing the protocols have been, this is a huge deal for the players and their families.

The Athletic LOADED: 05.09.2021 1212215 Tampa Bay Lightning moved, knowing young players are ready to step in. The Lightning are already $3.5 million over the cap next year with just 14 players signed, so something has to give.

Lightning mailbag: Steven Stamkos eyeing Game 1, expected playoff The key for the Lightning’s success will be (1.) health and the lineup, cap-related trades reintegration of Kucherov/Stamkos, (2.) Tampa Bay following the “recipe” for success defensively it found in the bubble last year and (3.) Victor Hedman being Victor Hedman.

By Joe Smith Hi Joe! Great coverage and here comes a question for the future! How many draft picks and prospects do the Lightning need to trade away in May 8, 2021 the summer to be cap (and contender) compliant for the future? Should they have kept the first for this deadline in order to dump Tyler/Alex Killorn/Ryan McDonagh this summer? — Isak E. The first few days after Steven Stamkos suffered another lower-body injury in early April, the Lightning’s captain wasn’t in a good place. Well, judging from how cap space is the league’s most coveted asset, it’d Stamkos, 31, had worked so hard to battle back from multiple core likely take some creative maneuvering for the Lightning to find a way out surgeries — including scoring an iconic goal in the 2020 Stanley Cup of this. Our Pierre LeBrun reported that it sounds like it would take at Final — and now was facing another rehab. least a first-rounder to move a contract like Johnson’s $5 million AAV for three years. Tampa Bay has already dealt several of its picks, including “You’re down on yourself,” Stamkos said. “You can’t see the light at the this year’s first-, second- and fourth-rounders, so it won’t have as much end of the tunnel.” to give up. It might take some younger players or prospects to make it work, with forwards like Taylor Raddysh and Boris Katchouk, for But Stamkos can see it now. example, making promising strides this season. Stamkos, who returned to practice Tuesday for the first time since his The delicate balance is that the Lightning need their younger, cheaper April 8 injury, said the goal all along was to be ready for Game 1 of the players to be there to step in for expected cap casualties. playoffs and “everything is trending in the right direction.” Dealing a first-rounder for Savard was the right move, considering how “I’m feeling much better, definitely in a better place than I was a couple much of an impact he can have on a potential back-to-back Cup run. weeks ago,” Stamkos said. What I can tell you is this: When the Lightning tried to move cap space Stamkos said he’d discuss the details of his current injury more after the last offseason, the asking price from other teams was unrealistic and season; he got hurt on a non-contact play near the blue line in Columbus. unreasonable, almost punitive. I would have to imagine that will shape The Lightning have said his injury isn’t related to the two core surgeries how they approach this summer. They realize they’ll have to add some Stamkos had last year. But with his injury history, it’s complicated. sweeteners to move contracts, but they’re not going to get extorted. They “There’s no one that wants to be out there more than myself,” Stamkos have players they can move and receive assets in return for, like a Killorn said. “When you’ve had the surgeries that I’ve had in the past on the leg, or Ondrej Palat, for example. They probably don’t want to lose either the knee, now the core, it’s all connected. It’s frustrating. You’re never player, but there are options if it gets down to it. going to feel the same way you did before all that stuff. What is the official reason given in regards to resting players? If a player “Unfortunately, no matter how much hard work or rehab you put in or pre- is injury-prone or nursing an injury, why do hockey teams not rest hab you put in, things just happen when you’ve had those significant players, even in a back-to-back? If we rest our goalie occasionally, injuries. I do see the light at the end of the tunnel right now. I’ve been shouldn’t we rest Stamkos or a banged-up Hedman more often? — working extremely hard. I’m feeling a lot better than I was a couple weeks Tanner S. ago — in a much better place mentally, as well.” The NHL has been different than the NBA when it comes to “load Stamkos said it has helped to have a “rehab buddy” in Nikita Kucherov, management.” I’ve asked coach Jon Cooper several times about this who has been sidelined all year following late December hip surgery. topic, and he has said there’s a fine line between “rest and rust.” First of They’ve lifted each other’s spirits and pushed each other in off- and on- all, the players want to play and don’t want to get out of a rhythm. They’re ice workouts. It seems like Stamkos and Kucherov are hoping to be not going to want to sit for multiple games. I can see maybe a one-off ready for the start of the playoffs, but it’s a challenge with very little here and there, and the team did give Andrei Vasilevskiy back-to-back practice time. Stamkos will have gone a month without playing in a game, games off last weekend in Detroit. And if a player is truly banged up or Kucherov nearly nine. needs it, like Savard did a week ago when they rested him, the Lightning will give it to them. The more likely scenario is the coaches limiting or “Unfortunately, there’s really nothing that can prepare you for those game managing a player’s minutes. situations,” Stamkos said. “You can skate all you want in practice, you can get hit all you want — it’s really not the same until you have to go Hey Joe! Any word on if capacity will be increased at for and react in the game. That’s when instincts just take over. That’s going the playoffs? — Robby B. to happen in Game 1, hopefully for the both of us. The more games you Yes, Robby, the Lightning announced this week that the capacity for play, the more comfortable you feel. We’re going to find out in a week or home playoff games in the first round of the playoffs will be 7,000, or at so.” 37 percent capacity. That’s a big jump from the 4,000 range they had for Thanks for all your mailbag questions! I couldn’t get to all of them but will regular-season games. For some, it might not feel like enough, not with answer the rest in here. the state really opening up and the vaccines being available to most people. (I recently got my second shot.) But the Lightning are being Note: Submitted questions have been edited for clarity and length. cautious with this, working with state and local officials and the NHL Which Lightning players are most likely to leave this summer? What do protocols. Could the capacity increase to around 50 percent during the you think the key to success will be for the Lightning this postseason? — playoffs? There’s a chance, but that hasn’t been decided yet. Andrew M. Hey Joe! Imaginary scenario for you: Bolts make it to the Final once Tough call there. I think Tyler Johnson will be moved even though it again this year. Who’s their hardest potential opponent they could face to didn’t work out last summer when he was put through waivers and on the battle for the Stanley Cup? Last year I felt fortunate to play against Dallas trade block. His no-trade clause moves to modified, so there should be as opposed to Colorado or Vegas. — Micah S. some more flexibility, though it’ll likely cost a sweetener. The Lightning I think the Avalanche would be Tampa Bay’s toughest opponent, with will lose at least one player in the expansion draft, and one of them could Vegas right behind. Colorado seems to have it all, especially when its be a veteran top-six forward, depending on their protection list. There’s a goaltending is locked in. The Avalanche are like the Lightning from a few lot that will go into the offseason decisions, from how people perform in years ago, and they’re hungry. I would love to cover that series, though, the playoffs to injuries, so I don’t think Tampa Bay has decided who is on with so much offensive talent on both sides and blueliners like Hedman the way out. But we do know that it’ll be hard to retain all their UFAs, like and Cale Makar. Blake Coleman, Barclay Goodrow and David Savard, and that some of the core forwards with $4 million to $5 million cap hits will need to get With a couple players leaving this summer, do you see Tampa still being Moving Johnson and Killorn would create around $10 million in cap a contender for years to come? — Kaleb F. space, so that’d be a good start. It would definitely help to have younger players like Colton, Joseph, Stephens, Katchouk and Raddysh ready to Even if the Lightning lose some players this summer, which will happen, step in. they’ll likely still be a championship contender in the next few years. Any time you have a core that includes the best goalie in the world in As for McDonagh, I know his contract ($6.75 million AAV through 2025- Vasilevskiy, the best defenseman in the world in Hedman and superstars 26) will be cost-prohibitive going forward. And Sergachev has shown he’s up front in Kucherov and Brayden Point, they are going to be given a ready for a bigger role. But Tampa Bay is a better team in the next chance. There’s some young talent, the next wave of the core, that is couple of years with McDonagh still on its blue line. People don’t realize going to help too, with Mikhail Sergachev, Erik Cernak and Anthony that he and Cernak are the ones who routinely get the tougher matchups Cirelli all still on bridge deals. What usually costs teams when they have and assignments on the ice, more so than Hedman and Sergachev. to make cap moves is the depth, which won’t be quite as strong. That’s Sometimes, you don’t realize what you have until it’s gone. why it’s so important for young players like Ross Colton, Mathieu Joseph, Alex Barre-Boulet and Cal Foote to continue to develop. With the reduced attendance, does home ice in the playoffs matter except for last change? — Thomas C. Since it’s looking like a probable first-round series with Florida, how are the guys preparing for what will be such a high-profile first round? I see a One of the most underrated parts about how the Lightning won the Cup lot of possibilities here. A feisty rivalry, a total goal-fest, a two-way goalie last year was how there were no fans in the building when they did it. masterclass. How is the team feeling about potentially facing all three Players have often said how much of a difference fans bring to the game, types of series in one? — Chris L. from the boosts in momentum to making it harder on your opponents. With the capacities increasing for the playoffs, with Tampa Bay at 7,000 I think it’s going to be terrific. As Cooper said today, it’ll be one of those and the Panthers around 9,000, you can see the impact of the crowd. cases where “familiarity breeds contempt.” I don’t think these teams like Killorn believes home-ice advantage won’t mean as much as it has in each other a whole bunch, and the idea of playing nine straight games previous years, but it still helps. He pointed to having the comforts of against each other (including the final two games of the regular season) sleeping in your own bed, being with your family and having your own could make this a very nasty series. But facing the Panthers would be the facilities as also being helpful. perfect test to open a playoff run for the Cup champs. The Panthers are a hungry and determined group that really is starting to believe it can do Hi Joe, I am most fearful of so many odd-man rushes being allowed by some damage in the postseason, and it’s led by a three-time Cup- our defense. If we don’t tighten up, Vasilevskiy will have to be a miracle winning coach in Joel Quenneville, who is one of the best at in-game and worker again. How do you foresee Coach preventing this from happening in-series management. It’ll be a tight-checking series with strong in the playoffs? — Kenneth J. goaltending, and I imagine it would go deep. I see where you’re coming from, Kenneth. The Lightning ranked in the Hi Joe, Luke Schenn is being played over Foote. Any insight on how the bottom third of the league for most of the season in odd-man rush organization feels about Cal? — Jim W. chances allowed, and it’s something (other than taking too many penalties) they’ve tried to improve. The good news is that if you’ve The Lightning are pleased with Foote’s development. The goal entering watched the last couple of weeks, Tampa Bay has clamped down more the season was for Foote to get playing time and acclimated into the defensively and limited those types of grade-A looks. The Lightning still NHL, and the 22-year-old did just that, getting 35 games. There were give up some good chances, but it’s not quite like it was earlier in the some in which he logged more than 20 minutes and got to show off his season. Players such as Coleman have said they’ve had some “hard shot and his underrated offensive ability. There were some struggles, of conversations” after the embarrassing loss in Nashville a month ago, and course, and Schenn performed well in a limited role down the stretch. they’ve really worked on regaining that “recipe” for championship hockey, The team liked Schenn’s size, physicality, experience and that he’s especially in their own end. The fact Tampa Bay is 25-0 when leading harder to move away from the net. Foote was also hurt by things that after two periods is a great example of its ability to close out games with were out of his control, like the limited number of post-deadline call-ups a matured approach. the Lightning had, making it harder to swap him and Schenn. I’m curious to clear up some Seattle expansion draft issues. Are Foote It was smart that the Lightning sent Foote back to AHL Syracuse to get and Colton eligible with their games played this season (Colton will hit 27 some games there the last few weeks, and I wouldn’t rule out the chance games played this week)? Or are they exempt as first-year NHL players? of the rookie getting some games in the playoffs. We saw how Tampa Not 100 percent sure if it’s NHL seasons or professional seasons to meet Bay used nine defensemen in the bubble last year, and Foote can lean the requirements for exposure. The Athletic’s Ryan S. Clark made a on the experience he gained during the regular season. pretty compelling case in an article recently to just take Foote and move on. So, if they are eligible, I don’t see why they wouldn’t take a cheap Now that Jan Rutta is back, it’ll be a good competition for the sixth prospect and tell the Lightning to come back after the draft re: cap-space defenseman spot. moves for other prospects/picks.

Cal Foote has averaged 12:53 of ice time per game this season. Bonus question: Best new beer you’ve discovered in 2021? — Gary S. (Christopher Hanewinckel / USA Today) Yes, Foote and Colton are eligible to be picked by Seattle. It’s about (1.) With as good as Barre-Boulet has looked, can you see a scenario (if professional seasons, not NHL seasons, so Foote and Colton, along with not this year in the playoffs, then next year) where we have a line of the likes of Katchouk and Raddysh, are available to be protected or Palat-Point-Barre-Boulet and another line of Stamkos-Cirelli-Kucherov? picked. My colleague, Kraken beat writer Ryan S. Clark, and I did a Also, if that works … recent collaboration breaking down the Lightning expansion situation and (2.) Can you become cap-compliant next year by moving Johnson, what the Kraken might be looking for. Like you mentioned, Clark Killorn, Coleman and Goodrow and bringing in Raddysh and Katchouk? suggested the Kraken could take Foote and move on, if left unprotected. Both of their numbers have been good this year in Syracuse. As for the bonus question, my wife and I recently went to the Blue Ridge And possibly moving McDonagh … that would open a lot of cap space. Mountains in Georgia and had one of the best beers I’ve ever had, an — Denis W. IPA Ocoee No. 1 from Copperhill Brewery.

Barre-Boulet has shown he can fit well on the top line with Point and How deep do you think the league looks into the salary-cap shenanigans Palat, but Kucherov will probably be back up there when the playoffs with Kucherov? — Josh W. start. Why mess with such a good thing when the trio was dominant in I’ve been told that the league looks into all of these LTIR situations, the Cup run last year? The Stamkos-Cirelli-Kucherov line is possible, including the ones in Tampa. There haven’t been any issues pointed out though I do like the idea of Point in the middle instead and splitting up so far. A good example was the case in Chicago in 2015, Stamkos and Kucherov on two lines. The fact Barre-Boulet showed he when he missed the last few months of the season with a collarbone has the vision and smarts to play with Point, however, will be good to injury, then returned for Game 1 and led the Blackhawks in scoring in the have next year. Barre-Boulet’s work on the power play really gave them a playoffs. The NHL has the option to have an independent doctor go over spark as well. a player’s recovery and checks in on these cases to make sure Well, Coleman and Goodrow are UFAs in the summer, so both could end everything is legit. We explained it all in here on Kucherov’s recovery and up departing (though Tampa Bay will likely try to fit one or both in there). situation. With an inevitable lack of time to get reacclimated, do you think Cooper throws Kucherov and Stamkos straight back in with line configurations similar to last season’s playoffs? And who is dropping out when they come back? — Mark H.

It’ll be interesting to see how that works. It might be something like what the Stars did with Tyler Seguin, starting him in the bottom six but quickly moving him back up after he looked — and felt — good. But I wouldn’t be surprised if Kucherov and Stamkos were put back in the top six, with the caveat that the coaches can switch things up mid-game and manage the two stars’ minutes. They haven’t played in a game in a while, and it’s impossible to replicate that.

As for who comes out? I asked Cooper about Colton recently, and Cooper indicated they’re very happy with his progress and how he’s maintained and improved during his rookie season. The fact Colton has remained in the lineup is a good indication of how they feel, Cooper said. We know Barre-Boulet would likely be one of the players to come out.

As for the second player, I’ve maintained it would be among Colton, Johnson and Joseph. We’ll have more on the line combinations early next week, but here’s a quick early guess:

Palat-Point-Kucherov

Killorn-Cirelli-Stamkos

Coleman-Gourde-Goodrow

Maroon-Colton-Johnson

Why is Mitchell Stephens not getting time? I get that Barre-Boulet and Colton have been solid, but they need Stephens’ faceoff skill and experience in the playoffs, I think. Granted, his experience is only one year, but he was a big help on draws. I thought he’d be getting some game time and now wonder if he’s a healthy scratch in Round 1. — Todd K.

Stephens played in just one game after missing two months due to a leg/knee surgery. It wasn’t necessarily a great game, though that was to be expected after a long layoff. My sense is that he hasn’t played because Colton has been performing so well, same with Joseph, and that they wanted to give Barre-Boulet an extended look. They know what they have in Stephens, and you mentioned his faceoff ability and forechecking. I think he’ll get a chance in the playoffs, but it seems as though he’d be a likely healthy scratch to start.

I know access is limited but would love to hear an interview with Savard. — Nicole R.

Hey Nicole! Savard has actually done a few Zoom interviews with local media since the trade and has been pretty engaging. He’s enjoying the Tampa area, with his wife and three kids having moved down recently (they’ve settled into an apartment by Amalie Arena). Savard said he’s growing more comfortable in the Lightning’s system and that the players and staff have done a really good job welcoming him.

If you want to get to know Savard better, I did a colorful profile of the new Lightning defenseman, collecting favorite stories from former teammates and coaches.

Also, we have a few seventh-round picks at our disposal this upcoming draft. Seventh-round picks do not often amount to much, but do you think if Ryan St. Louis is still on the board, the Lightning would draft him? I think he’s leaning closer to going undrafted this year, but it would be neat to have Marty’s son in the organization. — Stephen P.

If the younger St. Louis is there, he’d be a great choice late or as an undrafted free agent.

Look at how well it worked the first time with the Hall of Famer.

The Athletic LOADED: 05.09.2021 1212216 Toronto Maple Leafs the faceoff that directly led to Marner’s go-ahead effort late in the second period. The 23-year-old Matthews’ personal five-game goal streak against Montreal also came to an end.

Kings of the North: Maple Leafs beat Canadiens 3-2, clinch division title Already minus starting goalie Carey Price (concussion), captain Shea Weber (upper body), winger Brendan Gallagher (broken hand), forward Paul Byron (lower body) and winger Jonathan Drouin (personal), the Canadiens announced before the game centre Phillip Danault is dealing JOSHUA CLIPPERTON with a concussion. TORONTO Toronto was still without forwards Zach Hyman (knee) and Nick Foligno THE CANADIAN PRESS (upper body), as well as defenceman Zach Bogosian (shoulder).

PUBLISHED MAY 8, 2021 Down 2-0 following Suzuki’s 13th goal early in the second on a shot Campbell will want back, the Leafs got on the board when Engvall UPDATED 6 HOURS AGO wheeled out from behind Allen’s net before firing home his sixth — and second in as many games — at 5:02.

After Campbell denied Josh Anderson on a Montreal power play, Toronto The Maple Leafs have conquered the north in 2021. equalized at 13:36 when John Tavares redirected Jake Muzzin’s pass in Now the real work begins. the slot right to Nylander, who swept home his 17th to extend his point streak to seven contests. Mitch Marner scored his 20th goal of the season Saturday as Toronto roared back from a 2-0 deficit to defeat the Montreal Canadiens 3-2 and The Leafs then pushed ahead with 3:27 left in the period when Matthews clinch first place in the North Division. beat Suzuki clean on an offensive zone draw, allowing Marner to wire his 20th in off Allen’s crossbar in a blink of an eye. The 24-year-old winger “It’s a good feeling,” Marner said. “We’ve got to make sure we just keep now has three 20-goal seasons since making his NHL debut in 2016, and going with the pedal down.” was one shy of the mark before the 2019-20 campaign was halted by The Leafs secured their first division crown since 2000 — and only the COVID-19. franchise’s fourth since 1938 — in the NHL’s grinding 56-game pandemic “I don’t think he gets the credit he deserves,” Holl said of Marner’s 67- season that’s featured strict health protocols, daily testing for COVID-19 point campaign. “He such a play-driver for our team. and empty arenas across the league’s seven markets on the one-time- only Canadian circuit because of border restrictions. “He’s indispensable.”

“It’s unbelievable,” said Toronto winger Wayne Simmonds, who signed Allen made a nice pad stop on Matthews from the slot eight minutes into with his hometown team in free agency as part of the club’s moves to the third to keep Montreal within one. Campbell, who improved to 17-2-2, add more grit and experience. “For me and for the team, this is a great followed that up a few minutes later with an excellent save of his own on accomplishment. 28-goal man Tyler Toffoli before the Leafs held on despite some tense moments late. “It’s only getting started.” On the heels of falling behind 4-0 in the first period of Thursday’s 5-2 loss William Nylander and Pierre Engvall also scored for Toronto (35-13-6), in Toronto, the Canadiens had a much better start and opened the which got 21 saves from Jack Campbell. scoring 3:34 into Saturday on Kulak’s second. The defenceman’s double- “We’ve come a long way,” said Nylander, one of the few remaining clutched point shot glanced off Muzzin in front and past Campbell as the players from the Leafs’ last-place finish in 2015-16. “It’s been a long Canadiens grabbed a 1-0 lead for the first time in their last seven games. process and a lot of hard work. Montreal made it 2-0 just 31 seconds into the second when Suzuki “This is just a stepping stone for where we want to go.” moved in on a 2-on-1 and fired a shot that went in off the inside of Campbell’s blocker and dribbled over the line before Toronto exploded The Leafs finished the regular season a dominant 7-2-1 against the with three straight inside an empty Scotiabank Arena. Canadiens as the Original Six rivals look poised to meet in the playoffs for the first time since 1979. “It would have been pretty crazy,” Simmonds said when asked to imagine clinching the division in a building packed to the rafters. “The fan “It would be a lot of fun,” Toronto defenceman Justin Holl said. “There’s a simulation noise isn’t quite the same as having actual bodies in the seats little bit of animosity developing. and real people cheering for you.

“We’re prepared for anybody.” “This is just the start.”

Nick Suzuki and Brett Kulak replied for Montreal (24-21-9). Jake Allen made 23 saves as the visitors squandered a good start by allowing three goals in the second period. Globe And Mail LOADED: 05.09.2021

“They had a pushback,” veteran winger Eric Staal said. “We talked about it. We knew it was a possibility.

“They were attacking us a little bit better and we weren’t handling the pressure as well.”

The Canadiens, who had a chance to clinch the North’s fourth and final playoff spot Saturday, host the Edmonton Oilers on Monday and Wednesday to close out their regular-season schedule. The Leafs, meanwhile, visit the Ottawa Senators on Wednesday and the Winnipeg Jets two nights later.

A Stanley Cup champion with the Carolina Hurricanes, Staal said if Toronto and Montreal do indeed meet in the first round, his team’s 3-6-1 record in the season series will be irrelevant.

“When you get to the playoffs it’s all new,” he said. “It’s zeros across the board.”

Leafs sniper Auston Matthews, who leads the NHL with 40 goals and looks sure to claim his first Maurice (Rocket) Richard Trophy, failed to find the back of the net for the first time in six games Saturday, but won 1212217 Toronto Maple Leafs has points in all but five games since March 25, with 27 points in his last 22 games.

And look at that second line. With his goal, Nylander now has points in Maple Leafs clinch division title with win over Montreal, and it was a long seven straight games (three goals, four assists) and has 15 points in his time coming last 12 games. Tavares is also on fire, with 21 points in his last 17 games. And along for the ride, , with four points in his last five games after a five-game pointless drought.

By Kevin McGran Staff Reporter Habs win first: The Canadiens were apparently intent on not being embarrassed by the Leafs in the first period two games in a row. If you

recall Thursday, the Leafs scored on the first shift, were up 2-0 in no time The Maple Leafs are kings of the North. And soon, they’ll be vaccinated at all and led 4-0 by the end of the first period. But Saturday was kings of the North. different. Montreal carried the play in the opening 20 minutes, leading 1-0 on a goal by Brent Kulak. Pierre Engvall, William Nylander and Mitch Marner all scored in a second-period rally as the Leafs beat the Montreal Canadiens 3-2 Leafs win second: Toronto got back on track in the second period, Saturday night in the final meeting of the season between the two teams, sparking to life after Nick Suzuki beat Jack Campbell from the wing, a setting off an emotional celebration in front of goalie Jack Campbell. shot Campbell normally saves. Goals by Engvall, Nylander and Marner launched the Leafs into the third period holding a one-goal lead. “(Winning the division) is something we wanted to try to accomplish at the start of the season, our goal,” said Marner. “But there’s more that we Andersen update: Goalie played a full game Saturday want to accomplish. We just got to make sure we just keep the pedal for the Marlies, dropping a 5-4 decision in a shootout. It was his second down.” start, and first full game while recovering from a knee injury.

Up next, they’ll get their first shot to guard against COVID-19 on Sunday. “I was able to push a little bit more and obviously play the whole game The league announced Saturday it would begin to relax COVID-19 which was great,” said Andersen. “I felt like I was able to up the intensity protocols for teams and players that were fully vaccinated once the a little bit in the last two thirds of the game. I felt better and had more fun playoffs start. too playing. But there are some things I’ve just got to keep working on.”

“Obviously happy,” Marner said about getting vaccinated. “We’ve done Andersen stopped 34 of 38 shots and two of four in the shootout. the waiting process, and made sure that everyone in Toronto can get it. “He made some big saves in the second period,” said Marlies coach Now there’s enough doses that our team is lucky enough to be able to Greg Moore. “He gave us what we needed to win a hockey game. Wish get it as well. we had done a better job around our net, net-front, boxing out and letting “It’s just trying to make sure all of Toronto, Ontario and Canada gets him see some shots.” better and healthier and making sure we get through COVID as healthy Honorary degree: Leafs coach Sheldon Keefe will receive an honorary as possible with everyone. degree from Algonquin College in June, an acknowledgment from the Cup dreams: With two regular season games to go, a date for the start of post-secondary institution of Keefe’s contributions his time as coach of the North Division playoffs has yet to be set. the Junior A Pembroke Lumber Kings. Keefe’s Lumber Kings won the national Junior A championship a decade ago. But this edition of the Leafs has clinched something few Leafs teams have ever earned: a regular-season division title. “My connection to the city of Pembroke and the Lumber Kings and the Ottawa Valley, in general, is a very strong one,” said Keefe. “I certainly The win clinched first place in the North Division and all but assured a wouldn’t be here today without the support of that community. Algonquin first-round matchup with fourth-place Montreal in the Stanley Cup College is a real pillar in the community itself and represents a lot of playoffs. things that the Ottawa Valley stands for.”

