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SPORT-SCAN DAILY BRIEF NHL 04/30/19 1143385 Meet the Kyler Murray of the NHL Draft: Cole Caufield is a 1143415 For Columbus Blue Jackets fans, superstitions are part of 5-foot-7 scoring phenom the game 1143416 Blue Jackets | Alexander Wennberg gets another chance 1143417 Blue Jackets | Artemi Panarin has at least one point in all 1143386 Bruins have their work cut out against Blue (collar) Jackets six playoff games 1143387 Bruins are in for an earful from Columbus’s not-so-secret 1143418 Columbus Blue Jackets: There's no place like Nationwide weapon: the cannon Arena 1143388 Resiliency is again needed in wake of Game 2 defeat 1143419 These tips can help Blue Jackets fans navigate the Arena 1143389 For Bruins, these Blue Jackets aren’t so easy after all District during home games 1143390 Bruins’ Brandon Carlo plays it minute by minute against 1143420 Blue Jackets | Condition of ice in Boston causes problems the Blue Jackets 1143421 Blue Jackets | Sergei Bobrovsky answering his critics with 1143391 Bruins notebook: David Pastrnak switches it up strong playoff run 1143392 Bruins: Pastrnak, Cassidy offer thoughts on Blue Jackets' 1143422 Blue Jackets | Power play emerges in playoffs cannon 1143423 Michael Arace | Columbus is hardly a one-sport city 1143393 Ohio native Sean Kuraly 'all business' ahead of Bruins' anymore Game 3 in Columbus 1143424 ‘Away-from-the-rink friends’: Sean Kuraly expects a hostile 1143394 Blue Jackets' Brandon Dubinsky again trolls Boston fans homecoming for Game 3 with Bucks hat 1143425 So close, so far: Columbus’ AHL players watch 1143395 Bruins moving Pastrnak around, Kuhlman may draw back postseason success from Cleveland in for Game 3 1143426 Cross-Ice Pass: What are biggest concerns for Bruins and 1143396 Weary Bruins using the two off days to 'catch our breath' Blue Jackets at mid-series? prior to Game 3 1143397 Karson Kuhlman could be in for Game 3. What does that mean for four of his teammates? 1143427 Stars notebook: Second AAC fan ejection of postseason 1143398 ‘Away-from-the-rink friends’: Sean Kuraly expects a hostile occurs during Game 3 vs. Blues homecoming for Game 3 1143428 Stars defenseman Ben Lovejoy: Blues played 'smarter' 1143399 Cross-Ice Pass: What are biggest concerns for Bruins and game to take 2-1 series lead Blue Jackets at mid-series? 1143429 Blues' Pat Maroon on how he beat Stars goalie to score Game 3's winner 1143430 After Game 3 loss to St. Louis, Stars must make another 1143400 Sabres' Brandon Montour joining Sam Reinhart at World playoff series comeback Championships 1143431 Cowboys RB Ezekiel Elliott takes selfie with young Stars 1143401 Sabres will have competition if Jeff Skinner reaches free fan hit by puck during Game 3 vs. St. Louis agency 1143432 Despite strong postseason kill, here's why Stars coach Jim Montgomery still feels Dallas is pressing i Flames 1143433 Stars-Blues expected lineups for Game 3: How St. Louis 1143402 You Be The Boss results: Most believe Flames heading in shuffled its top two lines right direction 1143434 Stars let home-ice advantage slip away (again) as Blues 1143403 The Answerman on why the Flames fizzled in the take 2-1 series lead postseason and how they can avoid the same fate next 1143435 Stars 20/20: Stars “weren’t good enough tonight” as Blues year take 2-1 series lead 1143404 Unprecedented amount of youth on the blue line has Flames set up for success Detroit Red Wings 1143436 Griffins' setback robs top Red Wings prospects of Carolina Hurricanes important experience 1143405 There’s room on the Canes’ NHL playoff bandwagon. This 1143437 Clark Park's hockey visionary nominated for prestigious will help you get on board. NHL award 1143406 Canes recall Nedeljkovic; Mrazek ‘day to day’ with 1143438 Red Wings’ Anthony Mantha, Tyler Bertuzzi join Canada lower-body injury for Worlds 1143439 ‘Empty feeling’ as Griffins fall short of playoff expectations 1143407 Rozner: Often overlooked, Blackhawks' Toews won't have Los Angeles Kings to apologize for career 1143440 SUTTER’S BANNER SEASON A BRIGHT SPOT FOR 1143408 The resurgence of Blackhawks captain Jonathan Toews REIGN Minnesota Wild 1143409 Avalanche pairing of 20-year-olds , Sam Girard 1143441 Wild fans putting support behind ex-players -- especially outperforming their age Nino Niederreiter 1143410 Avalanche and Nuggets playoff tickets are still available, 1143442 Iowa Wild wins deciding fifth game against Milwaukee in but why does hockey cost twice as much? Calder Cup hockey playoffs 1143411 Brent Burns is burning the Avalanche. How does Colorado 1143443 The leader in Cal O’Reilly: How the Iowa Wild star became stop him? “I don’t know.” the glue of a franchise 1143412 Avs refuse to go down without a fight, steal Game 2 with gutsy performance in San Jose 1143413 Avalanche Film Room: The Girard-Makar shift that put the NHL on notice 1143414 ANOTHER AVALANCHE WATCH PARTY TONIGHT! Montreal Canadiens St Louis Blues 1143444 What the Puck: Canadiens need to go hard for A-list stars 1143470 Hochman: Blues' Maroon makes hometown proud as Big this summer Rig rolls in Big D 1143471 Maroon rescues Blues with late game-winner 1143472 Blues notebook: Perron makes it clear he's no fan of 1143445 For once, future seems certain for Predators' Rocco frequent line changes Grimaldi 1143473 Late by Maroon gives Blues 4-3 win in Game 3 vs. Dallas New Jersey Devils 1143474 Bortuzzo back in lineup, Schwartz moved up to top line for 1143446 Devils’ Damon Severson to represent Canada at World Game 3 Championships, along with former N.J. teammate 1143475 Hochman: 'They're animals.' How Blues' pairing of Parayko and Bouwmeester can affect Game 3 1143476 The Blues did it again — from mental mistakes to Pat 1143447 Islanders Face 2-0 Deficit to Team That Looks Familiar Maroon’s game-winner, we wrap up a wild finish 1143448 The Islanders’ backup plan with Cal Clutterbuck 1143477 After a half-century waiting for a Stanley Cup, Blues uncertainty legend Bobby Plager can hardly bear watching the playoff 1143449 Barry Trotz’s ‘process’ to overcome Islanders’ daunting hole 1143450 Switch to Barclays Center not reason for Islanders’ 1143478 NHL upsets are not a get-out-of-jail free card for Lightning second-round hole 1143479 Seven Lightning players to play in the world 1143451 Stony Brook grad Todd Scarola excited to get emergency championships goalie call for Hurricanes against Islanders 1143452 Michael Dal Colle among the options for Islanders if Cal Toronto Maple Leafs Clutterbuck can't play Game 3 vs. Hurricanes 1143480 Tavares, Chabot headline Team Canada roster for world 1143453 John Forslund, the 'Canes season announcer, discusses hockey championship calling series vs. Islanders for NBC's national audience 1143481 Why Morgan Rielly is the Leafs’ most C-worthy option 1143454 Urgency setting in as Isles 'going to Carolina to win two 1143482 Trevor Moore among Mar-Leafs with something to prove games' 1143483 Leafs' Moore gets second playoff chance 1143455 AJ Mleczko added to NBC booth for Islanders-Hurricanes 1143484 Mitch Marner, Mike Babcock and the nine priorities that Games 3 and 4 will define the Leafs’ offseason NHL Vancouver Canucks 1143456 Forward-thinking: Avs defenseman Barrie chips in on 1143494 Patrick Johnston: Nikolay Goldobin not Russian home, his offense (new) agent says 1143457 Healthy Karlsson gives Sharks optimism heading into Game 3 1143458 Injuries piling up for Hurricanes during playoff run 1143485 Injury to Golden Knights’ Marc-Andre Fleury remains a 1143459 Like it or not, NHL playoff parity is here and very real mystery 1143486 Henderson may pay for half of new Golden Knights facility Senators 1143487 Columbus’ NHL breakthrough brings smile to Las Vegan 1143460 Thomas Chabot looking forward to opportunity to suit up Bob Strumm for Team Canada overseas 1143488 Golden Knights’ Stone, Marchessault, Theodore picked by 1143461 A look at which Senators could stay and which could go Team Canada this summer 1143489 Dissecting potential Golden Knights roster moves for next season 1143490 Three Golden Knights named to Team Canada for World 1143462 Chuck Fletcher, Alain Vigneault and the Flyers may have Championship a blueprint in the Islanders Washington Capitals 1143491 Capitals forward Brett Connolly has a tricky balancing act 1143463 Mark Madden: Penguins trading Evgeni Malkin is a very as he hits unrestricted free agency real possibility 1143492 NHL Playoffs 2019 Roundup: Hurricanes takes 2-0 series 1143464 Where does Sidney Crosby’s 2018-19 season rank among lead, Avalanche hold off Sharks his best in the NHL? 1143493 Stanley Cup Playoffs Power Rankings: It’s anybody’s year 1143465 Sharks’ Joe Pavelski not playing, but still helping 1143466 Erik Karlsson looking better, but will likely be tested in Game 3 vs Avs 1143467 Brent Burns is heating up offensively, and making life tough for Avs 1143468 How Nathan MacKinnon, Avalanche top line a unique challenge for Sharks 1143469 Five Sharks observations after Game 2 loss as series shifts to Denver Websites 1143495 The Athletic / An updated guide to scouting and evaluating NHL draft prospects 1143496 The Athletic / On the Vezina: Using deeper data to re-evaluate the finalists 1143497 The Athletic / Down Goes Brown: Which surviving playoff teams should Canadian fans root for? 1143498 Sportsnet.ca / Blues stay perfect on the road with Game 3 win over Stars 1143499 Sportsnet.ca / Maple Leafs' Dubas has chance to follow Raptors blueprint this summer 1143500 Sportsnet.ca / Avalanche's Cale Makar adjusting from big man on campus to NHL rookie 1143501 Sportsnet.ca / It would be a grave mistake if Oilers don't fill GM role before draft 1143502 Sportsnet.ca / An Open Letter from Steve Dangle to Mike Babcock 1143503 Sportsnet.ca / Looking at the playoff impact of nine trade-deadline moves 1143504 Sportsnet.ca / Can a viral-video sensation put Japanese hockey on the map? – Sportsnet 1143505 Sportsnet.ca / Marc-Edouard Vlasic says he's waiting for an apology on non-icing call 1143506 Sportsnet.ca / Folding of CWHL clouds ' Day' title celebrations 1143507 TSN.CA / Judge unseals documents connected to OHL IceDogs’ recruiting violations 1143508 TSN.CA / Heinen delivering for Bruins this postseason 1143509 TSN.CA / Double OT winner a long time coming for Duchene 1143510 USA TODAY / Sharks defenseman Marc-Edouard Vlasic says he's waiting for NHL apology over non-call in Game 2

SPORT-SCAN, INC. 941-284-4129 1143385 Arizona Coyotes

Meet the Kyler Murray of the NHL Draft: Cole Caufield is a 5-foot-7 scoring phenom

Richard Morin, Arizona Republic Published 11:44 a.m. MT April 29, 2019

Think Kyler Murray is short? He's got nothing on this kid.

Standing at 5-foot-7, Cole Caufield is one of the top forwards available for the 2019 NHL Draft and is expected to be taken with one of the first 15 or so picks on June 21 in Vancouver. He could even be a target for the Coyotes with the No. 14 pick.

Many think the 18-year-old Caufield possesses the best in the draft. He broke Phil Kessel's career scoring record at the U.S. National Development Program with his 105th goal. Caufield finished with 117 goals at the Under-18 level in just 83 games.

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At the U-18 world championships last week, Caufield tied future Hall of Famer Alex Ovechkin for the tournament-record in goals with 14 tallies in seven games. The U.S. record was 10 for a single tournament run.

With a pair of goals in the USA's semifinal loss to Russia, Cole Caufield ties Alex Ovechkin's single-tournament scoring record of 14 goals #U18Worldspic.twitter.com/nle6HnNK11

— TSN (@TSN_Sports) April 27, 2019

There is little debate when it comes to Caufield's scoring ability, but his diminutive size is likely what will keep Caufield from netting the top-five selection his talent warrants.

There are countless players of similar stature finding success at the NHL level.

Johnny Gaudreau (5-9) just wrapped up a 99-point campaign for the . Alex DeBrincat (5-7) put up 41 goals for the Chicago Blackhawks this season.

Despite lacking in height, Caufield (163 pounds) does not play exclusively on the perimeter and has shown an ability to win some board battles and compete wherever needed. Of course, doing that at the amateur level and at the pro level is not necessarily mutually exclusive.

Regardless of where Caufield ends up in the draft, he will likely spend next season playing collegiately at Wisconsin. It should serve as an effective bridge from the U-18 level to pro.

Arizona Republic LOADED: 04.30.2019 1143386 Boston Bruins Another key point, emphasized by Cassidy: His charges haven’t generated enough from shots on net and follow-ups on deflected pucks and rebounds.

Bruins have their work cut out against Blue (collar) Jackets “I think that’s when those guys are dangerous,” he said of his high-impact forwards. “Get those [Blue Jackets] stretched out, their decision-making quick . . . recover pucks in the offensive zone before they can get set. Or By Kevin Paul Dupont Globe Staff,Updated April 29, 2019, 10:20 p.m. get them running around after they’re set. I think that has been the issue for our top guys.”

One way to try to remedy that is by asking forwards to be more shoot-first John Tortorella’s teams grind. They bang. They block shots. His teams in their approach to the net. Without shots, there are no loose pucks, no come to work with chins tucked, elbows up, their good humor in a state of rebounds. perpetual rehab. If the NHL were still a wooden sticks industry, Tortorella would call his Blue Jacket team meetings to order around a wood chipper Pastrnak said he probably has not had the or types of shooting in the middle of the dressing room, and force-feed opponent’s sticks chances that he’d like to have at this point in the series. three at a time into the auger. “Maybe I’ve passed on the looks, you know?” he said. “I get some looks “Gentlemen,” a wild-eyed Torts would shout amid the deafening grind, and maybe pass on some. Just stick with it, go to the net.” “do I have your attention?!” So shoot first if the chance is there? So no surprise that the Blue Jackets outhit the Bruins, 89-73, in their first two games of their best-of-seven playoff series, or that they blocked 41 “Definitely, yeah,” he said. “I have to have the mind-set to shoot first, shots to the Bruins’ 24. As the Tampa Bay Lightning found out in their probably.” first-round car wreck (dismissed in four straight) vs. Torts & Co., the Blue “I think we need to take advantage of that,” added Johansson. “At times Jackets are light on nuance and heavy on contact. They also have lost we passed off a few shots that maybe we could have taken. This will be only once in six postseason games this spring. tight. That’s a good team. We have to bring it.”

“Tampa last year was a hard series,” noted Bruins coach Bruce Boston Globe LOADED: 04.30.2019 Cassidy, his squad run out of the Stanley Cup tournament in five games by the Bolts. “They played us hard. It was a grind for us to get inside their [defensemen]. So that is a bit of a challenge this year; we’ve got to get inside more. They have to do the same to score against us.

“But, yeah, this probably is the most along-the-boards, puck-battle, fight- for-every-inch type of series.”

Two games into the second-round matchup, which picks up Tuesday night in Columbus, the Bruins for a second series in a row have struggled to reach their “A” game. In the Toronto series, it took them until Game 6 to get there, when their top offensive performers began to make an impact on the scoresheet. In Game 7, the top liners again were quiet.

Now faced with a more physical Blue Jackets squad, Boston’s top five forwards again were near silent (a collective 1-1—2 on 29 shots) in the first two games. All the more reason that Cassidy on Monday shifted his top right winger, David Pastrnak, to a new trio with Marcus Johansson (left wing) and Charlie Coyle.

Cassidy also drew rookie Karson Kuhlman back into action, plugging him into second-line right wing duty with Jake DeBrusk (LW) and David Krejci (C). Danton Heinen moved from the Krejci line over to right wing with Brad Marchand (LW) and Patrice Bergeron (C).

Until further notice (perhaps as early as Tuesday morn?), that’s likely how the top three lines will be shaped for Game 3. Moving Pastrnak (1- 0—1 on six shots) off the top two lines could put some sizzle back in his stick.

“We’ll make that decision [Tuesday],” said Cassidy. “We’ve moved our wingers around anyway, so . . . he could end up with Bergy, Krech, or Coyle. I’m not going to play him with [Sean] Kuraly, so I can probably let that out of the bag.”

If this were midseason, the move of Pastrnak to a third line would garner headlines: “All-Star Pasta Demoted.” Not so in the playoffs, with the clock to possible elimination counting down, and history showing that teams that fail to find scoring end up getting kicked to the cabana.

Not to mention, Coyle thus far has been the hottest goal-scoring hand in the Boston lineup, though due in part to the fact that Bergeron and Krejci have matched up against the other side’s best talent.

Tortorella, now on home Nationwide Arena ice, is entitled to match lines to his liking on faceoffs. If Pastrnak isn’t with Bergeron or Krejci, it could make it harder to run his wood chipper.

“Some of it is that their has played well,” said Cassidy, who watched Blue Jackets goalie Sergei Bobrovsky turn back all but five of 68 shots on net in the two games. “Some of it is definitely Columbus.

“I think both games have been real good defensive games. Their top six was quiet as well until they got on the power play [in Game 2]. It’s a checking game out there. Guys are not allowed a lot of space.” 1143387 Boston Bruins “They kept sending me e-mails,” he said. “I walked down to the marketing department and said, ‘Let’s get this cannon,’ knowing full well I might be outta there. I said, ‘What the heck?’ This group was so persistent.”

Bruins are in for an earful from Columbus’s not-so-secret weapon: the According to the Columbus Dispatch, a couple of team staffers found an cannon 1857 Napoleon-style replica at the Granite City, Ill., shop of craftsman Chris Olson. He was making them for outdoor battle reenactments, not indoor hockey rinks, but he was happy to provide one for about $20,000. By Matt Porter Globe Staff,Updated April 29, 2019, 10:06 p.m. (MATT PORTER/GLOBE STAFF)

No cannonballs or firing powder are needed. While a crew of four in Tuesday’s Game 3 will mark the Bruins’ first postseason visit to period costumes hams it up, a local company, Hamburg Fireworks Columbus. It’s also the first second-round home game for the Blue Display, sets off a charge that creates sparks and smoke inside the Jackets, now playing their 19th season. The faithful at Nationwide Arena barrel. The sound is played over the arena speakers. That surprised will be having a blast. several Bruins, who believed the cannon, which is pointed toward the visiting bench, was louder at their end of the rink. The Bruins, not so much. The pregame audio din reaches near-unreasonable levels in some NHL They have their hands full with their second-round opponent, which buildings — the Islanders’ second home, Brooklyn’s Barclays Center, is loaded up at the trade deadline, has a goaltender (Sergei Bobrovsky) on arguably the worst offender — and Calgary’s nightly opening ceremony a heater — and boasts the most unusual and unsettling home-ice features actual jets of flame that have some fans thinking “stop, drop, advantage in the NHL. and roll.” In Section 111 sits a cannon, a hunk of metal that has had players, But nothing in hockey assaults the senses like a CBJ goal. coaches, media, and fans across the league jumping out of their seats since its Oct. 5, 2007, rollout. It has always been the bane of visiting broadcasters, who wear headphones attuned to microphones that capture the sounds at ice level. “You know when you’re watching a scary movie,” Bruins winger Jake DeBrusk asked, “and someone pops out and you have a heart attack?” “It’s like an explosion going off right next to your ear,” NESN’s Jack Edwards said. “I know it’s coming, and it’s still shocking.” All too well, say those who have played in Cannon Country. That will make CBJers smile. For the sadists among them, nothing was The steel barrel, which rests on an oak carriage, is 11 feet 10 inches long funnier than the 2015 All-Star Game. Of the event-record 29 goals that and weighs 1,564 pounds. It “fires” about 105 decibels of replica Civil were scored at Nationwide Arena, 12 of them went for the team War fury during pregame introductions, after every Blue Jackets goal, captained by hometown guy Nick Foligno. and after every home win. Even the most successful road team will encounter it at least once a season. Mercifully, the cannon failed one time. Among a host of similar reactions, Panthers goalie Roberto Luongo tweeted that it “has to go.” Its leaguewide approval rating is low. In the Bruins dressing room last week, it had few fans. MacLean hadn’t been back for a game since he was canned in April 2007. “We were laughing about it the whole weekend,” he said. “The “This is my seventh year, and I’m finally ready-ready, but there’s a few damn thing never stopped going off. times where you forget about it, and you do one of these,” said Charlie Coyle, jolting forward as if he had taken a shot to the back. “I kept thinking, ‘This is crazy.’ But it’s become a fun thing. I know it drives people crazy, but full credit to those guys who kept sending letters. The games and seasons of a hockey career tend to blur together, but the It’s a little bit like Carolina. When you get some magic, why not go with it initial shock of playing in Columbus is hard to forget. Danton Heinen and enjoy it?” made his NHL debut there, on Oct. 13, 2016. Boston Globe LOADED: 04.30.2019 “It was like, ‘Hoooooo-leeeeeee . . .,’ ” said Heinen, going bug-eyed. “Welcome to the league. It shocked me, for sure. It still shocks you every time.”

“I got freaking scared,” David Pastrnak said. “Claude [Julien] was coach, and he said, ‘Don’t get scared by the cannon.’ I didn’t know what he meant.”

DeBrusk did, when Bruce Cassidy told him about it last year. Regardless, he was “scared [witless].”

Smelling salts, the packet of ammonia mixture that some players sniff before games, make Matt Grzelcyk’s stomach turn. But he got the same effect the first time he heard the blast.

“It caught me, bad,” Grzelcyk said. “I didn’t toe-pick, but it startled me. It almost woke me up in a way. I was on high alert the rest of the game.”

Veterans like Chris Wagner know to brace for aural impact, but “it still scares the crap out of me every time,” he said.

Even though Brad Marchand knows it’s coming, “I still jump,” he said. “It’s loud and obnoxious, but it gets the people going.”

Doug MacLean would agree. Not long after the expansion franchise chose an identity that honored the area’s Union Army heritage, some in the offices kicked around the idea of using a cannon for player introductions. MacLean, the team’s first president and general manager, was not a fan. He didn’t give in until he was on the way out.

Expecting to get sacked as the team struggled in spring 2007, MacLean said the team’s booster club, the Jacket Backers, finally broke his resolve. 1143388 Boston Bruins panic, and they bounce back well. Three different times they trailed in the Toronto series, and three different times they came back.

“I mean it’s unbelievable,” midseason acquisition Marcus Johansson said Resiliency is again needed in wake of Game 2 defeat after the opening win against Columbus, when the Bruins turned a 2-1 deficit into a 3-2 overtime win. “The group we have is very special. I mean there is nothing that fazes us. I think the way we stepped up after By Tara Sullivan Globe Staff,April 28, 2019, 1:06 a.m. they scored their two goals and came back and we never gave up. That’s something special. ”

It was Johansson’s beautiful pass to Charlie Coyle that won that game in They were down in their opening series, multiple times, but pulled it out in OT, precisely the kind of on-ice manifestation of locker-room chemistry, a seven games. They were down in their opening game of the second type of chemistry that leads to the trust in each other than they can round, but came back to win it in overtime. From an identity forged in the recover when things go south. regular season to one carried into the playoffs, these Bruins are nothing if not resilient. Some of it can be attributed to the experience in the room, particularly in the postseason. The Bruins boast a core of five players who were here After a disappointing Game 2, they’ll need that now more than ever. the last time they won it all (in 2011), in captain Zdeno Chara, Brad On a chippy, mistake-prone night filled with missed opportunity and poor Marchand, Bergeron, David Krejci, and Rask. “You go back to their most puck management, the Bruins went down when sent a successful season with that core group,” head coach Bruce Cassidy said. rebound sailing past Tuukka Rask to give Columbus a double-overtime “They were down 2-0 at home to Vancouver. They came back to win a win. It was the only time the home team trailed all night, but it was the Stanley Cup. They know what it takes. They know what it takes. It’s not only time that mattered, and the 3-2 loss sends the series off to the end of the world to have things not go your way right away. You have Columbus tied at a game apiece. to work hard to correct it to play the right way, so I have to credit it all to the guys in the room.” The Bruins tried to stay upright, but couldn’t sustain much offense in the face of a solid team defensive effort by Columbus, a bruising, physical Now would be a good time to show it. Again. effort that kept the Bruins chasing the action most of the night. That they Boston Globe LOADED: 04.30.2019 led early, 1-0, and tied it late, 2-2, was a credit to their core identity — resilience.

It is a characteristic developed over the course of a regular season and coveted when the calendar flips to the postseason. We saw more evidence of it Saturday night at TD Garden, with a player taking the ice after a hit to the face that left a bloody tear trailing down his cheek (take a bow Sean Kuraly), with the splayed body or outstretched arm of a goaltender making clutch saves in the final minutes of regulation or the opening minutes of a second straight OT game (take a bow Tuukka Rask).

Really, we’ve seen it from the Bruins all season, their ability to ride the wave of a long, exhausting schedule to clinch the No. 2 seed in the conference heading into the playoffs coming out immediately as the second season began. Otherwise, they might never have survived the first-round bloodshed. The Bruins emerged from their wild seven-game opener against Toronto while the rest of the hockey world imploded in a heap of upsets, sending top seed Tampa Bay, defending champion Washington, and perennial playoff power Pittsburgh home early, survived because they could take a punch and keep on fighting.

They rebounded from a similar 1-1 start on home ice, though that one began with an opening game loss, and they rebounded from a 3-2 deficit by winning back-to-back games — at Toronto and then at TD Garden. And while it’s too early to sound any real alarms over one more home loss, the toll of a seven-game series against the stunning sweep Columbus scored against the Lightning does raise the specter of fatigue. Factor in an extra period-plus Saturday night and the Bruins are no doubt going to have to dip into that reservoir of resilience.

Because on and on this one went, deep into the cold Boston night, past midnight, past the last train departures, through the jelly-legged late shifts of a tired team, extended by near misses and great saves on both sides, daring someone, anyone, to prove they could throw that final punch. Duchene was the one to connect.

Now it’s up to the Bruins to get off the mat. With history as their guide, they believe they can. It’s what they’ve spent a season doing.

Resilience doesn’t happen by accident, or even by design. It happens when the right group of players comes together under the right coach. Ask the Red Sox, who wore everyone out a season ago with their relentlessness, constantly picking each other up. Ask the Patriots, who confounded the NFL world yet again by turning one of their more inconsistent regular seasons of the Bill Belichick era into another Super Bowl coda.

Much like their championship predecessors, the Bruins have a good thing going in the locker room. Guys like each other. They like playing together. As the veteran Patrice Bergeron likes to put it, they “fill each other’s tanks.” When Rask bailed them out with a couple of amazing saves at the start of that Game 7 win against Toronto, they rewarded him with two late first-period goals that allowed him to breathe. They don’t 1143389 Boston Bruins

For Bruins, these Blue Jackets aren’t so easy after all

By MARISA INGEMI | PUBLISHED: April 29, 2019 at 4:54 pm | UPDATED: April 29, 2019 at 5:43 PM

Anyone who has watched hockey for the past couple of months knows the Columbus Blue Jackets are a worthy opponent.

After an emotional seven-game series against the Maple Leafs, though, it’s easy to see how one could have taken the foot off the proverbial gas pedal as far as concern goes.

These Blue Jackets aren’t the Maple Leafs, or an opponent with a ton of history. But make no mistake, they are as tough an opponent as the Bruins will have to face.

“I think we’re excited where we are,” Bruins coach Bruce Cassidy said. “We’re 1-1, we wanted to be 2-0. It’s close, it could have been either way. I think the guys realize what it takes to get the win. I think we like our position right now. I like the way we’re playing. Usually that leads to a positive mindset.”

If it wasn’t obvious enough Columbus was going to be a test when it swept the record-tying 62-win Lightning team out of the first round, that the Jackets took the Bruins to overtime in the first two games at the Garden should be a wakeup call.

The series with Toronto was tight, but never like that. Columbus plays a more physical game and that already has taken a toll, especially with three overtimes already in the books.

Any fatigue factor should melt away before Game 3, with the Bruins getting their first true off-day between games since the postseason began. It still is going to be a grind until the end with these Jackets, and Columbus isn’t the easiest place in the world to play.

“It came at a good time for us to get the two days between games,” Cassidy said. “We had a seven-game series, obviously high intensity, back and forth. It takes an emotional toll as well. Most seven-game series do, but the way we had to come back and then get right into it, I think we fed off that the first night.”

Aside from the steadfast belief the Blue Jackets have in themselves as a group, and rightfully so, there are the numbers to back them up. It’s no coincidence the Bruins power play — money during the regular season, and the bulk of the Toronto series — has had its issues against the third- ranked kill in the NHL.

Matt Duchene, one of the Jackets’ trade deadline acquisitions, scored the double OT winner Saturday. Artemi Panarin, nearly moved at the deadline before Columbus went all-in, scored the other two goals. Sergei Bobrovsky, another player nearly shipped out of town, has been difficult for the Bruins to solve.

An off-day Sunday hopefully gave them a chance to map out the battle ahead in Columbus.

“(Tuesday) we’ll really find out,” Cassidy said. “Guys were away from the rink (Sunday), seemed to be in a great mood today. Part of that is you do get a breather with your family or whoever’s in town. I think it’s just good mentally.”

This series was never going to be easy. Sure, it’s not one of the most- decorated teams in the history of regular-season hockey, and it’s not the team that knocked out the Bruins a season ago.

No, it’s a team that already slayed that giant, and the challenge they pose to the Bruins should have been obvious from the start.

Boston Herald LOADED: 04.30.2019 1143390 Boston Bruins

Bruins’ Brandon Carlo plays it minute by minute against the Blue Jackets

By RICH THOMPSON | PUBLISHED: April 29, 2019 at 4:30 pm | UPDATED: April 29, 2019 at 5:34 PM

Bruins defenseman Brandon Carlo is making up for lost time in the Stanley Cup playoffs — by the minute.

Carlo led the Bruins with 32:50 of ice time in Saturday night’s 3-2 double- overtime loss to the Blue Jackets in Game 2 of their Eastern Conference semifinals at the Garden. The series resumes Tuesday night at Nationwide Arena in Columbus.

Carlo’s ice time has escalated throughout the playoffs. He averaged 21:34 per game in the Bruins’ opening-round, seven-game bloodletting against the Toronto Maple Leafs, second to Charlie McAvoy (24:03).

“Steady play and a real good defender and I think he getting more comfortable with his puck play as well,” Bruins coach Bruce Cassidy said following Monday’s practice at Warrior Ice Arena. “He’s stayed healthy and is a great matchup guy and on the PK and so far, he’s done a real good job for us.

“His first game there was some natural jitters but he settled in really quickly. I’m very pleased with his play.”

Cassidy’s use of the phrases “stayed healthy” and “natural jitters” explains the urgency Carlo has brought to the postseason against the Leafs and Blue Jackets.

Carlo played in 82 games his rookie year (2016-17), but missed the Bruins’ Stanley Cup series with the . Carlo suffered a concussion when he was drilled from behind by Washington Capitals forward Alex Ovechkin in regular-season finale.

Carlo came back and played in 76 games his sophomore season, only to suffer a serious ankle injury late in the third period of a 5-1 home victory against the Florida Panthers. Carlo took an awkward fall while trying to move the puck along the boards with his skates and was taken off the ice on a stretcher. He missed both Bruins playoff series last year against the Maple Leafs and the Tampa Bay Lightning.

The Bruins’ nine postseason games this year have been a learning experience for Carlo, who has been making mental notes throughout the process.

“When I think about the regular season as opposed to the playoffs, the pace of the game is faster for sure and loudness in the rinks and the intensity,” Carlo said. “But just the motivation of every single guy on the ice is a lot higher when you are playing for your life every single night.

“Whether it is Game 2 (Columbus) and you are trying to get ahead of the other team or a Game 7 (Toronto) it is a lot of fun. This time of year it is great to be a part of and a blessing for me.”

Carlo has been a fixture on the Bruins’ penalty kill all season and his presence has amped up in the playoffs. Carlo led the Bruins in penalty- kill ice time in the two games against the Blue Jackets. He logged 4:44 in Game 1, and 4:42 in Game 2.

“I think overall we can’t get stretched out and let the seam passes get through,” Carlo said. “We are going to try and clear up things and limit (Artemi) Panarin’s shots. That’s a hard task there especially up high but its been a learning experience and a lot of positives.”

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Bruins notebook: David Pastrnak switches it up

By MARISA INGEMI | PUBLISHED: April 29, 2019 at 4:15 pm | UPDATED: April 29, 2019 at 6:52 PM

It seems almost everything is on the table to get David Pastrnak going.

The Bruins’ lone All-Star has struggled in the postseason, tallying just three goals with the last one just deflecting off his skate blade.

He’s been juggled between the top and second lines, and now there’s a chance he may play with another group he hasn’t skated with too often.

“He played some with (Marcus) Johansson and (Charlie) Coyle the other night and I don’t think he’s practiced with them ever,” Bruins coach Bruce Cassidy said. “So if we’re going to go down that road then it wouldn’t hurt to get some reps. We will make that decision tomorrow. We like to move our players on the wing around as you know, so we could end up with (Patrice) Bergeron, (David) Krejci, or Coyle.”

Pastrnak’s struggles also have extended to the power play, which has been an overall issue for the Bruins. Part of that is just taking opportunities to shoot when they arise.

“Obviously I have to shoot the puck, hang on to the puck and go to the net a little bit more,” Pastrnak said. “There are a million things you can always do better, so I’m just going to try and do that. Maybe I’m passing on the looks, so I need to just stick with it and go to the net.”

Pastrnak said he was “awake now” after scoring twice in Game 4 against Toronto, but has been mostly quiet since. His emergence would make a world of difference in what’s turning out to be a grinding series with the Blue Jackets.

Jumping on with two players who have a bit of the hot hand on offense isn’t a bad approach, either.

“They’re great players finding some chemistry between those two,” he said. “I’m just trying to help them as much as I can.”

Kuhlman gets another look

With Pastrnak flipped down to the third line for practice Monday, Karson Kuhlman slotted back into a familiar spot with Krejci and Jake DeBrusk.

“(Kuhlman) has played well with Krejci and DeBrusk,” Cassidy said. “When he’s on that line I think DeBrusk looks to his own offense and to shoot more, so that’s some of the thinking. When Pastrnak is over there, there might be some deferring. So that’s why we put him in there originally. We may go back to that.”

Chris Wagner and David Backes appear to be the scratches for Game 3 if the Bruins go with the same lineup they showed at practice Monday.

Kuraly all business

Ohio native Sean Kuraly grew up a Blue Jackets fan, but with Game 3 in his hometown, that aspect is the furthest thing from his mind.

“Luckily, I’ve got a lot of friends and family that were there during the regular season and kind of got that out of the way,” he said. “Now it’s all business.

“I think it will be fun. But it’s an important playoff game.”

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Bruins: Pastrnak, Cassidy offer thoughts on Blue Jackets' cannon

By Jacob Camenker April 29, 2019 10:19 PM

The Boston Bruins are getting ready for the third game of their series with the Columbus Blue Jackets on Tuesday night. It will be the first game of the series to take place in Columbus, and that means that the Bruins will have to be ready to hear the Blue Jackets' cannon.

You read that right. The Blue Jackets have a cannon that they fire off when they score goals. And that takes some getting used to, especially players that haven't heard it before.

Ohio native Sean Kuraly 'all business' Game 3 in Columbus

Bruins star David Pastrnak recalled the first time that he heard the cannon and how confused he was by the entire ordeal the first time he played in Columbus.

“I had no idea what’s going on,” Pastrnak said, per WEEI's Matt Kalman. “I remember (coach) Claude (Julien) back in the day, he said ‘watch out for the cannon.’ But I didn’t know what that means. And then I heard it so yeah … it’s their tradition, every team has one.”

This time around, Pastrnak will likely be prepared for the cannon, as will the rest of the Bruins squad. After all, they did play in Columbus twice in the past two months, and Columbus scored nine goals in those two games. So, they definitely heard the cannon a lot in those contests.

Dubinsky trolls Bruins fans again before Game 3

Of course, head coach Bruce Cassidy is hoping that they don't hear the cannon quite as much in the next two games.

“I hope I don’t hear it, obviously. After that, to be honest with you, I never really noticed it much,” Cassidy said, per Kalman. “You know the team scores, it’s loud, I’m pissed off, so that’s it, that’s the routine every time no matter where I am.”

Still, one would think that a cannon would offer a different type of sound that just normal crowd noise, but maybe Cassidy just tunes it all out.

We'll soon see how many times the cannon goes off. The Bruins take on the Blue Jackets Tuesday night at 7:00 p.m. Game 3 will be on NBCSN and can be streamed on the NBC Sports app.

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Ohio native Sean Kuraly 'all business' ahead of Bruins' Game 3 in Columbus

By Jacob Camenker April 29, 2019 7:55 PM

For Game 3 of the 2019 Stanley Cup Playoff series between the Boston Bruins and the Columbus Blue Jackets, Sean Kuraly is returning home. Kuraly, an Ohio native who grew up in Columbus, will play there for just the third time in his NHL career.

When asked about returning home for a game against the Blue Jackets, Kuraly downplayed the meaning of returning to his hometown for Game 3, as captured by the Bruins' official Twitter account.

You know, I think it'll be fun. It's an important playoff game. Luckily I had a lot of friends and family there in the regular season and (I) kinda got that out of the way. Now it's all business.

So far during his two appearances in Columbus, Kuraly has only has a minus-2 rating and no points in two Bruins losses. He will hope to improve on those numbers in his next two games on Tuesday and Thursday.

Kuraly knows that will be no easy task, and he was complimentary of the way that the Blue Jackets have played so far in the hard-fought series.

They've played hard, we've played hard. It's come down to the wire in two games. We're going to look to get better and I'm sure they will too.

Kuraly has been a sparkplug for the Bruins since returning from a hand injury that sidelined him for over a month. He logged a plus-3 rating and the game-winning goal in Game 7 against the Toronto Maple Leafs. While he hasn't logged a point in the series against the Blue Jackets, he has logged five hits and has won 63% of his faceoffs as a part of the Bruins' excellent fourth line.

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Blue Jackets' Brandon Dubinsky again trolls Boston fans with Bucks hat

By Nick Goss April 29, 2019 3:49 PM

Columbus Blue Jackets forward Brandon Dubinsky took a shot at Boston Bruins fans after his team's double-overtime victory in Game 2 on Saturday night by saying he expects a much louder crowd when the second-round Stanley Cup playoff series shifts to Nationwide Arena for Game 3.

Dubinsky was at it again Monday by trolling Boston sports fans with his choice of headwear. Dubinsky was sporting a Milwaukee Bucks hat in the locker room after the Blue Jackets' practice. The Bucks, of course, are playing the Boston Celtics in the second round of the NBA playoffs. The Celtics lead the series 1-0 after an impressive Game 1 win Sunday in Milwaukee.

Find out what Dubsinky had to say about his Bucks hat in the video below, via the Columbus Dispatch.

Dubinsky, who's scored one goal in this series against the B's, has never been afraid to mix it up with a little trash talk, and this situation is no different. It's just one example of the Blue Jackets being among the most confident teams in the Stanley Cup playoffs right now, and it's hard to blame them for having that mentality after winning five of their first six games against two elite opponents.

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Bruins moving Pastrnak around, Kuhlman may draw back in for Game 3

By Joe Haggerty April 29, 2019 1:44 PM

BRIGHTON, Mass. – The Bruins continue to look for the key that’s going to unlock the offense for a struggling David Pastrnak.

The 22-year-old had a bit of a bounce-back effort in Boston’s Game 2 loss with a goal and five shots on net to give him three goals in nine playoff games this spring, but it’s also clear there is further that his game can go at this point. So Pastrnak was skating with Charlie Coyle and Marcus Johansson on the third line at Monday’s practice at Warrior Ice Arena, and Bruce Cassidy indicated that Pastrnak could slot anywhere on the top-3 lines once the puck is dropped Tuesday night at Nationwide Arena.

B's hoping rest helps after 2-OT loss

“He played some with Johansson and Coyle the other night and I don’t think he’s practiced with them ever. So if we’re going to go down that road then it wouldn’t hurt to get some reps. We will make that decision tomorrow. We like to move our players on the wing around as you know, so we could end up with Bergeron, Krejci or Coyle.

“[Kuhlman] has played well with Krejci and DeBrusk. When he’s on that line I think DeBrusk looks to his own offense and to shoot more, so that’s some of the thinking. When Pastrnak is over there, there might be some deferring. So that’s why we put [Kuhlman] in there originally. We may go back to that.”

After firing off just three shots in his previous two playoff games, Pastrnak was back with a shoot-first mentality in Game 2 and indicated that’s something he needs to keep doing after passing up shots — and missing the net when he does shoot — throughout the postseason to this point.

“Obviously I have to shoot the puck, hang onto the puck and go to the net a little bit more,” said Pastrnak. “There are a million things you can always do better, so I’m just going to try and do that [in Game 3]. Maybe I’m passing on the looks [I’m getting], so I need to just stick with it and go to the net [a little more].”

Dubinsky takes shot at Bruins fans

With Pastrnak potentially moving to the third line, it also looks like Bruce Cassidy might go with fresh legs in Karson Kuhlman as well after the rookie was a healthy scratch in each of the first two games in the Columbus series. It looked like Chris Wagner might be the odd man for Game 3 out based on the lines skating on Monday afternoon. Here are the projected Bruins line combos and D-pairings based on Monday’s practice in Boston ahead of Games 3 and 4 in Columbus:

Marchand-Bergeron-Heinen

DeBrusk-Krejci-Kuhlman

Johansson-Coyle-Pastrnak

Nordstrom-Kuraly-Acciari

Chara-McAvoy

Krug-Carlo

Grzelcyk-Clifton

Rask

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Weary Bruins using the two off days to 'catch our breath' prior to Game 3

By Joe Haggerty April 29, 2019 10:48 AM

The growing fatigue in the Boston Bruins was pretty clear after watching their energy begin to fade in a marathon Game 2 against the Columbus Blue Jackets.

In the end, the Bruins lost the game in double overtime when Matt Duchene scored a power-play goal on a rebound in front of the net, but there were also clear moments when the legs lost their bounce, and the uncharacteristic mental mistakes started to pile up.

Through it all, they still had plenty of chances to win the game and lasted until double OT, and now the Bruins are fully absorbing a pair of off days prior to transporting the series to Columbus for Tuesday night’s Game 3 against the Blue Jackets.

Dubinsky takes shot at Bruins fans

"It came at a good time for us to get the two days between games," said head coach Bruce Cassidy. "We had a seven-game series, obviously high intensity, back and forth. It takes an emotional toll as well. Most seven-game series do, but the way we had to come back and then get right into it, I think we fed off that the first night.

“Our natural fitness level came through for the guys to be able to play that long. But I think mentally we made some mistakes that we wouldn't make if we were a little fresher. That's where it caught up to us, the seven games. I do believe that. We had some breakdowns that typically we don't do, especially on the PK on the last goal. We broke down. They made a good play, but we weren't in the right spots and I think that's part of it."

The Bruins stayed completely off the ice on Sunday following the Game 2 loss, and will practice on Monday while surely fine-tuning some special teams things before flying out to Columbus. It would seem, though, that the B’s getting a breather after going hard every other day since April 11 will be just as important as any instruction they get on the ice.

Special teams fail in Game 2 loss

"We've been going every other day now for a while now, it gives us a second to catch our breath, regroup and focus on some things we want to do better in the series moving forward,” said Krug. “I'm sure the guys are really appreciating the time off."

Will it be enough to catch up to the nine days that the Blue Jackets had to ready for the second round after sweeping the Tampa Bay Lightning?

Of course not, but it certainly could be enough to re-energize the B’s into taking one of the two road games in Columbus this coming week, and thereby regain the home-ice advantage they lost in the series with the Game 2 double-overtime defeat. And that’s all that matters when it comes to the Bruins regaining the upper hand in a second round series where it seemed the batteries were running low on Saturday night.

Comcast SportsNet.com LOADED: 04.30.2019 1143397 Boston Bruins For now, Backes is the 14th forward. It would likely take an injury or two for Backes to see time.

Backes’ decline comes at an unfortunate time. In previous seasons, Karson Kuhlman could be in for Game 3. What does that mean for four of Backes was a handful in the playoffs. His game was optimized for his teammates? belligerent opponents like Columbus. He would not think twice about rumbling with monsters such as Jenner, Josh Anderson and Nick Foligno. By Fluto Shinzawa Apr 29, 2019 But his skating has become compromised to the point where he does not consistently put himself in position to apply his muscle. The Bruins cannot afford any weak links when it comes to team speed. Karson Kuhlman has yet to dress in the second round. That may change in Tuesday’s Game 3. “I think when we’re skating, we’re as good as any team in this league,” Cassidy said. “We have grit. We have physicality. We have experience. On Monday, Kuhlman practiced on the No. 2 line next to Jake DeBrusk We’ve got a good blend of scoring and defense. When we have our legs and David Krejci. It is possible that after sitting for both games in Boston, — when we’re checking well, skating, forechecking, attacking — I think the right wing will make his series debut in Columbus. we’re a really, really good team.” “We liked his game,” Bruce Cassidy said of Kuhlman, whose first-round Monday’s practice lineup: Game 7 forecheck on Jake Gardiner led to Marcus Johansson’s winning goal. “He played well in Games 6 and 7. Helped us get some wins. We Brad Marchand-Patrice Bergeron-Danton Heinen just went a different route early on to see how the series would shake out.” Jake DeBrusk-David Krejci-Karson Kuhlman

If Cassidy goes with Kuhlman, it will have a ripple effect throughout his Marcus Johansson-Charlie Coyle-David Pastrnak lineup. Here are the four players it would touch the most: Joakim Nordstrom-Sean Kuraly-Noel Acciari

David Pastrnak Chris Wagner, David Backes

The former No. 1 right wing practiced on the third line on Monday with Zdeno Chara-Charlie McAvoy Johansson and Charlie Coyle. It has not been a good postseason for Pastrnak, regardless of where he’s played in the lineup. -Brandon Carlo

According to Natural Stat Trick, the 63-37-88 line has scored only once Matt Grzelcyk-Connor Clifton and allowed two during 51:22 of 5-on-5 play. It has a 50.51 Corsi For rating, a dip from the 56.04 CF% it posted during the regular season. John Moore-Steve Kampfer When Pastrnak has played with Jake DeBrusk and David Krejci, their No. Tuukka Rask 2 line has a 48.48 CF% in the playoffs and is at a 1-1 goal differential over a 63:24 stretch. Jaroslav Halak

Over the first two games, Boone Jenner has been Coyle’s most common The Athletic LOADED: 04.30.2019 5-on-5 opponent. The left-shot center scored 16 goals and 22 assists in 77 games. He is a good, heavy, hard-nosed two-way player. But Jenner is not as much of an offensive threat as Artemi Panarin or Matt Duchene.

If Pastrnak logs time on Coyle’s right side, he will not have to worry as much about defending. In theory, Pastrnak may be able to focus more on straightening out his offensive game.

“He played some with Johansson and Coyle the other night, but I don’t think he’s practiced with them, ever,” Cassidy said. “So if we’re going to go down that road, it wouldn’t hurt to get some reps.”

Jake DeBrusk

The left wing has one goal and one assist in nine playoff games. He has been dropped to the No. 2 power-play unit. DeBrusk had only two 5-on-5 shots in Game 2, perhaps a function of deferring to his linemate, Pastrnak.

If Kuhlman is on his opposite flank, DeBrusk may not be as prompt to cede the offense. The Bruins need DeBrusk to be firing pucks, both off the rush and in tight from his hard-hat workspace.

“When he’s on that line as opposed to Pasta, Jake’s going to look for his offense and shoot more,” Cassidy said. “That’s a little bit of the thinking. He knows he should be the primary goal scorer. When Pasta’s over there, there might be some deferring.”

Chris Wagner

The right wing was a healthy scratch in Games 6 and 7 of the opening round, when Kuhlman played. Wagner was back in for the series opener against Columbus. But in Game 2, he logged a team-low 13:48 of ice time. He was one of two extra forwards in Monday’s practice.

If Wagner sits for Game 3, the Bruins will miss his physicality (game-high seven hits in Game 2). But he has not skated with as much pop as he did before he got hurt at the end of the regular season.

David Backes

Krejci was considered a game-time decision on Saturday after taking a Game 1 wallop from Riley Nash. As such, an extra forward took pregame warmups in case Krejci had an issue. It was Kuhlman. 1143398 Boston Bruins But now Nash has retired and is finding a fit with the Blue Jackets’ front office, so Kuraly is on a bit of an island.

“I don’t think anybody is going to throw eggs at him if he has a good ‘Away-from-the-rink friends’: Sean Kuraly expects a hostile homecoming game,” Rick Kuraly said. “But just don’t score the game-winning goal in for Game 3 overtime.”

Kuraly has become an important player for the Bruins, despite playing By Aaron Portzline Apr 29, 2019 mostly a fourth-line role. He’s an excellent penalty killer, a combative forechecker and a heart-and-soul player on a veteran Boston roster.

He drew a double-minor high-sticking penalty against Blue Jackets BOSTON — It started from the opening faceoff in this second-round forward Josh Anderson during a pivotal stretch of Game 2 on Saturday, series, when Blue Jackets center Boone Jenner and Boston’s Sean which led to a stream of blood running down his left cheek from just Kuraly traded cross-checks just after the puck was dropped. below his eye.

It continued a few minutes later when Jackets defenseman Scott It was quintessential Kuraly, for those who know him best. And the way Harrington stuck out his left knee as he crossed paths with Kuraly, this series has started — it’s been very physical — is just to his liking. sending Harrington to the penalty box for tripping and sending Kuraly to the ice with the kind of hit that would have sparked a line brawl 15 years “It’s gonna be heavy,” Kuraly said. “They fight. They’re tough. They just ago. beat the best team in the NHL (Tampa Bay) four games in a row. We think they’re the hottest team in the NHL. Early in Game 2, Blue Jackets captain Nick Foligno buried Kuraly with a heavy hit in the corner, a blast that staggered Kuraly before he slowly “They’re not going away, we know that. It’s going to get harder every skated to the Bruins’ bench. Kuraly returned fire later in the game, single game.” Foligno said, with a couple of well-disguised punches when they were The series is going at least five games, but most expect it to be a knock- tangled. down, drag-out to the bitter end. Jenner’s cross-checks, Harrington’s You’d never guess that Kuraly, from the Columbus suburb of Dublin, knee, Foligno’s hits … who knows what else is coming? counts all three Blue Jackets players among his friends, but that “I will run into them this summer,” Kuraly said. “It’ll be like anything else. description probably requires some additional adjectives at this point. I’ve played against Murphy and (Roslovic). It’s the way it goes. I think we “Offseason friends,” Kuraly said, with a smile. “Away-from-the-rink all expect each other to play hard. friends.” “I respect every guy I know on Columbus. No one’s looking for any Columbus has celebrated several benchmarks in its growth as a hockey friends or buddies out there. Just play the game hard and clean. I have market — the first player drafted (Trent Vogelhuber), the first player respect for anyone who plays the game hard.” taken in the first round (Connor Murphy), the first player to make his The Athletic LOADED: 04.30.2019 debut in Columbus (Jack Roslovic), the first player to sign a contract with the hometown Blue Jackets (Kole Sherwood), etc.

This benchmark, one of the local players facing his hometown team in the Stanley Cup playoffs for the first time, is the only one that’s been awkward.

“It’s one of those moments everybody thinks is so cool,” said Ed Gingher, who runs the AAA Ohio Blue Jackets program that has developed Kuraly and the others. “But then you peel one layer back and it’s … you’re cringing to a certain extent because you know if (Kuraly) does well what that could mean.

“I can’t root against him. I can’t. But I’ve told him I hope he has a hell of a series, I hope he plays great. But there’s so much excitement in Columbus for the Blue Jackets right now, and I sure want to see that continue.”

Kuraly says he’s been inundated with similar messages, via text and social media, since the Bruins won a Game 7 versus Toronto, setting up the second-round showdown with the Blue Jackets.

“I thought I might swing a couple more people over to the Bruins,” he said with a laugh. “My family are die-hards, going with the Bruins, obviously. But I have some friends who I thought would be a little more on my side than they are.

“Of course I get it, right? Columbus sticks together. I get it.”

Kuraly moved with his family from Toronto in 1996 when he was only 3 years old. The Blue Jackets were still four years away from taking the ice as an expansion club.

Kuraly’s father, Rick, is still the all-time leading scorer at Miami U. (101 goals), so Sean was raised in a hockey-crazy family and was a big fan by the time he was 7 years old.

“I was a die-hard Blue Jackets fan, but when they didn’t make the playoffs, I would root for the Leafs,” Kuraly said. “Mats Sundin, Alex Mogilny, Tomas Kaberle, Curtis Joseph … I loved those guys.

“Sundin was the first sweater I owned, and then I got a Rick Nash sweater.”

Kuraly played with Nash briefly last season in Boston after Nash was traded to the Bruins in a trade deadline deal with the . 1143399 Boston Bruins penalty killing. That really charged them up and I felt like the ice was pretty level the rest of the way. So many times this team comes out of kills in better shape than they started them, just charged up and super Cross-Ice Pass: What are biggest concerns for Bruins and Blue Jackets motivated. Bobrovsky’s play has stolen the highlights, but Rask has been at mid-series? wonderful, too. That stop on Nick Foligno was unreal … Foligno will be thinking about that one a while. Even the game-winner … Duchene has a pretty good window the moment he gathers the puck off Rask’s pads. It took major cajones to kick that puck back to the middle and put in By Joe McDonald and Aaron Portzline Apr 29, 2019 through Rask’s pads. He maybe makes the save if Duchene takes the first window. Crazy stuff. As for Anderson … I think his Game 2 was much better than his Game 1, but he was the poster child for the issue I After the Bruins and the Blue Jackets split the first two games, this addressed in the first comment. He had his ears pinned back looking for second-round playoff series shifts to Columbus for Games 3 and 4. In our hits in the first period. Anderson is a fascinating player. You wouldn’t second edition of Cross-Ice Pass in this series, Bruins writer Joe guess it from his physical style, but that kid had 27 goals this season. McDonald and Blue Jackets writer Aaron Portzline discuss goaltending, Pretty certain the coaches would rather he emphasize the physical ahead the concerns each team has at this point, and the return of a hometown of the skill, but sometimes he loses sight of one for the other. He can do boy to Columbus: both. That first period in Columbus on Tuesday is going to be loud and supercharged in Nationwide Arena, so I anticipate more heavy hitters McDonald: This is exactly what we expected, Portz. Right? The throwing their weight around on both sides. There are a lot of markets for physicality has been off the charts. Both the Bruins’ Tuukka Rask and whom a second-round playoff series is no big deal, an annual rite. These Blue Jackets’ Sergei Bobrovsky are producing highlight-reel saves. are heady times for the Blue Jackets and their fans, so expect the Gamesmanship has been entertaining. I can see Brad Marchand sending building to be crazy amped. Cam Atkinson $300 worth of pennies in the near future for intentionally breaking his stick. From a production standpoint, Boston does have a few McDonald: It will be a homecoming for Bruins forward Sean Kuraly. He’s concerns. David Pastrnak finding his game is most important. Yes, he obviously played there during the regular season, but this situation will be scored a goal in Game 2 by going hard to the net and inadvertently a lot different for him. Growing up a Blue Jackets fan, he admitted he redirecting the puck with his skate past Bobrovsky. However, Pastrnak’s loved when the cannon would go off after a goal, but he’s motivated to ability to control the puck, move it and shoot it have declined in the keep that thing quiet now. He spoke glowingly about the Blue Jackets playoffs. Maybe his surgically repaired left thumb, which is his top hand, organization and how it impacted his youth hockey career, which is bothering him. He insists he’s fine but his lack of production makes eventually led to and ultimately the NHL. You had a many wonder. Coach Bruce Cassidy is moving No. 88 around the lineup long conversation with Kuraly the other day, what was his reaction about in an attempt to get him going to no avail. It’s also affecting Boston’s playing a playoff game in front of his hometown fans? once-potent power play. At this point, are there any concerns for the Blue Jackets, Aaron? Portzline: Kuraly is a source of much pride for the local hockey community, not just in the player he’s become but the way he carries Portzline: There are a few. yes. I didn’t like their first period. I thought himself and treats people. I don’t want to spoil the story I’m writing for the they went out of their way to land “home-run” hits rather than just let next couple of days, but there are a lot of torn hockey fans in Columbus those hits happen organically. That first was physical in both directions, right now. They want that kid to taste nothing but success given how hard sure, but the Blue Jackets swung and missed on big hits along the wall he’s worked, but their loyalty lies with the hometown team. It’s awkward after taking long runs at the Bruins. I don’t think anybody doubts their on another level, too, because Kuraly lives here in the offseason and so toughness. Maybe the rest of the game is proof that they’ve settled in he trains with a lot of the Blue Jackets players during the summer. now, but they’re going to pay a price for that if it continues. Too many Counts many of them as friends. The Kuraly family will be cheering their guys are taking themselves out of position. The other concern I have is 5- butts off for the Bruins and their kid … because of course … but he will on-5 play by the Blue Jackets. They really haven’t sustained much be among the hated for most Blue Jackets’ fans. For this market, it’s pressure on the Bruins outside of a couple of shifts in each game. The another sign of progress. There are three full-time NHL guys from a city power play was huge on Saturday, and you get full marks for that. But I that’s had NHL hockey for one generation. That’s pretty impressive. The don’t think they can rely on the power play clicking at nearly 40 percent. one guy who will still get the lion’s share of the crowd’s venom will be, of They’re going to need more guys firing at 5-on-5 — guys like Atkinson, course, Marchand. He wouldn’t have it any other way, of course. Tell me, Matt Duchene, Pierre-Luc Dubois, etc. One thing that’s surprised me on Joe, he seems like a guy who plays better when he feels like the whole the Bruins side is how many chances — and how little production — building is against them. Does Marchand usually play better in those they’ve gotten from two of their superstars, Patrice Bergeron and circumstances? Marchand. Bergeron could have ended Saturday’s game a couple of times but was robbed by Bobrovsky. Marchand could have had three McDonald: The louder the boos, the more intense he becomes in hostile goals in Game 1. I suppose it’s a matter of time before each of them start territory, Portz. He’s become the prototypical type player you want on cashing in, right? Anything surprise you on the Columbus side, Joe? your team, but hate to play against. Believe it or not, this is the first time in his career that he’s kept his nose clean for an entire season. He’s McDonald: I’ve always enjoyed watching Bobrovsky play, especially learned to skate that fine line and that maturity has paid dividends for the when he’s dialed in, and he’s been outstanding in the first two games. Bruins. It appears he’s increased his chirping game in the playoffs. I think You’re right about Bergeron and Marchand and their lack of finish, but it’s helped Marchand tremendously the last few seasons since he’s been sometimes you’ve got to tap your stick and give the opposing goalie working out with Bergeron, Sidney Crosby and Nathan MacKinnon during credit for his performance. We knew both goalies would perform well, but the summer in Halifax, Nova Scotia. As far as this series, the Bruins need if Bobrovsky continues to play the way he has in the playoffs, and his more from Marchand. Now that the Bruins are on the road, it could spark confidence grows, it could be a big problem for Boston. We’ve seen in an offensive outburst from No. 63. I’m sure he’s not a fan of hearing that the past how a hot goalie can guide his team deep into the Stanley Cup cannon too. playoffs. As this series progresses and the physicality ramps up, I’m sure both teams will wear down a bit and that’s when penalties will occur. The OK, Aaron, let’s do this again after Game 4 and I’m sure we’ll have a lot Blue Jackets penalty kill has kept the Bruins at bay, which could be a more to discuss. More importantly, can’t wait to hear your off-day turning point later in this series. We discussed this prior to Game 1 and suggestions for a libation. so far it’s been a theme. I also believe Josh Anderson could have a The Athletic LOADED: 04.30.2019 bigger impact in this series like he did in Game 2. He was noticeable all over the ice and had the Bruins looking over their shoulders. How does Anderson’s impact on and off the ice help Columbus moving forward?

Portzline: Very true. Bobrovsky has, for the first time, carried his regular- season brilliance into the postseason. The Blue Jackets’ penalty kill was second in the NHL this season, just decimal points behind Tampa Bay. It’s been more than hot, though. It’s a tremendous source of confidence for them, and I’ve never seen it work this way. Case in point: On Saturday, Artemi Panarin scores that unreal goal to make it 2-2 at 4-on-4 play, but the Jackets followed that with more than three minutes of 1143400 Buffalo Sabres

Sabres' Brandon Montour joining Sam Reinhart at World Championships

By Lance Lysowski|Published April 29, 2019|Updated April 29, 2019

Sam Reinhart won't be the only Buffalo Sabres player representing Canada at next month's IIHF World Championship in Slovakia.

Defenseman Brandon Montour, whom the Sabres acquired ahead of this season's trade deadline, was on the 22-man roster released by on Monday afternoon. The tournament will be held May 10-26 in Kosice and Bratislava, Slovakia.

The two Sabres were chosen by General Manager Jason Botterill, who is part of Canada's three-person management team for the tournament. Additionally, center Jack Eichel will represent the United States.

Montour, 25, was acquired by Buffalo from Anaheim for a first-round draft pick and defenseman Brendan Guhle. However, the trade did little to prevent the Sabres slide, as they won only four games with Montour on their roster.

Montour endured a difficult season in which Anaheim and Buffalo went a combined 28-44-11 with him on their rosters. He played through losing streaks of 12, seven and eight games, the latter two during his time with the Sabres.

Yet, Montour was exceptional following the trade. He had three goals with seven assists and a minus-4 rating in 20 games. The Sabres had a 5-on-5 shot-attempt differential of 54.53 with Montour on the ice, and he bolstered the performance of every defenseman he was paired with.

Montour is under contract through next season and will be a restricted free agent next summer.

Buffalo News LOADED: 04.30.2019 1143401 Buffalo Sabres receive a significant raise. A surprising departure by Duchene could put Columbus in the Skinner sweepstakes.

The New York Islanders could give Skinner the quickest route to the Sabres will have competition if Jeff Skinner reaches free agency playoffs. They are expected to have $31 million in cap space and need help up front after they scored the fewest goals in the NHL during the regular season. By Lance Lysowski|Published April 29, 2019|Updated April 29, 2019 The team first will work to re-sign unrestricted free agents Jordan Eberle and Brock Nelson, but Skinner would be a significant addition to a top-six that has scored only one goal in two games during its second-round As General Manager Jason Botterill's search for the next Buffalo Sabres' series against the Hurricanes. coach nears the one-month mark, Jeff Skinner's free-agent clock is ticking. Another intriguing potential landing spot for Skinner is the New York Rangers, who have roughly $17.5 million to spend without any notable Skinner, the 26-year-old left wing who scored a career-high 40 goals this unrestricted free agents. They are rumored to be interested in Panarin season, will be free to sign with any NHL team if he does not formalize a and could contend next season since they are expected to select Finnish contract extension with the Sabres prior to July 1. winger Kaapo Kakko with the second overall pick in June's draft. During a 20-minute news conference last month to explain Phil Housley's It remains unclear if the Philadelphia Flyers will be active in free agency firing and the direction of the franchise, Botterill said there was a "100 this summer. They have $31 million in cap space with notable restricted percent" chance a deal with Skinner could be completed. free-agent defensemen Ivan Provorv and Travis Sanheim in need of However, those odds will decrease significantly if Skinner reaches the contracts. open market since there will be no shortage of competition for his However, the Flyers need additional skill up front and bringing Wayne services. There are a number of teams with cap space who will be Simmonds back may not be the best use of cap space. Skinner would fit looking for scoring help. nicely with one of their two franchise centers, Claude Giroux or Sean The Sabres likely will be the favorite to sign Skinner if a deal is not struck Couturier. before the calendar flips to July. They have $23 million in cap space and The San Jose Sharks and Pittsburgh Penguins should be considered are in the best position to pay a long-term contract with an average darkhorse candidates to make a push for Skinner. annual value between $7 million and $9 million, a significant raise from the $5.75 million Skinner counted against the cap this season. Regardless of their playoff fate, the Sharks will have several difficult roster decisions to make since their $20.9 million in cap space won't be After all, Jason Pominville is their only other unrestricted free agent and enough to re-sign all of their unrestricted free agents: Joe Pavelski, Joe of the five players who are restricted, only Evan Rodrigues should Thornton, Gustav Nyquist, Joonas Donskoi and Erik Karlsson. Also, Timo receive a significant raise. He made a team-low $650,000 this season. Meier and Kevin Labanc will be restricted, and the former will require a Additionally, Buffalo proved to be a remarkable fit for Skinner upon his significant raise after he scored 30 goals this season. arrival from Carolina in August. Skinner formed instant chemistry with Karlsson and Meier alone would make any free-agent additions difficult. center Jack Eichel and has not been shy about his admiration for the However, San Jose could be among Skinner's preferred destinations if core of the roster, including defenseman Rasmus Dahlin. the team does express interest. If there were any doubts about Skinner's interest in Buffalo, he used the The Sharks' coach, Pete DeBoer, drafted Skinner in the Ontario Hockey word "we" on several occasions when asked about the Sabres' prospects League, and one of the team's assistants, Steve Spott, was Skinner's for 2019-20. He also grew up in Markham, Ont., a suburb of Toronto coach for two seasons with the Kitchener Rangers. located 120 miles north of Buffalo, and typically trains in the city during the offseason. The direction of the Penguins' offseason won't be revealed until GM Jim Rutherford clears significant cap space. Evgeni Malkin, Phil Kessel, Kris Still, Skinner could prioritize winning when deciding where he will play Letang, Patric Hornqvist or Olli Maatta could be moved in the coming next season. The former seventh-overall draft pick has the league's months. longest active streak of games played (661) without appearing in the Stanley Cup Playoffs. Trading those contracts for young players would give Rutherford cap space to make a significant free-agent signing, and Skinner could top his Skinner left Carolina after failing to reach the playoffs in eighth list. Remember, Rutherford drafted Skinner in Carolina and signed him to consecutive seasons only to watch the Hurricanes reach the second the six-year, $34.4 million contract extension that ended this season. round. Meanwhile, the Sabres have the NHL's longest postseason drought. Rutherford tried to trade for Skinner last summer but could not clear enough cap space to make a deal work. Skinner could wait to see how Botterill plans to remake the roster and which coach will replace Housley. Montour on Canada's roster

Any conversation about pending unrestricted free agents should center Sam Reinhart won't be the only Buffalo Sabres player on Canada's roster around the Florida Panthers, who are expected to be the league's most for next month's IIHF World Championship in Slovakia. aggressive team after they hired Joel Quenneville as coach. Defenseman Brandon Montour, whom the Sabres acquired ahead of this The Panthers have long been rumored to be the desired landing spot for season's trade deadline, was on the 22-man roster released by Hockey Columbus winger Artemi Panarin, who had a team-high 87 regular- Canada on Monday. The tournament will be held May 10-26 in Kosice season points and has helped the Blue Jackets reach the second round and Bratislava, Slovakia. of the playoffs for the first time in franchise history. The two Sabres were chosen by General Manager Jason Botterill, who is Skinner could be an option if Panarin signs elsewhere, though Florida part of Canada's three-person management team for the tournament. could chose to allocate their cap space to signing a defenseman. It's Additionally, center Jack Eichel will represent the United States. important to note the team is saddled with a few bad contracts that will be difficult to move. Montour had three goals and seven assists in 20 games after joining the Sabres in February. The Blue Jackets will be a team to watch since they are projected to have $28 million in cap space. Though Panarin and goalie Sergei Buffalo News LOADED: 04.30.2019 Bobrovsky are expected to leave, the team is expected to try to re-sign center Matt Duchene, whom it acquired prior to this season's trade deadline.

Duchene is expected to command around $10 million per season, and the Blue Jackets must re-sign defenseman Zach Werenski, who will 1143402 Calgary Flames should be the incumbent (and 47 per cent want to see the quirky Czech get a raise with the Flames next season).

The topic of James Neal is a hot one as the prized free agent addition You Be The Boss results: Most believe Flames heading in right direction struggled mightily and was finally a healthy scratch in the playoff finale. That was not the outcome anyone — including Treliving — pictured when the Flames inked him to a lucrative five-year deal last summer. Kristen Anderson, Postmedia What’s next for him? Published:April 29, 2019 Forty-three per cent said the Flames should try to trade Neal, even if it Updated:April 29, 2019 7:04 PM MDT means including a future asset to sweeten the deal, while 70 per cent want him gone. But 27 per cent believe the Flames should give the

winger an opportunity next season to skate on the first or second line. The fact that the Calgary Flames had one of the best regular seasons in Forty-two per cent think Rasmus Andersson will be the most impactful recent memory was a step in the right direction. young player next season — which explains the 4,763 voters (50 per At least, that’s what most think. cent) who want him to stay in a Flames uniform and 4,341 (45 per cent) want to give him a raise. In our annual You Be The Boss survey, we posed questions to readers to determine what you’d do if you were general manager Brad Treliving. Half of respondents believe Garnet Hathaway should be the top soon-to- be unrestricted free agent signed this summer (53 per cent want him to Nearly 10,000 people responded and most (54 per cent, or 5,263 out of stay). 9,687) believe that this Flames’ season wasn’t a total failure. Speaking of top signings, Matthew Tkachuk, Calgary’s sixth overall pick However, 32 per cent, or 3,075, did see the 2018-19 campaign as a flop, from 2016, and his upcoming contract negotiations will be one of the which makes this off-season so difficult for the Flames’ brass. Answers biggest pieces of news to watch this summer. But Sam Bennett, also a aren’t exactly clear. potential restricted free agent this summer, should be Treliving’s top priority besides Tkachuk, according to 58 per cent of respondents, while But we tried to simplify things. 36 per cent believe he deserves a raise. What was the biggest reason the Flames were eliminated so swiftly by The majority believe TJ Brodie (70 per cent) and Michael Frolik (60 per the underdog Colorado Avalanche in the first round of the playoffs? cent) should be let go ahead of next season. Thirty-one per cent said there wasn’t enough offensive production from Austin Czarnik received rave reviews in his first season with the Flames dynamic duo of Johnny Gaudreau and Sean Monahan. But 29 per cent as 69 per cent would like to see him stay. Ditto for Dillon Dube, one of said the Flames just weren’t as good as we thought they were. the team’s bright young forward prospects (74 per cent). Matthew Tkachuk, who has never been past the first round of the playoffs All of which has us contemplating how the 2019-20 NHL season will look. in his three-year career with the Flames, summed it up. There is good news for Treliving and head coach Bill Peters. Eighty per cent want Treliving kept as GM, while 81 per cent are happy with the job “The thing I learned was: you really, really have to take it one game at a Peters’ did in his first season behind the Flames’ bench. time,” he said last week when the Flames held their final media availability. “No matter if you’re down 3-1 in the series or you’re up 1-0, We know this: there are high expectations for this group next season. you can’t look ahead, wondering where we’ll be at if we win this game or where we’re going to be at in a couple days. Or going on the road, we’re Forty-four per cent believe that if the Flames don’t win a playoff round going to be much better. next spring, it would be a disappointment. Forty-three per cent simply want the Flames to return to the post-season and then see what “When you have a chance to execute, you gotta execute.” happens.

Truth be told, the Flames executed through the better part of the 82- Calgary Sun: LOADED: 04.30.2019 game regular season, which featured many highlights.

For most respondents to the You Be The Boss survey (57 per cent), what stuck out most was the fact the Flames racked up 50 regular-season victories, which was their highest win total since the Stanley Cup-winning campaign of 1988-89, and topped the Western Conference standings.

The knee-jerk reaction after a first-round playoff exit shouldn’t be to blow up the team and trade everybody, from Johnny Gaudreau to the Saddledome’s ice cream malt maker.

So, should Treliving place Gaudreau, Sean Monahan, Mark Giordano or Tkachuk on the trade block?

Wait a minute … trade one of those guys? Forty-five per cent said that is simply crazy talk. Seventy-five per cent of those who took the survey think the Flames should keep Gaudreau (although 20 per cent believe he should be gone), 68 per cent want Monahan to stay, 83 per cent want Giordano to stay, and 71 per cent want to see Tkachuk get a raise.

The problems, it appears, are elsewhere.

Mike Smith’s struggles were well-documented this season, but the 37- year-old provided somewhat of a redemption story when he stood on his head during the post-season. Against the Avalanche, he faced more than 200 shots through five games and earned the C of Red’s appreciation by ‘Smit-ty, Smit-ty’ chants throughout the Flames’ three post-season games at the Saddledome.

But was that enough to warrant a starting goaltender’s position next year?

Well, 26 per cent said Smith should be the No. 1 in 2019-20 and 55 per cent want to see him gone. Meanwhile, 43 per cent said David Rittich 1143403 Calgary Flames that he wants to move on, then yes, they probably will need to explore the possibility of trading him, rather than lose him for nothing.

