SPORT-SCAN DAILY BRIEF NHL 11/09/17 Anaheim Ducks Columbus Blue Jackets 1082257 Ryan Miller will start in for Ducks against his former 1082294 Rave review for rookie Pierre-Luc Dubois team, the 1082295 Werenski, Jones paired on first power-play unit 1082258 What we learned from the Kings' 4-3 overtime win over the Ducks 1082259 has helped put the fight in the 1082296 Frustration mounting for Stars' Jason Spezza, who's still red-hot Kings looking for his first goal of the season 1082260 Ducks goalie Ryan Miller eager to face Canucks and ‘guys I went to battle with’ 1082297 Red Wings seek to maximize Andreas Athanasiou's 'best attributes' 1082261 Arizona Coyotes: Road trip wraps in St. Louis; Winnipeg 1082298 Detroit Red Wings vs. : Time, TV, radio Jets visit on Saturday information 1082262 Coyotes GM John Chayka dismisses Oliver Ekman- 1082299 Red Wings' Tomas Tatar snaps skid, reaches milestone Larsson trade rumors 1082300 Red Wings stuck in muck between great and bad teams in NHL 1082263 Bruins dig hole, lose to Rangers Edmonton Oilers 1082264 Madison Square Garden a special venue for Charlie 1082301 Edmonton Oilers goalie Cam Talbot keeps stopping more McAvoy rubber on the road 1082265 Homecoming for Charlie McAvoy as Bruins hope for 1082302 MY TEAMS US CITIES CANADA NHL MLB NFL NBA winning streak NCAA FOOTBALL NCAA BASKETBALL 1082266 Bruins notebook: Brandon Carlo blossoms out of Zdeno Chara’s shadow 1082267 Bruins come up short against Rangers 1082303 Panthers return forward Chase Balisy to AHL affiliate 1082268 Morning Skate: Sinden happy to see Jacobs headed to Springfield Hall 1082304 The Next Day Look: 3, Florida 1082269 Bruins' Acciari out tonight vs Rangers, could play this Panthers 1 weekend 1082305 Panthers called for six penalties, but killed them all during 1082270 Bergeron hoping Paille is okay after vicious hit in Europe loss to Hurricanes 1082271 Beleskey brings energy to a Bruins team in need of it 1082272 Bruins fall behind early, lose to Rangers, 4-2 1082273 McAvoy 'really excited' for homecoming against Rangers 1082306 Goaltender Jonathan Quick has helped put the fight in the red-hot Kings Buffalo Sabres 1082307 What we learned from the Kings' 4-3 overtime win over the 1082274 Sabres Notebook: Eichel knows he needs to shoot more Ducks 1082275 Hard effort earns Sabres a light practice 1082308 NOVEMBER 8 PRACTICE QUOTES: JOHN STEVENS; JON BRADLEY PRACTICE PHOTOS Calgary Flames 1082309 NOVEMBER 8 PRACTICE NOTES: MACDERMID, 1082276 Jagr takes barbs with pride from Flames teammates BUDAJ, TSN VANCOUVER, ANDREOFF 1082277 Playmaking Gaudreau needs to keep foes honest by 1082310 WAKING UP WITH THE KINGS: NOVEMBER 8 shooting 1082311 Practice Notes: Reign Review Finer Points, Wagner 1082278 Bennett gets backing of mentor Gilmour Improving and Sutter Joins Coaching Staff 1082279 GameDay: Red Wings at Flames 1082280 Flames activate Jaromir Jagr off IR, send down Tanner Minnesota Wild Glass 1082312 Leafs' Matthews to miss game vs Wild with upper-body 1082281 Wisecracking teammates ensure Jagr feels like 'one of the injury guys' with Flames 1082313 Alex Stalock heads home, and Auston Matthews will sit 1082282 Gilmour says Bennett will turn things around out 1082283 Bourne and Wilson: A conversation on the value of having 1082314 Auston Matthews out for Leafs, goalie Alex Stalock won't a 'tough guy' play for Wild 1082315 Boudreau likes the Wild's effort, but players are still stung Chicago Blackhawks by loss 1082284 Blackhawks system starting to become more 'natural' to 1082316 Devan Dubnyk makes unexpected start for Wild after new defensemen early-arrival of Alex Stalock's child 1082285 Thursday's preview: Blackhawks at Flyers 1082317 Gameday preview: Wild at Montreal 1082286 Blackhawks know all too well Philadelphia a tough place to 1082318 Wild-Toronto game recap win 1082319 Frederik Andersen makes 35 saves, Maple Leafs beat 1082287 Connor Murphy doing anything he can to stay in the Wild 4-2 Blackhawks lineup 1082320 Wild slides to fourth loss in five games after 4-2 defeat at 1082288 Blackhawks invite emergency goalie Eric Semborski to Toronto game in Philly 1082321 Wild’s Alex Stalock leaves road trip for birth of second 1082289 Chicago Blackhawks' DeBrincat wants to do more child 1082290 Chicago Blackhawks look to finally break long streak 1082322 Wild lose third straight with 4-2 loss to Maple Leafs 1082291 Jan Rutta continues to adjust well from both sides of the ice for Blackhawks 1082292 Three Things to WATCH: Joel Quenneville turns back the clock when Blackhawks visit Flyers 1082293 Fantasy football helps foreign-born players assimilate to American culture 1082323 Auston Matthews to miss game against Wild with lingering 1082363 Defenseman Justin Schultz comes back just in time for injury Penguins 1082324 Canadiens notebook: skates; Jonathan 1082364 Riley Sheahan is still searching for goals, points and a Drouin skips practice home in Pittsburgh 1082325 Brendan Gallagher, Tomas Plekanec playing key roles in 1082365 Daniel Sprong fires a shot during a Sept. 19 preseason Habs' revival game against the Sabres in University Park, Pa. 1 1082326 Analyze This: Brendan Gallagher helps Canadiens dig out 1082366 Ron Cook: It's way too early to worry about the Penguins of deep hole and their struggles 1082327 Las Vegas fought the Habs on Twitter, forgot the actual 1082367 Justin Schultz has wide-ranging impact in return to game Penguins lineup 1082328 Minnesota Wild at Canadiens: Five things you should 1082368 Penguins offense shows signs of life in 3-1 win against know Arizona 1082330 The Canadiens defence is complicated, just as we always 1082369 Home from deployment, troop surprises family at assumed it would be Penguins game 1082331 Melnick: The good, the bad and the ugly game 16, Montreal 3, Vegas 2 1082332 Three things we learned against Vegas 1082370 Three things to know for Sharks-Bolts: Vlasic’s back, Hansen’s chance and Stamkos’ similarities to Ovechkin Nashville Predators 1082371 Former-Sharks prospect and San Francisco Bull thriving in 1082333 Predators' Kyle Turris excited for fresh opportunity NHL with Lightning 1082372 Searching for offense, Sharks instead find a shutdown line 1082373 Sharks can’t keep up with Lightning, win streak ends with 1082334 Will Devils forward Kyle Palmieri play Thursday vs. Oilers? a thud 1082335 Why is Devils' John Quenneville back in N.J.? 1082374 Lightning rout Sharks to end their 4-game winning streak 1082336 Devils forward Kyle Palmieri returns to practice | What it 1082375 Lightning boast league’s best line, but it's their depth that means will test Sharks 1082337 Why Devils couldn't maintain play against Blues 1082376 Marleau passes ex-Sharks teammate on all-time scoring 1082338 Devils fall to Blues: 9 observations | Power play quiet; list Injuries catching up to Devils? 1082377 Lightning storm past Sharks, snap San Jose's winning 1082339 Skidding Devils likely to get Kyle Palmieri back streak 1082340 Kyle Palmieri returns to practice for the Devils 1082341 Devils Daily Faceoff: Three storylines for Nov. 8 St Louis Blues 1082378 Reports out of Russia say Blues have offered contract to New York Islanders KHL star 1082342 Mathew Barzal’s playmaking prowess proves Islanders 1082379 Is a nickname in order for Blues' top line? right 1082380 Blues reportedly interested in Russian forward 1082381 BLUES VS. COYOTES 1082343 Jimmy Vesey scores twice in 29-second span as Rangers beat Bruins, 4-2, for fifth-straight win 1082382 Lightning's top line takes charge in 5-1 win over Sharks 1082344 Brendan Smith once again a healthy scratch as 1082383 Lightning’s Gourde returns to where it all began, and defenseman has underperformed with Rangers where it almost ended 1082345 Brendan Smith’s marriage with the Rangers is off to a 1082384 Lightning journal: Victor Hedman embraces more minutes rocky start on ice 1082346 Jimmy Vesey’s struggle to find a role on the Rangers is 1082385 Cedric Paquette nears return, hoping bad luck behind him real 1082347 Henrik Lundqvist undefeated with his new mask Toronto Maple Leafs 1082348 One Ranger starting to become a game-breaking talent 1082386 Leafs remember ‘inspiring’ Halladay 1082349 Jimmy Vesey’s two goals in 29 seconds propel red-hot 1082387 Ailing Leaf star Auston Matthews to skip Wild game Rangers 1082388 Change of direction paying off for New Jersey Devils 1082350 Brendan Smith scratched again as Alain Vigneault cites 1082389 T.J. Oshie earned contract from Capitals with his off-ice shortcomings attitude 1082351 Jimmy Vesey scores twice as Rangers win fifth in a row 1082390 The long and the short of Frederik Gauthier’s return from his leg injury 1082391 Leafs’ Nikita Soshnikov has option to return to KHL if he’s 1082352 Peter Forsberg says Duchene trade works for everyone not in the NHL next week 1082353 Fredrik Claesson picks up second gig as local tour guide 1082392 Marleau fills in for Matthews in win over Wild 1082354 Dorion happy the Senators getting this chance 1082393 So this is Game 1 of Life Without Matthews: Arthur 1082355 Pierre Dorion's work is never finished 1082394 Leafs Locker: Soshnikov won't use KHL clause - yet. 1082356 Alfredsson explains his role in Duchene trade 1082395 Matthews-less Maple Leafs tame Wild 1082357 The Senators have big plans for Parliament Hill 1082396 Snapshots: Maple Leafs' Hyman showing plenty of confidence Philadelphia Flyers 1082397 Should the NHL take a page from the NBA's book and 1082358 Flyers trying to get a boost from … Dick Vermeil? start resting its stars? 1082359 Flyers trying to stop home skid 1082360 Flyers remember Roy Halladay fondly 1082361 Scott Laughton, Claude Giroux remember Roy Halladay 1082362 Death of Phillies pitcher Roy Halladay touches Flyers Vancouver Canucks 1082408 Kuzma: Ryan Miller finds healthy balance between hockey and family 1082409 Ed Willes: Intense Markstrom savouring teaching of fiery Cloutier Vegas Golden Knights 1082398 Defenseman Griffin Reinhart adapts to role with Chicago Wolves 1082399 Goaltender Marc-Andre Fleury back on ice for Golden Knights 1082400 Golden Knights’ Marc-Andre Fleury back on ice after concussion Washington Capitals 1082401 Forget the 30 goals, T.J. Oshie earned his contract in the Capitals’ locker room 1082402 Madison Bowey held out of Capitals’ game vs. Sabres with a ‘lower-body’ injury 1082403 Tom Wilson was not happy about fighting Jake McCabe and was not sure why he had to 1082404 Barry Trotz upgrades 3 injured Caps from 'week-to-week' to 'day-to-day' 1082405 Why that postgame expletive from mild-mannered Philipp Grubauer is understandable Websites 1082410 The Athletic / Provenzano: When is the right time to make a mid-season coaching change? 1082411 The Athletic / The Gifted: How Red Wings prospect Vili Saarijarvi plays fast without playing rushed 1082412 The Athletic / Evaluating the Flyers' performance in all three zones this season 1082413 The Athletic / Bourne and Wilson: A conversation on the value of having a 'tough guy' 1082414 The Athletic / Leafs face uncertainty without Auston Matthews in the lineup 1082415 Sportsnet.ca / Matthews-less Leafs scrape out win thanks to Andersen’s strong play 1082416 Sportsnet.ca / GM Cheveldayoff: Jets’ goalie competition ‘a healthy situation’ 1082417 Sportsnet.ca / Blackhawks reuniting Toews, Kane, Sharp on top line to spark offence 1082418 Sportsnet.ca / Calgary Flames prospect report: Offensive help on the way 1082419 Sportsnet.ca / Ryan Miller reflects on time with Canucks, decision to leave 1082420 Sportsnet.ca / Ottawa Senators prospect report: An insider’s breakdown of the best in the system 1082421 Sportsnet.ca / Canadiens hoping irreplaceable Drouin can play Thursday 1082422 Sportsnet.ca / Q&A: Devan Dubnyk on Carey Price, Mitch Marner, Bronx cheers, slumps 1082423 Sportsnet.ca / Betraying confidentiality only keeps players from seeking help 1082424 TSN.CA / With Matthews missing, Andersen stands tall for Maple Leafs 1082425 TSN.CA / Andersen alters routine ahead of Wild game 1082426 TSN.CA / Leafs forwards will have to 'dig in' with Matthews out 1082427 USA TODAY / Which NHL teams need to make an early-season trade? 1082406 Jets get back to business 1082407 Connor making his minutes count

SPORT-SCAN, INC. 941-284-4129 1082257 Anaheim Ducks

Ryan Miller will start in goal for Ducks against his former team, the Vancouver Canucks

Mike Coppinger

Goaltender Ryan Miller will earn the starting nod against the Vancouver Canucks when the squads meet Thursday in Anaheim. Ducks coach Randy Carlyle — who rarely reveals who will be in goal ahead of time — said it was a no-brainer to give Miller the assignment against his former team, which he left this offseason to sign a two-year, $4-million deal with the Ducks. Miller’s first start this season that isn’t on the heels of consecutive games comes somewhat out of necessity. No. 1 goalie John Gibson exited Tuesday’s overtime defeat to the Kings after a puck struck him in the head. He didn’t return. Gibson cleared the NHL’s concussion protocol Wednesday morning, according to Carlyle, and could suit up as Miller’s backup against Vancouver. That won’t be determined until the morning skate, when the team will assess Gibson’s condition. In the meantime, the Ducks recalled goalie Reto Berra, who was in pads at practice Wednesday. “I’ve talked to both to make some sort of a schedule that would accommodate both players,” Carlyle said of the goalies. “We always try to make sure that we can keep our players informed on what the plan is, but sometimes things interrupt the plan. “There’s Plan A and B and C and sometimes D and E, and we’ve been at H and I with what’s gone on with our hockey club this year.” Ryan Getzlaf’s absence from the lineup will be felt everywhere, from the power play that barely resembles its name (ranked No. 30 out of 31), to the No. 1 scoring line, to — perhaps most of all — the locker room. Getzlaf is the Ducks’ , a man who leads by example and who has seen it all in 13 seasons in Anaheim. Surgery was performed Tuesday on Getzlaf’s fractured left cheekbone, where he was struck by a puck 11 days ago, and he will be sidelined up to two months. The Ducks are on a four-game losing skid, and must find a way to account for the absence of Getzlaf’s scoring, playmaking and leadership. “You need your captain because No. 1, he’s your leader and he leads the group,” said Ducks defenseman Hampus Lindholm. “But I think we have some good, young guys who can do that. “You can’t replace a guy like that, but I think we need to simplify.

LA Times: LOADED: 11.09.2017 1082258 Anaheim Ducks

What we learned from the Kings' 4-3 overtime win over the Ducks

Mike Coppinger and Curtis Zupke

The Kings and Ducks engaged in their first meeting of the season, and boy, was it a wild one. There were fights, melees and plenty of extracurricular activity after the whistle in a game that resembled a playoff affair. The Kings inched within one point of the Western Conference lead with a 4-3 overtime victory over the Ducks, who extended their losing streak to four. Here's what we learned: Nick Shore is more than a grinder. Kings fans groaned earlier in the season when they saw Shore in overtime. He’s been a depth forward throughout his NHL career but does have a history of offense early in his career. Shore’s game-winner was a beauty of a finish on Dustin Brown’s pass on a two-on-one. The Kings would like to see more of that. “It was great for Shore-sy,” Kings coach John Stevens said. “We think Shore-sy’s got some offensive ability. To his credit, he’s been a real sound defensive player getting established in the . We think he can score, and he proved that tonight.” Brown's scoring touch continues. One season after he potted just 14 goals, the former Kings captain is already halfway to that total through 15 games. His third-period power-play goal tied the contest at 3, and he also added a point on Shore's overtime clincher. If he can continue to find the back of the net, the Kings' top line is that much more dangerous. Parade of Penalties. The Ducks' outrageous penchant for penalties reached new heights with nine trips to the sin bin for a total of 21 minutes. Corey Perry was docked for two penalties and so was Kevin Bieksa. The Ducks have been shorthanded on 67 occasions this season, top 5 in the NHL. Something has to give. "We talk about discipline, but it’s still tough," said Ducks forward Rickard Rakell. " ... We just have to be more careful with our sticks." Power-play not so powerful. The Ducks' power-play, simply put, is bad. They've converted on less than 12% of their power-play opportunities, which ranks No. 30 in the league. Sure, some of that can be blamed on the absence of key contributors like Ryan Getzlaf, Patrick Eaves, Ryan Kesler and Cam Fowler. But right now, it's not much of an advantage when the opposing team is short-handed, and Randy Carlyle needs to find a solution. "I thought the first (chance) was pretty good," said Ducks assistant coach Trent Yawney. "We just didn’t finish off the play. The other thing I’d say is their kill is like 93 or 94%. That’s pretty good. When it got down to it, they kind of shut us down. You have to give them credit, too." Ryan Miller shines again. He only played 10:44 after replacing John Gibson, but the Ducks' No. 2 again showed that he's deserving of more opportunities. He might receive the call Thursday against his former team, the Vancouver Canucks, with Gibson now in concussion protocol. But the way the former Vezina trophy winner is playing, he shoudn't be called on only when there's consecutive games or an injury. "He's been terrific and Gibson has been as well, so you gotta have that," said Yawney. " ... As we go forward here we're going to need them both."

LA Times: LOADED: 11.09.2017 1082259 Anaheim Ducks

Goaltender Jonathan Quick has helped put the fight in the red-hot Kings

Curtis Zupke

Feisty doesn’t begin to describe Jonathan Quick when he’s at his most irritated. He’s come close to fighting, a subject that seems to get broached whenever his crease gets crowded. Teammate almost doesn’t want to picture Quick dropping his glove and blocker. “Honestly, I wouldn’t want to fight Quickie,” Andreoff said. “Quickie’s a big, strong guy. I’m sure he’d take the other goalie out.” Quick looked ready to throw down with noted Ducks pest Corey Perry on Tuesday when the two tangled into a heap behind the net. Quick instead was hit with a roughing penalty, his second this season. That doesn’t include at least one other scrum, against the Calgary Flames, when his mask was ripped off. If Quick seems more amped than usual, the Kings gladly will feed off it. He prefers to let his play speak for itself, and that’s been loud with a 2.06 goals-against average and .936 save percentage, which through Tuesday ranked third and second in the NHL, respectively. His low- tolerance level cannot be measured in numbers, outside of its translation to victories, and that’s been the backbeat to the Kings’ start. “Just the way he’s so into the game and emotional — it creates energy for us and creates momentum for us,” Andreoff said. “When he’s that into the game we want to be there for Quickie. I think that’s a huge key for us.” Brooks Laich is getting to know Quick after spending most of his NHL career in the Eastern Conference. Laich often communicates with Quick as a penalty killer, and he’s also seeing up close how driven his goaltender is. “Love the emotion,” Laich said. “When your leaders are emotionally invested in the game, it pulls everybody into the fight … just how he competes in the crease, competes for his space, competes for the puck.” If Quick starts Thursday, his counterpart will be familiar as T Peter Budaj of the Tampa Bay Lightning is expected to start in a matchup of division leaders. Budaj, 35, experienced a late career re-boot with the Kings last season before it abruptly ended when former general manager Dean Lombardi sent him to Tampa Bay in a trade for , among other pieces. “We loved having Peter here,” Kings coach John Stevens said, “but he’s just a member of another team now.” Big hits. Fights. Scrums. Two disallowed goals. An overtime finish. The consensus was that Tuesday’s 4-3 overtime Kings victory was as intense as a Ducks-Kings game can get in November. And that was the first installment of the five-game regular-season series. “How much more do you want?” Andreoff said. The Kings held an optional skate Wednesday and it was welcomed following a game that had a combined 79 shots, 54 hits and 25 blocked shots. Drew Doughty played 35 minutes 31 seconds, a career high. “Drew will tell you he wishes he played 35 minutes every night,” Stevens said. Stevens noted that Doughty got a recovery day and that the Kings monitor fatigue levels of every player. “There’s chronic and acute,” Stevens said. “Over time we try to track both those and … I think we’re way further on that than we were [previously].”

LA Times: LOADED: 11.09.2017 1082260 Anaheim Ducks Center before their Nov. 19 contest against Florida. It is scheduled to begin at 4:45 p.m.

The two, who played in 308 games together with Anaheim, will be on the Ducks goalie Ryan Miller eager to face Canucks and ‘guys I went to arena’s ice together for the first time since March 4, 2001, the last time battle with’ they were Ducks teammates. Selanne has frequently attended Ducks games since his retirement, but Kariya has made rare visits since he hung up his skates. By ERIC STEPHENS | [email protected] | Orange County Register Selanne and Kariya will be the first two Ducks to head into the Hall of PUBLISHED: November 8, 2017 at 8:28 pm | UPDATED: November 8, Fame who spent their careers primarily with the franchise. 2017 at 8:30 PM ROY GETS PROMOTION

Jared Boll, who scored his first goal in his two seasons with the Ducks, ANAHEIM — For Ryan Miller, Thursday night’s game will not compare to has a lower-body injury and is day-to-day. The Ducks called up Kevin the evening of Nov. 7, 2015. Roy from San Diego (AHL), promoting the Quebec native after he was leading the Gulls with 11 points in 10 games. On that date, Miller made an emotional return to Buffalo as a member of the Vancouver Canucks and the sellout crowd at then-First Niagara Roy, 24, said the call from the Ducks “was a special one” made more so Center greeted the goalie with a standing ovation following a video tribute because his parents were visiting him in San Diego. for a player who often starred for a decade with the Sabres. “Just really happy just to get that opportunity,” Roy said. “You dream But when Miller takes to the Honda Center ice for his first home start with about that, to play in this league. When it happens, you’re just really the Ducks, the 37-year-old will still find additional significance in facing excited and ready to go.” the Canucks after spending the previous three seasons with them. There were no playoff games for him there but good memories do linger. “I guess if you’re ranking emotional connection, it’s hard to beat Buffalo Orange County Register: LOADED: 11.09.2017 and what the city meant to me,” Miller said Wednesday. “(But) there’s a lot of guys on that team there (Vancouver) who I consider guys I went to battle with and guys that I really liked to be around and they’re my friends. “There’s that element that’s always going to be there. Even with Buffalo, I think I know maybe two guys on the team. They’ve made some trades. I know more guys now on this team than really going back to Buffalo.” Miller went 64-68-16 with a 2.69 goals-against average and .914 save percentage with Vancouver. Ducks coach Randy Carlyle, in a rare announcement of his starting goalie for an upcoming game, said he had been scheduled to go against his former team after John Gibson started Tuesday against the Kings. The decision was made easier when Gibson had to go into concussion protocol after a shot taken by the Kings’ Dustin Brown struck him in the mask and knocked it off. Miller had to come in cold and was disappointed that he couldn’t stop Nick Shore’s overtime shot in a 4-3 loss. “There might be some things that make it easier mentally,” Miller said of handling the relief role as a more experienced goalie. “You’ve had a lot of opportunities to step into games or play games. If you were younger and you feel like that’s one of your opportunities to make an impression, I think you put too much on it. For me, it was I’m kind of free and clear of that so I can just go do my job.” Miller will suit up with his game in complete order. An argument can be made for the Ducks gaining four points they shouldn’t have because he was stellar in lifting them to shootouts in his two starts and making a critical save on the Kings’ Tyler Toffoli late in regulation. “Well, I am happy with the way the games have turned out,” Miller said. “I’m still continuing to work on stuff and getting familiar with the guys on this team. Really, nobody has any time to get comfortable around here. We’ve got to put together some points. We got to find a good kind of feeling.” Carlyle typically doesn’t shower praise on his . But there was no glossing over what Miller and Gibson have done to provide stability for his injury-wracked squad. Both figure to get plenty of work when the Ducks’ schedule starts to condense toward the end of this month. “If there’s one huge bright spot, it’s our goaltending has been outstanding,” Carlyle said. “We’re thankful of that and we want to maintain that. And it’s going to be their jobs to continue to grow.” The Ducks called back Reto Berra from the ’s San Diego Gulls, but there’s an outside chance Gibson will be able to dress as a backup. Carlyle said Gibson passed the protocol, as did Ondrej Kase after the winger was knocked from the game on a hit by the Kings’ Kurtis MacDermid. The availability of the two depends upon either being able to take part in Thursday’s morning skate before any decision is made, which Carlyle said could come afterward or later if they’re able to take part in the warm- up prior to facing Vancouver. The Ducks formally announced their plans to honor Hockey Hall of Fame inductees Teemu Selanne and Paul Kariya in a ceremony at Honda 1082261 Arizona Coyotes stop with his right pad on Jake Guentzel in the second period to thwart a 2-on-1.

Rieder’s goal 26 seconds into the third briefly got the Coyotes back in it Arizona Coyotes: Road trip wraps in St. Louis; Winnipeg Jets visit on and marked Arizona’s first score in Pittsburgh since March 28, 2015. Saturday The rally never fully materialized, mostly because Arizona couldn’t stay out of the penalty box. The Coyotes took six penalties in all, and the Richard Morin, azcentral sports Published 8:12 p.m. MT Nov. 7, 2017 | NHL’s second-ranked power play finally broke through when Kessel Updated 3:22 p.m. MT Nov. 8, 2017 knocked a floating puck out of the air and into an open net 6:06 into the third to restore Pittsburgh’s two-goal advantage.