The Leafs haven’t played the Canadiens in the post-season since 1979, and would go into the series as the heavy favourites. The Leafs finished with a 7-2-1 record against the Canadiens. Toronto Star LOADED: 05.09.2021

It was the Leafs’ seventh win in eight games (7-0-1) and with two games to go in the regular season, it’s the right time to get hot.

“It’s unbelievable,” said Leafs winger Wayne Simmonds. “ Honestly, being from Scarborough and watching the Leafs play growing up, I don’t know if I remember the Leafs winning their division. So for me and for the team, this is a great accomplishment and it’s only getting started.”

The last Leafs team to win a division regular-season title — the only one of the expansion era, it turns out — was captained by with Curtis Joseph providing the heroics in net and Pat Quinn behind the bench. It was the 1999-2000 season, a five-team Northeast Division, the franchise’s first 100-point season. They bowed out after two rounds of the Stanley Cup playoffs, a Leafs era with regular Cup hopes accompanied by just as many playoff disappointments.

This John Tavares-captained squad has Cup aspirations too, the mission of finishing as high as possible in Canada now accomplished.

The President’s Trophy is likely out of reach. All that remains is finishing ahead of other top teams in the hope for home-ice advantage in the third round, should they get that far. The first two rounds — which will produce a team with Canadian bragging rights — will be held within the North Division.

By the numbers: Auston Matthews didn’t score — which is almost as noteworthy as any other player scoring — and remained at a league- leading 40.

As the season winds down, it should be noted that some Leafs not named Auston Matthews are also putting up incredible numbers. Marner 1212218 Toronto Maple Leafs Already minus starting goalie Carey Price (concussion), captain Shea Weber (upper body), winger Brendan Gallagher (broken hand), forward Paul Byron (lower body) and winger Jonathan Drouin (personal), the Canadiens announced before the game centre Phillip Danault is dealing Kings of the North: Maple Leafs beat Canadiens 3-2, clinch division title with a concussion.

Toronto was still without forwards Zach Hyman (knee) and Nick Foligno (upper body), as well as defenceman Zach Bogosian (shoulder). By Joshua Clipperton The Canadian Press Down 2-0 following Suzuki’s 13th goal early in the second on a shot Sat., May 8, 2021 Campbell will want back, the Leafs got on the board when Engvall wheeled out from behind Allen’s net before firing home his sixth — and second in as many games — at 5:02. TORONTO - The Maple Leafs have conquered the north in 2021. After Campbell denied Josh Anderson on a Montreal power play, Toronto Now the real work begins. equalized at 13:36 when John Tavares redirected Jake Muzzin’s pass in the slot right to Nylander, who swept home his 17th to extend his point Mitch Marner scored his 20th goal of the season Saturday as Toronto streak to seven contests. roared back from a 2-0 deficit to defeat the Montreal Canadiens 3-2 and clinch first place in the North Division. The Leafs then pushed ahead with 3:27 left in the period when Matthews beat Suzuki clean on an offensive zone draw, allowing Marner to wire his “It’s a good feeling,” Marner said. “We’ve got to make sure we just keep 20th in off Allen’s crossbar in a blink of an eye. The 24-year-old winger going with the pedal down.” now has three 20-goal seasons since making his NHL debut in 2016, and The Leafs secured their first division crown since 2000 — and only the was one shy of the mark before the 2019-20 campaign was halted by franchise’s fourth since 1938 — in the NHL’s grinding 56-game pandemic COVID-19. season that’s featured strict health protocols, daily testing for COVID-19 “I don’t think he gets the credit he deserves,” Holl said of Marner’s 67- and empty arenas across the league’s seven markets on the one-time- point campaign. “He such a play-driver for our team. only Canadian circuit because of border restrictions. “He’s indispensable.” “It’s unbelievable,” said Toronto winger Wayne Simmonds, who signed with his hometown team in free agency as part of the club’s moves to Allen made a nice pad stop on Matthews from the slot eight minutes into add more grit and experience. “For me and for the team, this is a great the third to keep Montreal within one. Campbell, who improved to 17-2-2, accomplishment. followed that up a few minutes later with an excellent save of his own on 28-goal man Tyler Toffoli before the Leafs held on despite some tense “It’s only getting started.” moments late. William Nylander and Pierre Engvall also scored for Toronto (35-13-6), On the heels of falling behind 4-0 in the first period of Thursday’s 5-2 loss which got 21 saves from Jack Campbell. in Toronto, the Canadiens had a much better start and opened the “We’ve come a long way,” said Nylander, one of the few remaining scoring 3:34 into Saturday on Kulak’s second. The defenceman’s double- players from the Leafs’ last-place finish in 2015-16. “It’s been a long clutched point shot glanced off Muzzin in front and past Campbell as the process and a lot of hard work. Canadiens grabbed a 1-0 lead for the first time in their last seven games.

“This is just a stepping stone for where we want to go.” Montreal made it 2-0 just 31 seconds into the second when Suzuki moved in on a 2-on-1 and fired a shot that went in off the inside of The Leafs finished the regular season a dominant 7-2-1 against the Campbell’s blocker and dribbled over the line before Toronto exploded Canadiens as the Original Six rivals look poised to meet in the playoffs with three straight inside an empty Scotiabank Arena. for the first time since 1979. “It would have been pretty crazy,” Simmonds said when asked to imagine “It would be a lot of fun,” Toronto defenceman Justin Holl said. “There’s a clinching the division in a building packed to the rafters. “The fan little bit of animosity developing. simulation noise isn’t quite the same as having actual bodies in the seats “We’re prepared for anybody.” and real people cheering for you.

Nick Suzuki and Brett Kulak replied for Montreal (24-21-9). Jake Allen “This is just the start.” made 23 saves as the visitors squandered a good start by allowing three goals in the second period. Toronto Star LOADED: 05.09.2021 “They had a pushback,” veteran winger Eric Staal said. “We talked about it. We knew it was a possibility.

“They were attacking us a little bit better and we weren’t handling the pressure as well.”

The Canadiens, who had a chance to clinch the North’s fourth and final playoff spot Saturday, host the Edmonton Oilers on Monday and Wednesday to close out their regular-season schedule. The Leafs, meanwhile, visit the Ottawa Senators on Wednesday and the Winnipeg Jets two nights later.

A Stanley Cup champion with the Carolina Hurricanes, Staal said if Toronto and Montreal do indeed meet in the first round, his team’s 3-6-1 record in the season series will be irrelevant.

“When you get to the playoffs it’s all new,” he said. “It’s zeros across the board.”

Leafs sniper Auston Matthews, who leads the NHL with 40 goals and looks sure to claim his first Maurice (Rocket) Richard Trophy, failed to find the back of the net for the first time in six games Saturday, but won the faceoff that directly led to Marner’s go-ahead effort late in the second period. The 23-year-old Matthews’ personal five-game goal streak against Montreal also came to an end. 1212219 Toronto Maple Leafs afternoon’s 5-4 shootout loss to the Manitoba Moose, still looks a while away from NHL readiness. (He’s running an .885 save percentage so far in the minors, which isn’t exactly an instant ticket to supplanting Jack Campbell as the likely Game 1 playoff starter.) But the conditioning stint The Canadiens’ Corey Perry tangles with Maple Leafs netminder Jack is less about putting up numbers than it is about logging minutes. It’s Campbell during Saturday night’s game at Scotiabank Arena. been more than seven weeks since he’s played against an NHL team, Canadian or otherwise.

“Today I was trying to push it a little bit with (more) intensity. It got better By Dave Feschuk Sports Columnist and better as the game went on, just playing hard on every puck, and I Sat., May 8, 2021 think just trusting that I can have energy to play a full game and trusting everything I’ve done so far.”

There’s still plenty of time for further recovery from whatever ails an It arrived with plenty of hype and what seemed like a sensible NHLer worn out by the 56-game format. The Leafs play just two more hypothesis. If the closed U.S. border was forcing the NHL to keep all games over the next six days, after which it’ll be a waiting game for the seven of its Canadian teams cordoned off in a separate division this NHL to commence the post-season. season, this while the other 24 squads played in three other self- contained loops, the possibilities felt intriguing. “The season’s been a bit of a sprint, and it’s been a bit of a grind at times. So it’s nice to have a little bit of a break,” Alex Kerfoot, the Maple At the very least, we’d see Connor McDavid a whole lot more than usual. Leafs forward, told reporters Saturday. “But I don’t think we want it to be And the unprecedented familiarity figured to breed compelling contempt. too long, anyway. I think we’re feeling good about our game right now. Our team’s playing well right now. So we’re ready for playoffs to come.” “It’s going to be a rivalry night every night,” Matthew Tkachuk of the Calgary Flames said in the lead-up to the season. If the North Division began with a considerable bang, in other words, it’s concluding with a bit of a whimper. The NHL can only hope the all- “It’s going to get heated,” said Corey Perry of the Montreal Canadiens. Canadian concept is doing what most of the NHL’s elite have been doing But as the North Division counts down the final days of the regular- for too long: waiting for the playoffs to reveal its true brilliance. season calendar, let’s face it: As much as players and coaches and scribes like this one enthusiastically speculated about how the one-off format might bring with it a potentially bottomless cauldron of simmering Toronto Star LOADED: 05.09.2021 rivalry, the seven-team all-Canada league hasn’t exactly delivered on the prophecy. It’s been more often ho-hum than dramatically heated. It appears to have sown as much ennui as it has competitive animosity.

A few months ago the prospect of 10 Maple Leafs games against the ancient rivals from Montreal had some of us gleefully hearkening back to the rugged romance of the six-team era. In retrospect maybe it ought to have been noted that regular-season hockey, no matter the era, can occasionally lack oomph. Regular-season hockey in a compressed schedule played repeatedly between the same teams who’ve been more or less locked into the same guaranteed playoff spots for weeks — let’s just say it makes an observer happy to know the post-season is nearly upon us.

Which is to say, it came and went rather quietly Saturday night, game 10 of 10 between the NHL’s oldest franchises, with the Maple Leafs beating the Canadiens 3-2 and wrapping up the division title.

Not that there haven’t been bright spots worth savouring. McDavid’s run at a 100-point campaign, Auston Matthews’s ride to the Rocket Richard Trophy — they’re both the awe-inducing stuff of ever-growing legends.

But there’ve been plenty of non-event nights over the past few months, too. Part of the problem came down to pandemic-related reality: with no fans in the building there’s no fuel for the adrenalin-based fire.

And part of that, surely, has been Toronto’s dominance, which has made their first-place reign atop the division a fait accompli from the early days of the campaign. Even before Saturday’s matchup the Leafs had wrapped up the season series. They’d outscored the Canadiens by a combined eight goals in the previous nine games. They’d taken 13 of a possible 18 points. With two games remaining on the schedule — Wednesday in Ottawa and Friday and Winnipeg — they’re guaranteed to finish the season with a winning points percentage against all six of their opponents.

If Saturday’s game didn’t exactly feel like the stuff of high stakes, maybe it was because the Canadiens have been showing plenty of health- related strain. Carey Price, the franchise goaltender, wasn’t available; he’s been out with a concussion for most of three weeks and only recently got back to skating, which means he partook in just four of the 10 matchups this season. Meanwhile, Brendan Gallagher, Montreal’s irreplaceable sparkplug, is a little more than four weeks into what the team has called a six-week recovery from a broken thumb. Shea Weber, the bedrock defenceman, missed his sixth straight game with an upper- body injury. Key forwards Phillip Danault and Paul Byron were also on the shelf with ailments.

The Leafs, a far deeper team, have their own share of rehab cases. Frederik Andersen, now a game and a half into his AHL conditioning assignment with the Marlies after playing the entirety of Saturday 1212220 Toronto Maple Leafs “We’re happy, we’ve done the waiting process, made sure people in Toronto could get it,” said Mitch Marner. “Now there’s enough doses that we’re lucky enough our team can get it.

It has been a long time between division titles for Maple Leafs Defenceman Justin Holl was also grateful.

“It’s been a year that people in general and our team specifically were walking on egg shells, making sure we didn’t get anyone sick. This is an Lance Hornby added benefit.”

Publishing date: May 08, 2021 COLLEGE CALLS KEEFE

At age 40, Sheldon Keefe is getting his degree.

Maple Leafs forwards Wayne Simmonds (left) and Mitch Marner Algonquin College is recognizing the life the Leafs coach built for himself celebrate after defeating the Montreal Canadiens on Saturday night at and others in Pembroke, Ont., and the Ottawa Valley, bestowing an Scotiabank Arena and clinching their first division title since 2000. honorary degree in recognition of his on-ice and community accomplishments. It was announced Saturday, the 10th anniversary of Some comets buzz the Earth with more frequency than the Maple Leafs Keefe leading the Pembroke Lumber Kings to the franchise’s only finish first in their division. national Jr. A championship, as owner, general manager and coach. So the Leafs and their peeps should take a little time to celebrate only While in the city where he married wife Jackie and had two boys, Keefe the fourth time they’ve led the lodge in 83 years — and just the second maintained strong bonds with the school, helping fund-raise for a new since NHL expansion. Riffing a bit on the Raptors’ ‘We The North’ they campus and a student bursary. dominated the other six Canadian teams in this year’s COVID-19 induced grouping. “While inspiring his players to great success, Sheldon has also instilled in them the value of education and the lifetime of opportunities that it can That’s no guarantee they’ll be the last team standing above the 49th provide,” the school said in its release. Parallel next month after two playoff rounds. But a winning record against every team — another 83-year first — certainly silences those who Keefe’s degree will be part of the college’s commencement ceremony predicted they’d struggle to make the top four, based on another first- June 23. round exit in July and the improvements other clubs had made. “It was an incredible honour when they called to let me know,” Keefe When the Leafs last led the Northeast Division in 1999-00, they lasted said. “I wouldn’t be here today without the support of that area and two playoff rounds. Before that it was 1963 and the second of two Algonquin is a pillar in that community.” Stanley Cups. They were a constant presence on top in the 1930s. Keefe says the journey of learning goes on for him as a coach. “Now the real work begins,” William Nylander said after the win. “It’s really just the mindset that you don’t have all the answers. And that’s FULL GAME FOR FRED okay. I think that’s an endearing quality in people I admire, they’re working hard to find the answers or relying upon others and their Will the playoff ship sail with Frederik Andersen below deck? expertise.” With his conditioning stint as a Toronto Marlie coming to crunch time, it’s As to whether he intends to still be busy in playoffs on June 23rd, Keefe important he have a ‘statement’ game, even if it’s the minors. A building said as it’s a virtual ceremony, he’ll pre-record a speech. block before his chance up top with the Leafs to prove he’s ready if called upon behind Jack Campbell in two weeks, but also as the go-to goalie LOOSE LEAFS should the unexpected occur. The Canadiens are counting on a healthier roster for which ever foe they After two goals against in a half-game Thursday following weeks with meet in the first round. Phillip Danault, their fine two-way centre is now knee-related problems, Saturday afternoon’s first full contest for the Dane diagnosed with a concussion, adding to day-to-day status of Shea Weber had mixed results. The first of 39 shots in a 5-4 shootout loss to the (upper body) and Paul Byron (lower body). Brendan Gallagher (thumb) Manitoba Moose beat him. has resumed on-ice training, as has goalie Carey Price (who suffered a concussion April 19), but has no time line for a return … TJ Brodie and He then allowed a couple from long range, was vexed by screens, Jake Muzzin have locked horns with Habs veteran Corey Perry for years surrendered the tying goal in the third period, shone at the end and in in the Western Conference and now the stage is in the East. “You know overtime, but gave up two in the tie-breaker. what type of player he is,” former Flame Brodie said. “He’ll go to the dirty “Today, I was trying to push it a little bit, push the intensity,” Andersen areas and he’s not afraid to try and draw a penalty. You have to be said. “That mindset got better and better as the game went on, playing aware of that and try not to get sucked in” … Auston Matthews is hard on every puck, just trusting I have the energy to play a full game, auctioning those designer CCM skates and stick with the Hospital For that everything I’ve done this far is going to help me. Sick Children logo that he used against Ottawa on April 10, when he had the hat trick in a 6-5 win. Proceeds support SickKids and Cystic Fibrosis “I was fighting it a little for 20, 25 minutes and got better. That’s the initiatives. Bid at www.austonsskates4sickkids.com … Sunday being reason to play these games, trying to get (managing a game) back up to Mother’s Day, Brodie was not forgetting his own. “She’s definitely been a speed. The details will come, swallowing up pucks and stuff like that.” big influence. Growing up, both parents, the sacrifices they had to make to (travel), to get you enrolled in hockey, to get you the gear, it’s Andersen now awaits word on the next move from the Leafs. He has something I wouldn’t have been able to do without them.” conditioning time to go, but the Leafs have only two games remaining. Presumably one is for Campbell, the other for either Andersen, if the salary cap will permit, or David Rittich who backs up Campbell if Andersen isn’t deemed ready. Toronto Sun LOADED: 05.09.2021

“Everyone knows the playoffs are around the corner,” Andersen said. “If I can get something extra then great, but we’ll see what happens.”

NO SHOT BLOCKS HERE

As part of Saturday’s joint NHL-NHLPA announcement that COVID-19 protocols have been modified, the Leafs will be receiving their first vaccination shots on Sunday. Teams in the U.S., where the vaccine rollout is further advanced, have been granted more leeway to get out of their restricted environments for dinners. 1212221 Toronto Maple Leafs “But as I said right from training camp, you’ve got to go through the process. When we were in a good position, we wanted to make sure we secured it. That reflects where we’re at in terms of trying our best to pull out lessons that can assist us in the playoffs. KOSHAN: Maple Leafs beat Canadiens, win division title for the first time in 21 years “Having to hang on to first place and secure first place despite the fact that we’re competing with an Oilers team that didn’t seem to lose very much, we didn’t give it back, and we found a way to get it done.

Terry Koshan “That’s a real positive sign for our team and I acknowledged that.”

Publishing date: May 08, 2021 After a dreadful first period, the Leafs got plenty of life in the second — and that was after Nick Suzuki put the Canadiens up 2-0 at 31 seconds

when he beat Campbell from a tough angle. Maple Leafs forward Mitch Marner (right) celebrates with defenceman Toronto scored three goals in a span of 111/2 minutes, with Marner Justin Holl after scoring a goal against the Canadiens in the second capping the outburst at 16:33 when he snapped a quick shot past Allen period at Scotiabank Arena in Toronto, Saturday, May 8, 2021. after Matthews beat Suzuki on the draw. Article content The goal was Marner’s 20th of the season, and all have come at even- No need to pinch yourselves, Leafs Nation. strength. Marner is six goals off his career-high of 26, done in 82 games in 2018-19. The clinch is real. Pierre Engvall, with his third goal in three games, got the Leafs on the For the first time in 21 years, the Maple Leafs will finish atop their division board at 5:02 when he swept around the net, hung on to the puck and in the regular season. scored on a shot along the ice.

That became a reality on Saturday night when the Leafs beat the At 13:36, William Nylander tied the game, extending his point streak to Montreal Canadiens 3-2 at Scotiabank Arena. seven games. Jake Muzzin’s pass from the point subtly was redirected by John Tavares to Nylander, who beat the fooled Allen. The Leafs, with 76 points, have won the North Division. The only sort-of contenders with any shot were the Edmonton Oilers, who were 10 points Canadiens defenceman Brett Kulak scored at 3:34 of the first when his behind the Leafs with four games remaining, including later Saturday shot from the point hit Muzzin and got past Campbell. night against Vancouver.

Not since 1999-2000 had the Leafs won their division, and that had been their lone regular-season division crown since the National Hockey Toronto Sun LOADED: 05.09.2021 League expanded in 1967.

Under Pat Quinn 21 years ago, the Leafs had 100 points in 82 games to take the Northeast and were led in scoring by Mats Sundin, who had 73 points in 73 games.

The 2020-21 edition, of course, is led by Mitch Marner and Auston Matthews, who have solidified themselves as NHL superstars. It was fitting that the game-winning goal was scored by Marner off a Matthews faceoff win.

“It’s a good feeling,” Marner said of the division crown. “It’s something we wanted to try to do at the start of the season, put our goal to.

“It’s not the end goal, but Step 2 of what we want to accomplish (after clinching a playoff spot) and we have to make sure we keep going with the pedal down.”

A growth in team confidence has helped Toronto to its lofty status.

“It seems like we’re going into games a little bit more confident on a daily basis,” Leafs forward Alex Kerfoot said. “The expectations are higher, our self-imposed expectations.

“We feel like we can do a lot of damage. Every team toward the end of the year feels like they have a chance, but I think that it feels a little bit more real (for the Leafs) this year.”

Jack Campbell made 21 saves for Toronto, improving to 17-2-2 and putting more substance behind the idea he should start in Game 1 of the Stanley Cup playoffs. Jake Allen stopped 23 shots for Montreal.

The Leafs and Canadiens could meet in the first round, of course, and while Montreal can play a tight game, don’t deny the Leafs’ record of 7-2- 1 against the Canadiens in this shortened hockey year.

The Leafs, 7-0-1 in their past eight games, have two games left— on Wednesday in Ottawa and on Friday in Winnipeg.

On Sunday, a full day off for the team, the Leafs will get their first vaccination shots.

Leafs coach Sheldon Keefe said his post-game message to the team in the wake of clinching was “pretty short.”

“It was just acknowledging the fact that our goal coming into the season was to put ourselves in as good a position as possible to go into the playoffs,” Keefe said. “We know what the goal is for the season and we know the hurdles we’ve got to get over and push through in the playoffs. 1212222 Toronto Maple Leafs is a real pillar in the community itself,” Keefe said. “For them to offer this to me is a great thing and I’m incredibly grateful for it.”

Maple Leafs on cusp of clinching North Division: 'We feel like we can do Toronto Sun LOADED: 05.09.2021 a lot of damage'

Terry Koshan

Publishing date: May 08, 2021

The Maple Leafs have had a growth in confidence in themselves this season and they need one point to clinch the North Division title.

It’s not a coincidence.

“This year, it seems like we’re going into games a little bit more confident on a daily basis, we have more confidence in ourselves as a group,” Leafs forward Alex Kerfoot said on Saturday morning. “The expectations are higher, our self-imposed expectations.

“We feel like we can do a lot of damage. Every team toward the end of the year feels like they have a chance, but I think that it feels a little bit more real (for the Leafs) this year.”

Going into their home game on Saturday against the Montreal Canadiens, the Leafs (34-13-6) have 74 points and three games remaining; the Edmonton Oilers (32-18-2) are in second in the division with 66 points and have four games remaining. On Saturday, the Oilers play host to the Vancouver Canucks.

Not since 1999-2000 have the Leafs won their division, and that is their lone regular-season division crown since the National Hockey League expanded in 1967.

Under Pat Quinn some 21 years ago, the Leafs had 100 points in 82 games to take the Northeast and were led in scoring by Mats Sundin, who had 73 points in 73 games.

Now, it’s the duo of Mitch Marner and Auston Matthews who have been producing reams of offence. Marner is third in NHL scoring with 66 points in 53 games; Matthews is seventh with 64 points in 49 games, and his 40 goals have him on track to win the Rocket Richard Trophy.

There’s not much of an argument against the idea that this Leafs group has taken steps forward on the mental side. Notably, their record in games tied after two periods is 9-2-1.

With teams in the division trying to make a late-season push, the Leafs are 6-0-1 in their past seven.

“Over the course of the season, you go through ups and downs, but I think where we’ve remained consistent is the commitment defensively,” coach Sheldon Keefe said. “There is a comfort in defending leads and playing with leads. Not every game has gone the way that we want it to, and at times we’ve slipped a bit and given up leads.

“For the most part, that has been done with a good process and maybe a bad break here or there or something of that nature, not because we’re cheating the game or because we’re not responsible. Our confidence in playing in those types of games, and understanding the importance of closing out those games has been important in where I’ve seen the growth.

“The team, right from training camp, you could tell it was going to have great chemistry with the energy of the group. It has continued to grow.”

Leafs veteran forward Joe Thornton will be looking to extend his point streak to eight games on Saturday night.

Keefe, meanwhile, will be awarded an honorary degree by Algonquin College at its convocation ceremony on June 23, the school announced on Saturday.

Keefe noted the ceremony will be virtual and he will pre-record his segment in the next few days. There won’t be any chance of it conflicting with a possible Leafs playoff game.

“My connection to the city of Pembroke and the Lumber Kings and the Ottawa Valley in general is a very strong one, and I certainly wouldn’t be here today without the support of that community, and Algonquin College 1212223 Toronto Maple Leafs Until, he just, y’know, went for it: I’m a fan of Engvall not overthinking things and being a little more direct

with his play. He made a similar play after his goal, which is a sign of his Maple Leafs report cards: Mitch Marner leads Toronto to first division title confidence growing. in 21 years with win over Canadiens He was effective with the puck, in a way we haven’t seen enough from him this season. He’s one of the players whose spot in the lineup come playoff time isn’t necessarily assured but more efforts to move with By Joshua Kloke purpose like he did Saturday night helps his cause.

May 9, 2021 He was second among all Leafs with 77 percent 5-on-5 expected goals.