Q: But wouldn’t his value shrink as time clicks off the contract? The Answerman on why the Flames fizzled in the postseason and how they can avoid the same fate next year A: Fair point, but even if you were to explore the parameters of a Gaudreau deal, it would take two willing and motivated teams to complete a transaction so bold and complex. Let’s consider Philadelphia By Eric Duhatschek Apr 29, 2019 as a possible destination. Would you consider trading Gaudreau for Sean Couturier? Would you consider trading Gaudreau for Nolan Patrick? Then turn the question around and ask it from the other side. Would the Flyers consider trading Couturier for Gaudreau? Would they trade Patrick The Answerman returns to ponder the future of the Calgary Flames, a for Gaudreau? At this stage, a few of you are surely going to abandon 107-point regular season team that unexpectedly lost in the first playoff the rest of this column and jump right to the comments section so you round – and what happens next. can post some version of ‘no freaking way’ to either of those scenarios. Q: Thank you for waiting for an appropriate amount of time to let the dust Similarly, would New Jersey trade Nico Hischier for Gaudreau? Would settle and the emotions to steady before conducting the autopsy. the Devils trade the No. 1 overall selection in the upcoming draft for Presumably, your goal here is to sooth the masses in the midst of this Gaudreau? Would Calgary consider either option? (More people now bizarro 2019 playoff season – where the top seeds all toppled like rushing to the comments to express their unhappiness – and we didn’t dominoes and the only safe bet was to expect the unexpected. even bother throwing in Taylor Hall’s name, which would create even further hysteria). Anyway, my point is, even if you went through the A: That mixture of disappointment, concern, doubt and anger that Flames exercise of sounding out teams about their interest and intentions, it fans were feeling after their five-game exit at the hands of the Colorado wouldn’t make any sense. Gaudreau is a) a fan favorite and box office Avalanche was perfectly understandable. After producing the second- attraction; b) a highly productive NHL player; and c) signed to a favorable most points in franchise history, it was reasonable to think their October- contract, with meaningful term remaining on the deal. At this stage, it to-April regular-season achievements would also contribute to some would be risky. Too risky probably. playoff mojo. It didn’t. The fact that every other 2019 regular-season division champion met the same exact fate may mitigate the Q: And Monahan? disappointment, but it doesn’t change the fact that the 2019 postseason A: Similar problem. If the Flames were dangling him, virtually every team feels like a lost opportunity. in the league would be making inquiries. He is a center with size, Q: Lots to unpack here, so let’s start with the sexiest topics and then entering his prime years and signed for even longer than Gaudreau. You work our way back into the more sober ones. In the immediate aftermath would have a hard time finding a fit there that makes sense for Calgary. of the loss, during the heads-must-surely-roll phase of evaluation, the Q: OK, so let’s shift from the specifics of what they’re not going to do, to actions of virtually every player, from the top of the food chain to the the root causes of what went wrong – starting with the idea that heavy bottom, was under extreme scrutiny. Some in the fan base even called expectations proved to be too crushing a load to carry into the playoffs. for the team to entertain offseason trade offers for Johnny Gaudreau and This wasn’t just true of Calgary or Tampa Bay either but of pretty much Sean Monahan. Is there even the slightest chance that either could be every team that’s had a remarkable regular season. What happens when moved this summer? you get that “favorite” label attached to your squad? Does it negatively A: I would put the odds at one in a hundred and only because I don’t affect performance? believe anything is a complete 100 percent sure thing anymore in the A: It sure looks as if it paralyzed a few teams. And the opposite may also wacky world of professional sport. But let’s start with this observation. be true: The chance to fly under the radar, or lurk in the weeks – Mark Giordano may have been the Flames best player this whatever metaphor you choose to use for a team that isn’t rated among past season, but Gaudreau and Monahan are their most valuable assets. the so-called top contenders – seemingly helps them play relaxed, play By that I mean, the combination of their ages (24 and 25 respectively); with confidence and just play the game. The secret to successful hockey scoring production (99 and 82 points respectively) and contract status isn’t really much of a secret at all – you need to complete more plays (Gaudreau signed for three more years at an annual average salary of than the other team. Calgary (and Tampa Bay too) seemed singularly $6.75 million; Monahan signed for four more years at an AAV of $6.375 capable of making plays in the regular season – and singularly unable to million) make them hugely important pieces of any team-building puzzle, do so in the postseason. The psychology is fascinating – and we can use whether that’s in Calgary, or elsewhere, if they ever decided to move on Gaudreau’s play to illustrate the point here as well. In the first half, when from them. Gaudreau finished tied for seventh in overall regular-season things were humming along for him, Gaudreau looked supremely scoring with 99 points, but had an extremely unproductive postseason, confident and was racking up points at almost a 1.5 per game pace. managing only one assist in five games. Colorado succeeded in taking a Once the spotlight started to train more heavily on him – all the early Hart lot of his ice away; and every time it seemed that he tried to lone-wolf a Trophy talk, the first career 100-point season talk – the numbers started zone entry, Gaudreau ran into a swarm of Avalanche defenders. On the to tail off. And it happened right across the board. Monahan couldn’t keep rare occasions he did break free – a couple of breakaways, one of which up his scoring pace either. Elias Lindholm only scored two regular- resulted in a penalty shot – he couldn’t capitalize. In short, it wasn’t a season goals after Feb. 27. The indicators were all there – that things great nine days for Gaudreau who looked awfully frustrated by the end. were trending negatively. The hope was that they’d be able to ratchet it Q: Playoffs tend to be more physical than regular-season games. Can up again in the playoffs after coasting to the finish line. It obviously didn’t Gaudreau, at his size (listed at 5-foot-9, 165 pounds) ever adapt? turn out that way.

A: Officiating standards do seem to become far more lax in the Q: I hesitate to bring up the word ‘parity’ here, but I can’t help myself after postseason, one of those curious hockey phenomena that never seems studying the overall league standings. Tampa was obviously an outlier at to change. Organizationally, probably the best thing the Flames can do is 128 points – 21 ahead of Boston and Calgary, who were tied for second. exert more pressure on the NHL officiating department to maintain the But if you page further down, you’ll find Washington at No. 4 and regular-season refereeing standard in the playoffs (and you’d suspect Columbus at No. 13 separated by six points overall – and one win. In the that Tampa Bay, Toronto and others would support this initiative). NHL’s tie-breaking scheme – regulation and overtime wins – the Blue Jackets actually managed one more victory than did the Capitals. Q: What about the possibility that when Gaudreau’s current contract expires three years from now, that he leaves the Flames as an A: It’s a fair point. One additional regulation or overtime win over the unrestricted free agent so he can play closer to home? course of a six-and-a-half-month season is practically meaningless. And we haven’t even talked about a Montreal Canadiens team that won 44 A: That’s a genuine concern – for down the road. Ideally, the Flames games – the same as Pittsburgh – and missed the playoffs altogether. want Gaudreau to think of Calgary as his professional home, separate When the standings are so close, it’s hard to say sometimes what really from his private offseason life on the U.S. East Coast. But there’s a lot of constitutes an upset. When everybody’s healthy, the NHL has one large time left on the clock between now and when his contract expires at the indistinguishable middle class, where the gaps between the high end and end of the 2021-22 season to get a genuine sense of his long-term the low end are small. intentions. Closer to the end of the deal, if the Flames get a clear signal Q: Even if I were to concede your point – that a lot of teams are pretty close in terms of overall talent levels – somebody eventually wins and somebody eventually loses in every series. How is it that Calgary seems to forever fall into the latter category? They lose when they have the better team on paper – like this year. But they also lose when they’re the team that sneaks into the playoffs and then gets clobbered by Anaheim – as they did in 2017. Other than Vancouver, the Flames can’t ever seem to ever beat anyone when it comes to postseason play.

A: It’s maddening, for sure, if you’re a long-time fan of the team. The rational answer there is that the 2019 edition of the team can’t be held responsible for past failures, only the one that was immediately at hand. This year, the Flames ran into a Colorado team that shares many of the same qualities they do – a mobile defence, one productive scoring line and a goalie that happened to get into a groove at the right time of year – but then they went out and executed better.

Q: How do you fix that? Or at least, put yourself in a position that it doesn’t happen again and that you learned something from the experience?

A: Some of that will occur with natural maturity. The Flames were not exactly a playoff-tested group. Everyone said all the right things going in – playoffs are different, a higher level of commitment needed, etc. etc. But nothing ever happens in a vacuum. Colorado’s Nathan MacKinnon was the best player on either team and he played that way – motivated and committed. In the playoffs, the top players sometimes cancel each other out, so the difference maker has to come from among the secondary journeymen players. This was one time where it went the other way. Colorado won because its best player was its best player – and showed it at every moment in every game in every stage of the series. He’s doing it again in the second round against the San Jose Sharks too.

Q: What does that mean for this group in Calgary? Can Monahan, Gaudreau, Lindholm, Matthew Tkachuk, et al ever get to MacKinnon’s level?

A: Probably not. Players who are chosen first overall in the draft are chosen first overall for a reason – for a combination of skill, grit, determination, etc. that makes them who they are. But there are teams that have such a player – , for example – that didn’t even make the playoffs. There are teams that advanced past the first round because of superior goaltending.

The reality is, there are no one-size-fits-all answers for playoff success. Last year, it went the other way. Most of the favorites did what favorites were supposed to do and advanced steadily through the postseason. Ultimately, two division champs – Washington and Vegas – played for the Stanley Cup. That’s the beauty and unpredictability of professional sport – from year to year, the formula for success changes, for no apparent rational reason.

Q: What do you do in Calgary now?

A: Organizationally, the worst thing they can do is shift gears, because the wind shifted. Instead, you resolutely build a foundation – and in Calgary, that foundation is going to focus on its youthful defence corps – and then you help it develop and mature. Remember, every year you see five-to-seven teams that made the playoffs one season miss out the next. That has to be the goal in October. You can’t remedy playoff misery if you don’t get back there in the first place. Start there and see what happens. You can’t slash-and-burn your way through a reasonably well- constructed roster that had a good October-to-April run just because you came up short in the playoffs. Sorry, but that would do more long-term harm than good.

The Athletic LOADED: 04.30.2019 1143404 Calgary Flames As Tyler Wotherspoon-enthusiasts would attest, this season was a stunning departure to what we had become used to in this city. Under the guidance of Bill Peters, young defencemen were given a chance and Unprecedented amount of youth on the blue line has Flames set up for they took full advantage of it. success Although, that’s over-simplifying it. Those opportunities were earned, too.

For many seasons, the organization took plenty of heat for not playing By Darren Haynes Apr 29, 2019 Wotherspoon more. Countless times he was called up from the minors, would sit for a couple of weeks, then go back down without getting into an NHL game.

This will sound funny, but the biggest positive for the Calgary Flames is It’s looking more and more like his situation had less to do with a lack of how last season ended. opportunity and more to do with the reality that he just wasn’t good enough to play at the NHL level. No, not on the scoreboard, but with the construction of the roster. Last season, after signing with the St. Louis Blues organization, the just- For the final two games of the first round series in which the Flames were turned 26-year-old again spent the entire year in the AHL, this time with eliminated in five games by the Colorado Avalanche, half of the six San Antonio. Calgary defencemen in uniform were 21 or younger when the season began. Two of them were rookies. A third rookie blueliner was a scratch To have young guys step into the NHL lineup and make a difference, you after playing nearly half of the regular season. not only need quality prospects in the system, but you need to develop them so they’re ready to make the jump. After that, you must then give History suggests that bodes well for the future. Really well. them an opportunity. While most of the talk this season revolved around the old man, 35-year- In an organization that had high hopes for highly-drafted defencemen like old Mark Giordano, and rightly so, the organization has quietly put in Wotherspoon, Patrick Sieloff, Keegan Kanzig and John Negrin, the reality place a pretty darn good succession plan, too. is they just weren’t good enough. Their careers, or non-careers after With three years remaining on a six-year deal that pays Giordano an departing the Flames organization, are proof of that. AAV of $6.75 million, and coming off a Norris-worthy season, a In the 10 seasons prior to this one, the only meaningful integration of substantial drop off in his play isn’t expected any time soon. But when youth on the back end, based on the same criteria, had been 21-year-old age finally does catch up with the Flames captain, the team has nicely TJ Brodie, who got into 54 games in 2011-12. positioned itself to smoothly navigate what otherwise could be a crippling situation. Flames defencemen games played – By players drafted three or fewer years prior: The four young defenders: 2018-19 | 221 gm (Hanifin 80, Andersson 79, Kylington 38, Valimaki 24) Rasmus Andersson, 22 2017-18 | 10 gm (Andersson) Noah Hanifin, 22 2016-17 | 1 gm (Andersson) Oliver Kylington, 21 2015-16 | 10 gm (Kulak 8, Kylington 1, Sieloff 1) Juuso Valimaki, 20 2014-15 | 2 gm (Kulak 1, Wotherspoon 1) A couple of seasons from now, I’d expect Andersson, Hanifin and Valimaki to form three-quarters of what should be this team’s top-four on v2013-14 | 14 gm (Wotherspoon) the blue line for a long time. 2012-13 | 0 gm “I thought Razzy, Vali, Shilly, on the back end, played really big minutes for us at different times,” Giordano said in his last address to the media. 2011-12 | 54 gm (Brodie) “There’s optimism there.” 2010-11 | 3 gm (Brodie)

No kidding. 2009-10 | 0 gm

Until veteran Oscar Fantenberg arrived from Los Angeles at the trade But this season came together like a perfect storm. A stud first rounder in deadline, the Flames had basically run an all-rookie third pairing, less a Valimaki (16th overall in 2017) making the jump right out of junior and for handful of cameo appearances by Dalton Prout. the two Swedes, it was the by-product of raw ability plus the culmination Normally, when you see that much youth integrated on the back end, of loads of hard work invested at the AHL level — Andersson the past you’d expect Calgary to be locked in the throes of a rebuild and a couple two seasons in Stockton and Kylington the previous three seasons in of seasons away from being a serious contender. Let guys gain some northern California. experience, see what you have, and go from there. It enabled the three rookies to come in and play key roles on what was a But the Flames are already good, finishing second overall to the Tampa very good team. Bay Lightning. A pretty remarkable feat considering the volume of youth “It’s not easy. I remember being 20, 21, coming into the league and you at such a vital position. have your ups and downs,” Travis Hamonic said. “But our guys just kept In an attempt to put this past season into context, I examined the number getting better.” of games played by defencemen in 2018-19, who were from the 2015 Not only was Calgary’s 221 games the most in 2018-19 by a wide draft class (or same-age equivalent) or later. That limited the player pool margin, but it’s also the biggest chunk of games played by young to those who had joined the organization over the previous three years. blueliners league-wide in the last 10 years. Turns out, the Flames were the runaway leader. Defencemen games played – By notable players drafted three or fewer 2018-19 defencemen games played – By players from the 2015 draft years prior: class or later: 2018-19 Flames, 221 gm | Hanifin (80), Andersson (79), Kylington (38), Calgary, 221 gm | Hanifin (80), Andersson (79), Kylington (38), Valimaki Valimaki (24) (24) 2015-16 Hurricanes, 213 gm | Hanifin (79), Pesce (69), Slavin (63) Boston, 146 gm | Carlo (72), McAvoy (54), Lauzon (16) 2011-12 Senators, 187 gm | Cowan (82), Karlsson (81), Rundblad (24) Tampa Bay, 133 gm | Sergachev (75), Cernak (58) 2011-12 Ducks, 164 gm | Fowler (82), Sbisa (80) Ottawa, 128 gm | Chabot (70), Lajoie (56) 2016-17 Hurricanes, 163 gm | Pesce (82), Hanifin (81) Detroit, 98 gm | Cholowski (52), Hronek (46) 2015-16 Sabres, 159 gm | Ristolainen (82), McCabe (77) “When he came back, credit to him, he was bigger, stronger, faster, he did a great job down there looking after himself,” the coach said. “He’s a 2017-18 Hurricanes, 156 gm | Hanifin (79), Fleury (67), McKeown (10) driven athlete, this guy, so he’s going to have a great summer and he’s 2016-17 Blue Jackets, 155 gm | Werenski (78), Jones (75) going to come in and he’s thinking not only am I making this team and I’m here for 82 games. I’m going to be a part of either the power play or 2011-12 Maple Leafs, 154 gm | Schenn (79), Gardiner (75) the penalty kill, that’s how he thinks.”

2013-14 Ducks, 148 gm | Lindholm (78), Fowler (70) It was a tremendous season for Andersson as well, who was among the last cuts after a strong training camp, only to be recalled before getting As you glance over that list, there are certainly reasons for optimism of into a single AHL game due to the jaw injury suffered by Hamonic on what’s to come when defencemen establish themselves in the NHL at a opening night. young age. “I got an opportunity early and I think I took advantage of that opportunity. The Hurricanes appear on the list three times, representing each of the Once you start getting a little more confidence and when you start last three seasons, and while Hanifin was traded away (to get a still- believing more in your game, that’s usually when you more success,” young defenceman in Dougie Hamilton), they are now two wins away Andersson said. “After the bye week, I thought I played really well and I from a trip to the Eastern Conference final. The maturation of Jaccob just really continued that play until the end of the season.” Slavin, turning 25 on May 1, and Brett Pesce, 24, ranked first and second, respectively, in average ice time during the regular season has One of the things he was most proud of is how he became a reliable been a contributing factor. option for the coaching staff, sometimes getting elevated onto the top pairing beside Giordano. Columbus is looking good this postseason, too, first sweeping Tampa Bay and now engaged in a close series with the Boston Bruins. They’ve “One of my strengths has been my consistency. I think I’ve been pretty really taken off the last three years, thanks to that 1-2 punch on the blue consistent all year and that’s what you’ve got to do in this league. When I line of Zach Werenski and Seth Jones. realized I was that consistent, that’s when I started believing that I can be a good player in this league.” The Senators, anchored in particular by a young Erik Karlsson, posted some excellent seasons with the Swede’s dynamic presence on the back Moving forward, the high concentration of youth makes for one heck of a end. foundation, which should carry Calgary for a long time.

The Ducks, who appear on the list twice, led by their talented young blue “That’s the plan!” Hamonic said, with a wide grin. line with Cam Fowler and Hampus Lindholm, had been one of the league’s best teams during a six-year run of regular season prowess — “You’re always trying to build and you always want good, young pieces and two conference finals reached — prior to this season. all over the lineup, but on defence, it’s crazy how young some of those guys are and we can count on those guys to play big minutes and I don’t Even the Sabres are worth noting. While Buffalo has not been able to get think that’s going to change.” back into the playoffs on the backs of Rasmus Ristolainen and Jake McCabe, they’re a far better team now. Remember that prior to 2015-16, Hanifin looks forward to it. they had finished last overall for two straight years. That’s a massive hole “There’s a lot of top, young defencemen on this team and it’s good to climb out of. because we can all grow together, we can all get better together and In his first season in Calgary, Hanifin found himself a fixture in the top- learn from each other. Coming years down the line from now, if we’re all four for the first time in his career. As a result, his ice time rose to over 20 playing together, I think that really helps and pays off,” Hanifin said. minutes (20:46), nearly two minutes more per night than his previous A talented group, but one that remains driven — for more ice time, more career high of 18:52 from 2017-18. responsibility and more than anything, team success.

“He’s big, he’s built, he’s physically mature and everyone forgets he’s “For our team to be able to take the next step, we’ve got to take the next only 22 years old. He’s got a long, bright future ahead of him,” Hamonic, step,” Andersson said. “We had a really good regular season, but in the his D partner, said. “The important thing with Noah’s game is how well he playoffs, we didn’t do as well. That’s motivation for the summer. For us to skates. It’s effortless. Some guys, they’ve got to be put in a little more be able to do better next year in the playoffs, the three of us have to be effort to get up and down the ice. But he doesn’t.” better.”

“You look at how the NHL is changing, how quick it is, for how big he is, You know Valimaki’s drive will be there as he wants to be back out there how powerful he is, and how easy his stride is, he’s a heckuva player.” in front of the C of Red at playoff time and for more than just one game Hamonic’s also had a rink-side view of both Andersson and Valimaki. this time.

“They both bring different intangibles to our group,” Hamonic said. “But “When you finally get to play, it’s a really good feeling. That’s probably how good they are at a young age is impressive.” the part of why I felt good out there. Because I just wanted to play,” Valimaki said who replaced Fantenberg in Game 4 and 5. Valimaki made the team right out of junior, only to suffer a high ankle sprain that sidelined him for a couple of months. Upon returning from the “So when you experience something like that, 20,000 people yelling as serious injury, he spent two months in Stockton, which he recognizes hard as they can and you’re playing in front of them — first in Colorado, was invaluable in the big picture. against them, but here, with them — they’re on your side, it’s something great. That’s what I live for, that’s the best feeling.” “Being in Stockton, I think, probably long term was good for me,” Valimaki said. “Playing tons of minutes and learning how to do that in pro Peters expects the ongoing push from the youth to propel his team. hockey. I think our team played a little bit better when I was there and I “We’ve got unbelievable depth in the organization and it’s depth that’s on think I grew as a player.” the cusp of not only playing in the league, but allowing you to win with His poise is what stood out for Giordano. them, that’s the important part,” Peters said. “A guy like Vali and all these guys — Shilly — they want to come in and not only play, but they want to “You look at the young guys that come into the league now, there’s no be difference makers, they want more, they want more opportunity. fear in his game at all,” Giordano said. “He makes calm plays all the time under pressure.” “They want to take somebody’s job, they want to take somebody’s ice time so they’re going to push, they’re going to push hard, so we’ve got a For Valimaki, making the opening night roster was also a big lot of depth so now we’ve got to manage that.” accomplishment. Given that depth, Andersson knows he can’t take anything for granted. “I don’t think many people thought I would make the team,” Valimaki said. “That was my goal the whole summer, that’s what I was thinking about. I “Wherever I come into the lineup next year. I either want to keep my spot said it out loud, too. I wanted to do it and I think I did a pretty good job of or I want to work to get a higher spot,” he said. “It’s really motivating, it’s it and I’m pretty proud of that.” challenging and that’s what makes it fun, too. There’s eight or nine really good defencemen on this team and there’s only six spots. You’ve got to What impressed Peters the most was how well he handled the demotion. come in and you’ve got to give it all every day.” Every day for not just six months of the regular season, but if all goes well, a couple of months in the postseason, too.

The Athletic LOADED: 04.30.2019 1143405 Carolina Hurricanes reasons, it must not work very well. If you think you’ve got a good playoff beard, the Canes are hosting a contest/fundraiser called Beard Together.

FIGHTING There’s room on the Canes’ NHL playoff bandwagon. This will help you get on board. You’ve heard the old Rodney Dangerfield joke: “I went to a fight the other night and a hockey game broke out.” The joke is more than a bit out of date. It’s true that from the 1970s well into the 1990s, fighting was a BY RICHARD STRADLING routine part of NHL hockey games. During the peak years of the 1980s, the league averaged more than a fight per game; this season, there was APRIL 29, 2019 05:31 PM less than one fight for every five games, according to the website HockeyFights.com. (Yes, there is such a thing.) Hockey is still a violent

sport, with players armed with sticks jostling and knocking into each other The Carolina Hurricanes’ surprising playoff run, which continues to try to regain control of the puck, and the emotions run even higher Wednesday at PNC Arena with Game 3 against The New York Islanders, during the playoffs. But fights like the one between Washington Capitals has captivated Triangle hockey fans, who haven’t gotten to go to a captain Alexander Ovechin and the Canes’ 19-year-old rookie Andrei Canes game this late in the season since 2009. Svechnikov during the first round of the playoffs are relatively rare this time of year. Unfortunately, the over-matched Svechnikov suffered a It’s also got some casual onlookers paying attention to North Carolina’s blow to the head that has kept him out of the playoffs. NHL team for the first time in awhile. If you’re new to the Hurricanes bandwagon, or thinking about jumping on board for the playoffs, here’s a STORMY primer to help you catch up. Yes, the Hurricanes have a big pig for a mascot. Former team owner THE TEAM Peter Karmanos is credited with chosing an “ice hog” mascot for his team. The then-unnamed hog made his inauspicious debut before a The two dozen players that make up the Hurricanes roster grew up in game against the Detroit Red Wings in the Greensboro Coliseum in cold places where it’s theoretically still possible to play hockey on ponds 1997. (He planned to emerge from inside a Zamboni ice cleaning or homemade backyard rinks in the winter. Fully half are from Canada, machine, but became overcome with carbon dioxide fumes and passed where hockey is the national pastime, and the rest hail from the northern out, leaving only his twitching, furry legs briefly visible to the crowd). Jim U.S. or one of five European countries (there are three Finns, including Rutherford, the team’s general manager at the time, said the hog was a the team’s leading scorer, 21-year-old Sebastian Aho). Fans pretty way to honor the state’s pork industry and one of its moguls, state Sen. quickly learned how to pronounce all of their names but don’t necessarily Wendell Murphy, who was instrumental in getting the arena built. Stormy know how to spell them without looking. Just ask one to spell Teravainen, got a name through an internet survey later that fall and has become the Niederreiter or Mrazek. The team captain and leader is 37-year-old Justin popular, ever smiling face of the franchise and a strikingly good dancer. Williams, who played with the team when it won the Stanley Cup in 2006 Last season, the Canes introduced a female companion, Caroline, who is and returned last season after winning two more cups with the Los ostensibly a childhood friend of Stormy’s. Angeles Kings. THE OTHER PIG HURRICANES CULTURE If you go to one of this week’s games at PNC Arena, you may see The Hurricanes have attracted a growing number of fans in the Tar Heel Hamilton, the 90-pound pig who some have adopted as a good luck state since arriving from Hartford, Conn., in 1997. (They were previously charm this playoff season. Hamilton, or Hami to his friends, did some known as the Hartford Whalers.) But the Triangle being a melting pot of tailgating before the home games of the Capitals series and was in transplants, many fans have split allegiances, rooting for the Canes as Washington when the Canes shocked the hockey world in double well as the teams they grew up with. Canes fans are used to seeing lots overtime. He’s had his picture taken with Stormy and been featured in of supporters of opposing teams in the crowd at PNC Arena and don’t get The Washington Post and on ESPN and NBC. His Instagram account too bent out of shape about it. The arena, which the Canes share with had more than 2,430 followers Monday. N.C. State University, was built on university land out on the edge of town, reachable by car and a handful of party buses. When the weather’s HOW LONG COULD THIS GO ON? nice, as it always is during the playoffs, fans arrive early with grills and The Canes knocked off the defending Stanley Cup champion coolers to tailgate. (Try that in Brooklyn!) Washington Capitals in seven games last week to remain one of eight BUNCH OF JERKS teams still vying for the cup. If they can win four games against the Islanders, they’d play either the Boston Bruins or Columbus Blue Jackets In a town where people are generally nice to each other, it may seem in the Eastern Conference finals. The winner of that series would then go odd that the hockey team refers to itself as a “bunch of jerks.” The on to play the Western Conference champs in the best-of-seven Stanley characterization came from Don Cherry, a former NHL coach and Cup finals. By then, the playoff beards will be in their prime. When the longtime Hockey Night in Canada commentator known as much for his Canes won the Stanley Cup in 2006, the final game was on June 19, gaudy clothes as his observations on hockey. In a disjointed tirade in nearly three months into the Major League season. February, Cherry chastised the Canes for the Storm Surge, the post- game celebrations planned and executed by the players after each home News Observer LOADED: 04.30.2019 victory. Referring to the sometimes small crowds at PNC, Cherry said, “You never do anything like that. They’re still not drawing. They’re a bunch of jerks, as far as I’m concerned.” The Canes responded by making “Bunch of Jerks” T-shirts that sold briskly at premium prices during the next game.

FACIAL HAIR

The New York Islanders, the Canes opponent in the second round of the playoffs, are generally credited with starting the playoff beard tradition during their streak of four Stanley Cup victories in 1980 through 1983. Whether out of superstition or as a badge of honor, it’s become a tradition for players and their fans to put away their razors during the playoffs. The longer your team plays, the longer your beard. That is if you can grow one; Aho, who said at the outset that he didn’t think he could “grow much,” has managed a wispy mustache halfway through the second round. Look back at the team photos of the Hurricanes after they won the cup in 2006 and you’ll see most of the players with healthy beards — except team captain Rod Brind’Amour. Now coach Brind’Amour, he isn’t growing one this year either. If 16 teams stop shaving at the beginning of the playoffs and only one wins the cup, he 1143406 Carolina Hurricanes

Canes recall Nedeljkovic; Mrazek ‘day to day’ with lower-body injury

BY CHIP ALEXANDER

APRIL 29, 2019 03:02 PM

Carolina Hurricanes coach Rod Brind’Amour opened a media session Monday with what’s become routine during the playoffs: a review of the body count and injury updates, with a lengthening list.

The Canes earned a 2-1 victory Sunday over the New York Islanders for a 2-0 lead in the second-round series but lost three players in the process. Defenseman Trevor van Riemsdyk was hurt on the first shift of the game, goalie Petr Mrazek left in the second period and forward Saku Maenalanen in the third. Mrazek’s departure with a lower-body injury brought in Curtis McElhinney, who had not played in three weeks but stopped all 17 shots he faced.

That was on top of the Canes being without three of their most physical forwards: Jordan Martinook, Micheal Ferland and rookie Andrei Svechnikov.

“Petr is going to be day to day, so that’s actually good news,” Brind’Amour said.

The Canes on Monday recalled goalie Alex Nedeljkovic from the Charlotte Checkers, their AHL affiliate, to serve as McElhinney’s backup. They later called up defenseman Jake Bean.

Van Riemsdyk sustained a shoulder injury and could be sidelined indefinitely, if not for the rest of the playoffs. Maenalanen will not return in the Islanders series after suffering a hand injury, Brind’Amour said, but might come back should the Canes advance.

The Canes will hold a team practice -- a rarity the past few weeks -- on Tuesday, giving Brind’Amour and the staff a better gauge on Martinook, Ferland and Svechnikov, all said to be day to day. Brind’Amour, who rarely rests, was on the PNC Arena ice with Svechnikov on Monday.

The manpower loss is having an effect on two fronts: the Canes and the Checkers. The Canes had recalled forwards Clark Bishop and Patrick Brown from the Checkers, at a time when Charlotte is preparing to begin a Calder Cup second-round playoff series on Friday against the Hershey Bears.

They now have brought in Nedeljkovic, who was named the AHL goaltender of the year. Nedeljkovic led the AHL in wins (34) and goals- against average (2.26) and is 3-1 in the Calder Cup playoffs with a 2.00 GAA and .923 save percentage. Nedeljkovic, 23, has been in two NHL games in his three pro seasons and was a winner in his first career start for the Canes this season.

Brind'Amour talks with the media following the Hurricanes win over the Islanders in Game 2 of the second round Stanley Cup series By

That aside, the Canes have won their last four playoff games -- the last two against the Washington Capitals in their first-round series, then two against the Islanders at the Barclays Center. Game 3 against the Islanders is Wednesday as the series shifts to PNC Arena for two games.

The playoffs are grueling, a prolonged test of stamina and mental toughness, of overcoming injuries and finding ways to win.

“It’s a mental grind,” Brind’Amour said. “The physical stuff is what everybody talks about because you see it, guys getting dinged up, but it’s that mental grind that the playoffs really are all about.”

Asked Monday what the most satisfying aspect of the first nine playoff games has been, Brind’Amour said, “Just the compete level, the resiliency of our group. That’s been satisfying but it’s been that way all year so I don’t know that anything has really changed.

“Satisfied is really not the right word, because we’re not satisfied yet. We’re still in the process.”

News Observer LOADED: 04.30.2019 1143407 Chicago Blackhawks Given how he played this season, it's fair to hope that he has many good years left in him, but regardless Toews is a lock for the Hall of Fame, even as experts the last couple of years have decided -- quite suddenly -- Rozner: Often overlooked, Blackhawks' Toews won't have to apologize that Toews is overrated. for career Beauty is eternally in the eye of the beholder, and maybe those who don't see the splendor in Toews' game don't actually watch the games. Maybe they haven't played it, or maybe they just don't understand it. Barry Rozner Perhaps, they would more appreciate his game if he sacrificed defense Updated4/29/2019 6:30 PM for offense, creating 100-point seasons instead of searching for victories.

Perhaps, they would have preferred more 30-goal seasons over nine straight playoff appearances. Jonathan Toews turned 31 years old Monday. Perhaps, they'll never fully understand that if Toews didn't play the way Yeah, let it stew for a minute, one of those when you wonder where the he did, the last decade in Chicago would have looked nothing like it does. time has gone. And, perhaps, the Hawks wouldn't have had those three parades. Already 12 years into an NHL career, Toews is coming off his best offensive season, though without the playoffs it means little to the Daily Herald Times LOADED: 04.30.2019 Blackhawks' captain.

That's what will never be fully appreciated about Toews, often mocked for being too serious in a game where great character truly matters and is frequently overlooked.

Winning means more to him than hanging out at the opposition blue line and cheating for easy points, but chicks dig the long ball and Toews has always sacrificed points for defense.

We don't live in a hockey world where his team-first attitude, his consistent responsibility, is cherished, where his first step is always toward his own net, where he's always thinking about goal prevention first.

In a town where athletes in other sports, who have accomplished nothing, are currently treated as royalty, Toews is always being asked for more.

And that's OK with him. The limelight is not his priority. He does not live to grace the cover of a video game.

It doesn't mean he hasn't had great offensive moments -- witness his Conn Smythe in 2010, or his Game 7 in Anaheim in 2015, and 110 points in 128 postseason games is hardly a number to sneeze at.

But the number of rings is the only number he worships.

While there have been many big goals and assists, what also comes to mind is a play in Game 1 of the 2015 Stanley Cup Final, when the Hawks were down a goal to Tampa midway through the third.

Toews is in deep on the forecheck as the puck goes the other way, but he turns and burns toward his own goal. He beats five players, including , back into the defensive end.

He's skating so hard he nearly catches Ryan Callahan between the circles as Callahan busts in alone on Corey Crawford. Feeling Toews' presence, Callahan can't get to the middle of ice, where he has more options to attack Crawford.

Crawford uses the Toews back pressure to his advantage and comes out aggressively at Callahan, who runs out of time and must shoot. Crawford cuts down the angle, Callahan forces a shot from the off-wing.

The goaltender makes the biggest save of the game and the Hawks are still alive, down only a goal.

Less than 2 minutes later, Teuvo Teravainen scores to tie the game. Antoine Vermette gets the game-winner 2 minutes after that and the Hawks steal Game 1 in Tampa, even though they were not the better team that night.

The play by Toews makes no highlight reels, but down 2-0 with under 10 minutes left on the road probably means defeat for the Hawks, who win Game 1 and eventually the Stanley Cup in six games.

Few outside the locker room will remember the play. Crawford probably does. Joel Quenneville might. If Toews remembers and you asked him, he would give Crawford the credit anyway.

Full speed for 180 feet to make a play, in the third period of a game a few days after a brutal seven-game series with the Ducks.

It was such a Toews thing to do. And it saved the game, maybe the series. 1143408 Chicago Blackhawks

The resurgence of Blackhawks captain Jonathan Toews

By Charlie Roumeliotis April 29, 2019 8:25 AM

Jonathan Toews had sensational underlying analytics last season. When he was on the ice at 5-on-5, the Blackhawks controlled 56.7 percent of the shot attempts and generated 56.3 percent of the scoring chances, according to naturalstattrick.com. He was among the NHL's leaders in both categories.

And yet, Toews went through the most difficult stretch of his professional career, statistically, by finishing with a career-low 20 goals and 52 points — although he missed the final eight games with an injury. It didn't make any sense.

Whether it was lack of puck luck or something he wasn't doing, Toews made it a priority to closely watch his shifts from last season to help change his fortunes this season. He started focusing more on his game positionally and trying to make skilled plays with the puck rather than being quick to give it up when he maybe thought guys were on top of him. And it paid off.

In Year 12 of his NHL career, Toews set a career high in goals (35), assists (46) and points (81) and appeared in all 82 games for the first time since the 2008-09 campaign.

"It's progress," Toews said when asked to assess his season individually. "I like just where my offensive game is going. I feel like I learned a lot about my own preparation whether it's on the ice or off the ice. The game's changing, it's so skilled, it's so fast nowadays. You can't be satisfied with things that you do in the past. You have got to keep adapting, keep growing, keep finding ways to get better. And I feel like I'm doing that and excited to see where my game can continue to go in the next couple years."

Perhaps the most impressive part of his resurgence is that it came at the age of 30, which can be a scary number for athletes because it indicates they’ve approached the back half of their careers. But Toews, who turned 31 on Monday, seemingly got faster and stronger and he was heavily relied upon.

During the 2018-19 season, the Blackhawks captain had the most offensive zone starts of his career. He also had his most defensive starts, proving he was leaned on in all three zones. But the offensive production coming along really takes a weight off his shoulders going into the offseason because there were times in previous years where the doubt got to him.

"It was fun to go out there and score and just have that confident feeling that you can go out there and create regardless of who you're playing with on any given night,” Toews said. “It’s a feeling I didn't really have the last couple years and people start talking and doubting what you're able to do so it's sometimes hard to not let that creep into your own mind and into your own game. I feel like I took a good step forward in that sense this year."

But there’s no satisfaction here. Elite players like Toews are constantly striving to get better. Is there room for improvement?

“Oh, absolutely,” he said.

Which areas?

A smiling Toews responded: "All areas."

Comcast SportsNet.com LOADED: 04.30.2019 1143409 Colorado Avalanche

Avalanche pairing of 20-year-olds Cale Makar, Sam Girard outperforming their age

By KYLE FREDRICKSON PUBLISHED: April 29, 2019 at 3:05 pm | UPDATED: April 29, 2019 at 6:01 PM

In Denver housing market, what was hot is now cold. See where your ZIP code ranks in home prices.

Damian Lillard: I thought center Enes Kanter “was playing” vs. Denver Nuggets in Game 1

Avalanche coach Jared Bednar made the comparison, and even if he’s right, he has to be kidding.

But hear him out.

1. The top defensive pair for the Sharks: Erik Karlsson and Brent Burns.

2. The top defensive pair for the Avalanche: Sam Girard and Cale Makar.

“If you look at the shift in the third period … Makar and Girard, they just controlled the puck up top, they’re making smart plays and they get few plays to the net — good looks at the net. They’re recovering pucks, using their feet and they’re tough to check. It’s an element that we’re starting to develop as a team,” Bednar said the morning after evening their playoff series in Game 2 with a 4-3 road win. “It’s something, to be honest with you, that San Jose has at the other end with Karlsson and Burns.”

RELATED: Avalanche and Nuggets playoff tickets are still available, but why does hockey cost twice as much?

The Girard-Makar duo is a Colorado revelation. Sunday in San Jose marked their first-ever pairing together. Two baby-faced 20-year-olds who represent the NHL’s transition to traditionally undersized, but elusive and technically gifted defensemen. Neither Girard or Makar exceeds 5- feet-10 or 190 pounds, but are trusted as Bednar’s expected starters Tuesday night in Game 3 at the Pepsi Center.

The Karlsson-Burns duo needs no NHL introduction. They combine for three James Norris Memorial Trophies, given annually to the league’s top defender, in addition to 25 NHL seasons and more than 140 postseason games played. Burns’ seven points this series leads all skaters. Just mentioning the Avalanche youngsters in the same breath as San Jose’s veterans might be hockey sacrilege in some circles.

Neither Girard or Makar seems fazed. Their play, in a small sample size, has far exceeded their age.

“Cale is so good on his feet and he’s a good puck mover, too,” Girard said. “It’s so easy for me to play with him. He’s pretty good defensively and we all know offensively that he’s definitely skilled. It’s great to be with him. … Yes, we’re 20, but I think we have a place here. We just have to play our game.”

Added Makar: “When you have two guys that can move the puck fast and guys that like to go up the ice really quick, it’s really fun to play together.”

Colorado isn’t short on defensive depth, either, with notching three points (one goal) Saturday night while Ian Cole led all Colorado defenseman in ice time. But there’s no question the Sharks must account for the impressive potential of the Girard-Makar pairing. They’re not Karlsson-Burns caliber — yet. Just one skate in the right direction.

“We wouldn’t be playing them together and the minutes we’re playing if they didn’t deserve it,” Bednar said. “They’ve earned it.”

Denver Post: LOADED: 04.30.2019 1143410 Colorado Avalanche

Avalanche and Nuggets playoff tickets are still available, but why does hockey cost twice as much?

By SEAN KEELER | PUBLISHED: April 29, 2019 at 1:57 pm | UPDATED: April 29, 2019 at 10:54 PM

First, the good news: If you want to watch the Nuggets and Avalanche keep making history, seats are still available.

Less good: Those seats won’t come cheap — especially on the hockey side.

Denver’s NBA and NHL franchises advanced to the second round of their respective playoff brackets in the same spring for the first time late last week, with the Nuggets moving past San Antonio to meet Portland in the NBA’s Western Conference semifinals, which begin Monday night at Pepsi Center. The Colorado Avalanche upset top-seeded Calgary in the first round of the NHL’s Stanley Cup Playoffs and will host San Jose in the second round of their best-of-seven series on Tuesday night for Game 3 and on Thursday evening for Game 4.

“The best advice for fans looking to secure tickets to a playoff game at Pepsi Center is to visit both Nuggets and Avalanche team websites and follow on social as league holds are randomly released,” Becca Villanueva, director of marketing communications for Kroenke Sports and Entertainment, parents company of both the Nuggets and Avs, told The Post. “This is our best source of information on open inventory.”

Fans for either team can visit https://www.altitudetickets.com for updates and availability.

If you’re shopping a la carte, the least expensive individual seat on the ticketing web site VividSeats.com for Game 1 of the Nuggets-Blazers series, before fees, was listed at $23, and was $54 for Game 2 as of early Monday afternoon. The least expensive seat for Game 3 of Avs- Sharks was $82 before fees and for Game 4 was $91.

The price disparity was similar at SeatGeek.com, where Nuggets seats for Game 1 and 2 could be had for $33 and $66, respectively, after fees Monday afternoon. For the Avs, those numbers jumped to $133 for Game 3 and $125 for Game 4, respectively.

Why the gap? Demand, certainly. And recent postseason success — or lack of it, in the Nuggets’ case, until this spring — could be a factor, too.

From 1999-2018, the Avs reached the Western Conference semifinals seven different times, winning the Cup in 2001. Over that same 20-year stretch, the Nuggets made just one NBA Western Conference semifinal, in 2009, and have never won an NBA crown. The Nuggets have reached the postseason 11 times since 2000, but managed to advance past the first round only twice — this year and in 2009.

Kroenke Sports and Entertainment sent an email to season-ticket holders late Sunday night offering a suite package — 20 tickets and five parking passes — for $3,500 for Game 1 of Nuggets-Blazers on Monday and $5,000 for Game 2 on Wednesday, with individual suite tickets priced at $175 each. The same email listed suite packages for Avs-Sharks Game 3 on Tuesday at $5,000 and individual suite tickets at $300, with suites for Game 4 on Thursday at $5,000 with individual suite tickets priced at $250.

Denver Post: LOADED: 04.30.2019 1143411 Colorado Avalanche

Brent Burns is burning the Avalanche. How does Colorado stop him? “I don’t know.”

By MIKE CHAMBERS | PUBLISHED: April 29, 2019 at 8:10 am | UPDATED: April 29, 2019 at 2:05 PM

SAN JOSE, Calif. — If the Avalanche is to advance to the Western Conference final for the first time since 2002, it is going to have to find a way to stop San Jose defenseman Brent Burns from tearing it up offensively.

In five combined games against the Avs this season, Burns has 14 points (four goals). And in this playoff series that’s just two games old, he leads the Sharks with seven points and three goals.

Burns is, well, burning the Avs from the back end. The 2017 Norris Trophy winner as the NHL’s best defenseman struck for two goals and an assist in Game 2 on Sunday after producing a goal and three assists in Game 1. He led the NHL in scoring among defenseman with 83 points in the regular season.

“He’s going to make an impact,” Avs coach Jared Bednar said. “We’re trying to minimize that impact on him on a nightly basis.”

Burns’ 11 playoff points (four goals) has him tied for second in the league behind Vegas Golden Knights forward Mark Stone (12). Avs forwards Nathan MacKinnon and Mikko Rantanen also have 11 points, but no answer in how to limit Burns’ scoring chances.

“We’ll have to ask ‘Bedsy,’ ” MacKinnon said of Bednar. “We’ll have to figure out something.”

Burns led the Sharks with 11 shots against the Avs in the regular season and has produced eight in the first two games of this series. He scored consecutive San Jose goals Sunday to get the Sharks to within 3-2 and 4-3 late in the game.

“He’s obviously a world-class player, a Norris Trophy winner,” Avs defenseman Ian Cole said. “He generates so much from the back end. He’s one of those guys who you’re never going to completely shut down. He’s just too good, especially as a defenseman — he has a lot of space and a lot of times he’s coming into pucks while our forwards are coming out. He’s really good at shaking them and getting shots through. I don’t think you ever completely shut him down but we need to limit his chances, limit his looks.”

Surprise pairing. When talking about the return of defenseman Sam Girard before Game 1, Bednar commented on his luxury of having three puck-moving, offensive-minded defensemen like Burns with each pairing with a heavy, shutdown guy. Tyson Barrie, Cale Makar and Girard are from the same ilk, and blend well with Erik Johnson, Cole and Nikita Zadorov.

But Makar and Girard were Colorado’s starting pair in Game 2. They each played with Johnson, Cole at Zadorov at times but finished together.

“It’s fun playing with any of these guys but we’re both dynamic D and we like to get our feet moving. So it was fun. We had some fun out there, G and I,” Makar said. “We had some good chemistry.”

Bednar said reuniting Johnson and Cole as a pairing factored into his decision to go with Girard and Makar together.

“Makar had a real good impact last game and I was expecting Girard to be better after missing some time. He looked a little bit rusty (in Game 1),” the coach said. “Tough to produce offense against this team — they check will hard. So getting those two guys together can help us as a five- man unit and help produce offense. The second part of it was, with Girard out (in the Calgary series), Cole and Johnson were real good. So we wanted to give it a try.”

Denver Post: LOADED: 04.30.2019 1143412 Colorado Avalanche

Avs refuse to go down without a fight, steal Game 2 with gutsy performance in San Jose

By Justin Michael - April 29, 2019

The San Jose Sharks looked like they were going to be too much for the Colorado Avalanche to handle. Following a dominant showing on their home ice in Game 1, the Sharks came out just as strong Sunday night.

San Jose skated with intensity, creating multiple early scoring opportunities on the offensive end. And on defense, the experienced squad looked impenetrable. So much so that the TV broadcast repeatedly referred to the Sharks defense as a “teal picket fence”.

After controlling the possession for nearly the entire first period, the Sharks took a 1-0 lead into intermission. But even with it only being a one-goal game, San Jose’s dominance made the lead feel much larger.

In the second period, everything changed. Not only were the Avs able to adjust on the offensive end, but more importantly they showed a willingness to stand up and fight. Like Arya Stark in the Battle of Winterfell, the Avs told death, “not today”, and responded by completely flipping the momentum.

With the top line of Gabe Landeskog, Nathan MacKinnon and Mikko Rantanen reunited, the Avalanche were able to control the puck for the vast majority of the final 40 minutes. As a result, Colorado exploded on the offensive end for four goals in the final two periods.

As impressive as the offensive output was, especially during the third period when the Avs were able to keep the puck in San Jose’s zone for minutes at a time, what really made Sunday’s victory impressive was Colorado’s tenaciousness. The Avs finished with more hits (28) and blocks (25). Colorado also successfully killed off two-of-three Sharks power play opportunities.

Even when MacKinnon tallied the game-winning goal with 01:02 remaining in the third period, it was Matt Calvert that made the play possible by sacrificing his body for the team. Calvert knew he was going to get blown up in the open ice, but he hung in there and delivered a perfect pass to MacKinnon, who then handled the rest.

In the Stanley Cup Playoffs, when the margin for error is so slim and scoring chances are limited, committing to doing the little things on the ice can often be the difference. The Avs proved Sunday night that they’re not just a flashy offensive unit – they’re a scrappy group that’s willing to do whatever it takes to win. And with how Philipp Grubauer has looked in net over the past month, that should make the rest of the league real nervous.

After splitting the first two games in San Jose, the Avs will return to the Pepsi Center for the next two. Game 3 starts at 8:00 p.m. MT and will be televised on NBC Sports Network. milehighsports.com LOADED: 04.30.2019 1143413 Colorado Avalanche Instead of just standing still and watching, Makar is constantly adjusting his position to provide an outlet for Girard should he need it. He never just stands still and watches Girard. Nothing ultimately comes from this Avalanche Film Room: The Girard-Makar shift that put the NHL on notice sequence but it was the beginning of the two-man game Girard and Makar played up high. The combination of puck skills, hockey sense, and skating ability will make this duo dangerous in the future and were on display last night during this shift. BY AJ HAEFELE APRIL 29, 2019 Space invaders

When I say ‘space invaders’, I don’t mean the fantastic game I grew up Back in 1970, Alvin and Heidi Toffler published “Future Shock”, a book in playing. No, I mean watch how Girard and Makar throughout his clip which the couple posited society was undergoing a significant structural consistently create and abuse space. Open ice is always the goal, change and it was overwhelming people as a result. Fun fact: The especially against a smothering defensive club like San Jose. Part of concept of information overload was soon popularized as a result of their what makes this sequence so special is the duo’s ability to be constantly work. in motion and still giving each other an outlet when the other has the Fast forward nearly 50 years and focus on hockey instead of society as a puck. whole, and we see something similar taking place. Despite being Ultimately Makar works himself into a shooting position but it’s obvious consistently dominated by members of the “old guard”, we’ve seen the this isn’t his most dominant trait. He still fires a bullet and then instead of NHL go through significant structural changes of its own in recent years. admiring it, he sees the rebound kick way out and pounces on it. Defensemen under six feet tall have dominated the draft landscape and changed the priorities being honed in on as teams focus their attention Makar magic on the ability to move pucks rather than stand in front of them. This is where Makar is going to make some real good NHL players look In last night’s 4-3 win over the San Jose Sharks, the Avalanche gave the like scrubbos from the street. He sells a fake back to his own blueline NHL a big, bright glimpse of what those changes in attitude are leading to hard before exploding in his first few steps away from Timo Meier (AKA when Cale Makar and Sam Girard shared the ice for one shift of puck- the guy taken one spot ahead of Mikko Rantanen in 2015). This won’t be moving glory in the third period. the last time this shift that Meier takes a ride on the new Makar schoolbus. Top line creates opportunity After shaking Meier like a bad cold (watch the immaculate edgework), This isn’t anything particularly special and neither Girard nor Makar are Makar cycles the puck around the horn before it ends up back up top. on the ice yet but in film rooms I like to give a look at how things build in Makar gets the return feed and immediately gets his head up. He’s hockey. It’s always building a pyramid where you have to build the base looking around the ice, considering options before deciding to put Meier and work up from there. In this case, the ‘base’ built was done by on a tilt-a-whirl again as he cut inside and caused the Sharks defense to Colorado’s dominant top line. Gabe Landeskog and Mikko Rantanen collapse on him. played a two-man game while Nathan MacKinnon was getting off the ice and Carl Soderberg was replacing him. While Makar’s second shot of the shift gets blocked, his creation of the shot is what really stands out here. His vision and creativity are just I say this isn’t anything particularly special but Landeskog and Rantanen special and the confidence required to do that usually takes more than managed to hang on just the two of them long enough to get wholesale five NHL games. Have I mentioned this kid is special? changes behind them. As mentioned, Soderberg was coming onto the ice and you see him in the second half of this frame. Off-screen, Tyson The second line is…pretty good? Barrie and Nikita Zadorov are hopping off the ice and allowing for Makar and Girard to take their turn offensively. The rest of the shift doesn’t have anything to do with Girard or Makar but I included it because the Wilson-Soderberg-Kerfoot trio did a great job If anything, this is a great example of just raw good coaching. Jared killing some time off the clock with their cycle. Given it was in the final 10 Bednar and Nolan Pratt watched their top line work into the offensive minutes of the third period and the Avs were nursing a two-goal lead, this zone and allow for fresh legs to continue the possession. They slipped entire shift came at a great time. The Avalanche made San Jose work Colorado’s second line on the ice with arguably the most dangerous hard just to exit their zone, let alone create any kind of meaningful offensive pairing the Avs had to offer with last night’s blueline alignment. offense the other way.

It begins That this shift was spear-headed by the movement and skill of two 20- year-old rearguards should scare the daylights out of not only the Sharks This clip starts with Rantanen getting the puck back to Makar, who had but everybody else. This is just the beginning of seeing what kind of just jumped onto the ice. Rantanen then immediately leaves to change, greatness these two can bring to the ice when paired together. following Landeskog who changed late in the first clip. Colin Wilson replaced Landeskog and Alexander Kerfoot hopped on as the last Full shift forward change. In case you want to watch the shift in all of its glory, I uploaded the entire Makar takes Rantanen’s pass and fires wide into the corner where thing to YouTube. There’s no sound (you’re welcome) so just imagine there’s space. The puck rims around to Girard, who collects it and cycles Vivaldi’s “Spring” playing when watching it. That should help. deep down low to Soderberg. Soderberg takes on two defenders and finds Kerfoot momentarily alone. Kerfoot makes the smart play and sucks BSN DENVER LOADED: 04.30.2019 in the defenders before moving the puck back to Girard. This is when things get, as the kids say, saucy (I don’t have kids, I have no idea what they say).

Tandem takeover

From here is just a display of flat-out raw ability. Girard moves the puck to Makar, who passes it down the half-wall before getting it right back. Makar surveys his options and drops it to Girard before initiating a side- swap with Girard, allowing Makar to be ready for a one-timer should Girard choose to hit him.

Girard isn’t able to return the puck to Makar as he’s busy shaking a Sharks defender out of his skates with his patented spin move. Girard cleared enough space to continue working his way to the far side of the ice when he ultimately decides to turn back and keep the puck moving up top. All the while, keep an eye on Makar, whose hockey IQ is on full display here. 1143414 Colorado Avalanche

ANOTHER AVALANCHE WATCH PARTY TONIGHT!

BY BSN DENVER APRIL 28, 2019

WHAT: BSN Avalanche Round Two Watch Party, Game Two

WHEN: Sunday, April 28th at 5:00 PM

WHERE: Blake Street Tavern | 2301 Blake St. Denver

WHY: Watch the Avs win a playoff game and win tickets to the next home playoff game!

RSVP TICKET: Get your tickets using this link

Watch the Avs win a playoff game with the most die-hard Avs fans in the world and win tickets to the next home playoff game!! We are back at Denver’s greatest sports bar, Blake Street Tavern!

GIVEAWAYS

– We are giving away tickets to an Avalanche-Sharks playoff game. Everyone who comes to the party is entered to win and we will announce all of the winners after the game.

– We’re giving away BSN Avalanche shirts at the party!

If you are an Avalanche fan, you will not want to miss this event!

BSN DENVER LOADED: 04.30.2019 1143415 Columbus Blue Jackets “I normally get a haircut and a beard trim every three weeks,” the 35- year-old Downtown resident wrote in an email. “The beard will not be touched. Thankfully, my girlfriend doesn’t mind one bit.”

For Columbus Blue Jackets fans, superstitions are part of the game While some fans are just happy to see their annual playoff beard grow past a stubble — and the first round — Zach Bobich is sporting a different type of facial hair this go around, something he’s crediting for his Allison Ward Apr 30, 2019 at 4:22 AM team’s success.

“I decided to trim my beard in early April,” the 29-year-old Pataskala resident said in an email. “I got a bit heavy-handed and ended up going Columbus Blue Jackets fans are a superstitious bunch, whether it's the mustache only. The ‘playoff stache’ has stayed.” mode of transportation they take to the Arena District, the facial hair they grow, the game-day garb they wear or the watching partners they select. And then there’s 24-year-old Bobby Levine. He’ll be wearing Blue Jackets gear tonight, but he’ll also have a Tampa Bay jersey on hand. Mary Waibel had her outfit for tonight's Game 3 against the Boston Bruins picked out long before she knew who the Columbus Blue Jackets The Northwest Columbus resident, whose parents live near Tampa, said were playing in the second round of the Stanley Cup playoffs: Her signed he roots for the Lightning unless they’re playing the Jackets. That being No. 13 Cam Atkinson jersey, Blue Jackets knee highs and favorite game- the case, he started watching Game 1 of the first-round series wearing day jeans. Columbus clothes. When the Jackets went down 3-0 in the first period of that game, however, he put on his Tampa Bay jersey as a joke. She even planned how she'd style her hair (straightened) and what her nails would look like (nude, though she loves painting them). “My buddies gave me crap for it, but when (Jackets forward Nick) Foligno scored in the second (period), they all looked at me and told me to keep After all, it brought the team luck in Game 3 of the first round, when it it on,” Levine said. “When we completed the comeback, they said I had to swept the top-seeded Tampa Bay Lightning, right? Small matter if the wear it the rest of the series. I took it with me to Game 3 and 4 and the jeans are falling apart in a particularly sensitive part. series sweep.” "My mom sewed Blue Jackets fabric in that area," Waibel, a 39-year-old These superstitions might sound crazy to most, Waibel admits, but it’s Heath resident, said with a laugh. "I guess if it rips, you'll just see the the playoffs, and she said she’ll do anything to help her team win. Blue Jackets material." “It’s silly,” Waibel said, “but if it’s what works for us, we do it until we’re If the Blue Jackets win tonight to gain a 2-1 series lead on the Bruins, proven wrong.” you can bet your bottom she’ll be wearing them — ripped crotch or not — to Game 4 on Thursday. Columbus Dispatch LOADED: 04.30.2019 Hockey people are a superstitious bunch, a mentality that heightens come playoff time. And with Columbus’ NHL team in the second round for the first time in its history, fans are, by their own admission, getting a bit nutty.

Whether it’s the mode of transportation they take to the Arena District, the facial hair they grow or the game-day garb they wear, Jackets backers aren’t taking any chances.

“Is it all crazy? Yes. Does it really help the team? Not for a second. But are we going to keep doing this? Bet your mortgage on that,” fan Jeffrey Tangey said about the Blue Jackets rituals that he and his wife, Cari, follow.

That means the season-ticket holders from Hilliard will arrive to the game in her Mazda SUV and park in the same spot in a particular garage if it’s available, Jeffrey Tangey said.

Starting at the beginning of the season, the couple rotates through the jerseys in their closet, changing it up with each loss. Tonight, he said, he’ll wear his Josh Anderson alternate jersey while his wife will wear her navy Zach Werenski jersey with a lucky Blue Jackets shirt underneath.

And for his underwear?

“I won’t wear blue drawers, only gray ones,” the 41-year-old said, explaining that the team seems to fare better this way. “I’ll hold them off to the side in my dresser for game days. It’s weird, but that’s where my head space is during the playoffs.”

It isn’t strange at all if you’re Jim Coleman.

The Olde Towne East resident plans to cycle using CoGo Bike Share to Nationwide Arena for games he attends or for viewing parties; when he watches from home, he’ll take a lap around the arena on one of the bikes before puck drop, he wrote in an email.

“During the playoff push, I attended four home games and was 3-1 when I rode CoGo,” said Coleman, 54, who also biked to Games 3 and 4 against Tampa Bay, both Blue Jackets wins. “My playoff beard has grown very gray over the last three seasons, so I had to find a new superstition.”

Even though Coleman isn’t rocking facial hair, playoffs beards remain plentiful around the area. For longtime season-ticket holder Michael Nef, his beard — just one of his many Jackets superstitions — will not be trimmed until the playoffs are over. 1143416 Columbus Blue Jackets Columbus Dispatch LOADED: 04.30.2019

Blue Jackets | Alexander Wennberg gets another chance

Bill Rabinowitz Apr 29, 2019 at 8:44 PM

Apr 29, 2019 at 8:44 PM

Alexander Wennberg had a tiny bandage on his forehead Monday after Blue Jackets practice.

It wasn’t from anything that happened on the rink.

“No, it’s from something else, but I’ll keep that to myself,” he said with a smile.

That the small cut conceivably could have happened on the ice, especially in a game, is significant. Wennberg played for the first time in 25 days on Saturday in Game 2 of an Eastern Conference semifinal series against the Boston Bruins.

Once viewed as a potential long-term No. 1 center, Wennberg fell out of favor this season because of his lack of offensive production.

Two seasons ago, he had 59 points (13 goals and 46 assists). He slumped to eight goals and 27 assists last season. He bottomed out this season with two goals and 23 assists.

Coach John Tortorella’s patience finally wore out late in the regular season. Wennberg didn’t play after the Blue Jackets’ game April 2 against Boston and was a healthy scratch during the first-round playoff sweep of the Tampa Bay Lightning.

Wennberg can be unselfish offensively to a fault. On Saturday, he made a nice read of a pass for a steal on the penalty kill. But instead of racing for a potential breakaway shot, he slowed and passed back to Cam Atkinson, whose shot was stopped.

>> Read more: Artemi Panarin has at least one point in all six playoff games

But Wennberg did contribute in other ways, particularly with an active stick that helped thwart Boston’s power play.

“Wenny is a smart player,” Tortorella said. “He’s good positionally, has a good stick. (He) had a couple of good sticks the other night.”

As for his offensive struggles, Wennberg is as mystified as anyone. Tortorella declined to comment when asked what buttons he has tried to push.

“No, I’m not going to comment on that right now,” he said.

Asked about his offensive struggles, Wennberg replied, “No, I have no explanation.”

Nor is he dwelling on it.

“Right now, I don’t care about how many points I (had) in the past,” he said. “It’s all about playoff hockey. It doesn’t matter if I score points or someone else does. Right now, we just care about winning the next game.”

Wennberg accompanied the team to Tampa Bay in the first playoff series and did everything he could to stay mentally and physically sharp.

“Of course, you want to play, but there’s no point in going around being sad or weeping about it,” he said. “You’ve just got to man up. This is what it is right now, and when you get your opportunity, be ready. There’s no easy, take small steps (way) to get into it. You get tossed out there and you play as well as you can.”

As to why he gave Wennberg another chance, Tortorella said earlier in the series that he wouldn’t comment on lineup decisions. Wennberg acknowledged that he felt some rust early in Game 2 but quickly settled in.

“It’s not an easy situation, but I think he’s handled himself like a pro and understands now he’s got an opportunity,” captain Nick Foligno said. “So stop worrying about what’s gone on and just come in and help our club, and he’s done that. I thought he played really well last game. I’m thrilled for him.” 1143417 Columbus Blue Jackets “It’s more physical (than the first round),” he said. “It’s different but I try to be focused on our team, not about Boston.”

Forwards Riley Nash, who took a major hit early in Game 2 but would Blue Jackets | Artemi Panarin has at least one point in all six playoff return, and Josh Anderson sat out practice for Tortorella said was games “maintenance.”

Dubi’s big day

Adam Jardy In a subtle way, Brandon Dubinsky used some family ties to add a little Apr 29, 2019 at 5:28 PM fuel to the fire for the series.

Apr 29, 2019 at 5:28 PM His wife, Brenna McGuire, is the granddaughter of the late Al McGuire, who was a legendary coach at Marquette in Milwaukee. During the season, Dubinsky said, they went to visit family in the region, where he procured a Milwaukee Bucks hat that he donned for interviews TD Garden in Boston shares its main floor between ice for the Bruins and Monday. hardwood for the NBA’s Celtics. It was a fitting setting for the latest additions to the highlight reel that has been Artemi Panarin this The Bucks are playing a second-round series in the NBA playoffs against postseason for the Blue Jackets. the Boston Celtics.

With two goals and an assist, Panarin has now notched at least one point “I went to a Milwaukee game,” he said when asked about his attire. “I’ve in all six playoff games this year, a Blue Jackets record. Two days got family from there and I picked up the hat.” removed from the game, NHL veteran Matt Duchene said Panarin — who does not do interviews in English — said the forward looks uniquely Monday was also Dubinsky’s 27th birthday, an occasion he said he plans adept at another sport. to mostly ignore as the Jackets prepared for Game 3.

“He’s almost like a basketball player,” Duchene said of Panarin. “He “No party tonight,” he said. “There’s a lot of cash in this locker room so comes over the blue line and kind of posts up like a point guard. His hopefully they can pool some together and buy me something real nice.” passing ability is outstanding. Obviously, his shooting ability was on Dispatch reporter Bill Rabinowitz contributed to this report. display last game, but he’s a guy that has a lot of weapons for sure.” Columbus Dispatch LOADED: 04.30.2019 Panarin’s second goal in particular was a topic of conversation, coming from a seemingly impossible angle inside the right faceoff circle that still beat Bruins goaltender Tuukka Rask over his left shoulder and into the far corner of the net.

His teammates were wondering why defenseman Seth Jones passed Panarin the puck in that situation, right up until he scored.

“After the game we talked about Jonesy, why didn’t he shoot that?” forward Pierre-Luc Dubois said. “Then he passed it to Bread and Bread scores that. I guess it’s never a bad play when you pass it to him. He can do stuff like that when he has the puck.”

Said Jones: “If I had it to do (again) I probably would shoot it, knowing he wasn’t going to have a (good-angle) shot. He’s a special player. I probably should have been a little more aggressive with the puck. I’m just making reads out there. I’m not going to look back and say I should have done this or that.”

As for his winning goal, which came off of a rebound created by a Panarin blast, Duchene said he’ll revisit it in the offseason.

“I’ll look back at it as a pretty good memory,” he said. “It was almost relief for everyone when it went in. I’d have felt the same way no matter who scored. For right now, it’s just another goal that helped us move forward.”

Texier sits

When John Tortorella decided to switch his lineup for Game 2 and reinsert Alexander Wennberg, he made the decision to scratch four-year NHL veteran Ryan Dzingel and keep 19-year-old rookie Alexandre Texier in the lineup.

Then, as the game went on, Tortorella though he couldn’t play the youngster, so he didn’t. Texier finished with just 10:01 of playing time and sat for the final 35 minutes, and Tortorella didn’t offer much in the way of explanation.

“I wanted to do something different with the lines,” he said.

On Monday, Texier was on the ice for practice as if nothing had happened. Afterward, he was asked how he would respond after sitting for so long.

“Nothing,” he said. “I just don’t want to think about this and focus on the team. I have nothing to say about this.”

The Bruins seemed to make a targeted effort to be physical with Texier, who was playing in just his eighth NHL game. A scuffle at the end of the first period where two Boston players converged on him in the corner resulted in a power play opportunity the Jackets cashed in on to open the second period. 1143418 Columbus Blue Jackets

Columbus Blue Jackets: There's no place like Nationwide Arena

Adam Jardy Apr 29, 2019 at 2:11 PM

Apr 29, 2019 at 2:11 PM

Tuesday, Nationwide Arena will open its doors for the second round of the postseason with the Blue Jackets and Boston Bruins tied at one.

Eight banners remain at the northern end of Nationwide Arena, arranged to recognize the four ongoing series in the Stanley Cup playoffs. Stretching along the ice are grayish T-shirts spattered with strategic groupings of blue ones to spell out the message “IT’S TIME.”

On those shirts, a reminder: “First round victory is not the goal.”

Tuesday, Nationwide Arena will open its doors for the second round of the postseason with the Blue Jackets and Boston Bruins tied at one. Forward Brandon Dubinsky, who promised NBC-4 after Game 2 in Boston that it would be louder in Columbus, is looking forward to it.

“It’s going to be awesome,” Dubinsky said. “These fans have been so good to us over the years. They’ve cheered us on through some of our failures even, and now that we’re giving them a little bit of success – obviously we’ve got a long, long way to go, so I don’t want to get too ahead of myself – but it’s going to be exciting for these guys to see another round here in the playoffs and some more home games.

“It’s exciting for them and obviously it’s going to be a lot of fun for us.”

>> Cannon Fodder meet and greet: Come talk to the team covering the Columbus Blue Jackets

The Jackets took the main ice for practice Monday missing a pair of regulars. Forward Josh Anderson and Riley Nash, the latter of whom took a nasty first-period hit Saturday night in Game 2 but returned to play, were both absent for what coach John Tortorella called “maintenance.” On the ice were Alexandre Texier, who played in Game 2 but did not see the ice for the final 30-plus minutes, and forwards Alexander Wennberg and Ryan Dzingel. In Game 2, Wennberg replaced a healthy Dzingel in the lineup.

Dubinsky, who plays on Nash’s line, said he expects the veteran to be on the ice Tuesday night.

“It’s tough,” he said. “Guys are a little nicked up here and I’m sure they are over there too. It’s been a physical series, but that’s what playoff hockey’s all about. It’s been fun to be a part of, especially against a good team like Boston.”

Otherwise, players spoke of taking care of their bodies and finding ways to manage having played beyond regulation in each of the first two games of the series. Forward Oliver Bjorkstrand said that as Saturday night’s game stretched into double overtime, players individually did the stretching or in-game maintenance that each needed to stay sharp.

Then when it was game time, as the clock stretched past midnight, Tortorella was pretty direct.

“You can’t be tired,” he said. “Overtime, you can’t be. You’ve got to figured it out, especially in that first one when it’s a long change and you’re going through it. In general terms, you can’t be tired. You have to figure out how to play. I think that’s what determines winning and losing. That brings a player to another level, just figuring out that you can’t be tired.”

Columbus Dispatch LOADED: 04.30.2019 1143419 Columbus Blue Jackets 6. One more thing: Don't let the name fool you; Boston’s Pizza Restaurant & Sports Bar (191 W. Nationwide Blvd.) will welcome Jackets fans. Those conflicted about eating at a place whose name bears the city These tips can help Blue Jackets fans navigate the Arena District during of the Blue Jackets’ opponent need not worry. The chain covered the B home games with an "X," similar to the way Ohio State Buckeyes fans cover every letter M when it comes time to face that team up north. And according to the company's website, the company is based in Dallas; the closest Boston’s to Boston is in Washington, D.C., more than 400 miles away. Eric Lagatta Apr 29, 2019 at 12:01 AM Columbus Dispatch LOADED: 04.30.2019 Apr 29, 2019 at 10:45 AM

With the Blue Jackets back home at Nationwide Arena for Games 3 and 4 on Tuesday and Thursday, here are some tips on how best to enjoy an outing to the Arena District.

Let’s face it — only the most diehard fans (or those with clairvoyant powers) really expected to see Columbus Blue Jackets hockey this late in April.

And doubters would be forgiven, partly because the Blue Jackets have never actually played hockey this late in April. Plus, the Jackets were massive underdogs in their first-round matchup against the Tampa Bay Lightning.

After completing an improbable sweep — the franchise’s first NHL playoff-series victory in 18 seasons — the Jackets have given their fans at least one more series to enjoy, this time against the Boston Bruins. With the team back home at Nationwide Arena for Games 3 and 4 on Tuesday and Thursday, here are some tips on how best to enjoy an outing to the Arena District.

>> Read more: An A-to-Z primer on the National Hockey League and Columbus Blue Jackets

1. Best places to park: Plenty of parking garages and surface lots surround Nationwide Arena. For more information, visit www.arenadistrictparking.com. But to avoid the hefty bump in game-time parking prices, the savvy traveler may consider public transportation. The Central Ohio Transit Authority has several $2 lines — 1, 2, 2L, 5, 6, 8, 10 and CMAX — to get fans to Nationwide Arena and back home afterward. For those parking their cars away from the arena, CBUS — the free circulator covering the Arena District, Short North, Brewery District, Downtown and German Village — has extended hours through midnight during home playoff games. Visit www.cota.com or download the Transit app to plan your trip.

2. Best happy hours: Thirsty folks looking for a cold-and-frosty before the game might consider local taprooms serving up their craft brews. Between 3 and 7 p.m. on game days, all drafts at Wolf’s Ridge Brewing (215 N. 4th St.) are $2 off. Another special offered by the taproom allows guests to enjoy one happy-hour draft and a specified meal for $12. The happy hour at Elevator Brewery and Draught Haus (161 N. High St.) features $2 off draft beer, mixed drinks and all appetizers from 3 to 6 p.m. Prefer wine? The taproom offers happy-hour glasses of both red and white for $3. At Barley's Brewing Company (467 N. High St.), guests can enjoy $4 pints from 3 to 7 p.m. The happy hour also includes a separate appetizer menu that features the famous sauerkraut balls, buffalo chicken dip, shrimp skewers and truffle fries. Tuesday night features $8 burgers from 3 to 11 p.m.

3. Best after-party: There's just no denying it: The R Bar is the definitive Columbus Blue Jackets bar. After all, it bills itself as “the best place to watch hockey in Columbus.” Located at 413 N. Front St., just northeast of the arena, there are few better places for fans to celebrate a win or mourn a defeat. Be warned: the place fills up quickly on game days.

4. Best places to get gear: If you are going to the game, you have to dress the part. For Blue Jackets apparel, Homage, Fox Sports Ohio Blue Line at the Mall at Tuttle Crossing and Lamp Apparel all have you covered. Literally. And here’s a pro tip: Beat the lines at the merchandise stands in Nationwide by ordering gear online (www.thebluelineonline.com) and picking it up at the arena. Since it's already paid for, just head straight to the counter.