Coach Rick Tocchet's return to Pittsburgh did not result in a victory, but his team continued a run of competitive efforts in a 3-1 loss on Tuesday Arizona Republic LOADED: 11.09.2017 night. The Coyotes, who have recovered from a rough start to the season and recorded points in three of their past six games, continue their road trip in St. Louis against the Blues. Thursday’s game Coyotes at Blues When: 6 p.m. Where: Scottrade Center, St. Louis. TV/radio: Fox Sports Arizona/KMVP-FM (98.7). Outlook: The Coyotes (2-13-2) wrap up a three-game road swing looking for their first win on the trip when they face the front-running St. Louis Blues (12-3-1). Occupying first place in the Central Division entering play Wednesday, the Blues’ 12 wins are most in the NHL; conversely, the Coyotes’ 13 losses are also the most in the league. St. Louis is 8-1-1 in its past 10 games and has six wins at home this season, the most in the Western Conference … Forwards Jaden Schwartz and Vladimir Tarasenko lead the Blues with 21 and 19 points, respectively, and Brayden Schenn — the brother of Coyotes defenseman Luke Schenn — has 18 points and leads the team with 14 assists. Both Schenn and Tarasenko tallied a goal and an assist in a 3-1 win over the New Jersey Devils on Tuesday … Blues goaltender Jake Allen is expected to start opposite Antti Raanta for the Coyotes on Thursday. Allen (9-3-0) stopped 21 shots vs. New Jersey on Tuesday and has a .921 save percentage and 2.36 goals allowed average. The Blues enter the game ranked fourth-best in the NHL allowing an average of 2.4 goals per game. The Coyotes are 28th out of 31 teams in scoring average, registering 2.5 goals per game. Justin Schultz scored in his return from a concussion, stopped 24 shots and the Pittsburgh Penguins had little trouble with the Arizona Coyotes in a 3-1 win Tuesday night. Evgeni Malkin scored his team-high seventh goal for the Penguins and added two assists. Phil Kessel also had a goal and two assists for Pittsburgh, which returned from a long road trip by spoiling Arizona coach Rick Tocchet’s return to the city where he won three Stanley Cups — one as a player and two as an assistant coach. Tobias Rieder got his third goal of the season for the Coyotes, who fell to an NHL-worst 2-13-2. Antti Raanta made 34 saves but was sloppy in the early going as the Penguins raced to a quick lead. Schultz scored 59 seconds into the game and Malkin made it 2-0 just more than two minutes later. That was more than enough for Murray, who was rarely challenged. The two-time defending champions are still searching for consistency a month into the season thanks in large part to a rugged schedule that’s forced them to play 11 of their first 16 games on the road. They slogged through a five-game swing through Western Canada, winning just once while struggling to generate goals outside of their talent-rich power play. Head coach Mike Sullivan joked that a visit by Tocchet — who spent the last two seasons as Sullivan’s top lieutenant while the Penguins became the first team in nearly two decades to win back-to-back Cups — was exactly what Pittsburgh needed to get it going. Sullivan might have been on to something. Schultz missed six games while recovering from a concussion but wasted little time making up for lost time. His innocent fling from the goal line smacked off Raanta and into the net less than a minute in for his first goal since the season opener against Nashville. Malkin scored his fourth goal in his last six games 3:07 into the first when he flicked home a rebound off Kessel’s shot. Raanta settled down after that, making a series of stellar saves to keep it close, including a dazzling 1082262 Arizona Coyotes

Coyotes GM John Chayka dismisses Oliver Ekman-Larsson trade rumors

BY MATT LAYMAN NOVEMBER 8, 2017 AT 12:22 PM

There have been rumors swirling that Arizona Coyotes top defenseman Oliver-Ekman Larsson is available on the trade block. Yet, when general manager John Chayka is asked about those rumors, he is quick to dismiss them. In an interview with 98.7 FM Arizona’s Sports Station on Wednesday, Chayka joked to Doug Franz of Doug & Wolf that Franz is “terrible at reading the tea leaves” after he asked whether Ekman-Larsson could be on the move. Chayka said winning teams in the NHL build around stars, and the Coyotes are looking to “stabilize things.” He also added that Ekman-Larsson has not expressed discontent with playing in Arizona. “He’s never once complained to me or talked about greener pastures,” Chayka said. By many accounts, Ekman-Larsson has not had a great start to the season. Neither did his team as a whole, and Chayka deflected some of the blame for that poor start away from the 26-year-old defenseman. “He’ll be the first one to tell you, he didn’t think he had a great start to the year,” Chayka said. “I think it’s difficult — it’s tough to defend when you’re not getting goaltending. We had historically bad goaltending, that’s just a fact.” Indeed, the Coyotes were without starting netminder Antti Raanta for most of the first month of the season. They’ve also been without defenseman Jakob Chychrun and recently lost top-4 defenseman Niklas Hjalmarsson to injury. Chayka cited all of those injuries as factors that haven’t helped Ekman-Larsson. Chayka intimated that those defensemen getting back healthy could require Ekman-Larsson to play fewer minutes each night (his total time on ice this season is third in the NHL and his average TOI per game is 20th), and that the Coyotes are currently “asking a lot of Oliver.” If the Coyotes were to trade Ekman-Larsson, they could get a big haul for the young star. At just 26 years old, he has played more than 500 NHL games, has been an All-Star and has twice finished in the top 10 for Norris Trophy voting. In back-to-back seasons (2014-16), he was in the top 5 in the league in goals scored by a defenseman (No. 1 in 2014-15). And in the most recent example of a star getting traded, when the dealt center Matt Duchene last week in a three-team trade, Colorado got back a whopping seven assets from the Senators and Predators: an 18-year-old center, a goaltender, a 19-year-old defenseman, a 21-year-old forward and three draft picks. Still, Chayka insists that he’s not having serious discussions about moving Ekman-Larsson. “I’ve been on the record numerous times about the subject and have been very clear,” Chayka told 98.7 FM Arizona’s Sports Station’s Craig Morgan on Tuesday. “I haven’t had a single conversation about Oliver that has lasted more than five seconds.”

Arizona Sports LOADED: 11.09.2017 1082263 Boston Bruins The Bruins didn’t tuck their tails. Lundqvist turned back all 13 second- period shots, including a Grade-A chance by Jordan Szwarz. Lundqvist kept stoning the Bruins in the third until Bergeron fired the puck past the Bruins dig hole, lose to Rangers ace at 6:44. The Bruins had their chances on the power play, including two in the third. But none of their six man-up shots went in.

“You want to get results on that. Right now, we’re not getting them,” By Fluto Shinzawa Cassidy said. “It’s a good opportunity. We did a good job drawing penalties to get out there. But the most frustrating thing is the start again. GLOBE STAFF NOVEMBER 8, 2017 We put ourselves in a bad spot. In this league, it’s tough to come back. We’ve had a couple moral victories or whatever you want to call them to

show that we do have character and we’re wiling to fight to the last NEW YORK — Under normal circumstances, the margin for error in the whistle. We’ve just got to learn quickly here not to keep putting ourselves NHL is not very large. behind the eight-ball. Teams are too good.” Under extraordinary circumstances — missing half of the top six, rolling six regulars from last year’s Providence roster, playing a team riding a Fluto Shinzawa four-game winning streak — that margin becomes narrower than a Manhattan alley. Boston Globe LOADED: 11.09.2017 It’s why, after Wednesday’s 4-2 loss to the Rangers at Madison Square Garden, Bruce Cassidy was not satisfied with a 10-minute stretch in the first period. His players, most of them greener than the Incredible Hulk, could not stop the bleeding once the Rangers started delivering cuts. “The first part of the game we had some passengers,” the Bruins coach said. “We’re not in a position in our hockey club to have a lot of success — maybe from the odd night — but we’re not going to win on a regular basis if we have passengers. We don’t need young guys to come in here and lead this club. We just need them to do their job. I thought early on there were some guys that weren’t where they needed to be.” What particularly bothered Cassidy was how his players cracked in their own end under the Rangers’ heavy heat. The barrage started when Tim Schaller, as the low forward, couldn’t get a good stick on an outlet pass. Had Schaller been able to clear the puck, the danger would have been lower. Instead, the Rangers kept the cycle going, allowing Pavel Buchenvich to roll over the boards and attack the puck with speed. Once Buchnevich got a step on Zdeno Chara, he cut inside and slipped a riser over Tuukka Rask on the short side at 9:53 of the first to open the scoring. “The start wasn’t bad,” said Rask (29 saves). “But that first goal, that was kind of my bad. I lost my post there. And then it’s 1-0, so you know the other team’s going to get some momentum off that. They made a push. We didn’t respond right away. It kind of got away for a little bit. Then we regrouped again. The good thing is we were in the game the whole rest of the way. Just got to weather the storm a little bit when you go down by one. You don’t want to make it too tough on yourself.” The Bruins punched back 21 seconds after Buchnevich’s goal. David Pastrnak pulled the rebound of Patrice Bergeron’s shot off the end boards and slipped the puck through Henrik Lundqvist’s pads, tying the score at 1-1. But the Bruins lost the game over a 29-second segment. North Reading’s Jimmy Vesey did the damage. On the first goal, Vesey drove to the net, collected the rebound of a short-range Buchnevich shot, and banged the puck past Rask at 14:41. After the next faceoff, Vesey went to work again down low, this time on Rob O’Gara. When Kevin Shattenkirk snapped off a shot from the right point, Vesey gained position on the defenseman to find the puck. Before O’Gara could recover, Vesey beat Rask at 15:10 to give the Rangers a 3- 1 lead. “What bothered me was they were more competitive in front of the net than we were for the first half of the game,” Cassidy said. “Then we decided to get competitive and you see what happens. We get our goals and keep them out in front of our net. Tuukka sees pucks. Everything’s under control. That’s what bothered me. They were much more competitive in that area than we were. We got ours at the end. That’s generally hockey at times. You win the slot battle, the net-front battle, you’re going to do pretty well for yourself a lot of nights. They were a little bit better than us at that.” The Rangers excelled at their game plan of crashing the net, funneling pucks out to the points, and sending them back into the fray again. Had the Bruins been better at boxing out, clearing bodies, and positioning themselves to win battles, Rask might have had sharper looks at pucks. But on Vesey’s goals, Rask did not have much luck peeking through the bodies the Rangers sent his way. “They created some havoc out there and got rewarded with a couple goals,” Rask said. “That’s the NHL. People crash the net. You’ve just got to battle and try and make those saves.” 1082264 Boston Bruins “Kevan’s always been that guy,” said Cassidy. “Sticking up for his teammates. Practices hard every day. Fitness is through the roof. All the things you want young kids coming in to notice how to be a player. Madison Square Garden a special venue for Charlie McAvoy “He’s not flashy in terms of leading with numbers. He’s a good soldier is what he is for us every night.” By Fluto Shinzawa At even strength, Miller had been bouncing between both sides while playing with fellow right-shot defender Paul Postma. But against GLOBE STAFF NOVEMBER 8, 2017 Minnesota, with lefty Rob O’Gara replacing Postma, Miller returned to his strong side exclusively.

It is where the Bruins feel the strongman plays his best: manhandling NEW YORK — As a Boston University freshman, Charlie McAvoy played puck carriers, making outlet passes on his forehand, and being at Madison Square Garden against Cornell. The native of Long Beach, positioned in the offensive zone to ride down the wall. N.Y., however, had yet to experience his hometown arena as a professional until Wednesday night, with the Bruins in town to face the “I would hope so,” Miller said when asked if he was more effective on the Rangers. right side. “There’s certain circumstances where it’s easier on the left. Sometimes it’s easier on the right. I think it’s just a general consensus “It’s going to be really special,” the 19-year-old said after the morning that guys are better on the strong side.” skate. “It’s a game I’ve been looking forward to. O’Gara, a native of Massapequa, N.Y., planned to have family and “My freshman year at BU, I had a chance to play here at Red Hot friends in attendance. Unlike McAvoy, O’Gara grew up an Islanders fan, Hockey. That was a very good memory for me. Any time you get to come counting Kenny Jonsson and Brad Isbister among his favorites . . . home and play at a building like this, where you grew up going to games, Wednesday marked only the second time Cassidy was able to roll the it means a lot. It’s special.” same lines and pairings for a second straight game. Injuries and underperformance have forced the coach to juggle more than a circus MSG is one of the NHL’s crown jewels. Wednesday’s game was on the performer . . . Former Bruin Steve Kampfer has dressed for the Rangers national schedule of NBC Sports. Such circumstances could make it for the last five games. “He knows his limitations,” coach Alain Vigneault overwhelming for a normal teenager. said. “He’s not a big player, but skates well and he’s good on puck The Bruins, however, know that McAvoy is a prodigy. battles. Keeps it simple and doesn’t put himself in a lot of trouble.” . . . Anton Khudobin was the backup for Tuukka Rask. Khudobin had been “He’s from the area,” said coach Bruce Cassidy. “It’s a rivalry game, out of uniform since Oct. 28 because of a lower-body injury . . . Noel Madison Square Garden. So I imagine he’s going to be jacked to play Acciari (finger) could return Friday against Toronto. P.K. Subban cracked and get out there, as long as it doesn’t get too much ahead of him in that the fourth-liner’s finger with a slapper in the season opener . . . Austin regard. Czarnik played a team-low 7:22. The right wing was on the ice for both of Jimmy Vesey’s goals. “But I don’t think anything really does with Charlie. If it does, he’s able to reel it in quickly. I’m looking forward to seeing what he’s got tonight.” McAvoy played 23:43 in the 4-2 loss. He was on the ice for Pavel Boston Globe LOADED: 11.09.2017 Buchnevich’s opening goal and Rick Nash’s empty-netter. McAvoy missed on his lone shot attempt. McAvoy has settled into his role as Zdeno Chara’s right-hand man. The rookie spent most of his time matched against and Kevin Hayes, the Rangers’ top two centers. Part of McAvoy’s duties is to play physically against his opponents. He has been quick to do so. While Chara fends off attackers with his stick and reach, McAvoy has been eager to separate forwards from the puck. McAvoy blew up Minnesota’s Tyler Ennis Monday. Ennis came back at McAvoy later in the game and belted the defenseman. Earlier in the game, McAvoy absorbed a wallop from Marcus Foligno. He has no concerns about the rough stuff. “He doesn’t like to get drilled,” Cassidy said of Ennis. “No matter how big or small you are, you’ve got pride. So that part of it, there’ll be payback along the way. He’ll just have to accept that and know that people are coming for him. I think he’s fine with it. “He plays a lot of minutes, so he’s going to get hit. And he has the puck a lot, so he’s going to get hit. All those situations are going to put him in those spots. He’s just going to have to play with his head up and understand they’re coming for him. He’ll learn. He’s a quick learner.” In 2006, the Bruins and 29 other teams declined to spend draft capital on Kevan Miller. Eleven years later, the self-made Miller shares the same classification as Patrice Bergeron: alternate captain of the Bruins. He wore the “A” for the first time Monday. “That’s a tremendous honor,” said Miller, who was an undrafted free agent. “It’s something I don’t take very lightly. It’s a huge honor for me. But I think there’s a lot of guys in here without a letter that are just as big as leaders. “We pride ourselves on that as a team that, whether you wear a letter or not, you have a responsibility to be a leader on the team.” Miller is wearing the newly tailored uniform because of injuries to David Krejci (back), David Backes (colon), and Brad Marchand (upper body). But the 29-year-old also has qualities that every coach embraces: hard work, competitiveness, and a team-first approach, the latter of which Miller most recently proved on Oct. 30 by jumping Oliver Bjorkstrand after the Columbus forward dropped Torey Krug. 1082265 Boston Bruins

Homecoming for Charlie McAvoy as Bruins hope for winning streak

Steve Conroy Wednesday, November 08, 2017

NEW YORK — Believe it or not, the Bruins have not won two games in a row this season. They will attempt to forge their first winning streak when they play against a hot New York Rangers team at Madison Square Garden tonight. The Rangers started the season 3-7-2, but have ripped off four straight victories. The Blueshirts have one more point than the B's but have played three more games. Tonight will be a homecoming of sorts for Bruins rookie defenseman Charlie McAvoy, who grew up in Long Beach, NY, some 40 miles from Manhattan. “It's going to be really special. It's a game that I've been really looking forward to," said McAvoy. "My freshman year at BU I had a chance to play here and that was a very good memory for me. Any time you get to come home and play in a building like this, where you grew up going to games, it really means a lot." He could not put a number on how many friends and family will be in attendance. ”A good amount,” said McAvoy. “The support's been awesome. I've gotten a lot of texts from a lot of good family and friends. It means a lot to me when you get those texts and see everyone is cheering for me. A lot of Ranger fans turned Bruins fans tonight, which I appreciate. I'm excited." Coach Bruce Cassidy was looking for a big game from McAvoy, who seems to enjoy the big stage. “He's from the area, rivalry game, Madison Square Garden, so I imagine he's going to be jacked to play and get out there," said Cassidy. "As long as it doesn't get too far out ahead of him. But I don't think anything does with Charlie. If it does, he's able to reel it in quickly." The B's, who are 1-2-1 on the road with the one win coming against doormat Arizona, will go with the same lineup they had for their 5-3 win over the Wild on Monday. Noel Acciari traveled with the team but won't play tonight. There is a chance he could play Friday in Toronto.

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Bruins notebook: Brandon Carlo blossoms out of Zdeno Chara’s shadow

Steve Conroy Thursday, November 09, 2017

NEW YORK — Playing with Zdeno Chara can be a double-edged sword. On one hand, you’re facing the opponent’s top lines every night, a difficult challenge. On the other, you get to play with a 6-foot-9 security blanket who covers up a lot of mistakes and likely is headed to the Hall of Fame. While Charlie McAvoy is being shepherded this year by Chara, Brandon Carlo played with the captain almost exclusively last season. But recently he’s been playing with Torey Krug, perhaps the exact opposite player from Chara in size and style. And the 20-year-old Carlo is doing well away from his mentor. At plus-6, Carlo is one of only five Bruins players with a positive rating after last night’s 4-2 loss to the Rangers.

He had a rough game Oct. 21 against the Sabres, but he’s been solid since, compiling a plus-6 rating in his past seven games. His plus-6 is second on the team to Chara’s plus-8. “He should look at it as a compliment that he’s now on his own a little bit and bringing something to a different pair,” coach Bruce Cassidy said. “He had his tutelage under Z, and they’ll still be paired up from time to time. In general, it could seem like a demotion going from the first pair to the second, but I don’t think his minutes (19 per game) are that far off from where they were. His role certainly isn’t. He’s a big part of our (penalty kill), and he and Torey now have started to develop a chemistry, similar to Z and Charlie, just on opposite sides. So that’s a good thing for us.” Carlo indeed has taken the move as a positive. “I think it’s been really good so far. The aspect of (Krug) being more of an offensive guy is a really good complement for my defensive game,” Carlo said. “It’s been really fun playing with him. He’s a good option for me on most of the breakouts to move the puck to. I know he’s always going to be in those right positions. Last night was a homecoming for rookie Charlie McAvoy, who grew up in Long Beach, N.Y. “It’s going to be really special. It’s a game that I’ve really been looking forward to. My freshman year at BU, I had a chance to play here, and that was a very good memory for me,” said McAvoy, who had friends and family in attendance. “The support’s been awesome. . . . It means a lot to me when you get those texts and see everyone is cheering for me. A lot of Rangers fans turned Bruins fans tonight, which I appreciate.” McAvoy was on the ice for the Rangers’ first goal by Pavel Buchnevich and Rick Nash’s empty-netter, not exactly the performance he had in mind. There has been no confirmation from the NHL about the Barstool Sports report that the Bruins will play the Chicago Blackhawks at Notre Dame Stadium in the 2019 Winter Classic, but it’s certainly a cool idea. The league has been trying to give the Blackhawks a game at Notre Dame for years. One player who’d like to see it happen is the B’s Anders Bjork, a former Fighting Irish forward. “For a football game, it’s pretty cool,” Bjork said. Noel Acciari (finger) didn’t play last night but could be ready for tomorrow’s game in Toronto. . . .

Austin Czarnik (minus-2) played a team-low 7:22. . . .

Chara played his 834th game with the B’s, surpassing Dit Clapper for fourth-most in team history by a defenseman.

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Bruins come up short against Rangers

Steve Conroy Wednesday, November 08, 2017

NEW YORK—The Bruins had their chances to come away with at least a point Wednesday night at Madison Square Garden, but they again could not overcome a bad first period and fell, 4-2, to the New York Rangers. Jimmy Vesey scored two goals in 29 seconds in the first to give the Rangers a two-goal lead and the B’s never fully recovered. After falling behind 3-1 in the first, the B’s did have their chances to climb back in the game but could not take advantage. They were shut out on three power-play opportunitie, and at 6:36 of the third, Patrice Bergeron was robbed by Henrik Lundqvist. But just seconds after Lundqvist’s thievery, Bergeron did score when he somehow was able to turn around with a man on him and fire a low shot past Lundqvist to draw the B’s to within a goal with 13:16 left to play. The B’s got another power play chance with 7:36 left in regulation but had to forfeit it 38 seconds later when they lost a couple of battles along the boards and David Pastrnak took a hooking penalty on Rick Nash. Tuukka Rask was pulled for an extra skater with about a minute left, but Nash scored an empty net goal with 7.7 seconds left.

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Morning Skate: Sinden happy to see Jacobs headed to Hall

By Joe Haggerty November 08, 2017 4:08 PM

NEW YORK - Here are all the links from around the hockey world, and what I’m reading, while happy to be friends with New York City, even if I don’t "heart" New York like the sign says at the airport when you land. *Good piece from FOH (Friend of Haggs) Dave Stubbs on Harry Sinden happy that his longtime boss, Jeremy Jacobs is getting recognized by the Hockey Hall of Fame. Sinden was the face of Jacobs ownership in Boston for a long, long time and together they put a lot of playoff teams on the ice year in and year out, even if the Cups didn’t follow in the late 1970’s, 1980’s or 1990’s as well. *Roberto Luongo talks to my good buddy Chuck Gormley about his Italian heritage, his Twitter following and other things, but I’m not sure they got to the tire pumping. *Apparently, the Toronto Maple Leafs were messing with the signage at one of their road arenas, and it’s caused a ripple with the hockey people in Canada. *PHT writer James O’Brien has Washington Capitals backup goalie Philipp Grubauer dropping F-bombs after losing another game this season. *There isn’t much to dislike about Colton Parayko’s game, but his five-on- five numbers haven’t really lived up to the hype thus far. *For something completely different: Count me as bummed if the whole “Dark Universe” thing doesn’t happen. I actually liked the Mummy and thought they were on the right track with the whole shared monster universe thing.

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Bruins' Acciari out tonight vs Rangers, could play this weekend

By Joe Haggerty November 08, 2017 2:32 PM

NEW YORK – Noel Acciari will miss his 13th consecutive game for the Bruins as he recovers from a broken finger that required a plate and six screws to fix, but it looks like the hard-hitting fourth-liner will return this weekend against the Toronto Maple Leafs. "It feels good to be back with the guys and to be a part of the team again," said Acciari. "The tough part is always the waiting part, but everything feels good right now. It's just about getting down the shot and the stride, and to start being hard on pucks again." Acciari, 25, took part in the morning skate Wednesday at Madison Square Garden, but won’t play against the Rangers tonight after skating with the Bruins the past few days. After going through all the preparations as if Acciari might play in New York, however, Bruins coach Bruce Cassidy said he should be ready to play either Friday or Saturday in the home-and-home Atlantic Division rivalry series against the Maple Leafs. “Noel is day-to-day and won’t be in tonight obviously with the same lineup [as the win over Minnesota], but we’re shooting for Friday, and if not then Saturday. He’s that close,” said Cassidy. “It’s kind of a last little home stretch here for him [before he plays].” Acciari played just 4:42 of ice time opening night against the Nashville Predators before blocking a shot with his hand that shattered his finger. The real question is which Bruins player is going to get taken out of the lineup to make room for Acciari? Many of their bottom-six skaters are playing their best hockey of the season. Tim Schaller is coming off the first multi-point game of his NHL career against the Minnesota Wild on Monday night, Sean Kuraly has goals in two of his past three games, Frank Vatrano ended a 25-game goal-scoring drought with a score vs. Minnesota and Matt Beleskey delivered the kind of high-energy, belligerent game that the Bruins have been waiting to see all year out of him. Perhaps it might be Austin Czarnik, who has just one assist in three games and a minus-1 rating over that time period, but the diminutive forward has also played pretty decently since his AHL recall as well. With Providence College alum Acciari's coming shortly, here are the projected line combos and D-pairs tonigiht vs. the Rangers based on morning skate:

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Bergeron hoping Paille is okay after vicious hit in Europe

By Joe Haggerty November 08, 2017 2:13 PM

NEW YORK – Patrice Bergeron and Daniel Paille were good buddies and binge TV partners on road trips during their long tenure as Bruins teammates, so the Bruins center is hoping the former B’s fourth-liner is okay after taking a vicious hit while playing in Europe. Paille, 33, is playing this season for Brynas IF in the Swedish Elite League and was matched up against German League powerhouse Mannheim on Monday when he was brutally blindsided by former Colgate University defenseman Thomas Larkin. The 6-foot-6, 220-pound Larkin didn’t appear to be making any kind of a play on the puck in the closing minutes, and instead became a human missile aimed at blowing up a vulnerable, unsuspecting Paille without the puck. Paille didn’t move after getting hit and had to eventually be helped off the ice by trainers in the beginning of a Gong Show final couple of minutes in the Champions Hockey League game. Paille had some concussion issues toward the end of his run with the Bruins, so his former teammate and good friend was pretty concerned about him after viewing the video. “I haven’t heard back from him yet, but I hope that he’s okay. It was really tough to watch seeing him get hit like that, and you just wonder what the thinking was [behind the hit],” said Bergeron, who had his own career almost derailed by a vicious head shot from Randy Jones back in the 2007-08 season. “It was tough to tell from the video whether it was a shoulder or it was all contact to the head, but you hate to see those things either way. I just hope Paill-sy is okay.” Bergeron said he had texted Paille to see if he was okay but hadn’t heard back as of Tuesday morning following the Bruins morning skate at Madison Square Garden. Obviously, the hope is that the former Merlot Line member is okay and he can get back to a role with his Swedish League team that saw him post 17 goals and 35 points in 65 games last season after failing to hook on with an NHL team.