A

The last time the Maple Leafs won their division back in 2000, some of Morgan Rielly (LD, No. 44): Rielly had a really active game: He was the team’s most dominant young players, such as Mitch Marner, were not blocking shots early on, making responsible defensive decisions yet in kindergarten. (including a really active stick) and his work to put the puck into good spots was noticeable. But on the strength of Marner’s big night, the best Leafs team in a generation has added another division title to the Leafs record books. I know I’ve been banging the Rielly drum lately but playing a largely error-free game right now is a good sign heading into the playoffs. With a 3-2 win over the Montreal Canadiens, the Leafs clinched just their second division title since 1938 on Saturday. T.J. Brodie (RD, No. 78): “Mr. Consistent,” as Keefe called him earlier this week, lived up to his name with strong, responsible plays at both “We’re happy. This was a goal of ours. Obviously it’s not the end goal. ends of the ice. He was creating turnovers and playing with a bit of a It’s step two done,” said Marner. physical edge, especially to make up for the odd bad play here and there. And the excitement in the team was evident postgame. Auston Matthews (C, No. 34): Great jump from the first shift from “It’s unbelievable, honestly,” Wayne Simmonds said. “Growing up in Matthews. He was one of the few Leafs who looked to maintain some Scarborough and watching the Leafs, I don’t know if I even remember the intensity early on. He held off Canadiens players behind the goal and Leafs winning their division.” won 16 of 23 face-offs, which obviously benefitted his buddy Marner.

A sloppy first period in which the Leafs managed just four shots was not One assist and four shots against the Canadiens. a sign of things to come. The Leafs rebounded with a controlled A- performance for most of the second and third periods. Jake Muzzin (LD, No. 8): A few decent passes and defensive plays from With three goals in the second period, they overcame a 2-0 deficit. Muzzin. Perhaps not the best start from Muzzin, but you could say that “That’s an area where our team grew this season: These types of games about a few Leafs. He recovered well, looked decisive and had an assist. didn’t get away from us,” said Sheldon Keefe postgame. “Credit to our William Nylander (RW, No. 88): Nylander undoubtedly won some fans team for responding.” before the game: On to the observations… Nylander looked fine in the first period, though his second period was a Player reports little weird:

1st star: Mitch Marner (RW, No. 16): If the playoff trend gives way But he tracked this puck well and his goal tied the game and really swung to the playoff in Toronto this spring, we have patient zero… the momentum back in the Leafs’ favour:

Marner has every right to be confident with his hairstyle because he’s He did well to evade Canadiens in the offensive zone and was fairly playing with otherworldly confidence right now. dangerous with the puck on his stick. His third period tripping penalty in the offensive zone, however, was not one he needed to take. Take his game-winning goal, for example. B+ I’m going to assume the two friends have been wanting to try and pull something like this off, and then: Ilya Mikheyev (RW, No. 65): Mikheyev did some good things on the penalty kill and showed excellent poise with the puck. He didn’t log a Marner looked a little more eager to shoot the puck against the point but did lead the Leafs with 80 percent 5-on-5 expected goals. Canadiens, though he did end up with just two shots. He was both creative and decisive and had his stick in all the right places on the Ben Hutton (LD, No. 55): Hutton broke the puck out cleanly in just his penalty kill. He was tops among all forwards with 21:19 minutes played. second game with the Leafs. He had two shots on net in the first period, more than any other Leaf, which should tell you how that period went for During the game, I thought back to before the season, when there was a the team. consensus among Leafs writers that if Marner got back to the fun-loving approach he showed in his rookie season, his game would benefit. That He ended up throwing his weight around, moved with some pace and did looks to have been the case. well considering he’s essentially an insurance option at this point in the season. 2nd star: Jack Campbell (G, No. 36): Campbell had no chance to see the Canadiens’ first goal. B

He had every chance to see the second goal, and Nick Suzuki’s shot Alex Kerfoot (C, No. 15): While Kerfoot wasn’t all that involved should have been swatted away. offensively, he did draw a penalty and played with decent energy, particularly on the penalty kill. I thought his good positioning down a man After those two goals against, Campbell rebounded and made the saves was at least part of the reason why the Canadiens looked stifled on the he had to from in close. That’s really become his calling card over this power play. most recent stretch. It’s that typical composure that will make him the starter in Game 1 of the playoffs. (LW, No. 19): Not a great start for Spezza. He got tied up along the boards, which, in part, allowed the puck to break free and be Keefe has spoken a lot lately, in a not-so-subtle manner, about the controlled by the Canadiens ahead of their first goal. He then sent a blind confidence he has in the team’s goaltending. Campbell stopped 21 of 23 pass into the middle of the ice that led to the Canadiens getting shots. possession.

3rd star: Pierre Engvall (LW, No. 47): Talk about flipping a switch. He recovered late in the period with some smart passing and logged the primary assist on the Engvall goal. Kudos to the veteran for keeping a Early on, I thought Engvall, once again, moved really well through the level head and not letting the game get away from him. He looked really neutral zone. And, once again, there wasn’t a lot that came of it. smooth from the second period onwards, winning six of seven faceoffs. John Tavares (C, No. 91): Some aggressive stickhandling in his own zone helped the Leafs maintain possession of the puck and evade pressure. Tavares had the primary assist on Nylander’s goal and has points in 14 of his last 17 games.

Justin Holl (RD, No. 3): Holl’s lack of decisiveness with the puck on his stick after he came out of the penalty box in the first period was evident. But otherwise, he moved the puck well and led all Leafs defencemen in expected goals. He added an assist.

Also, Holl is on #TeamMullet, which speaks to his smarts.

B-

Travis Dermott (LD, No. 23): Lots of great movement offensively and a keen interest in getting the puck on net. He was beat a few times defensively, though. I’d like to see him get in the lineup for at least Game 1 of the playoffs, given how well he’s played in the third-pair role this season and how he’s overcome the early season tests he faced from Keefe.

Alex Galchenyuk (LW, No. 12): Good effort from Galchenyuk to stand up Canadiens in the neutral zone and allow his linemates to regain possession of the puck.

Joe Thornton (LW, No. 97): I thought Thornton made some decent plays against the Canadiens, sending no-look passes to the dangerous areas of the ice.

C+

Wayne Simmonds (LW, No. 24): Something tells me the Wayne Train is going to pick up a lot more steam in a playoff series against the Canadiens.

C

Adam Brooks (C, No. 77): Outside of a few plays close to goal, Brooks wasn’t that noticeable. Yes, he only played 10:32, but games like this one slow down the “Brooks should be in the playoff lineup” train.

Game Score

Game Score is a metric developed by The Athletic’s Dom Luszczyszyn to quickly measure a player’s performance in a single game.

Heat map

Natural Stat Trick helps us out with a snapshot of where the shots were coming from Saturday:

Final grade: B+

Outside of the first period, the Leafs once again dominated the game.

Now, it’s easy to get swept up in postgame superlatives at times, and I can be accused of having done that this season. But that said…

The Leafs cranked up their intensity and precision when they needed to and looked good defensively after the first period, in a way they haven’t over the past few seasons. And all along, it was fairly evident they still didn’t even have to hit that next gear.

There’s the implications of the win: The Leafs winning the division speaks to a consistency that has evaded them. Being more consistent was one of their goals coming into the season, and at least in the regular season, they’ve done so.

I know this team will be judged by what they achieve in the playoffs and rightly so.

“We know what the goal is for the season,” said Keefe.

But looking at the regular season is it not fair to call this Leafs team right there, if not better, than the best Leafs teams in recent memory? It would not surprise me if, years from now, there are young players who look up to this Leafs team and speak of these players with the same reverence others do about Doug Gilmour and Mats Sundin. They’ve been that exciting, and dominant, all season.

Anyway, enough of my sap. “Always listen to Dom” is what I should have written.

The Athletic LOADED: 05.09.2021 1212224 Toronto Maple Leafs Ben, I think, has really benefited from that perspective of continuing to work on his game and on his body.”

For all of Hutton’s gregariousness off the ice, Shore saw him exude a Meet Ben Hutton, the Maple Leafs’ ‘happy-go-lucky’ playoff insurance on calmness on it. defence “He had a high panic threshold,” said Shore, “So he made really nice plays on the breakout.”

By Jonas Siegel and Joshua Kloke It’s what Malloy envisioned when he suggested that Hutton change positions around 2010, while he was still in Kemptville, from centre to May 8, 2021 defence.

Hutton was all for it. Wherever you think I’m gonna play the most, let’s go! Like most everyone else, Pat Malloy couldn’t help but laugh when he saw the now-viral video of Ben Hutton careening around the stage at a Malloy believed Hutton was at his best when the game was in front of Vancouver Canucks rookie dinner, enthusiastically lip-syncing his way him, when he could peer up the ice and spot opportunities. And because through Aqua’s “Barbie Girl.” he got around the ice well for a bigger guy — he’s listed today at 6-foot-2 and more than 200 pounds — he was bound to help the breakout. Malloy coached Hutton when he was a teenager with the Kemptville 73’s of the CCHL and has worked with him more recently over the years as a “People in the game of hockey knew that, ‘Jeez, there’s something here, development coach. this guy can go in, he’s got two forecheckers on him, and he’ll come out with the puck,’” Malloy said. That was Hutton in a nutshell. Among the opponents for Hutton, Malloy and the 73’s at that time: a “He’s that character within a room, within a club, within your circle, that dominant Pembroke Lumber Kings squad coached by Keefe. can just get you smiling,” Malloy said. Hutton’s conversion to defence went so well that he drew a scholarship And that’s at least a part of what made the 28-year-old attractive to to the , where he shared a dorm room with Shore. Maple Leafs GM before the trade deadline last month. When friends or teammates would visit, Hutton was always the one doing The priority in bringing Hutton aboard from Anaheim — the Maple Leafs the talking. got him in exchange for a fifth-round pick in the 2022 draft — was the “He’s a very social guy. He loves being around people,” said Shore. experienced assurance he offered the team in case of injury on the back end. But Dubas also voiced a desire to add players who would only help, But for all the fun Shore saw Hutton have off the ice at Maine, he noticed not hurt, a dressing room chemistry that had been finely tuned following something he never really saw at the World Jr. A Challenge. offseason additions such as Joe Thornton and Wayne Simmonds. Hutton could flip a switch and turn on his intensity for games at a Hutton met the mark. moment’s notice.

“I think the first thing I like is just his personality,” Sheldon Keefe said of Looking for players who were close to being pro-ready, the Canucks and first impressions of Hutton, who will play for the Leafs on Saturday their GM at the time, , used a fifth-round pick on Hutton at the against Montreal. “He’s another guy that’s pretty easygoing — things 2012 draft. don’t rattle or bother him too much. After three seasons in Maine, Hutton was a surprise addition to the 2015- “He’s a good teammate and a good guy to have around in that sense.” 16 Canucks and led the team’s defenders in scoring as a rookie.

Devin Shore didn’t know much about Ben Hutton before they met as “He could move the puck,” , then the coach of the teammates for Team Canada East at the 2011 Canucks, said of Hutton. “He’s able to defend, and he’s got enough size in Langley, B.C. They came from opposite ends of Ontario and played on to defend as well.” opposite ends of the ice. Yet Hutton’s energy was contagious, and the more reserved Shore found himself gravitating toward the always-smiling Ben Hutton had 70 points in 276 games with the Canucks. (Sergei Belski defenceman more and more during the tournament. / USA Today)

“He doesn’t take himself too seriously,” said Shore, now an Edmonton The Canucks suggested that Hutton room with edgy veteran defenceman Oilers forward. Chris Tanev, who quickly got a taste for Hutton’s zest for living.

What Shore was seeing was the same person Malloy saw in Kemptville: “Life of the party is definitely a good way to put it,” Tanev said. “Ben was one who never had a bad day. happy every day he went to the rink. With his energy and enthusiasm, everyone around him could feel that and thrive off it.” “At a young age, it might have come off as immature, but it’s his personality,” said Malloy. Hutton would follow Tanev’s lead throughout the season, acting as Tanev’s sous chef when cooking. Days off were spent outdoors as much Despite not knowing many people on the team, Hutton was quick with a as possible, playing volleyball, basketball and spike ball. Hutton’s natural prank or a joke, and he never minded being the butt of teammates’ jokes athleticism made them favourites in any team tournament. as well. Though the tournament was only a week long, Hutton’s lightheartedness, and ease in communicating with everyone on the team, One immovable part of Hutton’s routine was his love of the hot tub at the helped bring the players on Canada East together in the dressing room. apartment they shared. He sometimes went for a dip multiple times a day and had to be pried away from it. “He always just made a fun, memorable environment,” said Shore. On the ice, as with most young defencemen in the league, Hutton Still, balancing his lightheartedness with the competitiveness needed to struggled to sort out the defensive side of things early on. His offensive climb the hockey ladder did not come easy to Hutton. inclinations at college, including 15 goals as a sophomore, meant he had some catching up to do in the NHL. But with that ever-positive mindset “That was always the challenge for him was to be who you are but came a willingness to learn, in Desjardins’ estimation. recognize when it’s time to dig in and tighten up the grip a little bit and bear down on some things,” Malloy said. Hutton averaged 20 minutes per game during his time with the Canucks.

Hutton better understood that balance, Malloy observed, once he began “We would always work on things like how tight your gap is, your training in the offseason with a group of NHL players that includes positioning in the defensive zone, but his understanding for the game Philadelphia Flyers captain and former Hart Trophy finalist Claude was good, so he picked things up quickly,” Desjardins said. Giroux. Malloy said Giroux treats every day like an underdog, with an attention to detail and improvement that’s rubbed off on Hutton. Desjardins wanted more from him — and got it.

“Claude’s a little bit more of a serious and stern guy,” said Malloy. “When “I think to become an elite player, he probably had to start working at the it’s time to work, it’s time to work. When it’s time for fun, it’s time for fun. game a little bit harder. But I think he managed those things,” said Desjardins. “He’d always do everything we asked for. Those are good qualities.”

Hutton never lost his appreciation for playing in the NHL, even as his role with the Canucks wavered. The club eventually declined to qualify him after his fourth season. Hutton has spent the past two seasons playing in California, for the Ducks more recently and the Los Angeles Kings before that.

The smile that rarely leaves his face for long has made him an easy fit in the Leafs dressing room, just as Dubas hoped.

“You can’t change who you are, right?” said Shore. “And he’s not forcing it. If he was forcing it, guys would see right through it. But he’s naturally a very happy-go-lucky guy, and whether you’re quiet or loud, if you’re just being yourself, I think everyone can have respect for that.”

At full strength, Hutton is essentially the eighth option on the Leafs defensive depth chart — behind the likes of Zach Bogosian (when healthy), and 21-year-old sensation Rasmus Sandin.

He’s insurance in case of injuries, a better option at playoff time than Martin Marincin, who was forced into action last August when Jake Muzzin got hurt.

Hutton is inching closer to 400 games played.

In Hutton’s one game for the Maple Leafs, he played 22:04. (Dan Hamilton / USA Today)

The opportunity to play a part, potentially, on a team with Stanley Cup aspirations could be helpful to Hutton’s future prospects in the NHL — which have been tenuous in recent years. The 2020-21 season was already underway in January when Hutton finally got a one-year deal from the Ducks worth $950,000.

It was a similar story in the fall of 2019, with the Kings signing him to a one-year deal after training camp began.

His future could change if, after six seasons, he plays in his first-ever playoff game and gives the Leafs a boost when they need it.

Not surprisingly, it’s an opportunity that makes Hutton light up, flash a smile and speak about with almost palpable positivity.

“That’s every kid’s dream, right?” said Hutton. “Growing up in Ontario, I’ve always dreamed of playing playoff hockey, or scoring that big goal in the playoffs. That’s what everyone dreams about. And now, I finally get a chance to do that. I can’t wait.”

The Athletic LOADED: 05.09.2021

1212225 Vegas Golden Knights “I attribute it to depth,” DeBoer said of the team’s record in back-to- backs. “It starts in net. The fact we can roll out a fresh goalie has been critical to us getting those points.”

Reilly Smith, Golden Knights clinch home ice for first round LAS VEGAS REVIEW JOURNAL LOADED: 05.09.2021

By Ben Gotz

May 8, 2021 - 9:42 PM

Updated May 8, 2021 - 10:31 PM

Golden Knights right wing Reilly Smith isn’t having his best offensive season, but he’s heating up at an opportune time.

Smith scored three times, including an empty-net goal, for his first NHL hat trick in the Knights’ 4-1 win over the St. Louis Blues on Saturday night at T-Mobile Arena.

The victory, the team’s second in two days against the Blues, clinched home-ice advantage in the first round of the playoffs. It also moved the Knights into a tie with Carolina for the most points in the NHL standings with 80.

They have two games remaining and the Hurricanes one.

“We’re trying to get home-ice advantage, and finishing first in the league will guarantee us that every round, so we’re trying to push,” left wing William Carrier said. “The big thing is getting prepared for the playoffs. You don’t want to walk in there and have your game kind of lazy. So we’re just trying to dial in our game and win the last two here.”

Coach Pete DeBoer said before the series started Friday that he thought the Blues would try to send a message since the two sides are likely to meet in the playoffs. St. Louis is locked into fourth in the West Division after earning a point in its 4-3 overtime loss Friday.

The Knights ended up sending a message of their own: Good luck if that ends up happening. They swept the two games to improve to 6-1-1 against the Blues.

Smith was one of the Knights’ chief couriers with a goal in the first period and two in the third. He’s scored five times in the past three games after scoring nine goals in his first 48.

“I’ve been putting the puck on net all year, but it seems like it hasn’t been until the last five or six games where I’m starting to get some bounces my way,” said Smith, who noted it took him only 628 NHL games to score a hat trick. “Like my first goal, it wouldn’t have gone in if I tried it 99 other times. It’s nice to finally get some bounces, and it’s coming at the right time.”

Smith’s offensive contributions were more than enough during a game in which the Knights’ defense played well for large stretches.

The Knights allowed a season-low three shots on goal in the first period, which allowed the team to build a 2-0 lead with goals from Smith and center Chandler Stephenson.

Smith added another goal to start the third after Blues defenseman Colton Parayko cut the deficit to 2-1 with 36.3 seconds remaining in the second. Smith’s empty-net goal with 49 seconds left sealed the win. The announced crowd of 7,567 did its part by throwing a few hats on the ice.

“We need him to heat up, and it’s the right time of year to be heating up,” DeBoer said. “He stuck with it, and pucks are starting to go in, and that’s a good sign heading to the playoffs.”

The defensive effort meant Marc-Andre Fleury didn’t need to sweat much throughout the first two periods to earn his eighth straight victory. He did make 13 saves in the third period. He hasn’t allowed more than two goals since April 7.

One of the few negatives for the Knights was that rookie forward Peyton Krebs was hit in the face with a shot in the second period and did not return.

That still didn’t do much to dampen the Knights’ spirits as they improved to 8-0-1 in the second game of a back-to-back and inched closer to the West Division title and Presidents’ Trophy. 1212226 Vegas Golden Knights Because an octopus has eight arms, two brothers chose it as the symbol of the team’s championship quest and tossed one on the ice at the start of the team’s playoff run.

How the Golden Knights Victory Flamingo became a sensation The Red Wings swept the Toronto Maple Leafs and the Montreal Canadiens.

A legend was born. By Jason Bracelin Other NHL teams followed suit, such as the Nashville Predators, whose May 8, 2021 - 6:23 PM fans took to tossing catfish onto the ice.

Updated May 8, 2021 - 9:38 PM Not coincidentally, Johnson has ties to both.

He was living in Nashville, Tennessee, when the city got its NHL franchise in 1998, and his first hockey game was the Predators’ second. A Victory Flamingo captured on the big screen at a Golden Knights game. (Drew Johnson) The Predators had a large band of Red Wings die-hards in their fan base, in part because of a Saturn car plant that had opened in Nashville, They were on a little losing streak during a season of little losing. staffed with relocated auto workers from Detroit. The Vegas Golden Knights had dropped two in a row during the best- “There’s this big Red Wings contingent,” Johnson recalls of Predators ever inaugural campaign of any expansion team in North American games back in the day, “and when we would play the Red Wings, they professional sports history. would throw the octopus. Then Nashville sort of came back with the idea It was March 2018, and the Calgary Flames were in town, burning with of the rally catfish to offset the octopus. That’s what kind of put it in my vengeance after having lost their two previous games against the home mind,” says Johnson, who relocated to Las Vegas with his wife, Sarah team. Johnson, in 2015. “This new team in Las Vegas needs something to throw on the ice to rally the team or signify a win.” Something had to be done to halt this mini-skid, and season ticket holder Drew Johnson had a plan. Naturally.

The game was underway. The Knights scored first. But what to throw?

Out came the pink flamingo Johnson had brought to T-Mobile Arena after Definitely something less slimy and more humane than the much deliberation. aforementioned creatures.

He hurled it onto the ice. “I was always sort of troubled that you would throw a dead animal on the ice, kind of kill an animal for no reason,” Johnson explains. “I tossed it during the celebration of the goal,” Johnson recalls in a Southern twang that reveals his Tennessee origins. “I actually threw it on “Obviously, the idea of throwing a showgirl wasn’t going to work. Hard to the ice as a rally flamingo. That was the original idea, to try to break the clear the glass with a person.” losing streak.” He and his wife kept deliberating. The Knights caught fire that evening. They wanted something Vegasy, something kitschy, fun and mildly corny. Ryan Reaves notched one of his most replayed, highlight-reel hits. They thought about fuzzy dice or cards but didn’t want anything too gambling-centric or adult-themed. Marc-Andre Fleury earned a shutout. “My wife and I kept coming back to the flamingo,” Johnson recalls. scored a hat trick. He bought his first one at Star Nursery, the kind with googly eyes that The Knights extinguished the Flames. Johnson likes.

“It seemed to kind of spur something good,” Johnson says. “And then we Now, it took a minute for T-Mobile Arena staffers to warm up to all the went on a little winning streak.” flamingo tossing Johnson inspired.

The rally flamingo became the Victory Flamingo, and a tradition was “After the first toss, a couple of times after that, it was difficult bringing born. them in,” he says. “Folks had to get creative. There were definitely some flamingos that were mashed down and put in the back of peoples’ pants And, oh, how it’s grown since. and down jerseys.” Nowadays, fans bring scads of the brightly colored totems to every But after meeting with team officials before the Knights’ second season game, home and away. They dress like flamingos, come clad in flamingo and explaining his intentions, Johnson saw a change in attitude from hats and socks. arena staffers. The Knights gift shop carries flamingo merch; the Victory Flamingo even They used to ask him to leave the venue after throwing a flamingo. Now has its own Twitter page. they give him high-fives. Tossing the Victory Flamingo after a win has become this communal The flamingo takes flight thing, a symbol of a city united by sport, a symbol every bit as bright and bold and over-the-top as Las Vegas. Johnson tossed out a flamingo in Minnesota the other night.

“I actually think it’s one of the cooler things the fans do,” says Knights It was after the Knights’ wild win against the Wild on Wednesday. season ticketholder Patrick Trout. “It’s part of the whole environment and experience that the Vegas Golden Knights have built. It’s such a Vegas He and his wife travel to roughly a quarter of the Knights’ road games, thing to do.” with the goal of eventually visiting every arena in the league.

It all began with a deceased mollusk They’ve taken the Victory Flamingo with them.

Before there were plastic pink flamingos in Vegas, there were dead Johnson has thrown one in ’s storied Madison Square octopuses in Detroit. Garden, in Winnipeg during the series-clinching win when the Knights earned a trip to the Stanley Cup Final in 2018. The time-honored tradition of hurling stuff onto the ice dates to the 1952 NHL playoffs. This season’s Stanley Cup playoffs could start as early as Saturday, and the Knights are in first place in the West Division. The Detroit Red Wings needed to win two best-of-seven series, a total of eight games, to take home the Stanley Cup. Generally, Johnson says he isn’t hassled by workers or fans at other arenas — though he hasn’t always been greeted so kindly on the home turf of the New York Islanders, the St. Louis Blues or the San Jose Sharks, bitter rivals of the Knights.

“Most folks look the other way,” he notes. “Or they say, ‘Man, I hope you don’t get to use that tonight.’ ”

He’s particularly proud that the tradition has taken root all over the NHL landscape, regardless of whether he and his wife have visited there.

“There are arenas that we’ve never been to, and we’ll sit at home and see the flamingo being tossed,” he says. “That’s really fun.”

The tradition lives on.

Season ticket holder Corey Nyman recently caught a Knights game against the Arizona Coyotes in Phoenix, where the Victory Flamingo made an appearance.

“It was awesome,” Nyman recalls. “The fact that someone is making sure a Victory Flamingo hits the ice every game that the Knights win — even on the road — that’s a testament to how much this team has been embraced around the entire league.”

For Johnson, the Victory Flamingo is also a means of bridging the gap between spectators and the athletes they’re cheering on.

“Fans can’t go on the ice and celebrate with the players after they win,” he says. “Throwing that flamingo is sort of a way that fans can say, ‘We appreciate you. We know how hard you’re working on the ice.’ It’s a way for fans to almost celebrate on the ice with the players.”

There’s another dimension to Johnson’s appreciation for what the Victory Flamingo has come to represent.

As a political media member who’s written for several publications, including the Review-Journal, he’s immersed in the contentiousness of the left-right divide.

The Victory Flamingo gives him — and the rest of us — a break from all that.

It’s as nonpartisan as it is pink.

“In my job, where it’s media and politics and people who don’t like each other, the thing that I think I love the most about the flamingo is that when we’re on social media, when we have it in the arena, the flamingo is so pure,” he explains. “It’s not political. It’s not negative. It’s a way for people to sort of look beyond the day-to-day differences and realize that we all support the same team, we all love the same city.

“It’s always positive. Unless we’re talking about the Sharks.”