5. Best viewing party for those without tickets: You don’t need tickets to enjoy a playoff atmosphere in the Arena District. Plaza Party events at the arena begin three hours before the puck drops and include beer trucks, food, live music, games and roaming entertainers. Once the game starts, you and your hundreds of new friends don't have to leave to watch it — two giant screens will broadcast the action. 1143420 Columbus Blue Jackets when we came in after the first overtime and it was 11:55 and it’s a long day, it’s a long game, and it’s relief.

"Thank God we stole one here on the road. That’s the goal when you Blue Jackets | Condition of ice in Boston causes problems come into an opposing building.”

Columbus Dispatch LOADED: 04.30.2019 Adam Jardy

Apr 29, 2019 at 6:54 AM

Apr 29, 2019 at 6:54 AM

BOSTON — It was impossible to watch Game 2 progress Saturday night without noticing the deteriorating condition of the ice at TD Garden.

After being criticized by Toronto players during the Bruins’ opening-round playoff series, the conditions were little-improved for the first two games of the second round as both stretched beyond regulation. According to Jackets forward Matt Duchene, who scored the winning goal in double overtime in Game 2, the ice presented more challenges as the game neared the end of regulation.

“It was tough,” he said. “It got worse as it went on. It’s been pretty good through about 50 minutes of the game. The last 10 minutes of the last two games it’s gotten tough, and overtime you saw some weird bounces. I had one where I’m carrying the puck out of the D-zone and all of a sudden it goes right between my feet and they almost get a (scoring) chance. So you’ve got to be really careful late in the game.”

Players often struggled to stay on their feet, and simple passes or opportunities to carry the puck became anything but routine. At no point was that more obvious than roughly six minutes into overtime, when Boston’s Matt Grzelcyk lofted the puck into the Jackets’ zone from deep in his own end. It appeared headed for the left faceoff circle, which is how goaltender Sergei Bobrovsky started to approach it, only to see it hit a rut and abruptly change course.

Bobrovsky’s eyes went wide. It could’ve been the game, but he lunged back to his left to the bouncing puck on the mouth of the goal.

“It was a crazy bounce, definitely,” he said. “It’s crazy, but it’s part of the game. You have to stay focused, and you never know what’s going to happen. You just look at the puck, focus on the puck and it goes the other direction. You can’t read those, but I was fortunate to be able to reach and get it."

Robbed

Both teams had multiple opportunities to break the 2-2 tie, only to be turned away by the opposing . As dangerous a chance as any was one that came from Jackets forward Nick Foligno just a few moments into overtime.

Charging in along the left wing, Foligno got around Zdeno Chara, cut across the goalmouth and had an open net in view when he attempted to flip a backhanded shot past Bruins goaltender Tuukka Rask. Although he had committed his body going to his right, Rask was able to get his left hand up and glove the shot to keep overtime going.

“Oh man, that (ticked) me off,” Foligno said of the play. “I thought I had him beat. I just saw his glove come over last second and I couldn’t believe he made that save, but that’s kudos to him. I’ll make sure I tuck it upstairs a little bit more (next time).”

Winner

As the game progressed, Duchene said it felt like he was wearing “puck repellent” while continually chasing the play without finding any payoff on the scoresheet.

That changed in a big way with what he described as the biggest goal of his career, the double-overtime winner when he pounded home a rebound of an Artemi Panarin one-timer. After the puck deflected off Rask, Duchene had the presence of mind to kick it back to his stick before shoveling it into the net.

What happened next was a bit of a blur.

“I fell to my knees,” he said. “I didn’t know what to do. I wasn’t trying to slide and be Theo Fleury or anything. I just didn’t know what to do. I was so excited. I was like, ‘Oh my God.’ You’re tired. I looked at the clock 1143421 Columbus Blue Jackets among goalies in the playoffs with a 2.01 goals-against average and third with a .930 save percentage.

In the first two games of this series alone, he has made point-blank stops Blue Jackets | Sergei Bobrovsky answering his critics with strong playoff against Brad Marchand, Patrice Bergeron, David Pastrnak and others — run even scooping one off a dump-in that took a terrible hop and could’ve won it for Boston in the first overtime.

Brian Hedger Bobrovsky had denied multiple times that he’s out to prove anybody wrong, but his litany of huge saves says otherwise. The Jackets coach Apr 29, 2019 at 6:21 AM does, too.

Apr 29, 2019 at 6:29 AM “I don’t want to speak for him, but from a coach’s point of view, I think he’s (ticked) off,” Tortorella said. “I think he’s (ticked) off at some of the

thoughts about his play in playoffs (past), and people have a right to talk The visiting locker room at Amalie Arena was a library, filled with stunned about it.” hockey players trying to make sense of what had just happened to them. Not if this keeps up. It was the first intermission of the 2019 Stanley Cup playoffs for the Blue Columbus Dispatch LOADED: 04.30.2019 Jackets, who already trailed the Tampa Bay Lightning 3-0. It looked like another trip to Blowout City for the Jackets, who’d gone 0-3 against Tampa Bay in the regular season by a combined score of 17-3 — including 12 goals allowed by goaltender Sergei Bobrovsky.

“It was very quiet,” said center Matt Duchene, thinking back to the shaky start to the postseason. “I know it crossed some guys’ minds like, ‘Oh my God, what’s happening?’ But you counter that voice by saying, ‘It’s a long series. Let’s do what we can in the last 40 minutes. If we lose this one, we’ve still got Game 2, and if we take that on the road, we’re doing OK.' "

There were no rah-rah speeches (other than coach John Tortorella’s pregame pep talk), no shouting matches, and nobody got in anybody else’s face.

They just sat there. Thinking. Stewing. Preparing.

Sitting at his locker stall, Bobrovsky did the same. Outside that locker room in Tampa, his critics already had him on a spit roast.

Did you see how nervous he looked? Did you see his legs actually shaking? The Lightning is going to blow this team out again.

Inside the room, Bobrovsky gathered himself.

The Blue Jackets’ two-time winner of the Vezina Trophy as the NHL’s best goalie blocked out any demons of past playoff struggles. If his mind had come with a reset button, he'd already located it, held it down for the required amount of time and rebooted everything.

“It was the same for me too,” Bobrovsky said of the Jackets’ locker room calmness that night. “I take a deep breath. I tell myself, ‘We still have two more periods to play,’ and just, ‘One shift at a time. Just focus on the next shot, and that’s it.’ Go from there.”

That next shot was taken early in the second period by Lightning star forward Nikita Kucherov, who received a pass from Steven Stamkos right in front of Bobrovsky during a 2-on-0 situation on a power play.

Kucherov tried to one-time it and didn’t get all of the puck. No matter, because Bobrovsky was already scooting over — tracking the puck and then stopping it with his left pad and glove.

“Those saves, at the moment, they give you a little bit boost of energy, boost of confidence for sure,” Bobrovsky said.

In this case, that one appears to have sparked a monster inside Bobrovsky that had long been speculated about.

"Imagine if Bob ever plays in the playoffs the way he does in the regular season," the theory goes. “Hot goalies in the playoffs can carry a team to the Stanley Cup. But will Bob ever get hot enough?”

We are starting to see the answer, finally, and it looks just as you’d imagine it might from a guy who has pulled off some of the craziest saves you’ll ever see. Bobrovsky has been excellent in each of the Jackets’ first two games of a tightly contested second-round series against the Boston Bruins — and he’s showing no signs of slumping.

Unlike years past, when a goal or two triggered a bad stretch, Bobrovsky has already bounced back. It started with the solitude of that locker room in Tampa and has rolled right on through to the second round.

The number of difficult saves he made at key times in the Jackets’ 3-2 double-overtime win Saturday night outnumbered fingers — and thumbs — on both hands. Through six postseason games, Bobrovsky is second 1143422 Columbus Blue Jackets

Blue Jackets | Power play emerges in playoffs

Adam Jardy Apr 30, 2019 at 5:30 AM

When the regular season came to a close, the Blue Jackets' power play was anything but. A team that finished 12th in the NHL in goals scored languished near the bottom of the league with a man advantage, converting those opportunities at only at 15.4% clip.

That was fourth worst in the league and third worst among teams to qualify for the postseason. Then the playoffs happened, and a switch seemingly flipped.

Entering Game 3 of an Eastern Conference semifinal series Tuesday night against the Boston Bruins at Nationwide Arena, the Jackets bring the best power-play percentage of the postseason: 38.9 percent. Of their 20 goals scored without the benefit of an empty net, seven have come on the power play.

So what gives? It depends on whom you ask.

“I think it’s confidence,” said forward Oliver Bjorkstrand, who has one postseason power-play goal. “Once you get the first one you just build off of it, and that’s what we’ve been doing. That’s obviously adjustments, but it all starts from your own confidence and how well you move the puck and get pucks on net.”

Acquired at the trade deadline from the Ottawa Senators, forward Matt Duchene has two postseason power-play goals. The biggest came Saturday in double overtime, giving the Jackets a 3-2 win and a split of two games at TD Garden.

When he joined the team, though, things were a work in progress.

“We had other stuff that worked in fits and starts, but some guys were in positions where they weren’t comfortable, and I think now everyone’s kind of in a spot where everyone feels comfortable,” he said. “I think that’s the most important thing. The coaching staff’s done a good job identifying that.”

Coach John Tortorella downplayed the notion of any dramatic changes to the way the team has tried to play with the man advantage. But multiple players credited the work of assistant coach Brad Larsen for building game plans tailored to their postseason opponents.

“You never know with your power play,” Tortorella said. “This isn’t a science. We don’t change it up. We’re just trying to play the way we can play. Not a lot has changed in our power play. We’ve got some shots through. Made some plays when maybe they didn’t get their sticks on it at certain times when other teams did.

“They may (Tuesday) night get some sticks on them.”

Whether that happens, the taste of success has had an impact. Defenseman Seth Jones scored the winning goal in Game 1 of a first- round series against the Tampa Bay Lightning on the power play, the first of four winning goals the Jackets have gotten with the man advantage. Zach Werenski did the same in Game 2 and Bjorkstrand in Game 3.

The only game the Jackets have lost this postseason, Game 1 against Boston, was the only game without a power-play goal. They were 0 for 4.

“The power play wasn’t really where we wanted it to be in the regular season, but it doesn’t really matter come playoff time if you can turn the switch like that,” forward Pierre-Luc Dubois said. “I think both units have been doing a really good job.”

Columbus Dispatch LOADED: 04.30.2019 1143423 Columbus Blue Jackets Greater Columbus Sports Commission. “We used to have to call people. Now, people call us.”

It’s harvest time. Michael Arace | Columbus is hardly a one-sport city anymore Columbus Dispatch LOADED: 04.30.2019

Michael Arace

Apr 30, 2019 at 5:30 AM

I’m in a little watering hole about a 5-iron away from the front door of the new Boston Garden the other night and somebody asks me where I’m from, and I say Columbus, and he says, “Columbus, where?”

I say, “Columbus, Ohio, which not only has more people than Cleveland and Cincinnati combined, it has more than nearly triple the population of all the other 18 Columbuses in the United States. Combined.”

No. I didn’t say that. I said, “Georgia. Big hockey town.”

Many of the 2 million corn farmers who live in central Ohio — including the 887,000 agrarians within the 218 square miles of Columbus city limits — are surprised that we still have a perception problem. Among the most nagging is sports-related: Columbus is composed of Ohio Stadium plus tailgates.

There was a time when there was a kernel of truth to this. No more.

“We’re on parallel paths — Ohio State and the city and its sports teams,” said Jim Smith, the president and CEO of the OSU Alumni Association.

(The term “parallel paths” is banned to anyone other than Jim Smith, by the way. Ask a Crew fan).

Smith is a former Crew general manager. He went on to work for Arthur Blank in Atlanta, where he was a Falcons executive and helped get a stadium built. He returned home to serve his alma mater — and was instrumental in the maneuvering that helped Save the Crew last year.

“There was a solid, stable, successful franchise called Ohio State, but it arguably was a detriment to the city’s potential,” Smith said. “There was a time when it overpowered the city’s potential. Now, the city is emerging and matching Ohio State’s dominance. The (pro) sports teams are gathering energy. You see it with the Blue Jackets’ success this year and you saw it with the (Save the Crew) movement last year. All of them are now components to Columbus’ vibrancy.”

Dr. Pete Edwards, the cover-story subject of an upcoming issue of OSU’s alumni magazine, is an old friend of Smith’s. Dr. Pete’s family threw in with the Haslams to buy the Crew and rescue Major League Soccer from the height of its stupidity. Which is saying something.

Dr. Pete said the Blue Jackets — who swept the mighty, 62-victory Tampa Bay Lightning from the first round of the Stanley Cup playoffs — are a bigger deal right now than OSU-Michigan. Blasphemy!

“Oh, they are, aren’t they?” Dr. Pete said. “I mean, the Michigan game is a week and the Blue Jackets have pushed into the second round and they’re still gathering steam.

“Look, I’m a guy who’s lived here my whole life and took three degrees from Ohio State. At the end of the day, Ohio State is a very, very good corporate citizen. We’re all on the same team, trying to make the city better and trying to make each other better.”

Dr. Pete has been working with Ohio State athletic director Gene Smith on a number of initiatives to form stronger bonds between the Crew and the great state university. The Jackets — whose president and alternate governor, Mike Priest, is an OSU alumnus — often work with the Buckeyes. Nationwide Arena and Value City Arena are managed under the same corporate umbrella.

On April 13, more than 61,000 fans watched the dadgum spring game at Ohio Stadium. That is Columbus.

On March 2, there were 18,000-plus at a Jackets-Oilers game, nearly 18,000 at a Crew-Red Bulls game, 9,000-plus at Ohio State men’s and women’s hockey games and another 60,000-plus were drawn to Downtown venues to compete in and/or watch Arnold Classic events. On a Saturday in winter. That, too, is Columbus.

“People used to say we were punching above our weight, but now we’re in a whole different weight class,” said Linda Logan, who runs the 1143424 Columbus Blue Jackets But now Nash has retired and is finding a fit with the Blue Jackets’ front office, so Kuraly is on a bit of an island.

“I don’t think anybody is going to throw eggs at him if he has a good ‘Away-from-the-rink friends’: Sean Kuraly expects a hostile homecoming game,” Rick Kuraly said. “But just don’t score the game-winning goal in for Game 3 overtime.”

Kuraly has become an important player for the Bruins, despite playing By Aaron Portzline Apr 29, 2019 mostly a fourth-line role. He’s an excellent penalty killer, a combative forechecker and a heart-and-soul player on a veteran Boston roster.

He drew a double-minor high-sticking penalty against Blue Jackets BOSTON — It started from the opening faceoff in this second-round forward Josh Anderson during a pivotal stretch of Game 2 on Saturday, series, when Blue Jackets center Boone Jenner and Boston’s Sean which led to a stream of blood running down his left cheek from just Kuraly traded cross-checks just after the puck was dropped. below his eye.

It continued a few minutes later when Jackets defenseman Scott It was quintessential Kuraly, for those who know him best. And the way Harrington stuck out his left knee as he crossed paths with Kuraly, this series has started — it’s been very physical — is just to his liking. sending Harrington to the penalty box for tripping and sending Kuraly to the ice with the kind of hit that would have sparked a line brawl 15 years EMRICH & MILBURY WERE MAKING THE OBSERVATION ABOUT ago. HOW KURALY LOOKED LIKE BOBBY CLARKE, AND EMRICH SAID “YOUR OLD FRIEND”. Early in Game 2, Blue Jackets captain Nick Foligno buried Kuraly with a heavy hit in the corner, a blast that staggered Kuraly before he slowly MILBURY MADE IT CLEAR THAT CLARKIE WAS/IS NOT A FRIEND. skated to the Bruins’ bench. Kuraly returned fire later in the game, PIC.TWITTER.COM/ZNQMW9OSCH Foligno said, with a couple of well-disguised punches when they were — DAVID STREHLE (@DSTREHLETFP) APRIL 28, 2019 tangled. “It’s gonna be heavy,” Kuraly said. “They fight. They’re tough. They just You’d never guess that Kuraly, from the Columbus suburb of Dublin, beat the best team in the NHL (Tampa Bay) four games in a row. We counts all three Blue Jackets players among his friends, but that think they’re the hottest team in the NHL. description probably requires some additional adjectives at this point. “They’re not going away, we know that. It’s going to get harder every “Offseason friends,” Kuraly said, with a smile. “Away-from-the-rink single game.” friends.” The series is going at least five games, but most expect it to be a knock- Columbus has celebrated several benchmarks in its growth as a hockey down, drag-out to the bitter end. Jenner’s cross-checks, Harrington’s market — the first player drafted (Trent Vogelhuber), the first player knee, Foligno’s hits … who knows what else is coming? taken in the first round (Connor Murphy), the first player to make his debut in Columbus (Jack Roslovic), the first player to sign a contract with “I will run into them this summer,” Kuraly said. “It’ll be like anything else. the hometown Blue Jackets (Kole Sherwood), etc. I’ve played against Murphy and (Roslovic). It’s the way it goes. I think we all expect each other to play hard. This benchmark, one of the local players facing his hometown team in the Stanley Cup playoffs for the first time, is the only one that’s been “I respect every guy I know on Columbus. No one’s looking for any awkward. friends or buddies out there. Just play the game hard and clean. I have respect for anyone who plays the game hard.” “It’s one of those moments everybody thinks is so cool,” said Ed Gingher, who runs the AAA Ohio Blue Jackets program that has developed Kuraly The Athletic LOADED: 04.30.2019 and the others. “But then you peel one layer back and it’s … you’re cringing to a certain extent because you know if (Kuraly) does well what that could mean.

“I can’t root against him. I can’t. But I’ve told him I hope he has a hell of a series, I hope he plays great. But there’s so much excitement in Columbus for the Blue Jackets right now, and I sure want to see that continue.”

Kuraly says he’s been inundated with similar messages, via text and social media, since the Bruins won a Game 7 versus Toronto, setting up the second-round showdown with the Blue Jackets.

“I thought I might swing a couple more people over to the Bruins,” he said with a laugh. “My family are die-hards, going with the Bruins, obviously. But I have some friends who I thought would be a little more on my side than they are.

“Of course I get it, right? Columbus sticks together. I get it.”

Kuraly moved with his family from Toronto in 1996 when he was only 3 years old. The Blue Jackets were still four years away from taking the ice as an expansion club.

Kuraly’s father, Rick, is still the all-time leading scorer at Miami U. (101 goals), so Sean was raised in a hockey-crazy family and was a big fan by the time he was 7 years old.

“I was a die-hard Blue Jackets fan, but when they didn’t make the playoffs, I would root for the Leafs,” Kuraly said. “Mats Sundin, Alex Mogilny, Tomas Kaberle, Curtis Joseph … I loved those guys.

“Sundin was the first sweater I owned, and then I got a Rick Nash sweater.”

Kuraly played with Nash briefly last season in Boston after Nash was traded to the Bruins in a trade deadline deal with the New York Rangers. 1143425 Columbus Blue Jackets On Thursday, Cleveland knocked off Tampa Bay’s Syracuse Crunch in four games to take the best-of-five series. The Monsters move on to play the Toronto Marlies in a best-of-seven AHL North division semifinal this So close, so far: Columbus’ AHL players watch postseason success from week. Cleveland Letestu is one of the team leaders in Cleveland, second to Dalpe during the regular season in scoring and with a goal and three points in four postseason games. By George Richards Apr 29, 2019 The Monsters have their sights set on winning the Calder Cup, the league championship the team won just three years ago.

CLEVELAND — On the day Mark Letestu was cut by the Florida The energy from the big club might just be rubbing off on the Monsters. Panthers during training camp, he at least knew there was a fallback plan. “It is fantastic. Any time you can get two teams in the playoffs, they are happy and we are happy,’’ Cleveland coach John Madden said. “To It was a Monday morning in September when Dale Tallon pulled Letestu watch them play the way they played, the energy and the resolve to their into the office and told him he would not make the Panthers, his game … it is fun to watch, it is fun for our guys because you can take professional tryout terminated. something from it and learn from it. Enjoy the experience.’’

By that afternoon, Letestu was on a northbound flight headed back to Yet, it would seem only natural for Letestu and his fellow Cleveland Blue Columbus. He and his wife had built a house in the northern suburb of Jackets to look at what is going on in Columbus with a twinge of jealousy, Powell, and Letestu’s three young children were waiting for dad to come perhaps. Only there does not appear to be any animosity at all. home. Letestu says he is focused on winning in Cleveland all while he watches “A silver lining to a shit sandwich of a day,” Letestu told The Athletic that his boys in Columbus do the same on his television. afternoon while waiting to board his plane at the Fort Lauderdale airport. “I mean, I sleep well at night,” Letestu said last Tuesday night after Letestu had a handshake agreement to return to the Blue Jackets Syracuse forced a fourth game in that series with a 2-1 win at Rocket organization, where he ended last season, if things with the Panthers did Mortgage Fieldhouse. Cleveland won 3-0 on Thursday to end it. not pan out. “Do I wish I was there helping in Columbus? Certainly. Anyone who is The deal was for Letestu to play in Cleveland for the Jackets’ AHL team, competitive and has played would want to be a part of something like and it would allow him to live with his family in Powell (when the that. To see them now, getting that success, to see what management Monsters were in town) and make the two-hour commute on Interstate 71 put into it, putting all the cards out there. to Cleveland. “Yeah, I wish I was a part of it. I’m not. But I’m just happy to kind of be Around this time last year, Letestu was part of a Columbus team that part of it. Who knows? A couple of injuries and I might be back in it. I’m took a 2-0 lead in its opening-round playoff series against the Capitals, still part of the organization distantly, but not that far away, either.” only to lose the next four. Three years ago, the Monsters won the Calder Cup by sweeping Hersey This spring, the Jackets stunned the hockey world by sweeping Tampa thanks to a goal from Oliver Bjorkstrand with 1.9 seconds left in overtime Bay, the NHL’s best team, in the Eastern Conference quarterfinals before of Game 4. splitting the first two games at Boston in the East semifinals. Game 3 of the best-of-seven series is Tuesday at Nationwide Arena. A number of those Cleveland players who had a hand in the championship — including Josh Anderson, Zach Werenski, Dean Kukan There are a number of players on the Cleveland Monsters who were part and Bjorkstrand — are in Columbus now helping the Jackets in their of the Jackets this season, such as Zac Dalpe, Sonny Milano, Kevin postseason run. Stenlund and Kole Sherwood. “This is just part of the process. There is a lot of the Calder Cup team up Letestu, who played in two games for the Jackets this season, lives so in Columbus now and they are part of the success there,” Letestu said. close to what is going on in Columbus that he can see and feel the “This is part of the lifeblood of a franchise. Winning to get into the excitement the NHL club has brought to town. playoffs are valuable lessons for when some of these younger guys move on.” “I am awfully proud of what they’ve done for the city,” Letestu said last week. “And I have a lot of close relationships with guys on that team, that Winning on the minor-league level has helped build a winning culture locker room, and I know what they put into it. To see what they’ve done, throughout the organization. the reaction, I mean … they had over 5,000 fans show up for the blue- and-white game. You can tell what it means, and I know it means a lot for Bill Zito, who serves as Cleveland’s general manager in his role as those guys in the room so I’m as proud of those guys as anything. assistant GM under Jarmo Kekalainen, said in the salary-cap era of the NHL, grooming your own talent is key. The Jackets are proof of that. “I would really like to see them go deep because the national attention like Nashville got … going to playoffs, the finals. All of a sudden, it’s a “If you want to have success, you have a feeder system and produce great hockey town. It’s amazing. I think Columbus has been kind of a your own players,” Zito said. “You have to have those players not only hidden gem, you know, and now people are starting to see the support. I exist but contribute. Look across any teams who have success at the remember going on a couple of runs, just getting in, and what it meant to NHL level, and that roster is going to be populated with guys who came everybody.” up and actually played in the minors for a while.’’

Blue Jackets fever has also spread to Cleveland. Fans were spotted As Zito and others point out, being in Cleveland today does not mean a walking around downtown in Blue Jackets gear, and Dalpe, who went to player will not be in Columbus tomorrow. Ohio State and has been with the organization since 2017, said he is Injuries happen, especially in the playoffs, and the Blue Jackets front happy to see it. office is comfortable going to Cleveland if help is needed. Coach John “I was at Ohio State 10 years ago, and I have seen a huge difference,” Tortorella gets daily reports and knows who is playing well for the he said. “The other day, I was shopping at a toy store in Westlake and Monsters. the lady said ‘how ’bout them Blue Jackets?’ I mean, I don’t think anyone “I know they are literally one slap shot away from getting the call,” Zito would have said that 10 years ago. Ohio deserves more playoff hockey, said. “It is a testament to our guys that they continue to drive, continue to and that is what they are getting.” play, keep playing hard. These guys know Torts is a coach who plays the Now 34, Letestu knows there are only so many chances a player gets to best guys. If you’re playing the best, you are in. The best players play. being part of a champion, how only a few get the opportunity to lift the Our guys take great pride in what they are doing.” Stanley Cup over their heads. Of the players who played for the Jackets this season, only Dalpe has And, yes, the Monsters are in a playoff run of their own. had a taste of the Stanley Cup playoffs. So far, anyway. The leading scorer on the Monsters this season and second in the AHL then going up to end the year. I came here to show some younger guys with 33 goals despite playing in only 55 games because of an injury, what it’s like to be a pro and how to approach things, and it has gone well Dalpe was called up by the big club for Game 4 of the Lightning series. this year.’’

Dalpe warmed up before the game but did not play and went back to Zito said being able to bring Letestu back to the organization was Cleveland in time for the opening-round playoff series against the important because of his competitive fire and desire to win. Crunch. “He wants his experience here to be as good as it can be,” Zito said. “He “Zac is a guy who is relevant,” Zito said. gets it, he wants to win. This was not a small move. He has been a significant addition to our team.” Last season, Milano — one of four current members of the Monsters who were part of the 2016 team — spent most of the year with the Jackets Family man and was on the postseason roster against the Capitals. His six points lead the Monsters this postseason. Although Letestu has enjoyed this season playing in Cleveland while being allowed to live at home with his family, he still feels he can play in “It was pretty cool. I thought I had been in some loud buildings in my the NHL. career, but Columbus for Game 4 took the cake,” Dalpe said. “It is so cool what they are doing. The Jackets are doing great things up there, Letestu spent parts of four seasons with the Blue Jackets before leaving and hopefully, we keep doing that here. for Edmonton as a free agent in 2015.

“Guys who have gone up have done a great job stepping in. The goal is Last year, he was brought back in a deadline deal with the Oilers but was to make it to the NHL, and when you see guys have an impact, it just not re-signed. With the Panthers knowing Jamie McGinn would miss motivates and makes you believe you can do the same when the call substantial time in their bottom six because of back surgery, Letestu was comes.” offered a chance to make the team.

After making the Jackets out of training camp, defenseman Adam His time in Florida did not last very long. Tallon and the Panthers decided Clendening played in four games before becoming a scratch and they wanted to give their younger players a chance and gave Letestu the eventually being sent to Cleveland, where he played 45 games this opportunity to catch on somewhere else. season. A few weeks after cutting him, Derek MacKenzie — the former Blue An injury to Markus Nutivaara put him in the playoff lineup. Clendening Jackets center who is close friends with Letestu — was lost for the year made his NHL postseason debut in Game 3 against the Lightning. He with a shoulder injury on his second shift in the season opener. hasn’t left the lineup since and played in his fourth playoff game Saturday The Panthers called up rookie Juho Lammikko to center their fourth line, in Boston. but had Letestu been there, that job likely would have gone to him.

“This has been great, and I have been keeping tabs on what they’re “I texted Mac right away and I felt bad for him,” Letestu said. “You know doing in Cleveland as well,” Clendening said. “It is not a surprise they are what? He apologized, right away. But the truth was I didn’t do enough in winning — we have a good team there. Obviously to be ready for the call training camp to make them keep me around. is why you play down there. You have to be ready when you get the chance.” “It kind of worked out. My family is really happy where they are, the kids are putting down roots and now that I am an older player, it is important Said Letestu: “These guys have gone up and made an impact. Dalpe got to have that stability. We like Columbus, we want our kids to grow up called up briefly last week, so they know it is not that far away, and it’s here, and the franchise has allowed us to do that. I couldn’t be happier not out of the realm of possibility that some of these guys can go to for my kids growing up where they are.” Columbus and make a difference. That’s how I got my start in this league; somebody stepped on Jordan Staal’s foot and here I am, in the The Athletic LOADED: 04.30.2019 playoffs. It just goes to show the NHL is not that far away.”

Being a leader

Now in his third season behind the Cleveland bench, Madden said having veteran leadership to go with the young talent the Jackets have assembled over the years is essential for an AHL team to succeed.

Bringing in a player like Letestu, who spent almost a decade in the NHL, and having a mature AHL player like the 29-year-old Dalpe have been helpful.

“They have a calmness to them, they do not get overly excited out there,” said Madden, a three-time Stanley Cup champ as a player. “Mark, especially, is able to calm the bench down. He is a guy I can trust in big situations to go out on the ice. He has the pulse of the ice all the time. He is like a coach out there.”

Letestu said he knew coming back to the Blue Jackets this season would mean an AHL assignment in Cleveland.

Although he says he believes he still has what it takes to play in the NHL, he came to Cleveland with the intention of not only continuing his career but also helping his younger teammates develop and try to realize their own NHL dreams.

“It was a readjustment at first,” Letestu said. “It tasted pretty sour coming here at the beginning, realizing there was not a job for me up top, thinking how no one thought I was worth the league minimum. You have to come to grips with that and take on a different role.

“I still enjoy playing the game and have had a lot of fun here. I’m not too proud to be a hockey player. It doesn’t matter what my salary is, I’m happy to be here. I think there are bigger things veteran guys can do, and sometimes being a leader down here can lead to good things.

“If I did come down here and I was salty, I don’t know I could still be playing. That would rub off, right? You become a bad locker room presence. I didn’t have any fantasies about being here for five games, 1143426 Columbus Blue Jackets penalty killing. That really charged them up and I felt like the ice was pretty level the rest of the way. So many times this team comes out of kills in better shape than they started them, just charged up and super Cross-Ice Pass: What are biggest concerns for Bruins and Blue Jackets motivated. Bobrovsky’s play has stolen the highlights, but Rask has been at mid-series? wonderful, too. That stop on Nick Foligno was unreal … Foligno will be thinking about that one a while. Even the game-winner … Duchene has a pretty good window the moment he gathers the puck off Rask’s pads. It took major cajones to kick that puck back to the middle and put in By Joe McDonald and Aaron Portzline Apr 29, 2019 through Rask’s pads. He maybe makes the save if Duchene takes the first window. Crazy stuff. As for Anderson … I think his Game 2 was much better than his Game 1, but he was the poster child for the issue I After the Bruins and the Blue Jackets split the first two games, this addressed in the first comment. He had his ears pinned back looking for second-round playoff series shifts to Columbus for Games 3 and 4. In our hits in the first period. Anderson is a fascinating player. You wouldn’t second edition of Cross-Ice Pass in this series, Bruins writer Joe guess it from his physical style, but that kid had 27 goals this season. McDonald and Blue Jackets writer Aaron Portzline discuss goaltending, Pretty certain the coaches would rather he emphasize the physical ahead the concerns each team has at this point, and the return of a hometown of the skill, but sometimes he loses sight of one for the other. He can do boy to Columbus: both. That first period in Columbus on Tuesday is going to be loud and supercharged in Nationwide Arena, so I anticipate more heavy hitters McDonald: This is exactly what we expected, Portz. Right? The throwing their weight around on both sides. There are a lot of markets for physicality has been off the charts. Both the Bruins’ Tuukka Rask and whom a second-round playoff series is no big deal, an annual rite. These Blue Jackets’ Sergei Bobrovsky are producing highlight-reel saves. are heady times for the Blue Jackets and their fans, so expect the Gamesmanship has been entertaining. I can see Brad Marchand sending building to be crazy amped. Cam Atkinson $300 worth of pennies in the near future for intentionally breaking his stick. From a production standpoint, Boston does have a few McDonald: It will be a homecoming for Bruins forward Sean Kuraly. He’s concerns. David Pastrnak finding his game is most important. Yes, he obviously played there during the regular season, but this situation will be scored a goal in Game 2 by going hard to the net and inadvertently a lot different for him. Growing up a Blue Jackets fan, he admitted he redirecting the puck with his skate past Bobrovsky. However, Pastrnak’s loved when the cannon would go off after a goal, but he’s motivated to ability to control the puck, move it and shoot it have declined in the keep that thing quiet now. He spoke glowingly about the Blue Jackets playoffs. Maybe his surgically repaired left thumb, which is his top hand, organization and how it impacted his youth hockey career, which is bothering him. He insists he’s fine but his lack of production makes eventually led to Miami University and ultimately the NHL. You had a many wonder. Coach Bruce Cassidy is moving No. 88 around the lineup long conversation with Kuraly the other day, what was his reaction about in an attempt to get him going to no avail. It’s also affecting Boston’s playing a playoff game in front of his hometown fans? once-potent power play. At this point, are there any concerns for the Blue Jackets, Aaron? Portzline: Kuraly is a source of much pride for the local hockey community, not just in the player he’s become but the way he carries Portzline: There are a few. yes. I didn’t like their first period. I thought himself and treats people. I don’t want to spoil the story I’m writing for the they went out of their way to land “home-run” hits rather than just let next couple of days, but there are a lot of torn hockey fans in Columbus those hits happen organically. That first was physical in both directions, right now. They want that kid to taste nothing but success given how hard sure, but the Blue Jackets swung and missed on big hits along the wall he’s worked, but their loyalty lies with the hometown team. It’s awkward after taking long runs at the Bruins. I don’t think anybody doubts their on another level, too, because Kuraly lives here in the offseason and so toughness. Maybe the rest of the game is proof that they’ve settled in he trains with a lot of the Blue Jackets players during the summer. now, but they’re going to pay a price for that if it continues. Too many Counts many of them as friends. The Kuraly family will be cheering their guys are taking themselves out of position. The other concern I have is 5- butts off for the Bruins and their kid … because of course … but he will on-5 play by the Blue Jackets. They really haven’t sustained much be among the hated for most Blue Jackets’ fans. For this market, it’s pressure on the Bruins outside of a couple of shifts in each game. The another sign of progress. There are three full-time NHL guys from a city power play was huge on Saturday, and you get full marks for that. But I that’s had NHL hockey for one generation. That’s pretty impressive. The don’t think they can rely on the power play clicking at nearly 40 percent. one guy who will still get the lion’s share of the crowd’s venom will be, of They’re going to need more guys firing at 5-on-5 — guys like Atkinson, course, Marchand. He wouldn’t have it any other way, of course. Tell me, Matt Duchene, Pierre-Luc Dubois, etc. One thing that’s surprised me on Joe, he seems like a guy who plays better when he feels like the whole the Bruins side is how many chances — and how little production — building is against them. Does Marchand usually play better in those they’ve gotten from two of their superstars, Patrice Bergeron and circumstances? Marchand. Bergeron could have ended Saturday’s game a couple of times but was robbed by Bobrovsky. Marchand could have had three McDonald: The louder the boos, the more intense he becomes in hostile goals in Game 1. I suppose it’s a matter of time before each of them start territory, Portz. He’s become the prototypical type player you want on cashing in, right? Anything surprise you on the Columbus side, Joe? your team, but hate to play against. Believe it or not, this is the first time in his career that he’s kept his nose clean for an entire season. He’s McDonald: I’ve always enjoyed watching Bobrovsky play, especially learned to skate that fine line and that maturity has paid dividends for the when he’s dialed in, and he’s been outstanding in the first two games. Bruins. It appears he’s increased his chirping game in the playoffs. I think You’re right about Bergeron and Marchand and their lack of finish, but it’s helped Marchand tremendously the last few seasons since he’s been sometimes you’ve got to tap your stick and give the opposing goalie working out with Bergeron, Sidney Crosby and Nathan MacKinnon during credit for his performance. We knew both goalies would perform well, but the summer in Halifax, Nova Scotia. As far as this series, the Bruins need if Bobrovsky continues to play the way he has in the playoffs, and his more from Marchand. Now that the Bruins are on the road, it could spark confidence grows, it could be a big problem for Boston. We’ve seen in an offensive outburst from No. 63. I’m sure he’s not a fan of hearing that the past how a hot goalie can guide his team deep into the Stanley Cup cannon too. playoffs. As this series progresses and the physicality ramps up, I’m sure both teams will wear down a bit and that’s when penalties will occur. The OK, Aaron, let’s do this again after Game 4 and I’m sure we’ll have a lot Blue Jackets penalty kill has kept the Bruins at bay, which could be a more to discuss. More importantly, can’t wait to hear your off-day turning point later in this series. We discussed this prior to Game 1 and suggestions for a libation. so far it’s been a theme. I also believe Josh Anderson could have a The Athletic LOADED: 04.30.2019 bigger impact in this series like he did in Game 2. He was noticeable all over the ice and had the Bruins looking over their shoulders. How does Anderson’s impact on and off the ice help Columbus moving forward?

Portzline: Very true. Bobrovsky has, for the first time, carried his regular- season brilliance into the postseason. The Blue Jackets’ penalty kill was second in the NHL this season, just decimal points behind Tampa Bay. It’s been more than hot, though. It’s a tremendous source of confidence for them, and I’ve never seen it work this way. Case in point: On Saturday, Artemi Panarin scores that unreal goal to make it 2-2 at 4-on-4 play, but the Jackets followed that with more than three minutes of 1143427 Dallas Stars

Stars notebook: Second AAC fan ejection of postseason occurs during Game 3 vs. Blues

By Matthew DeFranks ,

A fan behind the Blues bench was ejected in the third period of Game 3 after appearing to throw beer over the boards. It was the second fan ejected from American Airlines Center during the four home playoff games.

A fan by the visiting penalty box was ejected in Game 3 of the first round against Nashville.

"Something came over the boards, I don't know," Blues coach Craig Berube said. "I didn't pay attention, really."

"I don't know what happened there, to be honest with you," Blues forward Pat Maroon said. "But security handled it."

Lindell's penalty: Stars defenseman Esa Lindell was called for embellishment in the second period after a series of crosschecks to the back from Blues defenseman Robert Bortuzzo. Lindell flailed to the ice twice to draw the whistle: two minutes for Bortuzzo for crosschecking and two minutes for embellishment for Lindell.

After the whistle, Bortuzzo shoved Lindell in the chest, and Lindell fell to the ice again.

Cogliano's shorthanded goal: Cogliano scored a shorthanded goal in the third period that tied the game at 2. The goal was the first shorthanded one of the playoffs for Dallas, and gave the Stars' penalty kill as many goals scored as they have allowed in nine postseason games.

Cogliano finished a feed from Mattias Janmark after Janmark chased down a puck in the St. Louis corner.

"We just got beat up the ice," Blues coach Craig Berube said. "That's the bottom line. We have to do a better job there. I think the shot got blocked and there was kind of guys running into each other. I have to look at the tape, but bottom line is that they beat us up the ice and attacked the net and they got a rebound and put it in. We have to do a better job there."

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Stars defenseman Ben Lovejoy: Blues played 'smarter' game to take 2-1 series lead

By Matthew DeFranks ,

The brawn came with the brains for the Blues on Monday night.

Stars defenseman Ben Lovejoy said St. Louis played a smarter game than the Stars during a 4-3 Blues win in Game 3 of the second-round series, which helped them be more physical and generate zone time.

"I thought they had a purpose and a plan with every puck they took through the neutral zone," Lovejoy said. "They were putting it behind our d-men and being physical, and really making us go 200 feet every time. They were methodical and they were smart and they didn't beat themselves. That's who they've been since they've become a successful team."

Stars coach Jim Montgomery: "Smarter, more determined. Their second guy was on top of pucks quicker than our second guy. It goes hand in hand to me."

Of the four Blues goals, three came around the net on battles lost by Dallas.

Jaden Schwartz beat Taylor Fedun for position on a first-period deflection. Tyler Bozak beat Roope Hintz to a loose puck in the crease for a second-period goal. And Pat Maroon knocked down Esa Lindell in front of the net for the game-winning goal in the third period.

"I thought they had a lot of zone time for the most part," Stars forward Andrew Cogliano said. "They're a good cycle team. I think that's the strength of their team. We need to find a way to stop pucks from getting below the goalline and making that harder on them to create and have time down there."

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Blues' Pat Maroon on how he beat Stars goalie Ben Bishop to score Game 3's winner

By Gerry Fraley ,

Winger Pat Maroon was born in St. Louis. On Monday night, he achieved a lifetime goal.

Maroon beat Stars goalie Ben Bishop from short range with less than two minutes remaining to give the Blues a 4-3 win at American Airlines Center. Maroon's goal capped a stretch in which a total of four goals were scored in 5:16 of the third quarter, with St. Louis twice giving up a one-goal advantage.

"He's been great all playoffs," said St. Louis captain Alex Pietrangelo, who also scored in the late flurry. "This time of the year, those are the guys you really learned on. He's stepped up and been great for us."

Maroon broke into the NHL with Anaheim in 2013-14. He also played with Edmonton before joining his home-town team in July.

"It hasn't really hit me yet," Maroon said. "Obviously, it's an honor to play for my hometown team. Game 4 is Wednesday, and we'll find ways to compete again."

Maroon said he never envisioned scoring a game-winner for his home- town team in the Stanley Cup playoffs.

"It's cool,'' Maroon said. "To live in this moment is really neat."

On the game-winner, Maroon said he saw an opening that allowed him to get to the net. Bishop slid over to his left side, and Maroon beat him to the far side.

"I had more time to use my hands,'' Maroon said. "I got enough of it to get it through."

Briefly: St. Louis is 4-0 on the road for the playoffs, with each win by one goal.

-- NBC Sports reported a 3.4 rating for the Stars' game at St. Louis on Saturday. It was 17 percent higher than the ratings for Games 2 and 5 from the Stars-Blues series in 2016, also telecast by NBC.

-- The Stars' affiliate in the AHL signed Minnesota-Duluth captain Parker Mackay, a forward on a team that won consecutive NCAA championships. The club also recently signed Riley Tufte, a winger from Minnesota-Duluth. The Stars took him with the 25th overall pick in the 2016 draft.

Dallas Morning News LOADED: 04.30.2019 1143430 Dallas Stars "We didn't get the result we wanted, but we were the better team," he said. "We continued to get better, we need to continue to get better this series. I thought St. Louis improved a lot from Game 1 to Game 2 in a lot After Game 3 loss to St. Louis, Stars must make another playoff series of areas, and we have to do the same." comeback The Blues are not the Predators, though. They have closed off the middle of the ice for much of the series, and their forward lines are deeper and better than Nashville's. Their defensive group is being led by Colton By Matthew DeFranks , Parayko, Pietrangelo and a rookie goaltender in Jordan Binnington.

The challenge is steeper, but the Stars are familiar with it. After losing Game 3 to Nashville, they blew out the Predators 5-1 in Game 4, jump- Two weeks later, the Stars find themselves in the same position: trailing starting a dominant end to the series. in a playoff series after a Game 3 loss at home. "We, as a team, have talked a lot about staying even, staying even keel," The Stars lost to St. Louis 4-3 on Monday night in Game 3 of their Lovejoy said. "Guys that have been in this situation, you know the ups second-round series, giving the Blues a 2-1 series lead after the teams and downs. You win a game, and you feel like you can plan your Stanley split a pair of games in Missouri last week. It's the same situation Dallas Cup party. You lose a game, and you feel like the season's ending. What faced in the first round against the Predators, and they followed up a we did in the first round is came out and played probably our best game Game 3 loss with three straight wins to eliminate Nashville. of the playoffs in Game 4. We need that effort again." "You can draw from experiences, but it's a different series," Stars forward Dallas Morning News LOADED: 04.30.2019 Andrew Cogliano said. "It's a different team. I think, at the end of the day, we didn't play well enough to win tonight."

Pat Maroon scored the game-winning goal with 1:38 left in the third period, beating Ben Bishop far side on a shot from the edge of the crease. Maroon's goal capped a wild third-period sequence in which four goals were scored in 5:16.

Alex Pietrangelo scored with 5:36 left in the third period to give the Blues a 3-2 lead, deflating the arena after Cogliano's short-handed goal 78 seconds earlier tied the score at 2. Then Tyler Seguin tapped home a Miro Heiskanen assist to tie the score at 3 with 4:08 remaining.

Overtime seemed imminent, but then Maroon played hero for the Blues.

Jaden Schwartz and Tyler Bozak also scored for the Blues, while Alexander Radulov added a goal for the Stars. Bishop made 29 saves in a losing effort. Game 4 is 8:30 p.m. Wednesday at American Airlines Center.

"The last 48 hours, I'm sure they heard how big and how fast we are," Stars defenseman Ben Lovejoy said. "And maybe we've heard it, too. We weren't good enough. I thought they outworked us. They got to tougher areas than we did, and they were more disciplined in their play. They kept getting pucks deep, they kept working us down low. We had a chance, but I thought they were the better team tonight."

The Stars are hardly against the wall, not with a decent effort Monday night and with two more losses before elimination. On Monday night, the Blues and Stars were fairly evenly matched, with similar shot attempts (55-52 Dallas), shots on goal (31-27 St. Louis) and scoring chances (33- 32 Dallas) at 5 on 5.

But the Blues scored greasy goals -- Schwartz deflected a Robert Bortuzzo shot in the first period, and Bozak jammed home a loose puck that sneaked through Bishop -- that the Stars couldn't find often enough.

Dallas had a slew of high-skill plays that led to scoring chances, including Jason Spezza's saucer pass to the slot and a barely open Radulov that resulted in a goal. Heiskanen just missed Seguin on the rush. Bishop's pass to the opposite blue line for Cogliano and a partial breakaway was thwarted by a backchecking Carl Gunnarsson.

And so after a relatively even first two games and a close Game 3, it's the Blues who hold the series edge.

"We've always preached getting better throughout the series, and we've got to continue to do that," Stars coach Jim Montgomery said.

This is the type of situation that the Stars have relished down the stretch and in the playoffs. They have been calm when facing deficits in games. In the first round, the Stars won three of the four games in which they allowed the first goal. They trailed after Game 3 in that series. On Monday night, they twice scored in the third period to erase one-goal St. Louis leads.

The Stars have shown no panic, and Montgomery has instilled a loose culture around the team.

Before Game 3, Montgomery was asked what he learned about Game 3 against Nashville in the first round, when the Stars controlled play but were done in by an uncharacteristically off night for both Bishop and the power play. 1143431 Dallas Stars

Cowboys RB Ezekiel Elliott takes selfie with young Stars fan hit by puck during Game 3 vs. St. Louis

By SportsDayDFW.com

During Game 3 of the second-round Stanley Cup Playoff series between the Dallas Stars and St. Louis Blues on Monday, Cowboys running back Ezekiel Elliott stole the spotlight.

After a young fan was hit by the puck, Elliott decided to try and cheer him up by taking a selfie with him.

This isn't the first time Zeke has garnered some attention during a Stars playoff game this month.

During the Stars' first-round series against the Nashville Predators, Elliott was seen in the stands being fed popcorn by Cowboys quarterback Dak Prescott.

And after Game 4 against Nashville, both headed to the locker room afterward to mingle with the Stars.

Dallas Morning News LOADED: 04.30.2019 1143432 Dallas Stars

Despite strong postseason penalty kill, here's why Stars coach Jim Montgomery still feels Dallas is pressing its luck

By Gerry Fraley ,

The Stars tested coach Jim Montgomery's patience in the first period on Monday's Game 3 loss by giving St. Louis another power-play chance.

The opportunity arose when Jamie Benn was called for tripping on Colton Parayko. As has been the case throughout the postseason, the Stars kept the Blues from scoring.

Montgomery is concerned about a penalty-killing group that is pressing its luck. The Stars kept the Blues from scoring on five chances Saturday, and two more on Monday

A team cannot continue to do that and keep winning, Montgomery said.

"That's why our discipline needs to improve,'' Montgomery said. "We were excellent against Nashville, and we haven't maintained our emotional control as well as we should in this series so far.''

Through Monday, the Stars had allowed only one power-play goal for 24 chances in the playoffs overall. The kill rate of 95.8% could be the best ever for a team that plays in at least two rounds. Detroit had a 96.0 kill rate in 2004.

Schwartz switch pays off: A lineup switch brought an early dividend for St. Louis.

Blues coach Craig Berube moved winger Jaden Schwartz to the first line in place of David Perron. Schwartz scored less than two minutes into play when he re-directed a shot by Parayko past goalie Ben Bishop.

Schwartz also had an assist on Pietrangelo's goal that gave the Blues a 3-2 lead in the third period.

"He's been good in the playoffs,'' Berube said. "We wanted him on the fore-check, and he was great. He was a real good player."

Stars sign prospect: The Stars signed defenseman Emil Djuse out of the Swedish League to a one-year, two-way entry-level contract.

Djuse, 25, is a left-handed shot who has played six seasons in Sweden. The Stars will bring him to training camp next fall to compete for a roster spot. Djuse had six goals and 16 assists in 49 games for Skellefteå AIK this season. He was never drafted and played in the 2013 World Juniors for Sweden.

Djuse will join AHL defensemen Gavin Bayreuther, Joel Hanley, Dillon Heatherington and Joseph Cecconi on the roster bubble during training camp. Djuse's addition could push Julius Honka further down the organizational depth chart.

Dallas Morning News LOADED: 04.30.2019 1143433 Dallas Stars

Stars-Blues expected lineups for Game 3: How St. Louis shuffled its top two lines

By Matthew DeFranks ,

The Stars are expected to use the same lineup in Game 3 against the Blues as they did in Games 1 and 2 of the second-round series in St. Louis. Game 3 is at 7 p.m. at the American Airlines Center on Monday, with the series tied at 1-1.

Stars defenseman Jamie Oleksiak remains day-to-day with a lower-body injury, coach Jim Montgomery said. Oleksiak did not participate in morning skate on Monday and has not played since Game 6 against the Predators in the first round. Taylor Fedun continues to play on the third pairing with Ben Lovejoy.

The Blues made a few changes to their lineup, elevating Jaden Schwartz to the top line with Ryan O'Reilly and Vladimir Tarasenko, and moving David Perron to the second line with Brayden Schenn and Oskar Sundqvist.

"He's been playing really well," Blues interim coach Craig Berube said of Schwartz. "He's going to get on the forecheck with those guys. I think him and O'Reilly together in there forechecking, Vladi's going good right now, he's driving the puck wide with speed a lot and taking it to the net. And Schwartz got a nice goal going to the net there the other night. They've played together before, too."

Berube also inserted Robert Bortuzzo on the third defensive pairing with Vince Dunn. Joel Edmundson came out of the lineup.

"Borts plays a heavy game for us," Berube said. "Plus, it's a right-handed shot, and it gets Dunn over on his normal side, on the left side. Good penalty killer."

Here are the full expected lineups:

Dallas

Jamie Benn - Tyler Seguin - Alexander Radulov

Jason Dickinson - Roope Hintz - Mats Zuccarello

Andrew Cogliano - Radek Faksa - Blake Comeau

Mattias Janmark - Justin Dowling - Jason Spezza

Esa Lindell - John Klingberg

Miro Heiskanen - Roman Polak

Taylor Fedun - Ben Lovejoy

Ben Bishop

Anton Khudobin

St. Louis

Jaden Schwartz - Ryan O'Reilly - Vladimir Tarasenko

Brayden Schenn - Oskar Sundqvist - David Perron

Pat Maroon - Tyler Bozak - Robert Thomas

Robby Fabbri - Ivan Barbashev - Alexander Steen

Carl Gunnarsson - Alex Pietrangelo

Jay Bouwmesster - Colton Parayko

Vince Dunn - Robert Bortuzzo

Jordan Binnington

Jake Allen

Dallas Morning News LOADED: 04.30.2019 1143434 Dallas Stars

Stars let home-ice advantage slip away (again) as Blues take 2-1 series lead

BY STEFAN STEVENSON

APRIL 29, 2019 09:59 PM

The Dallas Stars didn’t need to hold their home-ice advantage in the first round.

And so it will be in the second round.

The St. Louis Blues took a 2-1 advantage in the best-of-seven series with a 4-3 win over the Stars on Monday night at American Airlines Center.

Game 4 is scheduled for 8:30 p.m. Wednesday at the AAC.

Pat Maroon scored with 1:38 remaining to lift the Blues over the Stars after a wild third period that included four goals and multiple ties in a five- minute stretch.

Down a goal, Dallas went without a goalie but St. Louis held on despite having a power play the final 43 seconds of the game. The Blues improved to 4-0 on the road in the playoffs.

“They’re playing their hearts out, too,” Stars defenseman John Klingberg said. “I think we showed some character coming back in the game two or three times. There are going to be ups and downs through this whole series.”

With just under 7:00 remaining, the Stars tied it at 2-2 despite being shorthanded on a Blues power play. Andrew Cogliano found a rebound in the crease after a shot by Mattias Janmark for the score. St. Louis captain Alex Pietrangelo, however, scored a minute later, seconds after the power play expired, to put the Blues back on top 3-2.

But the Stars were still coming. Tyler Seguin tied it again with a goal on an assist from Miro Heiskanen with 4:08 remaining.

“I thought overall they were the better team,” Cogliano said. “It was close at the end, we kept tying it, but the team that plays better most of the night usually wins.”

The Blues took a 1-0 lead 1:27 into the game as Jaden Schwartz scored off a deflection. The Stars tied it with a power play goal from Alexander Radulov with just under 3:00 left in the opening period.

“Their second guy was on top of pucks quicker than our guy,” Stars coach Jim Montgomery said.

Shots on goal were about even in the first with Dallas having an 11-10 edge. The Blues finished the game with a 34-31 edge.

In the second period, Tyler Bozak pushed in a loose puck after Ben Bishop made a stop on Robert Thomas’ shot to reclaim a 2-1 lead for St. Louis.

The Stars split their opening round series on the road in Nashville but lost Game 3 at home. They rallied to win the next three to advance in six games.

“We need to come out and be better, we need to dig a little deeper,” Stars defenseman Ben Lovejoy said. “I thought we got outworked a little bit. We weren’t good enough. They were the more desperate team.”

Star-Telegram LOADED: 04.30.2019 1143435 Dallas Stars While shorthanded, the Stars tied the game with 6:54 remaining on a rush by Mattias Janmark and Andrew Cogliano. Janmark created the initial chance before Cogliano put home his second goal of the playoffs.

Stars 20/20: Stars “weren’t good enough tonight” as Blues take 2-1 Seventy-eight seconds later, the Blues scored on a point blast by captain series lead Alex Pietrangelo, a goal that came right after the St. Louis power play had expired.

By Sean Shapiro Apr 29, 2019 Eighty-eight seconds after that, Miro Heiskanen made the pass of the night when he walked down and put the puck right on Seguin’s tape for the game-tying goal at 3-3.

The St. Louis Blues took a 2-1 series lead with a 4-3 victory against the The American Airlines Center got loud after that goal and it was rocking Dallas Stars in Game 3 of their second-round playoff series on Monday. for two and half minutes, before it got very quiet as Maroon celebrated his game-winning tally. 1. The Blues were the better team in Game 3 and they deservedly took a series lead. 5. Monday was an odd night for the Stars power play.

The difference was clear out of the starting gate, it held up in the second Dallas scored with the man advantage, but it was the only shot they had period, and when Dallas pushed in the third, St. Louis was right there to with a Blues player in the box. answer back. “It can be better, but we still got one,” Klingberg said. “We want to create “I thought we weren’t good enough tonight,” Ben Lovejoy said. “I thought every time we are out there, that’s what they want to do to. It is tough to they were the more desperate team. The last 48 hours I’m sure they’ve score goals on power play nowadays, but I think we can create heard how big and how fast we are, and maybe we’ve heard it too. And momentum when we get out there.” we weren’t good enough. I thought they outworked us, they got to tougher areas than we did and they were more disciplined in their play. The most notable example came at the end of the game when Colton They kept getting pucks deep, kept working us down low and we had a Parayko was called for delay of game with 43.3 seconds remaining, chance, but I thought they were a better team tonight.” setting up a 6-on-4 advantage for the duration of regulation.

Lovejoy said it was a fact that the Blues worked smarter than the Stars. Dallas didn’t have a shot in the final 43.3 seconds and had to backtrack St. Louis put itself in better positions to succeed than Dallas, while the three times as the Blues cleared the zone. hosts didn’t help themselves enough to avoid “ditch-digging” situations. 6. On the flip side, the Stars penalty kill was perfect.

2. A lot of this was reflected in how well the Blues cycled the puck and Dallas took two shorthanded shots and scored while down a man. The controlled the offensive zone. Blues only had two shots with the man advantage.

That’s what happened on the game-winning goal. The Blues’ third line, 7. When the Stars did score on the power play in the second period, it which had ground the Stars down all night, found the back of the net on came on a shift where they outworked the Blues. Patrick Maroon’s wrist shot with 1:38 remaining. Esa Lindell and Justin Dowling won a battle along the board to keep the “We talked as a line and we went over some things that we had to do puck into the zone. After preventing a clear, Dowling connected with better. In the first two games, we didn’t get to our game,” Maroon said. Jason Spezza, who found the only possible hole for a pass to Alexander “Our line is (best) below to the top of the circles. Grind them down low Radulov’s fifth goal of the playoffs. and wear their D down. We did a really, really good job of that and we’ve got to continue to do that.” The play leading up to the goal is what Dallas needed to see more of on Monday’s power plays. “That line, it didn’t matter who we put out against them,” Montgomery said. “They seemed to have their way with us. We’ve got to do a better 8. Throughout the playoffs the Stars have battled back from early deficits job of taking away time and space. We’ve got to have our second layer and slow starts. there quicker, which means when they move it and we’re able to get pressure on the puck, we’ve got to have someone coming there to win The Blues scored 87 seconds into Game 3, on a tip by Jaden Schwartz. that loose puck battle.” The play embodied two things that have worked well for the Blues this 3. The Stars have been in this position before. series: taking advantage of the Stars’ third pairing and getting point shots from Colton Parayko. In the first round against the Nashville Predators, they trailed the series 2-1 and responded with one of their best efforts in Game 4, sparking a The Stars’ third pairing of Taylor Fedun and Lovejoy were exposed on three-game streak to close out the series in six contests. the Blues’ first two goals, and Fedun in particular struggled before the Stars effectively went to five defensemen for much of the third period. Lessons from that series can apply to this one as the Stars prepare for Game 4 on Wednesday. Parayko has been one of the Blues’ best overall players in this series and has a point in each game. The big defenseman is one of the only Blues “When was it, a week and a half ago?” Tyler Seguin said. “It was the who can keep up with the Stars’ speediest forwards and really helped same story. We’re going to be excited to respond. We’ll take tomorrow to control the play in Game 3. regroup and come back with a better effort.” 9. In the first round the the Predators defense was considered and hyped “They’re playing their hearts out too.” John Klingberg said. “I think both of as one of the best the Stars would face. the teams really tried to make a difference out there today, and obviously it was a wild third period, but if we look at ourselves here we showed Through three games, Blues defenders have put the Predators to shame some character coming back in the game, two, three times, just gonna and they’ve been more active with the puck than previously expected. stay even-keel there. It’s gonna be ups and downs through this whole That’s what happened in the second period when St. Louis took a 2-1 series.” lead, as Vince Dunn danced through the offensive zone to create space. “We have been in this situation before; we were down 2-1 last series, we His effort eventually led to an easy tap-in for Tyler Bozak after trickling have spoken a lot in this locker room about staying even keel. You win through Ben Bishop. one playoff game, you feel like you can win the Stanley Cup, you can .@BOZIE42 POUNCES ON THE LOOSE PUCK FOR A 2-1 LEAD. start planning your parade in your hometown. You lose one game and it’s #STANLEYCUP PIC.TWITTER.COM/FDKNFUVMNT summertime,” Lovejoy said. “We played our best game of the playoffs in Game 4 against Nashville and we need to come out and do that again in — NHL GIFS (@NHLGIFS) APRIL 30, 2019 two nights.” 10. Bishop played well early and kept the Stars in the game, but when 4. The final seven minutes were wild. Dallas needed a timely save in the third period they didn’t get it. Jordan Binnington also didn’t make the timely save in the third period, but Djuse is a 25-year-old left-handed defender who has played his entire he didn’t have to since his team had given him a lead, allowing the rookie career in Sweden and registered 22 points (six goals, 16 assists) in 49 to play with a cushion throughout the night. games with Skelleftea AIK this season.

11. A perfect example of Binnington’s night came in the second period “He’s a skilled puck-moving defenseman, our guys have been watching where the Stars had three prime scoring chances but didn’t do enough him in the Swedish elite league at Skelleftea, that’s where (Stars with them. prospect) Albin Eriksson is, so our guys got to know him well,” Stars general manager Jim Nill said. “He’s one of the guys that teams have Midway through the period, Radulov was sprung on a short breakaway. been looking at and we are happy we are the ones to sign him.” But the puck was rolling and he was unable to elevate it over Binnington’s left pad. Nill said the Stars have been keeping tabs on Djuse the past couple seasons and he labeled the defenseman as a late bloomer. Radulov then combined with Heiskanen on a one-two passing play, but the finish just missed when Heiskanen’s cross-ice pass to Seguin just “The Swedish league is a high-level league, so you know that if you’re a missed the forward’s stick at the top of the crease. good player there you have a chance to play in the NHL,” Nill said. “Then when you start showing up on the national team rosters and training Bishop set up Cogliano for a breakaway with a stretch pass, catching the camps, that shows that you are getting close.” Blues on a bad change, but the Stars forward couldn’t get off a shot as he was tracked down by Carl Gunnarson, who got in a stick lift before the Nill added that Djuse is going to be given an opportunity to earn an NHL shot. roster spot for the 2019-20 season.

THE PASS FROM @BENBISHOP30 IS LOVELY, AS IS THE STICK “Oh yeah, he’s coming over to compete for the big team,” Nill said. “He’s LIFT FROM @CARL_GUN. #STANLEYCUP playing American (Hockey) League level or better, and he’s coming over PIC.TWITTER.COM/8NZDEQJRVJ here to knock on the door. It gives us some more depth and we’ll see where it goes. It’ll be his first year in North America, some guys come — NHL GIFS (@NHLGIFS) APRIL 30, 2019 over and don’t miss a beat. Other guys might take a little bit of time, we’ll Binnington wasn’t great Monday like he was back in Game 1, but he let those cards play out as they may.” didn’t have to be. Djuse enters a crowded field vying for that third-pairing left-side 12. The Stars stuck with the same lineup they used in Game 1 and 2. defensive spot next season with Lindell and Heiskanen solidly entrenched as the lefties on the top two pairs. On paper, Jamie Oleksiak Jamie Benn – Tyler Seguin – Alexander Radulov should win the job, but Gavin Bayreuther played 19 NHL games this season and could be in the conversation. Fedun could also be re-signed Jason Dickinson – Roope Hintz – Mats Zuccarello and has played on the left side for much of this season. Andrew Cogliano – Radek Faksa – Blake Comeau 15. Djuse and Klingberg were teammates for parts of the 2013-14 Mattias Janmark – Justin Dowling – Jason Spezza season with Frolunda.

Esa Lindell – John Klingberg “Good skater, good offensive, really good all-around, but more of an offensive defenseman with good skating ability,” Klingberg said. “I don’t Miro Heiskanen – Roman Polak know him super good, but if I see him I talk to him. We didn’t play together for more than two months, he got loaned out that year, he Taylor Fedun – Ben Lovejoy became the seventh or eighth defenseman that year. But he’s been really Jamie Oleksiak missed his third straight game with a lower-body injury good in Sweden this year, he’s been the top defenseman in the league, and hasn’t practiced since Game 6 of the first round against Nashville. yeah, I’m excited.” He is still considered day-to-day according to Montgomery. Klingberg keeps tabs on the Swedish league throughout the season, 13. Blues coach Craig Berube had been rather consistent with his lineup occasionally watching the regular season and tuning in more during the throughout the playoffs, but made some alterations heading into Game 3. SHL playoffs.

Jaden Schwartz was moved up to the top line with Ryan O’Reilly and “Playoffs I try to watch as much as I can,” Klingberg said. “Frolunda is in Vladimir Tarasenko, switching places with David Perron, who moved to the finals with Djurgardens, 2-2 in games, next game tomorrow in Game the second line. 5. It’s a big one, it’s Gothenburg against Stockholm, so it’s a big rivalry.”

Schwartz is the Blues’ leading goal scorer and now has six after striking SHL games typically start around noon in the United States, which sets in Game 3. up well with Klingberg’s post-practice schedule.

“He’s been playing really well,” Berube said. “He’s going to get on the “It’s perfect,” Klingberg said. “If it’s a game day I might miss the third forecheck for those guys. I think him and O’Reilly together in there period when I go nap. But if it’s a non-game day it’s perfect coming back forechecking … (Tarasenko is) going good right now, he’s driving the from the rink and watching the last two periods.” puck wide with speed a lot and taking it to the net. And Schwartz got a 16. When possible, the Stars did their best to get Klingberg and nice goal going to the net there the other night. They’ve played together Heiskanen onto the ice at the same time, most frequently on offensive before, too.” zone faceoffs. On defense, Robert Bortuzzo returned to the lineup after getting The result? scratched the past four games. He replaced Joel Edmundson. When Klingberg and Heiskanen were on the ice together for 11 minutes Jaden Schwartz – Ryan O’Reilly – Vladimir Tarasenko and 10 seconds, the Stars had 80 percent of the shot share. Yes. 80. Brayden Schenn – Oskar Sundqvist – David Perron 17. The Stars’ mantra is all about getting better each game during the Pat Maroon – Tyler Bozak – Robert Thomas playoffs. Did they get better in Game 3?

Robby Fabbri – Ivan Barbashev – Alexander Steen “I think we won the special teams battle. I liked our penalty kill and I liked our power play,” Montgomery said. “But 5-on-5 is how you’re going to win Carl Gunnarsson – Alex Pietrangelo in the playoffs and that’s the area of the game that we need to improve upon.” Jay Bouwmeester – Colton Parayko 18. Lindell was called for embellishment in the second period after being Vince Dunn – Robert Bortuzzo cross-checked by Bortuzzo repeatedly around the Stars net. 14. The Stars signed defenseman Emil Djuse to a one-year, entry-level The cross-check was rightfully called as a penalty, but Lindell did his best contract on Monday. to sell it each time. That was the lasting memory of Lindell in the referee’s mind, which likely made it harder for the defenseman to get the benefit of the doubt as he lay on the ice when Maroon scored the game- winning goal.

19. A fan was ejected in the third period for throwing something, likely a beer, over the Blues bench and onto the ice.

Don’t do that. It’s a bad look.

20. Here is how the Stars did when it came to Montgomery’s Process:

Win 56 percent of faceoffs: Passed. The Stars won 63 percent of the draws.

Zero undisciplined penalties: Failed.

Three or fewer odd-man rushes: Failed.

Win net-front battle: Failed.

Win special teams: Passed.

The Athletic LOADED: 04.30.2019 1143436 Detroit Red Wings

Griffins' setback robs top Red Wings prospects of important experience

Ted Kulfan, The Detroit News Published 4:04 p.m. ET April 29, 2019

Detroit – The Grand Rapids Griffins hoped to have a long, successful playoff run.

That would have given the Red Wings’ prospects playing in the minor leagues valuable experience, competing in pressure-filled games and learning to win in the postseason.

That was the hope. But reality set in Sunday, in the first-round of the AHL playoffs.

The Griffins went into Chicago in the deciding game of a best-of-five series and lost 4-2 to the top-seeded Wolves.

So, top prospects such as forward Filip Zadina, and defensemen Filip Hronek and Dennis Cholowski, were limited to five playoff games worth of experience.

And the chance of forward Joe Veleno or defenseman Jared McIsaac possibly arriving from junior hockey late in a Griffins’ playoff run will not happen.

“Are we disappointed? Yes,” Griffins coach Ben Simon said after the Game 5 loss. There’s an empty feeling in that room."

The Griffins did extend their streak of consecutive playoff appearances to seven years – but for a second consecutive year were eliminated in the first round.

Zadina, Cholowski and Hronek were the three primary young players most Wings’ fans were focused on in this playoff series.

Zadina, last June’s first-round pick, had three points (two goals, one assist) in the series – and all three points came in Game 3. Zadina had only seven shots in the series and a minus-2 rating.

Cholowski had two assists in the series and was plus-1, while Hronek had three assists and an even rating.

Hronek was assessed 28 penalty minutes in the series, most coming in the turbulent, fight-filled Game 3, and a misconduct penalty in Game 4.

“Some guys, from Day 1 to the end of the year, absolutely improved and it was a good experience for them to play playoff hockey,” Simon said.

All three prospects will contend for jobs with the Red Wings’ in training camp in September.

Grand Rapids had a 2-1 lead in the series. But the Griffins’ special teams – a sore spot late in the regular season as Grand Rapids went winless in nine games – weren’t good enough in Game 4 or Game 5.

The Red Wings introduced Steve Yzerman as the new executive vice president and general manager Friday. Daniel Mears, The Detroit News

Grand Rapids had a 1-0 lead after one period Sunday, but saw the Wolves score four consecutive goals to take control.

“We got sloppy with our play, a little undisciplined, and you can’t do that,” Simon said. “You can’t put yourself in those situations.”

The Griffins were without forward Dominic Turgeon for Games 4 and 5 and forward Givani Smith for Game 4 due to suspensions from the Game 3 fights. They were missing veteran defensemen Brian Lashoff (the final three games) and Dylan McIlrath (Game 5) because of injuries.

“It’s really disappointing because you look around the locker room and we have such a good team,” forward Colin Campbell said. “We have so much depth. This is as good a team as we’ve had. That’s why it makes this so frustrating.”

Detroit News LOADED: 04.30.2019 1143437 Detroit Red Wings

Clark Park's hockey visionary nominated for prestigious NHL award

The Detroit News Published 6:34 p.m. ET April 29, 2019

Detroit — Anthony Benavides led the revival at Clark Park in Southwest Detroit, with hockey as the centerpiece.

And the NHL is saying thank you.

Benavides this week was named one of three finalists for the NHL's Willie O'Ree Community Hero Award. Fans can vote online until May 5.

The winner will be announced at the NHL Awards in Las Vegas on June 19.

Benavides, the center director at Clark Park, was instrumental in repairing the rundown outdoor rink, and he launched a free youth hockey program in the neighborhood, which is widely low-income, and made of a large black and Latino population.

Hockey is part of the equation, a big one — with about 140 youths participating in the hockey program this year, thanks to donated skates and equipment. The only cost for kids is the $46 USA Hockey fee.

The Clark Park rink also has hosted charity games, a practice for the gold medal-winning U.S. women's Olympic hockey team, as well as Red Wings practices.

But hockey isn't everything. Clark Park also hosts children who are being tutored or doing their homework.

"Just getting the nomination is great for me, great for the organization, great for promoting hockey up here in Detroit, Michigan, in Clark Park," Benavides said. "Hockey's for everyone, but especially in inner cities to underserved youth.

"That's where I fit in, trying to level the playing field for the hockey population here in Detroit."

Also up for the award is Rico Phillips of Flint's Inner-City Youth Hockey Program, and Tammi Lynch of Ellicott City, Md., who is the co-founder of Players Against Hate.

Phillips founded his program in 2010 for kids between the ages of 8 and 11.

Kids get free equipment, skating and instruction during a nine-week program.

"I'd say this is a medium-size town, Flint, Michigan, and not too many great things happen on the regular," Phillips said. "Representing something so big in my community is awesome. We try to look past the clouds covering our city."

The award is named after O'Ree, the first black player in the NHL when he debuted with the Boston Bruins in 1958. He is the NHL's Diversity Ambassador, and in 2018 was inducted into the Hockey Hall of Fame.

Detroit News LOADED: 04.30.2019 1143438 Detroit Red Wings

Red Wings’ Anthony Mantha, Tyler Bertuzzi join Canada for Worlds

Updated Apr 29, 6:01 PM; Posted Apr 29, 5:14 PM

By Ansar Khan

Detroit Red Wings forwards Anthony Mantha and Tyler Bertuzzi were named Monday to Canada’s World Championship team for the tournament that runs from May 10-26 in Bratislava and Kosice, Slovakia.

Mantha recorded career-high totals with 25 goals and 48 points, despite missing 15 games due to injuries. He finished on a roll, with eight goals and 15 points in the final eight games,

Bertuzzi tallied 21 goals and 47 points in his first full NHL season. He led the Red Wings with a plus-11 rating.

Andreas Athanasiou was invited to join Team Canada but declined due to an injury.

Red Wings defenseman Filip Hronek was named to the Czech Republic team for the second year in a row. Hronek had five goals and 18 assists in 46 games with Detroit as a rookie. He picked up a goal and two assists in eight games at the 2018 Worlds.

Detroit’s Dylan Larkin and Luke Glendening were previously selected for the U.S. team, coached by Jeff Blashill.

Here is Canada’s initial roster:

Forwards: Tyler Bertuzzi, Detroit; Anthony Cirelli, Tampa Bay; Sean Couturier, Philadelphia; Adam Henrique, New Jersey; Mathieu Joseph, Tampa Bay; Anthony Mantha, Detroit; Jonathan Marchessault, Vegas; Sam Reinhart, Buffalo; Mark Stone, Vegas; Dylan Strome, Chicago; John Tavares, Toronto; , Nashville.