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Beleskey brings energy to a Bruins team in need of it

By Joe Haggerty November 08, 2017 12:26 PM

BRIGHTON, Mass – It wasn’t a hat trick or a dominant performance at the offensive end of the ice, but Matt Beleskey showed he’s still got some fight to his game when given a chance. Beleskey finished with a strong three shots on net and a couple of hits in the Bruins' 5-3 victory over the Minnesota Wild Monday night at TD Garden, but it was the rugged way he posted those stats that mattered the most to the Black and Gold. Beleskey brought energy from his very first shift and gave a nice boost to the Bruins after they jumped on the Wild with the early lead. Beleskey and Matthew Dumba looked like they were going to drop the gloves and square off after the veteran Bruins winger started a little static with the big-bodied D-man, but instead rookie Luke Kunin stepped in to fight Beleskey at the last minute. Beleskey dropped Kunin with a couple of big right hands, and then waved his hands up in the air to get the home crowd going as he skated to the penalty box with a big grin on his face. The sequence allowed the Bruins to keep powering through with the momentum they’d built after a strong start and it gave the Beleskey the hard-nosed, blue-collar impact he’s been looking to make as a bottom-six winger this season. “I’m definitely feeling better out there. Skating better. It’s confidence and it’s building, so that’s what I’m trying to do,” said Beleskey. “Just keep working, stick to the process and hopefully, you know, hopefully, start getting a couple bounces, but I think when I’m playing defensively sound it’s easier for Butch [Bruce Cassidy] to keep me on the ice. get into the game, and if I can get people out of their seats that’s a good thing.” Beleskey, 29, doesn’t have any points yet and any kind of offensive breakthrough hasn’t arrived for him nine games into the season. Still, Beleskey is at least flexing some muscle and playing with a little tough- guy swagger with David Backes out of the lineup. Those qualities can’t ever be ignored into a Bruins uniform as long as he can continue to keep up with the ever-increasing speed of the game. “Matt did a good job all around the ice. He was really solid defensively, you know he’s getting pucks behind [the Minnesota] defenseman and he’s another guy that had missed some games so he wants to prove that he belongs in there every night,” said Bruce Cassidy. “That’s a great attitude for those guys instead of worrying about other stuff, they just went out when their number was called and played and played hard. “So. good job for Matt [Beleskey] and that’s something that he can do for us. He has that ability, when the abrasive play starts, he can answer the bell.” Beleskey answered the bell against Minnesota for an undermanned Bruins and the hope is that he can keep right on doing it for the Black and Gold after a very disappointing season last year.

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Bruins fall behind early, lose to Rangers, 4-2

By Joe Haggerty November 08, 2017 10:45 PM

NEW YORK CITY – Once again the Bruins had an awful start coming out of the gate on the road, and it again cost them when it was all said and done. The Bruins gave up three goals in the first period while getting dominated around the front of the net, and ultimately fell by a 4-2 score to the New York Rangers at Madison Square Garden after a late comeback attempt. The loss dropped the Black and Gold to 1-3-1 on the road this season, and continues a string of bad first periods for the Bruins when they hit the road with their injury-depleted, youthful hockey club. Jimmy Vesey scored a pair of goals to double his season output by camping right in front of the net looking for loose pucks, and Pavel Buchnevich blew past Zdeno Chara for New York’s first goal of the game to open things up. David Pastrnak followed the Blueshirts’ first goal with a score of his own camped in front just 21 seconds later to tie the score at 1-1, but then Vesey and the hard-hat Rangers got to work grinding in front of the Boston net. That’s the way the score remained until the third period when Patrice Bergeron outmuscled Ryan McDonagh in front for a 50/50 puck, spun and then fired past Henrik Lundqvist to get the Bruins to within one score in the third period. They continued making a push after that, but King Henrik stood tall and stopped 30-of-32 shots en route to the victory for the Rangers in another one-goal game between the two Eastern Conference rivals. Rick Nash eventually iced it with the empty net goal in the final seconds to hand the Bruins a loss they never really deserved to win at any point.

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McAvoy 'really excited' for homecoming against Rangers

By Joe Haggerty November 08, 2017 6:11 PM

NEW YORK CITY – Charlie McAvoy is always at his best in the big moments, so the sky is the limit for Wednesday night’s game at Madison Square Garden against the New York Rangers team he rooted for as a hockey-loving kid. The 19-year-old kid has played at MSG a couple of times before, as a youth hockey player and a couple of years ago as a freshman for Boston University, but it will be a whole different level against the Blueshirts with a countless number of friends, family and Rangers fans ready for a solid rivalry game. McAvoy is counting on a few more Black and Gold converts in the MSG crowd based on the group he’s bringing to the game. “It’s going to be really special. It’s a game that I’ve really been looking forward to. Anytime you get to come home and play in a building that you grew up going to games, it really means a lot. I’m excited for tonight,” said McAvoy. “I don’t know if I can put a number on how many [friend and family] are coming, but the support has been awesome. I’ve had a lot of texts from good family and friends, and it means a lot to me. “A lot of Rangers are going to be turning Bruins fans tonight, which I appreciate. I’m really, really excited.” The big stage at MSG might be a bit of a concern for most rookies just a month into their NHL career, but McAvoy has already proven in his brief Bruins career that he’s not “most rookies” while playing to exceptionally high standards. In just a month’s time he’s become a big part of the top defenseman pairing with Zdeno Chara, he’s only the rookie in the entire NHL averaging over 20 minutes of ice time per game and he’s also kicked in plenty of offense from the back end with a goal and eight points in 13 games this season. Given all of that, Bruins head coach Bruce Cassidy is actually interested to see what McAvoy will bring to the table against the Rangers team he adored growing up, and in front of his family and friends in a big event- type setting. More than being interested, he’s actually looking forward to it rather than concerned it might be too much for the first-year phenom. “He’s from the area and it’s a rivalry game at Madison Square Garden. I’d imagine he’s going to be jacked to play, and get out there as long as he doesn’t too much ahead of himself in that regard,” said Cassidy. “I don’t think it really does with Charlie, but even if it does he’s able to reel it in quickly. So I’m looking forward to seeing what he’s got tonight.” The idea of McAvoy having a little extra vs. the Rangers above and beyond the considerable level he’s already shown this season should have everybody excited to see what No. 73 is capable of in front of a national NBCSN audience at famed MSG.

Comcast SportsNet.com LOADED: 11.09.2017 1082274 Buffalo Sabres

Sabres Notebook: Eichel knows he needs to shoot more

By Amy Moritz | Published Wed, Nov 8, 2017 | Updated Wed, Nov 8, 2017

After the media scrum had left his locker Tuesday night, Jack Eichel said out loud, to no one in particular, "I need to shoot the puck more." It's been a theme for the 21-year-old Buffalo Sabres forward, blessed with offensive hockey talent. But sometimes, he overpasses, tries to be a playmaker, when the better course of action was probably a simple shot on goal. "I think I need to learn to shoot the puck. I think our fans are getting a little sick of me trying to pass it," Eichel told the group of reporters at his stall after the Sabres defeated the Washington Capitals, 3-1, in KeyBank Center. Eichel did not practice on Wednesday as he and Evander Kane were given "maintenance" days. Eichel has scored his four goals on 46 shots this season. That's an 8.7 shooting percentage. He does lead the Sabres with 10 assists in his 15 games. "One thing that Jack does really well is he's a very confident person with the puck," Sabres coach Phil Housley said. "He handles it well, and he creates his own opportunities and chances for his linemates. I'd like to see him shoot more, especially on the two-on-ones. He's got a terrific shot. I know he's an unselfish player in that regard, but sometimes you'd like to see him shoot more." So how do you get a player to shoot more? "It's just constant reminders," Housley said. "You don't have to pick the corner every time. There's opportunity to do that. There's opportunity to try and create a rebound and a second chance. But we have to keep reinforcing that message." While Eichel and Kane were missing, the Sabres did have three players back practicing — defensemen Josh Gorges and Nathan Beaulieu and forward Justin Bailey. Gorges said he feels ready to go after his lower body injury kept him out for eight games. Beaulieu, who missed seven games with an upper body injury, was more guarded in the timetable for his return. "The thing about hockey players is about 99 percent of them never play at 100 percent," Beaulieu said. "All I can say is that I'm progressing in the right direction. We're going to try and take it one day at a time. Pretty fortunate that I get two good practices in here." The defender would love to be ready for Saturday's game in Montreal where he played five seasons. The Canadiens traded him to the Sabres over the summer. "I've had that game circled for a while," Beaulieu said. "But I've got to understand it's a long season and I don't want to rush anything. Obviously that would be great if I could get back by then, but I don't want to risk myself to be out any longer." The Sabres power play went 0 for 4 in Tuesday's win and remains one of the three worst units in the NHL. The Sabres rank 29 out of 31 teams with a power play that's converting 11.5 percent of the time (6 for 52). "The philosophy is just stick with it," Housley said. "There's going to be teams that are going to go through stretches like this during the season where they're doing a lot of good things and they're not getting rewarded for it. "I think we've just got to continue to hammer the message of just shooting pucks and keeping it very simple and basic. When we do have our shots, it's the shot selection. It's a combination of different things. We're not getting the net-front presence or we're shooting it from the outside. We need to work on shooting pucks and trying to get people in front of the goaltender."

Buffalo News LOADED: 11.09.2017 1082275 Buffalo Sabres Buffalo News LOADED: 11.09.2017 Hard effort earns Sabres a light practice

By Amy Moritz | Published Wed, Nov 8, 2017 | Updated Wed, Nov 8, 2017

It was a light practice that lasted 30 minutes in KeyBank Center Wednesday morning. Jack Eichel and Evander Kane didn't even skate, earning a maintenance day after Tuesday's 3-1 win over the Washington Capitals. Overall, the guys were tired. And that's a good thing. That's how bodies are supposed to feel after a win — a little bit spent. It's another step in the right direction as the Sabres look to turn the corner on a disappointing start. "Guys are tired today as they should be," Sabres forward Kyle Okposo said. "That's how it feels to win. That's how we've got to play to win." "You can tell everyone left it out there," Ryan O'Reilly added. "That's what we wanted. We have to get that mentality all the time." The lighter on-ice practice was a kind of reward for the consistent effort the team showed in Tuesday's win. With two days between games, Sabres head coach Phil Housley had that option and said the coaches spent some time in the locker room before practice, reinforcing what the players did right and correcting what can be better. But nothing really takes the place of that all-out effort. "It's a tough league. The parity right now is tighter than it's ever been and anybody can beat anybody, so you have to realize how hard you have to work to get the result," Housley said. "Last night the guys really made a choice to work hard away from the puck. It just seems the more you do that, the more you have it. And it does take hard work, especially the reloading part, coming back into our zone and defending well. "There's going to be times during the game where you're going to have to defend, but I thought we did a really good job of closing and battling and competing in that area," Housley said. "It takes a lot of wear and tear, but you come back the next day and you feel a lot better after a win, obviously than a loss. But we have to get back to work. We have a lot of work ahead of us, still." No one is sounding the victory horn just yet. The Sabres have not arrived. But Tuesday's game was a complete effort, most notably the defensive game from the team's forwards. After the win, goaltender Robin Lehner said it was the best defensive game the forwards had played all season. Wednesday, he expanded on that sentiment, noting the Sabres kept odd- man rushes at bay and that the centers, particularly O'Reilly and Eichel, were key at breaking up passes in the defensive zone. "I don't think we had an odd-man rush yesterday. Just every forward really was fighting to get back, back checking, tracking back well," Lehner said. "I think a lot of the big defensive plays that were broken up came from our forwards and especially our centers. I think (Washington) tried to go cross-ice and I think especially Ryan and Eichel did a really good job of taking away some passes. I thought all forwards did, but I think Eichel took away between two to four Grade-A chances with being in the right spot and a good stick. It was really good to see. I think it was a great two-way game." Being in the right spot with the right energy. It's about mentality. And it's about following the game plan. Tuesday's win was good to see, but Lehner explained it also was a bit frustrating. "I think we were good in all three periods," Lehner said. "I had to make some saves, but it wasn't many and as I said there were no odd-man rushes yesterday which is how the good teams do it. Once in a while you get an odd-man rush on a mistake or a bad break, but we've been giving away odd-man rushes because we haven't followed our game plan. And yesterday we followed our game plan. "It's so nice and also frustrating to see because when we play like this, we're just a hell of a hockey team I think. But then we get away from it. I just really hope we all understand that's the way we've got to play." The Sabres next play back-to-back games this weekend, hosting the Florida Panthers at 7 p.m. Friday in KeyBank Center before flying to Montreal to take on the Canadiens on Saturday. 1082276 Calgary Flames “And usually in this sport … In other walks of life, it may takes weeks. It’s usually a couple hours or a day or so and you’re throwing them back and forth. You certainly see that now with our group.” Jagr takes barbs with pride from Flames teammates Bartkowski agreed this is old news: “It’s actually a quick transition. Every guy has a certain bit of awe in him — maybe the older guys not as much — but it takes maybe a day, Jags goes about his business, you talk to Wes Gilbertson him a little bit, he tells a joke, and it’s like, ‘Oh, you’re here to play hockey too, huh?’ It’s not like he’s a god walking in here.” Published on: November 8, 2017 | Last Updated: November 8, 2017 5:30 PM MST A god, no. But he is a slam-dunk to be enshrined in the Hockey Hall of Fame, a five- time winner of the NHL’s scoring race and the closest to uncatchable It is the universal sign of acceptance in any hockey locker-room — the Wayne Gretzky on the all-time point charts. chirp. “We call him The G.O.A.T. here and there,” said Flames alternate captain And the Calgary Flames certainly want Jaromir Jagr to feel welcome, so Troy Brouwer. “We have some good laughs. We give him a little bit of a not even the highest-scoring right-winger in NHL history is exempt from hard time. He’s just one of the guys.” this friendly fire.

“I feel like more and more guys are taking cracks at him,” said backup goaltender and chatterbox Eddie Lack with a grin. “I usually take one a Calgary Herald: LOADED: 11.09.2017 day, at least. “I don’t really have a filter, so I just try to be myself around everyone. I mean, obviously (Jagr) has done such a tremendous amount for the sport. But once you get in this room, I just feel like he is one of the guys.” Just one of the guys. That’s precisely how the 45-year-old Jagr wants to be described. “At first, he was a big presence in our locker room, and why wouldn’t he be?” said Flames head coach Glen Gulutzan of Jagr, who returned to action in Tuesday’s 5-3 loss to the Vancouver Canucks after missing six straight contests with a groin injury. “But he has a real fun-loving, positive personality, and the guys are realizing, ‘Hey, this is just a good teammate.’ He wants to win. He cares about the guys. He wants to help out. He’s funny. So the awe factor has gone away. “He doesn’t like the awe part, either. He wants the uncomfortable stuff to get over with and maybe have the boys start ribbing him a little bit. He likes that. Remember, this is a hockey player, right? So he doesn’t want anybody bowing down to him. He wants to get ribbed a little bit, and that’s happening in there now.” Perhaps while the players were still in tip-toe mode around the long- haired legend, Flames assistant coach Martin Gelinas is credited with an early zinger. The Flames, on this particular day, were practising at the Stampede Corral, home of big-league hockey in Calgary until the Saddledome opened in 1983. The skaters and staff were traipsing toward the ol’ Corral when Gelinas quipped, “Hey Jags, how many games did you play here?” Good one. For any sharp-tongued teammates, Jagr’s age is the most obvious target for a good-natured barb. Lack, for example, was boasting after a practice about an old-school pad stack, teasing that No. 68 must recall the days that technique was more prevalent. A month after Jagr arrived at the Saddledome on a one-year contract, other Flames said they love picking his brain but have yet to deliver any digs. Defenceman Matt Bartkowski, briefly his teammate with the Boston Bruins during the lockout-shortened campaign and now his neighbour in the Flames locker room, has a rule of thumb. “I’ve given a couple to him,” Bartkowski said. “I mean, he’ll give one to me, and then I’ll give one back. But I don’t know if I’d initiate it.” No problem, because Jagr will dish out the occasional wisecrack, too. After Johnny Gaudreau equalled his career-high with a four-point outburst, the aging superstar casually mentioned that his personal-best is seven. Apparently, he joked — or maybe he wasn’t joking? — that he was benched for the third period that night. “I always think the good litmus test is when everybody starts yapping each other, and you hear that now,” said Flames general manager Brad Treliving. “When you’re an older guy like Jaromir and the guys are making fun of your age and they’re giving you shots and he’s giving shots back, then you know. 1082277 Calgary Flames

Playmaking Gaudreau needs to keep foes honest by shooting

Wes Gilbertson Published on: November 8, 2017 | Last Updated: November 8, 2017 6:18 PM MST

Guy Gaudreau didn’t want to raise a puck-hog. And nobody is accusing his son of that. “My dad, growing up, actually I watched him get more assists than goals,” said Calgary Flames left-winger Johnny Gaudreau. “He’s been coaching me for 15-20 years growing up, and he always said, ‘Assists are more important than goals.’ Still to this day, I think he believes that.” He must be proud of his boy then, because Johnny Gaudreau currently ranks among the NHL’s most generous teammates, having racked up 15 assists in as many contests so far this fall. Heading into Wednesday’s action around the league, only two other helping hands — Tampa Bay Lightning stud Steven Stamkos and Winnipeg Jets captain — had provided more setups. Thing is, with his proud parents in attendance at the Saddledome, Gaudreau reminded during Tuesday’s 5-3 loss to the Vancouver Canucks that he remains a threat to score, too. He fired five shots on net, his highest total of this season. He found the back of the net with one, whistling a low wrister through traffic and past Canucks netminder Jacob Markstrom for a second-period power-play strike. “I just had the looks,” Gaudreau said with a shrug after Wednesday’s practice at the Saddledome, a prep session for Thursday’s home-ice meeting with the Detroit Red Wings (7 p.m., Sportsnet Flames/Sportsnet 960 The Fan). “If I see a pass, I’m gonna pass. If I see a shot, I’m gonna shoot. Last night, the shots were there. I had a couple really good looks. In the second period, I was just walking in Broadway there and (Markstrom) made a nice save on me. “So I was just having a lot of looks for shots, but when the pass is there, I’m definitely going to pass, too.” That’s fine. As long as he doesn’t always pass. That’s been the message from his bosses, who want to ensure the star playmaker isn’t predictable for opponents. Plus, this guy can pick corners. Gaudreau scored a career-best 30 goals as a sophomore but managed just 18 lamp-lightings last winter. Now 24, he is currently running third among Flames with four snipes this season, trailing only his first-line sidekicks Sean Monahan (8) and Micheal Ferland (5) on a team desperate for some production from their depth forwards. “This game now in this league has really become a shot-mentality game. Your chances are almost double to score off a rebound, so you have to shoot,” said Flames head coach Glen Gulutzan. “And when you’re as good a playmaker as Johnny is, if you shoot the puck, it opens up everything else. I thought that after his first power-play (Tuesday) where he shot and it went in, he had a lot of opportunity to make some plays after that. So you have to establish your shot, and that’s one thing we’ve talked with all our players about. “Johnny is one of those guys that when you’re that good of a playmaker, you need to shoot the puck, too, to keep the other guys honest. It opens things up after that.”

Calgary Herald: LOADED: 11.09.2017 1082278 Calgary Flames “Once a break happens, then it’s over,” said Gilmour, 54, who spoke of the power of mind over matter in times like these.

“Back in some of my games when I had the flu or something and knew Bennett gets backing of mentor Gilmour going into the game I didn’t have my legs, for some reason you’d come out of that game with maybe a goal and an assist and you played really well because your brain is working because your body isn’t. Other nights, ERIC FRANCISERIC FRANCIS your brain is not there, but your legs are going and you’re chasing the puck all night.” Published on: November 8, 2017 | Last Updated: November 8, 2017 4:39 PM MST Bennett is chasing alright. For Bennett’s sake, let’s hope he doesn’t experiment with the flu in an effort to turn it all around. Doug Gilmour was unaware one of his most prized students was going through such professional torment. At this point, you can bet he’s willing to try anything. In the midst of an exhaustive book tour that has had him on the road for a Something Gilmour knows all about. month, the man they call ‘Killer’ has yet to see Calgary Flames forward Sam Bennett struggle through the 2017-18 season. So when told the kid who scored 115 points in his last 68 games with Calgary Herald: LOADED: 11.09.2017 Gilmour’s OHL Kingston Frontenacs was pointless in all 15 Flames games thus far, he admitted the news was hard to believe. “That shocks me,” said Gilmour, who is still GM of the Frontenacs. “I just know his compete level, and I’m sure he’s frustrated, and I’m sure he’s trying to do too much. As a player I know it’s a cliché, but ‘less is more.’ “He’ll come out of it. I know it’s going to affect him mentally because he’s such a strong-willed kid and he wants to succeed, so he’ll come through it.” Gilmour took Bennett ninth overall in the 2012 Ontario Hockey League draft after scouting him alongside Connor McDavid on a stacked Toronto Marlboros team. It gave Bennett an instant mentor who he pays tribute to by wearing a No. 93 jersey Gilmour wore after leaving the Calgary Flames. While the two have had limited communication of late, outside of a fluke summertime visit, the large heart Gilmour exhibited as a player bleeds for the 21-year-old. “I’ve been there,” said Gilmour, who won a Stanley Cup with the Flames in 1989 as part of a 20-year NHL career that saw him record almost a point per game over his 1,656-game career with seven teams. “You go through these issues sometimes. I went through 10 or 11 games without a point, and you struggle mentally with it. It’s a frustrating process, and it gets to you. “Obviously you want to play well for your peers, management and your fans, and when you don’t have anything on the sheet, that’s when – more than ever – you can’t worry about the points – the points will come. Your work ethic has to be doing it at the right times and right places.” To Bennett’s credit, his inability to contribute offensively this season, and in previous years, hasn’t stemmed from a lack of trying. As a physical player who also kills penalties, Bennett is still able to contribute in other ways, which is why Gilmour isn’t concerned he’ll turn things around. “I love the kid,” said Gilmour, who will be in Calgary later this month to sign his autobiography Killer – My Life in Hockey. “He competes. He did everything for our hockey club. I wish I could have had him a couple years ago when they kept him (in Calgary) because we had a pretty good hockey club and he would have made it that much better.” Weighing in on the city-wide debate over whether Bennett should play wing or up the middle, Gilmour said the day Bennett arrived in Kingston, Frontenacs head coach Todd Gill turned him into a centre, where he thrived. “He played both (positions) growing up, but obviously with the Marlies team, he was playing left wing with Connor McDavid so he was kind of overshadowed,” said Gilmour of the third-year Flames forward who was chosen fourth overall in the 2014 NHL Draft. “In hindsight, you’d probably take him second or third overall (in the OHL draft). From the time Todd moved him into the middle, he just took off.” That’s exactly what Flames fans are waiting for now – a launching point much like Bennett’s memorable four-goal effort two years back, which came one game after he scored to end an 18-game goal drought in which he had just one assist. 1082279 Calgary Flames

GameDay: Red Wings at Flames

Wes Gilbertson Published on: November 8, 2017 | Last Updated: November 8, 2017 6:19 PM MST

THE BIG MATCHUP Mike Smith vs. Petr Mrazek Smith has looked super-human for much of this season, but the Flames puck-stopping stalwart has been shelled for nine goals over his past two starts. All his fault? Surely not, but the 35-year-old Smith could be due for one of those bounce-back, you-can’t-beat-me sort of performances. At the other end will be Mrazek, marking the fifth time in a six-game stretch that the Flames have been firing at a backup goalie. The 25-year-old Mrazek delivered a 36-save earlier this week against the Oilers and has a stingy stat-line in three career matchups with the Flames. FIVE STORYLINES FOR THE GAME 1. FIRST LINE ON FIRE It’s been a heck of a homestand for the Flames’ top forward line. Johnny Gaudreau continues to pile up points, with two goals and five assists in five outings so far during this extended run at the Saddledome, while Micheal Ferland and Sean Monahan have scored three apiece over that same stretch. Together, Gaudreau (7), Monahan (6) and Ferland (5) have combined for 18 points during the first five dates of this seven-game stay. The rest of the Flames? Fourteen points, between all of them. 2. SNAKEBITTEN SAM It seems unfair to pick on one guy when all of the Flames’ should-be secondary scorers are shooting blanks, but this is an especially scary stat — Sam Bennett has now crested 200 minutes of icetime this season without mustering a single point. Bennett has logged 47 minutes more than any other NHL forward with zeroes on stat-sheet. Beyond Bennett, Flyers winger Michael Raffl (153:42) and Flames teammate Matt Stajan (142:21) are next among the … uh … leaders in point-less playing time. 3. RED WINGS ROLLING Winners of four of their past five, the Red Wings are shooting to sweep this three-game tour of Western Canada after a shutout in Edmonton and a squeaker in Vancouver. Left-winger Tomas Tatar provided the late- game heroics in Monday’s 3-2 victory over the Canucks, snapping out of seven-game funk when he scored the go-ahead goal with just 1:14 remaining in regulation. That marked 200 points for Tatar at NHL level. 4. SHOOTOUT SUCCESS The Flames will want to end Thursday’s date in 65 minutes or less. The Wings have been victorious in their past dozen shootouts, a streak that dates back to February 2016 and sets a new standard for consecutive wins when a breakaway competition is required. It doesn’t hurt that they have Frans Nielsen on their side. He currently shares the NHL record for both career shootout goals (45) and shootout clinchers (20). 5. WAIT, THERE’S MORE … The Flames won both meetings last season, each by a 3-2 count … After Tuesday’s 5-3 defeat to the Canucks, the Saddledome-dwellers have slipped below .500 on home ice, with a 4-5-0 record in friendly territory. The Wings are 6-5-0 on the road … Detroit’s leading attackers are RW Anthony Mantha (7 G) and C Dylan Larkin (14 P).

Calgary Herald: LOADED: 11.09.2017 1082280 Calgary Flames

Flames activate Jaromir Jagr off IR, send down Tanner Glass

Kristen Odland, Postmedia Published on: November 7, 2017 | Last Updated: November 7, 2017 9:34 PM MST

The news of the day, of course, was the first topic of Glen Gulutzan’s morning skate media scrum. “Jags is coming in today,” said the Calgary Flames head coach about No. 68, who has one of the most popular jersey sales in the city at the moment. “We hit our target with when we thought he’d come back.” After missing the previous six games with a lower body injury — read: groin — the 45-year-old living legend will return to face the Vancouver Canucks at the Scotiabank Saddledome. With the re-activation of Jagr from the injured reserve, Tanner Glass was dispatched to the after clearing waivers earlier Tuesday morning. Jagr will skate on a line with Sam Bennett and Mark Jankowski which, to put in perspective, gives them 1,979 career points between the three of them. Jankowski has zero. Bennett has 63. And Jagr accounts for 1,916 of them. “I talked to Janks this morning about playing with Jags and it can be intimidating for a young guy to play with such a player,” Gulutzan said. “I talked to Jags about it too. He’s going to talk to Janks as well. Hey, this isn’t a guy who slaps his stick for the puck — he just wants you to play hockey and make the right play. If that’s the shot, take the shot. Just trying to let Janks play a little more freely there and play his game. When you put smart players together, you let them do their thing.” Jagr returns to the group at a good time, during a three-game win streak on home ice. Talk about home cookin’. Meanwhile, Sean Monahan has five of his eight goals at the Saddledome this season while Micheal Ferland has three of his four markers at Calgary. Johnny Gaudreau is among the NHL’s top-five in scoring with three goals and 15 assists for 18 points. The Flames are still searching for their secondary scoring tonight versus the Vancouver Canucks, who just dropped a 3-2 decision to the Detroit Red Wings. Only Kris Versteeg has two goals among the bottom eight forwards. But back to Jagr who, given his age and the fact he rushed into the 2017- 18 season with no training camp, had to exercise caution in returning to the ice. “I didn’t feel any pain so I wanted to try it and play,” he said. “We’ll see what happens. I’m a little bit scared as to not injure it again. That would be kind of sad, especially on a new team. It wasn’t the way I planned it … it’s kind of frustrating.”