LAS VEGAS REVIEW JOURNAL LOADED: 05.09.2021 1212227 Vegas Golden Knights

Silver Knights soak in experience of playing at T-Mobile Arena

By David Schoen

May 8, 2021 - 5:35 PM

The Silver Knights played their first game at the home of their parent club and came away with a 5-3 victory over the before an announced crowd of 3,830. (@BenSGotz/Twitter)

Nearly half of the Silver Knights’ current roster already skated at T-Mobile Arena, whether it was an NHL regular-season game or in the preseason.

In the case of Jack Dugan and Layton Ahac, their experience came during a college touranament.

That didn’t make Saturday any less special.

The Knights played their first game at the home of their parent club and came away with a 5-3 victory over the San Jose Barracuda before an announced crowd of 3,830.

“We’ve had that circled on our calendar for a long time,” coach Manny Viveiros said. “You could even tell this week during practice there was an extra jump in our step, too. Obviously this is where all these kids want to be and eventually play full time here. It was good for them to have that experience.”

Pavel Dorofeyev scored twice, including a power-play goal to put the Knights on top 4-2 in the third period. Jack Dugan added an empty-net goal to seal his team’s second straight victory.

Cody Glass finished with a goal and two assists to help keep the Knights in first place in the Pacific Division by points percentage with four games remaining.

The teams meet again Tuesday at Orleans Arena before the Knights host second-place Bakersfield in a three-game series to close out the regular season.

“I think that might be a bit of a war,” forward Ben Jones said.

The Knights are fighting for the top seed and home-ice advantage throughout the postseason tournament to decide the champion of the Pacific Division.

The American Hockey League announced Friday that fourth- through seventh-place finishers will participate in a single-elimination tournament May 18 and 19 with the winner advancing to the best-of-three semifinals.

“We’re trying to get as high as we can and get more team points,” Dorofeyev said through a translator. “In this situation, the more games we can play, the more experience we’re going to have. It’s going to be really interesting, especially for us first time in the American Hockey League to feel that atmosphere to play in playoffs.”

Pucks on net

The Silver Knights ranked 21st out of 28 teams in shots on goal per game (27.29) entering Saturday but adjusted their philosophy in an effort to test goalies more often.

Starting with the 44-shot effort in an overtime win at San Diego on April 25, the Knights averaged 37.3 shots on goal in the past four games while going 2-2.

“When we shoot pucks we seem to retrieve them pretty quickly,” Jones said. “I think we just decided that we were going to try to get more pucks to the net and play a meat-and-potatoes style of game rather than try and make the pretty backdoor pass that sometimes doesn’t end up working out well.”

LAS VEGAS REVIEW JOURNAL LOADED: 05.09.2021 1212228 Vegas Golden Knights Lehner reiterated his stance that mental health has been overlooked across society — not just the NHL — during the coronavirus pandemic and was looking forward to having an outlet.

Lehner, Knights could get NHL COVID protocol changes for playoffs “Hockey playoffs are coming up now. It’s not like you’re going out on safari,” Lehner said. “But get a little mental break without restriction, go out and do things. Plan some things with the family or meet with friends and whatever it is you need to do to get some mental release or just in By David Schoen general feel some optimism and looking forward to good things and the May 8, 2021 - 11:43 am world turning around again is huge for your mental health.”

Updated May 8, 2021 - 3:20 PM LAS VEGAS REVIEW JOURNAL LOADED: 05.09.2021

Robin Lehner did not feel a sense of vindication Saturday after the NHL announced it would relax COVID protocols for fully vaccinated teams in the postseason.

The Golden Knights goaltender criticized the league and NHL Players’ Association last month and accused them of lying that looser restrictions would be instituted after players were vaccinated against COVID-19.

“We have known what’s going on all along. I haven’t said anything differently,” Lehner told the Review-Journal. “I just wanted it to happen and I wanted to speak out about it, not just for us as everyone that works with the NHL but everyone in the world right now that is developing serious (mental health) issues.”

The NHL sent out a memo to teams Friday saying its COVID-19 restrictions will be loosened during the playoffs if 85 percent of the team’s traveling party (which includes coaches, trainers and other personnel) are vaccinated.

Among the changes: Players can have small gatherings, visit the hotel room of another fully vaccinated person and even go golfing as a group. They can eat at outdoor restaurants and can dine indoors if they are separated from other guests.

The PCR tests for COVID-19 will no longer be required on off days, either.

Lehner, who said he has received the vaccine, posted a video on Twitter of a panda climbing the bars of an enclosure after the news came out. It’s unknown if the Knights have reached the 85 percent threshold.

“I just think it’s a good time going into the playoffs to have a little bit more relaxed and be able to get some release and just have some normalcy around each other again,” Lehner said. “Just the general optimism of things turning around I think will be good for a lot of people. It’s nice it’s happening.”

Lehner, who has spoken publicly about his bipolar I diagnosis and previous struggles with substance abuse, blasted the league and union at the end of his media availability on April 21.

Among the accusations made by Lehner during his passionate, 11- minute speech was that players were promised COVID protocols would change if enough were vaccinated. He also accused the league of putting “competitive edge over human lives.”

The NHL denied Lehner’s assertion that any promises were made about protocol changes. Lehner later posted a screenshot of changes to the NBA’s policy for vaccinated players that he said NHL players were shown.

According to the current NHL protocols, players are largely confined to their homes, hotel rooms and ice rinks except for essential activities and emergencies. They also undergo daily COVID-19 testing.

The NHL’s update to its protocols mirror what Lehner said players were told would happen while they considered whether to be vaccinated.

“It’s not a position I want to put myself in,” Lehner said. “We have hockey and all types of things to focus on and it can be seen as a distraction and it’s controversy, and you don’t want controversy when you play in a pressured, performance game. Sometimes what you stand for and what you believe in and people’s health must come first, and I wanted to speak out because I see how this is affecting so many people.”

Lehner said he was not part of the conversations that took place about the new protocols except for a few text messages. The first time he heard about the NHL’s memo was after Friday’s game, and Lehner said he learned the specifics Saturday morning. 1212229 Vegas Golden Knights “As D men, we’re always looking to be more involved,” Hague said. “We try to be involved as much as we can. That’s kind of our mindset and my mindset every night.”

Golden Knights’ OT domination might be how the West was won 3. Rare shorty

Blues center Ryan O’Reilly scored a short-handed goal in the first period, the second one the Knights have allowed this season. By Ben Gotz That’s tied for the third-fewest in the NHL. St. Louis and the New York May 8, 2021 - 7:00 am Islanders have allowed none. The Knights’ other short-handed goal allowed was Jan. 18 in the third game of the season against the Arizona

Coyotes. The Golden Knights’ West Division banner should come with a special LAS VEGAS REVIEW JOURNAL LOADED: 05.09.2021 inscription if the team holds on to win the title.

“Brought to you by three-on-three.”

The Knights are in the driver’s seat in the West because they’ve been impossible to beat in overtime. Friday’s 4-3 victory over the St. Louis Blues at T-Mobile Arena improved their record to 9-0 when a game is decided by three-on-three.

The second-place Colorado Avalanche are 4-3 and the third-place Minnesota Wild 6-4. The Knights’ extra wins are one reason they’re four points clear of Colorado and five of Minnesota.

“I don’t know what it is,” coach Pete DeBoer said. “It’s definitely not coaching or practice because we haven’t done either this year. The guys just got a confidence level early when we scored some goals in overtime early and got some saves at the right time. Now it’s almost an expectation when they hop over the boards that we’re going to get a win.”

The Knights are comfortable at three-on-three despite how frenetic overtimes can be.

Friday’s featured several scoring chances both ways before left wing Jonathan Marchessault ended the game with 17.7 seconds remaining.

Goaltender Robin Lehner made three saves, including stopping a breakaway by Mike Hoffman and a two-on-one with Robert Thomas. The Knights never blinked.

Friday was their second overtime victory over the Blues and fifth against another playoff team. Those extra points have put them in a position to secure home ice advantage in the first two rounds of the postseason and possibly beyond.

“We’ve been great in overtime all year,” defenseman Nic Hague said. “(Marchessault) gets a break there and buries it. It’s pretty exciting and definitely nice to get that win.”

Here are three other takeaways from the win:

1. Krebs’ home debut

It was hard not to notice Knights rookie Peyton Krebs in his first game at T-Mobile Arena.

The 20-year-old’s easy stride stood out. His vision was impressive. His spark prompted DeBoer to move him from third-line center to first-line left wing between the first and second period.

DeBoer said the switch was made because he wanted to see how Krebs, who is a left-shot but can play all three forward positions, looked on the wing before the playoffs. He contributed to a goal when he screened goaltender Jordan Binnington on defenseman Alec Martinez’s point shot late in the second period.

Krebs played 14:56, including 1:15 on the power play. His ice time has gone up in each of his first three games.

“I can’t say enough about that guy and how he’s stepped in and made a big impact on our club,” Martinez said.

2. Hague contributes

Hague had gone 15 games without a point before Friday’s game.

He broke that rut in a major way. Hague had two assists for the fourth multipoint game of his career and earned them by being aggressive. He set up right wing Reilly Smith for the Knights’ first goal by coming off the blue line and making himself available in the middle of the ice.

He helped on the team’s game-tying goal in the third period by going to the net and creating chaos with his 6-foot-6-inch frame. 1212230 Vegas Golden Knights “We talked a month ago about making sure that when we got Colorado to town at the end of the season that that game meant something and we had to do an awful lot of work over the last four, five weeks in order to make that happen and we did,” DeBoer said. “We’ll worry about the Golden Knights overwhelm Blues in potential playoff preview playoffs after Monday night. Right now that’s the biggest game of the year.”

LAS VEGAS SUN LOADED: 05.09.2021 By Justin Emerson

Saturday, May 8, 2021 | 10:51 p.m.

If the Golden Knights’ first-round opponent in the playoffs is indeed the St. Louis Blues, they can look at Saturday night’s performance and feel like they have an edge.

Vegas held the Blues to just eight shots through the initial two periods — none in almost 16 minutes to open the game — and Reilly Smith provided the offense with his first career hat trick in a 4-1 win at T-Mobile Arena.

The Golden Knights are scratching and clawing in the final games of the regular season not only to win the West Division, but also the Presidents’ Trophy as the league’s best team. That would guarantee Vegas home ice in every playoff round.

“We’re trying to get home-ice advantage so finishing first in the league guarantees we get it every round,” forward William Carrier said. “We’re trying to push and the big thing is getting ready for the playoffs. You don’t want to walk in there and have your game kind of lazy.”

If the standings hold true — Vegas leads Colorado in the West with two games to play — the Golden Knights would likely see St. Louis again next weekend to open the postseason.

And while tonight’s game could be considered an anomaly — the Blues clinched a playoff berth Friday and cannot move up or down in the standings — it doesn’t take away from a thorough beat-down from the Golden Knights.

They were spectacular defensively, keeping St. Louis not only out of the scoring areas of the ice, but out of the Vegas end altogether for large stretches. St. Louis didn’t register a shot on goal until there was 4:04 left in the first period and finished with three shots for the initial frame.

The second period was more of the same. The Blues did score off a turnover, but didn’t get a shot until 7:34 into the period and finished with five shots — or eight through the first 40 minutes.

“To hold a team in the NHL to six or eight shots through two periods is a testament to how well you’re playing defensively and we did and still put a lot of pressure on offensively,” Vegas coach Pete DeBoer said. “So it was a lot of good stuff.”

Smith was the star of that offensive pressure, finishing with the three goals on a team-high seven shots on goal. He’s scored five times in his last three games to bring him to 14 on the year.

His first goal was a back-hander on net that went off a Blues defender and past goalie Ville Husso. On his second goal, he stuffed the puck into Husso’s pad and put home his own rebound. His third goal was an empty-netter.

Golden Knights players often talk about getting in close to the net and doing the dirty work to get the goals. That’s what Smith did, and he came away with a trio of goals.

“I’ve been putting the puck on the net all year, it seems like it hasn’t been until the last five or six games I’m starting to get some bounces my way,” Smith said. “It’s just nice to finally get some bounces and it’s coming at the right time.”

His current hot streak has helped put the Golden Knights on the cusp of their third division title in four years as a franchise. A win Monday against the Avalanche would do that, while a loss would require some other scenarios to come true in order to clinch.

That will be, in terms of impact on the playoffs, the most important regular season game in Golden Knights history. Vegas was pleased with Saturday’s win of course, but mostly deflected questions about a potential first-round series with the Blues, knowing it would have to get through the Avalanche for that to happen. 1212231 Vegas Golden Knights

VGK Polish Off Blues, 4-1, Behind Smith Hat Trick, Setting Up Season’s Biggest Game Against Colorado Monday

By Alan Snel of LVSportsBiz.com

Attendance: 7,567, matching Saturday’s. 7567 also the numbers of missing Ryan Reaves and Max Pacioretty.

The Vegas Golden Knights put the clamps on the St. Louis Blues Saturday evening, limiting the Blues to a mere eight shots in the first 40 minutes en route to a 4-1 win at T-Mobile Arena.

It was a workmanlike win for the Knights, who now turn to Monday’s massive showdown with the Colorado Avalanche with first place in the West Division still in the balance between VGK and the Avs. Colorado beat LA, tonight. If the Avs win out, they win the West because they hold the tiebreaker against the Knights.

The VGK forechecking and defense were superb as the Blues had three shots in the first period and another five in the second period. St. Louis was outshot by the Knights, 29-21, for the game.

“Forecheck is good,” said Pietrangelo, who stole a pass on a Blues power play and fed Chandler Stephenson who blasted home a shorthanded goal at 13:32 of the first period.

Smith backhanded in a rebound from in close to score the Knights’ first goal at 12:26 of the first period.

On a 4-on-4 late in period two, the Blues had their best sustained push in the period. The Blues’ Colton Parayko scored his second of the season with only 37 seconds left in the middle stanza to cut the VGK lead to 2-1 after two periods.

*Smith notched his second goal of the night on the power play by knocking in his own rebound past St. Louis netminder Ville Husso at 4:11.

The Knights led, 3-1.

With 49 seconds to go in the game, Smith tossed in an unassisted empty net goal to complete his hat trick and secure the Golden Knights’ 4-1 win.

VGK coach Pete DeBoer said it was good to see that Smith is heating up at the season’s most important stage leading into the playoffs.

See you Monday, when the Knights can clinch the division title with a win against Colorado. If VGK finish in first, they play St. Louis in the playoffs’ first round.

Missing Saturday were Ryan Reaves, Max Pacioretty and Tomas Nosek.

Division standings:

Vegas 39 13 2 80

Colorado 36 13 4 76

Minnesota 35 14 5 75

St. Louis 24 20 9 57

Arizona 23 26 6 52

Los Angeles 21 26 6 48

San Jose 21 27 6 48

Anaheim 17 30 9 43

LVSportsBiz.com LOADED: 05.09.2021 1212232 Washington Capitals

Injury-depleted Caps beat Flyers in OT, lose division

BY J.J. REGAN

An injury-depleted Capitals team rallied for a 2-1 overtime win over the Philadelphia Flyers on Saturday sealing home ice in the first round of the playoffs. Since the win did not come in regulation, however, the result seals the East Division for the Pittsburgh Penguins.

This is the first time since 2015 that Washington has not won its division.

The Caps entered Saturday's game without Alex Ovechkin (lower body), Nicklas Backstrom (lower body), John Carlson (lower body), Evgeny Kuznetsov (COVID list) and Ilya Samsonov (COVID list). The team entered the game with only 17 skaters, one short of a full lineup. Tom Wilson left in the first period after taking a hit to the knee, but returned for the second. T.J. Oshie took an awkward hit in the second period and did not return to the game, meaning Washington was without five of its top six scorers by the third period.

Both teams battled to a 0-0 tie through 40 minutes, but Scott Laughton scored early in the third to give Philadelphia the lead. Laughton took the puck on a quick counter-attack and called his own number once he entered the offensive zone, firing a blistering wrist shot that hit off the cross-bar and in. It was his ninth goal of the season, five of which have come against the Caps.

Washington mounted a furious rally late and Lars Eller tied the game with just 40 seconds remaining in regulation. Conor Sheary got the game- winner in overtime, just barely sneaking the puck past Flyers goalie Alex Lyon.

Craig Anderson was the winner in net for the Caps, turning aside 28 of the 29 shots he faced in just his second start of the season.

After the win, Washington is now locked into second place in the East meaning they will host their opponent in the first round of the playoffs.

That opponent will almost certainly be the Boston Bruins who the Caps will play in the regular-season finale on Tuesday.

Comcast SportsNet.com LOADED: 05.09.2021 1212233 Washington Capitals "I think we've had a few character wins here down the stretch, and this one was another one tonight," Sheary said.

"Really a lot of guys showed a lot of character today and stepped up in 'I don't know how we pulled it off': Caps earn character win different ways," Eller said.

He added, "Every individual player was seeing more minutes, bigger roles than they usually would have and they take pride in that and they BY J.J. REGAN want to prove themselves. Everybody had something to play for in a different way."

Philadelphia is a bad team just playing out the string to the end of the The good news on Saturday was that the Capitals rallied for a 2-1 season and the Caps are not going to win in the playoffs with an injury overtime win over the Philadelphia Flyers, locking in home ice for the first list as long as it was on Saturday, but this is the type of win that can bring round of the playoffs. The bad news was an already injury-depleted team a team together and help it grow in confidence. suffered yet another injury only a week before the start of the playoffs. If the Caps can win with so many players missing, just what are they "I don't know how we pulled it off, to be honest," Lars Eller said. "I can't capable of if they can get healthy? remember ever missing so many guys and guys dropping during the game." "We weren't given anything today," Eller said. "We really had to work for it, and I think that makes it feel so much sweeter for all of us. It's a good Down 1-0 in the third period and without Alex Ovechkin, Nicklas feeling in our room right now." Backstrom, Evgeny Kuznetsov, T.J. Oshie and John Carlson, the Caps managed to tie the game thanks to a sharp-angle one-timer from Eller Comcast SportsNet.com LOADED: 05.09.2021 that hit goalie Alex Lyon in the pads and squirted through the five-hole.

With a boost of energy and momentum, Washington dominated the overtime and Nic Dowd connected with Conor Sheary who managed to sneak the puck through Lyon just barely for the overtime winner.

"That was a real gutsy game with what we are dealing with right now," Caps head coach said.

The win, however, came at a cost as Oshie suffered a lower-body injury in the second period and did not return.

Justin Schultz returned to the lineup for the first time since May 1, but as the team took warmups, John Carlson and Nicklas Backstrom were noticeably and surprisingly absent. They joined Ovechkin as scratches for the game. Also out were Kuznetsov and Ilya Samsonov, both of whom are on the NHL's COVID absence list.

And in case you think the Caps may have just been resting players, Laviolette strongly disputed that notion.

"We didn’t rest anybody,” Laviolette said.

He added, “If we had guys that were up to where they need to be to play, we would have pushed. The lineup would have been different. We dressed all the available players for us tonight.”

Washington started the game already short one skater, but things would get worse from there. Tom Wilson suffered a hit to the knee in the first period, but managed to return for the second. Oshie, however, was not as lucky after taking an awkward hit near the boards in the second.

"It's kind of like a 'here we go again,'" Sheary said. "That's kind of the way it's been the last few games. We never want to see those guys, especially all the guys in our top six that are either taking a rest or getting injured right now. It's never fun to see that this late in the year."

Laviolette did not have an update on the severity of Oshie's injury. His only injury update after the game was to say “everybody – everybody – is a lower-body injury.”

With only about a week before the start of the playoffs, seeing so many injuries to so many significant players start to pile up is a major concern.

“There is always concern and we will see where we are at," Laviolette said. "We have a couple days here and come back in. We got one game left that we have to get by, that we have to get through and we will go from there.”

Washington has one game left in the regular season against Boston on Tuesday in what will almost certainly be a preview of the Caps' first-round matchup.

But, as bad as the injury concerns are for the Caps, that is what makes Saturday's win so significant.

With Ilya Samsonov out on the COVID absence list, Craig Anderson got just his second start of the season in the net. The Caps trailed in the third period and were down to 10 forwards with five of their top six scorers out.

And still, still, they found a way to win. 1212234 Washington Capitals It doesn’t take much for the Capitals and their fans to root for Penguins losses, but now, that feels a bit more pronounced.

The Capitals have also not wrapped up the second seed, and thus home- Capitals’ loss to Flyers erases wiggle room to win division ice, in the first round of the playoffs just yet. The Bruins can still reach 77 points with games against the Rangers, Islanders and Capitals to finish the season. Not only is there a possibility the Capitals don’t win the division, but there’s also one that means they'll start the playoffs on the BY ANDREW GILLIS road in Boston.

All of that is not lost on the Capitals, who were focused on the crucial two All season long there’s been a familiar refrain — as there typically is — points entering Friday’s game against the Flyers, but now, that’s the most from players and coaches on the Capitals that emphasized keeping important storyline of the season. focused on one day at a time. “We were focused on it tonight, but what we were saying and what we Now, there has to be a multiple-day outlook for the Capitals as their were doing were two different things,” Laviolette said. “We’ll talk about it season comes down to the finish line. To win the East Division, they’ll and get ready for tomorrow.” likely need to take both of their final two games in regulation. Comcast SportsNet.com LOADED: 05.09.2021 With a 4-2 loss to the Flyers on Friday at Capital One Arena, the Capitals’ wiggle room, for the time being, has evaporated. If they want to win the division for the sixth season in a row, the only way to guarantee that right now is to beat the Flyers and Bruins in regulation Saturday and Tuesday.

“They’re big points for us that we let get by here,” head coach Peter Laviolette said. “Can’t be any excuses. You can give the old adage of whatever you want, but at the end of the day, we needed to be better. I just thought we were on our heels too much.”

The Capitals (73 points) are now in second in the wildly crowded East Division standings with two games left to play. They trail the Penguins (75 points) by two points, who have one game left to play. The Capitals lead the Bruins (71 points) by two points, who have three games left to play. The Islanders, with 68 points, are almost certainly destined for fourth place.

The Penguins will conclude their regular season tomorrow against the Sabres in the afternoon, meaning the Capitals will know exactly what they need to do in their final two games to take the division once again when they hit the ice. Puck drop against the Flyers is scheduled for 7pm on NBC Sports Washington.

"I think there were times in the game where we were the better team and there were times where we put our foot off the gas and they had their chances,” forward Daniel Sprong said. “We know playoffs is coming up and that's not how we want to play, so I think all of us in that room know what we've got to do tomorrow and leave it at that."

Against the Flyers, the Capitals concluded their hectic past few days with stretches of inconsistency and mistakes they haven't shown of late. To beat the Flyers in the rematch in less than 24 hours, they’ll have to rectify that.

“Those aren't types of games that we want to have at this point in the year,” forward T.J. Oshie said. “It should be the exact opposite, I think, of our start, so we'll have to learn from that and talk about it and Watch video and change the way we started the game tomorrow night.”

There is still a scenario where a Penguins loss to the Sabres, or a win in overtime/shootout, can lessen the burden on the Capitals and what they need to accomplish in the final two games. But with the Penguins facing the last-place Sabres, that appears unlikely for the time being and certainly not a hypothetical anyone can count on.

The NHL’s tie-breaking procedure is: Regulation wins, regulation/overtime wins and total wins. Right now, the Penguins have 28 regulation wins, 33 regulation/overtime wins and 36 total wins. The Capitals have 28 regulation wins, 31 regulation/overtime wins and 34 total wins.

Should the Penguins take care of business tomorrow afternoon in regulation, as expected, the Capitals would win the first tiebreaker against the Penguins with two more regulation wins of their own. If the wins are not in regulation, Washington cannot reach Pittsburgh in the second and third tiebreakers. Should the Capitals lose in any fashion, or even win in overtime or a shootout in the final two games, the division title will go to Pittsburgh.

In short, the Capitals can even finish with the same amount of points as the Penguins as long as they have more regulation wins. Otherwise, the road for the Capitals to get to the NHL's final four runs through Pittsburgh. 1212235 Washington Capitals

Michal Kempny leaves Hershey game early after colliding with ice scraper

BY J.J. REGAN

Michal Kempny left Saturday's game in the second period after colliding with an ice scraper and did not return.

Kempny was reassigned to Hershey on Friday for conditioning. Saturday was his first game at any level this season after he suffered an Achilles injury in the offseason. His reassignment to Hershey was a promising sign especially right before the Stanley Cup Playoffs, but bad luck struck again on Saturday in bizarre fashion.

"Chalk that up to the weird, weird things of this year," Hershey head coach Spencer Carbery told the media. "He actually [made] incidental contact with one of the ice scrapers, believe it or not, which I've never seen before. It was just a completely unfortunate incident when one of the ice shovelers was coming by the bench, they got tangled up and Kemps had to leave the game."

Though Kempny did not return, Carbery said he did not think the injury was "too, too bad."

Kempny is expected to remain with Hershey through the regular season which ends on May 16. From there, he could be recalled by Washington for the playoffs as the salary cap and roster restrictions will be lifted. Though it is unlikely he would replace any of the team's regulars in the lineup at this point, defensive depth is always important in the playoffs, especially considering Washington traded away left defenseman Jonas Siegenthaler at the trade deadline.

If the end of the Caps' regular season is any indication, with the team missing Alex Ovechkin, Nicklas Backstrom, John Carlson and Evgeny Kuznetsov, adding extra depth for the playoffs is certainly a good thing.