Defensemen: Thomas Chabot, Ottawa; Dante Fabbro, Nashville; Brandon Montour, Buffalo; Darnell Nurse, Edmonton; Damon Severson, New Jersey; Troy Strecher, Vancouver; Shea Theodore, Vegas.

Goaltenders: Mackenzie Blackwood, New Jersey; Carter Hart, Philadelphia; Matt Murray, Pittsburgh.

Michigan Live LOADED: 04.30.2019 1143439 Detroit Red Wings Other prospects, such forward Joe Veleno (30th overall last season) and defenseman Jared McIsaac (36th last year) were still playing in playoffs in juniors and never got a chance to join the Griffins, even for practices ‘Empty feeling’ as Griffins fall short of playoff expectations and the experience.

Michigan Live LOADED: 04.30.2019

Updated Apr 29, 9:03 AM; Posted Apr 29, 9:00 AM

By Peter J. Wallner

The Detroit Red Wings organization put the development of its NHL team as top priority this season, of course. But construction of the AHL’s Grand Rapids Griffins for a long postseason run may have been No. 2.

It didn’t happen.

The Griffins appeared in their seventh consecutive postseason - tied for second longest in the AHL - but went out in the first round for the second year in a row after a disappointing 4-2 loss to the Chicago Wolves on Sunday in the decisive Game 5.

Chicago Wolves score three times in the second period to win Central Division semifinals.

It was a tough loss on a couple levels for the Griffins.

After taking a 2-1 series lead following a memorable Game 3 that featured 144 penalty minutes, the Griffins failed to clinch at home on Wednesday and again Sunday in Chicago.

More so, it was an unexpected end for a team that reloaded with a fresh group of high-profile AHL veterans. The likes of Chris Terry (2017-18 AHL scoring leader), Carter Camper (12th in scoring) and Wade Megan along with defenseman Jake Chelios were brought in to ultimately lead a deep playoff run, provide leadership and a valuable postseason experience for the Red Wings’ prized prospects.

Their leadership wasn't questioned as the vets meshed well with holdovers such as captain Matthew Ford and alternate Brian Lashoff.

In the five games, the three veteran forwards combined for three goals, two from Megan and one by Terry.

Overall, the Griffins’ leading goal scorer turned out to be Colin Campbell, usually a special teams leader. He had three. Matt Puempel and Turner Elson tied in points with four (2-2-4 for each).

"It's really disappointing because you look around the locker room and we have such a good team," Campbell said. "We have so much depth. This is my sixth playoffs and this is as good of a team we've had. I think that's why it makes this so frustrating."

"Are we disappointed? Yes," said Griffins coach Ben Simon. "I think some guys, from Day 1 to the end of the year, absolutely improved and (it was a) good experience for them to play playoff hockey. I think there's an empty feeling in that room. I think we had more tonight. Just wasn't meant to be."

It turned out to be a short five-game experience for prospects such as forward Filip Zadina and defensemen Filip Hronek and Dennis Cholowski - all prime candidates to make the parent club next season.

Zadina had two goals and three points, all coming in Game 3 but was unable to take over any of the game. Hronek again was a factor and a major agitator. He had three assists, 28 minutes in penalties and a zero plus/minus rating. Cholowski had two assists and was a plus-1.

"They got a taste but you always want more," Simon said of the young players. "The five games they got will obviously be beneficial for their long-term careers but it's disappointing they didn't get more. It's a different dog, a different game so I just hope they take something away from it and grow from it."

The Griffins were jumbled late in the season by call-ups to Detroit and went winless in their final nine as they got the final playoff spot on the last day of the season.

“We lost a lot of guys but we stuck together as a team,” Terry said. “We snuck into the playoffs … played the first-place team in our division to five games and we had a chance to win it on our own ice. There’s a lot of positives, a lot of success stories to take from the season.” 1143440 Los Angeles Kings “It’s a huge honor,” Sutter said of receiving the Hunt Award. “It’s an honor to be mentioned in the same breath as some of those names. You play a long time and, you know, it’s nice to know that there’s some SUTTER’S BANNER SEASON A BRIGHT SPOT FOR REIGN respect there. You work hard and be good for your teammates and I think it also makes you appreciate the road you’ve taken, where you’ve been and some of the people you’ve played with, whether it be staff, players and that sort of thing. I really appreciate everything.” ZACH DOOLEYAPRIL 29, 2019 Through all of the accomplishments, however, it would remiss to say that

this season was all roses for Sutter. Though the individual The 2018-19 season had several bright lights for Ontario Captain Brett accomplishments provide us with bright spots to talk about in an early Sutter, though he’d have traded each of them to still be playing hockey. offseason, the team’s lack of success wore on the 32-year-old forward at times. Sutter skated in his 750th and 800th career AHL regular-season games, his 850th regular-season game as a professional and his 900th career Under Sutter’s leadership, however, the room was never down for an professional game, including playoff action. extended period of time. The spirits of the group were never melancholy, day-after-day, as you can find with losing teams. Sutter and the other The Reign forward also reached the 20-goal mark for the first time as a leaders on the Reign helped keep things upbeat, even with Ontario well professional, the game-winning goal on April 7, and was named as the on the outside looking in on the playoff race for much of the 2018-19 winner of the Fred T. Hunt Award, given to the AHL player who best campaign. exemplifies sportsmanship, determination and dedication to hockey, as voted upon by players, coaches and members of the media around the “I’ve been through one other time like this, when you’re on a bad team . and things can be miserable every day and I don’t think that’s the right way to approach it either,” he said. “At the end of the day, we’re still Quite the list of accomplishments for a player on the team with the playing hockey for a living, there’s guys here that are still trying to make second-to-lowest point total in the AHL. Let’s start with Sutter’s on-ice the NHL and there’s nothing you can do except come in, have fun, work accomplishments – Sutter had previously scored 19, 18 and 15 (twice) hard and just be the best version of you every day.” goals in a season, but had never reached the elusive 20-goal mark. Looking forward, Stothers has said multiple times that he would welcome A hat trick, the second of his professional career, on March 23 in San Sutter back next season and Sutter said during his postseason interview Diego brought him back to that 19 mark, where he sat for the next five that he’d like to be back with Reign. The veteran forward’s two-year AHL games, despite the best efforts of his teammates. Zack Mitchell even contract expires on July 1. passed up a can’t-miss shot at a hat trick on April 3 to try and hit Sutter for the empty net goal, but to no avail. “My family likes it here and I like it here, the team, the guys, the staff. If I could, this would be home again next season, but I’ll just have to have Fast forward two more games to April 7, with the Reign tied at two some conversations going forward.” against Tucson. Sutter scored one of the prettiest goals of the 2018-19 season, deking backhand-to-forehand in style to put the team ahead with LA Kings Insider: LOADED: 04.30.2019 a finish through the five hole, picking up his 20th goal of the season in the process.

“I was happy,” Sutter said of reaching that 20-goal mark. “I wish I could trade 10 of those goals in for 10 more wins and we’d be in a different situation, but it’s more of a team accomplishment, some great teammates helped me get there. I was just the one fortunate enough to get the 20 goals, but hopefully lots more in the future.”

Sutter’s goal also sparked one of the more notable bench celebrations of the season – see Head Coach Mike Stothers in this video. Pretty evident the respect and admiration that Sutter has from his coaches and teammates.

“I was a very happy man to see Brett finally get that 20th, it’s been a couple of games, he’s been pressing,” Stothers said after that game against the Roadrunners. “Everybody’s been working hard trying to set him up, so it’s nice to see that geritol, old fellow finally get the back of the net.”

The veteran forward also reached accomplishments on the overall side too, as stated above. Sutter was honored for his distinguished career, to date, at the league level last season, as he was named as the captain of the Western Conference at the 2018 AHL All-Star Classic in Utica, NY.

This season, Sutter played in his 750th AHL regular-season game on October 13 and his 800th in Colorado on March 12. For more on Sutter’s career, and the 800-game milestone, read this terrific piece from Lisa Dillman via The Athletic.

“Lots of memories, lots of good teammates and friends along the way, lots of good cities and organizations,” Sutter said of reaching the 800- game mark. “Just thanks to my wife and my kids for supporting me, and allowing me to do this for a living, and obviously my parents for being there for me along the way. Obviously, when you hit a milestone game you think of all your family. I think just another step and hopefully 800 more to go.”

Sutter capped things off in April as he won the Reign’s only year-end leaguewide award of the season, as he was named the winner of the Fred T. Hunt Award. The Hunt Award is the AHL’s version of the Masterson Award and it would be hard to find a player in the league that better represents the qualities of sportsmanship, determination and dedication to hockey than Sutter does. 1143441 Minnesota Wild

Wild fans putting support behind ex-players -- especially Nino Niederreiter

By Michael Rand APRIL 29, 2019 — 10:38AM

Welcome to the Monday edition of The Cooler, where you never know what you’re going to get from Minnesota fans. Let’s get to it:

*Three key Wild players were traded leading up to this year’s deadline, and all three ended up in the playoffs. Mikael Granlund and Nashville are done after a first-round elimination, but Charlie Coyle’s Bruins and Nino Niederreiter’s Hurricanes are very much alive.

Coyle had the overtime game winner for Boston against Columbus in Game 1 of the Eastern Conference semis (the series is now 1-1), while Niederreiter scored the game-winner Sunday in the third period against the Islanders to give Carolina a 2-0 series lead.

In times like this, I’m always curious: Are Minnesota fans hoping for good things for players they used to root for, or is it painful to watch them succeed elsewhere while the Wild sits idly after missing the postseason?

Not all situations are created equal, but my theory in this case was that more Wild fans than not were rooting for the guys who used to be here — and that if there was a preference for any of them, it was Niederreiter, whose Carolina squad has been adopted by several folks in these unpredictable playoffs.

It’s nice when data — even the unscientific kind found on Twitter — helps support hunches.

Per a poll I ran Monday morning, the majority of you are either rooting for one or both of the former Wild players to succeed rather than not. After 2 hours of voting, 41 percent of you said you’re rooting for both players/teams, while 29 percent said you’re rooting for neither. Another 23 percent of you said you’re rooting for just Nino, while 7 percent said just Coyle.

On that last part, I suspect it has little to do with a dislike for Coyle and more to do with Boston’s tradition of recycling former Minnesota players (David Ortiz … Kevin Garnett …) and turning them into champions.

There’s a decent chance one of those two players/teams will reach the Stanley Cup Finals, which would take this to another level.

*James Harden is pleading for officials to give the Rockets a “fair chance” after what he believes were several missed calls in a close Game 1 loss on Sunday. Here’s another idea: Don’t make getting fouled on a three- pointer part of your game plan.

*There were a lot of intriguing stories to emerge from the NFL Draft, but my favorite might be the one about all the bachelorette parties in Nashville who had no idea the draft was there and were bummed that all the football craziness cramped their style.

*The most amazing stat of the weekend came via Phil Miller’s story from Sunday’s Twins game. The Twins hit 23 home runs in six games against Baltimore this season, a team record for a single season vs. the Orioles. They hit 22 twice — but both of those were in seasons they played the Orioles EIGHTEEN times. So yeah, they set the record in one-third the number of games.

Star Tribune LOADED: 04.30.2019 1143442 Minnesota Wild

Iowa Wild wins deciding fifth game against Milwaukee in Calder Cup hockey playoffs

By NEWS SERVICES APRIL 30, 2019

The Iowa Wild beat the host 2-1 on Monday night in deciding Game 5 of their first-round Calder Cup playoff series. Louie Belpedio broke a 1-all tie at 9 minutes, 24 seconds of the third period. Jordan Greenway had the lone assist.

Cal O’Reilly gave the Wild a 1-0 lead just over four minutes into the game, scoring on a power play. Iowa goalie Andrew Hammond had 26 saves, giving up only a power-play goal in the second.

Two Gophers honored

Gophers junior righthander Amber Fiser was named the Big Ten co- pitcher of the week and left fielder Natalie DenHartog the co-freshman of the week.

Fiser was 3-0 last week with a 0.82 ERA in 17 innings. She struck out 34 and walked four. This was her fifth pitcher of the week award this season, two shy of the conference record.

DenHartog had three homers, a triple and four doubles among her 10 hits and had 11 RBI as the Gophers went 5-0. The Hopkins product leads the Big Ten in RBI and is tied for first in homers with 15.

The Gophers (37-10, 18-1) are No. 10 in the NCAA RPI rankings this week. First-place Northwestern (41-7, 20-0), the team they host this weekend, is No. 11.

Etc.

• The Gophers’ baseball game with North Dakota State on Tuesday at Siebert Field was canceled because of incoming bad weather.

• Joel Johnson, the Gophers women’s hockey associate head coach, was named head coach of the U.S. under-22 women’s select team for the 2019-20 season. The U.S. team will play Canada in a three-game series Aug 15-18 in Lake Placid, N.Y.

• Seniors Temi Ogunrinde (women’s track and field) and Justin Karstadt (men’s gymnastics) were named the Gophers’ Big Ten Medal of Honor recipients. The award is given to the top female and male student- athletes at each conference school.

• Minnesota Duluth hockey captain Parker Mackay signed with the Texas Stars, an AHL affiliate of the Dallas Stars, for next season.

Star Tribune LOADED: 04.30.2019 1143443 Minnesota Wild It’s these learning lessons from his childhood that guides O’Reilly anytime he captains a professional hockey team. It’s not just conducting himself in a professional manner or being a great example on and off the The leader in Cal O’Reilly: How the Iowa Wild star became the glue of a ice. franchise He believes being a good leader “is having good relationships with every single player on the team,” he says. “And, when you have a lot of good relationships as a team, you’re usually a better team, and so just By Michael Russo Apr 29, 2019 positively sharing confidence in yourself, the other guys, talking to guys, pumping them up. And then, when things need to be said, just trying to

say it, saying the right things. DES MOINES, Iowa — This was Tim Army’s first season with the Iowa “But most of all, try to be everybody’s friend. There’s a right and wrong Wild, but he coached Cal O’Reilly’s brother, Ryan, while an assistant with way to do everything, and I try to do things the right way and hope the the Colorado Avalanche and had a pretty good sense of what type of other guys see that and learn that’s the way they should do things, too.” person Cal would be if he was anything like his younger brother. Added brother Ryan, “He’s an incredible captain. He’s so good at getting That was affirmed to Iowa’s coach very early this season. along with everyone, communicating with everyone. He’s got a great Wild prospect Dmitry Sokolov is a native of Russia and played his junior ability that everyone likes him. He’s fun to be around, he’s sincere with hockey in Ontario. Back in the fall, he arrived for his first minor-league guys, he always wants to make sure everyone is doing well. He’s a great season with only a gym bag’s worth of clothes and other stuff. leader and he’s a heck of a player, too.”

After getting his apartment in West Des Moines, Sokolov’s mother and It was the middle of this month when Bonnie O’Reilly decided to send her uncle came to visit, so the young scorer invited Army, Army’s wife, two boys some motivation before a couple huge games. teammate Mike Liambas, Liambas’ wife and their baby over for dinner. Ryan’s Blues were at the start of a playoff series against the Army knocked on the door and was astonished to be led into a beautifully Jets. Cal’s Iowa Wild were in a huge rut and facing a must-win in the furnished apartment. second-to-last game of the regular season against the Wolves.

“I said, ‘Geez, I love your furniture, how’d you get all this?’” Army said. Bonnie found a small 1936 or 1937 press clipping from an Irish “Soky says, ‘Cal took me.’ I go, ‘What?’ And Soky says, ‘Yeah, Cal said, newspaper that had a blurb about their almost 100-year-old grandmother, let’s go, then picked it all out, helped me buy it and then he set me up.’” Dierdre Shoen, who was a field hockey player.

Besides being an immensely talented player at the American Hockey Today, Dierdre is belovedly known as “Granny O’Reilly.” League level, this is what “Captain Cal” means to the Iowa Wild, who “Brian’s mother is 99, and in the article, it was showing that her COVE face a do-or-die Game 5 Monday night in Milwaukee that will either team beat this other team 6-to-nothing and their grandmother got all six advance his team into the second round of the Calder Cup playoffs goals,” Bonnie said, laughing. “So, I texted the boys and said, ‘Here’s a against the Chicago Wolves or end their season. little inspiration from your almost-100-year-old gran before a big night for O’Reilly, 32, one of the highest-scoring players in recent AHL history, and each of you.’ Anyways, both of them, Cal got both goals and the overtime his three siblings grew up two hours west of Toronto in the small town of winner to win his game, and Ryan scored a huge goal (in a comeback Seaforth, Ontario. win) against Winnipeg.

Parents Bonnie and Brian are social workers and for over 20 years “I was like, ‘Yeah, it works! A little inspiration from Gran. It was a riot. I fostered 46 at-risk children. told her, and she got a kick out of it.”

At any given time, O’Reilly, his brother, Ryan, who is currently starring for Deirdre O'Reilly the St. Louis Blues in the second round of the Stanley Cup playoffs, and Each O’Reilly boy scored the night mother Bonnie showed them this old sisters, Tara and Shannon, had four foster siblings living with them. clipping of Granny O’Reilly playing field hockey in the 1930s. Gran Because of their parents’ academic background, the family always took scored all six goals in the win. (Courtesy Bonnie O’Reilly) in the hardest-to-serve teenagers that were angrier and more aggressive than the average foster child. Cal and Ryan aren’t the only siblings to play hockey.

“We had a lot of kids that had a lot of tough upbringings,” Cal O’Reilly Their sister, Tara, who has four children and is just finishing up law said last week. “At times it was tough for us because our parents had to school, was a walk-on at Carleton University in Ottawa, played four years deal with a lot of stuff, but we knew they were helping kids and a lot of there and naturally captained her team. Youngest sister Shannon is kids stay in contact and thank my parents. For me and my brother, it was finishing up her schooling at Fanshawe College in London, Ontario, and great because we had more kids to play hockey with, so we were always played senior women’s hockey. playing hockey, throwing them in net and things like that on this cement pad that was outside our house. We weren’t complaining when they were Bonnie is one of 14 siblings, so the O’Reillys had several cousins and out playing with us.” uncles who played hockey, including uncle Bill Bowler, one of the Ontario Hockey League’s highest scorers in history who still owns several Being foster brothers, Cal says, taught him and his brother how to get Windsor Spitfires records. He played nine games with the Columbus Blue along with anybody and how to be thoughtful and perceptive to others’ Jackets and today is a Spitfires executive. misfortunes. “When we were young, he was the guy we looked up to,” Cal O’Reilly Cal O'Reilly said. “We’d go watch him play for Windsor when he played around us in London, Toronto, Kitchener, all that, and he’d just light it up.” After injuries slowed his NHL dreams, Cal O’Reilly has turned into one of the AHL’s most prolific scorers. He set Iowa records this year with 51 Father Brian’s dad played professional soccer in Ireland. assists and 67 points. (Courtesy Iowa Wild) “So Ryan and Cal get their competitiveness from both sides of the So, it’s not a shock that every player down in Iowa calls Cal O’Reilly “the family,” Bonnie said. glue” that keeps that team together and close-knit and why he’s capable of immediately recognizing and empathizing with a nervous European Well, actually, Ryan and Cal O’Reilly each say the other is the most teammate like Sokolov living on his own and having no clue how to competitive person they know, and they say they get it from Mum. purchase furniture in a foreign land. “She’s feisty,” Cal said of mother Bonnie, who plays sports — broomball, “It brings tears to my eyes because I just can’t imagine that feeling of pickleball, basketball, hockey, you name it — five days a week. coming from the other side of the world into a strange place,” Bonnie “Ryan’s more like her in the sense that he’ll snap,” Cal O’Reilly said. O’Reilly said. “The fact that Cal would understand what he could do to “When he was younger, he’d be throwing sticks at us if he lost and help him, it makes me proud and it’s just lovely. It’s important to be chasing us. He always played with me and my buddies. We both have sensitive to others, I think.” that really competitive nature, and we’re not necessarily going out there and fighting or running around physically, but we want to win and we do “He’s been fighting so hard since in the American League. You look at what we do and try to lead by the way we do it.” the numbers that he’s put up, that’s a tough league to score consistently in. He’s one of the best playmakers I think I’ve ever seen, and you can Ryan O’Reilly is almost five years younger than Cal, and he’s a bona fide see down there, to put up the numbers he has, I’m proud of him, how NHL star. well he’s done down there.”

The 2014 Lady Byng Trophy winner is a finalist for the Selke Trophy this “When I look at Cal’s career,” Bonnie O’Reilly added, “I think the season as the NHL’s best defensive forward. The first-year Blue led the unfortunate injuries — the leg, the back, the groin — derailed his career a NHL with 1,086 faceoff wins, was fourth in shorthanded faceoff wins little and I think when it comes to the big money they pay in the big (121), eighth in faceoff winning percentage (56.9 percent) and fourth with league, I kinda look at it and figure, once you’ve been damaged, I think 94 takeaways. The 28-year-old led all Blues forwards in average ice time they’re less apt to take risks on you, and I think that’s always plagued (20:46 per game) and led the team in assists (49), points (77) and points him. But the AHL is a top league and he’s done really well again this per game (0.94) and was second with 28 goals. year, so we’re pretty proud of him.”

He very well could soon be named a Lady Byng finalist again. After all, Ryan O'Reilly he amassed only 12 penalty minutes and has amazingly taken only 96 minutes in penalties in 733 career games. While brother Cal leads Iowa into the AHL playoffs, Ryan O’Reilly is a critical piece of a St. Louis Blues team making a run in the Stanley Cup “He just wants to win, and he’s so smart,” Cal said of Ryan. “We both try playoffs. (Jeff Curry / USA Today) to use our minds more and if a guy is coming after us with cheap shots, we’re like, OK, we’re going to get him back by scoring a goal or making a What shows O’Reilly’s maturity is even as he watches his brother star in nice play back in his face rather than fighting him or doing something like the NHL and help his Stanley Cup-contending Blues turn their entire that.” season around from being last in the West back on Jan. 3, O’Reilly continues to embrace the AHL. Cal O’Reilly was a Nashville Predators draft pick but has played only 145 NHL games with the Predators, Coyotes, Penguins, Sabres and Wild. He It couldn’t have been more fitting that he scored both those goals in that and his wife, Terra, still live in Nashville during the offseason. must-win game against the Wolves. It couldn’t have been any more appropriate that he scored the first playoff goal in Iowa Wild history. The O'Reilly family “When he does something, when he says something, it resonates,” Army The O’Reilly family. Back row, from left: Brian, Bonnie, Blues forward said. “He’s playing with Will Bitten, for instance, and there was a time Ryan and his wife Dayna, Terra (holding Ryan and Dayna’s son) and earlier in the year, Bitsy would go four or five really good games and he’d Cal. Gran is front and center. (Courtesy Bonnie O’Reilly) dip like any 20-year-old would. He would just kinda stop skating, he’d O’Reilly ranks 16th all-time in AHL history with 461 assists, per the sorta stand around and kinda get overwhelmed with the situation and league. Since 2005-06, he’s third in that category and is fifth with 581 then we would sit him a game and put him back in. regular-season points. His 202 assists on the power play rank third in “It got to one point in the year where he was just slipping a little bit, but it that timeframe and his 667 games rank 16th. was too late to sit him. We needed to get him up to speed, so I was In 81 career playoff games, O’Reilly has scored 14 goals and 55 points talking with Cal, so Cal says, ‘Put him with me. I got him. We’ll take care and entered this postseason with 77 games of experience — more than of him, we’ll get him going.’ This is a true leader.” all his Iowa teammates combined. This, too, warms Mum’s heart.

As he alluded, like his brother, Cal’s extremely disciplined. In those 667 “Having so many foster kids would be pretty chaotic for other people, but games, he has only recorded 134 penalty minutes. I grew up with 13 siblings, so chaos is normal for me,” Bonnie said. “But I Teammate Gerry Mayhew calls O’Reilly the best passer he has ever think this type of childhood has helped Cal as a captain. It takes a lot of seen, and Cal’s brother didn’t dial down that sentiment. understanding and cooperation to live with that many people, and when you have kids who have to move into your home because of difficulties “He’s got incredible vision,” Ryan O’Reilly said of Cal, who set Iowa their own families were having, they’re not always very happy, so single-season records this past season with 51 assists and 67 points. learning how to live with them and let them work through that, it took a lot “He’s always had like a pass-first mentality, but you look on the power of understanding and patience on all our parts. … play and every guy on the ice, he knows where they are and he knows when they’re available. He’s got that elite vision that you see in the elite “And I do think that’s what Cal’s teammates get from him and see from playmakers in the game. He knows how to put (the puck) in a perfect him.” area for a guy to shoot it. Guys love to play with him because they know These days, O’Reilly’s mom counsels victims of crime out of their Ontario that the puck is coming. I love watching him because you see how he home. O’Reilly’s dad is a high-performance coach, psychologist and develops everything by sucking guys in and then opening other guys up. marriage counselor. He works with a ton of athletes, both young and old, He’s just a master at it. It’s pretty impressive. I’ve learned a lot from especially professional volleyball, basketball and hockey players and watching him.” works a lot with the San Jose Sharks and several clubs in the OHL on At this point in his career, Cal has pretty much been typecast as a minor- team building. leaguer. “Both of our boys call him all the time,” Bonnie O’Reilly said. “Usually I Windows are so small, and it’s very hard for him to impress up top at this can tell what nights they will call if I think they’ll feel they didn’t have a point in his career because whenever he’s called up, he’s usually a six- good game. They will call Brian and he really helps them, he asks them to 10-minute fill-in guy on the fourth line, not a top-6, top power-play guy the questions so that they self-evaluate what they’re doing and how they like he is in the minors. can improve it.

For instance, in two seasons with Iowa, Minnesota has used O’Reilly in a “They definitely don’t call him to whine and get a, ‘Oh, woe is me.’ That grand total of one single game. they might get from me, but they won’t get that from Brian. He will say, ‘Well, what are you gonna do about it?’ He always flips it back onto them, So, what happened? What can you do better and what will you do now? So it’s good for them.”

You have to go back to 2011 when O’Reilly was finally playing in a top-6 And this has helped the older O’Reilly accept his lot in life as an AHLer. role alongside Steve Sullivan and Patric Hornqvist with the Predators. Things were going well until everything stopped short because of a bad “Obviously, I’d love to get back to the NHL and stay, but I just try and leg injury that took him a good year-and-a-half or two years to get over. focus on being down here, being a leader, helping young guys,” he said.

“He was playing in Nashville and was playing really well and caught a rut #CAPTAINCAL GRIPS IT, RIPS IT AND IT'S A TIE GAME AGAIN!!! in the ice and broke his tibia,” Ryan O’Reilly explained. “It was just tough, #MILVSIA PIC.TWITTER.COM/FNURCO4PWM it just kind of set him back. I think he was leading their team in points and — X – IOWA WILD (@IAWILD) APRIL 27, 2019 he was playing really well and it was kind of like, you know, he cracked the lineup and he’s going to be good, and it was just unfortunate that the O’Reilly is an unrestricted free agent after this season. injury came at a bad time. Because of how absolutely critical he is on and off the ice in Iowa, the Wild will surely push hard to re-sign him.

But you also know other teams will be lining up to try to get an influence like Cal O’Reilly inside their organization. For a guy who made $375,000 in the minors this season, he could potentially break the AHL bank this offseason.

After all, this is one of the AHL’s greats and his value clearly goes beyond the ice.

“I try not to think about it right now, but I will explore all options with my wife,” O’Reilly said. “See what’s best for us and see what the next step is for us. Is it staying here? Is it going overseas? Is it still fighting to get back into the NHL or just being the leader guy down here? You know? I don’t know. We’ll have to explore all options.

“Right now, all I want to do is go on a run here. The group we have here, we feel we can do something special. That’s all I care about right now.”

The entire O’Reilly clan will have plenty to watch Monday night.

The Blues, tied 1-1, play Game 3 of their best-of-seven Western Conference semifinals series in Dallas.

Iowa plays another must-win game in Milwaukee.

Ryan will be on the big TV, and AHL TV will be cooking on the laptop.

Ryan and Cal are stars at two different levels and well-schooled leaders from their childhood, but they could always use some more inspiration from Granny O’Reilly.

You can bet Bonnie’s searching through the scrapbooks now.

The Athletic’s Jeremy Rutherford contributed to this report.

Correction: A previous version of this article misstated Cal O’Reilly’s rank on the AHL’s career scoring leaderboard. Statistics and other references to his all-time rank have been updated.

The Athletic LOADED: 04.30.2019 1143444 Montreal Canadiens big free agents ’cause they’re in a rebuild, but that’s just not true. Any team that has Carey Price and Shea Weber in the lineup taking up huge space on the salary cap is not in rebuild mode.

What the Puck: Canadiens need to go hard for A-list stars this summer By definition, a team with a seasoned goalie earning $10.5 million a This is going to be a crucial summer for Montreal and I believe they will season has to be in win-pretty-darn-soon mode. Anything else makes no go hard to try to snare much-needed elite talent. sense.

The bottom line is you need elite talent to win. The current Habs have no shortage of great elements, but with the exception of Price and (maybe) BRENDAN KELLY, MONTREAL GAZETTE Weber, they don’t have the kind of A-list stars you need to get it done. But hopefully that’s about to change.

Montreal Gazette LOADED: 04.30.2019 This is going to be a crucial summer for Geoff Molson, Marc Bergevin and the Montreal Canadiens.

All season, Habs management and their defenders kept saying this was a transition season. Many fans argued loudly that it wasn’t important to make the post-season this year and at least the team was entertaining. In his post-mortem, Bergevin said he wasn’t happy his team missed the playoffs, “but we know we’re heading in the right direction.”

In the end, Montreal missed the playoffs for the third time in four years, but let’s let bygones be bygones. The notion is that the team is building for the future, but even the biggest Habs boosters are starting to admit the future is next season. As in, they need to make the playoffs in 2020, that it’s not acceptable to miss the post-season dance four out of five seasons.

I firmly believe Molson knows this. The big boss realizes that talking about a reset is all fine-and-dandy, but now the team has to produce results. No one is saying they have to contend for the Cup a year from now, but they can’t finish out of the playoffs again. I also believe Bergevin knows that if they fail again next season, it might finally be judgment day for him.

The biggest mistake Molson has made in the nearly 10 years he has owned the team was signing Bergevin to that way-too-lengthy contract extension in November 2015. The Habs GM is going to be paid a hefty annual salary by the Molson-led consortium until the end of the 2021- 2022 season and there was simply no reason to lock him up for that length of time.

Admittedly in the fall of 2015, Bergevin was looking pretty good. He’d brought the Habs into the playoffs in each of his first three seasons as GM and in 2014 the Bergevin-managed Habs had made it to the conference final for only the second time since their last Cup win in 1993. So you can see why Molson was high on Bergevin at the time. But he didn’t need to sign him to a five-year contract extension with two years remaining on his existing deal. You think Bergevin would’ve turned down a three-year contract extension? Of course he wouldn’t have.

In any case, the end of that contract is finally almost in sight and I think that at this time next year, if Montreal has again missed the playoffs, Molson might finally pull the trigger and fire his GM. Bergevin has to be thinking about this, which is why you can expect he will do whatever it takes to ensure a post-season berth in 2020.

That’s why I am confident the team will aggressively chase high-profile talent this summer. We already know from numerous reliable sources that Bergevin made a serious play for Matt Duchene at the trade deadline this year and I’m now hearing the Habs will go all-out trying to snare Artemi Panarin come July 1.

Of course there are no guarantees they’ll be able to sign the Russian 27- year-old who had 28 goals and 87 points with the Columbus Blue Jackets this season. He is rocking it in these playoffs, with four goals and nine points in six games, and many are betting he’ll end up with his old coach Joel Quenneville down in Sunrise, Fla. Panarin enjoyed immediate success during his first two seasons in the NHL playing under the direction of Quenneville with the Chicago Blackhawks and there is much speculation that the Florida Panthers’ hiring of Coach Q immediately made the team a front-runner in the sweepstakes for the talented winger.

But you never know where he’ll end up and if Bergevin makes the sweetest offer, maybe the city will finally have the kind of AAA offensive star seldom seen in this neck of the woods in the past couple of decades. Or will the Canadiens end up with Duchene?

Again, who knows? But I believe they will try hard to bring in some quality reinforcements to make sure they’re not once again on the outside looking in during the spring of 2020. Some might argue they won’t chase 1143445 Nashville Predators "I feel fresh right now," he said. "That's when you know it wasn't long enough. I want to start training right now."

A puzzling season left the Predators with many questions. For once, future seems certain for Predators' Rocco Grimaldi Grimaldi was not among them, though.

Still, he'd rather have celebrated his wife's birthday on the ice for Game Paul Skrbina, Nashville Tennessean Published 5:00 a.m. CT April 29, 7. 2019 Tennessean LOADED: 04.30.2019

Dinner with the birthday girl would have to wait.

Rocco Grimaldi had three hours to kill before he could leave Bridgestone Arena on Wednesday, when the Predators gathered not for Game 7 of their first-round series with the Stars, but rather exit interviews on the first day of a premature summer vacation.

Tongue in cheek, Grimaldi mused of knowing his place in the pecking order for a mandatory individual meeting before dining with his bride.

After all, he's a 5-foot-6 forward who didn't make the team out of training camp to start the season and played mostly as a fourth-liner making the league minimum $650,000 —prorated, of course, in relation to the time he spent in the American Hockey League.

He ended the season on the Predators' top line, the unlikeliest of leading scorers with three goals.

He'll be back

A shiny new, much more valuable, likely much longer-term contract awaits Grimaldi this summer. The restricted free agent made it clear he wants to stay with Nashville.

The reasons are pretty simple: The Predators gave Grimaldi a chance to be a regular.

Grimaldi grasped that opportunity by posting career-highs in goals (five), assists (eight) and games (53). Not eye-popping numbers, but dig deeper into his game and you find a player who is slippery, quick, relentless and doesn't make many mistakes.

General manger David Poile feels the same. He urged Grimaldi a few months ago to look for a place to live in Nashville, a preamble to an inevitable offer.

"He was one of our best, if not our best, forwards in the playoffs," Poile said. "We have every intention to re-sign him."

Playing hurt

What made Grimaldi's postseason even more remarkable was not his quick return from a broken rib and a strained oblique — which he dubbed "a miracle" — which resigned him to a healthy scratch for Game 1.

"That was the most frustrating part," he said. "I was starting to find my stride, that happens and that sets you back. I was worried about my spot (in the lineup), of course.

"Having that concern was definitely something mentally that was draining and frustrating."

Concern returned a few games later, when, Grimaldi told the Tennessean, he sprained his ankle and wasn't sure he'd be able to play in Games 5 or 6.

Sign of the times

As for his contract, the man who names his sticks isn't too worried sticking with a team. For once.

"There's never, 'I made it or I deserve this or that,'" he said. "For me, it’s a new year. There's a lot of guys who have a great year, and the next year they don’t have so great of a year because they rest on their laurels or they rest on their contract or winning. That’s never the person I want to be. I don’t want winning a Stanley Cup to change who I am, or signing a nice contract to change who I am.

"That’s not the type of person my parents raised me to be."

Grimaldi called the season a "dream come true."

Waking up too early from that dream left his appetite unfulfilled. 1143446 New Jersey Devils

Devils’ Damon Severson to represent Canada at World Championships, along with former N.J. teammate

By Chris Ryan

Devils defenseman Damon Severson will represent Canada at the 2019 IIHF Men’s World Championships after being named part of the team’s initial 22-man roster on Monday.

He’ll play alongside former teammate Adam Henrique, who will join the team after the Anaheim Ducks also missed the postseason.

Devils goalie Mackenzie Blackwood is also on the roster after he was announced as a member earlier in April. Pittsburgh Penguins goalie Matt Murray and Flyers goalie Carter Hart will also be on the roster, so Blackwood will have plenty of competition for playing time.

This will be Severson’s first stint with the Canadian men’s national team. His last time representing his country came in 2012, when he played for the Canadian U18 team prior to being drafted by the Devils.

Jack Hughes set the career scoring record at the U18 World Championships, surpassing the previous mark held by Alex Ovechkin.

Severson is coming off a career season, posting 11 goals and 39 assists while playing in all 82 games for the first time in his career.. Fellow defenseman Andy Greene was the only other Devil to play in every game in 2018-19.

He also led the Devils in average ice time per game for the first time in his career, playing 22:03 per game.

Since making his NHL debut during the 2014-15 season, Severson has appeared in 361 games with the Devils, going for 29 goals and 103 assists for 132 points.

Buy Devils gear: Fanatics.com, NHL.com, Lids, Dick's Sporting Goods

Severson will be one of seven Devils playing or coaching at the World Championships:

G Cory Schneider, United States

G Mackenzie Blackwood, Canada

D Damon Severson, Canada

F Nico Hischier, Switzerland

F Jesper Bratt, Sweden

D Egor Yakovlev, Russia

Coach John Hynes, United States assistant coach

Star Ledger LOADED: 04.30.2019 1143447 New York Islanders “Obviously, this isn’t where we wanted to be, but in terms of our play I thought we controlled most of the game,” Martin said. “We just have to keep at it and not get frustrated, not change how we play.”

Islanders Face 2-0 Deficit to Team That Looks Familiar The Islanders may again face Curtis McElhinney, Carolina’s 35-year-old backup goalie, who has never started an N.H.L. playoff game. McElhinney replaced the injured starter Petr Mrazek six minutes into the By Allan Kreda second period on Sunday, then made 17 saves to cement his first career playoff win.

McElhinney’s unflustered play did not shock Martin, a teammate of the Heading to North Carolina down by two games to none to the pesky goaltender with the Toronto Maple Leafs the previous two seasons. Hurricanes in the second round of the N.H.L. playoffs is not producing McElhinney won a career-high 20 games this season for the Hurricanes, panic among the Islanders. They have been relentlessly resilient all his seventh N.H.L. team. season under Coach Barry Trotz. “He’s a veteran guy who knows his job,” Martin said. “He’s big and really These Islanders have made it their habit to wear down opponents with solid.” suffocating defense, stellar goaltending and enough opportunistic goals to win 48 regular-season games and four straight against the vaunted On Monday the Hurricanes recalled the 23-year-old goalie Alex Pittsburgh Penguins in the opening playoff round. Nedeljkovic from Charlotte of the A.H.L. He won his lone N.H.L. game in January and will presumably back up McElhinney on Wednesday. Game They were able to stifle Pittsburgh’s Sidney Crosby and Evgeni Malkin, 4 is Friday night in Raleigh. but the Hurricanes — who employ a similar defensive-minded style to the Islanders — have discovered a few seams. Exhibits A and B are Jordan Trotz last spring coached the Capitals out of an 0-2 deficit against Staal’s overtime winner in Game 1 and a goal from the former Islanders Columbus in the first round, then went on to win the Stanley Cup with first-round draft pick Nino Niederreiter to secure Game 2 at Barclays Washington. The same lessons should apply to the Islanders this year. Center. “We had a lot of chances, but the cruel reality sometimes is you play Timely goals and stifling defense has been a successful formula for the really well and don’t get the result,” Trotz said. “You just stick to the Hurricanes, and the results have the Islanders looking for answers ahead process.” of Game 3 on Wednesday in Raleigh. Despair, however, is not part of their equation. Lee, whose effort to knot Game 2 in the waning moments clanged off the post behind McElhinney, said what happened next was up to the “This is far from over,” the Islanders’ captain, Anders Lee, said after Islanders’ will and a dose of playoff moxie. Game 2. “Tough stretch. Two games. We’ll rebound. We have no choice.” “This is a full-on best of seven. It’s not a best of two,” he said. “We put ourselves in a hole. You dig yourselves out of it. That’s what you do as a The Islanders are perhaps seeing a mirror image of themselves in the good team.” Hurricanes under their hard-driving first-year coach Rod Brind’Amour, who won the Stanley Cup as a player with Carolina in 2006. New York Times LOADED: 04.30.2019

“They play very structured, similar to the way we play,” Islanders forward Josh Bailey said. “And we found a way to frustrate teams all year.”

The Hurricanes do not have the star power of Crosby and Malkin. But they do possess the savvy three-time Cup-winning forward Justin Williams and the fleet young scorers Sebastian Aho and Teuvo Teravainen.

Yet it was in-season acquisition of the 26-year-old Niederreiter — the fifth overall pick by the Islanders in 2010 who never established a role before being traded to Minnesota in 2013 — who proved to be the Game 2 hero after assisting on the overtime winner in Game 1.

“We knew how good defensively the Islanders are,” said Niederreiter, who joined the Hurricanes in a trade midway through this season and scored 14 goals in 36 games. “For us, it is huge playing our system, getting pucks in deep and making the opposing team work. That’s been working for us all year.”

The Hurricanes were not long ago in a similar predicament to the one the Islanders are in now. Carolina lost the first two games of its first-round series in Washington before rallying to oust the defending champion Capitals in seven games.

Swooping into Brooklyn to begin a fresh series against the rested Islanders, the Hurricanes had to be a bit weary, but they haven’t shown it. Instead, they continued to display steady resolve, not letting the Islanders find scoring lanes, squelching all but one of six Islanders power plays and playing physical enough to keep the Islanders’ offense quiet.

None of this surprises Brind’Amour, whose no-nonsense style over a 20- year playing career has translated to the coaching ranks.

“I know it’s hard work; I know that, I mean there’s no other way to describe it,” Brind’Amour said with the weary look of a coach eager to get home with his team amid the long playoff grind. “They’re just playing hard. That gives you a chance every night when you do that.”

Despite two home defeats, the veteran Islanders forward Matt Martin said his team had no reason to deviate from its game plan. He said the approach was essentially working — except for the requisite timely goals — since both contests had been tight. 1143448 New York Islanders

The Islanders’ backup plan with Cal Clutterbuck uncertainty

By Brett Cyrgalis April 30, 2019

With ambiguity around the availability of Cal Clutterbuck, and with their season teetering on the brink, the Islanders have a handful of contingency plans.

Clutterbuck needed to be helped off the ice with an apparent back injury at the end of Game 2 of the team’s second-round series against the Hurricanes on Sunday afternoon, the Islanders losing again and now down 2-0 in the best-of-seven contest as the scene shifts to Raleigh for an all-important Game 3 on Wednesday night.

When asked Monday if he had an update on the status of the integral winger, coach Barry Trotz gave a succinct “nope.”

If Clutterbuck can’t play, the most likely scenario would be that Michael Dal Colle draws into the lineup after he had been a healthy scratch for the previous six postseason games. The 22-year-old winger played 28 games with the Islanders this season and could add a bit of offensive punch to a team that scored just one goal — on a deflected pass — through the opening two games.

“Oh yeah, Delly is definitely an option in that situation,” Trotz said Monday. “Delly has been an option for us the first couple games, and we didn’t go there. Maybe we do [for Game 3].”

The other extra forward with the team is Ross Johnston, the 6-foot-5 pugilist who got into 17 games this season.

Trotz also didn’t rule out the possibility of someone coming straight from AHL Bridgeport, as its season ended Saturday. Following exit interviews, it’s possible a few players join the team for practice in the coming days, the most interesting possibilities being Josh Ho-Sang or Otto Koivula.

“We’ve talked about that,” Trotz said. “I would probably say there’s a good chance there will be one or two people. But we’ll discuss that. That’ll be an organizational discussion.”

The Hurricanes are dealing with a handful of impactful injuries, and they called up goalie Alex Nedeljkovic and defenseman Jake Bean from AHL Charlotte on Monday.

Starting goalie Petr Mrazek had to leave Game 2 early in the second period due to an undisclosed injury, replaced by 35-year-old journeyman Curtis McElhinney. Coach Rod Brind’Amour called Mrazek “day-to-day, so that’s actually good news.” Nedeljkovic won the award for being the best goalie in the AHL this season.

Defenseman Trevor van Riemsdyk also left Game 2 with an apparent left-shoulder injury, and Brind’Amour said he is “not coming back anytime soon.” They also lost winger Saku Maenalanen, who isn’t expected back this series.

There is a chance they get talented 18-year-old winger Andrei Svechnikov back. He has been out since suffering a concussion in a fight with childhood idol Alex Ovechkin in Game 3 of the first round.

As far as playing in front of the raucous Raleigh crowd, Trotz was looking forward to the challenge.

“This time of year, a lot of times, it just becomes a blank. You hear the noise, but if you’re focused, it’s background noise,” he said. “If you have a real good focus, which I think we will, that’ll be exciting to play there.”

New York Post LOADED: 04.30.2019 1143449 New York Islanders

Barry Trotz’s ‘process’ to overcome Islanders’ daunting hole

By Brett Cyrgalis April 30, 2019

It’s a small number, just 12.8 percent, but it’s a number that Barry Trotz has already helped increase and hopes to do so again.

The Islanders coach knows exactly how difficult it is for a team to come back from a 2-0 hole in a best-of-seven series, just 52 teams out of 405 in that position have done so in the history of the NHL. But Trotz was behind the bench for one of those 52, just over a year ago when his Capitals lost the first two games of the first round to the Blue Jackets but ended up coming back to win the series — and then the Stanley Cup.

He now faces it again, as his Islanders lost the first two games of the second round at home to the Hurricanes, two very tight games at Barclays Center that came as a shock to the system following a first- round sweep of the Penguins and a subsequent 10-day layoff. So Game 3 in Raleigh, N.C., on Wednesday night is not a must-win, but it’s not far off.

“You sometimes have to understand that there’s a little bit of a process that you end up going through,” Trotz said Monday on Long Island during his team’s day of rest. “We’re going through some adversity. I don’t think we went through any in that first series. We don’t want to look back. And there’s always tests.

“I said there’s an unseen hand or something will come up that will test you a little bit. It’s how you respond. I said to them, ‘Hey, we’re going to Carolina to win two games. Plain and simple.’ And you can’t win two unless you focus on the first, so we’ll focus on the first and go from there.”

The direness of the situation is that only four teams out of 212 (1.9 percent) have ever come back from being down 3-0, one of them the 1975 Islanders. That is not the situation these Islanders want to be in, especially not in Carolina where the fans can smell blood in the water and are full-throated behind their “bunch of jerks.”

“We know we’ve dug ourselves a little hole and there’s some urgency to get back in the series,” Trotz said. “You fall down 3-0, it’s going to have to be a real epic-type thing because you don’t want to dig yourself too far. But it’s a race to four, and they’re up two.”

There is almost no question the long layoff hurt the Islanders most in terms of mental focus. While the Hurricanes were grinding out a first- round series that needed double overtime in Game 7 against the Capitals, the Isles were just trying to replicate game-like situations in practice while mixing in days of rest.

They knew it might take a while before they got back into full-bore playoff mode, and the hope is the positive side of the layoff will come later in the series, when Carolina is worn down and the Islanders are relatively fresh.

One thing that is certain is they need to score more than just the one goal they had through the first two games — that one coming on a Mat Barzal pass that was deflected in by Hurricanes defenseman Jaccob Slavin. They peppered the posts with pucks in Game 2, and could never take advantage of backup goalie Curtis McElhinney coming in for the injured Petr Mrazek early in the second period.

The two teams are very similar in playing a defensive style, and the only times the Islanders have really struggled in their first year under Trotz is when they get away from that patient, plodding game. The hope for them is the situation won’t force any uncharacteristic risks and their dedication to that style will eventually pay off with a return of crispness.

Just like it did for Trotz a year ago.

“You’ve just got to respond and you’ve got to dig in. We have another level.” Trotz said. “There’s some players on our team that have another level of focus, another level of commitment — all those things that’s necessary to win. You can’t have any passengers. We’re going to have to go in there fully committed, and if we do that, it gives ourselves a chance to have success.”

New York Post LOADED: 04.30.2019 1143450 New York Islanders For all of the noise, Trotz has his Islanders acting with aplomb. They are not out of this series by any stretch of the imagination, but might be if they lose Game 3. Odds are they will still return for at least one more Switch to Barclays Center not reason for Islanders’ second-round hole game at Barclays.

And whether they win or lose, rest assured the result won’t have anything to do with the setting. By Brett Cyrgalis April 29, 2019 New York Post LOADED: 04.30.2019

There were a lot of reasons the Islanders lost the first two games of their second-round series against the Hurricanes, but you know what wasn’t one of them? The fact the games were played at Barclays Center.

Of course it has been a weird change, as it would be for any franchise, to move the location of its home games in the middle of the postseason. Of course from a competitive standpoint, the Islanders would prefer to be playing these games at the Coliseum, where they began the first-round sweep of the Penguins.

But the Brooklyn crowds were just fine over the weekend, and that despite these two defensive teams doing all they can to suck the life out of their opponent (and therefore a game). The soft ice — which ain’t getting any harder in Raleigh, N.C., for Game 3 on Wednesday night — surely didn’t add to the excitement level.

But to think the venue had anything to do with the Islanders scoring one goal in two games would be wrong. To think scoring one goal in two games will almost never give you a chance to win, well, that would be far more logical.

As will be reiterated ad nauseam, the postseason is a game of inches. Yes, even the smallest advantage can make a difference, especially in games that are so tight. But the venue had absolutely nothing to do with all the posts that the Islanders hit in Game 2, or all the chances they bungled for no other reason than failing to execute. Heck, the only goal they’ve scored this series came on a deflection of a Mat Barzal pass!

“We have to score some goals,” coach Barry Trotz said while his team rested Monday. “Right now, we’re just off a little bit.”

The Islanders had 10 days off between series, and that has to be the main reason they have lacked sharpness. If anything, the change in home venue probably helped them focus.

After practice on Long Island on Thursday, the whole team loaded in a bus and went to their hotel in Battery Park. They stayed there for three nights, which bridged a practice day on Saturday at Barclays Center. It was a weird mix of home and road living. But this team won the same amount of games (12) at Barclays Center this season as it did at the Coliseum. And the Islanders also won the same amount of games (24) on the road as they did at home.

So does it really matter?

What matters is the league made a decision back in February that struck a compromise. The NHL gifted the Islanders the first round at the Coliseum, partially for nostalgia and partially so the postseason didn’t start with a scene at a dreary, half-empty, soulless shell of arena. It was smart of Sixth Avenue to realize that as much as most Islanders fans dislike Barclays, they would show up and be rowdy once the second round started.

What gets lost in this move is that financial implications of remaining at the Coliseum don’t only affect the league, they affect every team and every player.

The money brought in during these games is considered hockey-related revenue, the overarching figure that determines things like the salary cap and the escrow pulled from each player’s paycheck. Forget even the difference between the 13,917 and 15,795 seats and realize Barclays has about 100 luxury suites while the Coliseum has less than 10. Guess at the average price of a suite, do the math, and the difference in revenue is staggering.

If the repercussions were the Islanders lost a distinct competitive advantage, then maybe there could be righteous indignation. But they haven’t. And remember, it might not have been this ownership group and this front-office group, but the franchise got itself into this situation. No one forced the Islanders to be squatters. Well, maybe the backwards politicians of Nassau County gave them a soft push, but still … 1143451 New York Islanders “Where’d the main goalie go?’’ she asked.

Scarola saw McElhinney in goal, then checked his phone and saw a text to come on down. Stony Brook grad Todd Scarola excited to get emergency goalie call for Hurricanes against Islanders “And I’m like, ‘This is surreal right now,’ ’’ he said. “ ‘Is this actually happening?’ ’’

Newsday LOADED: LOADED: 04.30.2019 By Colin Stephenson

Todd Scarola was born to be a hockey goalie. His father was a goalie, and so were his older brother and sister.

“My dad threw me in skates when I was still in diapers, when I was 2 years old,’’ Scarola told Newsday in a telephone interview Monday. “I didn’t really have a choice . . . It’s just been a huge passion of mine, and I loved it my entire life.’’

Scarola, 27, came oh so close to fulfilling his lifelong dream of playing in the NHL on Sunday when he was called upon to dress as the emergency backup goalie for Carolina in Game 2 of the Hurricanes’ second-round playoff series against the Islanders at Barclays Center.

Carolina’s starting goaltender, Petr Mrazek, left the Hurricanes’ 2-1 victory early in the second period with a lower-body injury, pressing backup goalie Curtis McElhinney into action and prompting the Hurricanes to call on Scarola, a Kings Park native and Stony Brook graduate, to dress as a backup to McElhinney.

“Even though I didn’t get to go in the game, I wasn’t nervous whatsoever,’’ Scarola said. “I actually wanted to go in the game. I was excited to go in.’’

(With NHL teams restricted to two goaltenders on their game-night roster, each arena usually has an emergency goaltender on hand for games in case one team loses both its goalies to injury. The emergency goaltender usually is a local amateur who is not under contract and would play for either team should the need arise.)

The most impressive part of Scarola’s story, though, has nothing to do with hockey. It has to do with brain surgery.

Scarola, whose mother died from a rare form of cancer when he was 9 years old, has had not one but two brain surgeries — one in September 2011, when he was 20 and playing junior hockey, and again in May 2015, when he was finishing up his junior year at Stony Brook. Both times, he had operations to have a benign growth removed from his brain.

He was back playing a month and a half after the first surgery. After his second, he missed training camp but ended up being the No. 1 goalie on one of the top club teams in the nation, one that went 30-3-2 and made it to the final four of the American Collegiate Hockey Association National Tournament.

“I’m 100 percent,’’ Scarola said when asked how he can play hockey after two brain surgeries. “At the end of the day, I just look at it like it’s a blessing in disguise. I don’t take anything for granted.”

Scarola, who lives in Islip with his girlfriend, Courtney, graduated from Stony Brook in 2016 with a bachelor’s degree in economics. He worked as a steamfitter after college but has taken a job with a company doing HVAC work.

He plays both ice and roller hockey in men’s leagues on Long Island and got hooked up with the emergency backup goalie gig with the Islanders when teammate Dan Casano passed his name along to the person who is in charge of finding emergency goalies for the Islanders.

“Originally, I thought it was a hoax; I thought someone’s playing a joke on me,’’ Scarola said, recalling his first contact with the Islanders.

Scarola said there are “about eight guys’’ who serve as emergency goaltenders for the Islanders, taking turns at each of the 41 regular- season home games at Barclays Center and Nassau Coliseum. Before Sunday, he served “about 10 to 12’’ games during the season. He brings his goalie gear to the arena and leaves it with an equipment man down by the locker room before the game, then sits in a regular seat and watches the game like any fan.

Early in the second period Sunday, Scarola was chatting with the fan next to him when his girlfriend alerted him that something was up. 1143452 New York Islanders

Michael Dal Colle among the options for Islanders if Cal Clutterbuck can't play Game 3 vs. Hurricanes

By Andrew Gross

The Islanders have options if right wing Cal Clutterbuck is not available for Wednesday night’s Game 3 of their second-round series against the Hurricanes.

Coach Barry Trotz is not tipping his hand and did not have an update on Clutterbuck on Monday. The Islanders did not practice and will be back on the ice on Tuesday before traveling to Raleigh, North Carolina. That will be the first chance to see if Clutterbuck, who exited with an undisclosed injury late in the third period of Sunday afternoon’s 2-1 loss in Game 2 at Barclays Center, is a possibility.

“This time of the year, people have to step up,” Trotz said. “Clutter got hurt last night. We’ll see where he is going forward. If you’re going to have success in the playoffs, it’s the next guy up.”

For the Islanders, that might be rookie Michael Dal Colle, a healthy scratch for the first six postseason games.

“Oh, yeah, Dally is definitely an option in that situation,” Trotz said. “Dally has been an option for us the first couple of games. We didn’t go there. Maybe we do.”

Another possibility is a call-up from Bridgeport, which was eliminated in the first round of the AHL playoffs. Even if one of the Sound Tigers is not inserted into the lineup, some call-ups are expected to form a Black Aces practice squad.

When asked if the Islanders will have some prospects travel with them to Carolina, Trotz said, “I would probably say there’s a good chance there’d be one or two people.”

Hurricanes updates

The Hurricanes listed No. 1 goalie Petr Mrazek (lower body) as day-to- day after he exited Game 2 in the second period, which coach Rod Brind’Amour said he considered “good news.” Still, Alex Nedeljkovic, the AHL goalie of the year, was recalled from Charlotte.

Trotz expects to face Curtis McElhinney again after he relieved Mrazek and stopped all 17 shots he faced. “McElhinney is a good goaltender,” Trotz said. “We’re going to have to get to him. We’re going to have to dissect him a little bit. We’ve got to score some goals.”

Brind’Amour said defenseman Trevor van Riemsdyk (left shoulder) will be out for a lengthy amount of time and right wing Saku Maenalanen (upper body) will be out for the rest of the series.

Injured forwards Andrei Svechnikov and Micheal Ferland skated on Monday. Jordan Martinook did not after taking Game 2 warmups but remaining out of the lineup.

Newsday LOADED: LOADED: 04.30.2019 1143453 New York Islanders “I got acquainted with their fan base,” he said. “I got acquainted with Jiggs (McDonald), who was a big influence for me. He helped me. Barry Landers helped me, and that’s where I got my start.

John Forslund, the 'Canes season announcer, discusses calling series "So when I do a series like this, I’ve been working for the Whalers/Canes vs. Islanders for NBC's national audience since 1991, so you obviously have an attachment there. But I also have kind of a sentimental attachment to the Islanders, the Coliseum, the history of the team. I get it all. I followed it my entire life.” By Neil Best Forslund said doing a playoff series at NYCB Live’s Nassau Coliseum “would have been great.”

John Forslund has been associated with the Whalers/Hurricanes “I enjoyed doing the game I did in the regular season there,” he said. franchise since 1991, but he said he understands Islanders fans well, “Professionally, the broadcast view at the Coliseum is so much better. I having lived the experience in the “Drive For Five” season of 1983-84 know it is what it is at Barclays; you have to work with whatever it is. It’s while in graduate school at Adelphi. just I can’t emphasize enough there would be no question where that [Eberle] goal is and where the broadcast location at the Coliseum is in That is why even though he was surprised by the reaction to one of his saying whether it had gone off the bar or not. It would have been a lock.” calls in Game 2 of the Hurricanes-Islanders playoff series on NBC Sunday, he was not surprised Islanders fans’ enthusiasm led some to Forslund said it has been “a lot of fun” watching the Hurricanes’ revival misinterpret what he said. after a playoff-less decade that saw dwindling home crowds in recent seasons. “When I saw this [reaction] after the game, I was taken aback,” he said. “I couldn’t believe it, yet I understand their passion and understand how “It’s a 10-year hole, and a 10-year hole for any franchise would be real you could take the word and flip it and use it as if I’m showing bias.” difficult,” he said. “So after a while they get tired of hearing the excuses. They get tired of hearing, ‘We’ll be better next year, be patient with the The word was “we,” which is a no-no on a local sports telecast and a prospects.’ major no-no on national TV, especially when Islanders fans came into the series looking for signs of bias from the Hurricanes’ longtime announcer. “The one thing about this market is they’ve also experienced some deep runs, and the people who were here for it know what could be two It happened when Jordan Eberle’s shot hit the crossbar in the third months of playoff hockey is like and so they’ve completely bought into it period, and analyst Ed Olczyk noted on the replay that it had indeed hit again. And so it didn’t take long for them to get back to supporting it and the bar and not gone into the net. filling the building and bringing the atmosphere they’ve been able to “It did, so we’re OK,” Forslund said, leading some Islanders fans to bring. believe he had slipped up and used the “w” word in reference to the “And the only reason they have is ’02 [when the Canes reached the Cup Canes. But Forslund said he merely was making a generic comment that Final] was as magical as it was, ’06 they win it, ’09 they go to the his initial view had been confirmed. conference final. So it’s been feast or famine. When you go a decade “Absolutely, it was totally just in reference to the play itself,” he said. “It’s [out of the playoffs], you lose a generation of fans. There’s a group of funny, because Barclays Center doesn’t have the most ideal broadcast young fans who don’t even remember the ‘06 thing and they’re young location. It’s low, which is nice, but it’s a horizontal view of the game, and adults now. Those are the people who are getting turned on again.” when you have a horizontal view of the game, it really restricts your Forslund is not immune to criticism from Canes fans when he is doing vision on tips, crossbars. national games. “There are areas of the ice where I’m obstructed with the near boards, “In the previous round I had Game 5 on NBC, Washington-Carolina. And corners and so on. So it’s not that easy. So in situations like that, if you it’s a 6-0 blowout for Washington, and on that night our fan base kind of recall I initially called that it went off the crossbar with my live call. Then turned on me a little bit, because they were saying things like, ‘John’s we got to replays and [analyst] Brian Boucher actually thought from his been brainwashed. How can he be so excited when Alex Ovechkin angle that it might have hit the back bar, so he thought that it might have scores?’ gone in the net. “I’m there to do a job and do it correctly . . . That night we had a lot of “We’re just kind of talking through the replays, and as we’re talking things ready for the Hurricanes and their fan base and the national through the replays, Eddie basically said, ‘Yeah, it went off the bar.’ I had audience had the Canes played better, but because they didn’t, and it it off the bar, you had it off the bar, so, ‘OK, we’re OK then.’ And that’s all was lopsided for Washington, it’s all Washington. it was. It was a reference to the specific play. “To be fair in this series we’ve done a fair amount with the Islanders, “I get it. First of all, I get the Islander fan base. I went to school there, I getting into their story and the job Lou [Lamoriello] has done and all this. lived there for a couple of years through graduate school. I worked with It’s just a matter of how these series play out when you get to their story the Islanders as a parent team when I was at Springfield [of the AHL] in lines.” the ‘80s. I understand the passion. I understand what the Islanders fans are all about. With Olczyk helping on Kentucky Derby coverage, NBC has moved AJ Mleczko – who did about 24 Islanders games for MSG Networks this “The reference of ‘we,’ I’ve never used in all of my years of broadcasting, regular season – into the booth alongside Forslund for Games 3 and 4 in even my home telecast. I’ve never said ‘our’ or ‘we.’ I despise that. I Raleigh. despise the phrase ‘homer,’ always have. There’s no question when you do a home team, and you’re broadcasting to that [local] audience, there’s “She has the intrinsic knowledge that’s attached to covering a team on a a little sauce attached to what you’re doing, because it’s directed at that regular basis, which I have with mine, but I’m the playcaller and she’s the group. analyst,” Forslund said. “By and large she just reads the game well, works well with Brian [Boucher] . . . She’s a star on the rise.” “But I’ve been 60-40 on those calls, 50-50 on national calls and that’s what I’m attempting to do.” Newsday LOADED: LOADED: 04.30.2019 Forslund, 57, is a staple of NBC’s playoff roster, and likely would have worked a second-round series whether or not the Canes had qualified. The fact he ended up with the Canes and Islanders provided a dual connection for him.

Forslund studied sports management at Adelphi, attended two or three Islanders games that season, and coached football and basketball at St. Paul’s in Garden City, then started his professional career at Springfield in the fall of 1984. 1143454 New York Islanders “Even though we’ve lost two games, we’ve got some confidence,” Trotz said. “That’s undeniable. I don’t want to take anything away from Carolina. They’re a resilient bunch. So are we.”

Urgency setting in as Isles 'going to Carolina to win two games' Newsday LOADED: LOADED: 04.30.2019 Barry Trotz doesn't sense any panic but says the team needs to respond on the road after dropping first two games at home.

By Andrew Gross

With the Hurricanes halfway to a sweep as their second-round playoff series shifts to North Carolina for Game 3, Islanders coach Barry Trotz has given his team a clear-cut agenda.

“We’re going through some adversity. I don’t think we went through any in that first series,” he said on Monday at Northwell Health Ice Center in East Meadow after giving his players the day off from practice. “It’s how you respond. I said to them, ‘Hey, we’re going to Carolina to win two games. Plain and simple.’ You can’t win two unless you focus on the first.”

Game 3 is Wednesday night at PNC Arena in Raleigh.

The injury-depleted Hurricanes lost defenseman Trevor van Riemsdyk, No. 1 goalie Petr Mrazek and right wing Saku Maenalanen yet scored twice within 48 seconds early in the third period for a 2-1 win on Sunday afternoon at Barclays Center. The Islanders lost Game 1, 1-0, in overtime.

Van Riemsdyk and Maenalanen are out for the series. Hurricanes coach Rod Brind’Amour said Mrazek is day-to-day.

Trotz said right wing Cal Clutterbuck’s status is unclear after he exited late in Game 2 with an undisclosed injury.

“You’ve got to trust the process,” Trotz said. “I didn’t think after the game there was any panic. We know we’ve dug ourselves a little hole and there’s some urgency — urgency to get back in the series.

“You fall down 3-0, it’s going to have to be a real epic-type thing because you don’t want to dig yourself too far. But it’s a race to four and they’re up two.”

The Islanders, with home-ice advantage in the playoffs for the first time since 1988, swept their first-round series against the Penguins. The Hurricanes ousted the defending Stanley Cup champion Capitals with a 4-3 double-overtime win in Game 7 and won all three home games in that series.

Over their two series, the Hurricanes have won four straight and six of their last seven games.

There’s obviously a big jump to the postseason, but the Islanders also fared well on the road in the regular season. Their 24-14-3 mark tied them for the third-most road victories in the NHL.

Trotz has mentioned several times this season that the Islanders tend to simplify their game on the road because they are not trying to impress the home crowd. He called some of the Islanders’ play in the first two games “too cute,” particularly Clutterbuck’s intercepted back pass in overtime in Game 1 that led to Jordan Staal’s winner.

When it was suggested to Trotz on Monday that the road again could be a bit of a “haven” for the Islanders, he quickly responded, “It has to be.

“They’re going to come out with a lot of energy and we’ve just got to respond. It was no different in the first series,” Trotz said. “We have another level. There are some players on our team that have another level of focus, another level of commitment. All those things that are necessary to win.

“You can’t have any passengers. We’re going to have to go in there fully committed and, if we do that, it gives us a chance to have success. You don’t think about the big picture.”

Trotz emphasized that the Islanders need to get more goal production while continuing to out-chance the Hurricanes.

Brind’Amour told the media in Raleigh on Monday that the Hurricanes have to forecheck better. 1143455 New York Islanders down 2-0, if you want anybody behind the bench during that, you want Barry Trotz.

“He did it last year on his way to winning the Cup [with the Capitals] and AJ Mleczko added to NBC booth for Islanders-Hurricanes Games 3 and he’s got an incredible way about him on the bench. There is no panic, 4 and I do think he has these guys ready. So I do think they have the personnel, they have the depth and they have the will.”

By Neil Best Newsday LOADED: LOADED: 04.30.2019

Islanders fans unhappy about having the Hurricanes’ longtime play-by- play man, John Forslund, calling the teams’ second-round playoff series are about to get some balance in their television viewing lives.

NBC has added analyst AJ Mleczko in the booth alongside Forslund for Games 3 and 4 in Raleigh, filling in for Ed Olczyk while Olczyk contributes to NBC’s Kentucky Derby coverage.

Mleczko worked about two dozen Islanders games for MSG Networks this season, then all four games of the first-round sweep of the Penguins, three for NBC and one for MSG.

Mleczko, an Olympic gold and silver medalist for the United States, also is to contribute to MSG’s postgame show in Raleigh, as will Brendan Burke, MSG’s play-by-play man.

Does she think she will provide announcing balance in the eyes of fans?

“I think on paper I do, and from just the optics of it, there’s no question I do,” she said from Dallas, where she is to work Game 3 of the Blues- Stars series on Monday night.

“I will say I watched both of the games and John Forslund, like all of these guys are, he is the ultimate pro. To me I hear no one-sidedness. I know that that won’t be a popular opinion on the Islanders Twitter- sphere. But I listen to it and I try to hear what they’re hearing and I just think he’s so good at what he does.”

Forslund is a staple of NBC’s playoff roster and likely would have been part of its second-round coverage whether or not the Hurricanes were in it.

Some fans took use with an exchange in Game 2 on Sunday in which Jordan Eberle hit the crossbar, as Olczyk noted on the replay. Forslund then said, “It did, so we’re OK.” It appeared he simply meant “OK” as in that the no-goal ruling was correct, but some fans seized on the “we’re” part.

“Honestly, I’m sure there are some Canes fans out there that don’t like that he is so unbiased, that he’s down the middle,” Mleczko said. “I will tell you that I’ll sit there on Twitter and within minutes I’ll get two different tweets, tweets asking why I love the Dallas Stars so much and then another one asking me if I’m getting paid by the St. Louis Blues.

“People that work on a team all year don’t usually get to follow them past the first round unless they’re in radio or print, so these viewers at home are used to their guys. Islanders fans are used to Brendan and Butch [Goring], and they’re used to the MSG coverage. They’re used to that Islanders-centric broadcast, and you come to a national broadcast and it is 50-50.”

Mleczko said she is “thrilled” to get more Islanders games after having followed them this far.

“When you’re around one team more you get invested in them, the team as a whole and the players and the stories, who they are as people off the ice,” she said. “So you root for them and you want them to succeed.

“This Islanders story has been particularly compelling this season, with their success, with Lou [Lamoriello] coming in, with [Barry] Trotz coming in.

“It’s really fun to have the front-row seat to jump on the bandwagon, if you will. So for me then to be able to stay a part of it in the posteason as they make a push in the second round is thrilling, and I will say as a hockey player, as an analyst, it’s also a fun time to look at both teams."

Mleczko believes the Islanders can bounce back from their 2-0 series deficit.

“I see no panic in their game,” she said. “The [10-day] layoff did concern me . . . I think there is no way to really replicate playoff hockey in practice. So I think that was a little bit of a concern. But I think being 1143456 NHL Barrie had five assists against Calgary, including three in the series clincher. He also helped shut down Flames standout Johnny Gaudreau.

In Game 2 against San Jose, he had two assists to go with his goal. Forward-thinking: Avs defenseman Barrie chips in on offense “He’s been really good,” Bednar said. “He’s certainly been a guy down the stretch that’s getting better and better. In the playoffs, he’s taken it to The Associated Press a whole new level.”

Seattle Times LOADED: 04.30.2019

DENVER (AP) — Colorado Avalanche defenseman Tyson Barrie has developed a reputation as forward thinking.

Easy to understand why: He’s constantly thinking as a forward.

His father was an NHL forward. As a kid, he was a forward. And now he’s chipping in on offense much like a forward.

Barrie has a goal and seven assists so far in the postseason. His first career playoff tally arrived Sunday in Game 2 at San Jose, helping the Avalanche send the second-round series back to Denver tied at a game apiece. Game 3 is Tuesday at Pepsi Center.

“I feel really confident in my all-around game right now,” the 27-year-old Barrie said. “I like playing against other team’s top lines. I enjoy the challenge. The offensive part, I’ve got to keep trying to bring it.”

His first postseason goal Sunday showed off his offensive instincts: After Gabriel Landeskog’s shot bounced off Sharks goaltender Martin Jones, Barrie jumped down low and sent a rolling puck into the corner of the net.

That’s Barrie being Barrie . He’s coming off a regular season in which had a career-high 59 points (14 goals, 45 assists), which was the most by an Avalanche defenseman since Ray Bourque had 59 in 2000-01.

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“Tyson’s worked on his game over the last handful of years and gotten really good at creating offense, jumping up in the rush and making plays when he gets it in the O-zone,” Landeskog said. “He’s also defending real well right now because first and foremost, that’s what a ‘D’ has got to do. No doubt, he’s got the skill of a forward and can make the plays.”

Pressing forward just runs in the family. Barrie’s father, Len, was a forward who played in 184 NHL games with Philadelphia, Florida, Pittsburgh and Los Angeles Kings. Len Barrie wound up his career with 19 goals and 45 assists.

Tyson Barrie actually was a forward until his teen years, which he credits for his moves now.

“If you grow up a defenseman your whole life, you’re not working on the toe drag or beating guys on offense,” said Barrie, who’s a native of Victoria, British Columbia. “I always did that. I always made sure to really try to enjoy that part when I was playing hockey. I think it shows in the way I play. I like scoring and trying to beat guys one-on-one and stuff.”

Even with his switch to the blue line, his offensive skills remain firmly entrenched. He was the scoring leader among defensemen in each of his four full junior seasons with Kelowna of the . The Avalanche selected the 5-foot-10, 190-pound Barrie in the third round of the 2009 draft.

He’s been assisting with the scoring load ever since. He became the highest-scoring defenseman in franchise history earlier in the season, passing John-Michael Liles. Barrie has 75 goals in the regular season along with 232 assists.

“He’s developed a skill-set to be an offensive threat on the ice,” Landeskog said. “He’s getting rewarded for it.”

To be clear: Barrie doesn’t shirk his defensive responsibilities for the sake of sneaking into the offensive play. He’s developed a knack to know just when to rush into a play.

“Some of the plays he makes, they’re not high-risk plays, but he’s up the ice and making an impact offensively,” coach Jared Bednar said. “Just good decisions on when to shoot, when to hang on. He’s getting pucks through to the net and been highly competitive on the defensive side of things, too, just his gaps and breaking up plays. He’s more physical down low.

“You can tell it matters to him — winning matters. He’s playing his hardest every night to make an impact in the game.” 1143457 NHL This time he’s 5-1 in six playoff games, carrying a .930 save percentage and 2.01 goals-against average. Those numbers rank third and second, respectively, among playoff goalies.

Healthy Karlsson gives Sharks optimism heading into Game 3 Tortorella said Bobrovsky is performing at a “different level” in these playoffs.

By JOSH DUBOW “Bob’s been fantastic, as far as the amount of playoff games we’ve played right now,” Tortorella said Monday. He’s been terrific.”