Calgary Herald: LOADED: 11.09.2017 1082281 Calgary Flames “And usually in this sport … In other walks of life, it may takes weeks. It’s usually a couple hours or a day or so and you’re throwing them back and forth. You certainly see that now with our group.” Wisecracking teammates ensure Jagr feels like 'one of the guys' with Bartkowski agreed this is old news: “It’s actually a quick transition. Every Flames guy has a certain bit of awe in him — maybe the older guys not as much — but it takes maybe a day, Jags goes about his business, you talk to him a little bit, he tells a joke, and it’s like, ‘Oh, you’re here to play hockey Wes Gilbertson too, huh?’ It’s not like he’s a god walking in here.” November 8, 2017 A god, no. But he is a slam-dunk to be enshrined in the Hockey Hall of Fame, a five- time winner of the NHL’s scoring race and the closest to uncatchable It is the universal sign of acceptance in any hockey locker-room — the Wayne Gretzky on the all-time point charts. chirp. “We call him The G.O.A.T. here and there,” said Flames alternate captain And the Calgary Flames certainly want Jaromir Jagr to feel welcome, so Troy Brouwer. “We have some good laughs. We give him a little bit of a not even the highest-scoring right-winger in NHL history is exempt from hard time. He’s just one of the guys.” this friendly fire.

“I feel like more and more guys are taking cracks at him,” said backup goaltender and chatterbox Eddie Lack with a grin. “I usually take one a Calgary Sun: LOADED: 11.09.2017 day, at least. “I don’t really have a filter, so I just try to be myself around everyone. I mean, obviously (Jagr) has done such a tremendous amount for the sport. But once you get in this room, I just feel like he is one of the guys.” Just one of the guys. That’s precisely how the 45-year-old Jagr wants to be described. “At first, he was a big presence in our locker room, and why wouldn’t he be?” said Flames head coach Glen Gulutzan of Jagr, who returned to action in Tuesday’s 5-3 loss to the Vancouver Canucks after missing six straight contests with a groin injury. “But he has a real fun-loving, positive personality, and the guys are realizing, ‘Hey, this is just a good teammate.’ He wants to win. He cares about the guys. He wants to help out. He’s funny. So the awe factor has gone away. “He doesn’t like the awe part, either. He wants the uncomfortable stuff to get over with and maybe have the boys start ribbing him a little bit. He likes that. Remember, this is a hockey player, right? So he doesn’t want anybody bowing down to him. He wants to get ribbed a little bit, and that’s happening in there now.” Perhaps while the players were still in tip-toe mode around the long- haired legend, Flames assistant coach Martin Gelinas is credited with an early zinger. The Flames, on this particular day, were practising at the Stampede Corral, home of big-league hockey in Calgary until the Saddledome opened in 1983. The skaters and staff were traipsing toward the ol’ Corral when Gelinas quipped, “Hey Jags, how many games did you play here?” Good one. For any sharp-tongued teammates, Jagr’s age is the most obvious target for a good-natured barb. Lack, for example, was boasting after a practice about an old-school pad stack, teasing that No. 68 must recall the days that technique was more prevalent. A month after Jagr arrived at the Saddledome on a one-year contract, other Flames said they love picking his brain but have yet to deliver any digs. Defenceman Matt Bartkowski, briefly his teammate with the Boston Bruins during the lockout-shortened campaign and now his neighbour in the Flames locker room, has a rule of thumb. “I’ve given a couple to him,” Bartkowski said. “I mean, he’ll give one to me, and then I’ll give one back. But I don’t know if I’d initiate it.” No problem, because Jagr will dish out the occasional wisecrack, too. After Johnny Gaudreau equalled his career-high with a four-point outburst, the aging superstar casually mentioned that his personal-best is seven. Apparently, he joked — or maybe he wasn’t joking? — that he was benched for the third period that night. “I always think the good litmus test is when everybody starts yapping each other, and you hear that now,” said Flames general manager Brad Treliving. “When you’re an older guy like Jaromir and the guys are making fun of your age and they’re giving you shots and he’s giving shots back, then you know. 1082282 Calgary Flames “Once a break happens, then it’s over,” said Gilmour, 54, who spoke of the power of mind over matter in times like these.

“Back in some of my games when I had the flu or something and knew Gilmour says Bennett will turn things around going into the game I didn’t have my legs, for some reason you’d come out of that game with maybe a goal and an assist and you played really well because your brain is working because your body isn’t. Other nights, ERIC FRANCIS your brain is not there, but your legs are going and you’re chasing the puck all night.” November 8, 2017 4:39 PM UTC Bennett is chasing alright.

For Bennett’s sake, let’s hope he doesn’t experiment with the flu in an Doug Gilmour was unaware one of his most prized students was going effort to turn it all around. through such professional torment. At this point, you can bet he’s willing to try anything. In the midst of an exhaustive book tour that has had him on the road for a month, the man they call ‘Killer’ has yet to see Calgary Flames forward Something Gilmour knows all about. Sam Bennett struggle through the 2017-18 season.

So when told the kid who scored 115 points in his last 68 games with Gilmour’s OHL Kingston Frontenacs was pointless in all 15 Flames Calgary Sun: LOADED: 11.09.2017 games thus far, he admitted the news was hard to believe. “That shocks me,” said Gilmour, who is still GM of the Frontenacs. “I just know his compete level, and I’m sure he’s frustrated, and I’m sure he’s trying to do too much. As a player I know it’s a cliché, but ‘less is more.’ “He’ll come out of it. I know it’s going to affect him mentally because he’s such a strong-willed kid and he wants to succeed, so he’ll come through it.” Gilmour took Bennett ninth overall in the 2012 Ontario Hockey League draft after scouting him alongside Connor McDavid on a stacked Toronto Marlboros team. It gave Bennett an instant mentor who he pays tribute to by wearing a No. 93 jersey Gilmour wore after leaving the Calgary Flames. While the two have had limited communication of late, outside of a fluke summertime visit, the large heart Gilmour exhibited as a player bleeds for the 21-year-old. “I’ve been there,” said Gilmour, who won a Stanley Cup with the Flames in 1989 as part of a 20-year NHL career that saw him record almost a point per game over his 1,656-game career with seven teams. “You go through these issues sometimes. I went through 10 or 11 games without a point, and you struggle mentally with it. It’s a frustrating process, and it gets to you. “Obviously you want to play well for your peers, management and your fans, and when you don’t have anything on the sheet, that’s when – more than ever – you can’t worry about the points – the points will come. Your work ethic has to be doing it at the right times and right places.” To Bennett’s credit, his inability to contribute offensively this season, and in previous years, hasn’t stemmed from a lack of trying. As a physical player who also kills penalties, Bennett is still able to contribute in other ways, which is why Gilmour isn’t concerned he’ll turn things around. “I love the kid,” said Gilmour, who will be in Calgary later this month to sign his autobiography Killer – My Life in Hockey. “He competes. He did everything for our hockey club. I wish I could have had him a couple years ago when they kept him (in Calgary) because we had a pretty good hockey club and he would have made it that much better.” Weighing in on the city-wide debate over whether Bennett should play wing or up the middle, Gilmour said the day Bennett arrived in Kingston, Frontenacs head coach Todd Gill turned him into a centre, where he thrived. “He played both (positions) growing up, but obviously with the Marlies team, he was playing left wing with Connor McDavid so he was kind of overshadowed,” said Gilmour of the third-year Flames forward who was chosen fourth overall in the 2014 NHL Draft. “In hindsight, you’d probably take him second or third overall (in the OHL draft). From the time Todd moved him into the middle, he just took off.” That’s exactly what Flames fans are waiting for now – a launching point much like Bennett’s memorable four-goal effort two years back, which came one game after he scored to end an 18-game goal drought in which he had just one assist. 1082283 Calgary Flames example: the Pittsburgh Penguins traded for Ryan Reaves after winning the Stanley Cup. Is this true to some degree? And is it justified?

jtbourne Bourne and Wilson: A conversation on the value of having a 'tough guy' 1.) Yeah, I've literally heard of one of the smartest hockey people on earth telling a fourth line NHL player “Do you think we care if you ever Justin Bourne score a point? 'Cause we don't.” I really do believe it's changing in the big picture, but this leads me into the next point… 15 hours ago 2.) The nuclear option. There are games, maybe two a season, where things get wholly out of hand, and it sucks being the small team. Some coaches like having the big red button at the end of their bench to push One of the perks of working for The Athletic is using Slack, which is that results in George Parros (or whoever) grabbing the opposing player basically just a big chat room for employees of a single company. I say who's being an asshole and straightening him out. There's no doubt that it’s a perk, because our particular company has a lot of really bright teams are less likely to misbehave when the opposing idiot is aware the hockey minds, and interacting with them on hockey topics can provide other team has someone who'll make him answer for his idiocy. some really interesting insights, information, and ideas. Of course, I'm not defending this from any angle. It's stupid to waste a I was having one of these said chats with one of these bright people the roster spot on someone like that. I'm just explaining why I believe that other day – that would be Kent Wilson, who’s a Flames contributor for us role still exists on about half the NHL teams today. – about the value of having a “tough guy” (a crasher, a banger, a heavy) in a team’s lineup. I think, at the heart of all this, there's a collective mindset in a locker room. Hockey People often talk about team “identity” because it's a real This was sparked by the Calgary Flames somewhat baffling use of thing. If your team comes back a few times early in the season, maybe Tanner Glass this season, who’s recently been demoted back to the the next time they're down they keep pushing because they believe their AHL. But that he was in the NHL at all seemed bizarre. He only dressed team is “pesky.” I think there may be the idea with management that in 11 NHL games last season, his teams have historically been having tough players makes other players play tougher, knowing other dominated when he plays, he doesn’t produce anything of offensive guys (or a guy) has their back if they cross the line. So maybe the idea is, value … but boy oh boy, will he punch you in the face if he doesn’t like at least a bit, to make everyone a little bigger with one big player. what you’re doing. kwilson I had the distinct non-pleasure of playing against Glass in junior, and can say I know exactly how it feels (literally, he once kicked my ass) to play Very interesting. So my resultant question is: how do coaches and GMs against not just those guys, but specifically him. And, well, it sucks. It can evaluate the efficacy of adding “pure toughness.” So, for other players be intimidating, you can find yourself pulling up on puck races not you can grade their performance by certain outputs, like possession or knowing if it's him, and you’re just a little more hesitant all over the ice. chances or scoring rate. But grinders and tough guys seem to be evaluated almost exclusively by certain “inputs” only — size, toughness, But I mean really, does that have a demonstrable effect on the outcome willingness to work hard, room presence, etc. So how does a decision of a hockey game if that’s all he provides at the NHL level? What’s the maker decide that adding the tough guy “worked” (ie; that he is actually value of guys that play that role to an NHL team — or at least, what's the contributing to the success of the club)? perceived value? jtbourne Well, we really got into it, and that conversation is below. Hope you enjoy, and we'd love to have you weigh in in the comments as well. That's a really interesting point, and I think by some of the head scratching signings we see, nobody has really figured that out. I'd say the So first thing I wanted to tackle is — what is the internal line of thought bar for a player like that would be “can he keep his head above water when a team signs a guy like Glass? As in — how is the decision while providing that toughness for us.” As in, can we put him out there justified? And what do decision makers like coaches and GMs expect to and not be in sheer terror of getting scored on. Can he skate well enough happen (ie; what is the impact they think the player will have)? to hit people on the forecheck before the puck is long gone. Imagine not being judged on your outputs! Great gig if you can get it. jtbourne kwilson Part of it is, I think, GMs just checking their perceived “team needs” boxes. Do we have speed, can we defend, etc. etc. So in the case of a See that's what baffles me about these signings most often. I mean, guy like Glass, can't you see a team with Brian Burke at the top of the Glass has never kept his head above water during his relatively long food chain looking at the Flames roster and going “are we tough enough? tenure in the league. His team is almost always outshot, outchanced, No.” Obviously they all want the best player in that role possible — outscored when he's on the ice. He provides almost no offence. We have everyone slobbers at the thought of peak Milan Lucic — but if you can't years of data on this. So my assumption is teams expect some sort of find a guy that can play AND be useful, teams settle. Something to diffuse benefit that accrues to the other players on the roster by adding a remember: the bulk of management in the NHL played in the NHL, when guy like Glass. Stuff that isn't necessarily captured in direct outputs. it was a much tougher era. And they know how it made them feel when Possible? they went in to play big tough teams. They would've kept their mouths shut more, been hesitant heading into the corners, and just generally jtbourne have felt intimidated. I think that's how a lot of GMs want the opposition to feel when they come play their team. They want them on their heels. Well, there's the distinct possibility that management is just generally less interested in your fancy “outputs” than us. Seriously, just looking at his One thing though: I already think we're starting from different viewpoints stats, I could see someone considering his plus/minus — I can feel you here. 'Cause when you say “what do coaches/GMs expect to happen,” it cringe as I type that — and going “minus-three in 57 games three years feels like you think they know they've signed a lesser player whose ago. Even last year in 11 games. Minus-two in seven games. That's tough. Generally, I would think they believe they've signed a useful pretty well even, we can live with that for the truculence he provides.” player, and they expect him to be useful. Some teams are finally trying to ice some players farther down the lineup who actually tilt the ice in their team's favour. But to recognize that, you (And by useful in that role, I mean get pucks deep, run into people, go at have to be looking at least slightly below surface level stats to recognize opposing players who challenge their teammates, don't get scored on. that. That role in the past has had a pretty low bar for success. Which is changing, significantly, but not everyone evolves at the same speed.) One real takeaway I had during my time with the Marlies was how human it all still is, even at the NHL level. Yes, there are many, many numbers kwilson provided, but different people value different numbers, and don't believe what many others appear to be telling them. And at the end of the day, Yes, that touches on a couple of things I wanted to look at. decisions have to be made, and there's just no magic computer that spits 1.) When it comes to checking the “toughness box,” there seems to be a out answers. You're dealing with human players who may be having different set of criteria for judging the player in question (especially if the personal problems, they take care of themselves differently, and you just player isn't a Lucic, but a Glass) — that is, stuff that other players on the never really know what you're getting. Half the time you feel like you're roster would be judged by like chances, points, etc. is less significant guessing, even though you're the most informed person in the world on than the other things you mention (chip it in, fight when needed, etc.) the decision you're about to make. So anyway — whatever outputs he's shown, the NHL still skews pretty heavy to the eye test.) 2.) Many (all) pro hockey teams seem to have a free floating anxiety that they may not be big or tough enough, regardless of success rate. For kwilson That dovetails with another pet theory I have — that because of Yeah I was going to bring up that angle again. The irony of this is: competitive pressures that are unique to the bottom end of the roster, coaches and GM's may look at a resume like that and take comfort in the NHL coaches and GMs will be attracted to tough guys who are fact that a guy is known around the league, is a seasoned pro, can be “memorable” or “stand out” during their limited ice time. counted on not to create waves or be a problem in the room, etc.. Whereas myself as a critical analyst looks at years of underlying data for So: once you get into fourth liner territory in the NHL, you are usually a player that show he gets outshot, outchanced, can't score etc. which dealing with replacement level or slightly above replacement level talent. drives me in exactly the opposite direction: toward a rookie or someone Which means there is an ocean of “similar” players out there to you new. But coaches like the devil they know more often than not. That's talent-wise. I looked and the difference between a 1.25 ESP/60 player why I recently introduced the phrase “tie goes to the veteran” when it and a 1.05 ESP/60 player over the course of a full season, assuming comes to roster decisions. right ES minutes per game, is about three or four points. jtbourne Which makes it really difficult to discern the difference between guys at the bottom of the rotation. Especially if you are heavily influenced by the Yeah, that's a line Babcock actually uses in media scrums. As the game eye test — most fourth line players simply won't stand out on a nightly gets faster and with the salary cap being as crucial as it is, I think we're basis if you're judging them by the usual standards. seeing less “tie goes to the veteran” around the league. A lot of veterans are being driven out of the league way earlier as the smarter teams think But guys who crash and bang? Who get into a fight? Who throw that way less and less. themselves in front of harm's way with abandon? They are memorable. So at the bottom end of the roster the way to survive isn't necessarily to kwilson be useful, it's be noticeable. Because from a perceptual and observational stand point, it's difficult to separate those two things when it Definitely, and this make sense. A lot of the research we have now comes to fourth liners. shows that players typically peak around 24 years old. That said, there is likely some benefit to having guys in the room that are pros, know the jtbourne system, etc. etc. Do you think a balance will be struck between the intangibles that can sometimes drive decision making and the tangible That's brilliant, I'm absolutely on board with the idea that that happens. on-ice stuff? Are we there already? The question then becomes, if two potential fourth line players are basically identical in terms of offensive production, doesn't it make sense jtbourne to take the guy who provides the extra element? (I guess in this case, that means intimidation/physical play.) Yeah, the fun of this all, is we're never going to find the answer to “what's the exact right mix” in terms of evaluation and decision-making. It kwilson changes as the game and players change, you can only do the best you can do with each individual situation. Yup, that makes sense. If your choices are Tanner Glass and players who are as bad as Tanner Glass at driving play or scoring, but who aren't tough, then adding Tanner Glass makes sense. But, in reality, Glass is a sub-replacement level talent in most aspects of the game, so in the The Athletic LOADED: 11.09.2017 Flames case they could have called up half a dozen guys from the farm and probably done better. That said, the “floor” for this type of player seems to be rising all the time. Five to ten years ago, teams were still employing enforcers who were probably ECHL level talents merely because they were tough. Now those guys are almost totally extinct. The Flames signed Glass at the start of the year because he was noticeable in pre-season, but then waived him 14 games into the season. Maybe the tide is turning toward finding strictly “functional” toughness (ie; a player must at least meet the threshold of replacement level to be on the active roster, even if he's a tough guy). jtbourne kwilson And likely always will because there is an element of intimidation, physicality to the game. The trick, I think, is to separate out the guys who are actually helping a team win versus guys who may just be doing things that are noticeable or memorable. Sometimes those two things intersect, but sometimes they don't. Do you think this is the same thing that's happening re: Roman Polak in Toronto? Or is there more to that relationship between the team and the player? jtbourne I definitely think the Maple Leafs looked at their D-corps in the middle of a losing streak and saw zero players with “snarl.” And, it was mid- season, so they couldn't get anyone decent. And again, they were losing. I can absolutely hear Mike Babcock throwing up his arms in a video session, seeing one of his D-men getting bullied on a specific play, and going “F*** me, this is pathetic, f*** are we soft. I don't care if he can barely move, we gotta get Poly back, I can't watch this s*** anymore.” kwilson Haha, sounds about right. So the familiarity of a player like that can bring coaches some sense of ease or comfort, even if an analyst can point to a row of numbers and say “this player gets routinely outplayed.” jtbourne Yeah. Particularly at the fringes of the roster that sort of thing would matter. Again, we've noted the difference between those guys is negligible. This is where stuff like “good in the room” matters (you spend a LOT of time together), work ethic matters (“sets a good example”), shit like that. **extremely Babcock voice** “Poly's a real good man, real good pro.” You know the drill. kwilson 1082284 Chicago Blackhawks

Blackhawks system starting to become more 'natural' to new defensemen

Chris Hine Chicago Tribune

Whether they are here for the long term or only a few games, every Blackhawks player says the same thing: It takes time to adjust to the team’s style of play. That goes double for defensemen, whom the Hawks ask to do things they are not accustomed to doing with other teams, such as changing their technique against rushes or playing more zone coverage instead of man-to-man. Four new Hawks defensemen — Cody Franson, Connor Murphy, Jordan Oesterle and Jan Rutta — were candid during training camp about the bumps they encountered. They now are 15 games into the season — about the time most players say things begin to click. So how are the newcomers developing? Coach Joel Quenneville hasn’t minded what he has seen, especially from Rutta, who has been impressive. But Quenneville knew there would be some growing pains with so many new faces. “Everyone makes mistakes, everyone’s going to have some rough games,” Quenneville said. “You have to know sometimes patience isn’t a bad thing, and learning from the things we need to improve on is part of the progress.” And Quenneville has seen progress as he tries to juggle having eight defensemen on the roster and dressing only six per game. Franson has said his biggest challenge was retraining his body to learn zone coverage as opposed to man-to-man. “It’s not something I didn’t know,” Franson said. “It was just a matter of (when) you do man-to-man for a certain amount of time, that’s what you become trained to respond to. When you change systems, you have to try and retrain yourself to think the other way.” At practice Wednesday, Quenneville had Gustav Forsling back in the defensive pairings, and to try to keep the right-handed Murphy, Rutta and Franson in the lineup — along with the right-handed Brent Seabrook — Quenneville had Murphy playing on the left. The left-handed Michal Kempny is a likely scratch for Thursday’s game against the Flyers. Murphy, who has been a healthy scratch for three games, has said he’s “not the best” at playing on his off side, but if it means staying in the lineup, he’ll do it. “That’s the name of the game: try to keep playing and do what you can to help,” Murphy said. “You just have to keep a strong work ethic and believe in the process. Hopefully (you) get to that point where you’re a consistent player (who is) able to contribute. You want to make it harder and harder for the coaches to take you out of the lineup — that’s your goal.” Murphy had said his biggest issue with the Hawks’ system was learning how to defend odd-man rushes. His previous team, the Coyotes, wanted him to be more passive and sit back; the Hawks prefer their defensemen be selectively aggressive. “A lot of it has (been) shown to pay off in certain ways,” Murphy said. “Your body will naturally become a habit when it feels right. “It’s getting to that point where you feel certain rhythms of the game that start to come into your body and the feeling of certain things as they develop. Plays on the ice you can read and make them more natural.”

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Thursday's preview: Blackhawks at Flyers

Chris Hine Chicago Tribune

TV/radio: 6 p.m. Thursday, NBCSCH, WGN-AM 720. Storylines: The Hawks defeated the Flyers 3-0 at the United Center on Nov. 1. The Hawks, however, had only two goals over their last two games and haven’t scored more than three in a game since Oct. 21. Trending: Hawks captain Jonathan Toews scored three goals in his first five games but has just one in his last 10. Claude Giroux has three goals and three assists in his last five games for the Flyers.

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Blackhawks know all too well Philadelphia a tough place to win

Chris Hine Contact Reporter Chicago Tribune

One of the most memorable victories in Blackhawks history came in Philadelphia. You might remember it — Game 6 of the 2010 Stanley Cup Final, when the Hawks clinched their first Cup since 1961. But you probably won’t remember the last time the Hawks won a regular- season game in Philadelphia — Nov. 9, 1996, 21 years to the day when the Hawks and Flyers meet again in Philadelphia on Thursday. Coach Joel Quenneville said he can remember a lot of hard-fought losses over that 0-12-1 stretch, aside from last season, when the Hawks fell 3-1. “We’ve had some unbelievably tough games,” Quenneville said. “We’ve had some great games in there — not the last one — but we had some great ones. Always a crazy finish, some unbelievable games at the end (when) it looks like we were in a good spot. But it’s not an easy building for anybody.” In the Hawks’ last regular-season victory there, Eric Daze, Murray Craven, Gary Suter and Tony Amonte provided the goals. Jeff Hackett made 33 saves. Last season, Corey Crawford contracted appendicitis and needed to have emergency surgery the day of the Hawks’ loss. Scott Darling got the start and the Hawks had to sign a local Philadelphia resident, Eric Semborski, as their emergency backup goaltender. Quenneville said winning the 2010 Cup in Philadelphia eases the sting of the losing streak, which he was surprised to learn has lasted as long as it has. “That’s an eternity in our business,” Quenneville said. “I didn’t know it was that long. Thanks for the reminder.” Family affair: The Hawks are using this two-game road swing as their annual trip on which players bring one of their parents along. This year is the moms’ turn. Defenseman Connor Murphy, however, also will have his dad for part of the trip. Specifically, he will be on the opposing bench for Thursday’s game -- Murphy’s father, Gord, is an assistant for the Flyers. “My mom will be heavy on our side,” Murphy said. “I don’t know if we’re going to have a battle against him, if we’re going to want to see him. But we’ll see if there’s time after our team dinner.” Murphy joked that for next year’s dads’ trip he’ll have to find another guest to bring. “I don’t know if we’d want him to come — he’d be stealing our systems, stealing from our practices,” Murphy said.

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Connor Murphy doing anything he can to stay in the Blackhawks lineup

11/08/2017, 02:22PM Mark Lazerus @MarkLazerus | email

Connor Murphy chased down the puck in the corner and was about to rim it around the boards with a backhand. But with Montreal’s Max Pacioretty pressuring, Murphy hesitated for a split-second. That’s all it took for Pacioretty to jar the puck loose, Andrew Shaw to nudge it up the boards, Phil Danault to send it up to the point, and Joe Morrow to blast it past Corey Crawford. Just like that, a close game was all but out of reach. Every defenseman makes that mistake at some point. Every defenseman will occasionally muff a clearing attempt, make an ill-advised pass through the middle, turn the wrong way while backpedaling. Every defenseman will see one of his mistakes end up in the back of his own net from time to time. And it will eat them up inside every time. But it’s so much worse when you’re not an entrenched, established guy — when you know that one little mistake could cost you your spot in the lineup. “That can creep into your game,” Murphy said. “It’s just being human. You’re always pretty hard on yourself, making mistakes and letting up goals. And a mistake like that late in the game is frustrating. And [being in and out of the lineup] does give you that little extra bit of stress after a game if something like that happens. You’ve just got to stick with the process and keep playing and know that mistakes are going to happen.” It’s starting to get easier for Murphy to play free and easy, to not look over his shoulder for a vengeful Joel Quenneville after every little mistake. The ins and outs of the Hawks system are starting to become second nature, as early season over-thinking yields to midseason muscle memory. But the fact is, Murphy’s grasp on a spot in the lineup is tenuous at best. Brought in to be Duncan Keith’s partner on the top pairing, Murphy was a healthy scratch in three of the first 12 games, and has found himself behind Jan Rutta, Brent Seabrook and now Cody Franson on the right- side pecking order. So when Quenneville decided to put him on the left side ahead of Thursday’s game against the Flyers, Murphy happily took the assignment. Anything’s better than watching in street clothes. “It’s definitely a different feel, but it’s still hockey,” he said. Quenneville seems to be experimenting as much as anything. In Gustav Forsling’s absence the last three games (he’ll return in Philadelphia), Quenneville learned that Rutta can play both sides adequately. Now he wants to find out if Murphy can, too, to give him further options. “He’s been fine,” Quenneville said. “He’s coming along here, getting more comfortable with how we have to play, what he needs to do to be effective. He’s getting more involved offensively and has more support on the attack. His gap’s been fine. We like to do things quick and fast, and he’s come a long way.” The question is, will any of that muscle memory Murphy has finally built up be rendered useless by playing on the left side, which he’s never played? Will he chase pucks into the wrong corner? Will he struggle defending the wall on the backhand? Will he find himself twisting the wrong away while defending the rush? Murphy doesn’t quite know what to expect, whether the change will be harder offensively or defensively. “I don’t know, because I haven’t done it,” he said with a laugh. Don’t mistake that for complaining, though. Murphy has faced all the early season frustrations with his usual good humor and understanding. He just wants to play, to stay in the lineup, and to make a difference — any way he can. “That’s the name of the game — trying to keep playing and do what you can to help,” Murphy said. “If I had to play goalie to stay in the lineup, I would.”