Comcast SportsNet.com LOADED: 05.09.2021 1212236 Winnipeg Jets Stützle, the No. 3 overall pick in last year's draft, struck again at 5:11 of the third, finishing off a nifty three-way passing play with linemates Brown and Shane Pinto to restore the two-goal lead. It came after the Jets got hemmed in their own zone, unable to clear the puck. Scheifele made it Speedy Senators down sluggish Jets 4-2 interesting by scoring his 20th of the year with 53 seconds left to play, but Stützle iced it with an empty-netter at 19:54 to finish off his best offensive

night of the 19-year-old's promising young career. Mike McIntyre8-10 minutes 5/9/2021 "I think those two guys are great players and I really enjoy playing with them. We try to make plays all over the ice all the time. I really enjoy playing with those two guys and it’s a lot of fun. We talk after every shift. The Winnipeg Jets are stumbling into the playoffs, looking like a team That’s why we’re able to get better. Especially [Brown], he’s great and that's going to be easy prey. The Ottawa Senators are surging into their helps me out a lot," said Stützle. off-season, looking like a team nobody would want to play high-stakes hockey against right now. The Jets were without two key players for this one. Nikolaj Ehlers missed a sixth straight game with a shoulder injury — although he did hit the ice No, it wasn't hard to figure out which club is hot, and which is not, based during the morning skate Saturday as he works toward a probable return on Saturday's meeting at Bell MTS Place. Rookie forward Tim Stützle for the start of the playoffs — and top-scoring defenceman Neal Pionk notched his first-career hat trick and first-year NHL goaltender Filip was held out with a minor ailment. Those are notable absences for a Gustavsson turned aside 27 shots as the Senators downed the Jets 4-2. team that is offensively challenged of late, with just 16 goals over the last nine games. Winnipeg has now dropped eight of its last nine games in regulation, falling to 28-22-3 overall with three regular-season games left. They "At the end of the day, we still had some odd-man rushes, had some remain in third place, two points ahead of Montreal. Ottawa is 8-1-1 in its chances. It’s just a matter of sharpening up, making the passes, taking last 10 games and out of the North Division basement for the first time all the right shot and making the right reads from there," said Scheifele of year. the scoring woes.

"Good enough? No. We’re in the business of results, so it’s not good "It was just guys going to the right spots, guys making the right play and enough. We sure are trying to get the job done, but right now it isn’t quite being sharp with that and putting that pass on the tape. It’s not rocket going our way," said a visibly frustrated Jets captain . science. It’s about doing the same things over and over and being there every single time, being consistent for each other and I think that’s the His team finally took a step forward on Wednesday, snapping a seven- biggest thing." game losing streak with an impressive 4-0 victory in Calgary to clinch a post-season berth. But as they kicked off their final homestand of the Winnipeg also had a bit of a scare late in the third when Hellebuyck season with not a whole lot on the line, they reverted back to their recent appeared to hurt his hand. He spent a few minutes with the trainer but sluggish, sloppy ways. remained in the game, finishing with 19 saves.

"We had just come off a really emotional game, an emotional stretch. The Jets return to action on Monday as they host the Vancouver They had worked hard in practice (Friday), but it was quiet. They came Canucks for the first of back-to-back games, then finish off the 56-game out and they worked hard but there wasn’t a whole lot," said coach Paul season on Friday against Toronto. The playoffs are expected to start a Maurice. few days later.

"I thought we looked like a team that just broke a seven-game streak and Winnipeg Free Press LOADED 05.09.2021 qualified for the playoffs and beat the team that knocked us out of the playoffs last year and we spent a lot in that game. There wasn’t a whole lot of emotion. The hard work was there. The effort was there, but the emotion was hard to find."

An Ottawa team filled with exciting young prospects such as Stützle and Gustavsson took full advantage, showing they are doing anything but playing out the string right now despite long-ago being eliminated from playoff contention. The Jets would be wise to take some notes about how the buzzsaw Senators never seem to take a shift off, playing an up- tempo aggressive style that makes them a handful to deal with these days.

CP

"We're in a playoff spot. We don't love our game right now. We loved how we played in Calgary. Obviously we didn't give them anything and we scored goals, and then you come back and you play an Ottawa team that's out of the playoffs and they have nothing to lose and they played a good game, so hats off to them," said Jets forward Mason Appleton.

"I would say we're in a fine spot, obviously, but there's better hockey to be played in front of us."

The Jets started off strong enough, outshooting the Senators 8-1 early in the first period and generating plenty of good looks. Mark Scheifele was robbed by Gustavsson from in tight, and Pierre-Luc Dubois just shot wide of what appeared to be an empty net.

The good work was erased, however, when Connor Brown tipped a Victor Mete point shot past Connor Hellebuyck at 10:13 of the opening period for his team-leading 20th of the year. Just 76 seconds later, another shot from the blue line, this time off the stick of Artem Zub, was deflected by Stützle. That play began with a failed clearing attempt by Hellebuyck that quickly ended in the back of his net.

Appleton cut the deficit in half 55 seconds into the second period, taking a pass from Scheifele and ripping a shot past Gustavsson for his first goal in 18 games. He's now up to 10 on the year, the eighth member of the team to hit double-digits. 1212237 Winnipeg Jets The reigning Vezina winner has lost five of his past six starts dating to April 24, when Winnipeg’s seven-game slide began.

At the other end, Filip Gustavsson continued to feast on the Jets, Jets revert to bad habits in loss to Sens stopping 27 shots to record his fourth win of the season and second against the Jets this week.

Mason Appleton cut the deficit in half, snapping a 17-game goalless Publishing date:May 08, 2021 • 4 hours ago • STAFF drought with his 10th of the season 55 seconds into the middle frame to make it 2-1.

The Jets have scored just two goals in five of their past seven games. How quickly a narrative can shift. “We’ve just got to capitalize,” Scheifele said. “At the start of the game, we On Wednesday, the Jets were basking in the relief of putting forth a solid have a wave of chances and the goalie made some big saves. I think game at both ends of the ice, culminating in an emphatic shutout win we’ve just got to sharpen up a little bit and bear down when we get those against the Calgary Flames — one that snapped an ugly seven-game chances. And that can change the entire outcome of the game.” losing streak. Scheifele was a beneficiary of a giveaway from the Sens and dished the By Saturday, the focus shifted away from the ‘right way’ of playing the pass to Appleton waiting in the slot. The puck found a home behind game to the fact the Jets have now lost eight of their past nine. Gustavsson shortly thereafter A 4-2 loss to the Ottawa Senators erased any good momentum the Jets Appleton is the eighth Jet this season to record at least 10 goals. had picked up in their 4-0 blanking of the Flames in their previous outing. The one-goal cushion for Ottawa lasted until Stützle popped in a one- “We’re in the business of results, so it’s not good enough,” captain Blake timer off a cross-ice feed from Brown, who finished with a goal and an Wheeler said. “We sure are trying to get the job done, but right now it assist. isn’t quite going our way.” Derek Forbort’s outlet pass was mishandled by Trevor Lewis, allowing Many of the problems that plagued them during their losing streak — the the Sens to keep it in and get the puck back down low. Shane Pinto turnovers, the odd-man rushes and the missed opportunities — were quickly found Brown, who did the same to find Stützle for his 11th in his back in the fold. rookie season. Yes, the Jets led the shot clock 11-5 after the first period. Did they have The Jets received a bit of scare late in the period as Hellebuyck pulled up anything to show for it? Nope. lame favouring his blocker hand. He’d stay in the game following a The Sens, winners of three straight and eight of their past 10, scored two commercial break following an extensive look from Winnipeg’s training goals on their first three shots of the game 1:16 apart. The Jets would staff. chase the game from there, never catching up. “If it was anything we were worried about he’d have been out of the net “What was lacking, and I understood it, was some emotion,” head coach even though it was a short time on the clock,” Maurice said. Paul Maurice said. “They worked hard, they worked smart. We didn’t, in a Scheifele scored his 20th of the season with 52.5 seconds remaining to lot of ways, cheat the game. We didn’t move the puck particularly well. make it 3-2. The Jets had just killed off Appleton’s interference minor “I thought we looked like a team that just broke a seven-game streak and when Wheeler fed the sauce to Scheifele streaking in on Gustavsson, qualified for the playoffs and beat the team that knocked us out of the beating him glove side. playoffs last year and we spent a lot in that game. There wasn’t a whole Stützle’s hat trick goal came with six seconds left, sliding it into the empty lot of emotion. The hard work was there. The effort was there. But the net to produce the final scoreline. emotion was hard to find.” THE NUMBERS The Jets are running out of runway in the lead-in into the post-season dance. Maurice’s tone reflected that in his post-game comments. Shots

“We’ve got to get that defensive game right,” Maurice said. “We have WPG 29, OTT 23 absolutely no chance of beating the two teams (Toronto or Edmonton) that we will face.” Faceoff %

He won’t find much of an argument there. With three games remaining, WPG 47.8%, OTT 52.2% the Jets have now lost twice this week to the Senators — a team Power play nowhere near the playoff picture, having been mathematically eliminated long ago. WPG 0/2, OTT 1/2

Rookie Tim Stützle, potted his first career hat trick en route to the victory, Hits his goals coming after Connor Brown opened the scoring in the first period. WPG 28, OTT 16

Brown continued his assault of the Jets in recent times, scoring his fourth Blocks goal in his past five games against the club, and 20th of the season for WPG 18, OTT 18 the former Toronto Maple Leaf. Giveaways The goal was a classic case of the Jets being unable to find a quality zone exit — or an exit at all, for that matter — leading to a point shot by WPG 15, OTT 6 Victor Mete that was tipped by Brown on its way to making it 1-0 at 10:13. Takeaways

The 1-0 lead lasted 1:16 before Stützle fired home his first of two to put WPG 6, OTT 3 the Sens up 2-0 at 11:29, following Brown’s lead with a deflection of Shot differential (5v5) Artem Zub’s point shot. WPG 52 (52%), OTT 48 (48%) “It’s tough when you’re down two, they pack up the neutral zone and they make you dump pucks,” forward Mark Scheifele said. Expected goals (5v5)

Connor Hellebuyck, handed the start after his 32-save shutout WPG 48.9%, OTT 51.1% performance on Wednesday, allowed three goals on 22 shots in a losing effort. High-danger chances (5v5) WPG 8, OTT 14 Three stars

1. Tim Stützle

2. Filip Gustavsson

3. Mark Scheifele

QUOTES

“That’s a dangerous conversation, because when you start talking about offence or the things that we’ve built in our game, there are some simple things, the typical hockey clichés – we need to get more guys in front of their goalie and create some dirty pucks around the crease and bang in a couple dirty goals. That would be a good place to start. I think as well, when you’re going through a tough stretch and you’re scoring one or two goals a game, you’ve got a hockey team full of guys squeezing the stick pretty tight as well. We’ve got three games to hopefully build some confidence going into the playoffs.” — Jets captain Blake Wheeler what it will take to get the offence rolling again.

“All of them. That’s where this game is going. All of us have seen an awful lot of playoff hockey. Pucks get put to the net, and the team willing to spend as much time as they can net-front and win it, right, it’s not just about being there, there’s scrums to the puck. We had some chances, not a lot, but some chances to get our stick on the puck around the net. And we’ve got to find a way to get those. But generating. We got the puck from the goal-line to the blue-line enough times tonight. We’ve got to get the puck from the blue-line to the net. Or, like they did, shots tipped. Two goals came from their blue-line, putting the puck and finding shot tips. That’s where we’ve got to find a place to go.” — Jets head coach Paul Maurice on who needs to be crashing the net more.

Winnipeg Sun LOADED 05.09.2021 1212238 Winnipeg Jets No dates have been set yet, and Winnipeg’s first-round opponent is still to be determined, but Ehlers — out with an upper-body ailment — is expected to be suited up when the time comes.

JETS SNAPSHOTS: Connor not talking scoring drought; Ehlers timeline “We’re going to try and delay it as long as we can because sometimes on time you can set these things back before you need to,” Maurice said. “We know he can shoot the puck. We want to just use this time to get his legs and his heart and lungs back up to speed here. He won’t need much time. Once he gets the green light, he’s just going to be full go.” Scott Billeck Priorities, priorities… Publishing date:May 08, 2021 • 7 hours ago The Jets will be trying to get the polish out over their final four games of

the season. It’s a streak that’s reached seven games and counting. Following Saturday’s game, the Jets will face the Vancouver Canucks No goals. No points. Just frustration for Kyle Connor, who’s usually twice and the Toronto Maples Leafs once in the final game of the season spending most of his time terrorizing opposing netminders. next Friday.

“Yeah, thanks for reminding me,” Connor said Saturday following the “It’s trying to get all aspects of our game as polished as possible in team’s pre-game skate ahead of their nighttime meeting with the Ottawa preparation for the playoffs,” defenceman Josh Morrissey said. “Either of Senators at Bell MTS Place. the teams that it looks like we’ll be playing here have really elite offensive abilities and some really amazing, talented offensive players. Getting our Asked about it, it was clear Connor didn’t want to talk about it too much. defensive structure in order – I feel like in the last few games we’ve You can imagine a guy who was on a 40-goal pace last season is a bit played real solid defensive games – so that’s trending in the right miffed by his inability recently to find any pay dirt. direction. Just trying to get everything in order and firing on all cylinders.”

The question put to Connor was about his scoring slump. After quipping Winnipeg Sun LOADED 05.09.2021 about the reminder, Connor pivoted to saying it was nice to get a win on Wednesday and snap another streak — Winnipeg’s seven-game skid that came to an end thanks to a 4-0 rout of the Calgary Flames.

Connor’s focus seems to be squarely on continuing to build toward the playoffs and ensuring the team’s game was right along the way.

“I’m just focussing on trying to help my team win here,” he said, right after a second question regarding his own slump was posed.

In the seven-game slump, Connor has managed just eight shots on goal. Three games prior to the streak starting, Connor put up six shots in a 5-3 win against the Toronto Maple Leafs. That’s the last time he scored, and the last point he etched onto a score sheet.

Has he been reduced to a pass-first mentality?

“Not necessarily. I think you just, you see the play,” he said. “We’re all good enough players — trust your ability, trust your reads, and if the shot’s there you’re going to take it. If not it’s you’ve got to make the best play available. I think that’s kind of the mindset. You don’t have to focus too much on one thing than the other.”

Connor is back with Mark Scheifele and Blake Wheeler, the team’s most familiar line over the past couple of seasons. Wheeler extended his point streak to six games on Saturday, with Scheifele, the team’s top point- getter with 58 points, grabbing a goal and an assist in a 4-2 loss to the Ottawa Senators.

The offence hasn’t come easy, especially during the team’s seven-game skid, but Jets head coach Paul Maurice isn’t showing too much concern over Connor’s slide.

“Well part of it is, and we noticed this because we switched the power play units up, and that’s a place that guys like Connor get some points to kind of tide them through maybe a dry spell, so you maybe don’t notice it as much and they don’t notice it as much,” Maurice said. “They pick up a couple of assists, maybe they score one in five or six on the power play. So it doesn’t weigh on them as much.

“Also we changed the lines. So there’s a whole bunch of things where what he was used to stopped. And now he’s back to what he’s used to. We’ll put a lefty, because Neal’s out, back up on the power play which will run it off the other side which will open up the shot for him.

“He’s back with Mark and Blake, those guys looked like they were starting to generate some offence in the last game. So it’ll come for him here, he’s going to get his chances, and those guys, once they get that good feeling on their stick, it usually runs pretty hot for a while.”

Ehlers’ timeline still on Game 1 course

All roads lead to Nikolaj Ehlers returning the fold for Game 1 of Winnipeg’s first-round matchup, whenever it is slated to begin. 1212239 Winnipeg Jets

Pionk to miss Saturday's game, listed as day-to-day

Scott Billeck

Publishing date:May 08, 2021 • 16 hours ago

The Winnipeg Jets will be without their talisman on the blue line on Saturday night against the Ottawa Senators.

Neal Pionk will miss his first game this season due to an undisclosed injury seemingly picked up during Wednesdays’ 4-0 blanking of the Calgary Flames.

Pionk, who didn’t practice on Friday and was not out for the morning skate, is being listed as day-to-day by Jets head coach Paul Maurice.

“It’s just a minor deal,” Maurice said following Saturday’s pre-game twirl.

The 25-year-old has averaged 22:03 this year, and has three goals and 28 assists in 52 games.

Pionk was expected to stick with Josh Morrissey on the team’s defence top pair had he played. Now, Morrissey will be partnered with Dylan DeMelo.

Derek Forbort and Tucker Poolman will remain the team’s second pairing, while Ville Heinola will get his second straight game, this time alongside Jordie Benn who moves over to the right side of the blue line in his return to the lineup in Pionk’s stead.

“Jordie has alluded to the fact he’s played quite a bit on the right side and he enjoys it,” Maurice said. “Actually feels as comfortable there if not more comfortable on his off side as in his natural side. We’d like to see the two of them together.”

With Pionk out, Morrissey moves up to the top power-play unit, which he will anchor. Heinola will be placed on the second unit.

Maurice will run with the same forward pairings that helped produce the victory that snapped their seven-game slide on Wednesday.

The forward lines will look like this:

Kyle Connor-Mark Scheifele-Blake Wheeler

Paul Stastny-Pierre-Luc Dubois-Mathieu Perreault

Andrew Copp-Adam Lowry-Mason Appleton

Jansen Harkins-Nate Thompson-Trevor Lewis

Connor Hellebuyck, after making 32 saves for his third shutout of the season Wednesday, will be between the pipes once again.

Winnipeg Sun LOADED 05.09.2021 1212240 Vancouver Canucks Given his hot streak, and his accomplished season, it was something of a surprise that he couldn’t bury an early second-period chance. He was all alone in the slot and got plenty of mustard on his shot, but Mike Smith blockered the shot away. Oilers 4, Canucks 3: Next stop the moon for McDavid Asked pre-game about Boeser’s consistency and work ethic this year, Green nodded and said that Boeser and his coaches had talked often about honing all aspects of his game. Patrick Johnston “It’s not just about points in scoring, it’s about the willingness to get to Publishing date:May 08, 2021 • 4 hours ago • certain areas. And I think he’s learned to keep his body in a place where he can play quick. The game is speeding up and you’ve got to play quick in all areas of the game,” Green said. Connor McDavid does everything fast. His chance did prove to be a trend, as Miller scored a goal on a On a record-setting Saturday night, it was fitting that the NHL’s breakaway, Boyd scored while sitting wide open to the left of the Oilers presumptive most valuable player this season opened the scoring in the goal, and Graovac scored on a quick shot from the top of the slot on a game’s first minute, and just kept rolling as he led his Edmonton Oilers to rush. a 4-3 win over the Vancouver Canucks at Rogers Place in Edmonton. Surely this is the end The Canucks seemed a bit stunned by McDavid’s opening salvo and struggled to keep up with the pace of play in the first period, but were far Zack MacEwen’s one-game suspension opened the door for Loui better in the second period, scoring three times. Eriksson to return to the lineup.

The problem for the visitors was that even as you push hard yourself, That was until it was revealed that Marc Michaelis had recovered from McDavid is inevitably pushing harder. And this season more than ever. whatever upper-body injury he was suffering from. And it was Michaelis, not the more veteran Eriksson, who drew into the lineup. He picked up assists on the Oilers’ other three goals, giving him 100 points on the season in just 53 games. The last time NHL players scored It’s been a difficult first professional season for Michaelis, who was that many points in such a short span was 1995-96 when Mario Lemieux signed last year after a strong collegiate career at Mankato State. tallied 100 points in just 38 games (the second time in three years he’d In a normal season, he’d have started the year in the American Hockey managed that) and Lemieux’s winger Jaromir Jagr tallied 100 in 52 League. That would have given him a chance to learn about how much games. faster professional hockey is, perhaps even find his game within half a When Wayne Gretzky was terrorizing the Smythe Division for the Oilers season, as so often happens with former collegians, who always have and Los Angeles Kings, the joke always was that he waited to play the the strength to play the professional game but need to adjust to the pace Canucks to set all his records, so it was fitting McDavid, the Great One’s and skill level. heir in Edmonton, achieved his feat against Vancouver. Instead, he started the year on the taxi squad; and when he has played, McDavid, by the way, has scored 1.41 points per game over his career, he’s struggled. which is fourth-best all-time, behind Gretzky, Lemieux and That he was picked over Eriksson was the true statement about how this and ahead of Bobby Orr. team feels about Eriksson’s future. He has one more year left on his On top of the opener scored by McDavid, the Oilers got a pair of goals contract, which has proven to be a dud. from Leon Draisaitl and a single from Jesse Puljujarvi. J.T. Miller, Travis He is due a $3-million signing bonus this year and you wonder if he might Boyd and Tyler Graovac scored for the Canucks. just hang up his skates once the money is in the bank. This season can’t Here’s what we learned… have been fun, and surely he’ll be facing a year in Abbotsford next year.

McDavid’s mastery Is that worth $1 million?

Connor McDavid’s pursuit of 100 points, a remarkable achievement in Vancouver Province: LOADED: 05.09.2021 this shortened year, scoring at a rate not seen since Mario the Magnificent in 1996, has been a highlight to follow over the past month.

“He’s the best player in the world and he continues to strive like all great players do, to continue to get better,” Green said before the game. “I think the one thing that all great players have is they’re not happy, they’re not satisfied, they push themselves hard. …

“He’s trying to become a better player in all areas of the game. And it’s a good lesson to learn for other young players around the league, that are up and coming young stars: not being satisfied and pushing yourself to be better, not just for yourself but for your team.”

He was involved in all four of the Oilers’ goals, once again displaying just how vital he is for this team. But when you’re the best player in the world, this is how it happens.

NEXT GAME

Monday

Vancouver Canucks vs. Winnipeg Jets

5 p.m., Bell MTS Place. TV: TSN3, Sportsnet Pacific. Radio: Sportsnet 650 AM

Missed chance but a consistent year

Brock Boeser came into Saturday’s game with goals in three straight games. He’d gone four games pointless before this recent stretch, but even if he wasn’t hitting the score sheet, he was getting chances.

The fourth-year player is going to finish the season as the team’s leading scorer. 1212241 Vancouver Canucks boards like a young Jayson Megna sharing offensive zone possessions with Quinn Hughes like this:

Unforgiveable war crimes The Armies: Milestones, Jack Rathbone’s poise and the inside story of Aljazeera states that a war crime occurs when “unnecessary suffering is Nate Schmidt’s against-all-odds NHL journey inflicted upon an enemy.” McDavid going all out against a COVID-19 ravaged Canucks team sounds like it qualifies as inflicting unnecessary suffering to me and thus I declare it a war crime. Look at this evil man By Harman Dayal May 9, 2021 bulldozing through the neutral zone and scoring points.

Think of the children, Connor.

It’s a historic milestone that the whole hockey world has been keeping its Best effort eyes on. If we’re being honest, this was a pretty good game, all things considered, One of the greatest players in franchise history trying to chase down a for Canucks fans. The loss helps the lottery odds, there was number he’ll never forget when his career is over. Sure, he can be a little entertainment on both sides and the Canucks didn’t really roll over at any monotonous and doesn’t show much personality but it’s part of his point. McDavid and Leon Draisaitl can bully any team when they’re at charm. When No. 99 was notched, everybody was rooting for the big their best, so the fact that Vancouver hung around considering what the 100. team’s gone through deserves some stick taps.

But enough about Alex Edler’s chase for 100 career goals. And man, the Canucks pushed hard in the second. Nils Höglander cleverly faking a shot (watch how Ethan Bear bites) and then finding Apparently, the attention was on some guy named Connor McDavid and Hughes for a goal was pretty to watch, even if it was called back for his quest for 100. offside. The math required 13 points in four games against the Canucks for Later, in a remarkable twist of irony, J.T. Miller picked off a cross-ice McDavid to hit 100 points. That seemed in reach, albeit improbable. But pass to spring himself on a breakaway. Nobody was more relieved to see when he had a four-point night to open the set Monday, you knew it was Miller score it than A) the broadcast guy who’s responsible for the rink on. When he followed it up with another two points Tuesday … well, by level hot mic and B) Miller’s stick. then the outcome was as inevitable as the Canucks falling in this summer’s coming draft lottery. The return of the real Mike Smith

These are the Canucks, after all, and we’re used to being on the other In a historic night of milestones and rare accomplishments, the Canucks end of historic milestones. made sure to net one of their own called “bottom-six scoring.”

And so McDavid completed his quest to 100 in Edmonton’s 4-3 victory The goal was about as pretty as you’d expect — the result of a Saturday over the Canucks in what was probably the most predictable completely broken play in the slot — but they all count the same. Travis four-point game in NHL history. Boyd’s shot somehow went through Mike Smith as Edmonton’s goaltending is showing cracks again has rounded into playoff form the If you weren’t sure before the game that McDavid was going to hit 100, past couple of games. the first minute sealed the deal. Like there’s no way any Canucks fan could have looked at this and thought anything other than, “Oh no, he’s OK, how do you actually stop this? gonna do it, isn’t he?” He who must not be named just waltzes in and snaps a quick one. McDavid on the rush against Edler and Tyler Myers once again sounds like a war crime. If you aren’t going to think of the children, you should at It’s only been three games and he’s playing a sheltered role so I have to least have mercy on the elderly but nope, Connor is a robotic assassin. be careful not to set the bar too high, but Jack Rathbone looks legit. Best fighting fire with fire If he can play the way he has so far wearing blue and green, there’s no reason he shouldn’t be a regular on the backend next season. It’s been a battle of elite offensive forces in the past two games. Sure, the Canucks might not be able to stop McDavid but the Oilers can’t contain Rathbone’s brought foreign concepts like “poise” and “breaking the puck Tyler Graovac, either. After sniping a goal Thursday from an impossible out without an icing, turnover or a panic rim around the glass” to the angle, Graovac roofed one off the rush. The swag of this man nodding backend. One of the biggest things I’ve noticed so far is how he subtly his head in the celebration as if to casually say, “Just another snipe, no creates more space for himself on exit attempts. Rathbone isn’t just big deal” is something else. looking to get rid of the puck at the first chance he gets, he’s got the composure to hang onto it to create a more favourable exit scenario. The 100th point

Here’s Exhibit A where he allows two Edmonton forecheckers to pinch on For the record, let me just say that Cole Cassels would have never him behind the net before comfortably playing to the middle of the ice. allowed this to happen: Notice how Rathbone hangs on for a split second longer instead of Best flashback of the scrum lord getting rid of it right away to draw the forecheckers in toward him. That creates space for the clean breakout: Like I said, inflicting unnecessary suffering.