Meanwhile, Boston is enjoying a two-day break between games for the SAN JOSE, Calif. (AP) — Erik Karlsson took the puck behind his own net first time since the playoffs started April 11. and went on the type of end-to-end rush that has made him one of the NHL’s most dynamic defensemen. “We’ve been going every other day now for a while now, it gives us a second to catch our breath, regroup and focus on some things we want Even though Karlsson’s rush didn’t lead to a goal and came in San to do better in the series moving forward,” defenseman Torey Krug said. Jose’s 4-3 loss in Game 2 to Colorado, it encouraged the Sharks that “I’m sure the guys are really appreciating the time off.” Karlsson appears to be healthy once again. Seattle Times LOADED: 04.30.2019 “It’s like a fine wine getting better and better every game,” defensive partner Brenden Dillon said Monday. “We know how good of a player he is and how much he impacts a game. It’s been fun to play with him.”

Despite being hampered earlier in the playoffs by a groin injury that sidelined him for 27 of 32 games in the second half of the season, Karlsson is tied for the league lead with 10 assists this postseason thanks to his vision and passing ability.

His skating and defense will be needed when the series shifts to Colorado for Game 3 on Tuesday night (10 p.m. EDT, NBCSN) after the teams split the first two games.

The Avalanche took control in Game 2 when coach Jared Bednar made a change in the second period to reunite Mikko Rantanen on the top line with Nathan MacKinnon and Gabriel Landeskog.

The trio helped create two goals in the second period that gave Colorado a 2-1 lead and helped lead to the win.

“The line did our job and our job is getting the team going offensively,” Landeskog said. “Some nights you have it, some nights you don’t. But playoff time you got to try and find it every night and I thought we got deep and were able to get rewarded for a lot of our hard work.”

The boost from the top three scorers could be expected for the Avalanche. But they also got a big lift from a pair of 20-year-old defensemen as Cale Makar teamed with Samuel Girard.

Makar, the Hobey Baker Award winner as college hockey’s top player, has played just five NHL games since finishing up at the Frozen Four for UMass. Girard has a bit more experience with 150 regular-season games the past two seasons.

Game 2 was their first time playing with each other as Makar moved into the lineup when Girard got hurt last round. They look extremely comfortable in their role.

“Yes, we are 20. We just have to play our game,” Girard said. “I know that Cale is able to play here. I know I’m able to. We just need to play our game. We need to bring some offense and make sure we play good offensively as well.”

Bruins at Blue Jackets, series tied 1-1 (7 p.m. EDT, NBCSN)

The book on Sergei Bobrovsky was that the former two-time Vezina Trophy winner was great in the regular season but couldn’t rise to the occasion in the playoffs.

Through six playoff games this season, “Bob” is rewriting the book.

After an erratic regular season that saw coach John Tortorella call him out at one low point, the Russian goalie has been spectacular. He kept the Blue Jackets in Saturday night’s game long enough for Matt Duchene to finally win it in the second OT, 3-2.

Saturday’s game almost went the other direction in the first overtime when a puck lobbed into the Blue Jackets’ zone took a funny bounce to the right and headed for the open net. Bobrovsky reacted, lunged and gloved it just in time.

“It’s crazy, but it’s part of the game,” he said.

Bobrovsky was unreliable in opening round playoff losses to Washington (2018) and Pittsburgh (2017). 1143458 NHL

Injuries piling up for Hurricanes during playoff run

By The Associated Press

RALEIGH, N.C. (AP) — Carolina Hurricanes goalie Petr Mrazek is day to day with a lower body injury while defenseman Trevor van Riemsdyk is out with an upper body injury.

Coach Rod Brind’Amour also said Monday forward Saku Maenalanen is expected to miss the rest of the second-round series with the New York Islanders with an upper body injury.

Brind’Amour spoke a day after the Hurricanes’ list of injuries grew considerably during a 2-1 victory in New York that gave Carolina a 2-0 lead in the best-of-seven series. Game 3 is Wednesday night.

Mrazek, who has 210 saves on 230 shots faced while going 5-3 in the playoffs, left Sunday’s game 6½ minutes into the second period. He was replaced by Curtis McElhinney, who stopped all 17 shots he saw.

Brind’Amour described Mrazek’s status as “actually good news” because it means the injury doesn’t appear to be long term. Still, the team recalled goalie Alex Nedeljkovic from its AHL affiliate in Charlotte on an emergency basis.

Van Riemsdyk was hurt about 30 seconds into Sunday’s game after taking a hard hit from Cal Clutterbuck. He skated off the ice holding his left shoulder and sat on the bench for several minutes before heading to the dressing room. Maenalanen was injured in the third period.

In all, six Hurricanes are dealing with publicly disclosed injuries, with three of them coming during the first-round series against the Washington Capitals.

Forwards Andrei Svechnikov (concussion protocol) and Micheal Ferland (upper body) have not played since Game 3 of the Washington series and have been characterized as day to day by Brind’Amour, who says their availability will be determined after practice Tuesday.

Additionally, forward Jordan Martinook — who left Game 4 against Washington with a lower body injury after his heel slammed into the boards while he attempted a hit — returned two games later. Brind’Amour says having three days between games will benefit Martinook, whose injury has “been nagging him for a long time.”

Seattle Times LOADED: 04.30.2019 1143459 NHL Tippett specifically referenced that Eastern wild-card race, where Columbus went 9-3-1 down the stretch and Carolina went 9-4-0 to hold off Montreal at 8-4-1 and clinch playoff spots the final weekend.

Like it or not, NHL playoff parity is here and very real In the West, the Colorado Avalanche finished 8-1-2 to clinch the final wild-card spot before upending No. 2 overall Calgary in five games. Likewise, the Dallas Stars went on a 12-5-2 tear the final month for the Geoff Baker other wild card and knocked off Nashville in six.

So, peaking at the right time has advantages, as we’ve seen in other sports with wild-card World Series and Super Bowl winners the past We’re well into the second stage of the Stanley Cup Playoffs, though it decade. might take a while to get over what happened in the opening round. But hockey was upset-prone even before NHL salary cap parity, given it In unprecedented fashion, three of the top four regular-season finishers combines the physical variables of the NFL with even greater longevity of were bounced – including the Presidents’ Trophy winning Tampa Bay playoffs than MLB. And adding an NHL “play-in” round would only allow Lightning getting swept – while only the No. 3 overall Boston Bruins wild-card teams to further peak while higher seeds grow stale on the survived, though they needed the full seven games to defeat Toronto. sidelines. Meanwhile, four of the bottom five playoff entrants advanced and only a monumental collapse by the Vegas Golden Knights in Game 7 against Tippett knows both sides of that equation, having twice played in Game 7 San Jose kept those lowest-point-total teams from going 5 for 5 in their quarterfinal overtimes: losing to favored Montreal while with Hartford in opening series. 1986 and being upset by the New York Islanders while with a Presidents’ Trophy-winning Pittsburgh squad in 1993 that had won the two prior Cup Speaking of the Knights, their third-period meltdown and overtime defeat championships. in a series they’d led 3-1 means assistant general manager Kelly McCrimmon can hit the market as a GM candidate if permitted. Expect “What it comes down to is, you have seven games in each series to the NHL Seattle group and the to go after him hard. figure out how to beat your opponent,’’ Tippett said. “And some teams are just better at doing that.’’ Meanwhile, for the rest of the hockey universe, the epic Game 7 folderoo by Vegas – surrendering four power-play goals in four minutes midway Still, while upsets happened in the 1990s, the difference now is we’re through the third period to erase its 3-0 lead – continued an unbelievable seeing them loom in just about every series. first round, the most watched on NBC in seven years. Local hockey fixture Jamie Huscroft, who went to the NHL playoffs twice Never mind that two conference winners, Tampa Bay and Calgary, failed with Boston in 1994 and 1995, said that’s because today’s parity far to advance for the first time ever. The really astonishing part was those exceeds the so-called “clutch and grab” era in which he played. Huscroft two squads – with 112 combined regular-season victories – managing saw a greater talent disparity back then after a slew of expansion teams just one victory in nine opening-round games. were added and views today’s product as faster paced, higher skilled and having “greater credibility” because of overall competitive balance. And All four wild-card teams advanced and every divison winner got that’s carried over to the playoffs. eliminated for the first time ever, including the defending Stanley Cup champion Washington Capitals blowing a 2-0 series advantage and 3-1 “I just love it,” he said. “It’s anybody’s game and it really wasn’t like that lead in Game 7 on home ice before losing to the Carolina Hurricanes in back when I played. Underdogs were definitely underdogs with really not double-overtime. It was the fourth time in nine years a Cup winner was much of a chance of making it on.” subsequently ousted in Round 1, underscoring the parity that’s overtaken the league in the salary cap era. Watching on a big-screen television at the NHL Seattle preview center last week as his old Bruins team was beating Toronto in Game 7, But is that parity a good thing? Huscroft said playoffs have always differed from the regular season. But now, he added, with teams more evenly matched and capable of upsets, Players question having to endure a six-month regular season just to those differences get noticed more. toss everything out the window come playoff time. “It’s still fast,” he said. “But in the playoffs, it’s tough now. Guys are A recent Associated Press/Canadian Press survey of NHL Players blocking shots and taking a beating out there. And you physically and Association representatives from all 31 teams found 48 percent favored mentally can’t do that for 82 games. You can’t sustain that kind of changing the format. More than half favored seeding teams 1-through-8 beating. And that’s why, when the playoffs come around, you try to find in each conference as was the case from 1994-2013. that extra level. You do things that you ordinarily wouldn’t do.” Currently, each division’s top three teams are bracketed together with a And now more than ever, produce extraordinary results. wild card entry and no reseeding by round — forcing top teams to sometimes play each other early on. But that was done largely to ease Seattle Times LOADED: 04.30.2019 travel schedules. Back when the league had 1-through-16 playoff seeding in 1981 and 1982, it wasn’t unusual to cross the continent for opening-round matches. If you think players are complaining now, imagine that scenario.

Another suggestion is a mini “play-in” round for wild-card teams akin to Major League Baseball so top seeds enjoy additional rest. But frankly, when you look at the season-ending dogfight by the Hurricanes, Columbus Blue Jackets, and Montreal Canadiens for the final Nos. 7 and 8 playoff spots in the Eastern Conference, I’m not sure having the No. 10 team play No. 7 and No. 9 play No. 8 for two wild-card entries would have changed the opening-round outcomes much this year.

Former NHL player Dave Tippett certainly doesn’t think so. The NHL Seattle senior adviser had multiple playoff runs with the Hurricanes franchise back when it was the Hartford Whalers and said parity makes the regular season more meaningful.

“You don’t have teams that are waddling to the finish line,’’ Tippett said. “You have so many teams that are fighting for playoff spots and those are the teams that did well. The teams that cruised into the playoffs didn’t do so well.’’ 1143460 Ottawa Senators “This was my second year in the league but it was my first year playing that many minutes every night,” Chabot said. “Like you said, if it was the week right after the season, it would have been a different situation and Thomas Chabot looking forward to opportunity to suit up for Team we would have thought a lot more about it. Canada overseas “Now that we had a month in between you get the chance to see you family, friends and get some rest. For me, I got take care of everything and see some therapists to make sure everything was good. It’s also Bruce Garrioch good for your mind because we skate so much during the season and to get a break was good for sure.”

Team Canada will include Tavares, Turris and Stone Thomas Chabot is ready to go back to work with Team Canada. There will be some familiar faces when Thomas Chabot looks around the As Canada announced its 22-man roster Monday for the world Team Canada dressing room when training camp opens Friday in championships being held from May 10-to-26 in Slovakia, it was no Vienna. surprise to see the 22-year-old Ottawa Senators defenceman accepted the invitation to suit up for his country. Chabot took part in the Not only will Toronto Maple Leafs centre John Tavares be on hand for tournament last year and wants to extend his season. the world championships that get under way May 10 in Slovakia, former Senators teammates Mark Stone (Vegas Golden Knights) and Kyle “Whenever you don’t make the playoffs it’s a long summer so getting the Turris (Nashville Predators) have both agreed to attend as well. chance to go to the worlds is good,” Chabot said in a telephone interview with Postmedia. “It’s always a pleasure representing your country and Philadelphia coach Alain Vigneault will have his goalie Carter Hart as wearing that jersey, especially at the men’s level. part of the mix along with Pittsburgh Penguins netminder Matt Murray. They were among the 22 players named to the roster along with “It’s going to be a fun experience. I’m looking forward to it. Hopefully, we Edmonton’s Darnell Nurse and Troy Strecher of Vancouver. have a good team and we’re going over there to try to win the tournament. But, anytime you go over there you have the chance to meet The Leafs were eliminated in the first round by the Boston Bruins last some new players, you didn’t know or you only knew playing against week and Tavares wanted the chance to continue his year. them, so getting to know them and playing with them is a good experience.” Ottawa Sun LOADED: 04.30.2019

He will head overseas Thursday with the rest of the Canadian players and staff. A six-day training camp will be held in Vienna, Austria. Canada will face Finland in its first game May 10 in Slovakia. This is the fifth time Chabot has suited up for his country. He also played at two world juniors and an under-18 tournament.

“Anytime you get the chance it’s hard to say no because you never know what’s going to happen and if you’re going to get invited the next year,” Chabot said. “Last year, I knew I was going to be the last (defenceman) to get picked and I also knew it was my first year.

“This year, hopefully I can get a good role and I can help the team by doing what I can do on the ice. Going overseas is always fun for the big ice surface. I’ve always been a big fan of that. There’s so much room on the ice and I’ve always liked that.”

Chabot ranked 15th in the league in average ice time during the season with 24:17 per-game. He finished with 14-41-55 points in 70 games and was leaned on heavily by the club’s coaching staff with Erik Karlsson dealt to the San Jose Sharks.

“I knew going into (last summer), because we didn’t know what was going to happen with Erik, that I was going to take on a bigger role and more leadership,” Chabot said. “I learned a lot this, not only as a player on the ice, but off the ice as well.

“When you get more leadership, you try to follow guys like (Mark Borowiecki), who has been around for a long time and you see what he does. I learned a lot for sure. I really enjoyed my role being on the ice so much this year and playing so much. That’s the kind of game I played in junior and I love being out there and being put in situations that even if I’m not great at them we can work on them. That’s what I tried to do all year.”

When the season ended Apr. 6, Chabot took some time off and then resumed skating at his home near Quebec City about 10 days after the club’s final game. He was on the ice in Ottawa last week because he wanted to make sure he’s sharp for camp.

Though he missed time with a shoulder injury around Christmas and broke a toe blocking a shot on March 21 against the Philadelphia Flyers, Chabot is completely healthy right now. The time frame for full recovery from the toe was four-to-six weeks and he’s on track for that reality. He feels good and it won’t be an issue.

“I’ve been skating and everything is fine and really good,” Chabot said. “Nothing with my shoulder has been bugging me at all and taking a couple of weeks off has been good for it. I feel really good now.

The break before the tourney has been valuable and if he’d had to leave right after the season the answer may have been different. 1143461 Ottawa Senators final 32 games of the season. Still, it added up to a marvellous season with highlights like this:

What I’ve liked about Chabot’s game this year is the offensive confidence A look at which Senators could stay and which could go this summer to beat opponents 1-on-1 and his ability to change shooting angles to get shots through to the net to create chances. Senators fans can look forward to Chabot getting the puck on net for Tkachuk hanging out at the By Chris Stevenson Apr 29, 2019 blue paint. His defensive game needs a little polish, but that will come. If this season showed anything, it’s that Chabot can be a No. 1

defenceman. After a couple of weeks to contemplate the situation after a Colin White monumentally bad season on and off the ice, making some sense out of the 2018-19 Ottawa Senators should be easier than scoring a goal Among the forwards who finished the season on the Senators roster, he against them at 5-on-5. ranked third in P/GP (0.58) behind Tkachuk (0.63) and Chris Tierney (0.59). He was second in power-play goals with five. The encouraging If you were handing out report cards, just give everybody on the team thing about this season was his game gained some pace as the season that finished last in the league and was the only team to give up more went on. After No. 1 centre Matt Duchene was traded, White had nine than 300 goals against an “F” and see you in September. points in the 14 games he played post-trade deadline including a goal But, it’s not that simple. To get a better understanding of what the and four assists in his last five games. Like most young centres, he’s Senators went through this year, we’re going to look at the performance going to have to work on faceoffs (47.43 percent). It’s still a reach he of individual players and what their performance in 2018-19 means to the could be a No. 2 centre, but the 22-year-old took a step forward in his franchise going forward. first full season in terms of that still being a possibility.

My position on the performance of the Senators in 2018-19 was they Maxime Lajoie fundamentally failed as a team and they were inept on defence, allowing After a furious start and a great first quarter of the season, Lajoie, who 227 even-strength goals: made the team unexpectedly out of training camp, saw his game settle 5-on-5: 219 into a level of performance that made him a borderline NHLer at his age. Paired with Cody Ceci (Corsi 34.98 percent with Ceci; 47.33 without 4-on-4: 4 through that first quarter of the season) Lajoie gained the trust of coach Guy Boucher. He topped 20 minutes in ice time 12 times in the first 26 3-on-3: 4 games of the season. As the pace of the NHL season intensified, Lajoie’s The biggest failing of this team was systemic: the coaching staff, first effectiveness declined. He scored his seventh and, as it would turn out, under Guy Boucher and then under Marc Crawford, who replaced him last goal of the season on Dec. 17. He had just two assists in the 24 March 1, failed to give this group a defensive structure they could games before the decision was made to send him to Belleville at the understand and execute. trade deadline. His season was ended by a sports hernia which required surgery, so a good question is just when he sustained the injury and how If you think the Senators failings were solely because of their personnel it affected his performance. On a thin blueline maybe he got too much (yeah, I’m looking at all of you Cody Ceci haters), I can’t help you. I’ve too soon, but for pretty much the first half of the season, he handled it made this point before (and will make it again as the Senators coaching based mostly on his mobility and hockey sense. It will be interesting to search unfolds), but if you don’t think good coaching can turn around a see what he can do next season. team’s defensive play, I have two words for you: Barry Trotz. Christian Wolanin He went to the New York Islanders and cut 100 goals off their total allowed season over season with this group of defenders: It was a small sample size (30 games), but the 24-year-old continued to show flashes of the offensive potential he displayed during a brief 10- As always, I am interested in your takes in the comments. game audition at the end of the 2017-18 season. He spent most of the season in Belleville working on his defensive game and made progress. For now, I’m just looking at the players who were on the NHL roster at Among the defencemen, the Senators had their highest shooting the conclusion of the season. Here are some thoughts on who should percentage (12.44 percent) and save percentage (.916) at 5-on-5 when stay and who should go … he was on the ice, which is a trend worth watching. He is an above- The untouchables average NHL skater and has good vision.

Brady Tkachuk Here for another year

The rookie scored 22 goals, second only to Elias Pettersson among Craig Anderson freshmen, which is pretty impressive when you consider he scored eight He turns 38 on May 21 and is going into the final season of his contract last season at Boston University. Tkachuk was extremely effective when which carries a cap hit of $4.75 million. Given where the Senators are he got close to the opposing goalie. He gave the Senators a presence in heading into next season, he looks like the veteran guy to help this team front of the net they’ve never really had. Among players who played at transition on the path to Unparalleled Success™, buying the team some least 900 minutes of 5-on-5, Tkachuk had the best possession numbers time until Marcus Hogberg is ready to take over. Anderson wanted no of the players on the roster at the end of the season with a Corsi of 49.21 part of the drama of a year ago, but found things to his liking this past percent. That’s on a team that got caved in at 5-on-5 (last in the league season and said he enjoyed the experience of being around the kids. He at 44.90 percent). In addition to the numbers, Tkachuk brought the was 30th in even-strength save percentage (.905) among goaltenders Senators a competitive attitude and became a huge pain in the ass to with at least 40 games, playing behind a team that gave up the most play against (led the forwards in hits with 174 and was second on the goals off high danger chances, according to Natural Stat Trick. He was team). He took 28 penalties, but he drew 29, to lead the team. Just wait 12th in power-play save percentage (.882), which looks decent until he gets his man strength, as they like to say. As I said before, he considering how bad the Senators penalty killing was to start the season. plays with the joy of a 19-year-old and the swagger of a 29-year-old. The Of course, if a team looking for a relatively cheap fix with no commitment goal below sums up what he does. He starts the play by making himself beyond this season came calling, I think Anderson would be gone in a available for a zone exit, makes a good pass and heads straight down minute. I don’t think he’s a Senator beyond the next trade deadline. the middle lane once he hits the blueline. He stops at the net, which might seem to be the logical thing to do, but so many players drift, and he Dylan DeMelo taps home the loose puck. He wasn’t much of a known commodity when he arrived from San Jose Thomas Chabot in the Erik Karlsson trade, but he wound up being the Senators steadiest defenceman this season. He partnered with Chabot most often and was With Erik Karlsson traded, Chabot took a huge step to fill the void. He a big reason for Chabot’s strong start to the season. He had the third- had 38 points in 38 games when he was injured on Dec. 28 on a high hit most ice time among the defensemen after Chabot and Cody Ceci and from New York Islanders forward Matt Martin. He was never quite the the second-best possession number (47.09 percent). He did benefit from same after that, registering 17 points (four goals and 13 assists) in his having the most 5-on-5 offensive zone starts among the defencemen (225; Chabot was second with 217). He was second in defensive zone a last-place team. Even on a rebuilding team, I think he’s going to be in a starts (197). It doesn’t hurt that DeMelo might be one of the biggest battle to make the NHL roster next season. bargains in the league: he played most of the season on the top pair for $900,000 a season with another season to go on that deal (he can be an Worth consideration unrestricted free agent after next season). Anthony Duclair

Mark Borowiecki The 23-year-old joined the Senators from the Columbus Blue Jackets in His time being a regular defenceman for this team is running out with the Ryan Dzingel trade and had 14 points (eight goals, six assists) in 21 Chabot, Wolanin and maybe, as soon as next season, Erik Brannstrom games with the Senators. There’s no question he has great skills. He’s a looking like the top three on the left side. He averaged 15:34 a game in powerful skater and has a good shot with a quick release. average ice time this season which ranked seventh among Senators He’s with his fifth NHL team already, so he has difficulty being a player defencemen who played at least 30 games. I know a lot of fans don’t coaches can trust. He can be a restricted free agent July 1 and he has want to hear about what he contributes in the dressing room, especially arbitration rights. With where the Senators are right now, he’s probably after the ill-received video with owner Eugene Melnyk. But as this team worth a gamble to see if he’s starting to figure things out, but the price skewed younger, a veteran like Borowiecki had a place in terms in setting has to be right. He made $650,000 last season and scored 19 goals. the standard for work ethic and accountability. In terms of what’s Would I go as high as $1 million? Probably. expected of him, he delivered. He’s going into the last season of a deal with a cap hit of $1.2 million. Anders Nilsson

Chris Tierney The 29-year-old was 3-8-1 with a .895 save percentage with the Vancouver Canucks and it was looking like he’d have a challenge finding Another piece from the Karlsson trade, Tierney was second on the another NHL job before coming over to the Senators. He went 11-11-0 Senators in assists this season with 39, two less than Chabot. He’s a with the Senators — have I mentioned they were the worst defensive pass-first centre with just 116 shots and nine goals. With the Senators team in the league? — with a .914 save percentage and two shutouts. without a No. 1 centre for the foreseeable future, he’ll be a reasonable The Senators are crowded in net as an organization with a lot of question option among the top six. The 24-year-old has another season at $2.9 marks (will Anderson be here? Can Mike Condon play? Is Marcus million before he can be a restricted free agent with arbitration rights. Hogberg ready to be an NHL backup?). It doesn’t look at this point there Jean-Gabriel Pageau will be room for Nilsson, but depending on some of those other answers, he’d be an option as a bridge until the kids are ready. The 26-year-old missed the first half of the season after injuring his Achilles tendon in training camp (which was a foreshadowing of what The money men kind of season it was going to be for the Senators). Pageau led the Mikkel Boedker forwards on the roster at the end of the season in average ice time with 17:51 a game. He is the guy the Senators have turned to against the His contributions dwindled as the season progressed and he wound up opposition’s top centre and in that role, his offensive output has been being a healthy scratch down the stretch. Despite playing 71 games with meagre (just 0.31 points per game this season). After Duchene’s an average of 14:01 minutes a game, he managed just 88 shots. He departure, he’s the Senators best faceoff man at 53.8 percent on a team scored Feb. 2 and then not again until the last game of the season. that was 18th in the league at 49.6 percent. He was by far the best bet Ideally, this is a player the Senators could move on from and just take when the Senators were shorthanded, winning 50.8 percent of faceoffs. another step at distancing themselves from the whole Mike Hoffman Nobody else who took shorthanded faceoffs on a regular basis was fiasco. There is the matter of that $4 million cap hit ($3 million in real better than 43.4 percent. He’s got a niche on this team until somebody dollars) for next season, the last of his deal. cheaper comes along. He has one more season with a cap hit of $3.1 Zack Smith million. The season got off to a crappy start for the veteran when he was put on Christian Jaros waivers just before the season started and then a puck in the face cost You look at a 23-year-old with his size (6-foot-3, 201 pounds) and I know him nine games. He’s overpaid for what he does and has two more years it was his first season, but he just leaves you wanting more. What is he? after this season at $3.25 million, so he’s probably not going anywhere. He didn’t contribute much offensively with one goal and nine assists and The team is going to need some veterans in this rebuild and Smith, 65 shots in 61 games. He struggled in his own end (43.16 Corsi, 36.92 judging by Matt Duchene’s “I’ll be honest, it’s a kick in the balls for us” GF percentage). I know it’s a learning time for a bunch of these young comment when Smith was put on waivers, is a respected teammate. Like players on a team that plays awful team defence. When you think about the rest of the guys in this category, he helps the team get to the cap a defender who could benefit from some focused defensive coaching, I floor. think of Jaros. Right now I don’t see him being more than a bottom Bobby Ryan pairing guy. The 32-year-old has settled in somewhere between what we saw in his On the bubble marvellous 2017 playoff run and the depths of 2017-18 when he battled Ben Harpur through numerous hand injuries. The game is speeding up and he looks like he’s not getting any faster, so it’s ridiculous to think he’s going to be Another player who needs to establish some kind of identity. He’s big and anything but what he is now. He has three more years at $7.5 million a should be tough to play against. Don’t see it. I know real-time stats can season with $2 million of that due as a signing bonus on July 1 of the be sketchy, but he was second the Senators in giveaways with 60 and next three summers. His greatest area of effectiveness was on the power he’s a guy who doesn’t handle the puck that much. For a big man, he play where speed isn’t as important. Of the players on the roster at the was credited with just 89 hits. He was seventh among Ottawa end of the season, Ryan was tied with Chabot for most power-play points defencemen with 69 blocked shots. This is a make-or-break season with 16. Seven of his 15 goals came on with the man advantage. So coming up for him. there’s that. His possession numbers improved over the season (from Rudolphs Balcers second worst on the team to fourth among the players on the roster at the end of the season). For now, Ryan’s greatest value is helping the Another piece from the Karlsson trade, he showed some flashes as he team get to the salary floor. got a shot in the second half of the season to make his NHL debut. Three of the five goals he scored in the 36 games he played were on the power Time’s up play. He’s got a good shot and he needs to improve getting into position Brian Gibbons to use it. He had just 48 shots in 36 games. That’s not enough to get the job done. The Senators shouldn’t be enticed by his 14 points in 20 games after coming over at the trade deadline from the Anaheim Ducks for Max Veronneau defenceman Patrick Sieloff. His six goals were fuelled by a ridiculous Signed as a college free agent, he played 12 games and had a couple of 28.6 shooting percentage. At 31, he’s not what the Senators should be goals. He’s a decent skater and showed some poise with the puck during about. his brief audition in what amounts to garbage time in the NHL season for Magnus Paajarvi

Another veteran fourth-liner, Paajarvi has given the Senators some good service over the past couple of seasons. I could see them bringing him back if they can’t find a better option, but he could be replaced by the likes of a say, Jack Rodewald or Nick Paul (if the Senators re-sign him) from Belleville.

Oscar Lindberg

A throw-in from the Mark Stone trade, the 27-year-old was another guy who came in and had a ridiculous shooting percentage (20 percent in his case), scoring five goals in 20 games with the Senators. If the Senators want to have room for players like Drake Batherson and Alex Formenton next season, there’s just not going to be room to bring all these guys back.

The big question marks

Mike Condon

It was a brutal season on and off the ice for Condon, who turns 29 on April 27, as he played just two games (eight goals on 40 shots) and spent the rest of the year trying to rehab after a stem cell treatment on his hip. He got back to practising with the Belleville Senators near the end of the season. Whether he’s capable of getting back and being a capable player in the NHL is one of the biggest questions of the Senators’ offseason. What the Senators do with Condon, who has another season with an AAV of $2.4 million and a salary of $3 million, will have a trickle- down effect on the other goaltenders in the organization.

Cody Ceci

The veteran on the blueline at 25 years old has struggled in the role the coaching staff has given him. He’s been asked to fill a shutdown role — he had the most neutral zone (322) and defensive zone starts (214) — but the Senators get crushed at 5-on-5 when he’s on the ice (he was in the middle of the pack among Ottawa defencemen with a Corsi of 43.96 percent). The Senators were minus-204 in shots for/against at 5-on-5 when he was on the ice. Is that Ceci’s fault or that of the management/coaching staff for putting him in a role he can’t handle? He got a one-year $4.3 million arbitration award last summer (he’s arbitration eligible again this season) and both he and Senators GM Pierre Dorion said they are working on a long-term extension. This looks like the Senators are inevitably going to overpay for a player who should be a third-pairing defenceman.

Statistics from NHL.com and NaturalStatTrick.com; Payroll information from Capfriendly.com.

The Athletic LOADED: 04.30.2019 1143462 Philadelphia Flyers "People talk about playing good defense and that's the forecheck or the D-zone coverage," Vigneault said. "Yeah, it is, it's because you don't have the puck, but you've got to know what to do with the puck, and Chuck Fletcher, Alain Vigneault and the Flyers may have a blueprint in when you do know what to do with the puck, then a lot of times you're not the Islanders defending as much.

"The job that Barry did in Long Island is an incredible job. An experienced coach that went in there with a definite mindset on what he felt needed to By Jordan Hall April 29, 2019 be done. Got to give him full credit and full marks for what he did. I believe that I know what it takes for a team to have success on a

consistent basis and that's what I intend to do here with the Flyers." The Islanders went 35-37-10 for 80 points and a seventh-place finish last Comcast SportsNet.com LOADED: 04.30.2019 season in the Metropolitan Division. They allowed the NHL's most goals per game and were 31st in attendance. Less than three months after their final game, they lost superstar John Tavares in free agency.

This season, Vegas gave New York an over/under projected point total of 82.5. USA TODAY Sports had it at 32 wins and 77 points.

Instead, the Islanders finished 48-27-7 for 103 points and are playing in the second round of the Stanley Cup Playoffs.

How in the world did New York pull that off the very next season?

You can bet such a turnaround was on the mind of Flyers general manager Chuck Fletcher when he was in the process of hiring Alain Vigneault as head coach. Entering the offseason, it very well could be a blueprint rolled up in Fletcher's back pocket as the Flyers gear up for an important 2019-20 season.

The Flyers have visions of jumping right back into contention, which the Islanders impressively accomplished when the circumstances appeared bleak.

Lou Lamoriello was named president of hockey operations last May. He brought on Barry Trotz as head coach a month after his hire. Trotz was fresh off a Stanley Cup championship with the Capitals — an accomplished bench boss that could shift philosophy, nail home fundamentals and get the best out of his players.

And it worked beautifully.

"Look at the job Lou Lamoriello and Barry Trotz have done," Fletcher said April 18. "They've gone from a team that looked far away and lost a key piece this summer, and they're in the second round right now.

"We've talked about the playoffs, there have been some teams that I think a lot of people are surprised have been knocked out already, some other teams you're surprised to see winning series or have won series. We're all close. Confidence and momentum early in a season can really lend itself to great things. That's why the most important time of the year will be our training camp and we'll be ready to go."

Lamoriello made underrated signings by adding Robin Lehner, Valtteri Filppula and Leo Komarov. Lehner is a Vezina Trophy finalist after putting up a 2.13 goals-against average and .930 save percentage, while Filppula scored 17 goals in 72 games and Komarov played all 82 and was a plus-18.

These weren't earth-shattering moves, though.

The Islanders are a different team in massive part because of Trotz and his systematic magic. After surrendering a league-worst 3.57 goals per game in 2017-18, the Islanders permitted an NHL-low 2.33 per game this season. They scored 2.72 goals per game this year compared to 3.18 last season, but an increased emphasis on details, commitment, smarts and puck management transformed New York.

Fletcher harped on all of those characteristics 12 days ago when the Flyers introduced Vigneault, who has a history of success in Year 1 on the job and molding postseason clubs.

"I think that's a hallmark of top coaches," Fletcher said. "Nine consecutive years of making the playoffs, that's where you want to be. I'm a big believer in trying to be competitive every year. Maybe not every year you're perfectly positioned to contend for a Cup, but if you get in year after year after year, you're going to give yourself some shots."

In 2019-20, Vigneault will get his first shot at cleaning up the inconsistent Flyers.

Oftentimes, teams aren't as lost as they look. Trotz and the Islanders are case in point. 1143463 Pittsburgh Penguins

Mark Madden: Penguins trading Evgeni Malkin is a very real possibility

Mark Madden MARK MADDEN | Monday, April 29, 2019 7:31 p.m.

Last week, GM Jim Rutherford would not commit to keeping Evgeni Malkin in a Penguins uniform for the rest of his NHL career.

It’s not a bluff. It’s not fake news. The Penguins are willing to trade Malkin. That’s for two reasons:

• The Penguins are very unhappy with Malkin’s performance this past season and with his attitude.

Malkin averaged more than a point per game but was a team-worst minus-25 , made a team-high 84 turnovers and had a team-most 89 penalty minutes. He too often dangled pointlessly and frequently made mistakes at both blue lines. Malkin scored just 21 goals, his fewest in a nonlockout year besides 2010-11, when a knee injury ended his season after 43 games (and 15 goals).

Malkin was insubordinate to Coach Mike Sullivan on one documented occasion. He shows zero inclination to fix his errors. Malkin wants to play as he likes.

• The Penguins feel that return gained by trading Malkin could be the cornerstone of a mini-rebuild around Sidney Crosby.

Crosby, 31, got 100 points this past season and is a Hart Trophy (NHL MVP) finalist at 31. He is closer to the top of his game than Malkin and a better bet to remain there longer. Crosby plays 200 feet. Malkin doesn’t. Gathering youth and speed around Crosby might lead to another good run for the Penguins in a few years.

If the Penguins choose instead to stick with the current core for old time’s sake, they could hit a wall like Chicago and Los Angeles after their Stanley Cup seasons. (That may be happening already and may be inevitable.)

So the Penguins are willing to investigate trading Malkin, if not outright shop him around.

But two factors likely will prevent a deal:

• Malkin has a full no-movement clause and shows no inclination to leave Pittsburgh. When he does depart, it likely would be to finish his playing days in his native Russia.

• Return offered for Malkin — coming off a disappointing year and who will be 33 at the start of the 2019-20 campaign — probably will not be enough for the Penguins to make such a major move. It’s not like Malkin’s age and recent subpar play are a secret.

The Penguins must be careful about attempting to trade Malkin. Once the topic is broached with Malkin because of his no-movement clause, the relationship between team and player might fracture. If Malkin declines to be dealt, or the Penguins can’t make the swap they want, what is Malkin’s attitude like? It’s already not great.

The Penguins may well rethink this. Executing a deal like this would not be easy nor popular. (But make no mistake, Crosby sells the tickets. Not Malkin.)

It would be better if Malkin fixed his game and performed better. But the Penguins hardly are convinced that will happen.

If the Penguins adopt more structure, which might be the best bet for improvement if they stick with a lineup that’s slowing down, Malkin surely would balk mightily.

How this plays out seems utterly up in the air. Perhaps Rutherford can finagle what adjustments he desires through other means.

At one time, the Penguins would have hesitated to deal a superstar because of the damage the franchise sustained when Jaromir Jagr was traded to Washington in 2001. But the Penguins do not feel the current situation with Malkin is comparable.

Tribune Review LOADED: 04.30.2019 1143464 Pittsburgh Penguins general manager Ray Shero frayed during 2013-14, and Shero and coach Dan Bylsma were fired after the season.

Despite it all, Crosby steered the Penguins to a Metropolitan Division title Where does Sidney Crosby’s 2018-19 season rank among his best in the and finished with what remains his third-highest points total. And he did it NHL? during a season in which he took off three weeks to captain Canada to its second consecutive gold medal at the Sochi Olympics.

By Rob Rossi Apr 29, 2019 No. 3: 2009-10

No. 87’s numbers: 51 goals, 58 assists and 109 points in 81 games; Maurice “Rocket” Richard Trophy (1st), Hart Trophy (3rd place), Pearson Sidney Crosby’s coach spent most of the regular season referring to the Award (1st place), NHL All-Star (2nd place) Penguins captain as “the best 200-foot player in the game.” That was Mike Sullivan’s way of calling attention to Crosby’s game-by-game task How does the youngest captain of a title team follow his Cup moment? to create scoring chances against top defense pairings while also All Crosby did in 2009-10 was lead the NHL in goals for the first time and matching up with oppositions’ best offensive forwards. While that task challenge for his first Hart Trophy since he won the award in his second was not new for Crosby, his performance of it appeared never to have season. been better. Crosby’s 39 goals as a rookie had been his personal-best mark. But he Voting members of the Professional Hockey Writers’ Association seemed emerged as a dominant goal-scorer during the 2009 playoffs, marking 15 to agree. Crosby is again a finalist for the Hart Memorial Trophy, times in 24 games to lead all players. Perhaps confident from that run, awarded annually to the player judged “most valuable to his team.” Crosby appeared to take a shooter’s mentality in 2009-10, and his 497 Crosby, now a seven-time finalist for the award, seeks to join Mario shots attempted that season remains his highest total. His 2009-10 point Lemieux as a three-time Hart Trophy winner for the Penguins. total was topped only by the 120 he scored in his first Hart Trophy/Art Ross Trophy season in 2006-07. We will have to wait until the NHL Awards show June 19 to find out if Crosby, Tampa Bay’s Nikita Kucherov or Edmonton’s Connor McDavid However, as often has been the case with Crosby, his statistics only told takes the Hart Trophy. However, we can already assess where — or if — a part of the story of his greatness. After back-to-back Cup Final Crosby’s 2018-19 season ranks among his best. appearance, the Penguins noticeably wore down as the regular season dragged on in 2009-10. Only seven forwards appeared in at least 70 No. 5: 2005-06 games, forcing Crosby to play the most regular-season minutes of his career. No. 87’s numbers: 39 goals, 63 assists and 102 points in 82 games; Hart Trophy (24th place), Calder Memorial Trophy (2nd place), NHL All-Star More than at any point since his rookie season, Crosby was counted (3rd place) upon to carry the Penguins in 2009-10. He did it by doing something he had never done and hasn’t done since: join the 50-goal club. And, again, Crosby’s rookie season is often overshadowed because it was the only he did it during a season in which he took three weeks off to lead Canada time in his NHL career the Penguins failed to qualify for the Stanley Cup to a gold medal at the Vancouver Olympics. (He scored a fairly playoffs. Also, because historic rival Alex Ovechkin’s debut for the memorable goal there, too.) Washington Capitals was delayed by the 2004-05 lockout, Crosby and Ovechkin waged an epic battle for the Calder Trophy voting that No. 2: 2018-19 determined the league’s top rookie. No. 87’s numbers: 35 goals, 65 assists and 100 points in 79 games; Hart Still, the first season of The Crosby Show was everything it was Trophy (finalist) advertised to be, as he quickly established himself as the best player for a franchise that was undergoing a lot of turnover. Despite his coach’s season-long lobbying, Crosby will not win the Selke Trophy that is annually awarded to the NHL player who “excels in the The Penguins of Crosby’s rookie season became a mix of veterans defensive aspects of the game.” He is not a finalist for the award. whose best days were behind them (John LeClair), free-agent acquisitions who quit (Ziggy Palffy), former first-round picks figuring out However, Crosby placed fourth in a midseason poll of Professional the NHL as they went along (Marc-Andre Fleury and Brooks Orpik), a Hockey Writers Association members. So, there is a decent chance couple of coaches who had to make the most of a mess (Ed Olczyk, then Crosby will earn a top-10 placement in Selke Trophy voting for the fourth Michel Therrien) and an iconic owner/captain who retired (Lemieux). The consecutive season. If that happens, Crosby will have been recognized end result was the Penguins finishing with the second-fewest points — as one of the NHL’s 10 best defensive forwards in a season during which and they probably would have ended up with 40, instead of 58, had it not he also hit the century mark in points for the first time in five years. been for Crosby. As the Penguins’ blink-and-miss-it stay in the postseason showed, “Sid the Kid” was sensational as a rookie. In fact, not many players have Crosby’s value to his club was immense in 2018-19. He was held to an ever been better in any season. assist by the New York Islanders, who swept the Penguins from the opening round. No. 4: 2013-14 Basically, the Penguins rarely won this season if Crosby wasn’t great. No. 87’s numbers: 36 goals, 68 assists and 104 points in 80 games; Hart Trophy (1st place), Lester B. Pearson Award (1st place), Art Ross Trophy Malkin, Phil Kessel, Patric Hornqvist and Matt Murray each spent large (1st place), NHL All-Star (1st place) chunks of 2018-19 performing below expectations. Malkin and Kris Letang missed a lot of time in the second half because of injuries. GM About the only thing Crosby didn’t do in 2013-14 was make good on his Jim Rutherford made nine in-season trades trying to find the right mix for stated desire to play in every regular-season game. But even that was a club that spent much of the season flirting with missing the playoffs. because of a management decision, as Crosby was scratched for a couple of the first-place Penguins’ late-season games that would not The Penguins qualified, though. And given how they looked once in the directly influence their positioning in the playoff race. playoffs, making it was probably all that anybody could ask.

In what was essentially his first “healthy” season in four years, Crosby They were there because of Crosby, who was without peers as a scorer paced the NHL in assists and points. He won his second each of the Art and defender among forwards. Ross Trophy, Hart Trophy and Pearson Award — and did so while No. 1: 2010-11 leading a franchise that was undergoing significant issues. No. 87’s numbers: 32 goals, 34 assists and 66 points in 41 games; NHL On the ice, the Penguins’ scoring depth was non-existent outside of All-Star (5th place) Crosby’s top line because of injuries that limited Evgeni Malkin and James Neal to 60 and 59 games, respectively. Also, the club had its top It says a lot about Crosby’s excellence that his first MVP season, the six defensemen available together for only six games. Off the ice, the 2006-07 one during which he scored his most points, didn’t make the cut working relationship between CEO/president David Morehouse and on this list. It says even more that his 2008-09 season, in which he recorded 70 assists, and his 2016-17 season, during which his 44 goals topped the NHL, also didn’t crack the top five.

But what does it say about Crosby that the best season of his career was also his most tragic?

It says we’ll always wonder what the summer of 2011 might have been like in Pittsburgh if not for a couple of nights in January of that year.

Crosby reached rarified air in his first 39 games of the 2010-11 season. He had produced 32 goals and 65 points and at one point scored in 25 consecutive games. He was completely, indisputably dominant.

Armed with a new and slightly-curved stick blade, Crosby exuded confidence in his shot for the first time. Where previously he scored goals on the strength of bursts of speed or by pouncing on rebounds, Crosby upped the frequency of his slap and wrist shots in 2010-11. That he did so without sacrificing his penchant for playmaking proved a problem for the entire NHL. As Bill Guerin noted during his former teammate’s scoring streak, Crosby was “assaulting the game.”

Crosby arrived at the 2011 Winter Classic at Pittsburgh’s Heinz Field on pace for 67 goals and 137 points. More than career-best totals, those statistics, when adjusted, would have quantified Crosby’s as one of the great seasons in NHL history.

But a couple of blindside hits in consecutive games — by Washington’s David Steckel at the Winter Classic on New Year’s Night and by Tampa Bay’s Victor Hedman at Consol Energy Center a few days later — ended Crosby’s season. He was diagnosed with a concussion that did not allow him to play again until mid-November 2011, and his symptoms lingered for much of the 2011-12 season, too.

Shero told The Athletic that the 2010-11 Penguins were his “best team.” Why?

“You watched Sid before that outdoor game — he was unstoppable, unbelievable,” Shero said. “I was watching it every night and I couldn’t believe it.

“It felt like we had two goals coming every night just because of him. And we were getting (Jordan) Staal back for that outdoor game. We hadn’t even had our team together yet, and Sid was still doing what he was doing. I don’t know what his goals and assists were when he got hurt. I mean, I know he was leading the league, and by a lot. But I’ll tell you this: he hadn’t played his best hockey of that year yet. He was still getting better. So were we. Because of him.”

How great was Crosby in 2010-11? He played a half-season, still received Hart Trophy votes and only 30 NHL players scored more points.

The Athletic LOADED: 04.30.2019 1143465 San Jose Sharks

Sharks’ Joe Pavelski not playing, but still helping

San Jose Sharks coach Pete DeBoer said Joe Pavelski has been a great resource for him in recent days, providing ideas from a player’s perspective

By Curtis Pashelka

SAN JOSE — It’s unclear when captain Joe Pavelski might be able to return to the Sharks lineup. Coach Pete DeBoer said Monday, though, that Pavelski has made contributions in other ways.

Pavelski has been out since the third period Game 7 of the Sharks’ first round series against the Vegas Golden Knights. But DeBoer said Pavelski has been able to help him by giving a player’s perspective on games and also with line combinations for their series against the Colorado Avalanche.

Pavelski has been around the team quite a bit since he awkwardly fell backwards and hit his head hit the back of the ice on April 23 after a cross check from Golden Knights center Cody Eakin. Pavelski remained on the ice for several moments before he was helped off by trainer Ray Tufts and a group of teammates.

Since then, the Sharks have largely had Gus Nyquist play in Pavelski’s spot on a line with Logan Couture and Timo Meier, and Lukas Radil with Tomas Hertl and Evander Kane.

“He’s always around. He’s a great resource,” DeBoer said. “He’s a great resource for me on everything — line combinations, lineups. He has a great perspective and a different perspective than us as a staff. I think he has conversations with guys in the room, but I think a lot of that is just conversations with me and some of the things I get from his perspective.”

Joonas Donskoi, who did not play in Game 7 against the Golden Knights and has also missed the last two games against the Avalanche, skated again Monday with Tim Heed, Dylan Gambrell and Antti Suomela. Donskoi’s injury is undisclosed.

DeBoer did not have an update Monday morning on whether Pavelski or Donskoi would travel to Denver for games 3 and 4. DeBoer said even if Pavelski or Donskoi, or both, did travel, they would not necessarily play.

Hertl’s faceoff prowess

With Pavelski out, Tomas Hertl has taken nearly 40 percent of the Sharks’ faceoffs. He was 10-for-17 in Game 1, but the rest of the Sharks were a combined 17-for-37.

In Game 2, Hertl’s responsibilities grew, as he took 30 of the Sharks’ 64 draws, winning 17 of them. Thirteen of those faceoffs came in the offensive zone, where Hertl, a left-handed shot, beat Carl Soderberg 4 of 6 times, J.T. Compher 2 of 4 times and Gabriel Landeskog 2 of 3 times.

“He’s a big strong guy,” DeBoer said. “He’s gotten better at it considering he hasn’t played center, consistently, until this year. He’s been helpful. Because he’s so big and strong, he’s been equally as good on his right and his left because Pavelski is our right-hand faceoff guys. It obviously helps.”

San Jose Mercury News: LOADED: 04.30.2019 1143466 San Jose Sharks Karlsson has a league-leading 10 assists in nine playoff games, but his improved skating should help at both ends of the ice.

On his near-coast-to-coast rush, Karlsson took the puck from Martin Erik Karlsson looking better, but will likely be tested in Game 3 vs Avs Jones behind the Sharks net, accelerated into the neutral zone and into San Jose Sharks defensemen Erik Karlsson and Brenden Dillon may the Avalanche’s end, backing up defenders along the way, before he was have to defend the Colorado Avalanche line of Nathan MacKinnon, checked to the ice by Colorado defenseman Ian Cole. Gabriel Landeskog and Mikko Rantanen more often “Just like a fine wine. Getting better and better every game,” Dillon said of Karlsson.

By Curtis Pashelka “If you ask him, he’s probably not feeling 100 percent yet. He’s impacting the game every shift. He’s a special kind of players. Those guys can change the game any time they’re out there.”

SAN JOSE — Erik Karlsson’s end-to-end rush in the second period of Karlsson finished Game 2 with 22 minutes and 16 seconds of ice time Game 2 against the Colorado Avalanche was a good indication the two- and six shots on goal. Those type of minutes have been par for the time Norris Trophy winner is feeling better now than he has at any point course for himself and every other top player with the Sharks in the in the playoffs. playoffs, particularly against the Golden Knights, when felt the effects of a long series that included two overtime games. That’s obviously good news for the Sharks, because the offense Nathan MacKinnon, Gabriel Landeskog and Mikko Rantanen were able to “I like the fact we’re 1-1. Coming off that seven-game series, we knew generate Sunday was a good indication the Avalanche’s top line is that it would be tough,” DeBoer said. “If you would have told me after that starting to find a rhythm, as well. we beat Vegas (in Game 7 on April 23) that we would have split the first two games, I would have taken that based on the circumstances and the Rantanen was moved back alongside MacKinnon and Landeskog during fatigue. Game 2, and the trio combined for two goals and three assists — all at even strength — in Colorado’s 4-3 win. Those three combined for two “Now we’re ready to get this series really dialed up.” assists in Game 1 on Friday, a 5-2 Sharks win. San Jose Mercury News: LOADED: 04.30.2019 “We gave them a little bit more room last night and I didn’t think we were heavy enough in our own end, compared to maybe Game 1,” Sharks coach Pete DeBoer said. “Credit to them. They dialed up their intensity and I thought ours lagged a little bit.”

Now with games 3 and 4 back in Denver and the Avalanche having last change, Karlsson and defense partner Brenden Dillon may be needed to skate against MacKinnon and company on a more regular basis. Marc- Edouard Vlasic and Brent Burns shouldered a fair amount of that responsibility through the first two games.

“We’re comfortable with whoever we end up with out there against them,” DeBoer said. “I think everyone knows what they have to do against them. You have to trust your whole group this time of year because you don’t have the luxury of last change on the road.”

Karlsson and Dillon weren’t on the ice with MacKinnon and Landeskog very often in Game 2, but they have been through similar tests before.

In Game 6 of the Sharks’ first round series in Vegas when Vlasic was back in the lineup, Dillon and Karlsson had plenty shifts against the Golden Knights top line of William Karlsson, Jonathan Marchessault and Reilly Smith.

“For me Erik, we love having the matchups,” Dillon said Monday before the Sharks left for Denver. “This year, we played against all sorts of top lines, (Connor) McDavid, (Nikita) Kucherov, (Johnny) Gaudreau, those types of lines. I don’t think you’re going to be able to rely on one line offensively or one (pair) defensively to get the job done. It’s going to have to be a collective effort.

“Not having last change, too, I think we’re just going to have to worry about playing hockey. We feel comfortable being out there. We don’t want to be able to just shut them down, we want to be able to make them play defense, which is going to be tough.”

Karlsson assisted on the first of two goals by Burns in the third period Sunday. After a Burns shot attempt was blocked by Alexander Kerfoot, Karlsson kept the puck in at the blue line and got some distance from Landeskog before he teed it up for an open Burns, whose shot was redirected past Colorado goalie Philipp Grubauer.

“Moving effortlessly now. He’s starting to look like he should,” DeBoer said. “He’s not thinking about (the injury) now. There’s no hesitation in him.”

Bothered by groin and leg injuries, Karlsson missed 27 of 32 games from mid-January to early April. He skated in the Sharks’ regular-season finale against the Avalanche on April 6, and has played in all nine postseason games since.

“Feels great. Starting to come more and more,” Karlsson said Sunday night. “Just got to keep pushing here, doing the right thing. That goes for everyone. We know what we have to do in here. This was a stepping stone for us. We have to learn from this.” 1143467 San Jose Sharks

Brent Burns is heating up offensively, and making life tough for Avs

By Chelena Goldman April 29, 2019

SAN JOSE – Given the Sharks penchant for comebacks through their current playoff run, it sure started to look as though Brent Burns was going to tie things up in the final minutes of Game 2.

Having already set up the opening goal of the evening, Burns then found the back of the net twice in the third frame to bring San Jose within one goal of the visiting Colorado squad. Although San Jose ended up dropping that game 4-3, Burns ended the night with his second consecutive multi-point game.

Burns is heating up offensively, and the Avalanche know if they’re going to outdo the Sharks in the second round, they’ll have to keep an eye on Burns. With the high level he’s playing at, however, Colorado is going to have their hands full.

“He’s going to make an impact,” Avalanche head coach Jared Bednar told the press after Game 2. “We’re trying to minimize that impact on a nightly basis.”

Burns’ big offensive push started in Game 6 of the Sharks' first-round series against the Vegas Golden Knights. Since then he has tallied at least one point in four straight games. Burns has a total of seven points over the first two games against the Avalanche. Whether he’s setting goals up or scoring them himself, Burns is proving to be a force Colorado hasn’t been able to contain.

Bednar, a former defenseman himself, broke down San Jose’s first goal of Game 2, in which Evander Kane punched in the rebound of Burns’ wrist shot from the blue line.

“I thought we were playing it perfectly,” Bednar said. “Mikko (Rantanen) was all the way out to Burns. He gets within five feet of him, and Burns finds a way. Whether (the puck) goes through Mikko’s legs or just gets by one leg to get to the front of the net – and we get beat on that box out and there’s a rebound and they put it in. That’s what we’re trying to prevent.

“Mikko’s got to find a way to get in that lane," Bednar continued. "But that’s easier said than done against a guy like Burns.”

Getting into that lane also comes with a price, as Alexander Kerfoot found out on Burns’ first goal of the third period. When Kerfoot squared off to defend Burns’ shot, the puck knocked his blade right off his skate. Erik Karlsson scooped up the puck after that and redistributed to Burns, who beat Philipp Grubauer five-hole from the faceoff circle.

“It’s a tough break,” Bednar said, recalling Kerfoot lying in the neutral zone without a blade on his right skate. “I don’t know what else we can do on that.”

Burns doesn’t even have to break an opposing player’s skate on a nightly basis to find the back of the net on a regularly. Since he’s averaging roughly 29.81 minutes per night through nine games this postseason – including those two contests against Vegas that went into overtime – Burns has eveJJn more opportunities to contribute offensively for the Sharks.

Not to mention that the current second-round series now shifts to Denver for Games 3 and 4, and Burns has registered 19 points (7 goals, 12 assists) through 28 games played at Pepsi Center.

There’s no doubt the Avs will be keeping a close eye on how to stop Burns as the teams head into Game 3 with the series tied at a game apiece. If Burns keeps playing at such a high level, though, he’s going to be hard for Colorado to figure out.

Comcast SportsNet.com LOADED: 04.30.2019 1143468 San Jose Sharks Winning matchups against the Avalanche's other three forward lines can only go so far with their first line playing so much. So far, Vlasic and Brent Burns are the Sharks defensemen who have seen the trio the How Nathan MacKinnon, Avalanche top line a unique challenge for most. Logan Couture's line drew the bulk of the match-ups in two games Sharks at SAP Center, but that might not be the case as the series shifts to Colorado for Games 3 and 4. Bednar, not DeBoer, will get to dictate the matchups with the benefit of last change.

By Marcus White April 29, 2019 "I think we're comfortable with whoever we end up out there against them," DeBoer said Monday. "I think everyone knows what they have to

do against them. You gotta trust your whole group this time of year The Sharks didn't see the Colorado Avalanche's All-Star forward line because you don't have the luxury of last change on the road." right away in either of the first two games of their Stanley Cup playoff The Avalanche did not lose a home game in the first round, and that was second-round series. with Rantanen playing on a different line than his fellow All-Stars. The Colorado's top trio of Gabriel Landeskog, Nathan MacKinnon and Mikko Sharks will see plenty of the three of them starting Tuesday at Pepsi Rantanen took their first 5-on-5 shift together with four minutes remaining Center, and slowing them down is paramount to regaining a series lead. in the first period of the Avalanche's 4-3 win in Game 2 on Sunday. They Comcast SportsNet.com LOADED: 04.30.2019 didn't reunite for good until a few minutes before the midway point of the second period, but made a game-changing impact when they did.

Colorado entered the second period trailing 1-0, and ended it with a 2-1 lead. Landeskog scored the tying goal, with a secondary assist from MacKinnon. Landeskog and Rantanen notched helpers on defenseman Tyson Barrie's disputed go-ahead goal, and the line as a whole led the Avalanche's charge back into Game 2 after the Sharks' dominant first period. Avalanche coach Jared Bednar credited Colorado's improved neutral-zone play for putting his top line in position to succeed.

"We give them the puck at the right time and in the right situations, guys like [MacKinnon are] going to produce," Bednar told reporters at SAP Center on Sunday. "We have to do a good job as a team to make sure we get the pucks to those guys at the right time."

The Avalanche scored a 5-on-5 goal with their top line on the ice for the first time this series in Game 2, but Landeskog, MacKinnon and Rantanen have tilted the ice in their favor in both games.

In 20:30 of full-strength time this series, Colorado's top line has controlled 59.62 percent of the shot attempts (31-21), 64.29 percent of the shots (18-10), 65.63 percent of the scoring chances (21-11) and 71.43 percent of the high-danger chances, according to Natural Stat Trick. Their production relative to the rest of Colorado's offense is especially stark early in the second round.

Without -- or with just some -- of the top line on the ice, the Avalanche have controlled 46.5 percent of the 5-on-5 shot attempts and 44.74 percent of the shots. They have still managed to out-chance the Sharks, but Landeskog, MacKinnon and Rantanen as a line have created 10 of Colorado's 25 high-danger chances at full strength.

MacKinnon, who was a Hart Trophy finalist last season and finished seventh in the league this season with 99 points, arguably has been the line's best player despite scoring just one 5-on-5 point in two games. The dynamic forward leads the Avs with 10 shots across all situations, and only one of his unblocked shots has missed the net. He is also tied for second on Colorado with four high-danger chances and nine scoring chances, per Natural Stat Trick.

"They're gonna get their looks," Sharks coach Peter DeBoer told reporters Monday at the team's practice facility. "They're gonna get their chances. He's a great player. I thought we gave him a little bit more room last night, and I didn't think we were heavy enough in our own end last night compared to Game 1. Credit to them. They dialed up their intensity a little bit, and I thought ours lagged a little bit."

The speed of Landeskog, MacKinnon and Rantanen presents a different challenge for the Sharks than Vegas' high-scoring combination of Max Pacioretty, Paul Stastny and Mark Stone did in the first round. So, too, does how much San Jose has seen the trio.

Since the start of the second round, MacKinnon (23:25), Landeskog (23:12) and Rantanen (22:14) have played more minutes per game than anyone but Barrie. In 5-on-5 situations, they've all played at least 6:28 more than the next-closest forward (Carl Soderberg). Some of that surely can be chalked up to the Avalanche's rest after extinguishing the top- seeded Calgary Flames in a five-game, first-round series, but all three finished in the top 15 in average ice time among forwards this season. The Edmonton Oilers were the only other team with two (Connor McDavid and Leon Draisaitl). 1143469 San Jose Sharks

Five Sharks observations after Game 2 loss as series shifts to Denver

By Brodie Brazil April 29, 2019

While a 2-0 series lead would have felt commanding, the Sharks travel to Denver on Tuesday tied at one with Colorado in their second-round best- of-seven series. All things considered, you might have expected San Jose to drop Game 1 and rebound in Game 2, when in fact it was the exact opposite.

The Sharks weren't disastrous on Sunday night, but simply they couldn’t capitalize on early momentum and extend their Stanley Cup Playoff win streak to five.

Here are five observations from the Sharks' Game 2 loss.

Better team won

The final score accurately depicted gameplay. The Sharks were superior in the first twenty minutes — to the point where they should have held more than that 1-0 lead. But credit goes to Colorado, who was the better team in the second period and beyond while San Jose seemed to lose some steam. The Sharks hope history doesn't repeat itself for the Avalanche, who lost their first game to Calgary before making changes and swept the rest of the first-round series.

Jones still solid

Martin Jones still looks good for San Jose. The scoreboard says the Avs scored four goals, but he was only in net for three. That is not far from the famous "two or fewer" slogan, where the Sharks are still undefeated in 36 tries this season. There’s no question that Jones regained some confidence starting with Game 5 of the first round.

While this is his first loss since surging — it doesn’t appear that he has lost any steam when you consider how and where Colorado scored their goals.

Injury concerns?

Although it was good to get Micheal Haley back from his ankle injury, the body language didn’t look good for Melker Karlsson, who absorbed a third period check in the corner boards then went to the bench without much favor for his right arm. Losing another forward in this series would begin to test the Sharks' depth, who are already without Pavelski and Donskoi.

In the case of Pavelski, he was present on Sunday night at SAP Center - which has to be seen as an inspirational factor for his teammates, if nothing else.

Burns' big hit

Brent Burns laid an absolute blast on Matt Calvert late in the third period. Unfortunately, when Calvert was violently separated from the puck, it feathered to Gabe Landeskog who continued skating North and buried the empty netter. It turned out to be the night’s deciding goal.

Going back to the hit - it deserves special attention in an age where every obvious contact play is evaluated for targeting the head. But there’s no question this one was clean, which is a statement to Burns and his tact in being physical. The question is, did it engage a more physical presence from Colorado, which is something we haven’t seen much of in the first 120 minutes?

Denver bound

Now that the series shifts to Denver for two games, there are some unique questions. Let's start with the obvious: altitude factors. Are the Sharks at a physiological disadvantage to likely get “winded” quicker? Some of the Sharks' best hockey in this series involved short shifts and puck possession, however, which would likely be a solid counter to the elements.

Also, the factors of matchups and last change present themselves at Pepsi Center. How will Avs coach Jared Bednar dictate how his players match up against the Sharks' depth?

Comcast SportsNet.com LOADED: 04.30.2019 1143470 St Louis Blues “We talked as a line,” Maroon shared. “We went over some things that we had to do better — in the first two games, we didn’t get to our game. And I think tonight, our line is below the top of the circles, grinding down Hochman: Blues' Maroon makes hometown proud as Big Rig rolls in Big low, wearing their D down. And we did a really, really good job. And we D have to continue that.”

From the other vantage point, Stars coach Jim Montgomery was impressed and sort of even flabbergasted by what he saw. Benjamin Hochman “That line, it didn’t matter who we put out against them,” Montgomery said. “They seemed to have their way with us. We got to do a better job of taking away time and space. We got to have our second layer there DALLAS • At this point, every late '90s shopper who saw him at South quicker, which means when they move it and we’re able to get pressure County Mall, every biology lab partner at Oakville High or every busboy on the puck, we got to have someone coming there to win that loose at Frankie G’s is now saying the same thing: “I grew up with Patrick puck battle.” Maroon!” When it was over, Maroon sat at his locker, hair spiked by sweat, a towel The St. Louis kid and now St. Louis Blue is becoming a part of St. Louis around his neck. The fighter didn’t actually fight on Monday night. But he sports lore. And on Monday night, he turned April 29th into a new St. delivered the knockout. Patrick’s Day, though all those wearing green could only cry in their beers … or, as one Dallas fan did, throw one at the Blues bench. St Louis Post Dispatch LOADED: 04.30.2019 Patrick Maroon scored the winning goal with 1:38 left in Game 3, separating these two teams after yet another airtight fight. St. Louis leads 2-1 now. Game 4 is Wednesday.

And the way he scored the goal was perfectly Patty. The “Big Rig” shoved Dallas’ earlier-flopper Esa Lindell to the ice — “the guy fell,” Maroon explained after — and received a perfectly placed puck off the boards and hoisted it into the upper corner, baffling his fellow St. Louis hockey hero, Vezina Trophy finalist Ben Bishop, who prepped at Chaminade. The Lindell play was perhaps dirty, from a Dallas perspective, but simply mischievous from a St. Louis perspective. And there was that smile, that great grin of Patty’s, which was well-deserved after the glorious, Gloria-inspiring goal.

“I think I just had more time to use my hands,” Maroon said of his shot, which was like a soccer “upper-90 shot,” if we’re mixing St. Louis sports. “Usually, I’m muffing it in the pads, but I got it up quick. I’ve been working on it in practice. Just taking it from the back of the net, trying to lift in.”

The resilience and relentlessness of the Blues is becoming something of legend this spring, and the Maroon line, along with Tyler Bozak and Robert Thomas, epitomizes it. Sure there are still two more games to win in this series — and yes, the only reason there was the aforementioned resilience and relentlessness was because the Blues kept allowing Dallas back in the game — but you don’t see this so much in sports, do you? The Blues don’t lose on the road. Home, too, occasionally. But they’re 4-0 in this postseason right now on the road, following Monday’s bonkers game, which was more of a boxing match, won with Maroon’s goal. Blues 4, Stars 3.

“I think our team does a really good job of responding now,” said Maroon, whose team kept taking the lead and then kept losing the lead. “We have this belief system in here that’s really weird, but we feel like we can always find ways to win hockey games. And you’ve got to give credit to the Stars for bouncing back, pushing back — but we got the edge from pushing back harder. We kept pushing, we never gave up. We didn’t let them get the momentum. … It was nuts. I think both teams responded really well. I’m just happy that we came out with the win.”

And now, Maroon has two playoff goals for St. Louis — and some thought he wouldn’t even make it to the postseason. He didn’t score in his first 15 games with the hometown team after signing in the summer. He was a healthy scratch a couple times. He struggled, and the team struggled. Many wondered by his January bobblehead night — Maroon driving a big rig — if he would even be on the team by then.

But he was reslient, and now he’s a local hero, and it’s becoming almost like one of those Ferris Bueller situations (“My best friend’s sister’s boyfriend’s brother’s girlfriend heard from this guy who knows this kid who’s going with a girl who saw Pat Maroon at Ted Drewes last night”).

What a goal.

Really, that line of Maroon, Bozak and Thomas deserves so much praise. Before Game 3, and the series tied, coach Craig Berube took a risk. He shook up the lines. Some of the lines. He moved Jaden Schwartz up to the top line. Reconfigured some fellows on the second line. But Berube didn’t touch that third line. That thing is an engine. Gosh, this line was good all night. Cycling, passing, grinding. 1143471 St Louis Blues He was wide open on the right side of the net when he flipped in the game-winner, high and far side. How does a guy that big (6-3, 225) find himself so open?

Maroon rescues Blues with late game-winner “He can kind of create space for himself,” Vince Dunn said. “If you kind of miss a step on a guy that big, it’s pretty hard to get back in his way. He’s a big strong guy off (the puck) and with the puck.” By Jim Thomas St. Louis Post-Dispatch Esa Lindell of the Stars was defending Maroon net front, but then all of a sudden Maroon was by himself.

DALLAS • It was wild. It was woolly. It was Pat Maroon with the game “I think he just fell over me,” Maroon said. winner a mere 98 seconds before the end of regulation. “We were just battling and he tried to get the edge on me and he fell on With two of the best defensive teams in the NHL on the ice at American me.” Airlines Center, there were four goals scored in a stretch of 5 minutes 16 seconds down the stretch. The Blues scored last — Maroon’s second Well, there might have been just a little (wink, wink) push by Maroon. But goal of the playoffs — to claim a 4-3 victory Monday at American Airlines after Lindell was penalized for embellishment late in the second period — Center. after not one but two flops that would have made a soccer player proud — Maroon would’ve had to drive a Big Rig over the Dallas defense for Included in those hectic, frantic, unbelievable closing minutes the Blues the play to be wiped out. allowed a shorthanded goal. And with just 43.3 seconds remaining they were guilty (for the second time Monday) of delay of game for shooting “I got an opportunity to use my hands in front and get the puck up quick,” the puck over the glass. Maroon said. “At first, I didn’t know if it went in. But we found a way to get it in and we found a way to win tonight.” There was a time when such a 1-2 punch of misfortune would’ve crushed the Blues. And there was a time Maroon couldn’t buy a goal — with U.S. But it didn’t become a Gloria game —you know, that victory song — until or Canadian currency. But the Blues are living in a different world these the Blues killed off a delay of game penalty on Colton Parayko over the days. last 43.3 seconds.

“I think once we became the team that we became, went on a roll for “Parry takes the penalty,” Pietrangelo said. “It’s just bad ice and it rolls on quite some time, we were a confident group,” interim coach Craig Berube him. That’s how it is this time of year. So you find a way to win, you find a said. “Just because a goal goes in, no matter if it’s shorthanded or 5-on- way to pick each other up and bail each other out. That’s what we did.” 5, we stay with it and keep battling. So there continues to be no place like road for the Blues this postseason.

“That’s where we’re at now. It’s mental. I talked about mental toughness “I can’t explain it,” Berube said. all year with this group — we’re a mentally tough team now.” St Louis Post Dispatch LOADED: 04.30.2019 They’re also a team that’s 2-1 in this Western Conference semifinal series, with Game 4 coming up Wednesday here.

When a best-of-seven series is tied 1-1, the Game 3 winner ends up taking the series 67.4 percent of the time in NHL history.

Make of that what you will.

For now, the stat that matters is this: The Blues are 4-0 on the road this postseason, and all four have been one-goal games.

“I think we’ve won every (playoff) game by one goal,” Alex Pietrangelo said. “See, I know that.”

But 4-0 on the road in Winnipeg and now Dallas — how does that happen?

“That just means we’re finding ways to win,” Pietrangelo said. “It’s not always pretty. It’s not always the way we scripted it and drew it up before the game. It’d be nice to kind of get a lead and hold onto that. But this time of the year it can be unpredictable.”

For sure.

After Andrew Cogliano’s shorthanded goal with 6:54 to play tied it at 2-all, Pietrangelo beat Stars goalie Ben Bishop with what looked like a rising knuckle-puck to the near side to reclaim the lead just 17 seconds after the end of that ill-fated Blues power play.

“I wouldn’t call it a howitzer,” Pietrangelo said. “There wasn’t much room there. I was just trying to get high-blocker and I got him dropping early. It’s not going to go in like that every time. It did this time.”

Dallas counter-punched 88 seconds later when Tyler Seguin beat Carl Gunnarsson in front of the net to tie it again — at 3-3.

But the Maroon-Tyler Bozak-Robert Thomas line was all over the ice Monday night. Cycling, hounding pucks and scoring goals.

“I wouldn’t want to play against them, I tell you,” Pietrangelo said. “They wear you down. They might not get one the first period, they might not get one the second period. But as the game goes on, they’re gonna wear you down.”

The line actually did get one in the second period when Bozak darted in for a tip-in of a Thomas shot for a 2-1 Blues lead. And then the Big Rig — Maroon — pulled up to the net. 1143472 St Louis Blues “We want Eddy to play a physical, hard game,” Berube said. “Did at times, but I think he can be more consistent taking the body, playing a heavy game.”

Blues notebook: Perron makes it clear he's no fan of frequent line St Louis Post Dispatch LOADED: 04.30.2019 changes

By Jim Thomas St. Louis Post-Dispatch

DALLAS • Most forwards prefer line continuity, and David Perron made that crystal clear when asked about switching back to the second line for Game 3 of the Blues’ Western Conference semifinal with the Dallas Stars.

“Hopefully we don’t turn into ‘Hitch’ daily with a line update where we talk about a new line and it’s going to be the whole solution of our problems,” Perron said after the morning skate Monday.

Previous Blues coach Ken Hitchcock was known for his frequent line changes.

In the second period of Game 5 of the Winnipeg series, with the Blues trailing 2-0 and the series on the brink of shifting the Jets’ way, interim coach Craig Berube moved Brayden Schenn from left wing on the first line to centering the second line. Perron was moved up to left wing on the top line.

Until that point, Perron had spent the entire season playing right wing. Even though he played the 2017-18 season on left wing for the Vegas Golden Knights, he wasn’t comfortable on the left side this time around.

“I hope I can just get back and play the normal game I did,” Perron said.

“I did feel a little bit different on the other side (left wing). I pride myself on board work, make a lot of little plays that makes the play go forward, makes the play maybe turn into an odd-man situation that starts from the D-zone or even the neutral zone.

“I don’t think I did that the last two games (against Dallas), I don’t think I did it in Game 6 either against Winnipeg. We won the game and maybe no one notices or talked about it, but for me, between rounds, I wanted to get better. ... And going back to the right side, I think it’s going to be a little bit more natural because that’s where I played this year.”

With Perron back on the right side after 3 ½ games, Schwartz moved up to left wing on the first line, and Schenn moved from center to left wing on the second line.

When asked why players prefer line continuity, Perron said: “Because it puts the onus on the players to be better. If you keep changing the lines, I feel like you just wait for the next opportunity for the line change to get a spark from the team.

“Or when it’s been pretty stable like it’s been all year, it’s up to the players to do their job and you want to be the guy that can make a difference. We’ve had guys step up at different times in the season.”

BORTUZZO BACK

Defenseman Robert Bortuzzo returned to the lineup Monday for the first time since Game 4 of the Winnipeg series and was back with Vince Dunn on the Blues’ third defensive pairing.