1082288 Chicago Blackhawks

Blackhawks invite emergency goalie Eric Semborski to game in Philly

11/08/2017, 07:33PM Mark Lazerus @MarkLazerus | email

PHILADELPHIA — If you look at the photos from that day, you don’t have to squint very hard to notice the incongruity. Ignore the broad smile under the mask, and you’ll see the feathers painted on it. Look past the bright orange jersey, and you’ll find the familiar Indian-head logo on his glove. And his blocker. And his pads. Yes, Eric Semborski lived his dream of being a Philadelphia Flyer on April 1. But he was a Chicago Blackhawk first, and he has the equipment to prove it. “They’re definitely my team in the West,” Semborski said over the phone Wednesday night. “I definitely have two teams now.” Semborski, or as he’s come to be known with affection, Blackhawks Legend Eric Semborski, was the local Philadelphia-area youth hockey coach the Hawks frantically summoned to be their emergency backup goaltender last December when Corey Crawford was rushed to the hospital to have his appendix taken out. Semborski wore Crawford’s No. 50 jersey with a new nameplate hurriedly attached, took warmups — even stopped a Patrick Kane wrist shot — and got to be an NHL player for a day. His arrival to the rink that day brought some much-needed levity to a dressing room that was heavy with concern for Crawford. The Hawks razzed Semborski because he wasn’t wearing a suit, and because he showed up 45 minutes before puck drop. They told him he had to throw in 200 bucks for the holiday party, the standard fine for kangaroo court. Semborski didn’t play that day, but he became a part of Hawks lore all the same. The Hawks flew him and his wife out to Chicago for a game against the Dallas Stars later that month, and hooked him up with all-new goalie equipment — emblazoned with the Hawks logo, of course. So when the Flyers needed an emergency backup after Steve Mason got the flu in April, Semborski was ready — and decked out in Hawks gear. This time, he caught some grief from the Flyers, who joked that he needed some orange paint. Semborski still lives in the area, but now works as an event manager at the PPL Center in Allentown, home to the AHL’s Lehigh Valley Phantoms. It’s more than an hour away from the Wells Fargo Center, but Semborski is still on the Flyers’ short list of emergency goalies, and still keeps his goalie gear in his car (and some more at his house), just in case. “Whenever I’m around, I’m ready,” he said. The Hawks front office has kept in touch with Semborski, and invited him to Thursday’s morning skate, where he’ll get to say hi to some of his former teammates. A Hawk for a day, a Hawk for life. “Every once in a while, people recognize me or recognize my name and ask me about it,” Semborski said. “It’s pretty cool. It was just such a great story, and people just like to hear about it.”

Chicago Sun Times LOADED: 11.09.2017 1082289 Chicago Blackhawks The Hawks took DeBrincat in the second round of the 2016 draft. Whether or not he will be considered a steal one day is still up in the air, but the coaches are more than pleased with how his first month has Chicago Blackhawks' DeBrincat wants to do more gone. "I like his thinking in the game," Quenneville said. "His awareness to how we have to play is high end. I like his confidence and his playmaking John Dietz selection. I've liked his start." Follow @johndietzdh Daily Herald Times LOADED: 11.09.2017 It didn't take Alex DeBrincat long to realize that playing in the NHL was going to be much, much different from playing in the Ontario Hockey League. "First game," said the smiling 19-year-old after the Chicago Blackhawks practiced Wednesday at Johnny's IceHouse West before departing for Philadelphia. The skinny: Since being shut out by the Hawks 3-0 at the United Center last week, Philadelphia (7-6-2) beat St. Louis 2-0 and lost to Colorado 5- 4 in a shootout. Dale Weise tied the Avs game at 4-4 one minute after Nail Yakupov gave Colorado a 4-3 lead at 5:37 of the third period. … Sean Couturier scored 9 goals in the first 12 games but hasn't scored in the past three. … Heading into Wednesday's games, the Flyers rank 24th on the penalty kill (76.9 percent), while the Hawks rank 27th on the power play (13.6 percent). … The last time the Hawks won a regular- season game in Philadelphia was Nov. 9, 1996. … Both of these teams should be well rested as the Hawks haven't played since Sunday and the Flyers since Saturday. … Corey Crawford starts in net for the Hawks. It's rare for anyone to make the leap from juniors to the best league in the world, but DeBrincat did enough in camp that the Hawks felt like they had to keep him. And while DeBrincat has just 3 goals (2 into empty nets) in his first 15 games, the coaching staff still loves what it has seen out of the 5-foot-7, 165-pound Michigan native. "It's exciting knowing he's got a lot of upside in offensive play selection, scoring, making plays, being in the right spot, how he seems to have the puck a lot is a nice trait," coach Joel Quenneville said. "But the thing we've been pleased about is how well he's adapted to how he has to play without the puck in all zones. He's picked that up surprisingly well." So much so that Quenneville slotted DeBrincat in on the top line with Jonathan Toews and Richard Panik in four of the last five games. That will change Thursday against the Flyers, however, when DeBrincat teams up with buddies Nick Schmaltz and Ryan Hartman. "I think it'll be good," DeBrincat said. "We should be fast and moving the puck well. "Hartman and Schmaltz can move the puck really well, and Hartman battles in front of the net. That's a good piece to the line. Hopefully we can have a lot of puck possession." DeBrincat spends much of his free time with Schmaltz and Hartman, so it will be interesting to see if their off-ice chemistry translates to the ice. Other than speed of the game, awareness of defenders and quality of the goalies, DeBrincat said his biggest adjustment has been how he takes care of his body off the ice. In juniors, maybe he didn't stretch as much as he should have, but he knows now that it can catch up to you during the daily grind of an 82- game NHL season. DeBrincat's daily routine doesn't change much, and he said his biggest priority is making sure he gets enough rest between practices and games. How does he do that? By doing what most 19-year-olds do in their free time: watching TV and playing video games like NHL, FIFA and NBA. On the ice, DeBrincat hasn't been shy about shooting the puck, averaging 1.5 shots on goal per game. That may not seem like a lot, but Nick Schmaltz averaged just 0.6 shots in his first 26 games last season and it earned him a demotion to the AHL. DeBrincat, who piled up 167 goals in three OHL seasons, scored his first goal with the Hawks against Montreal Canadiens goalie Carey Price in the fourth game of the season. He was excited about his back-to-back empty netters last week as well but wants to do more to contribute. "I mean I'll take 'em any way they come," he said. "But I'm hoping to produce maybe a little bit more 5-on-5." 1082290 Chicago Blackhawks

Chicago Blackhawks look to finally break long streak

John Dietz Follow @johndietzdh

It has been a long, long time since the Chicago Blackhawks won a regular-season game in Philadelphia. How long? So long that Tony Amonte was the team's leading scorer, a 34-year-old Chris Chelios was just halfway through his career, and Ed Belfour was sharing the net with Jeff Hackett. Believe it or not, 1996 was the last time the Hawks won a game at Philadelphia in the regular season, a 4-1 triumph on Nov. 9. "Wow. That's an eternity in our business," coach Joel Quenneville said after practice Wednesday at Johnny's IceHouse West. "I didn't know it was that long. Thanks for reminding me." The Hawks, who did win Game 6 of the 2010 Stanley Cup Final at Philly, will look to snap their two-decade regular-season skid when the two teams square off Thursday. The Hawks have lost their last five games at Philly by a combined score of 18-8. Last year Scott Darling started in net because Corey Crawford was forced to undergo an emergency appendectomy. "It's not an easy building for anybody," Quenneville said. "We feel like let's change it up and get off to a great start." Rutta returns: Jan Rutta was back at practice Wednesday and on the top defensive pairing with Duncan Keith. Gustav Forsling skated with Brent Seabrook, and Cody Franson moved down to play with Connor Murphy. Jordan Oesterle and Michal Kempny likely will be scratched in against the Flyers on Thursday. Oesterle has played in just three of 15 games, but the Hawks would have to place him on waivers if they want him to go to Rockford. "We haven't discussed that," coach Joel Quenneville said. "We feel he can play. We feel he gives us a nice asset, some offensive versatility on the back end. … We've got eight up here. You can never have enough defense." Fun facts: Jonathan Toews, Patrick Kane and Patrick Sharp -- who will make up the Blackhawks' top line Thursday -- have played in a combined 2,371 regular-season games and have 845 goals and 1,156 assists to their names. On the other side of the spectrum, Nick Schmaltz, Ryan Hartman and Alex DeBrincat -- the Hawks' third line -- have played in 186 games and have combined for 35 goals and 47 assists.

Daily Herald Times LOADED: 11.09.2017 1082291 Chicago Blackhawks

Jan Rutta continues to adjust well from both sides of the ice for Blackhawks

By Tracey Myers November 08, 2017 3:03 PM

Jan Rutta’s work on his off side is done. For now, anyway. He was back on his more comfortable and familiar right on Wednesday, partnered with Duncan Keith. But for the Czech defenseman who’s handled everything new well, it was one more adjustment that worked out. Rutta moved to the left when Gustav Forsling suffered an upper-body injury against the Colorado Avalanche on Oct. 28. With Forsling expected to play against Philadelphia on Thursday night, coach Joel Quenneville switched up defensive pair combinations and moved Rutta back to the right. The defensive changes didn’t end there on Tuesday: Connor Murphy, another guy who’s played on the right his entire career, was the latest to get a shot on the left side (pairing with Cody Franson). With eight defensemen healthy again, Michal Kempny and Jordan Oesterle look to be on the outside right now. As for Rutta, the switch was fine but he’s happy to be back in his comfort zone. “It definitely feels more natural for me. I mean, I didn’t mind playing on the left side, it was actually better than I thought,” Rutta said. “But it’s definitely for me to get back on the right side.” In his short time with the Blackhawks Rutta has adjusted to everything well, from playing on the smaller North American ice to learning the Blackhawks’ system to switching sides. And any time you can show good versatility with a coach Joel Quenneville team, it doesn’t hurt you. “I think it helps our team, helps our options, getting more familiar with that over the course of a game, a shift,” Quenneville said of Rutta’s switch. “Whether it’s an injury, a million things can happen where you have that option in your back pocket. It looks like it doesn’t change his game how he’s going to play, so that’s always a great sign. He handled it well so it’s a good option for us.” Rutta has rolled with everything in his time here. He’s learned first-hand that, if necessary, you’ve got to adjust in a hurry. For him it worked and it will help him as long as he’s here. That said, he’s happy to be returning to what works best for him. “Yeah, it was OK on the left side,” Rutta said “Of course I’m more comfortable on the right but the left was OK.”

Comcast SportsNet.com LOADED: 11.09.2017 1082292 Chicago Blackhawks

Three Things to WATCH: Joel Quenneville turns back the clock when Blackhawks visit Flyers

By Charlie Roumeliotis November 09, 2017 12:45 AM

Here are Three Things to Watch when the Blackhawks take on the Philadelphia Flyers tonight on NBC Sports Chicago and streaming live on the NBC Sports app. Coverage begins at 5:30 p.m. with Blackhawks Pregame Live. 1. Will the scoring drought end? Chicago is well aware of the team's struggling power play, which ranks 27th with a 13.6 percent success rate. The Blackhawks failed to score a goal in 18 consecutive man-advantages at one point before breaking that drought, coincidentally, against the Flyers in a 3-0 win last week and ended up scoring another one in the next game. Progress. But as Joel Quenneville said Sunday: "The offense is dry right now," and he's talking about it as a whole. If you take away the season-opening 10-goal performance, the Blackhawks would be second-to-last in the league with 2.36 goals per game. That puts everything into perspective when it comes to just how dry the offense really has been. 2. Coach Q turns back the clock. One way to try sparking that offense is by rekindling some old magic. Quenneville didn't just go to his line blender this time. He actually went back into time and reunited Patrick Sharp, Jonathan Toews and Patrick Kane on the first line, a trio that had great success together during the Blackhawks' first Stanley Cup run. It also could be a move to help reignite Sharp, who hasn't had a point in nine straight games, and help spread the wealth around with Brandon Saad, Artem Anisimov and Richard Panik serving as the new second line and Alex DeBrincat, Nick Schmaltz and Ryan Hartman making up the third line. The Blackhawks are looking for anything at this point. 3. Watch out for Philly's top line. Going into the week, the Flyers had three players among the top 10 in the NHL's scoring race: Sean Couturier (18), Jakub Voracek (18) and Claude Giroux (17). Because their last game was on Saturday, they've slipped a little bit, but the point remains the same: Philadelphia has three dangerous offensive playmakers. Oh yeah, did we mention they all play on the same line? For a team struggling to score goals, the Blackhawks must be cognizant of preventing them when this trio is on the ice.

Comcast SportsNet.com LOADED: 11.09.2017 1082293 Chicago Blackhawks problem? All three had already suffered season-ending injuries. This is what happens when you begin in Week 3. Inexplicably, Gustafsson is in first place. Fantasy football helps foreign-born players assimilate to American "Football, it is a big thing here," says Ville Pokka, a Blackhawks culture defensive prospect who grew up in Finland. "Everyone in America is talking about football, always. So it is good for me to see why." Frank Jansky/Icon Sportswire 11:34 AM ET "It's hilarious," said Glass, a Canadian who grew up following the NFL. Emily Kaplan ESPN "There's been no trades. The waiver wire is dead. Some guys don't even set their rosters. You could pretty much hit the waiver wire right now and get a full team." On a Thursday night during Chicago Blackhawks training camp, a Rutta and Viktor Svedberg, a Swedish defenseman currently playing in handful of players were gathered in a hotel room. Wearing sweats, they Rockford of the American Hockey League, are the masterminds behind carried bottles of coconut water and bags of chips to snack on, and the league. They're both adopted football fans. At home in Stockholm, revved up their laptops to do what millions of other Americans did this Svedberg said, "we had a little bit of coverage on television." fall: draft a fantasy football team. "The games started at 7 p.m. our time, which is perfect," Svedberg said. Shortly before the No. 1 pick was on the clock, 31-year-old goalie Jeff "Those were the early games in the U.S. You come home, you watch the Glass interjected as the voice of reason. first game, and then go to bed." "What are we even doing drafting a league in Week 2?" Glass typed into Rutta, a 27-year-old Czech league product who made the Blackhawks the draft's chat interface. out of camp, is an Indianapolis Colts fan. ("They were good when I first started following football," he explained. "And I like the quarterback, the "I mean," Glass said several weeks later. "The whole thing was so [Andrew] Luck guy.") ridiculous." In camp, Svedberg and Rutta discovered that they both wanted to start a Actually, the Thursday night game between the Cincinnati Bengals and fantasy football league -- they had each played in ones in Europe -- and Houston Texans had already kicked off. So this league technically would canvassed the locker room to see who else would be interested. "We just begin during Week 3 of the NFL season. They carried on anyway. asked everyone, 'Are you in a league?' No. 'Are you?'" Svedberg said. Editor's Picks "So we got a group of people who weren't playing already. It turns out to be a bunch of Europeans. That was not the point. Everyone else had just St. Louis Blues are for real, but ... been doing it already!" Off to a flying 12-3-1 start, the perennial also-ran St. Louis Blues are Although Svedberg is good at getting organized, he still has work to do atop the overall standings and showing no signs of slowing down, despite as commissioner: Given that the league started three weeks late, it's being shorthanded with injuries to key players. But is this a trend or a unsurprising that everyone is late on their payments. Nobody has paid fluke? the $50 buy-in yet. One month into the season, Auston Matthews is the top candidate for Few other players in the Blackhawks organization are aware of the the Hart Trophy as league MVP. So, which other players are setting league, and Rutta, as a first-year player, isn't exactly forthcoming about themselves up for hardware? We've also got the scoop on the Norris, it. The two biggest football fans on the Blackhawks are veterans Patrick Calder, Vezina and Jack Adams. Kane and Brent Seabrook. They're in a longstanding league among Blackhawks teammates, which includes some players who have moved Biggest surprise for all 31 teams: Which trends will continue? on. Seabrook just happens to be Rutta's defensive partner. "I don't want Will the Red Wings continue to get great goaltending? Are the Devils to ask them for advice," Rutta said. "We have other things to worry going to win their division? Is Alex Pietrangelo really a point-per-game about." player? We identify the most shocking trend for every NHL team, and predict whether it continues. ESPNChicago.com LOADED: 11.09.2017 Welcome to a fantasy football league unlike most others. Its eight pretend general managers are professional hockey players (seven are in the Blackhawks organization, including top-four defenseman Jan Rutta, while the eighth, forward Kyle Baun, was traded to the Montreal Canadiens in October). One is Czech, one is Finnish, two are Canadian, three are Swedish and one is American. Their football knowledge spans a spectrum from Swede Robin Norell, who said his introduction to the sport came when he "watched the last game of the year and did a competition where you fill in boxes" (Super Bowl squares), to defenseman Luc Snuggerud, the lone American, who grew up in Minnesota as a devout Vikings fan. "This is my third league," said Snuggerud, a 2014 Blackhawks draft pick who played at the University of Nebraska-Omaha. "I do one with my buddies from college, my buddies from home, and this one is with a bunch of European guys. But I love it. When you're in our locker room, there are guys from so many countries. Some guys have families, some guys are, like, 19. But we're just like everyone else on Sundays, who sit on their couch and watch football all day and then talk about it on Mondays. We just happen to be hockey players." It's also a window into how some foreign players try to assimilate into American culture. "Football, it is a big thing here," said Ville Pokka, a Blackhawks defensive prospect who grew up in Finland. "Everyone in America is talking about football, always. So it is good for me to see why." Just as Pokka and his fellow young prospects are adapting to life in the pros, they're also learning that it takes commitment to keep up in fantasy football. Norell didn't realize that he needed to set his lineup in the first week, and he lost handily with half of his players on bye weeks. Erik Gustafsson, a fellow Swede, drafted three excellent players in Arizona Cardinals running back David Johnson, New England Patriots wide receiver Julian Edelman and Jacksonville Jaguars wideout Allen Robinson. The only 1082294 Columbus Blue Jackets

Rave review for rookie Pierre-Luc Dubois

By Steve Gorten Posted Nov 8, 2017 at 8:09 PM Updated Nov 8, 2017 at 8:09 PM

Even as they mulled their mistakes after a third consecutive loss Tuesday, the Blue Jackets couldn’t help but marvel at the moves Pierre- Luc Dubois made to manufacture their only goal. “That was pretty special,” said wing Cam Atkinson, the Jackets’ points leader the past two seasons. “That’s a prime-time play right there, a prime-time goal.” Noted coach John Tortorella, “I wish it stood for something.” Dubois’ stick-poke and steal from the Nashville Predators’ P.K. Subban in the neutral zone, his surprising sprint up ice, and his forehand- backhand finish top-shelf on goalie Pekka Rinne — a sequence that tied the score at 4:37 of the third period — turned out to be a footnote in a 3-1 loss at Nationwide Arena. But that theft from an offensively skilled defenseman, and the “unbelievable move” on one of the league’s top goalies, “shows what kind of player he is,” captain and linemate Nick Foligno said afterward. It reminded observers why the Jackets selected the 6-foot-3, 207-pound forward third overall in the 2016 NHL draft, why there was no suspense last month about whether he’d be sent back to juniors after nine games, and why Tortorella trusted the 19-year-old rookie enough to try him on a line with Foligno and Josh Anderson two games ago. “Step by step, he’s getting better and better,” Tortorella said. “He’s feeling more confident. His legs are moving. He’s won a lot of puck battles of late. We’re beginning to see a little of what he is.” In those few seconds Tuesday, Dubois flashed his array of skills. Having just come off the bench, he skated out farther than he should have. But it proved to be a fruitful mistake. Dubois correctly anticipated which way Subban would go with the puck, extended his stick, stripped Subban and bolted for a breakaway as the stunned Subban and Alexei Emelin chased hopelessly. “What I liked was his acceleration because I thought he was going to get caught,” Tortorella said. Dubois showed his promise on opening night when he scored against the New York Islanders in his NHL debut. But after logging more than 14 minutes of ice time in that game and more than 15 minutes in the next one, he fell into a role on the fourth line and received just 4:17 in the sixth game, at Winnipeg. Tortorella slid Dubois to center, hoping to get him to move his feet more. It worked. “The biggest thing that’s improved in his game is his legs are always moving now,” Tortorella said. “That’s really helped him.” After 11 games without a point, Dubois notched an assist Thursday at Florida and another one Saturday at Tampa Bay. On Tuesday, he scored his second NHL goal. “I’ve been getting chances lately,” Dubois said. “I think I’ve been playing better and better, and I’m getting more and more confident every game. Skating with Foligno and Anderson helps a lot.” Atkinson said Dubois is making quick progress. “He’s starting to use his big frame to his advantage,” Atkinson said. “When he plays like he did (Tuesday), where he plays with the puck and plays hard down low, he’s going to be a hell of a player for many, many years.”

Columbus Dispatch LOADED: 11.09.2017 1082295 Columbus Blue Jackets

Werenski, Jones paired on first power-play unit

By Steve Gorten Posted Nov 8, 2017 at 8:08 PM Updated Nov 8, 2017 at 8:08 PM

The Blue Jackets’ power play has fizzled all season, but coach John Tortorella suspects that he has figured out a way to make it sizzle. For the second consecutive game Tuesday, Tortorella used defensemen Zach Werenski and Seth Jones on the first unit instead of Werenski and four forwards. The Jackets were 0-for-4 with a man-advantage against the Predators — the 12th game this season that they’ve failed to produce a power-play goal — and their NHL-worst success rate dipped to 10.4 percent. Nonetheless, “quite honestly, I thought that first power play looked good all night long,” Tortorella said. “We’re close.” Tortorella said he tried Werenski and Jones because the Jackets’ power play, which has posted five goals in 49 chances, has struggled dating to the last quarter of 2016-17 while being run through center Alexander Wennberg. He wasn’t on either of the two units Tuesday. Cam Atkinson, Nick Foligno and Artemi Panarin rounded out the first unit. “I like the look of it right now,” said Tortorella, adding that he’ll stick with Werenski and Jones together. “I still think there’s opportunities to shoot. (Panarin) has to be ready to shoot.” Noted Atkinson, “We just have to put the puck in the back of the net. That’s the only thing I’d change. “We were more comfortable toward the end moving around and making plays and finding seams,” he added. Atkinson logged 23:45 of ice time in his first game back after missing four because of a lower-body injury and illness. “It was a lot of ice time for him, but I thought that line was close most of the night, and he brought some energy to it,” Tortorella said. Atkinson, who was on the power play and penalty kill, poked fun at himself for forgetting the puck in a breakout. “For the most part, I felt pretty good,” he said. “There were times where there wasn’t much I could do. “I was getting thrown out there a lot. I love that, though. That’s what I want. As the game went on, I felt my wind starting to get a little better.” The Jackets took Wednesday off. They’ll return to practice Thursday in preparation for their fifth set of back-to-back games: Friday vs. Carolina and Saturday at Detroit. ... After allowing three power-play goals the previous night, the Jackets killed off all four Predators power plays. They’ve killed off all but two of 24 power plays for opponents at Nationwide Arena this season.

Columbus Dispatch LOADED: 11.09.2017 1082296 Dallas Stars

Frustration mounting for Stars' Jason Spezza, who's still looking for his first goal of the season

By Gerry Fraley , Staff Writer Contact Gerry Fraley on Twitter: @gfraley

FRISCO -- Stars center Jason Spezza has passed one forgettable milestone and is approaching another that he could do without. The Stars are 15 games into the season, and Spezza has not scored a goal. It is the longest goal drought at the start of a season in his career. "It's foreign territory for me," Spezza said Wednesday. It is also the second-longest goal-less streak of Spezza's 15-year career. He went 17 games without a goal with Ottawa in 2003-04. The frustration is building. Spezza finds himself being too quick around the net, too eager to get off the schneid. How to get out of this? "You draw on positive things you've done in the past," Spezza said. "This is when you lean on your experience to get out of it." Spezza, 34, is more of a playmaker. Because of that, he has been a streaky with goals throughout his career. This marks the 11th time in Spezza's career that has he has gone at least 10 games without a goal. "I'd take one off my skates," Spezza said. "That would be fine. It comes down to a confidence thing. When you're scoring, you have that extra little patience around the net and put it where you want. When you're not scoring, you rush it." The concern for the Stars is that Spezza had goal-less runs of 12 and 14 games last season. His production dropped from 33 goals and 63 points in 2015-16, when his longest goal-less streak was 10 games, to 15 goals and 50 points last season. Coach Ken Hitchcock put Martin Hanzal on the right wing with Spezza during the third period of Monday's loss to Winnipeg and saw improvement. The line had four scoring chances, according to Hitchcock. The next step is to find a suitable left wing for the line. "We need good play, and we've been getting some good play from [Spezza]," Hitchcock said. "For his own sake, it would be good if he scored some goals. It would be good for him and us. "But we're looking for good play, and we saw a lot of it in the third period [against Winnipeg]. That's what we want to build on." Goalie plans up in the air: The plan to start goalie Kari Lehtonen on Friday against the New York Islanders is on hold after he was held out of practice because of an illness. This also affects Ben Bishop. Hitchcock and goalie coach Jeff Reese wanted a three-day "work block" for Bishop. They cannot do that if Bishop starts against the Islanders. To replace Lehtonen in practice, the Stars called in Tom Hodges, a former amateur goalie, for the practice. Hodge is among the pool of four emergency goalies available this season. "The thrill of a lifetime," Hodge said of practicing with an NHL team. Briefly: The experiment of defenseman Jamie Oleksiak at a wing is over after one game. Hitchcock said the club will look to its Texas affiliate in the American Hockey League to fill the void created by injuries to forwards Radek Faksa, Tyler Pitlick and Brett Ritchie. All three skated but did not participate in the practice. Hitchcock said each must practice Thursday to play on Friday against the New York Islanders. -- Defenseman Marc Methot had a "maintenance day" and did not practice. -- The Stars rank 25th in the NHL for goals at even strength with 25.