In the second period, he showed another example of that. He picks up Best undrafted feel-good story the pick with lots of traffic around him — a situation where most players would just rim the puck around the boards. The 2009 NHL draft was approaching and 17-year-old Nate Schmidt had high hopes. But Rathbone has the poise to slow down, get his head up to assess his options and then skates a couple of strides to the outside to create space Schmidt’s capped off his high school run with St. Cloud Cathedral by to slip a pass into the middle. notching 21 goals and 45 points in 25 games from the backend. It’s that breakout year that sparked heavy interest from scouts. The result: a neat little exit with control that leads to a scoring chance. “The scouts would show up at random games and Nate and I had The 100th plea to get some help discussions like, do you want to know if I see one, do you want me to talk to him,” said Eric Johnson, Schmidt’s high school coach. “For a while, it Matthew Highmore works hard and is a fine bottom-of-the-lineup grinder was like, ‘Nah, I just want to play’ but then there’s a couple times where I — I have no problem with him. The fact that he’s having to play up the was like, ‘Hey dude, they’re here. Hunker down a little more.’ lineup isn’t his fault. And while it’s not ideal, I don’t know if you can really fault the coaching staff, either, because they tried really hard to make Familiar faces from familiar teams kept returning to see more. Schmidt’s Kole Lind work in the top-six. camp, therefore, believed they had an understanding of which teams were most likely to call his name that June. I’m not going to lie though, it’s kind of depressing to hear the broadcast mention the “Bo Horvat line” and then seeing Highmore jump over the “I was fairly confident he was going to get drafted and fairly high,” Schmidt’s inaugural campaign as a Canuck has been rather forgettable. Johnson said. “Chicago, Calgary, the Rangers, Boston was around a lot. He can and should be better. But while the story of Schmidt’s season in St. Louis was around a lot, like a lot. At that time, (Alex) Pietrangelo was Vancouver fits the theme of the team’s overall disappointing season, his young, Erik Johnson was young, I remember doing the math and I was journey to the NHL remains a tale to be celebrated. like, man they got like four D that are under 22-years-old that are playing already.” It’s a rare feel-good story to share in a year where those have been few and far between. The first yellow flag for Schmidt came from an informal draft interview. The Athletic LOADED: 05.09.2021 “I remember meeting a scout at a Perkins in my hometown, a little breakfast spot,” Schmidt said. “He was doing an interview with me and I remember telling him like, ‘Man, I think I can really go in the top couple rounds’ and you should have seen the look on his face.”

Schmidt shrugged off the odd reaction from the scout. Not only did he still think he was getting drafted but he was confident he would be picked in the second or third round. He knew his potential and what he could offer an NHL team.

June 26, 2009, the first day of the NHL Draft, rolled around and nothing happened. It wasn’t a big surprise, he knew a first-round selection was highly unlikely. But then Day 2 came and went and still nothing — he went undrafted.

“I was devastated,” Schmidt said. “I couldn’t believe it. I saw guys I knew being drafted and thinking, ‘Man, I’m pretty close to that player’ and like, ‘Wow, can’t believe that guy went in the second round.’ As a kid, you think it’s the end-all, be-all, that if I don’t get drafted, I don’t make it.”

At that point, Schmidt thought his NHL dream was over. It’s Johnson, Schmidt’s lifelong mentor to this day, who tried to help keep perspective.

“I was monitoring things online thinking it’s gonna happen and I remember even saying like, if it gets past the third round, maybe it’s better if you’re not drafted,” Johnson said. “I said, ‘Hey man, there’s tons of people that get drafted and we never hear from.’

“You’re going to have an opportunity when you’re in college and it’s like being recruited again and you’re gonna have a chance if you perform very well to pick the place that suits you well.

“It opens up way more opportunities, you don’t want to be trapped as someone’s fourth- or fifth-round pick when there are other teams that could benefit from having you.”

Despite that rational perspective, going undrafted continued to weigh on Schmidt when he became a freshman at the University of Minnesota. He didn’t have the pedigree of being an NHL Draft pick entering the NCAA and that affected the opportunity he was given in Year 1. Schmidt was a regular healthy scratch and had to be moved to forward just to get into the lineup when he did. He looked far from being an impact NCAA player, let alone a future NHLer.

“You’re around all of these guys that have been drafted and you think, ‘Oh, they’re only playing these guys because they’re drafted,’” Schmidt said.

Schmidt had a victim mentality stemming from the draft that held him back. The turning point for his career was when he realized that he needed to take 100 percent responsibility for his situation.

So after sitting out the last game of the year in the playoffs, Schmidt took a picture of the door of the lounge room that scratched players watch games from. He set it as the wallpaper of his phone, determined to never walk into that lounge room for a game again.

“You realize that there’s nobody else to blame but yourself,” Schmidt said. “Step 1 was realizing I came in a little overweight. I didn’t really realize what it meant to train like a real athlete, not just like a couple wrist curls and bench press.”

The rest is history.

Of course, Johnson knew it all along.

“I remember having a discussion with an NHL scout at the state tournament (before the draft) and he was questioning Nate’s skating,” Johnson said. “I chuckled a little bit and I said, ‘OK, what are you concerned about?’ and he says, ‘Well, I’m not sure how fast he really is.’

“It was comical because the thing you’re going to question him on is probably his No. 1 attribute. I remember they did a testing run in Washington and he blew it up on the skating piece and I’m like, man, I would do anything to find that scout.” 1212242 Websites 2 Wayne Gretzky

85-86 The Athletic / “He’s one of the top players to ever play the game”: Connor McDavid’s 100-point season puts him in rarified air 41

129

By Daniel Nugent-Bowman and Jonathan Willis May 9, 2021 170

3

Connor McDavid did the remarkable, likely the most remarkable Cooney Weiland individual accomplishment of his career so far. 29-30 The Oilers captain recorded his 100th point of the 2021 season Saturday when he set up running mate Leon Draisaitl on a two-man advantage at 70 19 minutes, 20 seconds of the second period. 98

The assist capped off a four-point night as part of a 4-3 win over the 168 Canucks. 4 “Four-point nights aren’t something that come regularly,” said McDavid, who now has seven of them this season. “I was just trying to come in and Wayne Gretzky play a good game, play like I can. After the first one, it crosses your mind.” 84-85

Draisaitl immediately turned and looked toward McDavid, eager to 58 embrace him after the goal was scored. The Tragically Hip’s “Ahead by a 108 Century” blared over the speakers as players went to the dressing room for the intermission. 166

“He set me up a few times before that. I’m surprised he tried me one 5 more time,” Draisaitl jokingly said. “It’s fun to be a part of it and he should enjoy this night.” Mario Lemieux

Though it was a milestone that seemed inevitable for days as McDavid 88-89 racked up an astonishing 27 points over his previous 10 games, it wasn’t 71 any less impressive. 94 “It solidifies he’s one of the top players to ever play the game,” Oilers coach Dave Tippett said of McDavid reaching the century mark in the 165 truncated season. 6 “This is a player that gets checked harder than any other player in the Wayne Gretzky league. I guarantee any team that comes in here talks about how they’re going to check him and keep him off the board, and he still does what he 83-84 does.” 69 “Unbelievable,” added goaltender Mike Smith before the game. “He’s a special talent who just continues to improve — which is mind-blowing in 94 itself. 163 “I don’t know why he’s settling on 100. There are higher goals out there 7 that he can hit.” Frank Boucher Hitting 100 points before the end of a 56-game season is easily McDavid’s most prolific offensive season. It’s also one of the best 29-30 campaigns in NHL history. 42 But just how good is it? 118 According to Hockey-Reference, McDavid went into Saturday’s game enjoying the ninth-best offensive season in league history. That’s 160 probably an understatement. 8 The list ahead of him is undeniably impressive. Wayne Gretzky and Wayne Gretzky Mario Lemieux are both featured, as one would expect. So too is Original Six legend Howie Morenz, who somewhat unexpectedly takes the top 82-83 spot on the list. Yet there are two other names that would surprise not just the casual observer but even a fan well-versed in hockey history. 57

HR's top-10 adjusted seasons 102

RK. PLAYER SEASON G A P 159

1 9

Howie Morenz Connor McDavid

27-28 20-21

67 51

123 107

190 158 10 44%

Wayne Gretzky 44%

81-82 Connor McDavid

68 20-21

88 22%

156 48%

It’s because the 1929-30 season was a mess. Cooney Weiland and Mario Lemieux Frank Boucher are deserving Hall of Famers, but neither managed to place higher than third in the Hart voting that year. The explanation of 88-89 their freakish numbers can be found in the only midseason rule change 19% to be found in the NHL’s abbreviated guide to historical rule changes: 19% “Forward passing rules instituted at the beginning of the 1929-30 season more than doubled number of goals scored. Partway through the season, Cooney Weiland these rules were further amended to read, ‘No attacking player allowed to 29-30 precede the play when entering the opposing defensive zone.’ This is similar to modern offside rule.” 5%

In other words, for the first and only time in NHL history, players were 5% permitted to sit in front of the opposition net and wait for the puck, wherever it happened to be. It created chaos, and the league reversed Frank Boucher itself a little over a month later, but not before six players in 1929-30 had 29-30 posted seasons that currently place in the top 40 by Hockey-Reference’s criteria. -5%

Even Morenz’s inclusion here is suspect, despite his three Hart wins. The -5% NHL’s experimentation with new rules in the 1920s mean that 1925-30 was a golden age for scoring. Fourteen of the 40-best seasons of all time There are two columns here. The first shows percentage lead over the fall in that five-year window. Even the 1980s, an era legendary for second-place scorer, regardless of team. The second eliminates a offence and spanning twice the time period, contribute just nine and all of player’s own teammates from consideration. them are courtesy of either Gretzky or Lemieux. Peak Gretzky is simply unassailable. For four consecutive seasons, he What happens if we take those 10 all-time seasons and look at how had a 50 percent lead on the next-best scorer in hockey, and a lot of much better a player having the legendary season was over the next- times it was a teammate. He remains the most impressive offensive best skater? talent in league history, and it isn’t even all that close.

HR's top-10 adjusted seasons But if you’re looking for the best non-Gretzky season of all time, McDavid is in the mix. PLAYER SEASON OVER 2ND PLACE OVER BEST OPP. Lemieux was cursed with a career overlapping that of Gretzky, and he looks less impressive than he should here as a result. Gretzky’s 1988-89 Wayne Gretzky season is the 22nd best in league history, according to Hockey- Reference, and probably deserves to rank ahead of higher-rated 1920s’ 83-84 seasons posted by Weiland, Boucher, Bill Cook, Dick Irvin and Andy 63% Blair. That’s the head-to-head competition Lemieux had in his own best season. 70% Morenz, who led the NHL in goals, assists, and points in 1928, deserves Wayne Gretzky to be in there, too. It’s all but impossible to fairly gauge a season played so long ago and under such different rules, but three times Morenz was 82-83 chosen as the best player in the game and 1928 represents the absolute 59% peak of his offensive powers.

59% McDavid’s also right there. Exclude his frequent collaborator Draisaitl from consideration and he towers over Colorado’s brilliant Nathan Wayne Gretzky MacKinnon by almost 50 percent, a Gretzkian standard.

85-86 It’s a shame to reduce the brilliance of McDavid’s campaign to numbers, 55% but it’s almost only by the numbers that we can appreciate how incredible his achievement really is. Exclude Gretzky, and it’s the kind of 55% accomplishment an NHL player has managed just three times in the past 100 years. Wayne Gretzky OK, so McDavid stacks up pretty darn well if we’re adjusting for eras. But 84-85 how about if we just look at the numbers in their totality?

54% Hockey historian and author Eric Zweig said he believes what McDavid is 61% doing this season is astonishing, especially considering the point totals of scoring champions since the 2004-05 lockout. Howie Morenz Joe Thornton led the NHL in the first season back with 125 points and 27-28 Sidney Crosby followed that up with 120. Those totals weren’t bettered until Nikita Kucherov racked up 128 points in 2018-19. (It’s worth noting 45% Draisaitl had 110 points with 11 games to go on the Oilers’ schedule last 86% season when the pandemic halted play.)

Wayne Gretzky McDavid, on a prorated basis, is on pace to blow way past any of those players’ career highs. He’s tracking to hit 155 points if this were a normal 81-82 82-game campaign. “It’s kind of Gretzky-like,” Zweig said.

McDavid became the ninth player in NHL history to record 100 points in no more than 53 games. The others? Gretzky 11 times, Lemieux six times, Jari Kurri twice, Phil Esposito twice, Jaromir Jagr, Bernie Nicholls, Steve Yzerman and Marcel Dionne.

The last player to surpass 150 points was Lemieux in 1995-96. The Magnificent One had 161 points that season.

That season, however, was slightly higher scoring than it is today. Per Hockey-Reference, teams scored 3.14 goals per game compared to 2.93 this season before Saturday’s action. Only three times have teams averaged three goals since — 2005-06 (3.08), 2018-19 (3.01) and 2019- 20 (3.02).

Without adjusting for era, Lemieux’s and Gretzky’s best year-end totals are in a league of their own — as any hockey fan knows. It’s not fair to compare McDavid to them, considering roughly two more goals per game were scored during Gretzky’s peak in the 1980s.

Hitting the 150-point mark has only happened 16 times in NHL history — nine times by Gretzky, four times by Lemieux, and once each by Yzerman, Esposito, and Nicholls.

It’s a shame, Zweig said, this isn’t a full season because McDavid might have been able to reach rarified air.

Instead, McDavid hitting the 100-point mark in a 56-game campaign brought the 1974-75 season to Zweig’s memory. Esposito hit 100 points in 54 games. Guy Lafleur did it in 56 games. Bobby Orr needed 57 games.

“I’m not prepared to say he’s Bobby Orr yet — he might be — but he’s certainly Guy Lafleur in his prime,” Zweig said, adding McDavid should be a far more accomplished player than Lafleur by the end of his career.

None of those players, however, made it to 150 points. Orr led the league in scoring with 135 points in an 80-game season where teams netted 3.43 goals per contest.

That McDavid’s at the same pace in a far-lower-scoring era highlights the season he’s having.

“He’s going to be one of the all-time greats when all is said and done,” Zweig said of McDavid. “Unless the rules change or the style changes, he’s never gonna get 200 points. But if he wins six or eight scoring titles, that’s a pretty good indication he was the greatest player of his generation.”

McDavid will win his third — tying him with Lafleur and Bobby Hull for seventh all time —in only his sixth NHL season. He’s finished second in scoring each of the past two seasons, too.

Gretzky’s 10 Art Ross wins will be tough to match, but Lemieux and Gordie Howe are second on the list with six, a total McDavid’s already halfway within reach at age 24. That Lemieux and Howe accomplished their scoring titles in eras with far fewer teams — just six for the bulk of Howe’s career — makes McDavid’s start to his career even more incredible, Zweig said.

“Gretzky, Lemieux, McDavid, Orr, Howe — those are gonna be the names,” he said.

The one knock against McDavid’s scoring prowess this season is his inability to face all NHL teams because of the COVID-19 intradivisional schedule. That means no matchups against the league’s top-seven defensive teams by goals against per game entering Saturday’s games — the Islanders, Golden Knights, Hurricanes, Bruins, Avalanche, Lightning and Stars.

Zweig understands why some might question McDavid’s achievement, but he believes it’s a red herring for anyone to harshly critique.

“It’s hard to know what McDavid would be doing if he was playing everybody,” he said. “But then again, you’d think playing against the same teams nine times, they’d have figured out how to stop (him) by now. And they haven’t.”

The Athletic LOADED: 05.09.2021 1212243 Websites the U18s and my discussions with scouts at the tournament, it seems quite likely he will be a Day 1 pick. Othmann established himself at the top of the lineup for Canada, bringing a lot of skill and tenacity to his shifts to go with the scoring ability. His skating is a concern to keep him The Athletic / Stock up? Stock down? How NHL Draft prospects looked out of the top echelon, but I think he will go in the last half of the first at the U18 World Championship round.

Olen Zellweger, D, Canada

By Corey Pronman May 8, 2021 Zellweger was a top-scoring defenseman in the tournament and eventually ascended to Canada’s top power-play unit midway through it. I

get some (lesser version of) Samuel Girard vibes from Zellweger. He’s The one and only tournament for the 2003 age group this season and the one of the best skaters in the draft with a good skill level and great first since February 2020 took place in Frisco and Plano, Texas, as instincts with the puck. He also defends more than competently despite scouts from across the NHL got live viewings for the first time of many of his 5-foot-9 frame because of his excellent skating and sense. He had a the top prospects for the 2021 NHL Draft. I was in attendance for the strong tournament and abbreviated season in Everett, likely establishing entire tournament, and here are some of my main takeaways on draft- himself as a top-two-round pick. eligible prospects who impacted their stock in positive or negative ways, Aleksi Heimosalmi, D, Finland along with a look at some of the top prospects of future drafts. Heimosalmi came into the tournament as a potential mid-to-late rounder Stock up and left the event firmly in the top three rounds and possibly into the Ethan Del Mastro, D, Canada second round. You saw a defenseman who was quite mobile, who showed offense from a hands-skill department and playmaking, and who It’s questionable if Del Mastro would have even made Team Canada if was consistently involved in Finland’s offense. He played a ton, being a the QMJHL players were made available and/or Carson Lambos was reliable defender despite his size because of his skating. I could see him healthy. He did though, and he made the most of his opportunity. The becoming a third-pair defenseman in the NHL. defenseman kept seeing his play progress as the tournament went along, leading all Canadian defensemen in ice time in Samu Tuomaala, RW, Finland the gold medal game. He’s a big, physical defenseman who made a lot of I was quite interested to see how Tuomaala fared at the tournament. He stops. And while he’s not an amazing skater or puck-mover, he skates was highly touted coming into the season, seemed very talented and did well enough to be an intriguing pro prospect. After a mediocre underage well at Finland’s U18 camp, but he didn’t have a productive season with OHL season, he helped himself a lot playing possibly his only hockey of his club team. He looked the part of a potential first-round pick at the the season in front of NHL decision-makers. worlds, though. His skating, skill, sense and shot are all clear NHL Benjamin Gaudreau, G, Canada attributes. Tuomaala is undersized and can be in and out with his effort, but he was a driver and top scorer for Finland at the tournament. Gaudreau’s first OHL season was a tough run, getting a lot of shots and often giving up a lot of goals in Sarnia. As a 6-foot-2 goalie without strong Samu Salminen, C, Finland numbers, albeit strong other attributes, he would have been a tougher In a draft that lacks a ton of center talent, that Salminen shows he is a sell for NHL teams with no hockey this season. He got only a few games, center with skill who can score will help his value a lot. He’s not overly but he showed people what he can be at the top of his game. Gaudreau flashy, but at the tournament he showed good skill, hockey sense and made the tough saves and the easy saves, showing impressive finishing touch and played a lot of minutes. He’s not that physical, but his quickness and intelligence in net. The size will concern scouts, as will a work ethic is strong on the ice. Salminen’s skating concerns scouts and lack of playing sample size given his position, but in a draft lacking goalie may keep him out of the first round, but I could well see him going in the depth outside the top two names in Jesper Wallstedt and Sebastian late-first- through mid-second-round range. Cossa, he made a strong case to be at the top of the next group. Stock down Danila Klimovich, RW, Belarus The top of the 2021 NHL Draft Klimovich was one of the big surprises of the tournament. The Rouyn- Noranda import pick who played all season in the Belarus junior league The main names you were coming in to see as potential top-five or top- scored six goals in five games and held his own versus good nations. 10 draft picks this summer were Canadian winger Dylan Guenther, He’s a 6-foot-2 winger with great hands and a rifle of a shot that caught defenseman Brandt Clarke and Swedish defenseman Simon Edvinsson. the attention of a lot of scouts. Klimovich is an average skater and passer who can be a bit perimeter, but the skill/shot/size combo could wind up I think all three were good, at times very good. I can’t say you left the making him a top-three-round pick. tournament thinking any of them looked like elite prospects. Guenther looked like a well-rounded forward with a lot of NHL attributes and got a Ty Gallagher, D, USA ton of shots/chances, but he never elevated to take over a shift/game. Clarke started off very well showing his elite puck game, with his game Gallagher was a player I didn’t see a lot from during the course of the fading a bit in the second half of the tournament as the games got season, at times looking like he didn’t have a true role on the team and quicker, and his lack of pace kept him from taking over even if he still playing little minutes. He ended the season strong, being one of USA’s looked very good overall. Edvinsson looks unique as a big defenseman top defensemen in the tournament. He has good hands and offensive with great hands who skates well for his size and has top-pairing instincts to go with a true weapon of a shot that can score from range. potential, but his performance was up and down. He’s a below-average skater and defender due to his skating, but he showed inside the offensive zone he can be dangerous. I still think all three of those players are great prospects. Guenther is still right at the top of my 2021 draft list and Clarke and Edvinsson aren’t too Daniil Lazutin, C, Russia far behind, but the Michigan triplets (Owen Power, Matthew Beniers, Lazutin was a player I was quite high on this time last season, thinking he Kent Johnson) and Luke Hughes’ chances of being top picks were even had a chance to be a first-round pick. He won’t be. He had a poor helped by this tournament. season, between multiple injuries and indifferent play when healthy in the Brett Harrison, C, Canada / Connor Roulette, LW, Canada MHL. This tournament helped end his season on a high note and show flashes of the player he looked like as an underage — as a big center I group Harrison and Roulette together because their circumstances are with very good skill who can create offense. The skating for whatever similar. They came in projected as bubble first/high second type of picks reason looks worse than it did last season, and I don’t sense a ton of who overall had mediocre tournaments but played limited minutes for playmaking in his game, but there’s enough there to be a mid-round pick. Canada. Given the limited minutes, you didn’t get a great idea of what they can do. Both players have some puck game, can score and work Brennan Othmann, LW, Canada hard, but I would also say they lack truly dynamic skill and NHL-caliber Othmann was good last season in Flint, and after going to Switzerland speed, which makes me question them as potential top-30 or -40 picks. this season his play was up and down, leading to some questions among Roman Schmidt, D, USA scouts about whether he will go in the first round. Based on his play at Schmidt came into the season as a possible first-round and likely top-60 puck and create chances out of nothing is elite. He’s an undersized pick after his underage season, but his game didn’t show a lot of player who is a good but not incredible skater for that size, but he’s a progress this season, culminating in an underwhelming U18 fierce competitor and you can see he is going to score, and score a lot, championship in which he sat for most of the quarterfinal USA lost. He’s wherever he goes, which for now will be Russia until his recently signed a big guy who can see the ice well, but his skating is a significant issue KHL contract is done in 2026. right now and he doesn’t have the hard elements in his game to kill a lot of plays. I still think he’s a draft pick, but I would be somewhat surprised Danila Yurov, RW, Russia to see him go in the top 60. Yurov wasn’t the name generating the most buzz among the Russian Aleksi Malinen, D, Finland underage players, but he will be a first-round pick next season and possibly a high one. He has tremendous puck skills to go with great Malinen has been a player I’ve heard top-60/-90 buzz about all season, speed, making him a very dangerous player off the rush. I didn’t see him but I had my questions from his league play, and this tournament makes make a lot of plays, but the puck skills/scoring ability will make him a me even more skeptical about that being his draft slot. I like the skating dangerous scoring pro. He’s undersized, but I liked his compete a lot. and he has very good hands, but he made very few plays with the puck and saw other Finland defensemen elevate over him as the tournament Shane Wright, C, Canada went along in terms of responsibility. I respect he held his own versus Wright is the No. 1 2022 prospect right now and nobody is that close men this season and has some tools, but he looks like a mid-to-late- behind him based on the limited amounts I’ve seen of next year’s class. round guy to me. He’s a powerful athlete in terms of his frame, skating and compete level Matvei Petrov, LW, Russia in how he attacks defenses. He combines that with great hands and a special shot. The playmaking is good — not elite, but good enough given Petrov got injured midway through the tournament, but even before the all the other great attributes in his game. He looks like a player who can injury, I thought the No. 1 CHL Import pick was ordinary. I respect his skill be a star No. 1 center in the NHL. From the limited amount I’ve seen of and shot, but his game lacks speed and energy. He has talent to be a him, he’s not in the Connor McDavid tier of prospects for me, very few pick, but I would be somewhat surprised if he was a second- or third- ever are, but he still looks like a guy who can be a foundational piece for round draft pick. an NHL team.

Simon Robertsson, RW, Sweden Connor Bedard, LW, Canada

Robertsson was a solid player for Sweden. I liked his work ethic and Bedard was one of the best 15-year-olds ever to play in this tournament, hockey sense with instances of skill, but for a guy with first-round buzz continuing to elevate his way up the lineup and earn responsibility for the coming into the event, I thought he was rather ordinary. I didn’t see a ton hard minutes. He’s a good skater and works hard, but his game is built of plays with the puck or chance generation, and his skating still looks around his tremendous puck skills, creativity, vision and scoring ability. below average to me. I think he’s a good prospect and a potential The skating is not amazing for that size, but we’ll see where that aspect bottom-six NHL forward, but I would be slightly wary to use a Day 1 pick is in a year or two, and everything else about his game pops out. Bedard on him. looks like a guy who will be a play driver and elite offensive creator that NHL fans will need to get to know quickly. He played wing in this William Stromgren, RW, Sweden tournament, but he’s a center in the future.