“You can tell it’s been an intense series,” Bortuzzo said. “I’ve been waiting for the nod to get in there. Happy it’s time, happy to get out there and contribute.”

During the regular season, Dunn and Bortuzzo were together for 32 games, more than any other defensive pairing besides Jay Bouwmeester-Colton Parayko.

“Yeah, we’ve played most of the season together, big chunks of hockey,” Bortuzzo said. “We have a good relationship. We talk to each other a lot out there. He’s a super-talented young guy who makes super-smart hockey decisions. We’ve done a good job of reading off each other all year.”

Bortuzzo replaced Joel Edmundson, who was a healthy scratch Monday. Edmundson played only 9 minutes 54 seconds Saturday in Game 2, his second-lowest ice time of the season. 1143473 St Louis Blues But just 1:28 after that, Pietrangelo couldn't get the puck out of the Blues zone, Dallas turned it around and Miro Heiskanen centered a pass and Tyler Seguin got position on Carl Gunnarsson and put the puck in with Late goal by Maroon gives Blues 4-3 win in Game 3 vs. Dallas 4:08 to play to tie the game.

A tap in by Tyler Bozak put the Blues up 2-1 on Dallas after two periods.

By Tom Timmermann St. Louis Post-Dispatch The goal came at the end of an extended possession by the Blues in the Dallas zone. Vince Dunn kept the puck in at the blueline, skated it low in the zone, passed to Robert Thomas, whose shot was stopped by Ben Bishop, but trickled past him and was sitting just off the goal line when Pat Maroon scored with 1:38 to play in the third period as the Blues gave Bozak reached in and tapped the puck in for his second goal of the up leads three times but finally held on to one as they beat the Stars 4-3 postseason. in Game 3 on Monday night in Dallas. Jordan Binnington made 10 saves in the period for the Blues, including The win gave the Blues a 2-1 lead in the Western Conference semifinal. one on a breakaway, and another breakaway was stopped by The team is 4-0 on the road this season in the playoffs. There were four defenseman Carl Gunnarsson, who chased down the play and lifted goals in 5:16 in the third period. The Blues led 3-2 late before giving up a Andrew Cogliano's stick before he could get the shot off. tying goal and setting the table for Maroon's heroics. The Blues had a late chance after a high sticking penalty on Gunnarsson. “To be honest with you, we’ve got to hold the lead there," Maroon said. He forced a turnover after getting out of the box and Bozak had a partial "We can’t give up a (shorthanded) goal. We’ve got to hold that lead. breakaway, but he couldn't get the initial shot off and his subsequent We’ve got to find ways to get momentum off that power play, but we gave backhand went a couple of inches wide. them momentum. The second unit goes out there and finds a way to get it back in and be effective. We get a big goal from Pietrangelo. We did a Jaden Schwartz scored his sixth goal of the postseason to put the Blues really good job with that. The Stars team is resilient but we found a way up 1-0 in the first period. The Stars got a power-play goal from Alexander to win.” Radulov with 2:48 to go in the period.

Maroon cleared space by knocking down Dallas' Esa Lindell, got the Schwartz put the Blues ahead just 1:27 into the game with his sixth puck from Jay Bouwmeester, moved in front of the goal and shot high to postseason goal, tying him for the most so far. Colton Parayko took a beat Dallas goalie Ben Bishop. shot from the point that Schwartz redirected in. Schwartz's six goals have all come in the past five games. In the regular season, Schwartz needed “I think he just fell over me," Maroon said. "We were just battling and he 46 games to get six goals, not getting it until Feb. 19. tried to get the edge on me and he fell on me. I got an opportunity to use my hands in front and get the puck up quick. At first, I didn’t know if it On Radulov's goal, the Blues had a couple chances to clear the puck and went in. But we found a way to get it in and we found a way to win couldn't. Jason Spezza centered a pass and Radulov knocked it in. tonight.” The Blues had another power play that they didn't do anything, managing "He’s been great all playoffs," said Alex Pietrangelo. "Set aside the whole just one shot on goal in the two-minute advantage. The Blues went 0 for St. Louis thing, he’s been great. This time of year, those are the guys you 5 on the power play in Game 2. really lean on. He’s really stepped up to the plate. He’s been great for us." The Blues killed two penalties in the second period and didn't have any power plays. Jordan Binnington stopped 27 of 30 shots he faced. It was Binnington's 30th win in the regular season and playoffs, tying the NHL record for the St Louis Post Dispatch LOADED: 04.30.2019 fastest to 30 wins. He did it in 39 games, matching Frederik Andersen with Anaheim in 2014. Game 4 is Wednesday night in Dallas.

"I just thought that it was a great playoff game," Dallas coach Jim Montgomery said. "It was back and forth. Both teams were giving what they had. I just thought the Blues did a better job of possessing pucks in the offensive zone than we did. That led to us making mistakes because we had to defend a lot.”

Dallas had a two-man advantage for the final 42.5 seconds after Colton Parayko put the puck over the boards and Dallas pulled Bishop. But the Blues minimized Dallas' chances after that penalty and Binnington had to make only one save.

The Blues led four different times in the game, at 1-0, 2-1, 3-2 and finally 4-3. It matches the most separate leads the team has ever had in a playoff game, last done in Game 3 of the 1990 division finals.

“Our team does a really good job of responding now," Maroon said. "We have this belief system in here that is really weird. We feel like we can always find ways to win hockey games and we do that. We’ve got to give credit to the Stars for bouncing back and pushing back. But we got the edge by pushing back harder and we kept pushing them. We never gave up. When they got the momentum, we tried to take it back from them.”

"It was back and forth (the last eight minutes)," coach Craig Berube said. "We made a few mental mistakes. The shorthanded goal and just a couple of plays where we’ve just got to be better there. But we stayed with it and so did they. They battled, too, and obviously kept it close right down to the end. We made a couple of mistakes that cost us and went into our net, but we stayed with it and battled back. It was obviously a huge goal by Patty Maroon. I thought that line was really good tonight.”

The Blues came into the third up 2-1, and Dallas tied the game on a shorthanded goal by Andrew Cagliano as the Blues bungled a power play and gave up a two-on-one break the other way. But just 1:18 after that goal, the Blues went back ahead on a blast from Alex Pietrangelo from the top of the left circle for his first goal of the postseason. 1143474 St Louis Blues PICK YOUR SPOTS

St. Louis has outhit Dallas 46-40 so far in this series, but Berube wants the Blues to be more physical _ to a degree. Bortuzzo back in lineup, Schwartz moved up to top line for Game 3 “I’d like to be more physical in certain areas," he said. "I think we’ve got to do a better job of really slowing down 3 and 4 on their team, getting in By Jim Thomas St. Louis Post-Dispatch the way a little bit more, more bumps."

That would be defensemen John Klingberg (jersey No. 3) and Miro Heiskanen (No. 4). DALLAS • Robert Bortuzzo is back in on defense and there are changes on the Blues' top two lines Monday for Game 3 of their Western "They’re elusive guys," Berube said. "I know it’s hard to get a lick on Conference semifinal series against the Dallas Stars. them all the time, but just getting in the way a little bit more.

Bortuzzo returns to the lineup for the first time since Game 4 of the In addition, Berube said: "We’ve definitely got to go to the net harder and Winnipeg series and will be reunited on the team's third defensive pairing get on the inside more and stick around the net.” with Vince Dunn. Meanwhile, after surviving five St. Louis power plays in Game 2, Dallas "Borts, he plays a heavy game for us," interim coach Craig Berube said. coach Jim Montgomery wants to see his team play with more discipline "Plus, it's a righthanded shot, gets Dunn over on his normal side _ on the tonight. left side. Good penalty killer." "We were excellent against Nashville (in Round 1), and we haven't Dunn had played 18 of his past 21 games with Alex Pietrangelo dating maintained our emotional control as well as we should in this series so back to the regular season. But Dunn is far more accustomed to being far," Montgomery said. "We have bigger things to play for than paired with Bortuzzo. During the regular season, they were together for retribution." 32 games _ more than any other defensive pairing besides Jay NO LONGER FAVORED Bouwmeester and Colton Parayko, who have been together for 46 regular-season games and all eight playoff games so far. The latest odds from @betonline_ag no longer shows the Blues as favorites to win the Stanley Cup: The reason for Bortuzzo's absence the past four games remain murky, with Berube calling it "maintenance" reasons at the time he was initially Boston Bruins 4/1 scratched for the final two games of the Winnipeg series. Carolina Hurricanes 9/2 When asked Monday if he had been injured, Bortuzzo replied: "They told us not to talk about that." San Jose Sharks 5/1

Bortuzzo's return makes Edmundson the odd-man out among the Blues' Colorado Avalanche 6/1 top seven defenseman. It's his first time out of the lineup in 10 games, or Dallas Stars 6/1 since he returned from an upper-body injury in the second-to-last regular- season game. St. Louis Blues 6/1

"We want Eddy to play a physical hard game," Berube said. "Did at Columbus Blue Jackets 13/2 times, but I think he can be more consistent taking the body, playing a New York Islanders 11/1 heavy game." Last week, before some teams had completed their first-round games, Edmundson played only 9 minutes 54 seconds in Game 2 against Dallas, the Blues were listed as Cup favorites at 5/1. his second-lowest total of the season. And in that March 12 game against Arizona, when Edmundson played only 7:40, he left early with the upper- BLUENOTES body injury. A win Monday by goalie Jordan Binnington would tie him with Frederick SCHWARTZ TO TOP LINE Andersen for fewest games needed to reach 30 wins at the start of an NHL career. Andersen, now with Toronto, needed 39 games to reach 30 Up front, Berube has moved Jaden Schwartz to the top line, playing left victories for Anaheim in 2014. Binnington is 29-8-1 in 38 games, a total wing with Ryan O'Reilly at center and Vladimir Tarasenko on right wing. which includes regular-season and postseason contests. "He's been playing really well," Berube said of Schwartz. "He's gonna get • Schwartz tied his season high with 12 attempts in Game 2 of the series on the forecheck for those guys; I think him and O'Reilly together in there with six shots on goal, two shots blocked and four misses. He previously forechecking. Vladi's going good right now. He's driving the puck wide had 12 attempts (6-3-3) Dec. 31 against the New York Rangers. with speed a lot. Taking it to the net." • Tarasenko was double-shifted frequently during the Blues' five power Schwartz leads the Blues with five goals in eight playoff games. During plays in Game 2. All told, he was on the ice for a season high 7:19 of the regular season, Schwartz didn't score his fifth goal until his 44th power play time _ out of the team's total of 9:36 with the man (and two- game of the season, Feb. 16 against Colorado. man) advantage Saturday. Meanwhile, after three games playing left wing on the top line with • The Blues blocked only five shots in Saturday's 4-2 loss, which tied for O'Reilly and Tarasenko, David Perron is back on the second line, playing their second-lowest total of the season. The season low was three blocks right wing on a line centered by Oskar Sundqvist and with Brayden in a 7-3 victory over Philadelphia on April 4 _ the second-to-last game of Schenn at left wing. Schenn had centered the second line for the the regular season. previous three games. • O'Reilly is getting a steady dose of faceoff work in this series. He took "(Perron) feels more comfortable over there for sure (at right wing)," 31 faceoffs in Game 1 and 34 in Game 2, marking the first time this Berube said. "And he's been there all year pretty much." season he has taken 30 or faceoffs in back-to-back games. He had only The Schwartz-O'Reilly-Tarasenko has been together for only 10 games six 30-faceoff games in the regular season and just one such game in the this season: five games from Nov. 6 (vs. Carolina) through Nov. 16 Winnipeg series. (Vegas), and five more games from Feb. 21 (Dallas) through March 1 BLUES LINEUP (Carolina). Forwards: The trio totaled nine goals and 14 assists, for 23 points, in those 10 games. They were much more productive in the five games together in Schwartz-O'Reilly-Tarasenko November, with seven goals and 10 assists for 17 points. Schenn-Sundqvist-Perron It should be noted, those point totals includes goals and assists on the power play. Maroon-Bozak-Thomas Fabbri-Barbashev-Steen

Defensemen:

Gunnarsson-Pietrangelo

Bouwmeester-Parayko

Dunn-Bortuzzo

Goalie:

Binnington

DALLAS LINEUP

No changes are expected in the Stars' lineup.

Forwards:

Benn-Seguin-Radulov

Dickinson-Hintz-Zuccarello

Cogliano-Faksa-Comeau

Janmark-Dowling-Spezza

Defensemen:

Lindell-Klingberg

Heiskanen-Polak

Fedun-Lovejoy

Goalie:

Bishop

St Louis Post Dispatch LOADED: 04.30.2019 1143475 St Louis Blues

Hochman: 'They're animals.' How Blues' pairing of Parayko and Bouwmeester can affect Game 3

Benjamin Hochman

DALLAS • “Colt 55” is here in Texas. Colton Parayko was “the best player on the ice” in Game 2, per Blues captain Alex Pietrangelo. And heading into Monday's Game 3, the defensive pairing of Parayko and Jay Bouwmeester should cause fits against Dallas' top line.

If they actually get to face Dallas' top line.

Yes, the home team has the last change, so it's likely the Stars won't match their stars with Parayko and “Bow.” Then again, if they don't face the likes of Jamie Benn, they'll face the likes of Dallas' second or third lines, which have contributed already in this 1-1 series.

Asked at Monday's morning skate to describe why Parayko and Bouwmeester are playing at high levels, defenseman Carl Gunnarsson smirked and said: “You want me to point out only one thing?

“They've got the size, they're tremendous skaters, they're good with the puck – they're animals. They can play 30 minutes, the can score, they can make plays out there. Bouwmeester especially is really gifted defensively – he's really good at reading the play and moving well. They're a tough D-pair to play against.”

No. 55 is playing sturdy hockey these playoffs, and Parayko even netted his first goal in Game 2, controlling the puck for an extra tick and placing it past Ben Bishop. The towering Parayko has three points in the past two games.

“He was finding open ice,” Pietrangelo said. “When he has an opportunity to shoot the puck like that, and he gets open ice, he's dangerous.”

Bouwmeester, who has been a story of rejuvenation this season, blocked two shots in Game 2 and was a plus-2.

Coach Craig Berube pointed out that sometimes, in certain zone face-off situations, “I might put one of them out there with another (defenseman), and then pull one guy out, depending on what line (the Stars) come with.”

But don't expect the Parayko-“Bow” pairing to be broken up to fortify other units. We did see Berube do that with the top two lines heading into Monday night's game. It'll be Jaden Schwartz and Vladimir Tarasenko on the wings with center Ryan O'Reilly. And on the second line, David Perron will move to his more-comfortable side on the right wing, with Brayden Schenn on the left and Oskar Sundqvist at center.

Another change - Robert Bortuzzo is in for Joel Edmundson. Bortuzzo will play with defenseman Vince Dunn.

When Parayko scored in Game 2, it marked the first time a Blues blue- liner scored in the postseason. That's actually eye-popping, considering that the Blues, statistically, were the best defensive scoring unit in franchise history.

“We relied on our D all year,” forward Pat Maroon said. “They did a really good job of producing for us all year. To get a goal from Parayko's huge for us. They're going to continue what they're doing. And the more they score it's a bonus for us.”

From Pietrangelo's vantage point, defensemen scoring in the postseason “sometimes just happens. Time and space is tough to find, especially at this time of the year. I think we can definitely get a little more involved. I mean, we're getting shots through there, getting rebounds and scoring. And sometimes in the regular season you get those bounces, but as long as those pucks are going in we don't care, we're just finding a way to generate as much as we can.”

St Louis Post Dispatch LOADED: 04.30.2019 1143476 St Louis Blues “Go get another one,” Pietrangelo added. “We had a couple of chances there, but they got momentum with (that goal). How do you get the momentum back? Go out there and score another one. I thought we did The Blues did it again — from mental mistakes to Pat Maroon’s game- a good job of that. We still had time. We knew we could still have a winner, we wrap up a wild finish push.”

They did, but that push came after the power play expired. When Cogliano scored to make it 2-2, there was still 1:01 left on the man By Jeremy Rutherford Apr 29, 2019 advantage, and the Blues put Pietrangelo and Colton Parayko on the ice.

“We wanted to use (Parayko) and (Pietrangelo), right-righty, on the second time through on the power play,” Berube said. “They went out DALLAS — Well, Craig Berube wasn’t wrong, but his response still there and did a great job of shooting pucks, recovering pucks, shoot sounded funny. them again.” It was the second question asked of the Blues coach after a wild final Bishop made a save on Pietrangelo with 6:30 left, and after a faceoff, seven minutes of regulation left the Blues with a 4-3 victory over Dallas in Pietrangelo hit the post with 6:24 to play. The power play expired and Jay Game 3 on Monday, giving them a two-games-to-one lead in the best-of- Bouwmeester came on the ice for Parayko, and then Bouwmeester set seven Western Conference semifinals. up Pietrangelo for the one-timer that gave the Blues a 3-2 lead with 5:36 “Craig, what goes into being the kind of team that can bounce back in the to play. toughest moments the way your team did repeatedly tonight?” “You have to keep shooting,” said Pietrangelo, whose shift wound up In characteristically concise fashion, Berube replied: “We’ve had practice being 1:18 before he scored. “‘Bouw’ walked over the blueline and it at it.” came over to me and I shot it. Just tried to get it to the net, trying to get it short-side. I went glove the first two, and I saw (Bishop) leaning towards WHEW! WHAT'D YOU THINK OF THAT ONE, COACH?! #STLBLUES that post, so I thought I could get him because I went glove twice in a #WEALLBLEEDBLUE PIC.TWITTER.COM/1TLJBFK7MC row. Not much room there, I was just trying to go high blocker and I got him dropping it a bit.” — ST. LOUIS BLUES (@STLOUISBLUES) APRIL 30, 2019 BOOM!!!!!!!! #STLBLUES #WEALLBLEEDBLUE Indeed, as strong as the Blues have been under Berube, those who have PIC.TWITTER.COM/WIC7CHKQHM been following along before the playoffs began will probably agree that the club’s No. 1 characteristic is the way it continues to respond to in- — ST. LOUIS BLUES (@STLOUISBLUES) APRIL 30, 2019 game adversity. But as well as the Blues have done in this area previously, their repeated responses Monday at American Airlines Center A hero one moment, however, and a goat the next. will go down as one of the best. They coughed up three one-goal leads, Pietrangelo accepted a pass from Gunnarsson in front of the net and had including two in the third period, but by the end of the night their road his head up. Pietrangelo then put the puck off the wall and it was picked record in this year’s playoffs was 4-0 and they are now 6-1 in one-goal off by Mira Heiskanen. The rookie Heiskanen then made an incredible games in the postseason. feed to Seguin for the goal, tying the score 3-3 with 4:08 to play. “Just keep playing,” Blues captain Alex Pietrangelo said. “Sometimes it “I should have been expecting it because he makes those plays every might take 60, sometimes it might take more. We’re just going to keep game,” Seguin said. “Heck of a play.” playing, whatever it takes. We’re resilient. This group has a lot of character. Everyone’s in the game and you don’t know who the hero is A heck of a play by Heiskanen, but an unforced error by the Blues. going to be.” “Just a couple of mistakes,” Pietrangelo said. “Couple bad bounces. The hero Monday was Pat Maroon, scoring the game-winning goal for his That’s going to happen.” hometown team with 1 minute, 38 seconds left in regulation, but it wouldn’t have been possible if the Blues hadn’t shrugged off multiple But again, the Blues didn’t sulk. breakdowns in the final moments. “It was back and forth,” Berube said. “The shorthanded goal and just a From Dallas’ shorthanded goal to Pietrangelo’s Gatorade bottle-popper, couple of plays where we’ve just got to be better there, but we stayed from Pietrangelo’s soft clearing play to another Stars’ equalizer from with it and so did they. We made a couple of mistakes that cost us and Tyler Seguin, and finally from Oakville’s Maroon beating Chaminade’s went into our net, but we stayed with it and battled back.” Ben Bishop, here’s how they pulled it out. The Blues went into their offensive zone with under two minutes to play. The Blues entered the third period with a 2-1 advantage over Dallas on Maroon made a play behind the net to help them keep possession, and goals by Jaden Schwartz, his sixth of the playoffs, tying him for the NHL after Bouwmeester rimmed the puck back around to Maroon, he had lead in the postseason, and Tyler Bozak. They were looking to expand plenty of room to lift it over his right shoulder. on that lead when a high stick by former Blue Roman Polak put them on Maroon had all the space because he gave Dallas defenseman Esa the power play with 7:53 left in regulation. Lindell a shove with his left hand. Lindell went down, but perhaps it was But less than a minute into the man-advantage, with the Blues set up in karma because earlier in the game Lindell was whistled for embellishing the offensive zone, Brayden Schenn attempted to pass to teammate on a crosscheck. Vince Dunn at the point. He was tripped by Dallas’ Andrew Cogliano, and “I think he just fell over me … we were just battling and he tried to get the his pass sailed into the neutral zone, creating a 2-on-1. The Stars’ edge on me and he fell on me,” said Maroon, smiling and fooling no one. Mattias Janmark centered, the puck hit Dunn, then goalie Jordan “I just had more time and more time to use my hands. Usually, I’m Binnington, and then Dunn again before Cogliano swept it in with 6:54 to muffing that into the pads, but I got it up quick. I’ve been working on that play. in practice, just taking it from the back of the net and trying to lift it “It’s just an unfortunate break,” Dunn said. “They go down, it goes off my instead of just putting it into the pads. I got one through tonight.” knee, off Binner, backdoor to (Cogliano) for a tap-in.” 1:38 TO GO!!!!!!! #STLBLUES #WEALLBLEEDBLUE Asked if there was a mistake or it was a combination of a missed tripping PIC.TWITTER.COM/L1EVWMQLJW call and a fluky finish on the play, Berube replied: “We just got beat up — ST. LOUIS BLUES (@STLOUISBLUES) APRIL 30, 2019 the ice, that’s the bottom line. They beat us up the ice and attacked the net, they got a rebound and put it in. We’ve got to do a better job there.” The Blues were thrilled for Maroon, whose goal was his second of the playoffs. But the Blues didn’t put their heads down. “For sure,” Berube said. “Patty, he signed here in St. Louis, it’s his home, “I think you guys can see up top we do a good job of just staying it’s great for him. We all love Patty and we’re really happy for him to get a composed, staying with it,” Maroon said. “We don’t deflate, we don’t goal like that. It’s a big goal, obviously, and to do it for your hometown shrug our shoulders, we communicate on the bench, ‘Let’s go, we got the team, it’s pretty special.” next one,’ and we’ll bounce back.” But the Blues weren’t winners yet.

Parayko shot the puck over the glass with 44 seconds remaining for a delay of game penalty. He felt that puck went off Seguin, but after conferring for more than a minute, officials made the right call in putting Parayko in the penalty box. With Bishop on the bench for an extra attacker, that put the Stars on a 6-on-4.

They didn’t get a shot on goal, as Pietrangelo and Alexander Steen came up with two big blocks.

“The guys knew what to do,” Dunn said. “The guys going out there, they have a lot of pressure on them, but I think they really handled themselves really well. It was an unfortunate break for Parayko, but guys were getting in lanes, blocking shots. They were really big moments for our team. We didn’t panic at the end.”

A LITTLE RAIN WASN’T GOING TO STOP THIS GUY FROM STANDING OUTSIDE THE PARKING LOT WHERE THE BLUES PULL OUT AFTER PRACTICE. #STLBLUES PIC.TWITTER.COM/QCLCSZC8EQ

— JEREMY RUTHERFORD (@JPRUTHERFORD) APRIL 25, 2019

Berube wasn’t wrong.

“I think once we became the team that we became, went on a roll for quite some time, we were a confident group,” he said. “Just because a goal goes in, no matter if it’s shorthanded or 5-on-5, we stay with it and keep battling. That’s where we’re at now. It’s mental. I talked about mental toughness all year with this group, (and) we’re a mentally tough team now.”

The Athletic LOADED: 04.30.2019 1143477 St Louis Blues nice, but it’s the fans. You see the way they show up; if we do win it, I’m going to think about the fans a lot more.”

There are 18,285 of them jammed into Enterprise Center on Saturday, After a half-century waiting for a Stanley Cup, Blues legend Bobby Plager and former enforcer Kelly Chase is pumping them up with a passionate can hardly bear watching the playoffs speech on the Jumbotron. Chase points out the blood, sweat and tears that have gone into making the franchise what it is today and takes aim at the pundits who predicted back in December the club would not be By Jeremy Rutherford Apr 29, 2019 playing hockey in late April. The video, which has been re-aired at each of the Blues’ home playoff games, closes with this: “They said we

couldn’t be here — hey, buddy, we’re here!” Bobby Plager sets his alarm clock every day for 7:20 a.m. so he can be “I didn’t see it until the first home game (against Winnipeg),” Plager said. out of bed by 9:30 a.m. “We’re upstairs in the alumni room and it was starting. Chaser is up “Well, that’s my exercise,” the 76-year-old Blues legend says. “I do 14 sit- there, saying, ‘Plager, pay attention here.’ So I see him on there, and ups every morning. It doesn’t seem like a lot, but I can only hit that then I see he has my brother Barclay (Plager) and myself on there. He snooze button so many times.” turns around and gives me the wink. I got goose bumps. I’m waiting for the T-shirts to come out: ‘Hey, buddy, we’re here!'” On this day, however, Plager has to pop up because Game 2 between the Blues and Dallas Stars at Enterprise Center is an afternoon game. Plager takes the elevator to the fourth floor, where the Blues’ alumni suite He doesn’t have much time to stop by Dave’s World Famous, his is packed with former players such as Barret Jackman, Reed Low, Terry morning coffee spot for the last 20-plus years. He pours the first of what Yake, Jeff Brown, Larry Patey, Bruce Affleck and others. There are three will be many cups Saturday, relaxes as a few of his friends play Golden doors entering the suite, and Plager enters the third one — always the Tee nearby, and then heads to the rink. third one — and by the reception he receives, you’d think the guy whose career ended in 1978 played the most recently. The two creamers in Plager’s coffee — always two creamers — are a sign of the numerous superstitions that are about to overwhelm you on “It’s funny. You see him — he’s taking pictures with people, he’s signing this game day. He takes the same route downtown that he did as a autographs and telling some stories,” Jackman said. “Then you look and player, but since this is a matinee, he can’t leave at the same time as he’s sitting there by himself, stressing, and then he gets up pacing. To when the games were at 8 p.m. back in the 1960s and ’70s. see his emotions how many years after he finished playing — he’s still got the fire in him that he can’t sit still. You can take the player from the “There was a shop with a clock and I would pull in there, and since I was game, but you can’t take the game from the player. He still has it in his No. 5, I would watch that clock, and when it hit 5:55 (p.m.), then I would veins.” go,” Plager said. Plager parades around the room, patting several people on the back, His Cadillac SRX arrives at 14th Street and Clark Avenue at 11:15 a.m., including Chase’s boys. A friend of theirs is wearing a Colton Parayko and because the Blues had won Game 1 over Dallas 3-2, there was no sweater with the No. 55, and Plager doesn’t pass up the opportunity to need to circle the arena a couple of times, as he does when the team has point out the person is really a fan of his and Jackman’s, who both wore lost the last game. He walks past security, no credentials needed, and No. 5. heads to the Sub Zero Vodka Bar, where he fills up his coffee, two creamers needed. “See, he’s got my five and Jax’s five,” Plager says, smiling.

“They had a lady come in years ago writing a story about player Now, Plager is off to see the Federko boys, Bernie’s sons, Jordy, Dusty superstitions,” Plager says. “I tell her some things, and then I look over at and Drew. They are dressed in yellow Blues blazers and stop watching Noel (Picard) and said, ‘You see that guy over there?’ She goes, ‘Yeah.’ I the game to say hello. said, ‘He is really, really superstitious.’ She said, ‘What’s his “Bobby’s great; he’s a man of the people,” Jordy Federko said. “He’s a superstition?’ I said, ‘He told me every time he hears a certain song, he St. Louis icon, and we’re happy to see him every time.” knows he’s going to have a bad game.’ She said, ‘What’s the name of the song?’ I said, ‘The national anthem!'” “He’s just here to tell jokes, and we like that,” Dusty Federko said.

The current Blues are now walking past Plager on their way to the ice for “R-rated,” Drew Federko said. pregame warmups, meaning the anthem and the anxiety are a mere 30 minutes away. The restlessness over a team that has been relentless the Plager leaves the alumni suite, but he’ll be back. It’s time to take a walk second half of the season seems excessive, especially for someone who around the arena, passing one usher in the media press box. has been in the organization since being traded to St. Louis in the “I walk by him about 30 to 40 times a game,” Plager says. summer of 1967 and held every position imaginable in the last half- century. “Sucking down coffee the whole time,” the usher responds.

“I was the vice president, assistant general manager, coach, assistant Plager could be keeping a close eye on the game, whether peering down coach, director of player development, player personnel,” Plager said. “I on the ice or viewing one of the infinite number of flat-screen TVs on the wish I would’ve kept all my cards that they printed up. They kept giving wall, but he seldom tries to see the action. me titles all the time and no raises. But I did the same thing all the time; I never changed. I never had a day off, and I enjoyed it.” “I watch the screens now and then, but if the puck is in our end, I turn my head,” he said. “I tell everybody the easiest part about the game of He was there when Bobby Gassoff died, when Doug Wickenheiser gave hockey was playing the game. When you play the game, especially when us a reason to coin a win over Calgary the “Monday Night Miracle,” when we were playing, you’re on the ice, you’re doing something, you can help. Brett Hull scored his single-season record 86th goal, when fans gave But when you have to sit and watch, you can’t do a thing. You see the Wayne Gretzky a standing ovation in his Blues’ debut and for many other guys out there, you’re seeing all the little things, and there’s nothing you memorable moments. can do.”

“I was there for them all,” Plager said. Plager picks up a packet of the NHL statistics, which will come in handy later, and then suddenly there’s a lull in the sold-out crowd. Just what But what the man whose hair has grayed more lately, whose trademark he’s been fearing happens, as Dallas’ Roope Hintz scores seven minutes tan has dulled a bit, who’s seen several of his former teammates pass into the game for a 1-0 advantage on the Blues. As the Stars celebrated, away in recent years, hasn’t seen in St. Louis is a Stanley Cup. And that Plager looked down at the carpet and made a mental note of where not is the reason “No. 5 in your program and No. 1 in your hearts” can hardly to stand anymore. bear to watch the regular season, let alone the playoffs. “When a goal is scored against us, like, I won’t be stopping here,” he “To win a Stanley Cup here in St. Louis — I’ve been here all this time. I said. “Let’s head toward Suite 404. I’ve been there and we’ve scored a would love it, and I’d love it for the players,” Plager said. “But more than goal. If it doesn’t work, you try another spot.” the players, more than myself, it’s for the fans. I go around here — there’s been some great people, some of them from day one, and they’re the ones who deserve the Stanley Cup. The players, yeah, it would be A few minutes go by and Plager moves on, walking toward a set of let the other guy know he hurt you. The players look, and they get that elevators. An usher spots him and radios an elevator operator to stop at little smile and it pumps them up a little.” that floor. Plager then heads back to the KMOX booth, where he remembers the “Elevator to four, please!” the usher says, frantically. Blues have scored with him in there before. But in order to get there, he has to pass by the spot where the Stars have scored two goals. But with the Blues losing, Plager isn’t taking the elevator down. He’s going to continue walking aimlessly, a routine the usher has witnessed “Put your head down and walk fast,” Plager said. “Don’t even look at the before, so the two trade laughs and fist bumps. TV.”

“We’re good! False alarm, sorry,” the usher says into the radio. In the video below, the spot is just before the desk on the left, and you’ll notice Plager walks purposefully past it before pulling up. Bobby Plager paces down a hallway while the Blues play Dallas in Game 2. (Jeremy Rutherford / The Athletic) He gets past it with the score still intact and plops down on a chair in the KMOX booth that is about 10 feet away from Kerber and Vitale. As they There are a limited number of passers-by because the game is going on, provide the play-by-play and color analysis and the fans “ooh” and “ahh,” but each one of the few says, “Hi, Bobby!” as they stride past him. He Plager is looking at the NHL stat package he picked up earlier in the genuinely nods and smiles, but it’s apparent that he’s anxiously awaiting night. It was something he did a lot back when he made appearances on a goal. the broadcast, but now he’s just doing it to avoid the inevitable.

“I wait for that horn to go off, and if it does, you see this suite here?” “I’ll hear that door open and I’ll turn around and Bobby will be sitting in Plager says, randomly pointing at the suite nearest him. “I’ll walk in and that same brown chair, always with a stack of game notes,” said KMOX’s watch the replay, and they’ll smile. Sometimes when I walk in, I take a Chris Hrabe. “I don’t think he can stand to watch the game. He never piece of food, a french fry or something, and they’ll look. I’ll say, ‘I’m comes and takes a peek. If the goal horn sounds, I’ll turn around and he’ll Quality Control.’ But when that horn goes off, I run to the nearest TV so I just have a smile and a fist bump. But sometimes I’ll look back and he’ll can watch our goal.” be gone.”

Plager makes a complete lap around Enterprise Center, passing the suite Bobby Plager reads the NHL stats package instead of watching Game 2 where the Blues’ extra players, such as Robert Bortuzzo and Zach on Saturday between the Blues and Dallas. (Jeremy Rutherford / The Sanford, watch the game; the management booth where general Athletic) manager Doug Armstrong observes; and the room where broadcasters Chris Kerber and Joe Vitale call the action on KMOX radio. And the Plager stayed until the end of the second period this time, but since it second Plager steps on the spot where he was standing when Hintz was scoreless, Dallas is still hanging on to its 3-1 lead. On his way out of scored, Dallas’ Miro Heiskanen adds to the visitors’ lead with the Stars’ the radio booth, Plager runs into Stars GM Jim Nill, who was a sixth- second goal of the game. round draft pick of the Blues’ in 1978 and played 61 games with the club in 1981-82. “We were supposed to hurry by,” Plager says, dejectedly. “I told him, ‘This is a little better for you (than Game 1) going into the third With the Blues down 2-0, Plager turns the conversation to something period, so you can relax a little more,'” Plager said. “He looked and said, else, but just 46 seconds later, Parayko scores to cut the team’s deficit to ‘Bob, you’re never relaxed,’ and I said, ‘You’re right.’ You notice I didn’t 2-1. Like everyone else, he’s caught off guard by the moment but quickly wish him good luck. I always said, ‘If I ever say good luck, they’d know I runs up behind press row to watch a replay on a small, mounted TV. was lying, and I don’t want to be known as a liar.’ I didn’t lie to him Bobby Plager watches a replay of Colton Parayko’s goal for the Blues in because I didn’t say good luck.” Game 2 on Saturday. (Jeremy Rutherford / The Athletic) On many nights, Plager will make his way down to the seats to visit with “In hockey, there’s a saying: ‘The most important shift in the game is the his daughter, Melissa; her husband, Dave; and their children, Jacob (10) one right after a goal,'” Plager said. “Players back in our day, you knew, if and Katie (8). But not tonight, and for an obvious reason. you were the ones who scored, you better get that puck and dump it in. “We would have made the stop down there if we were winning,” Plager Nothing fancy. Get rid of it, because the other team comes out hard. said. “You would have heard a guy yelling, ‘Hey, we’re winning, so Plager That’s why that goal is big, because it’s the first shift after a (Dallas) goal. showed up.'” We scored and now we’re right back in the game.” “I actually said to my husband, ‘I’ve got to go say hi to my dad,'” Melissa His mood noticeably improved, Plager heads back to the alumni box, said. “My husband said, ‘Well, he’ll come down here.’ I said, ‘Have you again using the third door. He walks in and soon sees the score is now 3- seen the score … he’s not coming downstairs.'” 1 after a goal by Dallas’ Mattias Janmark, which came 26 seconds after Parayko’s goal. He asks Patey what happened, but Patey didn’t see it, so The family heads upstairs to the alumni box, where they spot Plager Brown breaks it down for him. making his third appearance of the night.

“Brownie, what’s the most important shift in the game?” Plager quizzes Bobby Plager with his daughter, Melissa; son-in-law Dave; and his the former defenseman. grandchildren, Jacob and Katie. (Jeremy Rutherford / The Athletic)

“Right after you score a goal,” Brown responds. Bobby Plager shows off the jackets of his daughter, Melissa, and granddaughter, Katie. (Jeremy Rutherford / The Athletic) The first intermission comes and Plager spends it chatting with more former Blues: Keith Tkachuk and Jamie Rivers. Melissa does her best to explain why her dad doesn’t watch the game.

“He’s so well known, so well-respected,” Tkachuk says after the “Nerves!” she exclaimed. “This time of year, he’s definitely the most conversation. “He makes time for everybody, and everybody loves him. nervous man in the city of St. Louis. He’s more nervous than the guys There’s a reason his number is up in the rafters. He is the definition of a playing the game.” St. Louis Blue. He is the reason why the guys are so beloved in this city … because of guys like him. There’s a lot of guys who stuck around, and As Melissa is talking, a longtime Blues fan named Jeff Scarborough everybody is pulling for each other, especially a guy like that.” approaches Plager and asks him to autograph some cards. He signs a couple of them, and as he does, Jaden Schwartz scores to pull the Blues The second period starts, and with Plager pulling for the Blues to get to within 3-2 just two minutes into the third period. back in the game, he gets a glimpse on the TV of forward Ivan Barbashev heading off the ice with an apparent injury. “Now he’ll stay here and sign as many cards as anyone wants because we just scored,” Melissa said. “He might stay in the box for the rest of the “We never let the other guy know that we were hurt,” Plager said. “When game.” you get hit, you go to the bench and they take a peek to see if they hurt you. We had a brawl one night, and my brother Barclay, he broke his On cue, Plager takes a few personal cards he has on hand and implores nose. Sitting in the penalty box, I’m watching him, and he’s sniffing the Melissa to give them to Scarborough, with the strategy that his asking for blood back. He won’t let it come out of his nose, so he’s swallowing it. another autograph could lead to another goal. Then about two minutes later, he’s throwing up all that blood. You don’t “That’s awesome!” Scarborough says. But there are no goals scored for the next 15 minutes. With 2:45 to play, though, the Blues go on a power play when Hintz hits the puck over the glass for a delay-of-game penalty. The Stars center isn’t even in the penalty box yet and Plager is breaking for the door to the hallway.

“Here’s where I walk,” he said.

“He cannot watch a power play,” Melissa said. “He cannot be around. He’ll listen to the crowd, and that’s how he’ll know what happens.”

Plager exits the alumni suite and a young girl approaches him in the hallway and tells him he’s “a great hockey player.” He responds by saying he’s “a bad watcher.” He then stops at Suite 404, where he’s been positioned when the Blues have scored a goal before. He doesn’t say a single word for a full minute, which we let play out in the video below so you can hear the crowd clamoring for a goal.

Finally breaking his silence, Plager lays out exactly what is happening on the ice — the Blues have pulled goalie Jordan Binnington for a 6-on-4 — without seeing a thing. He explains that can be bad because Dallas can shoot at an empty net and not be worried about icing because the team is shorthanded.

Moments later, with the power play expired but Binnington still out for an extra attacker, Hintz scores his second of the game into an empty net for a 4-2 win. Fans pour out of the suites, passing a reflective Plager.

“Well, for me, you’ll be disappointed, but you learned as a player, that game is over; let’s get ready for the next one,” he said. “The way the game is played, hopefully the players learned a few things. I think what we did in Winnipeg, great hockey team, (but) we won two games in their building. You go (into Dallas for Game 3 on Monday) with the attitude that we won on the road a lot this year. I’ll sit around here, think about the game, but in about another hour, that game is gone and think about the next.”

On the way out of Enterprise Center, Plager noted there’s a picture of the original Blues from 1967-68 wrapped around the outer walls of the team’s gift shop. That expansion club went to the Stanley Cup final in its inaugural year, marking the first of three consecutive trips. But in the past few years, several of those players have died.

A picture of the Blues’ 1967-68 expansion team hangs above the team’s gift shop. Bobby Plager is circled in red. (Jeremy Rutherford / The Athletic)

“You look up there and Al Arbor and Barclay Plager, they were partners on the ice, and they’re both passed away,” Plager said. “Noel Picard and Jimmy Roberts played defense, and they’re both gone. Doug Harvey, defense, he’s gone. You know the only one left? I’m the only one left. There was a bet one time when we were all playing. We sat there one night — ‘Why don’t we just throw $100 in a pot, put it in a bank account, and whoever is alive gets the money.’

“When Jimmy was laying in the hospital, he was in good spirits, but he knew he was going to die, and he brought it up. He said, ‘Remember the one time we were all drinking and we said the last guy living gets the money?’ Well, we were going to do it, but we said it wasn’t fair for you and Noel, the way you guys live.’ Jimmy said, ‘Now look — you’re the only one left.’ Then he said, ‘That just proves one thing: The good die young.'”

Those close to Plager realize that his time will come. They just hope a Stanley Cup comes first.

“It’s all he wants,” Melissa said. “I mean, honestly, thinking about that moment when the buzzer goes off and the Blues actually win the Cup, I just start crying. There is nothing more in life he wants right now. He’s 76, he’s been around over 50 years and he needs a Cup — players! It has to happen.”

“That’s the piece he’s waiting for,” Jackman said. “He’s a huge part of this organization, and he’s helped create the identity of the team right from day one. He deserves a Cup more than anybody. If there was a time in history when one person that’s not playing was handed the Cup, it would be Bobby.”

The Athletic LOADED: 04.30.2019 1143478 Tampa Bay Lightning “From the start of camp we wanted to peak come playoff time,’’ BriseBois said. “I stated it publicly and internally we had that discourse throughout the year.

NHL upsets are not a get-out-of-jail free card for Lightning Nikita Kucherov has been named a finalist for the Hart Trophy, which Just because the other top seeds were bounced does not mean Tampa goes to the league MVP as voted by the Professional Hockey Writers Bay’s historic collapse is any less stunning. Association. #TBLightning #GoBolts @TBLightning @86Kucherov @dianacnearhos @TB_Times https://t.co/TYvmcKCgvd pic.twitter.com/KxfmbZS6dP

By John Romano — TampaBayTimesSports (@TBTimes_Sports) April 28, 2019

“We wanted a good start to make the playoffs, and we did get a good start and built a cushion. And we were constantly looking at, “Okay, let’s TAMPA – So here’s a fun fact: make sure we peak at the right time.’ Obviously, we didn’t do a good job The Lightning had a 16-4-1 record in the regular season against the eight of that considering how things played out, but we had it in the back of our teams still left in the Stanley Cup playoffs. That’s a teensy bit better than minds.’’ Tampa Bay did against the rest of the league. It’s not entirely fair to label the stars on this team as being postseason Seems sort of cruel to bring that up now, I know. lightweights. Nikita Kucherov and Steven Stamkos have had success at various times in the playoffs during their careers. But there’s a point, I promise. But it’s completely fair to say they allowed a less talented Columbus You see, it’s important to guard against revisionist history. And the way team to overwhelm them both physically and mentally in a four-game these NHL playoffs are going, it’s tempting to make the case that Tampa series. That goes for defenseman Ryan McDonagh and goaltender Bay got swept up in a historic wave of postseason upsets. Andrei Vasilevskiy, too.

It’s true, we’ve never seen a first round as vicious as 2019. The Nos. 1 It may not be healthy to dwell too much on four games in April, but it and 2 seeds in both the Eastern and Western Conferences were would be a huge mistake to not seek answers from the most inexplicable bounced out by wild card teams in utter defiance of the odds. result in franchise history.

Here are the five biggest issues facing the Lightning this offseason. Tampa Bay Times LOADED: 04.30.2019 #TBLightning #GoBolts @TBLightning @dianacnearhos @TB_Times #NHL https://t.co/dyE80SIp2Q

— TampaBayTimesSports (@TBTimes_Sports) April 27, 2019

And maybe, because of that, history will be more forgiving of the dumpster fire that was Tampa Bay’s first-round sweep. After all, Calgary, Washington and Nashville self-immolated too.

But those type of justifications miss the point.

And maybe a lesson, too.

It seems counterintuitive, and maybe even ridiculous, to say that winning too much in the regular season is a bad thing. And that’s certainly not what I’m suggesting.

But there is more than a decade of evidence that suggests the number of victories in the NHL regular season has less correlation with postseason success than you might expect.

By the end of next month, a No. 1 seed in either conference will have won only one of the last 11 Stanley Cups, and that was from a strike- shortened regular season. Those No. 1 seeds would have had a better shot at winning if you were just pulling names out of a hat.

During the salary cap era, the Cup has been won by No. 2 (four times), No. 3 (three times) and No. 5 (three times) seeds more than by a No. 1 (two times). And that doesn’t include the year a No. 8 seed won, or this year when only 3, 4, 5, 7 and 8 seeds remain.

“It goes more to show that the difference between the team that ends up at the top of the standings and the last team to get in are a lot narrower than perception is,’’ Lightning general manager Julien BriseBois said shortly after the Lightning loss to Columbus.

He’s right about that. The NHL has more parity than the NFL, NBA or MLB. But that can’t be the only answer. Otherwise, you’re saying the postseason is nothing more than a crapshoot.

If it’s not the number of victories earned in the regular season, then maybe it’s the lessons learned along the way. We thought this is what the Lightning was doing. Tampa Bay won games when it jumped out to big leads and when it came from behind. It won high-scoring games and defensive battles too.

But it’s possible the Lightning was too focused on the scoreboard, and not enough on the process. As the victories continued to pile up, it’s possible the team got a false sense of what it was going to take to win in the postseason. Players said all the right things, but their postseason performance said otherwise. 1143479 Tampa Bay Lightning

Seven Lightning players to play in the world championships

Three rookies will represent their countries in the tournament

By Diana C. Nearhos

The Lightning is done for the season, but seven players aren’t.

Federations announced their IIHF world championship rosters on Monday. Anthony Cirelli and Matheiu Joseph (Canada), Ondřej Palát (Czech Republic), Nikita Kucherov, Mikhail Sergachev and Andrei Vasilevskiy (Russia), and Erik Černák (Slovakia) will all play in the tournament.

Canada

Cirelli and Joseph were both rookies this year, though Cirelli played in 18 games and the playoffs last year.

Both played on the world juniors team in 2017, and this will be their first world championship appearances. In seven juniors games, Cirelli had three goals, four assists. Joseph recorded one goal and four assists.

Czech Republic

Palát is a veteran of international play. He played at worlds in 2017, as well as on the Olympic team in 2014 and on the World Cup team in 2017. In 13 games between those tournaments, he has one goal and four assists.

Russia

Kucherov and Vasilevskiy also have international experience on this level, whereas this is a first for Sergachev.

Vasilevskiy is one of the few players to have played in world juniors and the world championships in the same year, which he did in 2014 before playing in the NHL. He was also on the worlds team in 2017 and the World Cup, though he didn’t play. In 11 international games, he has a .960 save percentage.

Kucherov played in the 2017 worlds and World Cup. In 19 games, he posted 11 goals and 10 assists.

Sergachev played in the world juniors in 2017, scoring one goal in seven games.

Slovakia

Černák, another rookie, played on the world juniors team four times, starting when he was 16. In 20 games, the defenseman recorded three assists. This will be his first appearance in the world championships.

The World Championship will be played in Slovakia, May 10-26.

Tampa Bay Times LOADED: 04.30.2019 1143480 Toronto Maple Leafs

Tavares, Chabot headline Team Canada roster for world hockey championship

THE CANADIAN PRESS

Toronto Maple Leafs centre John Tavares, Ottawa Senators defenceman Thomas Chabot and Vegas Golden Knights winger Mark Stone highlight Canada’s roster for the 2019 world hockey championship.

Hockey Canada released the 22-player roster on Monday.

Tavares set a career high with 47 goals and added 41 assists for the Maple Leafs this season, while Stone had 33 goals and 40 assists in the regular season with Ottawa and Vegas and added 12 points in the Golden Knights’ seven-game first-round playoff loss to San Jose.

They will be tasked with providing much of the offence on a forward group that has plenty of NHL experience but lacks star power, although Philadelphia centre Sean Couturier, who had 33 points and 43 assists for the Flyers this season, should give Canada a capable one-two punch at centre with Tavares.

Chabot is coming off a breakout sophomore season with the Senators that saw him put up 14 goals and 41 assists. Vegas defenceman Shea Theodore and Edmonton rearguard Darnell Nurse should provide additional offensive support form the blueline.

Pittsburgh goaltender Matt Murray, a two-time Stanley Cup champion, will likely lead Canada’s goaltending contingent. Carter Hart, coming off an impressive rookie campaign with the Philadelphia Flyers, and New Jersey’s Mackenzie Blackwood are the other netminders.

Canada opens its quest for its 27th world championship gold medal – and first since 2016 – on May 10 against Finland at Steel Arena in Kosice, Slovakia.

Globe And Mail LOADED: 04.30.2019 1143481 Toronto Maple Leafs necessary. Wendel Clark and Mats Sundin, both outstanding captains but very different players, led quietly. Both viewed their teammates as friends, took care of them, made sure none were left behind when the Why Morgan Rielly is the Leafs’ most C-worthy option club was going to a restaurant or a bar together. These days, Justin Williams has become the model — a fiery, vocal leader who conspired with his teammates to create unconventional and entertaining post-win celebrations. By Damien CoxSports Columnist In Toronto, a captain needs to be able to deal with all the white noise

effectively. Earlier this season, Rielly was momentarily accused of You had to like the snarl. The defence of a teammate with a snarl. uttering a homophobic slur during a game before quickly being cleared, and he handled himself with admirable honesty and directness. Often That was how Morgan Rielly reacted last week when asked about the those types of false allegations linger. Not for Rielly, because of the way future of Jake Gardiner with the Maple Leafs. He didn’t go with the usual he handled it. You certainly don’t have to worry about him organizing “well, we all know there will be changes” or “we’ve got a bunch of great Salutegate II. guys in here” kind of stuff. There’s no evidence, let’s face it, that having a captain is a crucial Leaf Morgan Rielly, begging to differ with ref Graham Skilliter in March, element of a winning team, other than the fact most have one. The Leafs has shown no reluctance to speak his mind on and off the ice. have had back-to-back 100-point regular seasons for the first time in history without a captain, and having Jack Eichel and Connor McDavid Rielly, rarely caught using off-colour language, made it clear Gardiner is as captains hasn’t done a whole lot for Buffalo and Edmonton, a “f---ing great player” and that the club needs him back. Period. respectively. Rielly was also the first one to talk on Hockey Night in Canada after the Still, after a third straight first-round loss and with a young team that dispiriting Game 7 loss to Boston last week. He didn’t have much to say keeps evolving, the time is right to pick a designated leader. Perhaps, — “I’ll have to get back to you on that,” he said several times — but he with the Leafs preferring a different team personality than many was the kind of standup guy good teams need in tough situations like traditionalists would prefer, taking on a more traditional framework for that. team building might be a smart move. The kind of standup guy that makes a good captain. You don’t get the feeling being captain would change Rielly one bit. He’s And it’s high time the Leafs had a captain. dealt with being a Leaf first-round pick and played on bad Toronto teams. This rewards him and doesn’t add another burden to either Marner or It won’t solve any salary-cap challenges or speed up the maturation of Matthews, both of whom will already have giant new contracts next the mob of elite young talents the Leafs are building around. It won’t season to heighten expectations. necessarily translate into wins, or make Nazem Kadri less likely to snap at the worst possible times, or make Freddie Andersen a better Game 7 This isn’t a priority in the same way getting Marner, Kasperi Kapanen and goalie. Andreas Johnsson signed is, or in the same way sorting out any differences Mike Babcock and Kyle Dubas may have is. Still, it’s time. And Rielly is the right person for the job. But being captain of the Toronto Maple Leafs is a historic honour. Great Not just because he defended Gardiner or isn’t afraid to speak into a players have worn the “C” with distinction in Toronto. television camera after a painful defeat. But because he’s a heckuva defenceman who should have been a Norris Trophy finalist this season, Time to bestow that honour upon a deserving Leaf. Rielly is that Leaf. a player who understands what it’s like to lose in Toronto and what it’s Toronto Star LOADED: 04.30.2019 like to win. At 25, he’s about to enter his prime. In six seasons, he’s missed only 22 games. Durability and reliability matter in a captain.

Remember when Mats Sundin left in 2008? There really wasn’t a quality candidate on a bad team, so the team didn’t have a captain for two seasons until Brian Burke and Ron Wilson force-fed Dion Phaneuf to the Leaf masses as saviour and captain, a major blunder.

Then Phaneuf was traded in 2016, and the “C” hasn’t been worn since. The difference between now and when Sundin left is that there is now a group of very good candidates that includes Rielly, Auston Matthews, Mitch Marner and John Tavares.

In that group, there really is no right answer, no wrong answer. Tavares has already done the job while with the New York Islanders.

So why Rielly over the others?

Well, compared to Tavares he’s been here much longer and is more established as a Leaf. Compared to Matthews and Marner he’s a little more mature, and you could see that in his game against the Bruins when he was a factor every single night, averaging a team-high 25 minutes per game while playing against the best Boston attackers.

He sits in the middle of the Leaf age spectrum: a little older than the youngest, a little younger than the few older players the club has on the roster. Politically, picking Rielly as captain avoids the awkwardness of having to choose between Matthews and Marner, and rewards a player who has been a Leaf for his entire career versus a superstar player who was lured here by $77 million.

What more could you want in a captain. A better player? He’s Toronto’s best defenceman, that’s clear. He led all NHL defencemen in goals. A more fiery leader? With only 14 minutes in penalties this season, he’s no Red Horner, that’s true. But he sure reflects the overall personality of a team that averaged fewer penalty minutes per game than any other NHL club.

People look for different things in a captain. Many yearn for the Mark Messier type, a captain who calls teammates to account, physically if 1143482 Toronto Maple Leafs forward to them helping us. Look what Moore did against Boston, how tenacious he was, and he can put the puck in the net.

“The big thing is, all three really want to be here, really want to win.” Trevor Moore among Mar-Leafs with something to prove It’s not a consolation prize for Moore, but rather a way to get over the bitterly disappointing Game 7 loss to the Bruins.

By Kevin McGranSports Reporter “(Losing to Boston) was really tough,” said Moore. “Knowing how much it meant to the city. All the players, everyone was really beat up about it. You play hard, but at the end of the day only one team can win. I think Trevor Moore doesn’t feel like Andreas Johnsson, but in a way he has myself and a lot of guys were really proud of what we did. been cast in the same role. “A day after the loss to Boston, I felt like I still had a lot of energy left. You Moore, who finished the NHL season with the Maple Leafs, has returned see some of the guys going to the world championships and I’m happy to to the Toronto Marlies as they embark on the second round of the Calder be here and do this.” Cup playoffs, much like Johnsson did last year. Johnsson went on to be named the most valuable player in the post-season. Toronto Star LOADED: 04.30.2019

Trevor Moore, shaking a check from Texas defenceman Gavin Bayreuther behind goalie Mike McKenna in last year’s Calder Cup final, is back with the Marlies for another shot at a championship.

“I don’t know if I can compare with Johnny,” said Moore. “Johnny is a real good player. It’s been fun. I’m happy to be here. This organization treats players so well. The winning culture we’ve created with the Marlies is really exciting.”

Moore was a real find, signed in 2016 as an undrafted free agent after three years at the University of Denver. He rose up the depth charts through the Marlies’ Calder Cup run last spring, an energetic forward who can play in all three zones. At just five-foot-10, Moore knocked over six- foot-nine Zdeno Chara in Game 1 of the Boston-Toronto series.

“I’m going to come in here and work hard,” said Moore. “It’s important that I play well. I’m not going to be one of those guys that talks too much in the locker room. Just try to lead by example, that’s it.”

Moore, defenceman Calle Rosen and goalie Michael Hutchinson are all on loan to the Marlies from the Leafs — Rosen played in the finale of the best-of-five opening round. Defenceman Martin Marincin, who was eligible for the AHL playoffs, will play for host Slovakia at the upcoming world championship.

The Marlies swept Rochester in a shocker in round one, and will have home-ice advantage when the best-of-seven second round against the Cleveland Monsters (top affiliate of the Columbus Blue Jackets) starts Wednesday at Coca-Cola Coliseum.

“It’s huge for a lot of reasons, play on the ice being the most obvious one,” Marlies coach Sheldon Keefe said of the roster additions. “But I think it also breathes some life and confidence into our team, and the fact that it coincides with us getting through that series. And in Rosen’s case, (the team is) up 2-0 and you have a chance to close out the series and he walks back in the locker room, and that helps you.

“And now Trevor Moore is here and Michael Hutchinson. All three players are big reasons why we made the playoffs, significant pieces of our team — not just kind of parachuted in here. These are significant pieces of our team that really help with chemistry and everything like that, because the guys are excited to have them back and everything kind of falls in line from there. So it’s really nice to see, and the best thing of all is that they’re excited to be here. They’re happy to be here.

“Clearly, they’d much rather be up with the Maple Leafs and still playing, but it’s not a bad consolation for them to be able to continue with this group.”

For Leaf watchers wondering who’s on the radar of the organization, the last two first-round draft picks have played well: defencemen Rasmus Sandin and Timothy Liljegren.

Though goaltending was an issue early in the season, Kasimir Kaskisuo has turned his game up a notch in the last month or so, with a save percentage around .920.

Right-handed defenceman Mac Hollowell, a fourth-round pick from the Soo Greyhounds in 2018, has also made his professional debut. But the Marlies are loaded with veterans such as Chris Mueller, Colin Greening and Andreas Borgman who welcome the additions of Moore, Rosen and Hutchinson.

“They’re unbelievable players. They deserved to be up with the Leafs. They earned their way,” said Mueller. “Happy to have them back. Look 1143483 Toronto Maple Leafs Hutchinson’s return will not alter Keefe’s plan to let Kaskisuo play Game 1 against Cleveland on Wednesday at Coca-Cola Coliseum.

“He’s been really good for a chunk of time here,” said Keefe of the Leafs' Moore gets second playoff chance Finnish AHL veteran. “His last 15 or so starts, he’s been as good as anybody in the entire league. Talking to our players before the Rochester series, they had a lot of confidence in him, which was important because Lance Hornby we’d lost Hutchinson.

Rosen was plugged right into the Game 3 clincher versus Rochester after a late call-up by the Leafs, but like Hutchinson, saw no playoff action. This was one demotion Trevor Moore gladly accepted. “They’re significant pieces of our team, not just guys parachuted in,” A week after the Maple Leafs were eliminated, the winger was just fine Keefe said of all three sent back by the Leafs. “That helps our chemistry. about getting a second playoff lifeline with the Marlies and build his case They’d rather be up with the Leafs and still playing, but this isn’t a bad for full time NHL work next year. consolation.” One of the surprises in the Boston series, with a mix of speed, sass and LOOSE LEAFS scoring touch that kept the Bruins on their toes while out-shining some older mates, Moore was back on Monday, wearing his No. 9, readying for Mac Hollowell, a smooth-skating fourth round pick last year, who had an round two against Cleveland to defend the Calder Cup he was part of last excellent playoff with the Soo Greyhounds, cracked the Marlie defence at spring. the end of the Rochester series and will likely start against Cleveland … Toronto native John Madden, a three-time Cup winner with New Jersey “It’s a place most people want to be, with the winning culture we’ve and Chicago is the Cleveland coach. His team took out the favoured created here,” Moore said. “I’m excited to see everyone (he was called Syracuse Crunch … The Monsters have another local, forward Liam up for the third and final time around the NHL trade deadline). Winning it Foudy, a first round pick of the Jackets and son of former CFL defensive last year helped a lot. You know what it takes, you roll the team over (half back Sean Foudy and track star France Gareau … The Marlies killed the 2018 roster is gone), but you know the recipe.” eight of nine penalties against Rochester. Moore rejoins the top six forwards on a line with leading scorer Jeremy Toronto Sun LOADED: 04.30.2019 Bracco and veteran centre Chris Mueller. He’ll be playing to about a third of the crowd as the electric TD Garden and Scotiabank Arena and of course he’d rather be taking on Cleveland’s parent team, the Columbus Blue Jackets, after the Leafs missed two chances to move on.

“That was really tough, knowing how much it meant to the city,” Moore said of losing to Boston in seven. “All the players were beat up about it. But a lot of guys, myself included, were proud of what we did. A day after (Game 7), I still had a lot of energy left. You saw some of our guys going to the world championships; I’m fortunate I can do this.”

Moore and coach Sheldon Keefe had a post-practice meeting to catch up.

“He’s knows I’ll work hard,” Moore said. “He’s happy to have me, (defenceman) Calle Rosen and (goalie) Michael Hutchinson back here.”

NEW LEAF FOR TAVARES

As expected, Leaf leading scorer John Tavares will be on Team Canada at the worlds, starting next week in Slovika. At 47 regular season goals, he has the most on the preliminary roster of 22 players that was released Monday.

Other Canadian notables are Mark Stone, Kyle Turris, Thomas Chabot, Anthony Cirelli and Matt Murray.

Toronto’s top point man Mitch Marner said last week he’d decline because of the uncertainty in his contract talks, while Auston Matthews and William Nylander were considering a chance with the U.S. and Sweden respectively. Defencemen Nikita Zaitsev (Russia) and Martin Marincin (Slovakia) are going.

HYMAN HOPES FOR FAST RECOVERY

Zach Hyman tweeted from his hospital bed Monday afternoon that knee surgery to repair the left winger’s torn ACL went well.

“Recovery starts now. I’ll be back on my feet in no time,” Hyman relayed.

His recuperation period was pegged at a minimum six months when the Leafs revealed his condition last week, but Hyman, who is a quick healer in coach Mike Babcock’s opinion, hopes to beat that projection.

K.K. IS OK

Goaltending was such a hot topic for the Leafs this year with Frederik Andersen’s workload, Curtis McElhinney’s departure, Garret Sparks’ readiness to be back up, Michael Hutchinson’s arrival and the signing of NCAA star Joseph Woll.

But as of now, the only two stoppers in the system still playing weren’t on the radar, Kasimir Kaskisuo for the Marlies after they swept Rochester in round one and draft pick Ian Scott, who helped Prince Albert to the Western Hockey League final against the Vancouver Giants. 1143484 Toronto Maple Leafs and it will be next to impossible to replicate Marner’s value with the cap space that becomes available.

What number is too high, though? When does the demand become so Mitch Marner, Mike Babcock and the nine priorities that will define the exorbitant that the Leafs feel they have no choice but to pivot? What if Leafs’ offseason Marner’s camp insists on the same five-year, $58 million deal that Matthews got, or something very close to it? Would they be amenable to a shorter deal, say, two to three years with an annual cap hit of $7 million By Jonas Siegel Apr 29, 2019 to $8 million?

The potential for intrigue is huge. Stay tuned.

At this point last year, Kyle Dubas hadn’t yet been promoted to Maple 2. The head coach Leafs general manager. Dubas didn’t create this uncertainty — declining to say conclusively that On April 30, 2018, the team announced that Lou Lamoriello wouldn’t Mike Babcock would be back next season — for no reason. return as GM. Eleven days later, Dubas got the job. Still, it’s hard to imagine the Leafs GM playing this card now. Yes, his This time around, he should hit the ground running, well aware and well team had a largely underwhelming season, falling well short of positioned for the long list of priorities that will define his second expectations with many of the same pitfalls as a year earlier. But the offseason in charge. team’s core has also progressed nicely under Babcock, who feels like the right kind of coach — self-assured, energetic, details-driven — for a team Here’s where his focus is likely to lie over the next four-plus months: in this market with championship-level expectations. 1. The Marner contract But he also needs to evolve. Dubas called it “priority one,” and it’s hard to argue that anything, outside The Leafs need him to trust younger, smaller, less-proven players more of No. 2 on this list, comes close in terms of importance to the franchise. often. They need him to be less rigid in whom he uses and where. Zach Mitch Marner is the final piece of the core to lock into place, with Auston Hyman, for instance, had a terrific season, with career highs in goals and Matthews, John Tavares, Morgan Rielly, William Nylander, Nazem Kadri points. But he shouldn’t have exclusive claim to top-six minutes, even if and Frederik Andersen all signed until at least 2021 (when Andersen he does get the puck back all the time. heads into unrestricted free agency). (Eric Hartline / USA Today) His second NHL contract could be the trickiest of them all, though, Firing Babcock now would mean that Dubas believes there’s a better stacked with more potential pitfalls than even the Nylander deal, which option out there than a two-time Olympic gold medalist and Stanley Cup lingered until the very last moments of Dec. 1. champion, with the ninth-most wins in NHL history. Were there enough Marner can push for the moon, with the case to back it up. He checked red flags this season, and in the three before that, for Dubas to make that about every possible box this past season. Not only did he put up the bet? Are their somewhat contrasting views too much to overcome? most points (94) by a Leaf in 22 years (Mats Sundin), he also notched Is a change in assistant coaches a more suitable first step? the fourth-most assists (68) in franchise history, scored 26 times himself and even morphed into the team’s most disruptive penalty killer. We know Dubas isn’t afraid to make waves if he believes in something. He boldly hired Sheldon Keefe from the Pembroke Lumber Kings not He cooled off in the playoffs but still averaged almost 21 minutes a night. long after taking over the Soo Greyhounds as GM, and he went longer Matthews plays a more premium position, certainly, and has scored at than anyone could have imagined in trying to get the deal he wanted Alex Ovechkin levels since he came into the league, but it’s not ridiculous from Nylander. to argue that Marner should be living in the same salary-cap bracket. Replacing Babcock, with four years to go on an eight-year contract, It’s not a perfect comparison, but the Chicago Blackhawks gave Patrick would trump all of that. Kane and Jonathan Toews matching deals on their second and third NHL 3. Upgrade the defence contracts and signed them each on the same day — five years, $31.5 million on Dec. 2, 2009; eight years, $84 million on July 9, 2014. So many questions here.

The Leafs can’t really afford for Marner to take every last dollar, though, How do the Leafs improve on defence when a cap crunch might force and they’ll push that reality on him, just as they did with Matthews and them to part with a key piece there already: Jake Gardiner, the 28-year- Nylander. old with the 10th-most points by a defenceman in franchise history? How do they land an upgrade for the right side of the top pair when those Last week, Dubas said it was “imperative” to get something done before options are few and far between, and costly if you even stumble upon July 1, when Marner is free to sign an offer sheet. That timeline, at first one that’s available? Is there another Jake Muzzin-type solution out there glance, would seem to give his camp all the leverage. somewhere? Do Nazem Kadri and his appealing contract help get a deal The Leafs can call that bluff, though. done? And if so, for whom? Are either Rasmus Sandin or Timothy Liljegren ready to step into the NHL? Can Dubas find a way to keep Is the local kid who grew up cheering for the Leafs really going to take his Gardiner? Does that even make sense with Sandin and Calle Rosen both talents elsewhere? Is he really going to pass up a chance to win the coming behind Rielly and Travis Dermott? Is Ron Hainsey worth bringing franchise’s first Stanley Cup in more than five decades just to score the back if Babcock, assuming he returns, agrees to play him on a third pair? biggest deal? The Leafs can go in so many directions here. Marner’s camp can, and probably will, make noise about that possibility, but it’s just that — noise — until Marner actually puts pen to paper and Can they get better, though? tries to force the Leafs’ hand. And even if it gets that far, Dubas can 4. New deals for Johnsson and Kapanen match the offer, as he’s said he would, or grab the picks, and cap space, and move in another direction. The longer the Marner deal hangs out there, the longer Dubas has to wait, potentially, on striking new deals for Andreas Johnsson and Kasperi Would the Leafs really let Mitch Marner get away? Would Marner really Kapanen. That was why, he said, it was so important to get something leave? (John E. Sokolowski / USA Today) done sooner rather than later with the 21-year-old. Also looming if the It’s hard to see any scenario in which the Leafs let that happen, even if Marner situation gets to July 1: an offer sheet threat not only for Marner the contract is pricier than they’d like. He’s too important to what they do, but also for Johnsson and/or Kapanen. and still so young, with his 22nd birthday rolling around next week. The right one might force the Leafs to move on. Even the rewards of the offer sheet are fraught with peril. The picks, Otherwise, something in the neighbourhood of $2 million to $3 million on tantalizing as they might be, don’t exactly help a team in win-now mode, the cap, depending on the length of the deal, seems likely for both players, neither of whom has a long or established NHL track record. Only Johnsson, who took a one-year deal with the Leafs last summer, bring him back after all that? Can they trust him now after telling him they has arbitration rights. didn’t in April? Will hurt feelings linger?

5. Draft The Leafs aren’t deep enough in goal to part with the 25-year-old at the moment, and they undoubtedly have to find more help behind him It tends to be overlooked for teams without high picks, or, in the Leafs’ regardless. Maybe that’s Michael Hutchinson again, or maybe it’s case this June, a first-round pick of any kind. But the draft is still hugely someone better, someone who could steal some starts from Andersen or significant in big-picture terms for the franchise; it’s the primary avenue play even more than that if needed. for surrounding that aforementioned core with useful depth. Even if Sparks does win the backup job again out of camp, the The Leafs wouldn’t be quite as deep up front had they not found organization should decide fairly quickly whether he’s the right guy to Johnsson in the seventh round and then developed him into an NHLer. back up Andersen in the playoffs — not in the first week of April (!). Or even Connor Brown, a sixth-round pick way back in 2012. Missing on Travis Dermott even in the second round in 2015 might have changed 8. The captaincy the present and future dynamic on defence. The Leafs haven’t had a captain since Dion Phaneuf was traded to All that stuff adds up if you get it right for long enough. A larger pool of Ottawa in 2016. (James Guillory / USA Today) talented prospects also helps in trades for a contender like the Leafs, as it did in January, when Carl Grundstrom and Sean Durzi were dealt to This one isn’t anywhere near as important as most of the others, and L.A. in the Muzzin deal. Dubas has expressed skepticism about the value of it. But the Leafs are going to have to have a conversation about the captaincy at some point Rasmus Sandin was Kyle Dubas’ first pick as Leafs GM. (Jerome Miron / in the next few months. Really, they’re going to have to decide if now is USA Today) the right time to make Matthews, who turns 22 in September, the captain.

Dubas oversaw last year’s draft in Dallas — using his first pick on Sandin The Leafs have gone without a captain for almost four seasons now — — but was barely a month into his tenure as Leafs GM then, and the keeping the position vacant ever since Phaneuf was dealt in February team was only a few weeks removed from Mark Hunter leaving his post 2016. as draft head honcho. Dubas has changed things since on the scouting side, promoting John Lilley into the top spot on the amateur side while Reasonable cases can be made for Rielly, Marner or Tavares, but injecting some of his own scouts, such as Noelle Needham and Victor Matthews is the face of the franchise, the most important player moving Carneiro, a former colleague in the Soo. forward — the No. 1 centre with annual Hart Trophy potential. Giving him the C instantly makes him more accountable for everything that goes on, What kind of draft will Dubas produce when he’s had a full year to whether that’s in the dressing room, at practice, in the weight room, on implement his own vision with his own people? the ice, in front of the media or as the voice of the players in consult with the head coach. 6. Problem contracts Matthews has the presence and personality — serious, self-assured and Lamoriello cleaned up some of the mess left behind by his predecessors accountable — to handle it. More appealing still: He seems to want the when he was still Leafs GM, namely trading Dion Phaneuf’s bloated role and responsibility. contract to Ottawa. Is he ready for it? Now, it falls to Dubas to tidy up for Lamoriello — a process that really started last July when Matt Martin was dealt to Lamoriello’s new team in 9. Get deeper Long Island. Babcock talks all the time about how much deeper the Leafs need to get. Patrick Marleau will be owed only $1.25 million in real money after July 1, He did it again on locker cleanout day. when a $3 million salary bonus is paid out, but he’s got a $6.25 million cap hit and a no-movement clause. Is he willing to finish his career “Part of that is us developing more depth. Part of it is our scouts finding elsewhere? Does he want to uproot his family again? Is there even a more people, and us signing more people. We need more,” he said. team out there that’s willing to absorb some or all of his contract if the Particularly in goal, as noted, and at centre. Leafs sweeten it with a draft pick or a prospect? Does Marleau want to go to that team? The latter was exposed again in the playoffs when Kadri got suspended and the Leafs had no other choice but to move Nylander to the middle. The Leafs adore Marleau personally, and there’s no denying the More than that, Frederik Gauthier was basically unchallenged in the intangible effect he’s had on Marner, Matthews and other young players. fourth spot after Par Lindholm was sent away to Winnipeg. The Goat But there’s also no getting around the fact he’s getting paid first-line didn’t get burned, exactly, against the Bruins, but he remained a money for fourth-line contributions. The postseason, his saving grace in wasteland for offence (zero points) and wasn’t even a consideration to 2018, only stamped home that reality. move up when Kadri was banished for the series.

This was always the risk in giving Marleau a third year; it stood to really The Leafs need more flexibility there. Maybe that’s Nic Petan or Pierre sting when Marleau was turning 40 (Sept. 15) and things were tightening Engvall. That doesn’t feel like enough, though, especially if the forward under the cap. ranks are thinned by a trade involving someone like Brown.