Dallas Morning News LOADED: 11.09.2017

1082297 Detroit Red Wings

Red Wings seek to maximize Andreas Athanasiou's 'best attributes'

Helene St. James, Detroit Free Press Published 5:43 p.m. ET Nov. 8, 2017 | Updated 5:52 p.m. ET Nov. 8, 2017

VANCOUVER, B.C. — Andreas Athanasiou is taking to his latest assignment, where there’s potential to skate more and surprise opponents with his line’s offensive capability. The Detroit Red Wings wrap up a four-game, 10-day trek through Canada on Thursday when they take a two-game winning streak into Calgary. Petr Mrazek is slated to start, well-deserved after he made 36 saves Sunday to shutout the Oilers. Up front, coach Jeff Blashill seems to have found success with his latest combinations, partly forged to work on the road so that he has a good matchup even as the home team gets the last line change. Frans Nielsen’s group with Darren Helm and Luke Glendening is the preferred line to have out against the opponent’s top line, but Dylan Larkin’s group with Tomas Tatar and Justin Abdelkader and Henrik Zetterberg’s line with Anthony Mantha and Gustav Nyqvist also are capable draws. That also enables Blashill to use Athanasiou as a center (his natural position), with Martin Frk on the right wing. Scott Wilson has been playing left wing on the line but he is dealing with a tweaked groin, and David Booth skated in the spot at Wednesday’s practice. Athanasiou and Frk both have skill sets that could make the line dangerous offensively.\ “The one thing I’d like to get to is not have an offensive line that’s labeled one, two, three or four,” Blashill said. “You have a match line and then you have three lines that can all do lots offensively — not to say the match line can’t, but if they draw even with whoever they’re matched against and the other groups beat their matches, then you win the hockey game. I just think between AA and Frk, there’s tons of offense there. Let’s give them the opportunity to be offensive.” Athanasiou said he likes the role because at center, “you get to skate a little bit more and in the d-zone you are a little more active. “I played with Frky before and I think we have some good chem and we know where we are on the ice and we do a good job finding each other. He’s got a lot of skill to his game and he’s very comfortable making some passes out there and he’s always looking for me in stride, so it’s definitely a lot of fun to play with him.” Athanasiou had been playing wing on a line with Larkin and Mantha, and Blashill may go back to that group for home games. But putting Athanasiou at center appeals because “the difference between center and wing for him is he is a guy who skates when he gets the puck. He doesn’t have the same habits of skating without the puck – like, Helmer has really learned as a winger how to skate to open space without the puck. AA kind of waits till he gets that puck. Well, it’s hard to get it on the wing as much. You get it way more at center. So I just think getting him in the middle of the ice where he can get the puck and attack up the ice with speed probably uses his best attributes.” More: Red Wings mailbag: Tyler Bertuzzi, defense prospects and Jeff Blashill Wings building an identity, win for 4th time in 5 games Athanasiou played 12:29 minutes at Vancouver, but he’d been in the 14- 17 minute range the previous four games. Part of his minutes will come on power plays, where he’s a key cog on the Larkin unit (the Wings only had 3:16 of total power play time at Vancouver). Athanasiou also has taken shifts at even strength with Larkin. “I’d say that as I’ve looked at our team from the beginning of the year till now, I see way more even minutes than at the beginning of the year,” Blashill said. “At the beginning of the year the fourth line was getting 5-to- 8 minutes, now everybody is in that 14-to-17 range. And where you are at just depends on your play every given night. He, just like everybody else, the more accountable you are defensively, the more trust you have from the coach, the more you are going to play.” Detroit Free Press LOADED: 11.09.2017 1082298 Detroit Red Wings

Detroit Red Wings vs. Calgary Flames: Time, TV, radio information

Detroit Free Press Published 12:46 a.m. ET Nov. 9, 2017

USP NHL: CAROLINA HURRICANES AT CALGARY FLAMES S HKN CGY CAR CAN AL Tonight's game information Detroit Red Wings (8-7-1) vs. Calgary Flames (8-7-0) When: 7:30 p.m. tonight. Where: Little Caesars Arena. TV: Fox Sports Detroit. Radio: 97.1 FM (List of Red Wings' radio affiliates) • Live box score Game notes: The Wings finish off their Canadian road trip with a stop in Calgary tonight. The Flames just added a future Hall-of-Famer to their lineup in Jaromir Jagr, who was activated on Tuesday. Jagr, 45, is second all-time in points in the NHL, with 1,916. Detroit Free Press LOADED: 11.09.2017 1082299 Detroit Red Wings The Griffins (6-6-1, 13 points) broke a 4-4 tie with three goals in the third period, including Matt Lorito’s second of the game (team-leading sixth of season). Robbie Russo and Evgeny Svechnikov both scored their Red Wings' Tomas Tatar snaps skid, reaches milestone second goals of the season. … Henrik Zetterberg (915 points) is three points shy of tying Pavel Datsyuk for seventh in Red Wings’ history (918). Ted Kulfan, The Detroit News Published 3:15 p.m. ET Nov. 8, 2017 | Updated 3:16 p.m. ET Nov. 8, 2017 RED WINGS AT FLAMES Faceoff: 9 p.m. Thursday, Scotiabank Saddledome. Vancouver, B.C. — Give Tomas Tatar credit for picking a fine time to TV/radio: Fox Sports Detroit/97.1 The Ticket. reach the milestone. Outlook: Calgary (8-7, 16 points) saw its three-game win streak end with Tatar had been stuck at 199 career points for seven games — or, put Tuesday’s loss to Vancouver…The Flames are led by LW Johnny another way, a seven-game drought where Tatar hadn’t earned a point. Gaudreau (15 assists, 19 points) and C Sean Monahan (8 goals, 14 points)…G Mike Smith (.923 SVS) has stabilized the goaltending. But with Monday’s game in Vancouver on the line, tied at 2-all with just 1 minute, 14 seconds left, Tatar lifted a shot that deflected off a Canucks’ [email protected] player stick and past goalie Jacob Markstrom for the game-winning goal. twitter.com/tkulfan And, finally, point No. 200 of Tatar’s career. Detroit News LOADED: 11.09.2017 “I had it in my mind,” said Tatar of reaching the milestone. “But things weren’t going well for me, so I just kind of got it out of my mind and tried to play simply. “You just need a fortunate bounce sometimes. I’m glad it happened.” Now, the Red Wings hope it happens more often. Always one of the more streaky scorers the Red Wings have had — arguably one of the streakiest offensive players in the NHL — Monday’s goal was only Tatar’s fourth goal this season. Having scored two goals in one game, it means Tatar has scored in only three games of the 16 the Red Wings have played thus far this season. That’s not good enough for one of the key Red Wings’ offensive performers, who re-signed last summer as a restricted free agent to a four-year contract worth $21.2 million ($5.3 salary cap hit). Tatar had shoulder surgery after last season ended, but was ready for training camp. “I actually thought he had an excellent camp,” coach Jeff Blashill said. "He had a couple of goals early. He’s had chances, and just hasn’t scored. He’s that kind of player. “He’s a streaky player. It seems like when they go in, they go in bunches, so I’m hoping they start going in tons. “He played great (Sunday) in Edmonton, and he played great (Monday in Vancouver). The two prior, he wasn’t as good.” KEEP IT SIMPLE Any team that limits mistakes and puts forth a great effort greatly increases its chances of winning. Sure enough, the basic and predictable formula has pretty much worked for the Red Wings on this present road trip, winning games in Edmonton and Vancouver playing a sound road game. Even in the loss to Ottawa which opened the trip, the Red Wings were in the game until a Senators’ empty-net goal clinched the outcome. “We can see that when we don’t make those (huge) mistakes in the neutral zone and turn pucks over, when we play a more simple game and try to outwork opponents, we can be a really tough team to play against,” forward Frans Nielsen said. “We’ve got a lot of skill here. Once the opportunity comes, we can take advantage of that.” Blashill has preached to the Red Wings about a need to play fast, out- working teams, and paying attention to details – not being themselves. The Red Wings have pretty much checked off those areas while winning four of their last five games. “As a group, the whole team has bought into the way we want to play and that’s one of the most important things,” Blashill said. “On the ice you have five guys headed in the same direction. That’s a big thing. It’s not just coming from the coach, it’s coming from the players and they’re all buying in.” ICE CHIPS Minor league affiliate Grand Rapids defeated San Antonio Wednesday, 7-4, in an annual matinee game at Van Andel Arena. 1082300 Detroit Red Wings

Red Wings stuck in muck between great and bad teams in NHL

By LARRY LAGE, AP Hockey Writer

DETROIT >> The Detroit Red Wings have been fading from elite status in the NHL for nearly a decade. A new arena also isn’t going to fix their problems. In fact, the franchise’s glorious past seems to have a haunting effect in and around Detroit’s dressing room at Little Caesars Arena. There are empty locker stalls honoring former greats such as Gordie Howe, Nicklas Lidstrom and Terry Sawchuk. And when the players leave their dressing room and turn right, likenesses of Scotty Bowman and Steve Yzerman loom as a reminder of the good old days for a franchise that won four of its 11 Stanley Cups from 1997 to 2008. Detroit didn’t make the playoffs last season for the first time since 1990. If the postseason started today, the franchise would have its season end in the regular season in consecutive years for the first time since 1979-83, when fans in the Motor City referred to them as the Dead Wings and cars were given away to draw fans into the stands. The Red Wings are not an awful team now. They’ve showed that by winning four of five games for the second time this season, stretches of success sandwiched around a six-game losing streak. In some ways, they’re like a lot of teams in the league. They don’t seem to have a shot to contend for a championship, but they’re not bad enough to be among the worst and have a shot at one of the best players in the draft. They have a lot of players who belong in the league, but none of them are stars that can carry the team. “It’s hard to separate yourself from other teams over the course of a game, or a season, because of competitive balance,” Detroit general manager Ken Holland said. “The cap system is designed for parity. You’re not going to beat the system. A large majority of the teams are at .500, or just above or below. We’re in that group, and it’s going to be a photo finish to the end to make the playoffs.” Jonathan Ericsson was a young player toward the end of Detroit’s glory years, and laments how much the team’s culture has changed over the last decade. The defenseman played in 22 playoff games in 2009, when the Red Wings were a win away from repeating as Stanley Cup champions, and hasn’t been on another long playoff run since. “We used to play with desperation and we were so dialed in with our preparations with an older and experienced team,” Ericsson said. “We just knew we could turn around games and win. That feeling, especially last year, wasn’t there. And, it’s tough to get that feeling back.” If the NHL playoffs started today, half of last season’s postseason field would be relegated to watching the action. About a fifth of the way through the regular season, the 2017 playoff teams that would not return to the postseason are Boston, the New York Rangers, Montreal, Edmonton, Anaheim, Calgary, Minnesota and Chicago. Howe died at the age of 88 nearly 17 months ago and his youngest son has written a book, “Nine Lessons I Learned from My Father,” to keep Mr. Hockey’s legacy alive. “I woke up on Father’s Day the year after dad passed with a huge hole in my heart,” recalled Dr. Murray Howe, whose book was recently released. “I wanted to honor him by putting down on paper what he stood for and who he was a man. Despite his athletic achievements, he was so humble and patient. I hope the lessons can inspire people to be the best versions of themselves and to make an impact with their own gifts and talents.” Goals: Nikita Kucherov (Tampa Bay), 14; Assists: Steven Stamkos (Tampa Bay), 18; Points: Stamkos, 25; Time on ice: John Carlson (Washington), 27:14; Goals-against average, 10-game minimum: Corey Crawford (Chicago), 1.77; Save percentage, 10-game minimum: Corey Crawford (Chicago), .945. One of the top teams in the East meets one of the best in the West. The Atlantic Division-leading Tampa Bay Lightning play the Pacific-leading Los Angeles Kings on the road Thursday night. Macomb Daily LOADED: 11.09.2017 1082301 Edmonton Oilers “Then our big guns took over in the overtime. That’s what we count on them for … Any time you’ve got 3-on-3 with Connor and Leon, anything can happen.” Edmonton Oilers goalie Cam Talbot keeps stopping more rubber on the I try to play the same night-in, night-out.Cam Talbot road McLellan had a great view as the two worked their way and fended off Islanders defenceman Nick Leddy. Jim Matheson, Edmonton JournalJIM MATHESON, EDMONTON “Connor made sure he stayed on onside at the blue line, protected the JOURNAL puck,” said McLellan. “Then Leon looked like he had eyes in the back of his head and got it back to Connor. BROOKLYN, N.Y. — Cam Talbot didn’t want to give up a goal to anyone, “Fun play to watch.” least of all Jordan Eberle — now dressed in the blue and orange of the Into the black New York Islanders — but that was all the beleaguered Edmonton Oilers goalie allowed for his bewildered team Tuesday night. While there’s been much talk about the poor ice at Brooklyn’s Barclays Center, Talbot says the bigger problem is picking up the puck. Talbot, who has a forgettable .894 save percentage and 3.54 goals- against average at Rogers Place, where the Oilers are 3-6, and who has “It’s hard to see the puck if it’s a long dump-in and the puck goes above looked like someone else in net, continued to show a completely different the boards. You lose it, especially in the first and third periods,” he said. face under that mask on the road. “You’re looking at black at one end of the rink with no seats. It’s the only building like that. Following his 36-save performance Tuesday night, he now has a .937 save percentage and a 2.03 goals-against average on the road. He “The other rinks have seats that come right down to the glass, and come stopped everyone but Eberle, who scored on a second-period ripper, in game time, even if the seats are a black colour, the fans aren’t all the Oilers’ 2-1 overtime victory. wearing black.” “He was a rock back there, and we tend to perform better when he’s like Yamamoto ‘was close to being a regular’ that,” Oilers head coach Todd McLellan said after the game at Barclays Center. Oilers coach Todd McLellan really liked teenager Kailer Yamamoto, even if he was sent back to junior in Spokane. Talbot got the game to extra time when his team was outshot 13-2 in the third, then watched big horses Connor McDavid and Leon Draisaitl “He was close this year to being a regular, and maybe under different combine to win it 38 seconds in, with McDavid rifling one under the circumstances, he’d have stayed longer. I really believe in this young crossbar on his 28th shift of the game. man,” said McLellan. “He has the skill to play here, but what he has to do is keep believing in his ability. He had trouble finishing (NHL) with The victory is just one small step for the Oilers, of course, because they numerous chances early. We don’t want him at his size thinking he’s just still haven’t won two games in a row this year, but they at least started a checker.” the four-game trip on the right foot and are now 5-8-1. “His offensive talents will come out at the Western League level and next When the Oilers needed the win, their best players were their best year at camp, he’ll be a little wiser, stronger and more ready.” players. They don’t get this one to OT without Talbot, though. How do you get stronger in a league where Yamamoto (154 pounds) is “I didn’t realize it was that lopsided in shots in the third,” said McDavid. out there with a lot of 165-pound 17-year-olds? So does Talbot just play better away from the prying eyes of the home “Those teams have weight rooms and nutritionists and mother nature fans? All those 6-3, 5-4, 6-1 games, and yet on the road, the last four gives you an extra 10 or 12 months to grow up,” said McLellan. “When I games have all been decided by scores of 2-1 — two of them Oilers’ say stronger, I don’t mean the league strength. It’s also mental, like his wins, over the Islanders and the Chicago Blackhawks, both in OT, with on-ice vision. It’s a maturation process. He’ll be running his own power losses to the Philadelphia Flyers and, also in OT, to the Pittsburgh play in junior instead of being part of one with us.” Penguins. If his Spokane team doesn’t make the playoffs, the Oilers will likely send “I have no idea why we’re so different on the road. I don’t think there’s an Yamamoto to Bakersfield to play some games on a pro tryout. They did answer,” said Talbot. that with Eberle when he was with Regina. Well, maybe there is. Not necessarily running away from home “We’re just too loose at home. We don’t check. Tonight, we did,” said McLellan shrugged when asked Tuesday morning if getting on the road McLellan. “There were a number of times when some of our key players was a good bonding time for his team. stopped in the slot and broke plays up, and that led to offence the other way. Plus, of course, our penalty-killing was better.” “Yeah, we always talk about that when things aren’t going so well but that’s because home hasn’t been very special for us,” said McLellan. “But That’s another very strange wrinkle. The Oilers are barely 50 per cent at you can ask any of our players and they’ll say they’re not running away home on the penalty-kill, and they went into this game at 88 per cent on (from Rogers Place). They enjoy the fans.” the road and stopped all three Isles’ chances. Edmonton Journal: LOADED: 11.09.2017 “We didn’t give up a lot of second opportunities against a heavy, forechecking team,” said McLellan. Talbot, who came into Brooklyn with a 3.17 average and .903 save percentage overall, said he doesn’t think he plays differently away from Edmonton. “Personally I don’t think my game is any different on the road,” he said. “I try to play the same night-in, night-out.” So, about Eberle’s goal? “Heckuva play by that (Mathew) Barzal. He’s really shifty,” said Talbot. “Every time he got the puck, he seemed to be a threat out there and he dropped it to Ebs with room. He put it in a pretty good spot (over his mitt).” He made a terrific stop on Johnny Boychuk with 61 seconds left with the puck finding his glove. “I saw the initial shot but had to look around a few guys,” said Talbot. “I knew where it was going, but I didn’t catch it until the puck went by the pile. 1082302 Edmonton Oilers Bob Green said “we think he's going to fight for a job, I would never bet against a kid with as much ability as him,” leading up to training camp and the young man pushed hard enough to earn nine regular-season MY TEAMS US CITIES CANADA NHL MLB NFL NBA NCAA games. FOOTBALL NCAA BASKETBALL Todd McLellan on Yamamoto: “He knows how to use his size and the more structured he gets, the better he plays. He can anticipate where players are and he plays better with higher end players. As camp Allan Mitchell dwindles, we expect him to get better. We expect him to push for a spot.” (@EdmontonOilers on Twitter)

My belief is McLellan preferred Yamamoto over Puljujarvi because he is (Editor's Note: Allan (Lowetide) Mitchell is bringing his annual ranking of quicker and his offensive skill set is more refined and easier to plug-and- the top 20 Edmonton Oilers prospects exclusively to The Athletic. He has play. Once Yamamoto got a clear shot at an NHL job it was all over been publishing the list for a decade and today kicks off the series with a because he flourished during pre-season, helped by injury issues that new No. 1 on his list. For more on the list and past rankings, check out impacted Drake Caggiula and Anton Slepyshev. He won the job on merit. this post. The top 10 prospects will be presented individually, with Nos. 11-20 in one future post.) Head-to-Head In choosing Kailer Yamamoto as Edmonton's No. 1 prospect, I am The conversation for top prospect this winter comes down to Yamamoto passing on Jesse Puljujarvi's fantastic set of tools. I've chosen the and Puljujarvi. There are multiple ways for us to compare these players younger, smaller winger because his skills suggest more offensive offensively, and we're lucky in that both have played in the same league potential. We can see how Yamamoto will score goals as an NHL player (NHL), although not in the same season. Although Yamamoto has played more clearly than we can envision Puljujarvi cashing consistently based few NHL games, we did get a measure of the player and it's interesting to on each player's skill set. The numbers available to us give us no clear compare him to Puljujarvi at the highest level. view and the future will give us the answer. The No. 1 consideration in looking at the numbers below? Although both Previously No. 1 on the Winter List men spent a lot of time with McDavid, Yamamoto's totals are influenced far more by No. 97's presence. Yamamoto spent 54 percent of his time Winter 2007: C Sam Gagner (709 NHL games) with McDavid, Puljujarvi 29 percent. That's going to skew these numbers in a big way. Winter 2008: C Riley Nash (335) Small sample sizes (and two different seasons) at the NHL level, but Winter 2009: LW Magnus Paajarvi (323) Yamamoto's scoring chances and shots/60 totals imply we are dealing Winter 2010: LW Taylor Hall (466) with a dynamic offensive player — even with the McDavid push. Puljujarvi may emerge as a more successful offensive player — his size Winter 2011: C Ryan Nugent-Hopkins (408) and two-way potential are impressive — but for me, Yamamoto's shooting ability and goal scoring give him a slight edge. Winter 2012: RW Nail Yakupov (306) The Comparable Winter 2013: D Darnell Nurse (128) Former McDavid junior linemate Alex DeBrincat is a nice comparable for Winter 2014: C Leon Draisaitl (200) Yamamoto. Both are goal scorers and effective with the puck and both Winter 2015: C Connor McDavid (140) are undersized and capable of staying healthy. Scouting reports have Yamamoto as a better skater but both are going to be able to play at Winter 2016: RW Jesse Puljujarvi (28) pace in the NHL. Yamamoto has now played nine NHL games and this could be his only The Future appearance on the Winter Top 20 list. The possibility exists that he will play many games as Connor McDavid's right winger, but even if he I was amazed by Yamamoto's ability to retrieve pucks in the offensive doesn't win that cherished job there's plenty of talent and a potentially zone and pester opposing defenders consistently. He has a great touch handsome future. around the net, excellent vision and is a fantastic passer. A team that needed skill badly grabbed a winner in Yamamoto. The top spot on the winter list — since 2010 — has included some of the best young talent in the game today, peaking in 2015 when McDavid was Expectations for the rest of this season should be domination of the WHL ranked No. 1. The list is heavy on centres and wingers, just one defender and a strong showing at the World Junior Championship. He'll play for in the group — I wonder if we see that change one year from now. There Team USA and should have a feature role. are a number of defencemen stacked and racked inside this year’s top Why is Kailer Yamamoto No. 1? 10, and perhaps we will see a defenceman taken in the first round at the draft in 2018. Yamamoto is the third right winger to be ranked No. 1 in The hardest thing to do in hockey is score goals and Yamamoto is a the last decade. strong offensive player. Among the players I regard as prospects, Yamamoto's goal scoring, vision and passing are the best among What they Said on Draft Day Edmonton's current prospect group. He does not possess the range of The Black Book: “An electric player with dynamic offensive ability, skills Puljujarvi displays and it's completely possible the Finn ends up easily some of highest skill of any forward I watched this year, he’s just having the better NHL career. But for me, Yamamoto's offensive potential so small and at times took some big contact when I was viewing him. is enough to give him the edge as the Oilers top prospect winter 2017. Love his aggressive nature and how he attacks puck carries from all You never know who will develop chemistry with whom in hockey but Lil angles, it puts players on edge.” Kaiser Yakamoto sure looks like a potentially great fit with McDavid in the Corey Pronman: It takes a lot of talent for teams to be convinced that future. It'll be all speed and puck control and beautiful dangles as soon as a player under 5-foot-8 should go in the top 15, but Yamamoto clears that he can shoot a puck into the ocean because those numbers are crazy bar, partly on talent alone, and partly on a relatively weak draft class. good. And if he is able to click with McDavid as soon as next year I don't He’s a plus skater, puck handler and passer. Yamamoto has great agility know how we'll ever afford him on his second contract. on his edges, combined with a good top gear. (ESPN.com) That might mean the Puljujarvi ends up on the second line but there is The Combine nothing wrong with that in the slightest. And if he's more 2-way than offensive dynamo that just means he can play a vital role (moderate Wingate (anaerobic fitness): No. 4 overall (mean power); No. 3 scoring, shut down the other teams top line) without costing the moon. overall (peak power) It's unique for us Oiler fans to see a high end prospect not get rushed up to the big club before he is ready but everything we've seen from him Agility test (shuttle run): No. 2 overall suggests that being in the AHL is what's best for his development right Pull-ups: No. 4 overall now. I really hope that he gets called up in the second half of the season after his bonuses burn off and that he lights it up for the rest of the year. (Sportsnet.ca) It might convince management of what he is enough to lock him down for long term at reasonable dollars. This team is going to need those kinds of Training Camp deals on great players for a long time. The Oilers telegraph their moves and if you are a good listener it's fairly easy to see which way the wind blows. Oilers director of player personnel Have been a reader over at Lowetide for years but never a commenter, came over knowing Lowetide would be writing here more and love my Oilers so here I am. Loved this young Man's game this year. For a very small winger he hung in there and I see bright future for him in years to come. I still have hope that Puljujarvi will also end up as a top 6 player by the end of this year. I am so not ready to go there yet. As I posted on Lowetide's blog yesterday, if the season does go that route, as disappointing and frustrating as it would be, I would look forward to adding a nice prospect to our pool (likely not a top 5 unless we win the lottery with a <5% change) along with the pick/prospect currency we would get from selling Maroon, Letestu and even Jokinen. A one-year re-tool like that could/would go a long way to creating a deeper prospect pool that we will need going forward to follow the PIT model for our cap structure (cheap value contracts on the wing in the top 6). The Athletic LOADED: 11.09.2017 1082303 Florida Panthers

Panthers return forward Chase Balisy to AHL affiliate Springfield

Matthew DeFranks Matthew DeFranks

The Florida Panthers sent forward Chase Balisy back to AHL affiliate Springfield on Wednesday night, continuing an up-and-down few weeks for the 25-year-old rookie. Balisy made his NHL debut on Oct. 28 against Detroit, one game after penalty-killing forward Connor Brickley was injured. Balisy played three games for the Panthers before being sent back to Springfield. He was recalled for Tuesday’s game against Carolina, filling in for Jared McCann. McCann missed five games with a lower-body injury before playing on Saturday against the Rangers. He did not play Tuesday against the Hurricanes, with Bob Boughner saying Balisy would add depth as the team made “sure everybody’s 100 percent.” Balisy’s return to Springfield could signal good news for McCann’s health. In four games with the Panthers, Balisy did not record a point and posted a minus-2 rating. The Panthers have lost five games in a row and will try to snap the skid Friday night against the Sabres in Buffalo. Florida now has 22 players on its roster. Sun Sentinel LOADED: 11.09.2017 1082304 Florida Panthers

The Next Day Look: Carolina Hurricanes 3, Florida Panthers 1

Matthew DeFranks Matthew DeFranks

The Florida Panthers lost to the Carolina Hurricanes, 3-1, on Tuesday night at PNC Arena in Raleigh, N.C. Panthers goaltender Roberto Luongo made 45 saves in a losing effort as Florida dropped its fifth straight game. It has not won since Oct. 26. The Panthers are now 4-8-2 with 10 points, on pace for 59 points. Here’s another look at Tuesday night’s game. The story Roberto Luongo strong in net as Panthers lose to Hurricanes, extend losing streak to five Telling number 86. Number of shots attempted by Carolina. This marked a season-high in shots attempted against for the Panthers, surpassing the 75 shots that Washington tried to fire during Florida’s 4-1 win on Oct. 21. On Tuesday night, the Hurricanes managed 48 shots on goal, tying Pittsburgh (Oct. 20) for most shots on goal against Florida. The ballooned shot totals were a perfect storm of sorts. Carolina is a shot-happy team that ranks second in the NHL with 37.0 shots on goal per game. Florida’s defense allows the most shots in the NHL at 38.1 per game, nearly three shots more than the next-closest team. The Panthers have now allowed five opponents at least 40 shots on goal. Under the radar quote of the game “When it start out like that and you’re moving into pucks, you know that you’re on top of it,” Panthers goaltender Roberto Luongo said. Luongo — playing his 500th game as a Panther and 972nd in the NHL on Tuesday night — made 45 saves to keep Florida in the game. He said he could feel sharp early on when he tracked the first shot he faced. Luongo missed two weeks with a right hand injury before returning Saturday against the New York Rangers. During that game, he said he wasn’t as sharp as he wanted to be. On Tuesday night, that changed, due in part to the large shot volume, he said. Carolina had 20 shots on goal in the first period, allowing Luongo to develop a rhythm early. Saves of the game This sequence came in the first period just after Connor Brickley returned to the ice following a penalty. Luongo was sprawled on the ice as the Hurricanes circled the zone. While laying on his side, Luongo made an impressive stop on Justin Williams to keep the game goalless. He also stuffed the rebound attempt by Carolina. Luongo came up huge again in the second period, robbing Jeff Skinner on a one-time attempt on the outside of the crease. Skinner received a centering feed that slipped past Keith Yandle before trying to beat Luongo glove-side. But Luongo slid post-to-post to make another huge save. Goal of the game The game-winning goal from Derek Ryan was an impressive feat of hand-eye coordination, but it was more concerting that he was all alone on the doorstep, allowing him to bat in a rebound. At first after the faceoff, Ryan is covered by both Yandle and Vincent Trocheck. But as the puck is worked along the blue line, both Trocheck and Yandle abandon Ryan in front to pressure the puck. Trocheck swung his stick in frustration after the goal. “We had a missed assignment off a faceoff and that’s the difference in the game,” Panthers coach Bob Boughner said. Shot heat map (via Natural Stat Trick) The Hurricanes got all of their offense right on the edge of the crease, scoring all three goals in that area, though one was an empty-netter. But they generated a lot of shots from the slot and put shots on net from the outside. Carolina didn’t shoot much from the circles against Florida. The Panthers’ lone goal came from Trocheck on the power play, also in the crease area. Sun Sentinel LOADED: 11.09.2017 1082305 Florida Panthers worst power play in the league. But then Florida faces New Jersey (23.4 percent, eighth in the NHL) and Dallas (31.8 percent, first in the NHL).