I liked Stromgren a lot in the first half of the season, rating him as a first- USNTDP ’04s rounder based on that, but his play of late and in this tournament has made me question that rating. I like the size/speed/skill package, but he USA was undermanned for the tournament, missing several of its most was quite secondary in Sweden’s offense. He showed some good important players, and thus many of the USA 17s were asked to step in north/south rushes, but the hockey sense looked below average, as I and play important roles, including defensemen Ryan Chesley and Lane thought he lacked playmaking to go with mediocre value away from the Hutson and forwards Logan Cooley, Isaac Howard, Charlie Stramel and puck. The athletic toolkit intrigues, but there are more holes in his game Rutger McGroarty. than I thought. In discussions with teams, some felt he was still a late first-rounder, while others were wary. I was particularly impressed by Howard and Hutson in this tournament, even though Cooley arguably looks like the best 2022 eligible among the DYLAN GUENTHER STARTS THE SECOND OFF STRONG WITH A ’04s. With Hughes out and Sean Behrens’ strong play trailing off in PP GOAL AFTER CONNOR BEDARD HITS THE POST. �� 5-1 crunch time, Hutson was asked to play a massive role for USA, #U18WORLDS PIC.TWITTER.COM/KCSADJGXYT especially on the power play. He showed great skill and offensive instincts as a puck-mover. He’s a good skater, not exceptional for the — TSN (@TSN_SPORTS) MAY 3, 2021 size, but I think it will be a strength as a pro, and he wasn’t a liability Underage reports defensively as a small, underage defenseman. Howard pops with the puck on his stick. He’s very creative, skates quite well and created a lot Brad Lambert, RW, Finland with his skill.

Lambert is a highly regarded player, for good reason. He’s a great skater David Jiricek, D, with a high skill level who can make a lot of plays and unique rushes. He’s already up in and played well at the world juniors. The U18s Jiricek didn’t get to finish the tournament or play in the medal round after were less inspiring. His effort was in and out and was on the perimeter coming out of the game late in the preliminary round, but when he was too much at times with moments of brilliance. He was injured midway playing he looked like a no-doubt first-rounder in 2022. He’s a big, through the event, so that might have been a variable. He’s a top, top mobile, physical defenseman who showed good moments of puck skills option for the 2022 draft, but I didn’t leave the event thinking he was in and instincts distributing the puck even if he didn’t register a point. Jiricek the same discussion as Shane Wright. looks like the type of player who projects as an excellent two-way defenseman as a pro. Ivan Miroshnichenko, LW, Russia Below is my All-Star ballot I submitted in case anyone was Miroshnichenko was a top player for Russia even as a 2004-born player. wondering/wanted to argue. New draft board/full reports on the class will His game is direct but effective. Miroshnichenko is a great skater who come in about a month. has excellent hands, is hard on pucks and can power his way through checks. He also has a great shot that scores from range that he F Connor Bedard/Canada displayed often. The sense/playmaking look just fine, but he should be an F Matvei Michkov/Russia NHL goal scorer. F Shane Wright/Canada Matvei Michkov, RW, Russia D Aleksi Heimosalmi/Finland Michkov was the MVP of the tournament and still has another year of U18 eligibility left. Michkov has that “it” factor with the puck. You can see D Olen Zellweger/Canada he thinks the game differently than others in how creative he is in generating offense and scoring goals. His ability to improvise with the G Sergei Ivanov/Russia MVP Shane Wright/Canada

The Athletic LOADED: 05.09.2021 1212244 Websites him, ‘Pat, if you pull me he’s gonna score. And if he’s going to get his 50th, he’s got to earn it on a goalie.’

“But we went for the extra attacker, and sure enough...” Sportsnet.ca / McDavid caps historic season with breathtaking Speaking from his Northern Alberta farm, where Peeters had just performance on national stage sheared the last of his alpaca herd, it was suggested that perhaps he was just in the wrong place at the wrong time that December night.

Mark Spector “I didn’t look at it that way at all,” said Peeters, now 63. “I’m proud to have played against him, and be a part of that night. He could have had May 9, 2021, 2:20 AM more than four against me, I’ll tell you that. I let four in and I thought I played pretty doggone good.”

Gretzky had been scoring like some kind of cyborg in the run-up to that EDMONTON -- It doesn’t take a savant to recognize the stage. To look at game, with 10 goals his previous four games. Then he delivered five in the schedule, see a Hockey Night in Canada game and an opportunity to the clincher. make coast-to-coast memories, and realize how cool it would be to score a 100th point in game No. 53. Or, on another unforgettable Northern McDavid? Identical dominance. Alberta night, a 50th goal in 39 games. In the 10 games prior to Saturday, the Oilers captain had eight goals and But as Lowe points out, it is one thing to skate out under that spotlight, 19 assists. Then, under the bright lights of HNIC, a four-point night to but quite another deliver like a Gretzky or a McDavid. etch his name into our memories.

“Honestly, it’s impressive. I don’t think my English is good enough to find He walked in on his first shift of the game and rifled a shot past Thatcher another word for it right now,” said Leon Draisaitl, whose second goal of Demko just 45 seconds into the evening. He transported the puck all the the evening -- a patented McDavid-to-Draisaitl one-timer -- marked way down the ice and dropped a quick pass that Jesse Puljujarvi one- Connor McDavid’s 100th point in just 53 games this season. “Everyone, timed home. He dropped another to James Neal, who moved it over to the 20 people who were in the building, were all counting.” Draisaitl for a one-time snapper that counted as Draisaitl’s 500th career point. It is a crime that such a moment -- such a season -- could occur before section after section of empty chairs. You know the fans would have Then, like Gretzky to Kurri, McDavid found Draisaitl on a five-on-three. been counting, even if McDavid didn’t let on to being overly excited about this chase. “He set me up a few times before that,” Draisaitl said of that powerplay. “I was surprised that he tried one more time for a third shot, and I could “I was trying not to think about it,” he said. “I was trying to get myself sense in the pass that he didn’t have the trust in me anymore that he ready to go in the playoffs and keep my game where it needs to be. usually has. Obviously when you’re sitting around 96, 97, 98 points and you get to 99, it’s in the back of your mind. Thankfully I didn’t have to wait too long to “He usually has a little bit of zip to his passes. This time it was a little get there.” wobbly.”

On a night when he needed four points to reach triple figures, McDavid Wobbly, like the empty netter past a diving Bill Barber that counted as crushed it before the second intermission -- a clinical, dominant and Gretzky’s 50th. In both cases, the celebrations belied a group of utterly breathtaking performance. This was a man that hasn’t met a teammates who were over the moon to be a part of such a moment. challenge in this game that he hasn’t whipped, who had suddenly found a “We were just astonished, even though we had seen everything he’d new one to tackle. done. It was ridiculous,” Lowe recalled. “It was one of those things where Like a math prodigy who stumbles upon some erotic new equation, or a it doesn’t surprise you when they’re doing it. But it occurs to you at some virtuoso with a crazy hard piece of music, McDavid found himself four point, ‘This is as good as it gets.’ points away from 100 points with four games to play and a Saturday “You’ll never see it again.” night game on the schedule. Well, didn’t we all think that, back in 1981? Why not, he likely thought? Sportsnet.ca LOADED: 05.09.2021 “It’s a thrill, and a memory,” said his head coach, Dave Tippett. “It solidifies that he is one of the top players to ever play the game. The level that he played at this year, what he’s accomplished, when you look at Wayne or Mario, it’s one of those years where he’s taken his talents to another level. It’s just elite.”

How awesome have Mitch Marner and Auston Matthews been this season? McDavid has more assists (68) than either Leaf has points!

McDavid paid little heed to the chase over the past 10 days or so, blockering aside all of our questions. But if you saw him play Saturday night, you could tell.

“Players like that, the best players in any sport,” began Darnell Nurse, “they have the ability to put all that side noise to the side. Play and perform, and worry about the game at hand.”

Gretzky knew. Well, he sort of knew.

When No. 99 was chasing 50 goals in less than 50 games, he told his father Walter, “Why don’t you catch a flight out to Vancouver? We play the Canucks on New Year’s Eve, the night after the Philly game in Edmonton.”

Then the goals started coming against the Flyers, and on Dec. 30, 1981, Gretzky scored five times to give hockey a set of numerals that need no explanation: 50 in 39.

“It was electric,” said the Flyers goalie that night, Pete Peeters. “It’s the only time I ever argued with my coach, Pat Quinn. He was pulling me for the extra attacker, because it was 6-5 (and Gretzky had four goals). I told 1212245 Websites Despite their underwhelming special teams, the Leafs reasserted themselves as an elite 5-on-5 offensive threat in 2021 but, more importantly, transformed into a top-five defensive group at even strength.

Sportsnet.ca / Maple Leafs clinch North Division, but 'real work starts “We felt really good about our team offensively and where we were at now' there, but we knew we had to get better defensively this season,” coach Sheldon Keefe said. “I would just put it right there -- the team's commitment to defending the season. Now, obviously, we got good goaltending throughout the season as well, despite the fact we had Luke Fox adversity, used four goaltenders. May 9, 2021, 12:38 AM “But the fact that we were able to keep the puck out of our net, I would say, is the biggest reason why we were able to be as consistent as we were to be able to maintain our spot atop the division.” TORONTO -- Wayne Simmonds settled in for his post-game press conference, took one peek at his Zoom reflection, and let slip a PG-13 Whenever a surging contender took a run at Toronto’s top spot in the exclamation. standings -- first Montreal, then Edmonton, then Winnipeg, then silence -- the Leafs created more separation, and more self-assurance. “I need a haircut. Holy s---,” said Simmonds, speaking for a nation. “We've had a barber come in for most of the guys. Unfortunately, I need “This year, it seems like we’re going into games a little bit more confident a different type of barber, so my barber hasn't been able to come in. I'm on a daily basis. We have more confidence in ourselves as a group,” hurting a little bit here.” Alexander Kerfoot said. “The expectations are higher, our self-imposed expectations. It is saying something that we’re charging toward mid-May and the greatest issue plaguing the Toronto Maple Leafs might be grooming “We feel like we can do a lot of damage. Every team toward the end of (their perplexing power play notwithstanding). the year feels like they have a chance, but I think that it feels a little bit more real this year.” The formerly Jekyll and Hyde hockey team -- the one whose regular seasons were roller coasters of fretful inconsistency, yanking their First in the North was a real target, laid out explicitly from Day One by panicky fan base along for every dip, dive and corkscrew -- has been general manager Kyle Dubas, through Keefe and all the way down. nowhere to be found in 2021. This is about habit-building and pedal-slamming. About giving yourself In its stead is a club that ran through Canada wire-to-wire, claiming top the best chance to succeed and the weakest Round 1 opponent seed in the North Division with a 3-2 comeback victory over the Montreal available. Canadiens Saturday night on home ice. “You can't play the playoffs in training camp. You can't play the playoffs Yes, the Maple Leafs are (dare we say it?) consistent. in Game 1 of the regular season. You've got to go through the process and go along the journey,” said Keefe, who addressed his players post- Marner snipes his 20th goal of the season on Allen. win with a short speech in the dressing room. “Having to hang on to first place here and secure first place despite the fact that we're competing With two games next week to tune up for Round 1, likely against these with an Oilers team that didn't seem to lose very much, we didn't give it same Canadiens, Toronto will enjoy, for a moment, its sparkling 35-13-6 back and we found a way to get it done. That's a real positive sign for our record and .704 points percentage. Not since the year 2000, back when team, and I just acknowledged that.” Pat Quinn ran the bench and Mats Sundin was a point-per-game monster, have the Maple Leafs won a regular-season division title. This The Maple Leafs will relax Sunday with a well-earned day off. They’ll also is only the second season since 1967 expansion that Toronto has get their vaccine shots, a sign that things are getting better. Just as accomplished the feat. Saturday’s division clinch is a promising boost yet far from the end goal.

Simmonds, a proud son of Scarborough, says he doesn’t ever remember “This was our goal at the beginning of the year, and it feels good to the Leafs winning their division. accomplish it,” Justin Holl said.

We don’t blame him. Simmonds was only 11 in the spring of ’00. “But I think we all know that the real work starts now.” Destiny’s Child’s “Say My Name” was dominating FM radio and Erin Brockovich ruled the box office. So, this was way back in a time when Sportsnet.ca LOADED: 05.09.2021 Beyonce shared the same billing as Kelly and Michelle, and people left their houses to visit dark buildings called movie theatres.

“It woulda been pretty crazy,” said Simmonds, imagining what a full Scotiabank Arena would’ve felt like on this night. “The fan simulation noise isn’t quite the same as having actual bodies in the seats and real people cheering for you.

“It feels great. I want to give credit to every single guy on our team and in our organization. I think we've had some injuries along the way, and every single man stepped up every time we needed to.”

What’s most remarkable about the Leafs’ ticking off this item on their to- do list is how unremarkable it felt.

Sure, they scuffled through a lackluster first period and fell behind 0-2 to their oldest rival. But once Toronto woke up and began mounting its comeback -- first with Pierre Engvall’s third strike in as many games, then with sniper William Nylander extending his latest point streak to seven games -- one could sense the inevitable.

Mitch Marner’s 20th of the season (all at even strength) proved the dagger, and Jack Campbell bolted the doors to improve to 17-2-2, the best 21-game showing of any goalie in Leafs history.

Be it Auston Matthews’ 40-goal trot to the Rocket, Campbell’s timely emergence as a trustworthy No. 1, Marner’s magical production, or the dependable and plentiful sources of secondary scoring, the Maple Leafs have repeatedly reminded the rest of the country who holds the throne. 1212246 Websites J.T. Miller, Travis Boyd and Tyler Graovac scored for the Canucks, and Quinn Hughes had another goal overturned for offside on a coach’s challenge.

Sportsnet.ca / Canucks once again see Gretzky greatness in McDavid's “For sure I'm proud of our group,” Demko said. “I'll always be proud of milestone night our group. You know we were dealt a tough hand. I think everyone knows that. Obviously, we've had some injuries coming out of COVID like I think the players expected to see happen (because) guys are not really physically probably ready to play. We have some guys stepping up right Iain MacIntyre now that have been grinding away here practising and being on the taxi May 9, 2021, 2:23 AM squad, and I think they're doing a good job of stepping in and trying to do their best to contribute. We're all doing our best here. And obviously, we're all competitors and it's tough when you don't win. We all want to win every night, but we're doing our best to compete and trying to get When watching the career highlights of Wayne Gretzky, you could be wins along the way.” fooled into thinking he scored most of his 894 goals against the Vancouver Canucks. McDavid was the difference in the game. But the Canucks’ power play could have been. Gretzky scored more points (239) against the Canucks than any other team, but actually did score a few goals against some others. Vancouver went 0-for-5 with the man advantage, dropping the Canucks to 1-for-29 in the season series. The Oilers’ power play is 11-for-34. Gretzky’s first National Hockey League goal was against the Canucks, and so was his 500th, and his 802nd, which beat the career record of “Special teams was the difference tonight for sure,” Miller said. “I'm trying Gordie Howe that most people thought was untouchable before The not to be too negative, but we're not clicking right now. I don't want to Great One came along. dive into it more than that. We're just not on the same page.

Watching these highlights, you are reminded how great Gretzky was and “This happens sometimes; it sucks. We talk about creating momentum as how opposite-of-great most of those Canucks teams were that he a five-man unit. There's a lot of games where we do a lot of good things pillaged throughout the 1980s. and don't score, (but) tonight wasn't one of those. It's rough right now, but we're going to work hard to try to get out of it. We're playing a new No matter how hard they try, the current Canucks will never be able to opponent next game, so sometimes that helps.” forget this awful pandemic season, and now they will be reminded of it whenever Connor McDavid’s career highlights are run. The Canucks visit the Winnipeg Jets for two games, starting Monday. No McDavid. Remaining Time -1:50 Sportsnet.ca LOADED: 05.09.2021 Special for McDavid to share 100 points achievement with Oilers

The best Edmonton Oiler since Gretzky reached an unthinkable threshold on Saturday when his one goal and three assists in a 4-3 win against against the Canucks gave him 100 points with three games to spare in this never-to-be-repeated 56-game regular season.

McDavid finished his four-game, six-day series against Vancouver with 13 points. He is doing to the Canucks what Gretzky did more than a generation ago – but with far fewer accomplices. In nine games against Vancouver this season, McDavid has eight goals and 21 points and, yes, we double-checked that because it just sounds stupid.

As a young NHL reporter in the 1990s, I saw a journalist in Tampa breathlessly asking Canucks coach Ricky Ley what he thought of the fine and victorious performance Petr Klima put in for the Lightning.

Simmering, Ley looked at his questioner, took a deep breath, said between clenched teeth “I don’t give a f--- about Petr Klima,” and slapped the cinder-block wall behind him. Lesson learned.

But sometimes, you’ve still got to ask.

“I mean what are you going to say?” Canucks coach Travis Green said Saturday. “He's a great player. He had another good night. He's a hard player to stop. I think their top line and (Leon) Draisaitl combined for almost 20 shots tonight. And when your team is a little bit tired and you've got some guys out with injury, it becomes even harder to stop a guy like that with his speed. He's a great player.”

Vancouver goalie Thatcher Demko, who was actually pretty outstanding as the undermanned and overworked Canucks hung with the Oilers, was less effusive when asked how he’ll remember this game.

“I'm not going to be a fan until I'm croaking,” he said. “I don't know what you want me to say.”

Demko is 25 years old. Hopefully, he’s got another 60 or 70 years to get used to what McDavid did to the Canucks this week.

But the second most impressive thing that occurred in the series was that the COVID-surviving Canucks, who had lost six straight games and were missing eight lineup regulars while starting a finishing kick of 11 games in 17 days, pushed back at Edmonton over the final two games. They won 6-3 on Thursday and rallied twice to tie Saturday’s game before Draisaitl scored his second of two power-play goals on a lateral feed from McDavid in what is essentially an unstoppable sequence. 1212247 Websites defensive zone and end plays and get out of our zone and not spend too much time in our end. So, it’s something we’re looking to do as a team every game.”

Sportsnet.ca / Canadiens’ Ducharme must install meritocracy ahead of It’s something Merrill built his reputation on with the New Jersey Devils, playoffs Vegas Golden Knights and the Red Wings, but something he hasn’t been able to do with any consistency in the 11 games he’s played so far since his trade to Montreal. He’s wearing a minus-nine rating because of it.

Eric Engels Staal built his resume on being a reliable, clutch scorer who could play both ends of the ice and elevate his game at the right moments. But he’s May 9, 2021, 12:46 AM shown no evidence this season that he’s still that player.

And yet, chasing Saturday’s game from the start of the third period, after With Phillip Danault concussed and all the emphasis on how youngsters allowing three unanswered goals in the second, Staal was deployed six Nick Suzuki, Jesperi Kotkaniemi and Jake Evans would share the load in times, which was as often as Kotkaniemi and twice more than Evans. his absence, it was Eric Staal who failed a critical test to show he could The puck never found his stick in a scoring position because he never elevate his game and make a difference when the Canadiens needed came close to getting into one. him to. And coach Dominique Ducharme better have taken note as Staal It’s not a coincidence Staal has just two goals and an assist and a minus- lost 11 of 13 faceoffs and failed to generate a single shot on net through 10 rating in 19 games with the Canadiens after scoring three goals and 22 shifts and 15:36 of ice-time, because this wasn’t a one-off. 10 points and putting up a minus-20 in 32 games with Buffalo; it’s a The coach has talked a lot about the value of Staal’s experience, but the reflection of what he’s capable of at this stage in his remarkable career, value of his play has been largely negative. And it’s not because the 36- with his legs not regularly taking him to where he needs to get to in order year-old isn’t trying or hasn’t done anything good. He’s adapted to the to take advantage of his reach, his size and that precious experience. system, been reasonably well-positioned and could have a few more You have to appreciate that Ducharme is trying to get the most out of points to his name with a bit more luck, but the things he can no longer him, and that Staal is trying to maintain a positive outlook. do have stood out much more than the things he can, and that has to rule the evaluation more than past experience. “I’ve definitely felt a lot more comfortable within the structure and system of how we play,” he said after Saturday’s loss. “I feel like I’ve been close Ducharme has to be honest with himself about defenceman Jon Merrill’s to a lot of looks and some bounces offensively. Really would like to see ability to contribute as well, on a night where he struggled while Brett them go in, obviously, and it would be big for our group and I understand Kulak scored one of two goals the Canadiens mustered in this 3-2 loss to that. But within the system and how we play, I definitely feel like I’m right the Toronto Maple Leafs. He’s not a puck-mover or an offensive catalyst; there and I’ve got to contribute as best as I can offensively and any he’s a defensive defenceman who’s only containing rather than killing situation Dom asks me to play—whether it’s faceoffs or against certain plays, and that’s simply not good enough. matchups. I’ll keep working at it and try to be ready Monday.” “Every day is an audition,” Ducharme said. “You look at the last 10, 15, The problem is there’s a wide gap between how Staal feels and what 20 games, and you look in general at what the guys have given during he’s shown. the season and on the way to the playoffs, an NHL player is auditioning every day.” Steps in the right direction over the final two games of the season for both he and Merrill would at least provide some evidence they can step Night after night, both Staal and Merrill have been given a chance to into the lineup and be effective if other players can’t pull their weight show they can help when it matters most, with Kulak, Evans and Cole given the same opportunities. But when Danault returns from a Caufield cast aside to let them do it, but the verdict’s out. It seems clear concussion, Brendan Gallagher comes back from a broken thumb, Paul they’re not going to provide anything more than what they were intended Byron heals his lower-body injury and Shea Weber mends his upper- to when Marc Bergevin sent middling picks to the Buffalo Sabres and body injury, it’ll be up to Ducharme to lean on the players who give the Detroit Red Wings to acquire them prior to the trade deadline. Canadiens the best chance to win. They’re depth options, and if the coach doesn’t treat them as such, he’s He's dealt with an unprecedentedly challenging schedule and injuries to going to be hurting Montreal’s playoff chances—and his own future. his most important players as the Canadiens were navigating it, but not He’s a rookie coach wearing an interim tag. He’s in charge of a group running a meritocracy is a big part of the reason he’s got a 15-16-5 filled with some future Hall of Famers, and that’s a difficult position to be record since taking over from Claude Julien in February. And if he in. But this team isn’t going anywhere with players past their primes doesn’t do it come playoffs, it’s going to prove even more costly. taking ice time away from players who deserve it more, and Ducharme Sportsnet.ca LOADED: 05.09.2021 won’t be coaching them much longer if he doesn’t assert himself in recognition of that.

His job is to get the best out of what he has, and if he can’t see that players like Evans, Caufield and Kulak give him a better chance of doing that than players failing these auditions night after night, the Canadiens won’t have a chance against a Toronto team that beat them for a seventh time in 10 meetings to clinch top spot in the North Division.

And though this team failed once again to stamp its ticket to the post- season, it’s assuredly qualifying and most probably taking on the Leafs in Round 1.

The Canadiens could’ve beaten them on this night, but they never recovered from a play that shifted momentum in the second period. They were leading 2-0 at Scotiabank Arena when Merrill lost a battle behind his own net, chose the wrong lane to close the gap on Pierre Engvall and then failed to prevent a shot from him after pushing him to the perimeter.

Engvall scored, and Canadiens goaltender Jake Allen should’ve stopped his shot, but Merrill’s inability to kill the play before it developed that far has been an extension of a habit that runs counter to what he was billed as before he arrived in Montreal.

“I don’t think we did a good enough job of ending plays quickly enough in our zone and then transitioning that into pucks in their end,” Merrill said. “It’s definitely something we look to do as a team is strike quickly in the 1212248 Websites

Sportsnet.ca / NHL relaxing COVID-19 protocols during playoffs for fully vaccinated teams

Chris Johnston

May 8, 2021, 11:31 AM

The NHL is relaxing COVID-19 protocols during the Stanley Cup Playoffs for players and teams that have been fully vaccinated, according to a memo circulated on Saturday morning.

The changes will allow players to gather socially outside of team facilities, eat and drink outdoors at restaurants and spend time in each other’s hotel rooms after not being permitted to do so during the regular season.

Fully vaccinated players will also be exempted from quarantine after exposure to an infected individual or when travelling commercially, and will no longer be required to report to the team facility on off days to receive a PCR test. They can also resume commuting unmasked with a teammate and won’t be subject to time limitations for pre-game arena arrival.

The amended protocols, reached in consultation with the NHL Players’ Association, are similar to those governing NBA and MLB players. They should vastly improve the quality of life for those eligible. Last month Vegas Golden Knights goaltender Robin Lehner delivered an impassioned plea about the need for the NHL to relax the rules for those who had been vaccinated.

“This is human lives and people are struggling with this stuff a lot in society, and we are humans as everyone else,” said Lehner.

In order to be considered fully vaccinated a player must be two weeks beyond receiving his final dose of an approved COVID-19 vaccine. Teams with a travelling party that’s at least 85 per cent fully vaccinated will be granted even looser protocols, including more lenient masking and social distancing rules and improved travel conditions.

The changes will only affect the U.S.-based teams initially because they had better access to vaccinations. Some eligible players on Canadian teams have started to receive vaccine doses, according to sources, but none of the teams are in a position to qualify as being fully vaccinated.

The clubs with that designation are free to hold meetings and social gatherings where fully vaccinated players aren’t required to wear face coverings. They can also resume serving food on team flights and offer buffet-style meals after games and practices where fully vaccinated players aren’t required to wear a mask or socially distance.

They can even hold team meals indoors at restaurants for fully vaccinated players as long as they’re seated in a separate section away from other patrons and the servers are masked.