Finding a way out would do wonders for the Leafs. It might allow them to Will Tyler Ennis be brought back? keep Gardiner or land help otherwise on defence. It just won’t be easy. Jeremy Bracco, the AHL’s second-leading scorer this season, should get Unloading Nikita Zaitsev, who got seven years, inexplicably, from a shot at some point, and Babcock mentioned some other as-yet- Lamoriello after one season in the league, might be more doable. unknown big forwards from the Marlies coming soon.

Zaitsev is a useful defenceman and was fine in the playoffs against He’s right though, the Leafs need more. difficult competition. He’s just not worth the $4.5 million cap hit he was given on a deal that lasts until the summer of 2024. The Athletic LOADED: 04.30.2019

Some team out there could see value, though. Capable right-shooting defencemen aren’t easy to find, and Zaitsev skates well, blocks shots, wins board battles and eats up minutes. And viewed another way, he’s under control for five more years at a number that might brighten up as the cap rises. Maybe the Leafs won’t even have to attach a sweetener.

7. Who’s the backup?

It seemed logical at the time and remains the right move in hindsight. Sidelining Garret Sparks just before the playoffs was still a cold, ruthless move, even if he was in a tailspin and speaking out of turn. Can the Leafs 1143485 Vegas Golden Knights The Knights seem to trust him more than younger options like Max Lagace and Dylan Ferguson at this point, so it makes sense to keep Subban in the mix.

Injury to Golden Knights’ Marc-Andre Fleury remains a mystery “We think the world of both of our goaltenders,” McPhee said.

It could benefit both of their futures for Subban to get a larger share of By Adam Hill / Las Vegas Review-Journal the work in net for the Knights next season.

LAS VEGAS REVIEW JOURNAL LOADED: 04.30.2019

NHL teams famously treat the details of player injuries as though they were matters of national security.

The Golden Knights take it to an even higher level of secrecy.

So it was no surprise that whatever caused star goaltender Marc-Andre Fleury to miss nearly three weeks down the stretch was kept shrouded in mystery even when he returned for the final two games of the season and started all seven playoff games for the Knights.

Even the end of the season didn’t bring much clarity to the situation.

“I don’t know,” Fleury said Thursday of exactly what lower-body injury he had suffered after playing an entire game in Dallas on March 15. “A little accident. But I felt good all season, right? I think I played a lot of games early in the season and I felt good. I don’t know what I did down there. I got a little something going on, but I don’t think it’s because I played too many (games).”

Fleury clarified one of the words from his answer after a follow-up question.

“Oh, no accident,” said Fleury, who has insisted his absence had nothing to do with the March 22 birth of his son, James. “I just don’t want to say. It was after Dallas. I guess it was around those days something happened and that game didn’t feel comfortable and then it just got a little worse and then I wanted to get it away before (the playoffs).”

Malcolm Subban started nine consecutive games in his absence and the Knights went 4-3-2 and settled into a third-place finish in the Pacific Division. Subban finished the season 8-10-2.

At the time of his injury, the 34-year-old Fleury was on pace to make the most starts of his illustrious career.

“I’m never concerned about the number of games a guy plays,” general manager George McPhee said. “Not worried about that kind of workload because this guy probably practices harder than anybody and maybe the practices are harder on him than the games are. So he had a minor injury and we wanted to make sure it was completely gone. I don’t think it was workload-related.

“(Fleury) was terrific for us again this season and during the playoffs. We’re lucky to have the guy. He’s a great goaltender and a great person.”

While Fleury’s heavy workload had him on pace for one of the highest win totals of his career, his numbers did dip from last season. His goals- against average rose from 2.24 to 2.51 and his save percentage dropped from .927 to .913.

He said he felt close to 100 percent in the postseason and plans to use the longer offseason to recharge and heal completely.

Fleury hopes it will help him stay healthy next year after playing 61 games following a regular season in which he was limited to 46.

“You know, some mornings you feel it a little bit,” he said. “But I think you’re a little wiser, more experienced you could say, and I think my last three seasons maybe have been the best of my career. I’ve just got to keep working, stay in shape and try to do better next year.”

There’s certainly no plans for retirement in his immediate future. Fleury has three years left on his contract and again said he intends to finish that out before even considering stepping away from the game. That leaves him as a franchise cornerstone for the next several years, particularly at $7 million per year.

Subban is a restricted free agent and expressed a desire to return as Fleury’s backup next season. It makes sense for the Knights, who are likely to get him at a bargain even if he goes to arbitration. Subban made $650,000 this season. 1143486 Vegas Golden Knights

Henderson may pay for half of new Golden Knights facility

By Blake Apgar / Las Vegas Review-Journal

Henderson’s proposed annual budget includes money for dozens of new city jobs and a Vegas Golden Knights facility, officials said.

The city is expecting to pay for about half of the team’s proposed Water Street District facility, which officials anticipate costing $22 million, Henderson Chief Financial Officer Jim McIntosh said. The proposed complex would be built on the site of the existing Henderson Convention Center at Water Street and Atlantic Avenue.

“For us, this is a catalyst project … for Water Street,” McIntosh said.

The city would have access to meeting space in the facility, according to Jill Lynch, assistant finance director. The venue would also be open to the public for tournaments and youth camps. If council members do not approve the arena, the money will be available for another project, Lynch said.

Of the $11 million the city expects to pump into the project, $7 million will come from money from the convention center and $4 million will come from the city’s separate redevelopment agency budget, McIntosh said.

The demolition of the convention center will slash four jobs, but the city wants to add 66 new positions in its next fiscal year.

About half of the new positions are public safety jobs, with 22 of those going to staff a new fire station at Horizon Drive and Horizon Ridge Parkway.

“That’s probably one of the biggest expenses that we had,” McIntosh said. The citywide budget is more than $610 million.

Operating costs are also budgeted for the fire station, which is expected to cut one of the city’s busiest fire districts virtually in half.

Other new public safety jobs include four police officers and six police dispatchers.

McIntosh said at an April 9 City Council meeting that the economy is continuing to improve in Henderson, but the city has not fully recovered to pre-recession levels.

The budget will go in front of the City Council for a vote on May 21. The fiscal year begins July 1.

LAS VEGAS REVIEW JOURNAL LOADED: 04.30.2019 1143487 Vegas Golden Knights Strumm is now a Knights season ticket holder. They’ve become his new team. He admires the Knights’ pressing style — “terrific entertainment, they play the game the right way,” he says.

Columbus’ NHL breakthrough brings smile to Las Vegan Bob Strumm “For an expansion team to make the playoffs the first two years is unheard of. People here have been spoiled.”

By Ron Kantowski / Las Vegas Review-Journal As for the people who follow hockey in central Ohio after the college football bowl games, the playoff freeze-out finally has thawed. The change was made uptown, at the trade deadline. Some big men joined the band. When he was interviewed by the Columbus (Ohio) Dispatch in 2010 as one of 25 employees who had been with the city’s forlorn Blue Jackets To use Bob Strumm’s metaphor, the Blue Jackets still are rocking the from Day One, this is what longtime Las Vegan Bob Strumm said about room. the NHL team that still was seeking its first playoff series victory: LAS VEGAS REVIEW JOURNAL LOADED: 04.30.2019 “There’s Ohio State here with the tradition and fan base. But as the city’s only (major-league) franchise, we’re in a unique situation. I’m so anxious for us to get where we want to be. It’s a special city that’s waiting for us to rock the room, to put on that 3½-hour Bruce Springsteen show every night.”

The Boss would have more staying power than Strumm as Blue Jackets director of pro scouting.

A year after he made those comments, Strumm walked into a “Tenth Avenue Freeze-Out” and was let go. The former Las Vegas Thunder GM, who built a winning International Hockey League team and a significant following here — proving there was an appetite for pro hockey in the desert, holds no grudge.

When the Blue Jackets finally broke through to eliminate the vaunted Tampa Bay Lightning in a first-round sweep, Strumm was watching on one of multiple big screen televisions that make his Las Vegas living room look like the set of “Hockey Night in Canada.”

He said it was the next best thing to being at center ice and shaking hands with the stunned Tampa Bay players.

Old friends, new success

“For sure,” said the 71-year-old Strumm, a native of Saskatoon, Canada, who refused to leave Las Vegas when the Thunder did. “I’ll never say a bad thing about the Columbus Blue Jackets. They treated me well for 12 years. When they were here and I went down to the morning skate, they left me a pass. (Assistant coach) Brad Larsen was there when I was there.”

There are other connections. Manny Legace, 18-16-4 as a Thunder goalie in 1997-98, is the Blue Jackets’ goaltender coach. Right wing Oliver Bjorkstrand scored 23 goals for Columbus during the regular season. He and star defenseman Seth Jones played for the Western Hockey League’s Portland Winterhawks when Strumm was a consultant.

Strumm said the Blue Jackets could have used a couple of guys like that when they were assembling a team after being admitted to the NHL along with the Minnesota Wild before the 2000 season. NHL teams were allowed to protect more players from the expansion draft than when the Golden Knights entered.

“Not only was the formula different, there were two teams that came in at the same time. So we had to split all the available players,” Strumm said. “But we had a real good first year. We finished with more points than Minnesota.”

Discounting the 1967-68 season when six teams were added to the Original Six, Columbus’ 71-point showing was the best by an NHL expansion team after the Florida Panthers’ 83-point debut in 1993. But the Blue Jackets made the playoffs only once in their first 12 seasons during which they failed to win a postseason game.

Goodbye, Columbus

“We probably tried to get too young too fast with some of our drafts, and some of our veteran guys with keeping them,” Strumm said of those Rick Nash-led Columbus teams. “But I don’t want to be too critical. We had a much bigger hill to climb than they did here.”

There would be three more first-round defeats before the Blue Jackets finally advanced beyond the opening bell this season in stunning fashion.

“First playoff round that Columbus has won,” Strumm said with fondness. “Been a long time coming.” 1143488 Vegas Golden Knights

Golden Knights’ Stone, Marchessault, Theodore picked by Team Canada

By Ben Gotz / Las Vegas Review-Journal

Golden Knights players Mark Stone, Jonathan Marchessault and Shea Theodore are listed on team Canada’s roster for the 2019 International Federation World Championship.

Stone represented Canada in the annual tournament once before in 2016 and won a gold medal. Theodore and Marchessault have never represented their country at the 16-team event, which runs May 10-26 in Slovakia.

The rosters for Sweden and France have yet to be announced. Center William Karlsson, a restricted free agent, said Thursday “it’s up in the air” whether he would take part in the event after playing for Sweden in 2017. Center Pierre-Edouard Bellemare, an unrestricted free agent, has appeared often for France in the past.

Knights forwards Paul Stastny and Max Pacioretty, who have played for the U.S. previously, likely will not be participating after being left off the initial roster. The U.S. does have two roster spots it can use.

LAS VEGAS REVIEW JOURNAL LOADED: 04.30.2019 1143489 Vegas Golden Knights It would be a surprise if any of these players were not on next season’s team. Most were key contributors in 2018-19 and five have extensions that begin next season.

Dissecting potential Golden Knights roster moves for next season The wild cards could be Marchessault and Smith. If the Golden Knights decided they wanted to add an elite defenseman to the ranks, either could be moved to help offset the salary caps for both teams. By Justin Emerson (contact) McNabb, Merrill and Carrier could be moved, but all have low cap hits and provide strong value to the Golden Knights, meaning any would be part of a larger deal, if traded at all. VGK vs Oilers Under contract, could be moved Wade Vandervort Cody Eakin, forward — Fourth year of four-year contract. Signed through Golden Knights center Cody Eakin (21) celebrates with teammates after end of next season at a $3.85 million cap hit. scoring against the Edmonton Oilers at T-Mobile Arena Monday, April 1, 2019. Colin Miller, defenseman — Second year of four-year contract. Signed through 2021-22 season at a $3.875 million cap hit. He will have a Tuesday, April 30, 2019 | 2 a.m. modified no-trade clause beginning in 2020-21. The Golden Knights’ brass will be faced with some tough decisions this Ryan Reaves, forward — Second year of two-year contract. Signed offseason with their roster. through end of next season at a $2.775 million cap hit. Some of the choices are easy — you can bet your life savings that Mark Nick Holden, defenseman — Second year of two-year contract. Signed Stone and Marc-Andre Fleury will be on the team next year — but the through end of next season at a $2.2 million cap hit. futures of players like Pierre-Edouard Bellemare and Cody Eakin are less clear. These four are the most interesting players currently under contract if the Golden Knights find themselves in need of cap space. Team officials almost surely have a plan for how to approach forming the roster for the upcoming season. For the rest of us, here is a handy guide Eakin’s expiring deal is the waving flag for attention. He had a strong as to who is under contract and why some players may or may not be season with a career-high 22 goals and 41 points and would be attractive moved. to nearly any team in the league. That includes the Golden Knights, where he could easily slide back into his third-line center role. But with Under contract, unlikely to be moved the return of Erik Haula and the continued development of Cody Glass, Mark Stone, forward — Eight-year extension kicks in next year. Signed Eakin could be the first casualty of a cap crunch. through 2026-27 season at a $9.5 million cap hit. He will have a full no- Miller is the same. He is the third-highest-paid defenseman on the team, move clause. also coming off a productive year with a manageable cap hit. He has Max Pacioretty, forward — Four-year extension kicks in next year. three more years on his deal, excluding some teams that would prefer an Signed through 2022-23 at a $7 million cap hit. He will have a modified expiring deal, but also adding in teams that would want to trade for no-trade clause where he submits a 10-team no-trade list. stability.

Marc-Andre Fleury, goalie — Three-year extension kicks in next year. He’s a right-handed shooter who is good on the power play, but Vegas Signed through end of 2021-22 season at a $7 million cap hit. He will has loads of defensemen (though few right-handed) and is the most have a modified no-trade clause. valuable trade piece among the surplus.

Paul Stastny, forward — Second year of a three-year contract. Signed Odds are strong that Reaves returns next year. He adds a physical though 2020-21 at a $6.5 million cap hit. He has a modified no-trade presence to the roster and had a career year with nine goals and 20 clause. points. But that cap hit is one the Golden Knights may be looking to move, though the question is whether they can. A buyout seems unlikely, Nate Schmidt, defenseman — Six-year extension kicks in next year. but if they find a team willing to give up assets and take on the contract, it Signed through 2024-25 at a $5.95 million cap hit. He will have a may be too good to pass up. modified no-trade clause. Holden’s first season in Vegas could have gone better. He struggled at Shea Theodore, defenseman — Second year of seven-year contract. the beginning of the season and ended as a healthy scratch for the final Signed through 2024-25 season at a $5.2 million cap hit. He will have a six games of the playoffs. He’s on an expiring deal and could be taken by modified no-trade clause beginning in 2023. a team near the cap floor. The Golden Knights have an overflow of defensemen, and Holden is the most expensive of the ones without a Jonathan Marchessault, forward — Second year of six-year contract. defined role on next year’s squad. Signed through 2023-24 at a $5 million cap hit. He has a modified no- trade clause. Restricted free agents

Reilly Smith, forward — Third year of a five-year contract. Signed through William Karlsson, forward — Had a cap hit of $5.25 million last year on a 2021-22 at a $5 million cap hit. He has a modified no-trade clause one-year contract. through 2020-21 and has no trade protection in 2021-22. Tomas Nosek, forward — Had a cap hit of $962,500 last year on a one- Alex Tuch, forward — Seven-year extension kicks in next year. Signed year contract. through 2025-26 season at a $4.75 million cap hit. He will have a modified no-trade clause beginning in 2023. Nikita Gusev, forward — Had a cap hit of a $925,000 last year on a one- year, entry-level contract. Erik Haula, forward — Third year of three-year contract. Signed through 2019-20 season at a $2.75 million cap hit. Malcolm Subban, goalie — Had a cap hit of $650,000 last year in the final season of a two-year contract. Brayden McNabb, defenseman — Second year of four-year contract. Signed through 2021-22 season at a $2.5 million cap hit. Jimmy Schuldt, defenseman — Had a pro-rated cap hit of $6.57 million last year with a salary of $925,000 on a one-year, entry-level contract. Jon Merrill, defenseman — Second year of two-year contract. Signed through end of next season at a $1.375 million cap hit. Expect all of these players on next year’s roster. They would not have signed Schuldt nor Gusev if they did not think they could sign them William Carrier, forward — Second year of two-year contract. Signed beyond the year, and Nosek will provide inexpensive defensive value. through end of next season at a $725,000 cap hit. The exception could be Subban if the Golden Knights decide it would be Valentin Zykov, forward — Second year of a two-year contract. Signed cheaper to go with Maxime Lagace or Oscar Dansk, or if they decide to through end of next season at a $675,000 cap hit. go with a veteran backup to Marc-Andre Fleury. The big question is Karlsson. Pinpointing a value will be the talking point for the summer between his camp and the team. He is under team control for another year, so unless relationships deteriorate greatly, he’ll be back on a one-year deal. Both sides said long-term is the goal, and it would be an upset if that doesn’t happen.

Unrestricted free agents

Deryk Engelland, defenseman — Had a cap hit of $1.5 million last year on a one-year contract.

Pierre-Edouard Bellemare, forward — Had a cap hit of $1.45 million last year in the final season of a two-year contract.

Brandon Pirri, forward — Had a cap hit of $650,000 last year on a one- year contract.

Ryan Carpenter, forward — Had a cap hit of $650,000 last year in the final season of a two-year contract.

If you wanted to say none of these players would be back, you’d find plenty of people who would agree.

Pirri is virtually a lock to play elsewhere next year. He had 12 goals and 18 points in 31 games, and established a value that should earn him a contract, though Vegas is set on its top six and has a logjam of possibilities on its bottom six. Unless he loves the organization and is willing to battle for a roster spot, odds are that he is gone.

Carpenter could come back, though next year he may play fewer than the 68 games he did this year. He would be battling for a spot and is a free agent for the first time after having the best season of his career. Maybe he finds a better fit elsewhere, maybe he re-ups for a similar role that he had last season.

The other two are where it gets real interesting. Engelland said he wants to play next season and hopes it is with Vegas. The 37-year-old has a home here and inserted himself in Golden Knights’ lore with his emotional speech before the inaugural home game. He is good defensively and on the penalty kill, and he led all Golden Knights in ice time during the postseason. There are hockey reasons to bring him back, but there are also off-ice reasons.

Bellemare was terrific defensively last year and was one of the best penalty-killers. The Golden Knights could save some money by inserting Tomas Nosek onto the fourth line as they did for Game 7 against the Sharks, or they could bring Bellemare back for close to what he made last year. Bellemare has expressed a strong desire to remain in Vegas.

Dead money

David Clarkson, forward — Seventh year of seven-year contract. Signed through 2019-20 season at a cap hit of $5.25 million.

Tomas Tatar, forward — Third year of four-year contract, now playing with Montreal. As part of the September trade (in exchange for Max Pacioretty), the Golden Knights are responsible for $500,000 each year.

When the Golden Knights acquired Clarkson’s contract at the expansion draft, they did not expect to have a cap issue so early in their history. They can recoup the cap space by placing him on long-term injured reserve or work out a trade to a team with ample cap space, but it’s not an issue they anticipated having when they acquired his contract.

The Tatar deal keeps coming back to bite Vegas. It’s not much, but he costs the Golden Knights a half-million dollars’ worth of cap space for two more years. It would be bad enough if Tatar didn’t pan out with Montreal, but he was great last year and had more points than every Vegas player other than Mark Stone and Jonathan Marchessault.

LAS VEGAS SUN LOADED: 04.30.2019 1143490 Vegas Golden Knights

Three Golden Knights named to Team Canada for World Championship

By Justin Emerson

The end of the Vegas season will not mean the end of hockey this summer for three Golden Knights.

Forwards Mark Stone and Jonathan Marchessault and defenseman Shea Theodore were named to the Team Canada roster for the IIHF World Championship. The tournament takes place May 10 to 26 in Bratislava and Kosice, Slovakia.

Stone played for Team Canada in 2016, securing 10 points in 10 games to help Canada win gold. Marchessault and Theodore have never played in the World Championship.

Rosters have not been released for other countries, which could see more Golden Knights. William Karlsson could get an invite to Team Sweden, and Max Pacioretty, Paul Stastny and Nate Schmidt could get calls from Team USA. Pierre-Edouard Bellemare has been a staple for Team France in the past.

This is the first time Vegas has sent players to the tournament. The Golden Knights were still in the playoffs during last year’s World Championship.

Sweden has won the last two years, with Canada winning the two years before that. The United States has not won since 1960, when the Olympics counted as the World Championship. Excluding that, the United States’ only victory came in 1933.

Russia has the most gold medals of all time with 27, followed by Canada with 26.

LAS VEGAS SUN LOADED: 04.30.2019 1143491 Washington Capitals Connolly is also producing in a relatively limited role, and that is intriguing. In his three season with the Capitals, he ranks second in goals (52) and fourth in points (96) among all NHL players averaging less than Capitals forward Brett Connolly has a tricky balancing act as he hits 14 minutes per game. unrestricted free agency “So, part of me wants to challenge myself again and take that next step in my development,” Connolly said. “I'm 26, I feel I'm in the prime of my career, my body feels great. There's going to be opportunity out there, I By Brian McNally April 29, 2019 4:31 PM know that. It's just a matter of making a decision for me and for my family — something that fits. If it's here, that's great. Obviously, that would be

ideal, but there's also opportunities elsewhere.” ARLINGTON — The question will gnaw at Washington Capitals forward And that will be where the difficulty lies. Washington is reluctant to part Brett Connolly for weeks: What matters more — fit or money? with scoring depth like that. But those extensions are on the horizon for There is no doubt that Connolly finally found a home in Washington the Backstrom and Holtby. Vrana will get a new deal, and trade-deadline past three seasons. His production has increased every year. He is a acquisition Carl Hagelin is a free agent, too. fixture on the third line. He was a key contributor on a team that won the MacLellan admits he might have to make some moves to clear cap Stanley Cup and expects to contend for it again. space, but it’s unclear if even that would be enough to keep Connolly, All of that matters to a player picked sixth overall in the 2010 NHL draft, who said he will soon begin looking at potential suitors with his agents who made his debut at age 19 amid heavy expectations, but took six and examine depth charts to see what new teammates he might play years and three teams to find stability in the league. But Connolly had 22 with. goals and 46 points this season — both career-highs — and he is an Money. Fit. Role. It all matters when looking for a home new or old. unrestricted free agent. “I had to prove myself again, and now I'm here after a great year and I'm The timing couldn’t be better. Connolly turns 27 on Thursday. He will be going to the market, maybe,” Connolly said. “It's crazy how things change paid well this summer on the open market. Certainly he’s due a raise on in this league, and if you stick with it and keep working, it works out, I the two-year, $3 million deal he signed in the summer of 2017. But can guess, sometimes for the guys who [do]. It will be a lot of fun.” the Capitals afford to keep him now? And where on the sliding scale does financial security cross over with a stable home? Comcast SportsNet.com LOADED: 04.30.2019 “You want to have a fit and honestly, it's a great fit for me here,” Connolly said after breakdown day on Friday.

“I just got to go play and have fun with it, and I really got to grow my game here. There's no question. I owe a lot to the organization, to the fans, to my coaches and, especially, to my teammates. Everyone knows how close of a team we have and how much fun we have. I think that was a big reason for my success.”

In a perfect world, Connolly will find both. He wants to return to Washington. His wife, Katrina, is happy here. He has put himself in position to get a nice contract and remain in a place where he’s found a comfortable role.

But whether the Capitals have room to match what he might find in free agency is an open question. Connolly is well aware that goalie Braden Holtby and center Nicklas Backstrom are free agents after next season. Jakub Vrana — a 24-goal scorer in just his second season — will need a raise in restricted free agency. One thing is clear: Management is realistic about what players will take care of first.

“I don’t expect hometown discounts. [Players] make what they make,” Capitals general manager Brian MacLellan said. “I think at some point there is a tradeoff between ‘I like my situation, my role on the team and my teammates’ and ‘Maybe I can make bigger money elsewhere.’ But for the most part, they want to be compensated for their performance and what they’ve accomplished.”

And that balance isn’t so easy for Connolly to strike. A strong organization is great. Winning is the best. So is ice time, and there’s not really room for him here in Washington’s top-six forward group or on the power play. Maybe there’s another competitive team out there that has a need for a proven offensive player with championship experience, but can offer more money or term.

It’s not a situation that Connolly foresaw three years ago. The Tampa Bay Lightning, his original team, traded Connolly to the Boston Bruins late in the 2014-15 season for a pair of second-round draft picks. He missed a month with a broken finger before playing 71 games the next year. But the Bruins didn’t give Connolly a qualifying offer and cast him adrift in the summer of 2016. His career had stalled. Doubt crept into his mind. How could it not?

Washington needed scoring depth and took a chance on Connolly. That first year under former coach Barry Trotz wasn’t always easy. Connolly averaged just 10:41 of ice time and appeared in 66 games. He was a healthy scratch 14 times. Despite that he scored a career-high 15 goals. That led to another 15 goals and a more stable role on the third line at right wing during the 2018 Stanley Cup season. This year under new coach Todd Reirden his ice time crept to 13:20, and he scored those 22 goals in 81 games. 1143492 Washington Capitals Matt Nieto then added a goal of his own halfway through the third to make it 3-1. However, Brent Burns scored shortly after to pull San Jose within one. Nathan MacKinnon then got his fourth of the playoffs on an NHL Playoffs 2019 Roundup: Hurricanes takes 2-0 series lead, empty-netter to help Colorado regain a two-goal lead. With 11 seconds Avalanche hold off Sharks remaining in the period, Burns got his second of the night on the power play, but it wasn't enough.

Grubauer finished with 31 saves on the night, and the series is tied 1-1. By Sammi Silber April 29, 2019 2:15 PM Comcast SportsNet.com LOADED: 04.30.2019

As the second round of the Stanley Cup Playoffs continue, there's no current favorite, with any team pretty much capable of going all the way. Each series has surprising developments each game, and Sunday was no different.

As the Carolina Hurricanes continue to prove doubters wrong, the Colorado Avalanche is doing the same agains the San Jose Sharks. Here's how each of Sunday's matchups went.

Hurricanes escape with 2-1 win over Islanders

Carolina knew that Game 2 against the New York Islanders wouldn't be easy. Not only is Barry Trotz going for a repeat bid, but the Islanders also have been outstanding this season and aren't going down without a fight. However, they were able to overcome the Isles with a close 2-1 victory.

Matthew Barzal finally got his first goal of the playoffs on a strange power-play shot late in the third. After feeding a pass through the crease, the puck bounced off Jaccob Slavin's stick and past Mrazek to give New York the 1-0 lead.

.@Barzal_97 with his first of the playoffs! #Isles pic.twitter.com/kxxXHW2qrS

— x - New York Islanders (@NYIslanders) April 28, 2019

There wasn't much action in the second, but Petr Mrazek went down with an apparent lower-body injury, and Curtis McElhinney went in relief as he didn't return to game action.

The comeback would come late in the third for the Hurricanes, with Warren Foegele evened the score just 17 seconds into the final frame. Less than a minute alter, Nino Neiderreiter deflected a Teuvo Teravainen shot past Robin Lehner to give the Hurricanes a 2-1 lead.

퓝퓘퓝퓞! pic.twitter.com/9KDnf8H67L

— Carolina Hurricanes (@NHLCanes) April 29, 2019

The Islanders attempted to tie the game with seven shots in the third, but McElhinney was able to hold them off and ultimately finish with 17 saves on 17 shots to give the 'Canes the win.

Carolina now leads the series 2-0 as they head back to PNC Arena. Mrazek's injury is said to be day-to-day, which is fortuante for a Hurricanes team that has been powered by Mrazek's performance so far. In the meantime, Carolina recalled Alex Nedeljkovic from the Charlotte Checkers to backup McElhinney.

Avalanche stave off Sharks, 4-3

Despite a dominant start for San Jose in Game 2, Colorado was able to come back and rise up to the challenge to ultimately take a 4-3 win Sunday.

Evander Kane struck first for San Jose, putting a rebound past former Washington Capitals goalie Philipp Grubauer to make it 1-0 Sharks less than haflway into the opening frame. San Jose would end up outshooting Colorado, 11-6, in the first.

He's on tonight's rally towels, so of course @evanderkane_9 had to open the scoring. #PlayoffMode pic.twitter.com/S1IxsTytL6

— x - San Jose Sharks (@SanJoseSharks) April 28, 2019

In the second, the Avalanche started to take control. Gabriel Landeskog evened the score at one about eight minutes in, redirecting Tyson Jost's shot past Maritn Jones. Minutes later, Tyson Barrie fired a loose puck past Jones to make it 2-1.

Tyson *ahem* BARRIES IT.#GoAvsGo pic.twitter.com/DomxXALdkF

— x- Colorado Avalanche (@Avalanche) April 29, 2019 1143493 Washington Capitals

Stanley Cup Playoffs Power Rankings: It’s anybody’s year

By J.J. Regan April 29, 2019 7:30 AM

The 2019 Stanley Cup Playoffs have already been the year of the upset. Tampa Bay, Pittsburgh, Calgary, Winnipeg and Nashville are all out, plus, oh yeah, the defending Stanley Cup champion Capitals.

And that was just in the first round!

Each of the four division winners are already out and that begs the question, which team is the favorite now?

There’s no question that the loss of so many contenders really seems to make clear the path for some of the few top teams who managed to avoid getting upset. But before you declare any team the favorite, do not forget what the first round showed us. The margin between the top teams and the bottom is razor thin. That will be especially true as the playoffs progress.

Now in the second round, only eight teams remain and a legitimate case can be made for all eight teams advancing. But who now is the team to beat?

With the Caps’ loss, a new Stanley Cup champion will be crowned this year.

Comcast SportsNet.com LOADED: 04.30.2019 1143494 Vancouver Canucks Former Canucks assistant general manager Laurence Gilman, now in the same capacity with the Leafs, once called Meehan and Newport Sports “deal-makers.”

Patrick Johnston: Nikolay Goldobin not Russian home, his (new) agent “When push comes to shove, they’re trying to get a deal done,” he told says TSN 1040 in 2017, in discussing why Bo Horvat might have picked Newport as his representation going into contract extension talks with the Canucks. Patrick Johnston “They understand the value of their clients and where the market is,” he added.

The Russian winger may need a new contract with the Canucks — and So did Goldobin think of this when switching agents? It’s not like Larionov the team has to want him back — but apparently reports of him jumping and his Will Sports Group don’t have a nice stable of clients (including to the KHL are premature Canuck Josh Leivo).

Nikolay Goldobin said three weeks ago he wants to come back to Still, Newport has a history of delivering solid deals for their clients, Vancouver for the 2019-20 season. Horvat among them. And, not so long ago, for Chris Tanev.

And despite speculation in the Russian hockey media that he might be Tanev had been with Vancouver-based agent Ross Gurney for a year set to join CSKA Moscow of the KHL, it seems that’s still his goal. when he jumped aboard Meehan’s super-ship. He picked up a very nice raise in the summer of 2015. According to Sportsnet 650’s Rick Dhaliwal, Goldobin’s new agent Sergey Isakov said the Russian winger has no plans other than to return Goldobin, perhaps, also looked at the contract blueliner Erik Gudbranson to the Canucks next season. landed a year ago, a three-year deal that surprised some given the struggles Gudbranson had faced in his first two seasons in Vancouver. Nikolay Goldobin’s agent Sergei Isakov says he did not sign in Russia and is going back to the #Canucks. Whatever the motivations, his intent apparently remains clear.

— Rick Dhaliwal (@DhaliwalSports) April 29, 2019 Vancouver Province: LOADED: 04.30.2019 Of course, to return to Vancouver next fall Goldobin will need a new contract; his entry-level deal expired this spring and the Canucks can make him a restricted free agent simply by making him a qualifying offer.

Jim Benning told Postmedia on Monday that the Canucks were still to decide on their plans for Goldobin, who scored seven goals and added 20 assists in 63 games this season.

“We’re having hockey ops meetings this week and will have a better idea on Goldy at the end of the week,” he said in a text message.

Goldobin will also need the support of head coach Travis Green, who spoke frankly and repeatedly over the second half of the season about what he wanted to see: A faster player, one who does more than just make sharp decisions with the puck in the offensive zone.

Canucks winger Nikolay Goldobin deals blackjack at the club’s annual fundraiser, the Dice & Ice Gala, in February. Will the enigmatic Russian stay in Vancouver next season? Gerry Kahrmann / PNG files

He wanted to see a player he had full faith in playing on a scoring line, one who does a solid job away from the puck and in puck battles, on top of the obvious offensive talents.

Goldobin said on April 9 he understood very well what his coach wanted from him, how he wanted him to appear coming into training camp in September.

A faster player. A quicker player. A fitter player.

“Hopefully I’ll get another chance to play here,” he said.

Speculation ramped up over Goldobin’s future over the weekend, as well- regarded Russian hockey reporter Igor Eronko reported Friday that Goldobin could end up in the famed red and blue of CSKA, known historically in English as Central Red Army.

In his tweet in Russian, Eronko added “apparently” alongside his report of Goldobin ditching the NHL, putting some doubt forward about what his sources were telling him.

Про Ожиганова и его грядущее возвращение в КХЛ мы много раз говорили в наших лайвах, только он в ЦСКА не хочет и не будет там. Голдобин, видимо, будет, и еще какой-то интересный лег в атаку. Возможно, Андригетто, хотя он под Москву собирался

— Игорь Еронко (@IgorEronkoRus) April 25, 2019

It doesn’t seem his source was Goldobin’s new agent, who works for Newport Sports Management, the powerhouse hockey agency headed by super-agent Don Meehan.

Until we learned Monday morning that Goldobin had a new agent, he had been with Igor Larionov, the former Soviet, Canucks and Red Wings star who is also in the Hockey Hall of Fame. 1143495 Websites hockey. The impact on a player’s production, from line to line or team to team, is dramatic in junior hockey — and, though to a lesser extent, in college and European professional hockey too.

The Athletic / An updated guide to scouting and evaluating NHL draft Many of those leagues make time-on-ice data publicly available, the only prospects way you can properly evaluate a prospect is by pairing the data (which is becoming increasingly important in coming out on the right side of history in scouting, even if it’s still hard to build drafting models that are By Scott Wheeler Apr 29, 2019 comprehensive) that is publicly available with the context of their teams and their roles within those teams.

Take a player like 2019 NHL draft prospect Maxim Cajkovic, who I am In finalizing my final top 100 ranking for the 2019 NHL draft (planned for higher on than most, for example. At a glance, his 46 points in 60 games a May 6 release as part of my three-day draft package), I have spent a ought to preclude him from being a top prospect in this class. But lot of time reflecting on the lessons learned in the 12 months since my Cajkovic’s Saint John Sea Dogs won just 13 of 68 games and were final ranking for the 2018 class was released. outscored by 195 goals. In the context of his team, Cajkovic, despite In doing so, I felt it necessary to revisit my scouting guide in order to be missing eight games, contributed on 27 percent of his team’s goals. His as transparent as possible about how the ranking comes together — and nearest teammate registered just 34 points (12 fewer than Cajkovic). the changing way I evaluate prospects in today’s NHL. Contrast that against Alex Beaucage, a player who scored 79 points in This is the third such update. I published the first in Future 68 games and you might wonder why the latter will be ranked Considerations’ 2016 NHL Draft Guide and the second last May as part considerably lower than the former on my final ranking. Beaucage’s of my year-end draft package at The Athletic. Rouyn-Noranda Huskies scored 320 goals (nearly twice as many as the Sea Dogs which meant that despite playing more games than Cajkovic, The goal, here, is to make this a living document that I update annually. Beaucage only contributed on 25 percent of his team’s goals) and In doing so, the outcome is twofold: Beaucage centred 21-year-old Peter Abbandonato, who led the QMJHL in scoring with 111 points. You, the reader, gain insight into my process from the way I view the game, to the lens with which I watch and dissect its young players. Only by watching both players and considering that context can you come to the conclusion that were their roles reversed, their outcomes I challenge myself to adjust the way I view today’s NHL prospects. The would have been too. Look no further than 2018 prospect Joe Veleno, game is changing quickly and its best young players are adapting the who I ranked 13th but went 30th overall. Veleno’s production was muted way they play right along with it. If evaluators don’t keep up, they’ll fall on that same Sea Dogs team until he was dealt to contending behind. Drummondville. A year later, on one of the QMJHL’s top teams, Veleno’s This, alongside projects like my annual re-draft (this summer, I’ll be doing 104-point season, combined with his high-end speed and excellent a retrospective re-draft of the 2016 class side-by-side my ranking at the defensive play, have him looking like a steal for the Red Wings. time in order to reflect on how I did), offers what I hope is an honest, Joe Veleno at Red Wings camp. (Allison Farrand for The Athletic) introspective reflection, as well as a companion tool for you as you watch these young players and read through my rankings and evaluations. This isn’t just true of the gap between good teams and bad teams, either. There are other situations where, on a contending team, a player is thrust When you open up my ranking, you get the end product of hundreds of into a depth role with limited minutes and isn’t able to develop in the hours of work. Projects like this scouting guide are meant to fill in the same way a Cajkovic does as his team’s go-to option. That’s why Barrett gaps and answer as many questions as possible by detailing my Hayton (0.95 points per game) and Aidan Dudas (0.96) were not created philosophy so that you can have the best possible understanding as to equal in last year’s draft, even if their production made it seem that way. why Player X is ranked higher than Player Y. Beyond the massive disparity between teams and roles is another piece Here, I hope to explain as best I can the time that goes into the three of context: Age. And I can’t stress enough how important age is in draft rankings I publish each season at The Athletic, where I might have contextualizing a player and his growth curve. holes in my viewings and knowledge for the current class, and where I see player evaluation going. These kids are teenagers and their bodies, as well their brains, are changing every month. Some players are fully developed at 16 and they Think of it as some combination of a preface and a glossary, ahead of look good early in their draft year but their growth is stagnant. Others can the novel (the ranking). add a couple of inches and 10 pounds over the course of their draft year Context and that can mean they’re a completely different, considerably more dominant player in the second half of the season. As a result, not only This is where it all starts. This is my sixth full season working in scouting are repeated viewings of every prospect you’re evaluating required but and player evaluation and the value of context, above all else, is what so too is the need to leave your perception of a player from a previous I’ve learned the most. viewing at the door.

I can’t properly blend what I see (all of those live viewings) with what the As their brains develop, their games change too. Some players become data tells me (the raw production outcomes) without understanding a more aggressive and assertive, and learn faster than others how to find player’s context. This often gets lost when NHL viewers pivot their focus open space and involve their linemates, others struggle with off-ice to prospects each spring because you can look at the top of a scoring issues and their games suffer, or they plateau because they can’t table at hockey’s highest level and normally get a pretty good feel for the develop more than one or two standout skills. best players in the world. Connor McDavid. Nikita Kucherov. Erik Karlsson. Picking out the best players in the NHL isn’t rocket science. And some players are just flat-out older than others. In this draft, for example, there is just 14 days separating projected first round pick It’s not hard to do on a team-to-team basis either. The best players, by Raphael Lavoie (September 2000) from being a year older than projected and large, are the ones doing the scoring. We can now use viewings, late-first round pick Nicholas Robertson (September 2001). That’s huge. teammates, and analytics to dig deeper on NHL players than ever before The player Robertson will be this time next year is nowhere near the one but most of that evaluation gives the viewer a competitive advantage on he is today and that has to be considered when evaluating the two which depth players are actually good more than it does on the game’s players against one another. true stars. The best players in the sport are, at least relatively speaking, agreed upon. Just about every top-50 ranking of NHL players probably Other things, including a player’s coach or their proximity to their family, includes the same 35-40 names, with evaluators differing more the all have major impacts as well. Some coaches rely on veterans and ask further down the list you get. their young talents to work their way up the lineup. Others use a trial by fire approach and give those players opportunities on the top line or the It also creates a bias when you transport the same set of eyes and the top pairing very early in their careers. same brain into prospect evaluation, though. The assumption becomes that point-per-game Player X on Team Y in League Z is better than 0.75 I try to use every resource I have, from relationships with coaches, point per game Player A on Team B in League C. But that often isn’t the players and other scouts in order to learn as much as I can about the case. The parity that exists in the NHL doesn’t exist anywhere else in players, while always staying cognizant of their context (age, team, role, available data, etc.). Though it’s an imperfect science, there are real If this guide leaves you with anything, I hope it’s this: Ambiguity is the advantages to be gleaned from maximizing your knowledge about a enemy of description. player. When I’m reading about hockey, watching people talk about hockey, or The viewing process listening to people talk about hockey, I always try to keep that in mind.

Though I am no longer filing game reports on the prospects I’m watching Because there are words that sound like they mean something but don’t. (a task that I did hundreds of times at both Future Considerations and Or words that mean something to one person that mean something McKeen’s Hockey in support of a larger staff and, ultimately, the end-of- completely different to another. If the goal in analyzing the sport is to be year draft guides we produced), my viewing process is now, I hope, more nuanced, they work to do the opposite. thorough than it ever has been. The offender is the idea of “comparables.” The average member of the That process can be the subject of a lot of questions, too: How do you audience (listen, viewer, reader, whatever) has spent the majority of the watch a game? Are you watching every player or just one? What does season focussed on the NHL until its all over and suddenly it’s the last your game sheet look like? weekend in June and the draft looms. Those people want to know how the available prospects play without watching them. I get it. But what The answer to those questions is complex because every evaluator comparables fail to recognize is that players are more different now than would probably answer differently. they ever have been.

I, for example, am one of the few that does all of my work at in-person On top of that, they also box players in. Every first-round pick gets viewings on a computer (most scouts track their notes across player tagged with all-star expectations. And we start to see the same names number grids they build into notepads or tablets and I have never been over and over again. How many times have you heard a big, pass-first able to do that). Part of that is driven by necessity (I have a tremor, left centre compared to Ryan Getzlaf or Joe Thornton? Evaluation is about over from concussions, which makes writing quickly by hand impossible). projection (which, inherently, is also what comparables try to do) but But I suspect that even if it weren’t already a habit that I would have player types are changing. That was true even this season, with the rise made it one by now regardless because the advantages it provides of scoring in the NHL and the ripple effect that will have on drafting if it (speed and detail) far outweigh the disadvantages (the distraction a holds. computer can provide, thus taking your eyes off the game if you allow it to). They don’t just box the player in, either. They box us, as fans of the game, into lazy habits. And they often serve as a veil for analysis that The number of players I’m watching also changes dependent on the isn’t centred on the work required to actually describe a player, so they medium. If I’m in an arena, things are happening so fast that I always revert to disguises as detail. choose just one or two players from each team to focus on (even if there are a handful on each team worth watching). In doing so, it means that Sometimes, that’s out of necessity. Publications have word counts, radio there are usually no more than one or two players on the ice at any given stations and TV broadcasts have time limits. We need to find ways to moment that I need to be tracking. The obvious advantages there are: condense.

That I can isolate those players and follow them, rather than the play, for But terms like: plays with urgency, hockey IQ, hockey sense, stay-at- their shift. home defender or safe player — leave the intended audience with more questions than answers (or result in the audience superimposing their My obsession with organization is satisfied because I can parse my notes biases onto someone else’s viewings). Whenever possible, detail and on the players I’ve watched. description should always be the focus.

The obvious disadvantage to that strategy is making sure you aren’t Hockey IQ can be described with specifics; how the player plays within tunnel-visioned to the player you’re tracking. his team’s structure, whether he picks up on his man in the defensive Hockey at the highest levels is so fluid now that what’s happening around zone, if he surveys the ice to get ahead of the play rather than react to if, a player is as important as the way a player reacts to it. Isolation helps a note on the decisions he makes with the puck or whether he plays with build my knowledge of a player’s raw skills (I do a much better job picking his head up, and so on. up the little details in a player’s skill set when I’m honed in on them than I A safe defender might carry a negative connotation to the author do otherwise) but it can limit your understanding of a player’s ability to (someone who struggles with the puck and lacks ability) but it may be read the game around them. Some players (Vasili Podkolzin comes to perceived as positive by the reader (someone who makes the smart, mind in this draft) look great in isolation but struggle within the whole. careful play to reduce risk).

This isn’t to say I won’t pick up on other players in a game (you catch When we talk about “playing with urgency”, we’re often just pointing to flashes here or there of everyone on the ice) but I try to limit the whether or not a player played well in a given game because it’s near- takeaways I garner from players who aren’t my focus because they’re impossible to infer effort or interpret feeling. normally driven by really good plays or really bad plays and the speed of the game is so high that you can take away the wrong impression of a If the evaluator is going to use ambiguous terms, they should, wherever player if you aren’t watching the entirety of their shifts. possible, explain what it means to them first.

On video, my focus becomes even narrower. Three and a half years ago, a longtime hockey analytics blogger-turned- team employee emailed me with a question about how we can inform In years past, I would use several subscription platforms for my video modern statistics in hockey with the eye test. He wanted to run a viewings and the tools those services provided varied. On some, where “multivariate regression using independent variables (like, say, skating, rewinding and fast forwarding weren’t options and I had to watch entire which would be) rated by chosen talent evaluators for each player — I games, my focus was broader. This year, I joined a scouting service that would also include a team variable to control for team effects. The brought all of the league’s together with more advanced viewing options dependent variable would be raw possession results.” and the way I viewed a game changed as a result. Now, I watch one player at a time — viewing only his shifts —and can watch a game in His goal was to determine how to prioritize each skill when evaluating under an hour. This has made my viewing process considerably more prospects based strictly on viewings. In responding to the question, I efficient and allows me to use the video days I set aside for myself during began to build out the five skills I think matter most in today’s game in a the month more effectively in order to take notes and catalogue as many quantifiable way. prospects as possible. Here’s the 2019 version of what that baseline looks like for me: At the end of a game, if I’m there strictly to watch a player and storytelling isn’t my focus that day, my game sheet is a mix of notes on the plays a Skating: This includes how light or heavy he is on his blades, his top player made (as well as all the videos I cut of them that appear in speed (less important these days), his first few steps, his acceleration, standalone evaluations, like the one I recently did of Bowen Byram, or his balance/centre of gravity, the fluidity of his movements, his lateral the scouting reports you see in the three annual rankings) as well as edge work, his ability maintain rather than lose speed with possession of description of his skills (more on the skills I care about later). the puck, how far he can extend/lean on his edges while skating backwards in order to close gaps quickly, his ability to pivot without Skills-based evaluation catching an edge, whether his feet drag (a lot of young players drag the toe of their blade because they’re rushing their stride), if he doesn’t drag his toes whether he lifts more than a few inches off the ice (many young thing. Every evaluator would likely tell you the same thing. It means that players who don’t drag their blades overcompensate with a choppy up the ranking is mine and mine alone. and down motion), his ability to go heel-to-heel (leaning on inside edges to dodge checks and shuffle around defenders or the net on On one hand, if there are issues in it, or if I fail, it’s on me. On the other, I wraparounds). The two most efficient strides: Long, fluid motions that don’t have to trust anyone else’s eyes or evaluation of the available data give straightaway speed or tight, explosive edge work to create a but my own in forming my opinion. If I feel I have a blind spot on a player, rounded, agile skater. Both have their place and can be beneficial, but I I can ask people I know who are more well-versed in those prospects prefer a player who can move laterally on his edges than one who can than I am and if I’m confident I’ve seen enough of a player, I can rank explode down the boards with a longer stride. Changing tempo is now them accordingly without having to consult anyone. It’s great. more important than top speed. At Future Considerations, for example, I was only responsible for Eastern Playmaking: This includes ability to see the ice in front and on either side, Canada (the OHL, the QMJHL, and the Jr. A levels below them). And see lanes before they open (there’s a knack to this skill that is hard to though that meant that my evaluations of the players in those leagues evaluate but when a player is really talented at it it’s impossible to miss), could be more thorough than they are today because the group of eligible accurately pass (both short and long ranges, short passes speak to focus prospects is so much smaller, it also meant that I had to trust others, not or lack thereof usually), timing and sharpness of passes (passing hard is knowing their familiarity with the players or how their process works (this not always a strength, feathering a pass through traffic is much more of isn’t to say those people weren’t fantastic, because they all were but an asset), ability to accept passes without stopping up or bobbling, control breeds comfort with something like this). creativity in passing (does the player surprise defenders with the lanes Still, though, there is a reason NHL teams do what they do and build lists he finds?), calculated confidence (if a player is going to make a high-risk with massive staffs. And that needs to be recognized before you dive into play, do they have support?), passing off of his backhand (a lot of junior my ranking because the NHL Central Scouting Bureau lists 390 players hockey players aren’t confident enough to fake a forehand pass and and 48 goalies for this draft and I have not seen them all play. The cross their body to pass backhand but it can be an effective way of preliminary ranking doesn’t release until November because it takes time wrapping the puck around rangy defenders). to get fall viewings of the required players. Both the preliminary list and Puck handling and deceptiveness: This includes hand speed (loose grip the midseason ranking is only 62 players deep because it takes the full is better, want to look for players who avoid tightly controlling their stick), year to confidently build to a list that includes 100 players (plus creativity with the puck (does he try the same move, or can he use his honourable mentions). stick to adapt in traffic/under pressure?), ability to deke a goaltender or In last year’s version of this guide, I highlighted how I wished I’d had defenceman one-on-one (does he always go outside, does he too often more viewings of the USHL, VHL, and the MHL for the 2018 class. This cut inside, can he make defenders move laterally?), ability to maintain year, I made a concerted effort to correct against that and it was reflected possession of the puck at high speed, stops and starts, instinctual core in the ranking. For example, my final 2018 ranking had only five USHL control, ability to protect the puck against bigger defenders, ability to players while my final 2019 ranking will have more than a dozen (so handle the puck or pick a dead puck off the boards on a player’s either last year’s USHL class was weaker or I didn’t do my homework). backhand or in tight (the difference between getting the puck up ice and being trapped can be a quick bobble from a dead puck), the ability to This year, my biggest blind spot was the U.S. high school circuit, which is control the puck out wide or in his feet (the latter is a challenge for taller increasingly producing high-end talent, and the AJHL. There was no players so when they can do it well it’s a real asset). Jacob Bernard-Docker to draw me to ’s strong Jr. A league this year so my viewings of the league were limited to some homework I did Shooting: This includes velocity and accuracy. Whether a player has a on 2020 top prospect Dylan Holloway (and though I liked what I saw out quick release, whether he’s specific about shot selection or a volume of Zachary Okabe, I don’t feel confident ranking him). shooter, a disguised release point (some players have tweaks to their release that distinguish them by, say, pushing the puck off the heel to set Though I am extremely proud of my record over the six years that I’ve up a snapshot rather than just applying pressure to the shaft or curling been doing this, all of these limitations mean that you should seek out as from the toe and releasing before the heel). Whether the prospect finds many voices as possible. There are intelligent, diligent evaluators at all of holes for a chance to score (I like defencemen that move a lot at the the major public scouting services. If you’re reading this, you already offensive zone blue line both laterally and inward to the high slot – makes know that The Athletic’s Corey Pronman’s work is a necessary resource. skating an even bigger asset in today’s game because you need to be The blogging world has built some of the only successful public-sphere able to get back), ability to deflect the puck, elevate it in tight, or slide it data models. The list goes on. along the ice while moving, and whether he relies on finishing in one way Scouting is imperfect. It’s my job to cover the NHL draft, I give it as many (a lot of young players shoot high too often when the low rebound is the hours as I can afford, I hope that I view the way the game is trending in a best available option). Shooting, increasingly, is of less value to me for progressive way, and I still make mistakes. The goal, though, is to be as defencemen. thorough as I can be for you, to make this coverage as comprehensive Defensive acumen: This includes whether he comes back in the play or as I can, and to look back in a few years and be proud of my ranking. counts on others to, understanding of his personal defensive Hopefully you (and I) learn something along the way. responsibility, covering for a teammate’s missed assignment, reading the developing play and reacting accordingly, communicating on the ice (an The Athletic LOADED: 04.30.2019 underrated asset for players who understand systems), if he’s a passive defender in the neutral and defensive zones whether he’s compensating by reacting and breaking up plays with raw instincts and reflexes, if he’s an aggressive defender in both zones whether he’s calculated in how far he extends on attackers (you’ll see things like a player hunching over his stick if he’s pushing too far to try and make a hit) and does he have the skating ability to make up for it (defenders who are aggressive and slow are the worst)? I also hate penalties. There are good ones (compensating for a teammate to prevent a high-danger scoring chance) but they’re otherwise not the asset many fantasy leagues teach us to believe they are (cross-checking means he wasn’t in proper position defensively, hooking normally means he wasn’t moving his feet, etc.).

‘Intangibles’ like competitiveness and leadership are extremely hard to identify so I tend to use coaches and teammates to find out more about them. Although body language can be evident for some players on the ice, you have to be careful not to equate being upset with not caring.

My limitations

I’ll start by saying this: Building the ranking the way I get to at The Athleitc is far and away my preferred way of doing this whole scouting 1143496 Websites this additional information is absolutely critical. CSA’s numbers reveal several surprises, shifting the most deserving goaltender conversation considerably.

The Athletic / On the Vezina: Using deeper data to re-evaluate the Outperforming expectations finalists Looking first at CSA’s full-season leaderboard for performance above expectation, we find some names that haven’t made it into the Vezina By Paul Campbell Apr 29, 2019 conversation at all. Of note here, the “actual” save percentage is according to CSA’s own shot data, and not what the NHL records. This means some shots that CSA has deemed to be “phantom” shots – those that didn’t actually reach the net either because it was blocked or missed The general managers have voted for the Vezina Trophy and the three but were recorded as shots on goal, for example – are not included in the finalists are more-or-less who we should have expected: “actual” save percentage calculation and thus the number is lower here Ben Bishop, Robin Lehner, and Andrei Vasilevskiy all put up excellent than you will find on the NHL website. performances this season, finishing first (Bishop, .934), second (Lehner, Just as we saw in my mid-season Vezina rankings, Jaroslav Halak is the .930) and third (Vasilevskiy, .925) in save percentage (the basic statistic unexpected leader. Vasilevskiy, Bishop, and Lehner have strong that best predicts the Vezina winner) for goalies playing at least 45 numbers, but Pekka Rinne and Carey Price are two names that join games. As usual, all the finalists made the playoffs with strong winning Halak as surprises. This is a nice illustration of the limits of using save records. However, unlike previous seasons, the unofficial minimum- percentage alone to evaluate goaltenders. The raw number matters, but games threshold was lowered significantly. without the context expected save percentage provides, it can be Traditionally, general managers have chosen goalies who have played at misleading. least 60 games, or come very close to that figure. Last year’s finalists, Looking past the top finishers to examine other goalies who were in the Pekka Rinne (59), Connor Hellebuyck (64) and Vasilevskiy (64) fit the Vezina conversation, we have John Gibson finishing just outside the top- criteria, while all finishing top-three in wins, another measure GMs greatly 6 with a 2 percent performance above expectation, while Kuemper, covet. However, this left Marc-Andre Fleury (46 GP, 92.7 SP) and Antti Fleury, and Andersen lag behind in unremarkable territory. Raanta (47 GP, 93 SP), the league leaders in save percentage for goalies with at least 45 games played, out in the cold. This season, Easiest and hardest environments Bishop and Lehner each played only 46 games, indicating an interesting shift in voting patterns. An important eye-test variable that fans and media like to apply to their favourites is the difficulty of a goaltender’s environment. “My goalie,” they But why? Part of the reason is that only eight goaltenders played 60 or argue, “might not have elite numbers, but he’s behind a weaker defence more games; you have to go back to 1995-96 to find a lower total. None than the other goaltenders.” Fortunately, based on its expected save of those goaltenders had a save percentage over .918, and while all percentage values, CSA is able to determine which goaltender finished above the league average of .910, anything under .920 does environments were the easiest and which the most difficult. little to inspire voters. Unsurprisingly, of the 42 total goaltenders facing at least 870 shots, In short, the general managers were forced to lower the bar for games Bishop played in the easiest environment in the league. Lehner had the played or save percentage, and they chose games played. If, as I second easiest time of it, while Kuemper ranked fourth. If your eye test suspect, a trend toward using goalie tandems emerges and teams with was telling you these goalies played within solid defensive structures, big-money keepers continue to limit their workloads, we should expect to your eyes were not deceiving you. see this season’s voting criteria become the norm. Vasilevskiy, Gibson, Fleury and Andersen were in the uninteresting This season, I have absolutely no doubt that Vasilevskiy will be the middle of the pack, casting doubt on the narrative that Andersen’s winner. None. He led the league in wins and played seven more games defence abandoned him often, or that Gibson’s Ducks, while undoubtedly than either of his fellow finalists, while still posting a very good save allowing a deluge of shots, allowed an inordinate number of dangerous percentage. The unofficial voting criteria may be shifting, but I would be ones. shocked if GMs abandoned their love affair with wins and workload all at once. Things gets interesting again when we look closer to the bottom of the list. Rinne, who spent most of his career behind a superb Nashville blue But who should win? line and strangling defensive structure, was surprisingly in the 33rd- ranked environment. Less surprisingly, Price’s environment ranked 36th, While predicting who will win is itself a fascinating exercise, determining and astoundingly, Halak’s was 40th. who should win is an even more interesting, highly contentions endeavour. Performance above an already high expectation is good, of course, but I believe performance above a very low expectation is even better. When Fans and media in various cities were displeased or even downright routinely facing higher quality shots, it takes far more precision, game in indignant that their team’s goalie wasn’t chosen. How could Frederik and game out, to keep bad habits from creeping into your game. When Andersen, playing so well behind such a bad defence, be snubbed? Or you know you’re going to face only a couple of great chances a game, it’s Marc-Andre Fleury, the backbone of another great season for the upstart easier to trust your defence and avoid cheating on odd-man rushes or Golden Knights? Or Darcy Kuemper, who posted the same save long lateral plays. When you’re behind a weaker defensive structure, the percentage as Vasilevskiy while playing more games? Or John Gibson, unpredictability of the shots you’ll face make every save more difficult – who turned in a solid season with very good numbers while being utterly once you commit, you’re always worried about the option you aren’t abandoned by his team for most of the season? covering. By this criterion, Bishop’s, Lehner’s, and Kuemper’s stock While there are many arguments to be made for a given goaltender, drops significantly, while Halak’s, Rinne’s, and Price’s rises. some of them valid, I prioritize statistical success over everything else: no The effect of workload matter how good your eye test, or how strong the narrative around a goalie, one person simply cannot use either tool to fairly compare even a Sustaining a strong performance over 40 games, like Halak did, is no dozen goaltenders over an entire season. Nobody could watch that much easy task. Sustaining a strong performance for 66 games, as Price did, is hockey, and even if you could, mentally tracking and sorting so many even more impressive. While I’m no fan of arbitrary cutoff points for performances exceeds the limits of human cognition. minimum games played, I think it’s important to remember that sample size can have a serious effect on a goaltender’s statistics. CSA’s The data provided by the NHL is limited, at least for now, by the relatively goaltender save contribution rating, basically a goals-saved-above- small number of variables they track for each shot, like shot location average measure, combines performance with total shots faced to (point, slot), type (wrist, backhand), and team strength (even, determine how many goals above expectation a keeper saved his team shorthanded). In contrast, the data provided by Clear Sight Analytics all season. Again, the leaderboard lists some surprising names: (CSA), includes a host of pre-shot information like passes (how many, how far, and in which direction), and screens (whether there was one, This season, no goaltender saved his team more goals above how many players were involved, and how it was layered) that the NHL expectation than Price. One might argue that playing more games gave data does not. When evaluating the quality of shots a goaltender faces, him the chance to raise this number, but that “advantage” is mitigated by the difficulty of maintaining strong numbers over a larger sample and by the poor defensive structure he played behind. Vasilevskiy, Gibson and Rinne are close behind, with Jacob Markstrom a very surprising fifth, showing just how much he was leaned on by the Canucks this season. Despite playing only 40 games, Halak is just off the list with a contribution of 30.4 goals, while the rest trail the pack with contributions in the 20s.

The most deserving?

When we consider performance above expectation, environmental difficulty and workload, five names stand above the others: Vasilevskiy, Price, Halak, Rinne and Gibson. Any three of these would make worthy finalists and depending on which factors a voter weighted more highly, any could win.

To my mind, Halak’s terrible defensive environment and elite performance above expectation puts him in the top-3, as does Vasilevskiy’s similarly elite performance and greater workload. Each of those two goaltenders, however, has an Achilles’ heel – Vasilevsky’s relatively easy environment and Halak’s much smaller sample size.

In the end, Price’s ability to sustain an elite level of performance above expectation over a far larger number of games in one of the most difficult environments in the league vaults him to the top.

While there was very little grumbling by Montreal media and fans when Price didn’t receive a Vezina finalist nod this season, Price’s performance quietly justified the players who voted him the top goaltender in the league and put to rest fears that his best years were far behind him.

Price is the top paid goaltender in the NHL and, despite many complaints to the contrary, he earned his money this season.

The Athletic LOADED: 04.30.2019 1143497 Websites That would be the Islanders, where Lou Lamoriello landed in the summer before bringing Leo Komarov and Matt Martin over with him. And of course, the Islanders were kind of enough to share John Tavares with The Athletic / Down Goes Brown: Which surviving playoff teams should Toronto in return. Rooting for them would be a nice way to say thank you. Canadian fans root for? That said, I realize this is probably a non-starter for most Leaf fans. You remember the brutally rough ride that Islander fans gave Tavares back in February and it kind of felt like a rivalry was born that night – or maybe By Sean McIndoe Apr 29, 2019 rekindled, given how ugly the last playoff series between these teams turned out. And to be very clear, Islander fans want absolutely no part of

seeing any Leaf fans on their bandwagon and would probably pelt you It’s another year without a Stanley Cup for Canada but at least the with wadded up bed sheets if you tried to show up. hockey gods didn’t toy with us for too long this time. Four of the country’s Therefore, we’re not going to make the Islanders our pick for Leaf fans. seven teams didn’t make the playoffs at all and the three that did all But there is a surprisingly strong case here, so maybe just hold onto the made first-round exits. When the Maple Leafs are your longest surviving idea in your back pocket for round three. Bandwagons are like team, it hasn’t been a great year. goaltenders, it always pays to have a decent backup. And if we’re being honest, most Canadian fans are probably fine with Instead, let’s pair the Leafs with the St. Louis Blues in what would feel that. The whole national Cup drought thing has always been the sort of like a Norris Division reunion. Old-time Leaf fans have plenty of narrative that seems to be more important to the media than to most of memories of the rivalry with the Blues, some on the good side and others the fans. Let’s face it, most of the country’s fans don’t want to see any not so much, but with the two teams now in separate conferences, it Canadian team other than their own win a Cup. When our team is out, should be safe to bury the hatchet. And like the Leafs, the Blues are we don’t jump on the bandwagon of the Leafs or Jets or whoever. We trying to end a Stanley Cup drought that dates back to 1967. want everyone else in the country to be miserable too. That’s a bit of a double-edged sword; Leaf fans are sick of hearing about But now everyone is miserable and we’ve still got three rounds to get the drought and having the Blues abandon the 1967 Losers Club just a through. And that’s had some fans wondering what comes next: few years after the Kings did the same might not feel like a positive WOULD LOVE TO SEE A GUIDE FROM @DOWNGOESBROWN FOR development. Misery loves company, after all. But there’s something to WHICH REMAINING TEAM CANADIANS SHOULD ADOPT FOR THE be said for good karma, and Blues fans have suffered almost as much as REST OF THE PLAYOFFS. Leaf fans over the years, and maybe more. That should be enough reason for Toronto to get behind Tyler Bozak, Alex Steen, Carl &MDASH; DAN GREENBERG (@DMGREENBERG340) APRIL 24, Gunnarsson and friends. 2019 Edmonton Oilers That’s a great question. We’ve already done the annual guide for bandwagon-hopping, but that was a league-wide initiative. Today, we’re If you’re an Oiler fan, don’t you kind of have to cheer for the team your looking for the best remaining bandwagon for fans of each Canadian former GM helped build? team. We’ll consider a few factors, like rivalries and history, hometown That would be the Islanders, and I could see Edmonton fans cringing a players on the roster and any popular former figures who might show up bit when every big Mathew Barzal goal leads to a round of Griffin in another team’s story. Reinhart flashbacks. But you can at least want the best for Jordan And since Canadian fans don’t do unity, let’s make sure that each fan Eberle, who was a good soldier in Edmonton for seven seasons before base gets a team of its own, with no duplicates. We’ll go through all being traded to the Islanders for, well, let’s not worry about that. He’s seven teams, starting with the easiest pairing we’re going to find … there now and you might as well cheer him on.

Ottawa Senators Beyond that, the Oilers and Islanders go way back. The two great dynasties of the 1980s – and depending on your perspective, maybe the The Senators give us a couple of obvious options to consider. The first is last two great dynasties we’ll ever see – faced each other in back-to-back in Columbus, which is writing the kind of underdog success story that finals and basically played keep-away with the Cup for a decade. That Ottawa will be shooting for over the next few years. More importantly, long enough ago that any bad blood should have dissipated, but there they’re doing it with a pair of former Sens in Matt Duchene and Ryan should still be some lingering respect. Dzingel. Granted, there may be some mixed feelings towards Duchene given how his tenure in Ottawa played out. But if he’s happy in Besides, if you’re an Oilers fan, you’re trying to convince yourself that an Columbus, he’s more likely to re-sign there, which would deliver another obviously flawed team might miraculously transform into a Cup contender first-round pick to the Senators. That makes the Blue Jackets a decent almost overnight thanks to a new coach and GM. The Islanders pulling choice. off one of the most unlikely championships in history would be proof that it can actually be done. But there’s an even better one and it’s one of Pierre Dorion’s other key trading partners. That would be San Jose, where former captain Erik Vancouver Canucks Karlsson is chasing the Cup he never managed to bring to Ottawa. The Canucks are a tricky one, with nothing jumping out at me as being Karlsson remains universally beloved among Senator fans, so it shouldn’t an especially obvious pick. Let’s go with Boston, since Bruins’ president be tough to convince them to cheer him on. Let’s face it, most of them Cam Neely was a Vancouver draft pick who broke into the league with already are. the Canucks back in 1983. That’s a decent connection, so let’s go with Mix in Logan Couture being a former 67s star and we’re all set. And if the Bruins as the Canucks fan’s bandwagon of choice. you’re a Sens fan who still somehow needs just a little extra incentive, Calgary Flames remember that Ottawa can get the Sharks’ 2021 first-round pick if they make the final. The remaining franchise with the most obvious connection to Calgary is the Carolina Hurricanes. That’s the team that supplied them with new That covers Ottawa and it takes the Sharks off the board. That’s the coach Bill Peters, which worked out pretty well for everyone involved. easiest pick we’re going to able to find, but let’s see if we can pair up a The Flames also pulled off a major blockbuster trade with them this past few more Canadian fans with a temporary team that makes sense. offseason. Toronto Maple Leafs Do Flames fans want to cheer for Dougie Hamilton right now? My guess Like their provincial rivals, the Leafs give us a couple of options, although is the opinion might be split on that one. But you could get behind I suspect one isn’t going to be popular. Micheal Ferland once he’s back in the lineup since he spent four seasons as a fan favorite in Calgary and was even rumored for a possible return We said we’d be looking for any connections for former players or at the trade deadline. franchise figures and one team stands out in that regard for Toronto. There’s a potential match out there that has a couple of popular former On top of that, the Hurricanes are just a fun story, and they wear red and Maple Leafs on it, and if that’s not enough, they’re even being guided a black so if you squint and/or get drunk enough, you can pretend they’re former GM. the Flames. And as an added bonus, we’ve already got Edmonton rooting for the Islanders, so this would turn the Metro final into an off- brand Battle of Alberta. When in doubt, Calgary, go with whatever will make Oiler fans sad. Well, even sadder. You get what I mean.

Vancouver Canucks

OK, I was obviously kidding about Canucks fans cheering for the Bruins. I just wanted to see how many of them would skip the rest of the article and immediately rush to the comments to call me an idiot. No decent Vancouver fan would ever wish for anything but misery for the Bruins after what happened in 2011. Never let that bitterness go, Canucks fans. Some sins aren’t worth forgiving.

Instead, let’s go with the Dallas Stars. This one’s a little risky too since it’s our first and only intra-conference pairing on our list. But a couple of playoff matchups and whatever this was aside, I don’t think the Canucks and Stars are such a burning rivalry that we can’t work out a temporary peace treaty.

Why Dallas? Well, Jamie Benn is from B.C. and came up with the Kelowna Rockets, so he’s kind of a local product if you’re willing to be generous with your definition of “local.” But far more importantly, if the Stars win the Stanley Cup then there’s a good chance that Tyler Seguin could win the Conn Smythe, and then everyone would laugh at Boston for somehow talking themselves into giving him away. And screw the Bruins, am I right, Canucks fans?

Please stop setting my car on fire.

Montreal Canadiens

Habs fans should cheer for the Avalanche because it would be nice to see that franchise win a Cup that they didn’t get by robbing you guys blind in a trade.

Really, we could just leave it there. But the Avs also have four Quebec- born players in the lineup in Gabriel Bourque, Derick Brassard, Samuel Girard and Montreal’s own Mark Barberio, while Nathan MacKinnon was a QMJHL star.

Also, they finished with fewer wins and points than the Canadiens, so if they win it all you can tell everyone that the Habs were better than the Stanley Cup champions. Which you’d probably do anyway, come to think of it.

Winnipeg Jets

That leaves the Jets and we’re into some difficult territory here. We said that we wouldn’t double up on any of the picks, so we’ve got limited options left on the table for Winnipeg. Even putting that aside, the Jets would be tricky since three of the remaining teams are division rivals, and I’m guessing that cheering for a market like Dallas or Carolina that sprung up from 1990s relocation might be a bit of a sore spot.

Luckily, all of that still leaves us with a decent choice: The Blue Jackets, who’ve been one of the best stories of the playoffs so far. They were the big newsmaker of the trade deadline and their first-round sweep of the Lightning was the talk of the sports world. And like the Jets, they had an extended history of failing to see the second round before finally breaking through with the current iteration of the team.

Does all of that add up to a great reason to root for a team? Maybe not, but it’s not bad, so let’s get out the face paint and teach the white brigade rappers how to sing a decent battle hymn.

Everyone else in Canada

Hey, not everyone has a local team to cheer for, or one somewhere else that they’ve made a commitment to. There’s a whole country out there of folks who might want to have a rooting interest in the NHL playoffs, but just need a temporary team.

Unfortunately, we’ve only got one team left for the rest of the country, and it’s the Bruins. Still, that’s not a bad pick – they’re a good team with plenty of history, a few Canadian stars and a decent shot at the Cup.

But more importantly, if you openly start cheering for the Bruins, you’ll get to live the Canadian dream: making people in Toronto, Montreal and Vancouver sad. When else are you going to get the chance to annoy all three of the country’s most self-important cities in one shot? You know what to do.

The Athletic LOADED: 04.30.2019 1143498 Websites officials a chance to call offsetting penalties, which they did: cross- checking for Bortuzzo and embellishment for Lindell.

WITHOUT REVIEW Sportsnet.ca / Blues stay perfect on the road with Game 3 win over Stars Almost nightly since last week’s Game 7 fiasco in San Jose, when officials incorrectly guessed at a major penalty that cost the Vegas Iain MacIntyre | @imacSportsnet April 30, 2019, 12:37 AM Golden Knights their season, there have been incidents that further build the case for the NHL giving the referees some replay assistance.

On Monday, the referees and linesmen without the benefit of replays The St. Louis Blues are Exhibit A that home ice no longer matters in the huddled for a couple of minutes – longer than it would take for the Stanley Cup playoffs. At least, it doesn’t to the Blues. league’s war room in Toronto to phone – before concluding that Parayko’s last-minute clearance did not touch Seguin before exiting the St. Louis scored twice in a wild final seven minutes Monday to beat the playing surface. Dallas Stars 4-3 in Texas and take a 2-1 lead in the teams’ second-round playoff series. With the victory, the Blues stayed perfect on the road in Sutherland and Kozari, as well as linesmen Jonny Murray and Ryan the playoffs after St. Louis won all three of its games in Winnipeg during Gibbons, did an excellent job to get the call right and penalize Parayko, an opening-round win against the . but imagine if the puck had clipped Seguin’s stick and Dallas tied it on a power play that shouldn’t have occurred. Patrick Maroon, who has so reinvented himself he now goes by the name Pat, dragged the puck out from behind the net and lifted a shot over No one wants longer games, but everyone wants the correct call. The Dallas goalie Ben Bishop’s right shoulder to break a 3-3 tie with 1:38 latter need should trump all else. remaining in regulation time. MORE FANCY COACHING The Blues defended their lead while two men shorthanded for the final 43 seconds after Colton Parayko was penalized for flipping the puck into the St. Louis coach Craig Berube helped tilt the Blues’ first-round series in stands and Bishop went to the bench for an extra Stars skater. his favour when during Game 5, with his team trailing, he remade his forward lines by dropping Brayden Schenn alongside Jaden Schwartz on The teams traded four goals over the final seven minutes, with the Blues the second unit, while promoting energetic David Perron to the top line. answering with markers by Maroon and captain Alex Pietrangelo after the Stars had tied the game on goals by Andrew Cogliano and Tyler Seguin. Schwartz, who hadn’t yet scored in the playoffs after an unfathomably low 11-goal regular season, scored St. Louis’ final four goals in the The Blues’ staunch defensive play and resilience were evident during series, including a hat trick in Game 6. their road sweep of the Jets. And they once again displayed the latter Monday, taking the lead just 1:27 into the game, getting four pucks past Berube tinkered again Monday, this time moving Schwartz up to play Vezina Trophy finalist Bishop and rarely letting the crowd at American Ryan O’Reilly and Vladimir Tarasenko. Schwartz deflected in Parayko’s Airlines Center get to a fever pitch. point shot to make it 1-0 just 87 seconds into the game, had an assist on Pietrangelo’s go-ahead goal in the third period and led the Blues with six Game 4 is Wednesday. hits.