Sun Sentinel LOADED: 11.09.2017 Panthers called for six penalties, but killed them all during loss to Hurricanes

Matthew DeFranks Matthew DeFranks

The Florida Panthers held a meeting on Monday to talk about penalties. Coach Bob Boughner told the team they’d been taking too many of them lately. He showed video clips of poor stick placement that led to penalties. But during the Panthers’ 3-1 loss to Carolina on Tuesday night, the message didn’t seem to sink in. Florida was whistled for six penalties, leading to five power-play opportunities for the Hurricanes. “They’re dumb penalties,” Boughner said after the loss. “We’ve talked about it that we’ve been taking too many of late. We actually had a meeting on it [Monday]. We showed video about our bad sticks getting up. All the penalties they called were penalties. We’re hurting ourselves that way.” The Panthers penalty kill — which entered Tuesday as the second-worst unit in the NHL at 70.6 percent — was perfect on Tuesday, killing all five successfully. It was the first time since Oct. 28 that the Panthers killed all of its penalties. It was just the fourth time in 14 games that Florida did not allow a power-play goal. Although the Hurricanes didn’t score on any of their power plays, the penalties impacted how the Panthers played the rest of the game. Carolina fired 11 shots on goal on the power play. It had 36 at even- strength and one shorthanded, totaling 48 shots. The Panthers managed 24 shots at even-strength. “Stay out of the box,” Boughner said of the Hurricanes shot totals. “We get killed shorthanded almost a whole period of the game. That’s why the shot totals are up.” The penalties also forced Boughner to tax some of his best players that also kill penalties. Aleksander Barkov (4:32) and Vincent Trocheck (4:26) each played more than four minutes on the penalty kill unit. So did Colton Sceviour (4:50) and Derek MacKenzie (4:17). As shorthanded time increased, overall time on ice numbers became inflated. Barkov topped 24 minutes for the fifth time this season. Entering this year, he’d only done so twice. Defenseman Keith Yandle (27:52) played at least 27 minutes for the first time since last December. Aaron Ekblad (27:56) notched a new career high for ice time. “We spent too much time with the same guys killing penalties and obviously, when it’s time to pour it on offensively, we got not a lot of juice left,” Boughner said. Forward Connor Brickley took back-to-back penalties in the first period to handcuff the Panthers. Brickley was whistled for high-sticking 95 seconds into the game. He was released from the penalty box, then called for tripping 20 seconds later. Nick Bjugstad was called for holding about midway through the second period. Micheal Haley, like Brickley earlier, made two visits to the box within minutes of each other. He was called for roughing at 14:25 in the second period. When that penalty expired, Haley spent 36 seconds on the ice before he was penalized for slashing. Mark Pysyk’s roughing penalty at the end of the second period led to four-on-four play when Carolina’s Joakim Nordstrom was called for slashing. The Panthers have been trying to solve their penalty-killing woes throughout the season. In losses to Tampa Bay and Columbus last week, the team allowed two power-play goals in each game. Florida allowed three power-play goals to Pittsburgh in an October home loss. Boughner and associate coach Jack Capuano installed a system that emphasizes pressuring the puck and using their forwards to push out aggressively. It sometimes left the Panthers susceptible to cross-ice passes that moved faster than their defenders could. On Tuesday night, the Panthers didn’t get beat on the kill. “We did a good job pressuring,” Yandle said. “We worked hard. We fed off one another.” The Panthers will have another opportunity to improve their kill against Buffalo on Friday night. At 11.5 percent, the Sabres rank as the third- 1082306 Los Angeles Kings the Lightning’s first 11 games. The Kings have earned at least 11 wins through their first 15 games for the third time in team history.

LA Times: LOADED: 11.09.2017 Goaltender Jonathan Quick has helped put the fight in the red-hot Kings

Curtis Zupke

Feisty doesn’t begin to describe Jonathan Quick when he’s at his most irritated. He’s come close to fighting, a subject that seems to get broached whenever his crease gets crowded. Teammate Andy Andreoff almost doesn’t want to picture Quick dropping his glove and blocker. “Honestly, I wouldn’t want to fight Quickie,” Andreoff said. “Quickie’s a big, strong guy. I’m sure he’d take the other goalie out.” Quick looked ready to throw down with noted Ducks pest Corey Perry on Tuesday when the two tangled into a heap behind the net. Quick instead was hit with a roughing penalty, his second this season. That doesn’t include at least one other scrum, against the Calgary Flames, when his mask was ripped off. If Quick seems more amped than usual, the Kings gladly will feed off it. He prefers to let his play speak for itself, and that’s been loud with a 2.06 goals-against average and .936 save percentage, which through Tuesday ranked third and second in the NHL, respectively. His low- tolerance level cannot be measured in numbers, outside of its translation to victories, and that’s been the backbeat to the Kings’ start. “Just the way he’s so into the game and emotional — it creates energy for us and creates momentum for us,” Andreoff said. “When he’s that into the game we want to be there for Quickie. I think that’s a huge key for us.” Brooks Laich is getting to know Quick after spending most of his NHL career in the Eastern Conference. Laich often communicates with Quick as a penalty killer, and he’s also seeing up close how driven his goaltender is. “Love the emotion,” Laich said. “When your leaders are emotionally invested in the game, it pulls everybody into the fight … just how he competes in the crease, competes for his space, competes for the puck.” Rivalry game loaded with big hits as Kings walk away with overtime victory over Ducks If Quick starts Thursday, his counterpart will be familiar as T Peter Budaj of the Tampa Bay Lightning is expected to start in a matchup of division leaders. Budaj, 35, experienced a late career re-boot with the Kings last season before it abruptly ended when former general manager Dean Lombardi sent him to Tampa Bay in a trade for Ben Bishop, among other pieces. “We loved having Peter here,” Kings coach John Stevens said, “but he’s just a member of another team now.” Intense opener Big hits. Fights. Scrums. Two disallowed goals. An overtime finish. The consensus was that Tuesday’s 4-3 overtime Kings victory was as intense as a Ducks-Kings game can get in November. And that was the first installment of the five-game regular-season series. “How much more do you want?” Andreoff said. The Kings held an optional skate Wednesday and it was welcomed following a game that had a combined 79 shots, 54 hits and 25 blocked shots. Drew Doughty played 35 minutes 31 seconds, a career high. “Drew will tell you he wishes he played 35 minutes every night,” Stevens said. Stevens noted that Doughty got a recovery day and that the Kings monitor fatigue levels of every player. “There’s chronic and acute,” Stevens said. “Over time we try to track both those and … I think we’re way further on that than we were [previously].” NEXT UP VS. TAMPA BAY When: 7:30 p.m. Thursday. On the air: TV: FSW; Radio: 790. Update: Tampa Bay’s Steven Stamkos and Nikita Kucherov were the NHL’s top two scorers through Tuesday’s games. Stamkos had points in 1082307 Los Angeles Kings

What we learned from the Kings' 4-3 overtime win over the Ducks

Mike Coppinger and Curtis Zupke

The Kings and Ducks engaged in their first meeting of the season, and boy, was it a wild one. There were fights, melees and plenty of extracurricular activity after the whistle in a game that resembled a playoff affair. The Kings inched within one point of the Western Conference lead with a 4-3 overtime victory over the Ducks, who extended their losing streak to four. Here's what we learned: Nick Shore is more than a grinder. Kings fans groaned earlier in the season when they saw Shore in overtime. He’s been a depth forward throughout his NHL career but does have a history of offense early in his career. Shore’s game-winner was a beauty of a finish on Dustin Brown’s pass on a two-on-one. The Kings would like to see more of that. “It was great for Shore-sy,” Kings coach John Stevens said. “We think Shore-sy’s got some offensive ability. To his credit, he’s been a real sound defensive player getting established in the National Hockey League. We think he can score, and he proved that tonight.” Brown's scoring touch continues. One season after he potted just 14 goals, the former Kings captain is already halfway to that total through 15 games. His third-period power-play goal tied the contest at 3, and he also added a point on Shore's overtime clincher. If he can continue to find the back of the net, the Kings' top line is that much more dangerous. Parade of Penalties. The Ducks' outrageous penchant for penalties reached new heights with nine trips to the sin bin for a total of 21 minutes. Corey Perry was docked for two penalties and so was Kevin Bieksa. The Ducks have been shorthanded on 67 occasions this season, top 5 in the NHL. Something has to give. "We talk about discipline, but it’s still tough," said Ducks forward Rickard Rakell. " ... We just have to be more careful with our sticks." Power-play not so powerful. The Ducks' power-play, simply put, is bad. They've converted on less than 12% of their power-play opportunities, which ranks No. 30 in the league. Sure, some of that can be blamed on the absence of key contributors like Ryan Getzlaf, Patrick Eaves, Ryan Kesler and Cam Fowler. But right now, it's not much of an advantage when the opposing team is short-handed, and Randy Carlyle needs to find a solution. "I thought the first (chance) was pretty good," said Ducks assistant coach Trent Yawney. "We just didn’t finish off the play. The other thing I’d say is their penalty kill is like 93 or 94%. That’s pretty good. When it got down to it, they kind of shut us down. You have to give them credit, too." Ryan Miller shines again. He only played 10:44 after replacing John Gibson, but the Ducks' No. 2 again showed that he's deserving of more opportunities. He might receive the call Thursday against his former team, the Vancouver Canucks, with Gibson now in concussion protocol. But the way the former Vezina trophy winner is playing, he shoudn't be called on only when there's consecutive games or an injury. "He's been terrific and Gibson has been as well, so you gotta have that," said Yawney. " ... As we go forward here we're going to need them both." LA Times: LOADED: 11.09.2017 1082308 Los Angeles Kings what’s he getting for recovery, and we can certainly help the young players when it comes to that.

On where he’ll watch the San Jose – Tampa Bay game tonight: NOVEMBER 8 PRACTICE QUOTES: JOHN STEVENS; JON BRADLEY PRACTICE PHOTOS I’ll be at home. Either here or home. That’s my life. [Reporter: Will you put in a lot of game plan after tonight’s game?] I’ve started watching them now. I get through last night’s game, and usually the first thing we’ll do is JON ROSENNOVEMBER 8, 20170 COMMENTS review the game we played last night. I’ve watched them a little bit but not a lot. We have a pre-scout role together already. We look at A, B and C games. A would be the most recent, C would be the one furthest back, and we kind of track their lineup, track their special teams. Their systems On how demanding it was to keep pace in the Anaheim game, given the don’t change a whole lot. Faceoff alignment might change based on their physicality: opponent, and personnel and special teams will change sometimes based on who’s going well and injuries. But the game tonight will be more I didn’t see any issues with the pace, and quite honest, I didn’t think we just getting a sense of the flow of the game. San Jose plays a little were as physical as we needed to be for probably the middle part of the different type of game maybe from the team that I was just watching, hockey game. When we got our forecheck established and started which was the Columbus game. I think we have a pretty good sense of getting more contact – and it’s not always about running a guy over like their identity as a team, but we’ll watch the game tonight just to get a the MacDermid or the Manson hit, it’s about making contact to force sense of personnel, how they match up against San Jose, against a team pucks on the wall and force players to get rid of pucks when you’re trying in our division, and usually it just reinforces what you already see. You to get separation. Those plays are also effective, but I thought our might see something in the game that you want to grab because it’s forecheck was a lot more effective in the third period. When you play in important. Usually that relates to special teams. There might be a set-up the Pacific Division, I think you’re going to get used to that. Even if teams or a personnel change that’s different than the recent games that we aren’t real physical teams, I think that you see teams that are extremely would make our guys aware of, but I think a lot of the prep will be done competitive on the puck, and that takes its toll as well. I don’t think that today prior to the game. We’ll just watch that as a follow-up tonight. part of the game was anything out of the ordinary. [Reporter: If there’s a team that is similar to the Kings, do you try to On how the team evolved in the most recent five-game segment: watch Tampa against that team, as opposed to any other Tampa game?] Well, that’s a great question. It can be very helpful, especially in regards We got seven points, which was good. I thought our special teams to special teams – if a team’s using a certain forecheck against their performed well. We’d still like to see our chance totals come down. Our power play breakout that’s either effective or not very effective, like, we’ll goals-against climbed a little bit in that segment, which is something go look for that sometimes. Or, last year with Washington, for instance, we’re certainly aware of, and I think that’s something that every team in their power play was red hot, and if they went 0-for-5 against somebody, the league is trying to address, and certainly we are as well. We like what we’d go grab that game [to see] how they would go 5-for-5 on the PK we’ve done offensively. Our power play’s helped there, but we don’t think against a power play that’s been red hot. With Tampa Bay, it’s an anything we’re doing offensively leads to not being better defensively and interesting challenge. Jeez, they’ve been impressive in all areas. It we don’t think any commitment defensively takes away from what we’re seems like they’re firing on all cylinders. They’re getting great production trying to do offensively. If there’s one area we want to get better at, it’s out of every corner of their locker room. I’m anxious to watch the game we want to tighten up a little bit. [Reporter: What do you think is the because I haven’t watched a lot of them, so I’d like to see a game start- cause for that going up – the goals and chances against?] If I could put it to-finish just to get a better feel for ‘em, but just watching them, the pre- on one area, it’s probably puck management. I think we play hard. In scout there, they’ve been impressive. terms of structure of defending, if you look at the chances we’re giving up, I think it’s coming from turnovers whether it’s a D-zone turnover or On Tampa Bay’s offensive tiers: we’re trying to exit the zone, or maybe a play in the neutral zone where It’s interesting – they’ve played seven D and 11 forwards so much, and I you’re going to force them to play in the offensive zone, those are all think the reason they do that is because they’re so deep up front. They turnovers. So if there’s one area that I’d like to see us improve to get have lots of guys playing big minutes, and they end up doubling up guys those numbers down, it would be puck management. Even the goal at like Kucherov who can play first and fourth line, which makes a very the end of the power play last night was a puck we had. I think the guys interesting match-up. I think they have 11 forwards that can handle are trying to make the right plays but didn’t execute, and trying to make a bigger minutes, which at the end of the day, their top guys don’t play any little handoff to get the puck out, and it ends up in your net. That’s more minutes, just that their bottom guys play more minutes. It creates a probably the one main cause of the climb in that number. tough challenge for teams trying to match-up against that. I’m impressed On when he realized Alex Iafallo could make meaningful contributions: with how hard they work, they compete with the puck. They play fast and their support game with the puck is fast, and they’re always looking to We’ve been happy with his game all along. That’s why he’s been a fixture make plays, and their D are involved all the time, which a lot of teams on that line. We liked him all along. I didn’t know him very well before are, but their ability to play fast and make plays has been impressive. they signed him, but he came in here in development camp and looked like a good player, but you’ve got to be careful because he’s a little bit On any concern over Drew Doughty’s heavy usage, given another top older, so you expect him to look a little better than the 18-year-old kids team is next on the schedule: he’s playing with. But then you’ve got development camp, rookie camp, Drew will tell you he’d wish he played 35 minutes every night. A day like and he still looked impressive, and the game that really caught my eye today is more of a maintenance day for guys like Drew, and if you’d track was the Vegas game. We went in there after the China trip and we had a the load over the last, let’s say three days, so you take Tuesday, lot of young guys in our lineup, and Vegas really came after us, and I Wednesday, Thursday, well, Tuesday he played 35 minutes, today he thought he was really a bright light in that game where he kind of gave a had a recovery day where he was upstairs with Matt Price and just little glimpse of what he’s capable of. But, really, his consistency has making sure he’s got a really good recovery, get his body moving and get been there all year. I think there was some concern about production what he needs so he gets a full day of rest and recovery today and then early on. We weren’t concerned about it, just because of what he was get ready to play again tomorrow as opposed to some of the guys that bringing to the line. When a kid’s getting chances, creating chances by skated who play 10 minutes last night, skate for 25 today, and play 10 playing the game the right way, you think it’s only a matter of time before tomorrow. At the end of the day, it evens out. Drew gets more rest today, he starts to get rewarded for that, and he filled in on the power play last those guys get a little more work today, and at the end of the day we’re night, took really good advantage of an opportunity. You love seeing a hoping we keep everybody where they need to be. [Reporter: So it’s in young player doing that. [Reporter: Because he’s older, is he maybe totality-?] Yeah, there’s chronic and acute. Over time we try to track both better equipped to handle an NHL schedule?] Well, I think it’s a big of those, and like I said, I think we’re way further ahead with that than we adjustment for every young player. The fact that he’s a little older and were and you’ve got to talk to the player, too. But there are some metrics mature, I think he’s a well-conditioned guy. He’s a little more physically that can help you figure that out. mature. I think it helps him. But the NHL schedule, there’s not a league in the world that can replicate an NHL schedule where you’re playing four On whether Peter Budaj presents a unique challenge tomorrow night: or five games in an eight-day period. There’s junior hockey, there’s college hockey, European hockey – they’re primarily based around Not really. I think with Tampa, you’ve got to get to their goalie, right? weekends. You don’t get weeks like you had on the road trip or weeks Whether he’s in there or Vasilevskiy’s in there, there’s a big challenge of like we’ll have next week where you’re playing every other day and a their team game and the way they play. At the end of the day, we’ve got back-to-back thrown in there. We’ve talked to him lots about it. Matt Price to get people to the net, we’ve got to get pucks to the net, we’ve got to does a really good job where we track loads on our players, both practice spend time in the offensive zone. We loved having Peter here, but he’s and games, to get a really good sense of where they’re at in terms of just a member of another team now. [Reporter: Safe to say you won’t fatigue. I think with Matt and Trent and our trainers, they’ve done a really have to do a whole lot of scouting for him?] Billy takes care of that, good job of trying to give us a heads up on how much rest a guy needs, anyway. Billy does a really good job of making the players aware of the tendencies of goalies, where they might wind up to shoot in situations. Pierre has been a little more involved now in shootouts and what he sees in those situations, so we’ve got Billy and Pierre helping out with that stuff. If you do any research in my career, I’m not going to tell them on where to shoot on the goalie. On whether the lack of panic in key situations can be taught or manufactured: I think it gets a little revved up at times on the bench, but I think there’s a belief on the bench that of all the games we’ve played in, still even when we got down, there were times where we were playing well. Even with Nashville the other night, we thought we were playing well, but a couple breaks went against us. But I think there’s a belief in the group that if we stay with the process for 60 minutes, we still have a chance in the hockey game. I thought last night, key things happened at key times. Late goal in the first period. Now, OK, we’re right there. Late goal in the second period, now we’ve tied the second period. So, we lost the first, tied the second. They score a goal and go four-minute power play for them. I thought that was our probably our best kill of the night. We really limit their opportunities. I think the fact that there is a belief amongst the group that if we play the right way, if we’re not just waiting on Kopi, I think we think we can get help from other spots on the lineup, and I think our guys have really responded at critical times with big efforts. LA Kings Insider: LOADED: 11.09.2017 1082309 Los Angeles Kings “Two tough guys there, and I think Andy did a really good job of managing the game within the game,” Stevens said. “I mean, you see those situations a lot where guys just end up fighting off the faceoff, and I NOVEMBER 8 PRACTICE NOTES: MACDERMID, BUDAJ, TSN think Andy tried to play the game. He finished a couple hits on the play, VANCOUVER, ANDREOFF and it got to the point where I thought enough was enough, but they’re two tough guys that are pretty honest players, and I think they’re both important guys to their team. But I thought Andy gave us a really solid game, not just because of that. He was one guy that led the forecheck JON ROSENNOVEMBER 8, 20170 COMMENTS and got in and got some pursuit and some stops, and obviously standing up for his teammates is something that he’s always been willing to do.”