Fully vaccinated players will be permitted to use saunas and steam rooms at team facilities, valet park their cars and play golf as a group -- provided they don’t enter the clubhouse or other indoor facilities.

The modified COVID-19 protocols are subject to being withdrawn altogether for various reasons, including the case of a team outbreak.

They can also be amended as part of a potential deal reached with the Canadian government that would allow for cross-border travel during the third and fourth round of the playoffs.

Sportsnet.ca LOADED: 05.09.2021 1212249 Websites • Joe Thornton, Wayne Simmonds and Alex Galchenyuk all look more engaged than they have in years.

Keefe is a line-tinkerer, an opportunity-giver, a data-consumer and a Sportsnet.ca / Quick Shifts: Why Keefe's run with Maple Leafs is making praise-deflector. history Ask him about T.J. Brodie, you might get an answer about Rielly — and vice versa. When he fields his umpteenth question about Matthews, he’ll remind that Marner needs more credit for his 66-point heater. Luke Fox "I think his greatest strength is his communication, his ability to talk to May 8, 2021, 11:00 AM players based on who the player is," says Zach Hyman, who’s never looked so multidimensional. "I think he understands what a player needs

and, I guess, how to speak to that person and it may be different.” A quick mix of the things we gleaned from the week of hockey, serious Adds Zach Bogosian: "I think that has something to do with maybe his and less so, and rolling four lines deep. The Ottawa Senators — 8-2-1 in age [40]. He's younger on the coaching end of things. He brings his work their last 11 — are the best worst team of all time. boots every day and makes sure we're feeding off that." 1. On the night Auston Matthews scored 40 in 49 and goaltender Jack While the rest of the world tumbled into a Netflix algorithm during Campbell posted the greatest 20-game sample (16-2-2) in Toronto Maple quarantine, Keefe memorably confessed he was “binge-watching the Leafs history, a third member of the club accomplished something for the Toronto Maple Leafs.” record books, too. So, the coach’s answer is fitting when we ask him to single out his But we always gab about the work of the star actors before mentioning greatest challenge this season: Not enough practices. the director, don’t we? “You're trying to build your team up structurally, trying to add different Sheldon Keefe guided his Maple Leafs to their 61st victory under his things, trying to keep the team feeling good and confident offensively. watch, giving him more wins through 100 games than any other coach in Lack of practice really hurts that,” Keefe says. the franchise’s century-old existence. In his first “full” campaign at the helm, Keefe has produced Ws in this town at a rate legends like Hap “Coming out of the American League, you come in and coach in the NHL, Day, Pat Burns and Pat Quinn did not. the major difference is a lack of practice time, and then, in a season like this, it's even less. That's probably been the greatest challenge just Project his success over an 82-game season, and Keefe’s bunch is because it's such a large shift to what I'm accustomed to in terms of operating at a 109-point pace. building teams throughout a season. The lazy retort would be that Keefe is overseeing a stacked lineup, that “Even when we're on the ice for practices, you're getting 15 to 20 minutes the Leafs should dominate. maximum with the players. That's been tough.” OK, fair. Certainly, timing his NHL arrival with Matthews and Mitch Rielly says the Leafs now have “a different mentality” before the puck Marner’s prime is fortunate, and boss Kyle Dubas has equipped his drops. There is an increased emphasis on striking first, on backchecking, handpicked coach with a deep, balanced roster. and on defenders making smart pinches in order to prolong possession. But winning your division wire-to-wire requires a craft and a work ethic And Toronto’s consistency 5-on-5 has allowed the Leafs to weather that’s nearly impossible to spot when you flick on the TV for a couple some atrocious stretches of special-teams futility. hours thrice a week. “Keefer, he lets guys play, but he also has a very strict structure,” Rielly Keefe, a mid-season AHL call-up in 2019, arrived with a fraction of the says. “He balances that extremely well, and that's important.” hoopla and reputation and payroll as his predecessor, yet he’s motivated and meshed talents young and old, steering Toronto to its best defensive 2. Here are my unofficial 2021 NHL Awards finalists. (In real life, writers effort in a generation and its first divisional crown in 21 years. don’t vote on Jack Adams, GM of the Year or Vezina. This is not real life.) What struck me in going through this exercise is how easy the No. 1 “He’s been great,” beams Morgan Rielly, the longest-serving Leaf. “It's picks are for most of the major prizes… and what an incredible season obviously different circumstances than he would like, when it comes to Brad Marchand is having. Whether it’s him or Mark Stone, it might be our training camp and team meetings being altered [due to the time for a winger to win the Selke. pandemic], but I think the whole staff’s done a great job. Hart Trophy “Bringing in older guys, trying to make sure that they're comfortable and make sure they know the structure and then also just let ’em play. I think 1. Connor McDavid he balances that really well. So, kudos to him and kudos to the entire staff.” 2. Auston Matthews

Consider some positive developments in Leafland since Keefe grabbed 3. Brad Marchand the reins: Norris Trophy • Matthews has 73 goals in 96 regular-season games under the new guy, 1. Adam Fox who has placed premier setup man Marner on his wing and let them run roughshod over Canada. 2. Shea Theodore

• Jason Spezza, famously healthy scratched on his first night as a Leaf, 3. Darnell Nurse has thrived, producing more offence at age than 37 than he has in four years. Calder Trophy

• Toronto switched starting goalies for the first time in five years, and it 1. Kirill Kaprisov came with minimal controversy. 2. Jason Robertson

• William Nylander’s buttons have pushed publicly a couple times, and 3. the winger has responded with a wicked stretch, producing 14 points over his past 11 games. Frank J. Selke Trophy

• Year over year, the Leafs have improved from 26th in goals allowed per 1. Mark Stone game to seventh, despite playing in the most goal-happy division. 2. Brad Marchand • Justin Holl’s ascent from the outhouse to the penthouse. 3. • The old team used to talk about starting on time; the current one does. Vezina Trophy 1. Andrei Vasilevsky 4. Gabriel Landeskog has chosen a fine time to embark on the second point-per-game campaign of his career. 2. Marc Andre-Fleury Arguably the least heralded member of the best line in the West, 3. Semyon Varlamov Landeskog has racked up a tidy 49 points through 49 games and is on Lady Byng Trophy track for his eighth 20-goal season.

1. Jack Campbell Heckuva contract year for the Colorado Avalanche captain, who will be in line for a nice raise. 2. Artemi Panarin Landeskog told Spittin’ Chiclets this week that although there were some 3. Cale Makar preliminary extension discussions with management in the off-season, “we haven’t talked much lately.” Jack Adams Award Both sides decided to focus on winning a Cup and deal with business 1. Rod Brind’Amour afterward. 2. Dean Evason “I feel pretty comfortable with the position we’re at. Denver’s my home. It 3. Sheldon Keefe has been my home for 10 years. I love the city. I love the fans. I love the organization. I’ve been pretty upfront with that ever since I came to the Jim Gregory GM of the Year Award team,” said Landeskog.

1. Kyle Dubas “We’ll see how things go, but I’m excited for the possibility of staying in Denver.” 2. Julien BriseBois Landeskog reminded the podcast that even when was at the centre of 3. trade rumours in 2016-17, he’s remained adamant that he wants to stay 3. There is a commonality shared between McDavid and Matthews’ MVP in Colorado. campaigns aside from the video-game numbers they’ve draped on What if he was offered an eight-year deal with a $9-million AAV? Would Canada’s goaltenders. he still want to wait till the summer? Both superstars have taken a giant leap when it comes to using their “At that point we can discuss it," Landeskog said. “Joe and I can sit down physicality. Yes, it only makes sense that an athlete would feel more and have a coffee.” comfortable throwing his body around at age 23 or 24 than he would at age 19. 5. The way Kyle Dubas has been spending draft picks, it’s a good thing the Maple Leafs’ late-round prospects have shown so much promise. But McDavid and Matthews deserve credit for developing this aspect of their approach, and the increased engagement has led to both taking a Take 2020 fourth-rounder Artur Akhtyamov, for example. step defensively. This season, the 19-year-old Russian netminder hung silly numbers in McDavid is throwing hits at a rate of 3.08 per 60 minutes, easily a career the MHL (Russia’s CHL equivalent) — a 1.66 GAA and .935 save high. That’s more than double the 1.58 he was registering in 2019-20, percentage for Irbis Kazan. That earned him a promotion to Kazan’s VHL which was up from 1.31 in 2018-19. To think, McDavid averaged a paltry squad (Russia’s AHL equivalent), where he put up a 1.90 and .927. That 0.84 hits per 60 in his 2015-16 rookie year, the lowest mark of any Oilers earned him another promotion, to the KHL’s AK Bars Kazan, where he centre over the past six years. post a .904 in three appearances.

After dirtying his shoulders in a recent win over Montreal, a potential Size may be a concern. Akhtyamov is six-foot-one and 157 pounds. But Round 1 opponent, McDavid said, “They’re a big team. And if they want the kid is rising fast. to play that way, we’re not afraid to play that way. We can play physical. I thought [] did a good job of setting the tone as well, doing Axel Rindell is an even deeper cut. The 2020 sixth-rounder was selected what he does best. I just tried to follow in his steps and be physical as by the Leafs in his third year of eligibility. well.” Small and skilled, the 21-year-old right-shot defenceman scored seven Matthews’ trajectory as a body-checker is strikingly similar. Big Papi goals and 26 points in 47 games in the Finnish Elite League. Kid’s got relied almost exclusively on stick-checks his first two NHL seasons, wheels. averaged just 0.85 hits per 60 in 2016-17 and 2017-18 – the two lightest- As Sportsnet’s prospect guru Sam Cosentino pointed out, Dubas and his hitting seasons of any Maple Leafs centre over the past five years. staff made a concerted effort to draft players who would see plenty of His hits per 60 increased to 1.33 in 2018-19 and again to 1.63 in 2019- game action in 2020-21 and thus would not have their development 20. As is the case with McDavid, we’re witnessing the biggest jump this stalled by the pandemic. season. It’s a conscious effort that can be traced back to Toronto’s tight- Toronto bet heavily on Russian and Finnish pros, plus some NCAA studs checking series versus Columbus. in 2020, and the (very) early signs of growth are promising for the Class “In my head, I think when we went back into the bubble, it was definitely of ’20. a lot more physical, and I think it worked to my advantage,” Matthews 6. “You bet your ass, he is going to remember this.” said. “I’m not there searching for big hits. It’s just here and there, when I have an opportunity to finish a check or be physical on the puck, I’m Those were the tearful, joyous words of T.J. Oshie on the ice in 2018 doing that.” celebrating his Stanley Cup victory with his dad, Tim, better known as “Coach.” Matthews is now throwing the body at a career-high rate of 3.10 hits per 60. You love to see it. Coach’s battle with Alzheimer’s had robbed much of his memory, but T.J. helped give his father a whopper to hang onto. Captain John Tavares says Matthews’ ability to use his big frame to detach opponents from the puck and create his own space is an All the Capitals wore black, circular “COACH” decals on their helmets underrated aspect of his arsenal. Wednesday to honour Tim’s life.

“What really impresses me is when he doesn't have the puck, his ability Something beautiful was woven into the ugliest hockey game of 2021. to get it back with the way he strips guys, and then the way he just uses his body to separate the man from the puck,” Tavares observes. Oshie, persevering through a heavy heart, scored a hat trick for his dad on his first night back. “He's probably just getting stronger and stronger and more confident, and maybe being a little bit more forceful at times, instead of just relying on It’s a shame that his story was relegated to sidebar status in the 141- how strong he is on his stick.” penalty-minute clown show. "I saw he got emotional there at the end, which was understandable. I felt do. But absolutely I've kept in touch with those guys and feel for them. like he needed a hug," Nicklas Backstrom said. "I told him, 'You are the They're going to be OK. They're the right mix. They understand the right strongest person I know.' way to play, and I'm sure they'll bounce back.”

“It’s impressive that he actually played today, I think, and how he led the 11. The Arizona Coyotes have not only been eliminated, they hold a way. We are a family. We are in this together. His loss is everyone's negative-27 goal differential. loss.” Missing the playoffs is fine. Expectations weren’t high in Arizona, and the (P.S. I love T.J. Oshie more than I hate Tom Wilson.) club is rebuilding.

7. Another reminder that David Pastrnak is an international treasure: Problem is, the Coyotes have 12 roster players on expiring contracts, seven of them impending UFAs that were retained as “own rentals” in a 8. Understanding that the last thing the world needs is another opinion on bid to make the postseason. Tom Wilson and the New York Rangers, there’s an angle to this story getting overlooked. Seeing the assets rebuilding GMs like Jarmo Kekalainen, Tom Fitzgerald and Steve Yzerman recouped for players bound to walk, we can’t help Wilson was fined $5,000 for roughing up Pavel Buchnevich. This is the but think Bill Armstrong might’ve missed an opportunity to make up for maximum allowable under the collective bargaining agreement, a some lost draft picks. document signed off on by the owners and the players. Hey, if Alex Goligoski, Niklas Hjalmarsson, Jason Demers and Antti Based on Wilson’s $4.1 million (U.S.) salary this season, his fine is Raanta all re-sign, great. But it feels like a couple of those proven equivalent to the average full-time Canadian employee getting dinged for veterans could’ve been managed into an asset or two for the future. $66.62. I mean, David Savard yielded a first-rounder. Or, as multimillionaires call it, cushion change. 12. Shout out to comedian Matt Wright, whose album Existing Is George Parros and the league could’ve found a way to suspend Wilson if Exhausting has been nominated for a Juno. The awards take place May they wished, absolutely. But they could not have fined him any more than 16. the $5,000. In addition to being hilarious, Wright is also a huge hockey fan. The maximum fines are laughable and hardly a deterrent. I’ve consumed a ton of standup in my life, and I can never recall a But it’s important to remember that the players — whose greatest thorn comedian making extended, laugh-out-loud hockey bits work. whenever CBA time rolls around is escrow — are complicit in keeping these fines low. Do yourself a favour. Check out “No Shared Joy,” “You’ve Been Traded” and “Mike Dad Bab Clock” on Wright’s record. Gary Bettman doesn’t need the players’ permission to fine the New York Rangers $250,000. Go win a trophy, pal.

No doubt the league’s blind eye invited Thursday’s less-than-royal Sportsnet.ca LOADED: 05.09.2021 rumble.

But if they really wanted to eliminate some of the nonsense, the players themselves could exert more power in their role and call for harsher punishments when one of their union crosses the line.

9. More money is being bet the Maple Leafs than any other team.

According to OddsChecker, 27.9 per cent of all last week’s Stanley Cup wagers were placed on Toronto to win it all.

Makes sense when you consider the widespread popularity of the club and its favourable North Division bracket.

But the Leafs are not the favourite. Betting sites give them a 11.1 per cent chance.

The Colorado Avalanche lead the pack with an 18.2 per cent shot to go the distance, yet only seven per cent of bets were placed on the Avs last week.

10. Yes, Nick Foligno saw former teammate Elvis Merzlikins’ funny/sad ghost hug following the goaltender’s first victory since the Columbus Blue Jackets traded away their captain.

Tradition would’ve had Foligno wrapped up in the embrace, but Merzlikins — a unique cat — kept the routine going solo.

“I was laughing more at the jump hug that he did to himself,” Foligno said this week, smiling wide. “It was pretty funny. I had to text him after.”

Foligno also watched from across the border as Merzlikins gave his candid assessment of what it’s like to plow through the end of a lost campaign.

“I know how much those guys care in that room, and I know how much they care about and take pride in playing the right way,” Foligno said. “It didn't go our way while I was there, and you feel for that. You know the preparation we put in and the work that goes into a season, so I’m sure no guy is happy in that room and is taking anything lightly.

“The hard part of losing in the NHL is the realization that things change. You have to find a way to be better, and I have no doubt that the core group in there will do that.

“I'm a Toronto Maple Leaf now. And my focus and my attention needs to be on this team out of respect to my teammates and what we're trying to 1212250 Websites Rielly loves jumping up in the rush and has benefited from Brodie's reliable play.

"One of the most challenging things about playing at this level is just TSN.CA / 'We want to play for him': Keefe inspires Leafs with innovative being good every night," Rielly said. "And, over the course of a year, ideas especially like this year where it’s been a bit more condensed, it can be challenging, whether you're batting an injury or just fatigue, but he's able to do it. It’s not easy. He’s been doing it for a long time. It’s not just this year. It’s extremely impressive and I’ve been fortunate to play with a guy By Mark Masters like that."

Brodie seems unflappable. He absorbed a Corey Perry punch on The Maple Leafs held an optional skate at Scotiabank Arena on Thursday night and didn't take the bait. Saturday. "I've battled against him for a while now," Brodie noted of the agitating Sheldon Keefe coached his 100th regular-season game behind the Habs winger. "You just know what type of player he is. He'll go to the Maple Leafs bench on Thursday night. The team is 61-28-11 since Keefe dirty areas and he's not afraid to try to draw a penalty and do whatever it replaced Mike Babcock on Nov. 20, 2019. That .665 points percentage takes to get that penalty and you got to be aware of that and try not to get ranks fifth in the NHL in that stretch behind only Tampa Bay, Boston, sucked in." Vegas and Colorado. Brodie has only taken five minor penalties this season, which is the "The guys respond to him and that's big," said forward Alex Kerfoot. fewest among Toronto's defencemen. "Having a team that wants to play for the coach [is important] and we Even in his media sessions, Brodie is even keel. However, there is one definitely want to play for him ... He's able to communicate to people very topic that gets him fired up. well on a personal level and through the team." "He loves Chatham probably more than anyone else," Rielly revealed. Kerfoot credits Keefe for being innovative with his puck-possession "He could be the mayor of Chatham." system. Brodie breaks into a grin when informed of Rielly's comment. "There's certain face-off things that we'll try at times that I've never seen before," the Harvard product adds. "It will always be home," the 30-year-old said of the city in southwestern Ontario. "You can’t change who you grew up with. The people that have Keefe certainly isn't afraid to mix things up and experiment. He says been around me the whole way and the support that I've gotten from that's a byproduct of his road to this point, which included stops in the them, it’s just a great place to grow up." Ontario Hockey League with the Sault Ste. Marie Greyhounds and in the American Hockey League with the . Leafs' Brodie on love for Chatham, dealing with Habs' Perry

"My path is one that's been about development and about growth," Keefe Maple Leafs defenceman T. J. Brodie explains what he loves so much said. "As I've come out of Junior A hockey, there's a lot out there to learn about his hometown of Chatham, Ontario and what it's like battling and you have to be willing to be uncomfortable and look inside the game, against Canadiens forward Corey Perry. look outside the game to learn, educate yourself, and then be open to new ideas and new concepts." The Leafs can clinch top spot in the North Division with one more point or one more loss by the Edmonton Oilers, but the big focus right now is It's not easy to start your NHL coaching career in a big market like simply staying sharp. Toronto with a team that has big expectations, but Keefe has enjoyed success by keeping an open mind. "We just want to be in a good place going into the playoffs," Rielly said. "Mentally, physically, we just want to feel good and I think that comes "It's really just a mindset that you don't have all the answers and that it's with working hard and playing like we did [Thursday]. The win is great, okay and natural to not have all the answers," the 40-year-old explained. but I think there's some things we can be proud of and if we're able to "In fact, I think that's an endearing quality in people ... is that they don't execute like that again [today] and then in Ottawa and Winnipeg it just have all the answers and that's okay. They're either working hard builds confidence and makes guys feel good going to the playoffs." themselves to find the answers and solutions or you're relying upon others and their skill-sets and their expertise and their knowledge to give The Leafs haven't finished first in their division since the 1999-2000 you the answers, and trusting the people that you work with ... You have season. to empower others to show and utilize the skills that they have and that Leafs Ice Chips: Looking to lock up first place; Foligno skates again they've developed." The Leafs can lock up first place in the North Division tonight, but the It was 10 years ago today that Keefe's Pembroke Lumber Kings claimed focus for Toronto right now is staying sharp. They've let their game slip in the national Junior A championship. To commemorate that anniversary, recent seasons down the stretch and it's hurt them in the playoffs. Ottawa's Algonquin College announced that Keefe will receive an Following Friday's practice, Morgan Rielly was asked about the honorary degree at their June convocation ceremony. importance of building momentum down the stretch. Mark Masters has Innovative Keefe earns honorary degree, top marks from Leafs more.

Sheldon Keefe shares his thoughts on the honorary degree he'll be Nick Foligno skated for a second straight day as he works his way back receiving from Algonquin College in recognition of his on-ice and from an upper-body injury. community accomplishments, while Alex Kerfoot explains what makes Projected Leafs lines for Saturday's game: Keefe a good coach. Thornton - Matthews - Marner Earlier this week, Keefe had high praise for defenceman T.J. Brodie. Galchenyuk - Tavares - Nylander "He's Mr. Consistent," the coach said. "He just goes about his business, consistent in his emotions and his energy, and consistent in his play. Engvall - Kerfoot - Mikheyev He's just out there to do his job and do it effectively. The way he moves the puck, the way he defends and breaks up plays, he does a lot of little Simmonds - Brooks - Spezza things extremely well that help our team go." Rielly - Brodie

Brodie certainly isn't flashy. He only has one goal and 14 points despite Muzzin - Holl playing behind the high-octane Leafs forwards. But Brodie owns the highest on-ice goals-for percentage (67.9) at 5-on-5 among Leafs Hutton - Dermott defencemen. And his partner, Morgan Rielly, leads all Leafs defencemen with 34 points. Campbell starts TSN.CA LOADED: 05.09.2021 1212251 Websites distancing are not required during those gatherings. The gatherings can occur either indoors or outdoors.

> Masks are no longer required in non-public areas of game arenas and TSN.CA / NHL relaxes COVID-19 protocol for 'fully vaccinated' playoff practice facilities for fully vaccinated individuals. teams > Team meetings and social gatherings can resume with no face coverings and no requirement to socially distance for vaccinated individuals, but they must be sufficiently distanced from unvaccinated By Frank Seravalli individuals.

> Fully vaccinated players will no longer need to get PCR tested on days off. Similarly, fully vaccinated players will no longer require a rapid test, The NHL will relax its COVID-19 protocol for fully vaccinated teams in the unless that player did not have a PCR test the previous day. Stanley Cup playoffs, according to a memo distributed to clubs on Friday. > Fully vaccinated individuals will now be permitted in the hotel rooms of The modified protocol will allow playoff-bound players greater freedoms other fully vaccinated individuals. with regards to masks, testing, team meetings, social gatherings and travel - once 85 per cent of a team’s traveling party is fully vaccinated. > Fully vaccinated individuals will now be permitted to eat on flights and busses. The NHL considers a person fully vaccinated once two weeks have passed since receiving the final dose of an approved COVID-19 vaccine. > Fully vaccinated individuals may now eat and drink at restaurants with outdoor dining. According to a source, the expectation is anywhere from five to seven of the 12 playoff-bound American teams will meet the league's "fully > Fully vaccinated individuals may gather indoors to dine, with no vaccinated" threshold of 85 per cent by the start of the playoffs. As of requirements for masking or social distancing, if a separate section of the Friday, the U.S. teams ranged from a low of zero fully vaccinated players restaurant is designated and secured from the rest of the patrons (e.g. a to 97 per cent fully vaccinated players. private or reserved room) so long as they are served by a masked restaurant employee. The majority of U.S. teams, the source said, are hovering around 50 per cent fully vaccinated. That number is expected to grow considering many > Fully vaccinated individuals may golf as a group, and also use saunas are partially vaccinated. Keep in mind: the team with zero fully vaccinated and steam rooms at club facilities with other fully vaccinated individuals. players at the moment likely does not tell the whole story. It's at minimum a four to six week process, including the required buffer between doses, TSN.CA LOADED: 05.09.2021 as well as the 14-day waiting period after the second dose is administered to fully arm the immune system. Some teams chose to inoculate the entire roster at one time and you don't get counted as "fully vaccinated" until you've completed the timeline.

These protocol changes came less than three weeks after Vegas Golden Knights goaltender Robin Lehner was critical of the league, saying “we are vaccinated and we are still trapped in a prison.”

The relaxed protocols are welcomed news to not just Lehner, but all 12 American-based NHL teams, some of which have already reached the 85-per cent vaccination threshold for their traveling party, which includes players, coaches and team personnel.

"It could be really big, I think, just for the mindset of the players, more than anything, to get back to some sort of normalcy," Hurricanes coach Rod Brind'Amour said Saturday. "The playoffs are a grind, just like this season has been, so any type of getting your mind away from it by being around the guys I think will help."

Players on Canadian teams will not be as lucky. With slower vaccination rates and limited availability in Canada, the belief is none of the four playoff-bound Canadian clubs are anywhere close to the required 85-per cent threshold.

Some players on the seven Canadian teams have begun to receive their first dose as vaccination age parameters have changed rapidly across the country. But the NHL has been careful to not have any of its players or teams jump the line governed by regional and provincial protocols.

Even though players on Canadian teams have received their first dose, which does increase effectiveness in protecting against COVID-19, the limited supply of vaccine may mean a second dose is months away - making the loosening of these restrictions very unlikely for Canadian clubs this season.

Here are the notable changes to the NHL's protocol:

> Almost all of the accommodations below are made for “fully vaccinated individuals.” As the NHL and its 31 clubs did not make the vaccine mandatory, there are believed to be one to two players per team - in many instances - who chose to not receive the vaccine. Any member of the traveling party who chose not to receive the vaccine must continue to abide by all of the previous (and stringent) preventative measures that were in place in the previous COVID-19 protocol.

> Fully vaccinated individuals may now socially gather in groups of up to eight, now including for the first time others who are not in a club’s traveling party - such as friends and family, so long as each person in the group has also been fully vaccinated. Face coverings and social