PATTY BOY No wonder Berube is a coach of the year finalist and the catalyst of one of the greatest in-season turnarounds by a team in NHL history. To be cruelly honest, it looked like Maroon was just about done as an impactful NHL player when the Edmonton Oilers traded him to the New FINAL THOUGHT Jersey Devils near the end of last season. Great job by the NBC crew supplying the broadcast to Sportsnet to catch Sure, he still had decent hands for a big power forward, and everybody Dallas Cowboys star Ezekiel Elliott happily taking a selfie with a kid and likes Maroon’s good-guy toughness. But in a league increasingly about making him feel better after the young fan was struck by a puck in the speed and transition, Maroon was a 225-pound throwback to a slower, third period. Elliott didn’t have to do it, and it was a nice, genuine moment half-court style. He scored three goals in 17 games for New Jersey and to capture. became a free agent. Sportsnet.ca LOADED: 04.30.2019 At an age when he should still be close to his prime, the player who turned 31 last week settled last summer for a one-year, US$1.75-million contract to play for his hometown Blues. Maybe he thought it would be a good place to end his career.

After a 28-point regular season, Maroon has been a beast in the playoffs. Playing on a checking line with veteran Tyler Bozak and rookie Robert Thomas, Maroon was a handful for the Jets and he is now menacing the Stars.

It is mystifying for everyone unaware of NHL culture that the league embraces a seismic shift in officiating standards for the playoffs compared to the regular season. But credit Maroon for being able to take advantage of it, like when he pushed down Dallas defenceman Esa Lindell to give himself time and space on the winning goal.

In what turned out to be the series-clinching goal against the Jets, Maroon interfered with Winnipeg goalie Connor Hellebuyck.

It was a good idea not to sign Maroon to a three or four-year contract, but he’s been pretty darn effective for the Blues in the playoffs.

NEVER CRY WOLF

Yeah, Lindell got thrown down by Maroon on the winning goal and it could have been called interference – and certainly would have been were it late October instead of late April – but Stars defenceman might have had more sympathy from referees Steve Kozari and Kelly Sutherland had he not twice flopped in search of a penalty when cross- checked by the Blues’ Robert Bortuzzo during a second-period battle in the corner. Instead of winning a power play for Dallas, Lindell gave the 1143499 Websites about the big guy?’) If not, then in the least force Babcock to add Sheldon Keefe to his staff, then stand back. Shake up as much as you can. Worked for the guy down the hallway; might even prevent another Sportsnet.ca / Maple Leafs' Dubas has chance to follow Raptors blueprint strain of blue and white disease from creeping in. this summer NOW TWEET THIS

In which we celebrate baseball’s youth movement … wonder if there are Jeff Blair April 29, 2019, 9:22 AM any officials on the planet capable of working this Rockets-Warriors series … question the intelligence of the Senators (I know, I know: take a number) … cry Wolves.

Of course, they all love each other to bits. Mention Patrick Marleau or (*)The Raptors are two games away from a record set by the 1954-55 Jake Gardiner to any of their Toronto Maple Leafs teammates and the Pistons: eight consecutive playoff games in which they’ve held an bottom lip trembles, the eyes water. After all those years of going around opponent to .420 or under from the field and less than 100 points in circles under the leadership of Dion Phaneuf and crew when a sense #defence that a new strain of ‘blue and white disease’ had crept into the dressing room, the Maple Leafs seem to have succeeded in creating a toast, (*)Vladdy Jr.? Meet Griffin Canning, the 22-year-old who will make his comfy environment. debut Tuesday for the Angels against the Jays. Canning is the Angels’s top pitching prospect and was ranked 60th overall by MLB Pipeline Thing is, after back to back eliminations by the Boston Bruins, that no #letthekidsplay longer matters. This is too good a mini-crisis for general manager Kyle Dubas not to take advantage in much the same way as a guy whose (*)Speaking of kids, the Nationals’ Juan Soto, Victor Robles and Carter team is still playing – Raptors president Masai Ujiri. Ujiri took advantage Kieboom all homered Sunday, marking the first time in Major League of last year’s elimination by the Cleveland Cavaliers to dynamite his history that three teammates 21 or younger homered in the same game roster and locker-room, firing head coach Dwane Casey and rolling the #Brycewho? dice by trading the much-beloved DeMar DeRozan to the San Antonio (*)Like James Harden, I’m concerned the officiating in the Warriors- Spurs for potential free-agent Kawhi Leonard. Rockets series can’t keep up. One game, four Ts, an ejection and I know there are differences here. Bobby Webster is the Raptors GM but memories of Zaza Pachulia under-cutting Kawhi Leonard in 2017, a play it’s Ujiri who did the deed with Casey and DeRozan – not to mention the that led to the re-writing of the rule-book to come down on defenders who news conference. Do we know yet where the delineation of power is don’t give shooters an area to land #nomansland between Leafs president Brendan Shanahan and Dubas? Should we (*)My god but the Stars Miro Heiskanen is fun to WATCH: he has 14 read anything into the fact that Shanahan has run away from the detritus goals combined in the regular-season and playoffs, and only two NHL of the elimination by the Bruins? Does that mean Dubas has gradually defenceman have scored more before their 20th birthday: Phil Housley claimed more power or is Shanahan – I don’t know – on cruise control? (22) in 1982-83 and Ray Bourque (19) in 1979-80 #starryeyed

Beyond that, not being able to beat another team is different from not (*)All five assists recorded by Wolves’ Diogo Jota have been on goals by being able to beat one single player and the nature of the games Raul Jiminez this season, which according to Opta Stats is the most of themselves are different: no one player in an NHL game is on the ice any one teammate to another in Premier League history #relationship long enough to control the way a game is played or – more importantly – officiated than a player such as LeBron James is (was?) able to do in an (*)Let’s see: the Leafs penalty kill did them in in the playoffs; D.J. Smith NBA game. And the Leafs are at a different phase in their internal ran it; that embarrassing Uber ride involving Senators players featured development than the Raptors: their core is much younger than the jokes about the team’s PK coach. So, of course, the Sens would want to DeRozan/Kyle Lowry core Ujiri had built. They really don’t have a interview Smith for their head coaching job #rinseandrepeat DeRozan; rather, Dubas is still trying to get all his DeRozans under contract. THE ENDGAME

In some ways, there’s not a great deal Dubas can do. Mitch Marner I’m going to just enjoy Vladimir Guerrero Jr., thank you very much. I’ll let played the contract game perfectly and needs to get paid more than everybody else wonder when the discussion turns to giving him a long- anybody else on the team. Uncle. There are vagaries created by the term contract a la Ronald Acuna and Eloy Jimenez – with the predilection salary cap and I don’t have my first-round draft pick. So, there’s that. But in some media quarters to view Mark Shapiro and Ross Atkins as sleeper in terms of personnel, I’m being as blood-thirsty as I can. I’m listening to agents. I give it another three days or until the kid hits his first home run my peers about anybody not named John Tavares, Auston Matthews, before it becomes a full-blown crisis. Nor am I much bothered by the fact Morgan Rielly or Marner. Anybody. I can’t conceive of not having that ticket sales for the first three days of Vladapalooza (69,499 or an Frederik Andersen back unless I have a replacement, obviously. Painted average of 23,166) were less than the 30,000 average I heard being into a corner there. But I’ll move anybody else and I need to have a heart bandied about; the walk-up for his first game, I’m told, was about 14,000. to heart with Marleau and tell him that for all the Christmas meals and I’ve never believed one player would be the anti-dote for attendance fatherly advice, the best thing he can do for this team’s development is issues. Carlos Delgado wasn’t. Roy Halladay wasn’t. Vladdy Jr., won’t move on – gently, preferably. We’ll make it easy as possible for all mean nightly sellouts, either. Back to back post-season appearances concerned. Nazem Kadri is a hugely cost-effective player, but like changed the dynamic of this fan-base, a point lost on those who wanted Gardiner, he’s a holdover from the previous regime. He was chosen to a rebuild immediately after 2016 but not lost on those who did market lead the stretch at practice the morning after he was suspended for his research for the team. Sellouts will only return when the team wins and – hit on Jake DeBrusk. Then he was kept off the charter and didn’t travel besides – you can’t read anything into April attendance figures. Let’s see with the team for Games 5 or 7. What the hell is that? the impact on television ratings and let’s see the difference in attendance in the summer months with the roof open and Vladdy in the lineup. In the And then there’s Mr. Perfect: head coach Mike Babcock. I and a lot of meantime, I’m not going to worry about much more than enjoying the kid. other people didn’t like Ujiri’s decision to ditch Casey because it smacked You’ll have to get your angst elsewhere. of scape-goating and – yeah – because he was as likeable an individual as you meet in this business. Truth is, given Leonard and the absence of Sportsnet.ca LOADED: 04.30.2019 King James from this division, my guess is the results under Casey would pretty much mirror what we’ve seen under Nick Nurse. But that’s moot. Credit Ujiri for earning his money by making a tough call. Still, not being able to beat James and being out-coached twice by Bruce Cassidy in the first round of the playoffs are two different things. Casey has plenty of company; Babcock, er, not so much.

It’s true that Dubas has been GM for just one season but let’s get real: he’s been in the front office since 2014 so he’s had time to dig around in the dark corners and get a feel for what Babcock is or isn’t all about. If he feels it’s time to dump Babcock, have at it. (If it’s me, when the Ottawa Senators called to talk about D.J, Smith I would have said: ‘Sure, but how 1143500 Websites Having spent the week after his team’s series win over Calgary relaxing and getting acquainted with his new city, Makar moved in with Matt Calvert and his young family as part of the NHL’s age-old pay-it-forward Sportsnet.ca / Avalanche's Cale Makar adjusting from big man on mentorship. campus to NHL rookie Fact is Makar is already a huge hit in town, prompting a movement in which fans are encouraged to bring kale to the rink in his honour.

Eric Francis | April 29, 2019, 5:59 PM “I thought it was pretty funny – I’ve never really seen that before,” said Makar of the leafy green fans started bringing to the rink in bunches the night of his debut. “Obviously now my name is associated with the vegetable. I didn’t really have much of it growing up. It’s pretty cool.” DENVER – A Hobey Baker Award, a national championship game, an NHL debut against his childhood team, his first NHL goal, his first playoff Livestream every game of the Stanley Cup Playoffs, blackout-free. Plus series win, a celebrity appearance at a Denver Nuggets game and a gig stream the Blue Jays & MLB, Raptors and NBA Playoffs matchups and as a front-man for an oft-forgotten vegetable. more.

Of all the things Cale Makar has accomplished over the last two weeks, So is being highlighted on the Pepsi Center Jumptron during a recent the 20-year-old Colorado Avalanche defenceman admits there’s one Nuggets game… until his cameo came while wearing a straw cowboy hat thing he’s let slip. his teammates have had a field day with.

His studies. “It’s just like, ‘why are you wearing this to a basketball game?’” joked Erik Johnson of the hat that came with a story. “I have papers to do but I haven’t exactly done much since I’ve been here,” he laughed sheepishly when asked about the whirlwind couple of “Oh boy – it was kind of funny,” said Makar, a shy sort. “There were weeks that have punctuated his sophomore year at the University of about 10 of us who went to the game and we met Sam Girard there and Massachusetts-Amherst. “My professors have been great. I’ve been in him and his buddies were wearing cowboy hats. The Nuggets staff said contact with them and they’ve been awesome in terms of when I can we were going to be on the Jumbotron in the next few minutes. One of finish, even after the season. I’m not too worried.” the guys put his cowboy hat on my head and I just decided to embrace it. It’s just kind of a funny story. For now, his education continues as the newest member of an Avalanche squad that drew even with the San Jose Sharks Sunday with a 4-3 win. I think it worked out well that I’m a Calgary guy and I’m rocking a cowboy hat.” Five games into an NHL career he kicked off a fortnight ago, when he became the first defenceman to make his debut in a post-season game He’s rocking the NHL right now, as Monday’s media availability saw him in which he scored a goal, Makar is quickly rising up the ranks of his new as one of the more popular subjects. class. Girard said it’s obvious Makar will be a superstar in the league, which is Entrusted with second-power-play duties from his first game on, the slick why some have been comparing the gifted youngster to his series puck-mover grabbed the spotlight late in Sunday’s win when he was counterpart, Erik Karlsson, for years. paired with defenceman Samuel Girard for a spirited game of keep-away that had the masses talking. “Obviously I’m very honoured to even be compared to that guy, but at the end of the day I’m just trying to do what I feel is going to make me a good “Those guys are both born in ’98 and both 20 years old and they look like player and take things from other guys’ games,” said Makar of the two- they’ve been playing together for 20 years,” chuckled Nathan MacKinnon time Norris Trophy winner, who has 560 more points than the three of the duo that could be a fixture moving forward. “Late in the third, with Makar has tallied. “I watched quite a bit of him growing up and the past six or seven minutes left and we were up by a couple goals, they weren’t few years. He’s obviously a role model of mine.” nervous, they were dominating, which is nice to see. It’s pretty cool – they read off each other in such a short period of time. Couple quiet Avalanche captain Gabriel Landeskog is amazed by Makar’s poise, given guys. When you put two bright hockey minds together they make the circumstances. amazing hockey plays.” “Usually guys come in at the deadline like (Derick Brassard) this year, As the fourth pick overall in 2017 who is clearly destined for a long, and your team is ready for it and still has so much time left,” he said. lucrative NHL career, it would be understandable if the last thing he’d “Now, in the middle of the first round of the playoffs is a different worry about are his college commitments. circumstance. He’s come in a real student of the game, worked hard and made plays. It would be daunting, in my opinion, to come in at 20 to Yet, the quiet, humble Calgary native insists it’s something he’ll come into a series, but he’s fit right in.” address… eventually. Sportsnet.ca LOADED: 04.30.2019 “Obviously I want to graduate, hopefully, at some point in my life and it will be a big thing for me to be able to get the credits from this past semester,” he smiled, responding, “yes and no,” when asked if he was truly working on anything to wrap up his semester while running with the NHL’s big boys.

“I let my advisors know what could happen after the season and they emailed saying congratulations and stuff, so it started the conversation that way.”

It’s not like anyone at UMass didn’t anticipate the big man on campus would likely leave town early to satisfy his NHL dreams.

The Sport Management major said he’s unsure whether he’ll focus on the marketing or finance side of his studies, but suffice it to say the lessons he’s getting as an Avalanche employee have gone so well he needn’t worry about either moving forward.

Still, driven athletes rarely abandon goals, no matter how much they may change

“I don’t now whether it’s me doing online courses or going back in the summer, but it’s very important for my parents and I think it’s important for myself as well (to graduate),” said Makar. “Maybe not this summer, just because I’ll take a bit of a break and hopefully we’re going deep enough here that I’m not going to be able to go back to school.” 1143501 Websites Unless you can do better on the free agent market this summer, Tyler Benson — the AHL’s second-leading rookie scorer this season with 15 goals, 51 assists and 66 points in 68 games — appears smart enough to Sportsnet.ca / It would be a grave mistake if Oilers don't fill GM role be an NHL winger next fall. The Oilers need three, maybe four wingers. before draft Benson is one. The Russell trade becomes another. Buy out Sekera, and the $3 million you save can become a third.

If the New York Islanders and Carolina Hurricanes — both of whom Mark Spector | @sportsnetspec April 29, 2019, 6:29 PM missed the playoffs last season — can be second-round teams in 2018- 19, the Oilers can make the playoffs next season.

It will take some savvy GM’ing, however, and that means having a hire in How much pressure is there on the Edmonton Oilers organization to get place well before the draft. this general manager hire right? Sportsnet.ca LOADED: 04.30.2019 Well, consider the $2 to 3 million home gates that pass by each spring, with the Oilers on the outside of the playoffs looking in for the fourth time in CEO Bob Nicholson’s five years with the team.

Nicholson has his candidates for GM — a list that includes Kelly McCrimmon, Mark Hunter, Ken Holland, Keith Gretzky and Sean Burke — and don’t believe what you hear about the team going into the upcoming draft without filling the position.

“Are you kidding? That’s where [the new GM] is going to have to get all his work done,” an Eastern exec said Sunday.

It would be a grave mistake not to have the new GM in place in time for the draft, and there’s no reason for it.

It’s not even May 1 and the interviews are concluded — or at least well along in the process. The draft goes in Vancouver on June 21. Unless the new hire is forbidden by his old organization from making the move before draft day — which is almost unheard of — the Oilers need him in place to make a dent in their cap woes come June, so they can go after a couple of mid-range free agents in July.

There are at least two trades to be made, quite possibly a buy-out and a couple of roster spots to be cleared to make room next season for at least two members of the Bakersfield Condors, who open Round 2 of the American Hockey League playoffs Friday against the San Diego Gulls.

Here’s a look at what awaits the new Oilers GM, and why it is perhaps not as dire as you may think:

• Make room for two D-men. Caleb Jones will make the jump next season, and there has to be room on the NHL roster should Evan Bouchard show up ready too, which is about a 50/50 proposition right now. Joel Persson has an outside shot, and with Dmitri Samorukov demanding significant AHL ice time next season, some decisions are going to have to be made.

The Oilers are deep in young defencemen with a chance to play in the NHL: Jones, Bouchard, Persson, Samorukov, Ethan Bear, William Lagesson. There are enough that one could be used in a trade for a winger, or as a sweetener to move a contract.

Kris Russell is a third-pairing defenceman making $4 million for two more seasons. Andrej Sekera is coming off of two major injuries and makes $5.5 million for two more seasons. One of them has to be gone by training camp for the new GM to have room to add the necessary wingers his team needs.

• It would be foolish to move your first round pick at No. 8, but Edmonton has picks in every round but the fifth. The club needs to either attach a draft pick or prospect to a player like Russell or Milan Lucic, which would be much more difficult. Or the Oilers could deal Russell for someone else’s $4-million winger, who may perform better next to the Oilers’ centres than the team he was with.

• Lucic: Financially, there is no point in buying out Lucic but I would trade him for someone else’s problem of equal value. His presence here as a big free agent signing who has declined to a six-goal scorer is an ongoing negative. At $6 million, there are all kinds of other bad contracts across the NHL that could also use a change in scenery, but don’t think the player you get will make your team a lot better than Lucic does.

• Count on one D-man, and one wing from Bakersfield.

Jones showed he could play in the NHL this past season, thriving at 17 or 18 minutes of ice time. When injuries led to him playing 22 to 24 minutes, he couldn’t handle it. Bring him up, give him third-pairing minutes and he may eventually be the three-to-four defenceman you want. 1143502 Websites like you did when you joined the team in 2015. But this loss didn’t feel like just another part of “the process” and it definitely didn’t feel like progress.

Sportsnet.ca / An Open Letter from Steve Dangle to Mike Babcock Which brings us to the awkward part.

The question I can’t help but ask is: “Has this team gone as far as it can Steve Dangle April 29, 2019, 5:05 PM with you?”

I know, right? How unfair is that? After all, you came in, took a young team and showed them how to become great players. The fabled Blue Leafs Nation and White disease has been eradicated. Your Maple Leafs followed up a last place finish in Year 1 with three straight playoff appearances. So Oshawa, ON have we become hungry fans who got fed and are now critiquing the April 29, 2019 cooking?

Dear Babs, Well, the life of an NHL coach isn’t fair. Look at the Pittsburgh Penguins. Twice now they’ve had a coach dedicate themselves to the team only to Since the Maple Leafs were knocked out in the first round (again) get fired midway through a season in which they won the Stanley Cup, because of Boston (again), I have had more time to do some reading. and people look back on those coaches as the one piece that was The first book on my list was “Leave No Doubt: A Credo For Chasing holding them back from success. Is that fair? Of course not. But maybe Your Dreams.” their purpose was to get the team 75 per cent of the way, only to pass the baton on to someone else for the final lap to glory. You wrote it. Livestream every game of the Stanley Cup Playoffs, blackout-free. Plus The Leafs’ Game 7 loss to Boston – I’m referring to the most recent one, stream the Blue Jays & MLB, Raptors and NBA Playoffs matchups and just to be clear – has left me with nothing but doubt. more. Many in the frothing horde of Leafs Nation, my screaming self included, The question I have now is, “Are you that person?” are wondering if you should return to coach the team. That’s about as gently as I can put it. I made a 33-minute video about Game 7 and • The team goes out and gets Jake Muzzin. You immediately talk about somehow managed to do it without a single swear word. how he’s not right-handed.

Since the Leafs were eliminated, I’ve been able to have a few sleeps. • The team is banged up and you talk about its lack of depth. I know you And while it hasn’t healed the pain, it has allowed me to reflect. later said the comment was meant to be a compliment about the Nashville Predators, but to me, it was pointed. The day you arrived in Toronto was probably the most surprising thing that’s happened to the Leafs in decades. When Brendan Shanahan • You play Auston Matthews less than 19 minutes in a Game 7 in which joined the team, he was leaving his job as one of the many people to you never had the lead and were never in the penalty box. have suspended Nazem Kadri. He was a cool name then and has done a great job since, but at the time, he was unproven as a team executive. • What’s it gonna take to sit Patrick Marleau? Would putting him in a When Kyle Dubas joined the Leafs in 2014, that was neat, too. But again, Modano jersey help? Sorry. I’m mad, OK? while he looked promising at the time, he still had to prove himself. I know Kyle Dubas is young and adorable. He looks like you’d find him at Then you got on that plane. a family reunion with Jimmy Neutron and Kyle Bukauskas. But he’s also the guy in charge. In the past few days I’ve heard a lot of you referring to Many have pointed out how handsomely you’re paid to coach the Leafs. the Leafs management group as “we.” You’re the head coach and a good The truth is: that was the acquisition cost at the time. You were a coach one with a great track record and yes, you should definitely be consulted with a successful track in great demand. Of course it took a lot of money on personnel decisions. back then to convince someone with your resume to lead the Leafs. Remember that team? You actually let Frankie Corrado play that season. But at the end of the day, Kyle’s your boss. Sometimes I wonder if you Any coach with a Stanley Cup ring and multiple Olympic gold medals forget that. You said it yourself that you know what your relationship is willing to coach the 2015-16 Leafs should be a millionaire. The team with him behind closed doors, so it doesn’t matter what anyone else stunk. But miraculously, you made them watchable. thinks. You’re absolutely right. But sometimes, when you talk like a guy who has all the answers for success, you get the most questions in And let’s not forget your little speech after winning the World Cup of defeat. Hockey. You said it was a sign of things to come in Toronto. It turns out all you need to beat Zdeno Chara in a best-on-best tournament is Patrice I’m grateful for all that you’ve done with this team that used to stink. But Bergeron and Brad Marchand. I wondered if some of the swagger then at the end of the day, I want the Leafs to win the Stanley Cup. And it’s was due to the fact the Maple Leafs had just drafted Auston Matthews clear to me now — and I suspect your boss too — that in order for that to first overall. happen with you behind the bench, it’s going to require some change, including on your part. The Leafs made the 2017 playoffs and were faced with the seemingly impossible task of beating the Presidents Trophy-winning Washington So no matter what your name is, you can choose to be a part of that Capitals. Five overtimes and six games later, the Leafs were defeated, change or a casualty of it. It’s no longer 2008. You have a chance to win but man, did they prove they could hang. a Stanley Cup with the Toronto Maple Leafs. Before they hired you, I couldn’t even picture that. But now I can. But again, some change is The 2018 Leafs easily qualified for the playoffs and then ran into the needed if you’re going to stay in that picture. Boston Bruins. It was an up-and-down series, and your team fought back from a 3-1 series deficit to force a Game 7, only to send me back to my Just picture it: how great it will feel, how it will enhance your legacy, and therapist once again. Still, it was another hard-fought series against a how it will shut a lot of people — like me — up forever. great team. And the Maple Leafs took strides, right? Surely the next year So as you’re fond of saying, “How’s that?” things would be different. Humbly yours (some blogger you can choose to ignore), And now here we are. The Leafs have just finished playing and losing to Boston again, John Tavares and all. You could argue the Leafs were the Steve better team this time through seven games, which you certainly couldn’t argue a year ago. Still, the Leafs got their lunch handed to them again. Sportsnet.ca LOADED: 04.30.2019

Yes, Jake Gardiner was playing hurt. Yes, William Nylander had a rough season. Yes, Nazem Kadri was suspended because it’s a year that starts with a “2.” Matthews, Mitch Marner, and Morgan Rielly are all stars in this league. The team added Jake Muzzin and John Tavares. And they still lost. At your end-of-season press conference you referenced “pain” just 1143503 Websites Despite being more of a playmaker, Zuccarello scored three goals in Dallas’s opening round series with Nashville: one a game-winner, one to cut the Preds’ lead to one, and the third to give the Stars a 4-0 lead. In Sportsnet.ca / Looking at the playoff impact of nine trade-deadline moves Round 2, Zuccarello is back to his regular self, with three assists through the first two games. All of them have come at even strength.

But what you won’t see in the stats is the flexibility his presence in the Rory Boylen | April 29, 2019 lineup gives head coach Jim Montgomery. In Round 1, the Stars were able to reunite Jamie Benn, Tyler Seguin and Alexander Radulov on a

top unit. Having Zuccarello as a high-end offensive contributor with It’s hard to believe the NHL’s trade deadline was two months ago, but 64 playoff first-timers Roope Hintz and Jason Dickinson on the second unit days after the GMs were last able to wheel and deal, we now have a allowed Montgomery to do that without sacrificing too much depth. good idea which of the moves made on Feb. 25 — or the lead up to it — The Stars were fairly labelled a one-line team all season long, but having worked out well. Zuccarello changes that classification at least a little. For this exercise we’re focusing on the playoff teams, as often we have Zuccarello is also a pending UFA this summer. And one interesting note to wait some time to see how these deals work out for those that missed on the deal is if Dallas wins two playoff rounds, and Zuccarello plays at the post-season since picks and prospects are usually involved. The least half those games, the conditional second-rounder in this trade turns deadline buyers were trying to improve their teams for a run this spring, into a first for the Rangers. even if some of them (like Mark Stone to Vegas) will have an even longer term impact. Marcus Johansson, Boston Bruins

So with that in mind, we look at some of the bigger moves made this NHL Playoff stats: 7 GP | 1 G | 3 A | 4 PTS trade season, and what their impact has been for their new teams once they got to the Stanley Cup Playoffs. One of two depth pick ups for the Bruins, Johansson isn’t small (six-foot- one, 205 pounds), but his style isn’t as heavy as Bruins teams tend to be. Matt Duchene, Columbus Blue Jackets When you’re looking at third line construction during a time of year when goals tend to go down, having the upside of Johansson — who scored 24 Playoff stats: 6 GP | 4 G | 4 A | 8 PTS goals and 58 points in his last fully healthy season — is far better than It took Duchene some time to get going in Columbus, after recording just what someone like David Backes might give you. six points in his first 16 games with the team. But he started to roll as the Johansson has missed two post-season games due to illness so far, and regular season wound down, adding another six points in his last seven he’s gotten all of his playoff points in the last three games. The 28-year- games, and in the playoffs he’s taken it to another level. old scored what turned out to be the Game 7 winner against Toronto, and When Duchene has been on the ice at 5-on-5, the Blue Jackets have then added two primary assists on the tying and overtime-winning goals gotten 54.55 per cent of the shots, which is the highest mark among all for Boston in Game 1 against Columbus. In Game 2, he assisted on Columbus forwards. He’s also one of four on the team to be on the ice for David Pastrnak’s go-ahead goal. at least as many high danger chances as are allowed and he’s second Johansson as well is scheduled to become a UFA on July 1. on Columbus in playoff points, which he’s accomplished with an average ice time of 16:55. Charlie Coyle, Boston Bruins

Three of his four assists were of the primary nature and all of those came Playoff stats: 9 GP | 5 G | 2 A | 7 PTS in a 5-1 Game 2 win over Tampa Bay. And two of his four goals came at a critical time, with his latest being the overtime winner against Boston to It took Coyle eight regular season games to record his first point with even their second round series 1-1. Boston and 10 to score his first goal, so at first this looked like a transaction that may not pay off. But in the playoffs Coyle has been a key “It doesn’t matter what level I’ve played at, playoffs have always been my contributor to the Bruins’ offence. favourite time of year and I think they are for most guys,” Duchene told Sportsnet’s Eric Engels last week. “I just love the game within the game. Most of his goals have been big ones. Two of his three against the Leafs You get a series against guys and it’s all these little battles and little either put Boston ahead or pulled them to within one, while his two goals head-to-head matchups within one big game or series. I’ve always loved against Columbus in Game 1 tied the game and then won it in overtime. that kind of game within the game and I find it brings out my most Playing with Johansson on the third line, Coyle adds the big body competitive side. I think it’s obviously elevated my game as well.” presence down the middle (six-foot-three, 220 pounds). He’s one goal off the playoff scoring lead and has done a great job anchoring a third line Duchene is still scheduled to be a UFA in the summer. that’s performed very well.

Ryan Dzingel, Columbus Blue Jackets A native of East Weymouth, Mass. — just outside of Boston — Coyle is living a childhood dream right now. Playoff stats: 5 GP | 0 G | 0 A | 0 PTS “You always think about that stuff,” Coyle said about pretending to score This one hasn’t worked out quite so well in the playoffs yet. Dzingel’s OT winners for the Bruins while playing street hockey in his youth. “I’m primary contributions came right after he was acquired on Feb. 25. The sure we’ve all done that. It’s pretty cool to be living it.” Blue Jackets went only 4-5-0 over their first nine games following the deadline, over a period in which some of their best scorers — Duchene, And as a bonus, Coyle has one more year on his contract at a very Artemi Panarin and Josh Anderson — scored just once each. Dzingel affordable $3.2 million cap hit. had six points over this initial stretch, five of which came at 5-on-5. Mark Stone, Vegas Golden Knights But the post-season has been a different story. Dzingel not only hasn’t scored, but he was made a healthy scratch for Game 2 against Boston. Playoff stats: 7 GP | 6 G | 6 A | 12 PTS In Game 1 of the series, an overtime loss, Dzingel played 11:06 which Still the playoff scoring leader in goals and points despite being out of was the lowest of any forward on his team. them, Stone was the biggest name moved at the deadline and, Dzingel’s contract is set to expire on July 1, at which point he’ll be a UFA. individually, he provided Vegas with more than it could have been expected. Enter now for your chance to win big! $50,000 in cash prizes up for grabs. Grand prize includes: A new 2019 Ram Power Wagon. Although Vegas was marginally outshot at 5-on-5 when Stone was on the ice, they still controlled most of the scoring chances (54.44 per cent) and Mats Zuccarello, Dallas Stars high danger chances (52.38 per cent). And though last year’s top line of William Karlsson between Reilly Smith and Jonathan Marchessault was Playoff stats: 8 GP | 3 G | 3 A | 6 PTS great in Round 1, Stone led a trio with off-season pickups Paul Stastny Combining regular season and playoffs, Zuccarello has nine points in 10 and Max Pacioretty that formed a de facto new No. 1 line. games for Dallas and he doesn’t look any worse for the wear following a Stone averaged 21:34 of ice time per game, which ranks 10th among all broken arm suffered in his very first game with the Stars. forwards in the playoffs. A Selke finalist and one of the most dominant wingers in the game at both ends, Stone signed an eight-year extension with Vegas after landing there for a $9.5 million cap hit. That contract kicks in next season.

Kevin Hayes, Winnipeg Jets

Playoff stats: 6 GP | 2 G | 1 A | 3 PTS

No Jet had more primary assists from the trade deadline until the end of the regular season than Hayes, and only Kyle Connor had more points at 5-on-5.

And by most measures Hayes was just as good, if not better, in Winnipeg’s first round series loss. At 5-on-5, Winnipeg controlled 56.45 per cent of the scoring chances, 52.38 per cent of the high danger chances and 54.1 per cent of all shots when he was on the ice.

The curious thing is that his ice time was cut in the post-season and he became the team’s third-line centre. Hayes played less than 12 minutes in four of the six games and less than 10 minutes in two of them — and his average ice time on the penalty kill dropped by nearly half a minute in the playoffs.

In hindsight a first round loss isn’t worth giving up a first-round pick for. But although the Jets didn’t go as far as they’d hoped Hayes provided Winnipeg with just about everything they could have hoped for when they acquired him.

He is scheduled to be a UFA on July 1.

Ryan Dixon and Rory Boylen go deep on pucks with a mix of facts and fun, leaning on a varied group of hockey voices to give their take on the country’s most beloved game.

Carl Hagelin, Washington Capitals

Playoff stats: 7 GP | 0 G | 1 A | 1 PTS

Hagelin wasn’t brought to Washington to put up big scoring numbers, but to provide speed, depth and, most importantly, a penalty-killing forward to lean on. Their top penalty killer from the Stanley Cup-winning team, Jay Beagle, left Washington for Vancouver last summer.

Hagelin (2:56) and Lars Eller (3:19) led the way for the Capitals in shorthanded ice time as the team killed 88 per cent of Carolina’s power- play opportunities — the third-best mark of the playoffs so far.

A pending UFA, Hagelin is finishing up a contract that paid him $4 million against the cap, though he said he liked his fit in Washington and was open to returning to the team in 2019-20. It’s just a matter of if the Caps have the cap space for him, though. Los Angeles retained salary in the deal, so Hagelin was actually only counting for $1.875 million against Washington’s cap and with three other UFAs and four RFAs to decide on, it’s not yet clear if there is a fit. Granted, some of those free agents are not likely to return.

Gustav Nyquist, San Jose Sharks

Playoff stats: 9 GP | 1 G | 3 A | 4 PTS

The Nyquist trade was indicative of how much this year’s deadline constituted a buyer’s market, considering he’s generally a 20-goal, 45- point player who wrapped up 2018-19 with 22 goals and a career high 60 points. Eleven of those points came in the 19 regular season games he spent with San Jose. But the cost to pick up the pending UFA was basically a no-risk proposition for the Sharks.

He’s been used throughout the lineup, starting on the third line with Joe Thornton and landing on the top trio with Logan Couture and Timo Meier in the playoffs.

Although Nyquist has only one goal, the fact his production is low has more to do with his line being snake-bitten than anything else. Timo Meier has arguably been San Jose’s most dangerous player for two rounds and he’s only scored twice in nine games. When Nyquist is on the ice, San Jose has gotten 56.69 per cent of the scoring chances (third- highest on the team), but is shooting just 8.06 per cent (second-lowest among Sharks who have played all nine games so far).

Even if the Sharks re-sign Nyquist or go to the Stanley Cup Final, the conditional third-rounder only becomes a second. Very low cost for a highly effective playoff player.

Sportsnet.ca LOADED: 04.30.2019 1143504 Websites the Junior Warriors with Aito. “And then, at the very end, they would have a little scrimmage, after two hours of drills.”

“He was just always playing around with the puck. That’s pretty much my Sportsnet.ca / Can a viral-video sensation put Japanese hockey on the only memory of him.” map? – Sportsnet Aito loved every second. He’d run through the practices with a smile and squeeze in a few more hours of stickhandling in that asphalt lane by Sam Cosentino whenever he could. “He was just always playing around with the puck. That’s pretty much my only memory of him,” Seeley says. “He just could never get enough.”

BEYOND THE HIGHLIGHTS Toronto, Ont., native Gord Graham guided Aito in those early days, and for a decade after, as one of the Junior Warriors’ coaches. That his His stickhandling videos have earned millions of YouTube views. Now, team’s routine resembled an army camp’s, even for the younger skaters, 15-year-old Aito Iguchi has his sights set on a bigger goal — making it to checks out given the architect of the club’s development strategy. “We the NHL and inspiring a nation. got a lot of direction from Vasili Pervukhin, who played on the great On a late-April day in Orland Park, Ill., Aito Iguchi is gaining momentum, Soviet national teams of the 1980s and ’70s — the Canada Cup, Olympic flying up the wing with his beige, two-sizes-too-big jersey billowing in his gold medalist, he was with all those top teams,” Graham says. wake. His quick-stepping CCM skates mark up the sheet at an Playing on the Japanese pro circuit after his time in the Russian spotlight unassuming rink called the Arctic Ice Arena. It’s game time at the 2018 ended — seven gold medals to his name between his Olympic and World USHL Combine, and Iguchi’s got eyes for the net. Championship appearances — Pervukhin was convinced to help iron out He collects the puck just outside the opposing blue line, receiving a pass a coaching program for the Junior Warriors after befriending the club’s with ease and casually flicking it under the twig of the defender founder, Hideaki Sato. As a result, says Graham, “a lot of our attempting to quell his pace. A quick succession of crossovers carries development program is based on the Russian development program, him deeper into enemy territory and he glances left to assess his options. which is a lot of agility work, a lot of edgework … By the time they’re six, Now just a few feet from the net, not a single one of his teammates has seven, eight years old, they’re going into tires backwards, crossing over caught up to him. It’s an unfortunate sight given the three black sweaters while carrying the puck with their heads up — fluidly.” closing in. This is the hazard of being a blue-chip prospect, this This intensive training was just a bonus for Iguchi, Graham says. He was momentary loneliness, but it’s an experience Iguchi has become already highly skilled when he waddled into his first practice, which made accustomed to as the premier talent in his hometown of Saitama, Japan. for some awkward moments, since youth hockey teams in Japan aren’t He uses the milliseconds available to weigh potential outcomes, generally divvied up by skill level. With the sport holding a very small formulating plans and casting them aside. He looks towards the arena’s place in the country’s collective consciousness — only 167 rinks dot far wall, where a collection of mismatched team banners is outdone in its Japan, whose population exceeds 126 million, as opposed to roughly quirky arrangement only by the gigantic poster for local Italian sandwich 8,300 in Canada — any players intent on participating are corralled in shop Al’s Beef. A beige sweater briefly obscures the image of Al’s finest one program. The result? Some absurdly one-sided affairs, always in cuts as a teammate finally scrambles into the zone. Now, with so little favour of Aito and the few teammates who could play at his level. “In space between Iguchi and the defensive trio that his options seem to Japan they don’t know the ‘you don’t run the score’ unwritten rule,” says evaporate, the part of his brain that concocts dazzling, highlight-reel Graham. “So they would be winning games 30–0 … They would be displays kicks into action. He glides, spins and, twirling like a whirling bored just to score a regular goal. Every goal was a highlight-reel goal. dervish, fakes a toe drag before floating the puck effortlessly back to his They wouldn’t just pass to each other once or twice. They’d be passing to trailing mate. A moment later, it’s returned to his stick, and soon after that each other three, four, five times. And doing the behind-the-leg toe drag it’s resting amid the twine. up to their own skate, kicking it up — this is at six years old. All these skill things you see now, he was doing that then.” Iguchi is plenty of things, all at once. He is a viral-video sensation. He is arguably Japan’s best hope yet at producing a bona fide NHL star. And, “They’d be doing the behind-the-leg toe drag up to their own skate, most importantly, he is one of hockey’s most intriguing, if misunderstood, kicking it up — this is at six years old.” prospects. The 15-year-old face of a group of phenoms from a small club It was the potency of that skill and the lack of eyeballs taking it in that team in Saitama, trained by a famed Soviet defenceman and on a spurred Graham to start up the Japan Samurai in 2012, a travelling mission to forever change the perception of Japanese hockey. After tournament team comprised of players from the Junior Warriors and lighting up the internet with stunningly skillful combinations from the age others from a camp he runs each summer in Hokkaido. The goal was to of 11, Iguchi now faces a career-defining, life-altering decision: whether get his players some exposure in North America and to allow his young to remain an overseas mystery or dive headfirst into the grind that is the skaters to get their feet wet in the North American game, even if that North American development ranks. meant a couple beatdowns by teams built in the fires of Canada’s hockey MAKING A NAME obsession.

Iguchi's first trick video with Barber has been viewed 2.8 million times But a funny thing happened: Each time they came up against these and counting. tougher tests, the Samurai held their ground. They took time to adjust, but eventually proved they could hang with their North American The first time Aito Iguchi picked up a hockey stick, he was just trying to counterparts, and perhaps do even more. One tournament in particular, be like his dad. At four years old he’d spent much of his young life the Pat Quinn Classic in Burnaby, B.C., saw Iguchi win the scoring title watching Kazuhito Iguchi tear it up on both the inline and ice hockey rinks with 23 points in six games. “Those were kids that were a lot bigger, in Saitama — a city just north of Tokyo. Kazuhito, a civil engineer, began stronger. But his speed was elite, and he dominated there just as he did playing in high school, fell in love with the sport and stuck with it into his in Japan,” Graham says. “You just see him turn up a notch — when he 30s. He passed that love on to his son, but wanted the game to come plays higher-level competition, he plays at a higher level. It’s like the old easier to Aito, he says, with the help of translator Tracy Seeley. He ‘water seeks its own level’ kind of thing.” wanted Aito to have awe-inspiring skill wired into his hands and feet, so he began laying out intricate stickhandling and skating drills in the THE UNNATURAL family’s back driveway right from the beginning, setting up any pattern of Having run drills with his dad from the moment he picked up a stick, obstacles he could think of for his son to swerve and twirl around. When Iguchi was already a highlight-reel player at six years old. Aito was five and first took the ice, as a member of the Saitama Junior Warriors, he was already a mini highlight reel. In 2013, Iguchi’s father stumbled across a collection of online videos from Vancouver-based stickhandling specialist Brandon “Pavel” Barber. Even for five-year-olds, hockey practice in Saitama wasn’t for the faint of Hoping to convince the part-time YouTube star, part-time skills coach to heart: sessions every Saturday and Sunday, 12 months a year, mentor his young prodigy, he sent Barber a couple clips of Aito flying consisting of an hour-long off-ice workout followed by a two-hour on-ice around the rink with the Junior Warriors. “I was just floored with how session. “It was almost like being in an army camp, you know. It was just skilled the kid was,” Barber says now, gushing about how fluid Iguchi’s drills, drills, drills, drills, drills,” says Seeley, who runs the English school handles were, how he skated with an economy of motion uncommon for Aito attends in Saitama and whose son, Naoki Yamanaka, started out on someone his age. It was clear that Aito understood the inner workings of Graham first started taking Iguchi and the Warriors overseas to expose the game, that he could see the patterns before they played out on the them to better competition. Keeping them in Japan, he says, would be "a ice. The 7,537 kilometres separating Vancouver and Saitama limited the waste." ways Barber and the Iguchis could interact, but they continued trading videos, with Barber breaking down clips of Iguchi’s shifts and sending A wave of other Junior Warriors have already made the jump to North back tips. America. Iguchi’s former teammate Ikki Kogawa played minor midget with the GTHL’s Young Nationals this season and went to Mississauga in In 2014, Aito travelled to Canada for an extended stay, moving in with the OHL draft. Cale Strasky now plays with the Burnaby Winter Club. Barber for a month-long training excursion. The pair communicated Noah Cameron is on the roster for the Pursuit of Excellence academy in mostly through a translation app on the coach’s phone, until a friend of Kelowna with Yusaku Ando, who won a tournament scoring title Barber’s, fluent in Japanese, helped bridge the gap. But while Aito alongside Aito with the Samurai. And another former teammate, Yu Sato, might’ve been boxed in by unfamiliarity off the ice, he came alive when is tearing up the Finnish junior league with eyes on joining the QMJHL he stepped into the rink. He eagerly ran through two-a-day sessions with next season. Barber, whose goal was to harness his raw skill into something a little more deceptive. “We looked at his stickhandling a lot, of course, and his For Aito, who’s long seemed the most promising of the bunch, the point body language to kind of assess whether what he’s doing is too of no return is approaching — either he makes the jump to truly make a predictable or inefficient,” Barber recalls. “I wanted to take that skill and go of it in North America or he continues on his current path in Saitama. force him to think a little bit quicker than he’s comfortable with and react After taking part in Phase I of the 2018 USHL Combine, Aito says the to cues that he’s not necessarily comfortable with as well.” American development league is his hopeful landing spot next season, with the 2021 NHL Draft the downstream goal. Options in Canada Once in a while, Barber would bring Aito out to his regular clinics and alongside his fellow Junior Warriors alums could be a possibility, too. throw him in with his usual group of students, language barrier be damned. “He still performed the little details we were trying to get at “He wouldn’t back down from anybody. He would be first in the corner. better than most of the other kids,” Barber says. “You won’t really find He would initiate contact. He was not scared at all.” Aito going through the motions very much when he’s training. Every If he does take the plunge on a permanent move, it wouldn’t be Iguchi’s repetition he does, you can really tell he’s doing it with a purpose and first time suiting up for a North American club. He’s dipped a toe during he’s really trying to get something out of it.” three spring hockey stints, touching down in B.C. and immersing himself In September of 2016, Barber posted a video compilation of the in the Canadian approach to the game with the Langley Rivermen, a wunderkind for his six-figure YouTube audience. Clad in Junior Warriors spring squad intended to develop players for the junior-A team of the threads and flanked by Barber in his own Detroit Red Wings-esque Pavel same name. Head coach Burt Henderson, who’s half-Japanese himself Barber Hockey School sweater, Aito put on a spellbinding display. He and played professionally in Japan for eight years, first extended the whipped pucks from side to side, deftly navigating through pylons, pipes, invite after catching a glimpse of Aito’s YouTube breakout. Iguchi happily a smattering of pucks dumped from a bucket at centre ice, and any other accepted and moved in with the Henderson family in April 2015 — with obstacles Barber could throw his way. He was unfazed by the frenzy — the coach’s mother helping to ease the language barrier this time around. an awe-inspiring performance for an 11-year-old whose training came Langley was an entirely new puzzle for Aito. While his work with Barber mostly on rollerblades in Saitama parking lots. felt like moving his drills from that asphalt lane to a rink halfway across Lovers of the good old Canadian game flocked to the video. It has to date the world, this adventure brought a new team, new opponents and a new amassed more than 2.8 million views and earned mentions on national brand of hockey. Year 1 in Langley was an education in the idea of networks across the continent. All that attention created a flood of playing within a cohesive system — an adjustment for a player long used interest in this mysterious prospect’s origins and, though it was never the to end-to-end rushes against questionable defenders. goal, forever altered the measure of Aito’s potential. For better or worse, Year 2 allowed Aito to properly acclimate to his new surroundings — he that one display of skill as an 11-year-old pinned a question to the No. 34 moved in with the family of linemate Adam Grenier, the pair quickly on his back: Can Japan produce a genuine NHL star? developing a bond that allowed Iguchi to truly come out of his shell both Japan doesn’t have a rich history on hockey’s biggest stages. Kushiro’s on and off the ice, according to Adam’s father Shawn — but it also Hiroyuki Miura was taken 260th overall by Montreal in 1992, but Yutaka brought the patented North American physicality. That seemed a bigger Fukufuji is the only Japanese player ever to appear in an NHL game. hurdle to clear, Henderson thought, but Aito — all five-foot-two of him — Fukufuji took the ice in a Los Angeles Kings sweater four times in early didn’t give an inch. “He wouldn’t back down from anybody. He would be 2007 before being relegated to the minors. first in the corner. He would initiate contact. He was not scared at all,” Henderson says. “And I know the other coaches would tell [their players] While the lack of attention paid to the country’s prospect pool remains a ‘You’ve gotta be physical with this guy.’ But he didn’t care. It didn’t matter key obstacle, so too does Japan’s own waning interest in the sport to him. He would still do his thing. He’d get the puck, you know, go end- following the spike generated by the women’s national team earning a to-end on a rush. Somebody would take a run at him the next time, and it spot in the 2014 Olympic tournament. “It’s not out in the front. It’s didn’t affect him at all.” something that’s very much in the background in the sports world here in Japan,” says Tadahiro Murai, through a translator. Murai played 11 years GAME-TIME DECISION professionally for Japan’s Nikko Icebucks and went on to coach both that Moving to North America is a big, daunting step, but Iguchi has proven club and the men’s national team. “A lot of people here don’t even know himself ready to compete with the world's top prospects. about hockey.” So, can an undersized prospect from Japan, with limited experience in “I want to be the first Japanese NHL player. I would like to do that for my the North American game, actually crack an NHL lineup one day? Rob country.” Pulford seems as capable as anyone of assessing Iguchi’s chances. The Iguchi hopes to reverse that trend. For him, the endgame is simple, longtime NHL scout, and son of Hall of Famer Bob Pulford, unearthed his summarized by a single sentence: “I want to play for the NHL,” he says fair share of game changers during his time with the Calgary Flames and through Seeley. “You want to know why I have this dream? I want to be Arizona Coyotes, including Johnny Gaudreau and Clayton Keller. After the first Japanese NHL player. I would like to do that for my country.” reviewing a ton of film of Aito on the web, Pulford says he’s convinced Saitama’s favourite son is the real deal. Now 15 years old, Iguchi spent the past year suiting up for both his junior high school squad and the Junior Warriors, but neither team was truly “He’s a talented little player, there’s no doubt about that,” Pulford says. equipped to develop him. “I’ve seen quite a few kids, really outstanding “Obviously, his stickhandling is outstanding, his ability to control the puck kids here, but they just never get seen over here. Which is the reason — he’s got soft hands, a quick stick, he can really dazzle you with his why I first started taking the kids over [to Canada],” says Graham. “I was puck skills. As a skater, really good quickness and agility, great just blown away, growing up in Toronto and knowing the level of hockey, edgework.” seeing that these kids are just as good as the top AAA kids over there … “I understand that it’s very risky. But if you don’t take a risk in life, you’ll but not having the competition here. I just thought, ‘This is a waste.’” never gain anything.”

BIG FISH But most impressive to the veteran eye was Aito’s ability to adapt in the face of stiffer competition. “He was a one-on-one player [in Japan]; he was using his agility and his puck skills to dance around people and score himself. When he wasn’t able to do that at the USHL combine, you The bubble Iguchi developed in was an oddity, the by-product of a timely saw some playmaking. … he just didn’t fold up — he kept on finding a union between ex-pats from hockey’s royal states. But in the rest of way to contribute. And that was against bigger, stronger [players], Japan, the development system remains nonexistent, says Murai. A probably the highest competition he’s played against in his life.” Pulford genuine international star could change that. “If Aito Iguchi made it to the reached out to his contacts at the USHL to gauge their reception of Aito’s NHL, yes it could make ice hockey more popular here in Japan — he performance amid the combine crop. The consensus is he stood out from could become a hero. But even more than that, if he had the experience the pack. of being in that business over there, in North America, and came back to Japan, he would be able to influence the world of hockey here in Japan But Iguchi’s obviously still a work in progress, Pulford says, pointing to in terms of not just play, but the system itself,” says Murai. “He would be his speed as a potential area for growth. “You see most of the guys that able to bring back his experience, everything that he learned, bring it have success at the NHL level, those little guys can just flat out fly. From back to Japan. what I saw of him, he has that just-fast-enough speed, kind of like a Zach Parise did — he just needs to go fast enough to get away from people.” “It might take Aito being the pioneer to do this, and hopefully that would create a following for other young people who want to follow in his While the common criticism levelled at Iguchi from Canadian fans is more footsteps.” along the lines of how he’ll fare against the big-bodied defenders roaming around these parts, Pulford doesn’t see an issue there. “The way the Sportsnet.ca LOADED: 04.30.2019 game is going now, he’s not going to be a guy that’s going to take contact that much, because he does look like he has that sixth sense to feel pressure and spin off of it, not put himself in positions. And the game just isn’t the way it used to be — there’s still some physicality but not anything like it used to be.”

A few more hours in the weight room focusing on lower-body strength should help Iguchi develop that pull-away speed, Pulford says. But for the other still-raw aspects of his game, the only cure is consistent reps against better competition — something only a move out of Saitama will provide. “You know, the really good kids around the world, your top kids, are always playing against higher-level and older kids. I remember watching Crosby playing against kids that were three, four years older than him, and being a very noticeable player. Pat Kane was always playing up — you see these kids that are, just because they’re so good against their age group, they get moved up against harder competition.”

BLAZING A TRAIL

Iguchi and others hope that he can be successful enough to inspire future generations of Japanese kids to pick up hockey.

Pulford sees enough in Aito’s game to say he could find success in the NHL one day, though it’s hardly a given considering how far he is from his draft year. But if it does all roll along as planned and Iguchi adds the necessary speed, Pulford sees a comparable in Blue Jackets leading goal-scorer, Cam Atkinson. “A smaller guy in stature with great skating ability, competitive, stick-and-puck skills, decent head, is someone like Cam, who’s had some success in the NHL,” Pulford says.

With Iguchi set to begin high school, he must decide this summer whether he’s ready to leave and focus on hockey. It’s a difficult choice, but at this point, also an inevitable one. “It’s not 100-per cent guaranteed that he will be successful if he decides to quit school [in Japan], play overseas,” Kazuhito says. “I understand that it’s very risky. But if you don’t take a risk in life, you’ll never gain anything. So this is the best thing for Aito.”

The impact of eventually seeing an NHL jersey with “Iguchi” stitched on the back would be immeasurable. “If he were successful, this would put not just him on the map, but the country of Japan on the map in the world of hockey,” Kazuhito says. “Other Japanese children can look at him and perhaps have the same dream someday.”

“Other Japanese children can look at him and perhaps have the same dream someday.”

It’s not simply about Aito blazing a trail to a brighter future, though, but also about shining a spotlight on a pool of talent overlooked in the here and now. “I want people to know that there are other good players in Japan … I want him to have a connection to them, so they can challenge to the world,” Kazuhito says. “I’m hoping that not just Aito becomes famous, but that Aito becomes the avenue for other Asian players that are as good as him, if not better.”

Henderson agrees: “If he could go all the way — which I believe he could — and one day play in the NHL, I think more and more players would come over at an earlier age and develop over here, which I think is key.”

For Murai, who’s toiled in the Japanese professional hockey circuit for more than two decades, Iguchi is Japanese hockey’s lifeline. Not simply because of his skill, but because of the entirety of his situation — the viral fame, the burgeoning success and the potential to reach higher than any countryman before him. 1143505 Websites Sportsnet.ca LOADED: 04.30.2019

Sportsnet.ca / Marc-Edouard Vlasic says he's waiting for an apology on non-icing call

Sportsnet Staff | @Sportsnet April 29, 2019, 10:56 AM

The San Jose Sharks were at the centre of another important call (or in this case, non-call) by the officials in Game 2 of their second round series against Colorado.

With less than four minutes remaining in the second period and the game tied 1-1, Avalanche defenceman Nikita Zadorov sent the puck to the other end and it looked as though icing may be called on the play. But as a chase for the puck ensued, Mikko Rantanen was making up ground on Marc-Edouard Vlasic and the linesman decided to wave it off instead.

Seconds later, Colorado scored to take a 2-1 lead.

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“I’m taking the high road. Waiting for the apology tomorrow,” Vlasic said after the game. He was, of course, referring to the controversial major penalty given to Vegas in Game 7 of their first-round series with the Sharks that completely altered the course of the game. Golden Knights GM George McPhee later said the league had reached out to apologize for the wrong call.

Screen shots circulated on social media after the play, showing that Vlasic did beat Rantanen to the end zone face-off dot. And while that is the point at which a linesman has to make a decision on whether or not to call icing, it’s not as simple as racing to the dot.

From the NHL Rulebook, on icing:

81.1 Icing – For the purpose of interpretation of the rule, there are two judgments required for “icing the puck”. The Linesman must first determine that the puck will cross the goal line. Once the Linesman determines that the puck will cross the goal line, icing is completed upon the determination as to which player (attacking or defending) would first touch the puck. This decision by the Linesman will be made by no later than the instant the first player reaches the end zone faceoff dots with the player’s skate being the determining factor…

For clarification, the determining factor is which player would first touch the puck, not which player would first reach the end zone faceoff dots.

So although Vlasic beat Rantanen to the faceoff dot, if you look at the entire chase (see the video atop this page), Rantanen was coming in faster and making up ground. If the linesman makes a determination that Rantanen was going to get the the puck first, he can wave off icing and that appears to be the case here.

Sharks coach Pete DeBoer didn’t outwardly disagree with Vlasic’s opinion of the play, but put the onus on the players to make sure the linesmen don’t even have a decision to make.

“Whether or not I thought it was doesn’t matter,” he said. “Our players did. They let up. They relaxed for a minute, and it obviously wasn’t. So the lesson in that was don’t assume anything in the playoffs. Play and make sure.”

Avalanche coach Jared Bednar cited a similar play in Game 1 of the series, which the Sharks benefitted from.

“It was the exact same as the icing here the other night, when (Erik) Karlsson had the inside track on (J.T.) Compher,” Bednar said. “They’re in a race. They blow it down for icing because Karlsson had the inside path. To me, on this one, I’m watching Mikko (Rantanen) go up the ice, he’s got a head of steam, he’s getting to the right area, he’s got the inside path on Vlasic on the post. It looks to me like Mikko’s going to get there first, so they let it go. To me, it’s similar plays: The guy on the inside got the call. One was against us. One was in our favour.”

Colorado added another goal 10:10 into the third period to take a 3-1 lead and the teams exchanged goals over the final five minutes of regulation as Colorado won the game 4-3.

Now tied 1-1, the series shifts to Colorado for Game 3 on Tuesday. 1143506 Websites The U.S.-based NWHL announced its intention to expand to Toronto and Montreal after the CWHL said it was shutting down.

Sportsnet.ca LOADED: 04.30.2019 Sportsnet.ca / Folding of CWHL clouds 'Calgary Inferno Day' title celebrations

Canadian Press April 29, 2019, 5:03 PM

CALGARY — As their league sells off trophies and jerseys, the Calgary Inferno’s championship season was recognized Monday with the city’s mayor proclaiming it "Calgary Inferno Day."

A week after the Inferno hoisted the in Toronto on March 24, the Canadian Women’s Hockey League abruptly announced it would fold because the six-team league was "economically unsustainable."

The Inferno were saluted in Calgary council chambers two days before the CWHL officially ceases operations Wednesday.

Inferno general manager Kristen Hagg told city council neglect by the media and the public contributed to the CWHL’s downfall.

"We live in a society where people do not value women’s sport," Hagg said. "Most of us have been socialized to accept men’s sport as dominant and somehow automatically more interesting. The problem is that once society internalizes falsehood, it’s not easy to correct it.

"I’ve been to NHL games that are boring. Someone is playing the trap or maybe they just don’t have it that day. They do play 82 games in a season after all. People watch women’s hockey and if it isn’t on-the- edge-of-your-seat-exciting for 60 minutes, it’s not just worth their while."

The CWHL has begun auctioning off pieces of its 12-year history including the Trophy that goes to the MVP.

People say they support women’s hockey on social media, but that support does not extend to buying a ticket to a game, Hagg added.

"The level at which these players are able to perform and the things that they are able to accomplish with limited support is truly inspirational," she said.

"The impact these women had on young girls in this community is profound. It would be a significant lost opportunity if professional women’s hockey were gone from this community for good."

The addition of two Chinese teams helped the CWHL start paying its players out of a budget of $3.7 million in 2017-18.

A financial statement indicated the season produced a surplus of just over $200,000 for the league.

But the amalgamation of the two Chinese teams into one and the loss of financial backing from Roustan Capital reduced revenue in 2018-19.

The head of Roustan Capital — W. Graeme Roustan — stepped down as a league governor in November over a dispute over financial transparency.

Interim commissioner Jayna Hefford, a former player who took over last year when stepped down after 11 years, said the league would not operate next season even if a financial saviour came riding to the rescue.

So over 150 players and team personnel have been left wondering where they will ply their hockey skills next season.

Performances by women at the NHL all-star skills competition in January raised the profile of female hockey, but that didn’t generate a sustained boost for the Inferno, Hagg said.

"Media was buzzing around it for about a week and then we went back to being Calgary’s best-kept secret," Hagg said. "By far the most significant attention from the media this season came when the league folded.

"We need the media to give elite female hockey players an opportunity to show what they can do, not just at the Olympics, not just three CWHL games per season.

"Don’t just show women’s hockey scores on the ticker. Show highlights, talk about and analyze women’s hockey. Don’t just talk about the issues facing women’s hockey." 1143507 Websites

TSN.CA / Judge unseals documents connected to OHL IceDogs’ recruiting violations

Rick Westhead

An Ontario Superior Court judge has agreed to unseal documents related to an investigation into player recruiting violations by the Ontario Hockey League’s Niagara IceDogs.

Following a Friday court hearing in Hamilton, Ont., Justice J.A. Ramsay in a two-page ruling wrote that he didn’t agree with the OHL’s argument that disclosure of the documents might dissuade players from filing future complaints with the league.

“There are reasonable alternatives to a sealing order, even a limited one,” Ramsay wrote. “In the present case, the complainant has come forward and the witnesses have given recorded accounts. To prevent a chilling effect on future complaints, the league can enforce its rules against disclosure of confidential information.”

Justice Ramsay wrote that the material would be unsealed on May 3 to give the OHL and IceDogs time to decide whether to appeal his decision.

Courts are obligated to provide notice to the media before agreeing to seal documents. Justice Ramsay acknowledged during the Friday hearing that didn’t happen in the IceDogs case.

The judge released a decision in March that disclosed a law firm hired by the OHL had concluded that the IceDogs breached the league’s player recruitment rules by entering into a secret “side deal” with a former player, promising him $10,000 for every year he played with them (four years) but then didn’t pay him.

Justice Ramsay’s decision in March also revealed that the OHL began an investigation into the IceDogs in May, 2018, after the former player emailed OHL commissioner David Branch with a complaint.

The law firm also investigated whether the IceDogs had manipulated the 2015 OHL entry draft and found the team had not done so.

That decision in March came a month after the OHL announced on Feb. 15 that the IceDogs would be fined $250,000 and lose two first-round draft picks as a penalty for undisclosed recruiting violations.

On March 15, the IceDogs filed an application in Ontario Superior Court in Hamilton asking a judge to set aside those penalties until a claim by the former player could be heard in an arbitration hearing.

That IceDogs’ application, along with an affidavit sworn by team owner Bill Burke and the investigatory report scrutinizing the IceDogs actions, was sealed by Justice Ramsay, who denied the team’s application.

TSN subsequently filed a motion with the court asking that the sealing order be rescinded.

The business operations of the IceDogs have been under scrutiny for several years as a group of former players have sued the OHL for back pay, arguing that major junior hockey players are employees and should be paid at least minimum wage.

Denise Burke, who owns the IceDogs alongside her husband Bill, testified in a Nov. 14, 2015, affidavit that while her OHL team brought in an average of $2.7 million in revenue in a season, it was a frequent money loser because annual expenses typically ranged between $2.7 million and $2.9 million.

“We knew that we wouldn’t become rich owning a team, but seeing as this is our only business, we have always hoped that we would at least be able to break even and at least make more money than we spend, otherwise sooner or later the ‘Bank of Burke’ will run dry,” Burke testified.

TSN.CA LOADED: 04.30.2019 1143508 Websites teams down. The Bergeron line would soften teams up, paving the way for Boston’s depth players to produce. This year, the Bergeron line has some significant help within the top six, and that should pay some TSN.CA / Heinen delivering for Bruins this postseason dividends as the Columbus series continues to evolve.

Boston’s road to a Stanley Cup may never be more favourable, and if they can take care of a pesky Blue Jackets team, they have a real shot at Travis Yost running the table.

Data via Natural Stat Trick

For years, the biggest limiting factor for the Boston Bruins was a critical TSN.CA LOADED: 04.30.2019 lack of production beyond the Patrice Bergeron line. It never mattered much in the regular season, but against stiffer competition in April and May, the Bruins’ lack of talent and depth throughout the lineup always felt noticeable.

This year has been different. We saw it in the first-round series against Toronto and are again seeing it against a comparatively deep team in Columbus. The Bergeron line continues to shoulder a significant portion of the workload, but for the first time in a while there are other skilled and competent players at head coach Bruce Cassidy’s disposal.

No player is having a bigger impact on this front than Bruins centre Danton Heinen. The 23-year-old Langley, B.C., native (and BCHL graduate), in the midst of his second full professional season, is having an incredible postseason. The counting numbers – Heinen has four points in nine games – barely scratch the surface on how effective he has been.

Cassidy has used Heinen in a series of roles through the first nine games of the playoffs. He’s seen some rotational time on the first line with Brad Marchand and Patrice Bergeron. He’s played on a second line with rotating personnel in the form of Charlie Coyle, Marcus Johansson and David Krejci. More than anything, he’s become the player that the Bruins appear most comfortable with flexing up and down the lineup because of how strong of a two-way game he is capable of playing.

On the wing, Heinen relentlessly harasses puck carriers and uses his speed and agility to his advantage. He often forces opposing puck carriers into dead angles in the neutral zone to produce turnovers. He’s also instrumental in sequences where the Bruins are transitioning the puck, both as a carrier trying to gain the line and as a forechecker in dump-and-chase situations.

What Heinen may lack in shooting talent right now he makes up for with smart positional hockey and situational awareness. When he is on the ice, the Bruins are consistently driving play into the heart of the opponent’s defence.

It shows in the underlying numbers. Through nine games, the Bruins see the most advantageous shot differential with Heinen on the ice. They also see the most advantageous scoring chance differential, expected goal differential and actual goal differential with Heinen on the ice.

It’s somewhat rare to see a second-liner type lead in all of these statistical categories – doubly so when you remember he’s playing either with or behind guys like Bergeron and Marchand who are notoriously impressive drivers of play.

Look at how the Bruins have fared with Heinen on the ice versus without in these 125 minutes of 5-on-5 play. (I have left goal differential out due to the relatively small samples, but again, the Bruins are plus-4 in goals with him out there.)

Outside of Game 7 in Toronto, the Bruins have generally seen flat or favourable on-ice performance with Heinen on the ice. The last two games in Columbus have easily been the most noticeable. I mentioned it on Sunday but in the Blue Jackets series alone, Boston is outshooting Columbus by a 42 to nine margin. Scoring chances are similarly tilted (14 to three, in Boston’s favour.)

You might think that some of these numbers are juiced because of Heinen playing spot minutes on the Boston first line, but that’s not exactly true. Bergeron has seen a significant slide in performance when separated from Heinen this postseason. Heinen, on the other hand, has seen stable performance regardless of whom he is playing with on any given shift.

Boston finding their way into a second line that can push teams back into their defensive third the same way the Bergeron line can is a game- changer. So much of Boston’s success over the years has been because the top line’s relentless puck control and punishing forecheck wears 1143509 Websites going to sit back like a punching bag, play rope-a-dope and wait for them to run out of gas. We wanted to take it to them.”

Until Panarin’s shot found him in the slot, Duchene said he felt like he TSN.CA / Double OT winner a long time coming for Duchene “had puck repellent on” because he was “chasing the puck around all night.”

Frank Seravalli In a way, Game 2 has encapsulated Duchene’s time in Columbus well. It hasn’t always been a seamless fit since the Feb. 22 trade from Ottawa. He and the team struggled after his arrival.

BOSTON — For Matt Duchene, nearly every spring was like Groundhog “I’m still fighting it sometimes,” Duchene said. Day at his cottage in Haliburton, Ont. John Tortorella said Duchene has never been “a bad fit,” it was just poor He had more than 700 NHL regular season games under his belt, but just timing that conspired, as the team limped to a 5-7-1 run immediately after eight Stanley Cup playoff contests over 10 seasons. He never even his arrival. They settled in, won the games they needed to get in, then put sniffed the second round before arriving in Columbus. it behind them and wiped the slate clean once the playoffs arrived.

Most years, Duchene would tune out the playoffs on TV, avoid hockey “I think he just puts a tremendous amount of pressure on himself to be and focus on fishing. Last year, he changed it up. the best he can be to help this team win,” Tortorella said of Duchene.

“I had a lot of years I didn’t watch anything, but I watched every single The pressure is off now. playoff game last year. Every. Single. Game,” Duchene said. “I wanted to get as much of a taste for it as I could without being there.” “I think he’s just having a lot of fun,” Blue Jackets captain Nick Foligno said. “He’s thriving on the big stage. That’s what you want.” The only constant was the Stanley Cup clincher. No matter what, Duchene said, he would tune in on the night a team had a chance to For Duchene, it’s been everything he’s imagined. Six wins down, he hoist the Cup. wants to have a say in what photo he’s posting in his gym this summer.

“I wanted to see the celebration,” Duchene said. “I wanted to see it front “We’ve got a long way to go, but I love playing for this team,” Duchene to back.” said. “I couldn’t be happier to be a Blue Jacket. I’m really excited to be here. This is something I’ve chased for a long time.” Once the Final ended, Duchene would get a photo printed of the winning team’s captain with Lord Stanley’s chalice over his head - and post it on TSN.CA LOADED: 04.30.2019 the wall in the gym in his cottage. It was a conspicuous reminder of the ultimate goal, incentive for the sweat.

Fast forward to the wee hours of Sunday morning at TD Garden.

The Blue Jackets, the best power play team in the postseason, were on the man-advantage for the second time in overtime. Squander this chance and there's no telling if you'll get another one. Seth Jones made a fantastic keep at the blue line. Then Artemi Panarin’s shot bounced off Tuukka Rask’s pads directly to Duchene in the slot.

He didn’t freeze. The moment wasn't too big for him, not after all of that dreaming.

Duchene calmly kicked the puck to his stick.

“I just tried to stay patient and see what was there,” Duchene said. “Rask opened up his five-hole. That was it.”

Duchene picked the perfect time to pop in his first career Stanley Cup overtime winner, evening up this Eastern Conference semifinal series at one game apiece with a 3-2 victory for Columbus in Double OT. He has seized the stage, racking up four goals for the Blue Jackets in just six playoff games this spring.

So, how did that compare to what he watched from afar for so long?

Duchene was yelling “yeahhhhhh!” so loud during the celebration that his face was as red as his Columbus Blue Jackets pants.

“This is something that I've dreamt about for a long time,” Duchene said. “It’s like the most stressful - in the best way possible - thing that I’ve ever been through. I’m an outgoing guy. I’m a talker. But there’s times I can’t talk.”

Duchene’s goal came at a pivotal moment in the series. One shot the other way, one fantastic save that Sergei Bobrovsky didn’t make, and the Blue Jackets would need a shovel to dig their way out of a two-nothing hole.

“We needed to win,” Brandon Dubinsky said. “It was crucial that we found a way to split the series.”

Now, you could make the argument that the Blue Jackets are in the driver’s seat. The Bruins have played nine games in 17 nights to open this marathon tournament. They’ve played 180 more minutes of hockey than Columbus, then were pushed to overtime twice - and Double OT in Game 2 for good measure to start this series.

That has to take its toll at some point.

“Are we probably a little fresher from the break? Yeah, we probably are,” Duchene said. “Our mentality in overtime was to keep pushing. We’re not 1143510 Websites

USA TODAY / Sharks defenseman Marc-Edouard Vlasic says he's waiting for NHL apology over non-call in Game 2

Kevin Allen, USA TODAY Published 8:54 a.m. ET April 29, 2019

San Jose Sharks defenseman Marc-Edouard Vlasic is waiting today for league officials to say they are sorry for what he believes was a critical officiating mistake Sunday.

At least, according to ESPN, that was Vlasic’s sarcastic response to a question about the non-icing call that led to an Avalanche goal in the second period of Colorado's 4-3 win, which tied up the best-of-seven Western Conference semifinal 1-1.

“I'm taking the high road. Waiting for the apology," Vlasic said when asked about the call.

Earlier in the week, Vegas general manager George McPhee said league officials apologized for the five-minute penalty given to Cody Eakin that led to four Sharks power play goals and a 5-4 San Jose win in Game 7. The referees hadn’t signaled a minor penalty, but then huddled and handed out a major penalty.

On the play in Game 2 of the Avs-Sharks series, Vlasic and Mikko Rantanen were racing for a possible icing call in a 1-1 game. No whistle came, meaning officials believed Rantanen won the race.

HURRICANES' LATEST UNLIKELY HERO: Backup goalie lifts them to win

Tyson *ahem* BARRIES IT.#GoAvsGopic.twitter.com/DomxXALdkF

— x- Colorado Avalanche (@Avalanche) April 29, 2019

But the Sharks had assumed the icing, and didn’t react quickly enough to the non-call. Gabriel Landeskog’s first shot was stopped by San Jose goalie Martin Jones. But Tyson Barrie eventually scored to give the Avs a lead they never lost.

While the Sharks thought it was icing, the Avs saw it differently.

"It was the exact same as the icing here the other night, when (Erik) Karlsson had the inside track on (J.T.) Compher," Avs coach Jared Bednar said. "They're in a race. They blow it down for icing because Karlsson had the inside path. To me, on this one, I'm watching Mikko [Rantanen] go up the ice, he's got a head of steam, he's getting to the right area, he's got the inside path on Vlasic on the post. It looks to me like Mikko's going to get their first, so they let it go. To me, it's similar plays: The guy on the inside got the call. One was against us. One was in our favor."

San Jose coach Pete DeBoer said his opinion didn’t matter. His only take is that in the playoffs you can’t assume a call will be made. In other words, the Sharks should have played as if they weren’t going to get the call. They didn’t.

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