A significant weight in the team’s 11-2-2 start is its team game and ability Good afternoon from El Segundo, Insiders. Given last night’s slugfest, it’s to bank on contributors from star members of its core to role players on not a surprise that the Kings held an optional skate at Toyota Sports any given night, and though Andreoff hasn’t yet been able to cash in on Center absent of line rushes. Marian Gaborik skated with the group, but his opportunities, he’s been able to assert himself on the forecheck, finish there’s still no timetable yet on his return. checks and wreak some havoc in the attacking end. Notes! “Andy’s been playing exceptional. He’s creating every shift,” Laich said. -So, yeah, that game last night. There was still a buzz around the “One, he brings a physical element, which very few people can do, which practice facility, particularly amongst media types. The players had as a teammate, you absolutely love and rally around that. But he’s been moved past it, but Brooks Laich, who spent a good portion of his career great on the forecheck, he’s been great in the slot getting shots, creating amidst the Metropolitan Division constellated web of hate, had some havoc, putting people on their toes out there, being solid defensively. He context when comparing Kings-Ducks to the Capitals’ rivalries with the always plays through the body, and as a teammate, he’s one of the guys Penguins, Rangers, Flyers, et cetera, et cetera. that everybody absolutely roots for, so it’s awesome to see him do really well.” “Love rivalry games,” he said. “I’ve been a part of a lot of rivalry games in my career, and proximity is certainly something that drives up the Like any member of the team, his success starts with his defensive zone enthusiasm in those games. Appreciative of the fans that came down – checking and being strong on the walls, which he noted as a vehicle that our Kings fans that came down – and looking forward to the next one.” will continue to gain the coaches’ trust. That “next one” will be Saturday, November 25 at Staples Center. By “Every time I want to get out there, I want to create energy or momentum then, the aftertaste of Tuesday night’s battle of will and resilience will be or something like that, and I think I did a good job, and hopefully I can a mere afterthought. build off that,” he said. “It had a little bit of everything, that game,” John Stevens said. “It He’s often been able to showcase those abilities, plus an underrated probably wasn’t the cleanest played game. I think both teams would like release around the net, in practice situations. Andreoff is still looking for to see their execution be a lot better, but certainly we liked the intent and his first point of the season, but Tuesday’s game at Honda Center was the emotion in the game and how hard the teams played.” the most developed his performance has been in game situations this season. -The understanding I have is that Kurtis MacDermid will not receive supplemental discipline for his interference major and game misconduct “I think the Anaheim games are always pretty fun. It’s kind of a playoff that knocked Ondrej Kase out of the game in the first period. The atmosphere,” he said. “There’s a bunch of Kings fans there, so I think response I received was passed along informally, but I don’t get the that’s my type of game, and I thought it was a lot of fun.” sense that the team views any potential league mandate as the endgame LA Kings Insider: LOADED: 11.09.2017 here. Good news for the health and wellbeing of a pair of Ducks: RC said John Gibson and Ondrej Kase both passed concussion protocol tests. Hoping Gibson will skate tomorrow. Kase worked out off-ice today. — Eric Stephens (@icemancometh) November 8, 2017 -Meanwhile, the Kings could square off against a familiar face tomorrow night when the East-leading Tampa Bay Lightning make their only visit to Staples Center. #TBLightning Cooper said Vasilevskiy starting (probably Budaj Thurs). Koekkoek in for Sustr. No Paquette. — Joe Smith (@TBTimes_JSmith) November 8, 2017 Tonight’s Sharks-Bolts game will be broadcast on NBCSN. -I joined Mike Halford and Jason Brough on Vancouver’s TSN 1040 this morning. Click here for a replay of our chat about last night’s wild game, which certainly had the attention of the hosts, even as the Canucks- Flames game mostly overlapped with it. We also touched on John Stevens, Dustin Brown and Alex Iafallo. -Andy Andreoff had one of the better games of his Kings career Tuesday night, and though he logged a modest nine and a half minutes of ice time, it resulted in his elevation to skate with Nick Shore and Trevor Lewis by the second period. The most recognizable part of Andreoff’s performance was his take down of Jared Boll, a respected and honest pugilist with a good reach who was quickly neutralized by a couple of quick right hands that sent him to the ice. According to HockeyFights.com’s registry, it was the 263rd pre- season, regular season and postseason fight in Boll’s career, dating back to his 2003-04 season with the USHL’s Lincoln Stars. Stick taps. Toughness isn’t always measured in fighting, but that’s a tough guy. “I hit him twice on that shift, and then I heard him say, ‘lets go,’ so I just kind of turned and dropped my gloves, and that’s how it happened,” Andreoff said. The fight was the most memorable moment of his performance, but it wasn’t the only thing that defined his outing against the Ducks. 1082310 Los Angeles Kings

WAKING UP WITH THE KINGS: NOVEMBER 8

JON ROSENNOVEMBER 8, 20170 COMMENTS

GAME STORY In a game noteworthy for its chaos and savage beauty, two injury-ridden opponents continued to uphold what has evolved from a regional annoyance into a seething, caustic rivalry. Do not be shocked it both teams hold optional practices, or if players take maintenance days and mornings up until their games Thursday night. Anaheim’s injury list is longer than Los Angeles’, but even with the Ducks’ depleted core and center depth, there was still a lineup comprised of players such as Josh Manson, Kevin Bieksa, Nick Ritchie, Jared Boll and others who ensure that every inch on the ice is earned. Likewise, on the other side, Kurtis MacDermid, Dustin Brown, Andy Andreoff and their teammates showed no backing down in an explosive game that resulted in one ejection, two disallowed goals, one goal upheld after a review, two L.A. returns after visits to the dressing room, two two-goal deficits erased and the typical hard, hard minutes from the opening faceoff. Both teams banked on full- team efforts, so the spotlight on any individual obscures the collective contributions that could stretch to the end of this page. But even amidst the resilient performances etched out by Alec Martinez, and Anze Kopitar, and Dustin Brown and others, it was Alex Iafallo, playing in his first Freeway Faceoff, who helped place an assortment of jumbled, disassociated letters into something resembling a clear, coherent sentence. He was on pucks all night and helped kickstart the comeback by following his shot and chipping a puck into the slot for Anze Kopitar to clean up as part of a two-assist performance in 19:09 of ice time. He’s 15 games into his NHL career and was a major factor in not just an emotional rivalry game, but one that ended with a resilient win. Debora Robinson/NHLI Los Angeles got big goals and big kills in the win, allowing them to successfully come back in a game they chased from behind. Iafallo’s set up of Kopitar was a major blow to the Ducks in a first period they had dominated through 15 minutes, leading 17-4 in shots on goal at one point. In the second period, Tyler Toffoli moved his feet and intercepted a Kevin Bieksa pass on the forecheck before finding Tanner Pearson, whose slippery, no-look backhanded feed to Adrian Kempe was finished off to pull the Kings within one goal entering the third period. The season hasn’t reached Thanksgiving yet, but it’s remarkable that Los Angeles now has points in five of six games they’ve trailed after one period and three of five games they’ve trailed after two. (Remember the March of the Cockroaches?) Even though Dustin Brown and Brooks Laich’s would-be go-ahead goals did not count for anything more than some added momentum, the ice was tilted in the third period and the late first and second period goals from Kopitar and Kempe put the team in position to finish off the spirited comeback. Credit Kopitar for some sublime puck protection along the boards in the third period equalizer; it was the second consecutive game he protected the puck long enough on the man advantage to draw a double-team that set up a bang-bang goal scoring play. Debora Robinson/NHLI The on-ice officiating wasn’t necessarily poor, but a decision made by the Situation Room led to another questionable goaltender interference call that went against the Kings. One week prior, Los Angeles didn’t get the benefit of the doubt when Quick was caught up with Kyle Brodziak on a Carl Gunnarson shot. On Tuesday, Corey Perry’s stuck out his left skate and made contact with Quick in the blue paint, impacting the goaltender’s ability to reset and face the shooter. It was probably more than incidental contact, but Toronto saw it differently. It’s little more than a footnote in a high-tension game. One could also look at the bigger picture and acknowledge that the Kings are 11-2-2 and haven’t been the beneficiary of any league or officiating largesse to this point, and given the law of averages, that’s probably a good thing. It’s not the most telling stat, because with a top-ranked penalty kill, they’ll face a higher degree of full, two-minute power plays, but Los Angeles’ -12:22 power play/shorthanded differential is the seventh-most negatively skewed power play plus-minus in the league. LA Kings Insider: LOADED: 11.09.2017 1082311 Los Angeles Kings ORI: I know you have a lot of friends in the area. Any chance you will get to catch up with them?

Chris: I think so. All the fans want to see the greatest dancer! Practice Notes: Reign Review Finer Points, Wagner Improving and Sutter Joins Coaching Staff LA Kings Insider: LOADED: 11.09.2017

Joey ZakrzewskiNovember 8, 20170 Comments

Ontario Reign The are on Day 4 of a 13-day stretch where they play only one contest (Saturday at San Diego) and Head Coach Mike Stothers is utilizing every opportunity to review the finer points of their game. Today, the Reign dressed in the their power-play best at Ontario Center Ice and spent well over half of the 90 minute session focusing on special teams. How They Dressed: Purple: Mersch, Hensick, Brodzinski, LaDue, Maillet White: Gravel, Walker, Auger, Luff, Sutter Black: Lintuniemi, Roy, Leslie, Falkovsky Red: Wagner Maroon: Imama, Crescenzi, Iverson, Devane, Herr, Watson ORI: More emphasis on special teams this week? Looks like a perfect week to review the finer points. Head Coach Mike Stothers: We’ve taken advantage of each day. Yesterday we were heavy on the forecheck, today was a special teams day and yesterday was a good work day as well. Had a real good skate at the end Jay. The guys loved it (laughing). They have requested it again. No time soon. It’s weird. You just get in the groove of playing games again. That’s where you get some momentum going, but hey, it is what it is. We will continue to stress the little things we feel will help us in the third of three straight meetings against San Diego. ORI: Austin Wagner had an active role on the ice today. I know he’s on a rehab assignment, but in your position of development, how has he progressed? Stothers: He’s still wearing a special jersey that indicates that he should not have contact. Now, it’s a red jersey and it’s much the same as stop signs. Some people roll right through those. (laughing) You can’t just tap the breaks once and roll right through. There is the fear one of our guys will do a “rolling stop sign,” so we are cautious and guarded of that. We want to get him skating. He will have probably about two weeks where he will mirror some players and drills to get his legs underneath him and then we hope he will have about two weeks of gradual contact if not full contact. Then the decision will be made if he will go back to juniors or stay with us. He’s been feeling good on the ice which is encouraging. He has something that we do not have an abundance of, which is speed. He is lighting on skates. We don’t want to rush the process and he will have as much time as he needs. ORI: I saw Chris Sutter (younger brother of Reign forward Brett) around the locker room and on the bench coaching today. I can only imagine the smiles he brings when he walks into a room. How has it been to have him back around the club again? Stothers: Sutts texted me yesterday asking if he could bring Chris to practice and I said, “I’d love to have him and I’d be annoyed if you didn’t bring him.” He’s a great kid. A great person. You know what, he really knows and loves the game. You can see how much the brothers care and love each other. Is a good feeling for everybody. I asked him today if he was going to come out with us today and he said, “I can’t skate” and I said, “Neither can I. We can do this together.” (laughing) I also had a chance to catch up with Chris as he begins his visit to SoCal. ORI: Great to see you! How was your summer? I know there are lot of fans that want to know what you have been up to. Chris: I’ve been going back and forth. I’ve been working on the farm and helping my dad out. I came here yesterday from Canada where it was snowing and happy to be in the sunshine. ORI: Any special plans for you and Brett during your visit? Chris: I have plans to see him play and help his family. We are going to take the dogs out and go to practice. 1082312 Minnesota Wild

Leafs' Matthews to miss game vs Wild with upper-body injury

Associated Press NOVEMBER 8, 2017 — 12:55PM

TORONTO — The Maple Leafs will be without star center Auston Matthews when they host the Minnesota Wild on Wednesday night. Leafs coach Mike Babcock confirmed that Matthews is day to day with what the team calls a lingering "upper-body injury." Matthews will miss a game for the first time in his career. His status was up in the air after he missed Tuesday's practice. Matthews has 10 goals and nine assists in 16 games for Toronto this season. Star Tribune LOADED: 11.09.2017 1082313 Minnesota Wild

Alex Stalock heads home, and Auston Matthews will sit out

By Rachel Blount NOVEMBER 8, 2017 — 12:13PM

Both the Wild and the Maple Leafs found out Wednesday morning that each team would be missing an important player for tonight’s game at Air Canada Centre. The Leafs’ news was a blockbuster: superstar Auston Matthews, who has played every game since starting his NHL career last season, will sit out because of an upper-body injury and is day-to-day. The Wild will be without goaltender Alex Stalock, who will miss a planned start after returning to Minnesota for the birth of his second child. Stalock’s absence means Devan Dubnyk will start against the Maple Leafs, and probably Thursday’s game at Montreal as well. Dubnyk, always a calm and low-key guy, got a text from Stalock on Wednesday morning to let him know Stalock was headed home. It didn’t ruffle Dubnyk, who was a workhorse for the Wild last season and is accustomed to playing every night. “You wake up in the morning, and you do the same thing, whether you’re playing or not,’’ Dubnyk said. “It’s the normal routine. It wasn’t really much of a knuckleball.’’ Dubnyk is 5-1-1 against Toronto, with a 2.46 goals-against average, .922 save percentage and one shutout. Stalock, who was with the Toronto organization for four months in 2016, has never faced the Maple Leafs. The Wild recalled goalie Niklas Svedberg from its AHL affiliate in Iowa to back up Dubnyk. Wild coach Bruce Boudreau wasn’t rattled by the change in plans, either. Asked if this constituted a “goalie drama,’’ he smiled. “It’s good drama, as long as everybody is healthy when he gets home,’’ Boudreau said. “I’m happy for (Stalock). I hope Duby’s ready.’’ Things were a little more tense on the Maple Leafs side of the injury news. Because this is Toronto, Matthews' injury practically constituted a national crisis. Matthews, the NHL’s rookie of the year last season, leads the team with 10 goals and nine assists. Leafs media noted that his talent, and his ability to take such a major role for his team, has obscured some of Toronto’s flaws. The Leafs started the season 6-1 and are 3-6 since then. Matthews had played 98 consecutive regular-season games, a string that reached 104 games including last spring’s playoffs. He said earlier this week he had continued to play despite a lingering injury. Coach Mike Babcock noted that while someone will play in Matthews’ spot, no one can really take his place. The center is as important to the Leafs’ defense as he is to the offense, typically playing against the opponents’ best players. “We’ll go accordingly and give ourselves the best chance to win,’’ Babcock said. “Sometimes you get bumped, or you get hacked. Things happen. “It’s time for us to dig in. We’ve got to play right without the puck. We’ve talked about growing up as a team, and this is a real good opportunity for us.’’ Star Tribune LOADED: 11.09.2017 1082314 Minnesota Wild

Auston Matthews out for Leafs, goalie Alex Stalock won't play for Wild

By Rachel Blount NOVEMBER 8, 2017 — 12:33PM

TORONTO -- Both the Wild and the Maple Leafs found out Wednesday morning that each team would be missing an important player for tonight’s game at Air Canada Centre. The Leafs’ news was a blockbuster: superstar Auston Matthews, who has played every game since starting his NHL career last season, will sit out because of an upper-body injury and is day-to-day. The Wild will be without goaltender Alex Stalock, who will miss a planned start after returning to Minnesota to be with his wife, Felicia, for the birth of their second child. Stalock’s absence means Devan Dubnyk will start against the Maple Leafs, and probably Thursday’s game at Montreal as well. Dubnyk, always a calm and low-key guy, got a text from Stalock on Wednesday morning to let him know Stalock (pictured) was headed home. It didn’t ruffle Dubnyk, who was a workhorse for the Wild last season and is accustomed to playing every night. “You wake up in the morning, and you do the same thing, whether you’re playing or not,’’ Dubnyk said. “It’s the normal routine. It wasn’t really much of a knuckleball.’’ Dubnyk is 5-1-1 against Toronto, with a 2.46 goals-against average, .922 save percentage and one shutout. Stalock, who was with the Toronto organization for four months in 2016, has never faced the Maple Leafs. The Wild recalled goalie Niklas Svedberg from its AHL affiliate in Iowa to back up Dubnyk. Wild coach Bruce Boudreau wasn’t rattled by the change in plans, either. Asked if this constituted a “goalie drama,’’ he smiled. “It’s good drama, as long as everybody is healthy when he gets home,’’ Boudreau said. “I’m happy for [Stalock]. I hope Duby’s ready.’’ Things were a little more tense on the Maple Leafs side of the injury news. Because this is Toronto, Matthews' injury practically constituted a national crisis. Matthews, the NHL’s rookie of the year last season, leads the team with 10 goals and nine assists. Leafs media noted that his talent, and his ability to take such a major role for his team, has obscured some of Toronto’s flaws. The Leafs started the season 6-1 and are 3-6 since then. Matthews had played 98 consecutive regular-season games, a string that reached 104 games including last spring’s playoffs. He said earlier this week he had continued to play despite a lingering injury. Coach Mike Babcock noted that while someone will play in Matthews’ spot, no one can really take his place. The center is as important to the Leafs’ defense as he is to the offense, typically playing against the opponents’ best players. “We’ll go accordingly and give ourselves the best chance to win,’’ Babcock said. “Sometimes you get bumped, or you get hacked. Things happen. “It’s time for us to dig in. We’ve got to play right without the puck. We’ve talked about growing up as a team, and this is a real good opportunity for us.’’ Svedberg, 28, is 3-6-1 with a 2.84 goals-against average for the Baby Wild. He played in the Kontinental Hockey League last season with Salavat Yulaev. A native of Sweden, Svedberg played in 19 NHL games with the Bruins from 2013-15. The Wild is in Montreal on Thursday night in a back-to-back situation. Star Tribune LOADED: 11.09.2017 1082315 Minnesota Wild

Boudreau likes the Wild's effort, but players are still stung by loss

By Rachel Blount NOVEMBER 8, 2017 — 11:42PM

Wild coach Bruce Boudreau was trying to emphasize the positive after Wednesday’s 4-2 loss at Toronto. Not all of his players seemed to be on board. Boudreau praised the Wild for a far stronger effort than it put forth Monday in a loss at Boston that began its four-game road trip. Still, the players could not get past the disappointment of losing their third game in a row. Some additional tidbits on Wednesday’s game: --Jason Zucker had a solid game, scoring the Wild’s only two goals and registering five shots on goal (Mikko Koivu had a game-high seven). He wasn’t as positive as Boudreau was. “It’s a step in the right direction,’’ Zucker said. “But we’ve got to bear down. We’ve got to score. In all aspects of our game, we need to bear down and get one of these wins and go from there. “We need to face it. We can’t put it behind us and just forget about it. We need to be better. We need to use it.’’ --Goalie Devan Dubnyk, pressed into an unexpected start when Alex Stalock went home for the birth of his second child, had another weird goal bounce off of him. This time, it was a shot that hit the end boards, then the back of his skate for Toronto’s first goal of the game. A stand-up guy, Dubnyk always answers questions after games. Wednesday, he seemed a bit frustrated by a run of games that have not been up to his usual standards. “I don't know what you want me to say,’’ he said. “I thought we played a good game. I don't know what else to tell you. “It's tough. I'm not going to lie. After each game you tell yourself it's bound to stop, and it keeps going. There's nothing you can do about it. Just try to keep playing my game. It's getting old.’’ Dubnyk thought the first goal, scored by Nazem Kadri, might have come off a high stick. “I just wasn't sure,’’’ he said. “On the replay, it looks like it could've possibly been. It went off his stick and I lost it. I heard it hit the boards. I was just trying to get back to my post.’’ Boudreau also asked the officials whether it was a high stick and was told it was not. Regarding the fluky nature of that goal, he said, “It is tough, and it is deflating, but I thought we handled it well. We came back and scored.’’ --Boudreau sat winger Chris Stewart for most of the third period. Marcus Foligno and Matt Cullen didn’t play much in the third, either. Asked whether Stewart was benched for mistakes he made on Toronto’s second and third goals, the coach said it wasn't "for any particular reason'' and that he just chose to roll three lines. Star Tribune LOADED: 11.09.2017 1082316 Minnesota Wild • The Wild scratched defenseman Mike Reilly, who had played the past seven games.

• The Maple Leafs paid tribute to Roy Halladay, the former Toronto Blue Devan Dubnyk makes unexpected start for Wild after early-arrival of Alex Jays and Philadelphia Phillies pitcher who died Tuesday in a plane crash, Stalock's child with a pregame video salute and a moment of silence. Star Tribune LOADED: 11.09.2017 By Rachel Blount Star Tribune NOVEMBER 8, 2017 — 11:40PM

TORONTO – Devan Dubnyk thought it was a little odd to get a text message from teammate Alex Stalock so early in the morning. It was waiting for the Wild goaltender the minute he awoke Wednesday, before the team’s morning skate at Air Canada Centre. Stalock was scheduled to start in goal Wednesday vs. Toronto. Those plans were upended when the arrival of his second child came earlier than expected, sending Stalock back to the Twin Cities to be with his wife, Felicia. That moved Dubnyk into the net against the Maple Leafs, with Niklas Svedberg called up from the Wild’s AHL affiliate in Iowa as backup. The early expansion of the Stalock family could mean Dubnyk will start both games of a back-to-back set that ends Thursday in Montreal. It didn’t bother Dubnyk. “It doesn’t feel weird at all,” Dubnyk said. “It would be different if I had woke up from a nap this afternoon and things had changed. “But you wake up in the morning, and you do the same thing regardless of whether you’re playing or not. Before you even head downstairs, you’re back into the routine. It wasn’t really much of a knuckleball preparing for the game.” The last-minute switch reminded Dubnyk of the birth of his second child, Parker, in December 2015. Parker’s due date fell during a three-game road trip. In the game before the trip began, Dubnyk — who had never missed a game because of injury — hurt his groin and had to stay home. Parker was born two days into the trip. Stalock’s unexpected absence showed that things don’t always work out so neatly — even though Dubnyk has a plan for his third child, with wife Jenn due to give birth to another son in January. “He’s scheduled for the bye week,” Dubnyk said. “We’ll see if he cooperates.” Happy homecoming … Wild coach Bruce Boudreau, a Toronto native, said he had “a full dance card” when the Wild hit town Tuesday. Among his plans: a reunion of the Toronto Marlboros, where he played for three seasons in the Ontario Hockey Association (OHA) from 1972-75. The Marlies are a local institution, with a history dating to 1942. Boudreau was part of the team that won the OHA championship in 1973, and he was delighted to revisit that time with old friends and teammates. “It was great,” he said. “I was telling our players, it’s amazing; even if you don’t see guys for 40 years, what championship teams do is they create a bond that can never be broken. Nothing seems to be different except the way we look.” Boudreau also visited with his mother, Theresa. He joked Tuesday that she probably would criticize the Wild’s play — and, perhaps, his coaching — though she surprised him. “She knew I wasn’t feeling good, so she laid low,” he said. … and happy birthday Another blast from Boudreau’s past came up during the trip. Maple Leafs legend Johnny Bower, a goaltender who played in Toronto from 1958-70 and won two Vezina Trophies, turned 92 years old Wednesday. There was some confusion about Bower’s age; Toronto reporters thought he was 93, but hockeydb.com lists his birth date as Nov. 8, 1925. Boudreau joked that time seems to be standing still for Bower anyway. “You know, he’s been 93 for about 22 years,” the coach said. Bower was a fixture around Toronto hockey when Boudreau played in the Maple Leafs organization from 1976-83. “He was around all the time,” Boudreau said. “He worked with me at my hockey school for 10 years. “He’s just going to keep going. He’s a tremendous man.” Etc. 1082317 Minnesota Wild

Gameday preview: Wild at Montreal

Rachel Blount

6:30 p.m. vs. Montreal • Bell Centre • FSN, 100.3-FM Wild sees the Canadiens for final time during the regular season Preview: The Wild opened the two-game season series against Montreal with a 6-3 victory Nov. 2 at Xcel Energy Center, its sixth consecutive win over the Canadiens. The game ends a back-to-back set. Goaltender Devan Dubnyk played Wednesday and is expected to start Thursday as well, with backup Alex Stalock at home in the Twin Cities for the birth of his second child. Montreal is on a three-game winning streak but could be without forward Jonathan Drouin; the team’s second-leading scorer injured his hand Tuesday. Players to WATCH: Dubnyk stopped 28 shots to get the win over Montreal last week. He is 6-1-1 with a goals-against average of 2.58 and save percentage of .917 against the Canadiens. With regular goaltender Carey Price injured, Montreal has turned to Lake-ville native Charlie Lindgren. A former St. Cloud State goalie who has played only five NHL games, Lindgren made 29 saves to lift the Canadiens to a 3-2 victory over Vegas on Tuesday and shut out Chicago on Sunday. Numbers: Lindgren is 5-0-0 in his NHL career, which began last April, and a win in his next start would equal the legendary Ken Dryden’s run of six victories in his first six NHL games. … Wild forward Eric Staal has 42 points in 45 career games against the Canadiens. Injuries: Wild forwards Zach Parise (back surgery) and Charlie Coyle (broken fibula) are out. Montreal forwards Ales Hemsky (upper body) and Nikita Scherbak (knee surgery) and defenseman David Schlemko (hand) are out. Price (lower body) and Drouin are day-to-day. Star Tribune LOADED: 11.09.2017 1082318 Minnesota Wild

Wild-Toronto game recap

RACHEL BLOUNT

GAME RECAP Star Tribune’s Three Stars 1. Frederik Andersen, Toronto: The Wild outshot the Maple Leafs 37-19, but Andersen’s stout goaltending kept the Wild frustrated. 2. Jason Zucker, Wild: The winger broke a five-game goal drought with two scores on five shots. 3. Patrick Marleau, Toronto: Had four shots on goal, scored the Leafs’ second goal and won 67 percent of his faceoffs. by the NUMBERS 104 Consecutive regular-season and playoff games for second-year Toronto forward Austin Matthews, who was injured and missed a game for the first time Wednesday. Star Tribune LOADED: 11.09.2017 1082319 Minnesota Wild

Frederik Andersen makes 35 saves, Maple Leafs beat Wild 4-2

Associated Press NOVEMBER 8, 2017 — 10:45PM

TORONTO — Minnesota coach Bruce Boudreau pointed to Toronto goalie Frederik Andersen. "He won them the game," Boudreau said. Anderson made 35 saves to help the Maple Leafs beat the Wild 4-2 on Wednesday night. Nazem Kadri, Patrick Marleau, Connor Carrick and Connor Brown scored for Toronto. Playing with star center Auston Matthews out day to day with an upper-body injury, Toronto improved to 10-7-0. Jason Zucker scored twice for Minnesota, and Devan Dubnyk stopped 15 shots. The Wild have lost three in a row to fall to 5-7-2. "It's unfortunate we didn't get the result we wanted," Boudreau said. "I thought we played a pretty complete game for the most part." Toronto coach Mike Babcock shifted Marleau to the middle with Matthews out. "I don't want Patty to play in the middle but right now we need him and I thought he stepped up tonight," Babcock said. Matthews was scratched for the first time since being drafted in 2016, playing in 98 straight games including all 82 last year in his Calder Trophy winning campaign. Toronto went the first 8:49 without a shot on net despite having a power- play opportunity only two minutes into the contest. Kadri finally opened the scoring when a lucky bounce or two benefited Toronto at 12:56 of the first. Morgan Rielly's point shot missed the net, but the puck ricocheted off the end boards back out front and hit Dubnyk in the leg before caroming into the net. It was announced as Rielly's goal, but replays showed Kadri got a piece of Rielly's shot with his stick and he was eventually credited with his ninth goal of the season. Zucker tied it for Minnesota with 1:45 to play in the first, banging in a rebound from the top of the crease on a play that started with Toronto turning the puck over behind its net. Marleau restored the lead for Toronto with his sixth of the season 3:47 into the second. He took a pass from Zach Hyman and beat Dubnyk five- hole from between the faceoff circles. Andersen was solid for Toronto in the second, most notably when the Leafs took three straight minor penalties, including two tripping calls on defenseman Andreas Borgman. First, he made a big save on Matt Cullen with his right pad to keep it tied before the Leafs rushed the puck up the ice for their second goal. Then he robbed Tyler Ennis from in close after a turnover midway through the frame to hold the lead. Carrick gave the Leafs some breathing room 3:40 into the third period with his first of the year when his point shot deflected past Dubnyk for a 3-1 lead. Matt Martin was originally credited with the goal. The Leafs caught a break with 9:37 to play in regulation when Andersen appeared to tweak his right arm and was in discomfort, but he stayed in the game after taking a TV timeout to speak with the training staff at the bench. Carrick took a roughing penalty and Zucker scored his second of the night while on a power play with 4:59 to go on a similar play as his first goal by banging home a rebound from the top of the crease. Brown scored an empty-netter with 30 seconds to play. NOTES: A moment of silence and video tribute was held for Roy Halladay, the former Toronto Blue Jays pitcher who died Tuesday when his private plane crashed. He was 40. UP NEXT: Wild: At Montreal on Thursday night. Maple Leafs: Host Boston on Friday night. Star Tribune LOADED: 11.09.2017 1082320 Minnesota Wild

Wild slides to fourth loss in five games after 4-2 defeat at Toronto

By Rachel Blount Star Tribune NOVEMBER 9, 2017 — 12:44AM

TORONTO – Three losses in a row typically make a coach pretty grumpy. Bruce Boudreau, though, was more circumspect Wednesday after the Wild fell 4-2 at Toronto. The defeat was the Wild’s fourth in five games, but Boudreau preferred to focus on the effort rather than the result. After Monday’s debacle in Boston, the Wild outshot the Maple Leafs 37-19, did a much better job of supporting its goaltender, and cut down on the turnovers and careless gaffes. That left Boudreau in a much-improved mood, even as his team failed to gain any ground in the standings. The Wild was hurt by a couple of fluky bounces at Air Canada Centre, including one goal that went in off the stick of defenseman Gustav Olofsson and another that ricocheted off the skate of goalie Devan Dubnyk. A strong performance by Toronto goalie Frederik Andersen limited the Wild to a pair of goals, both by Jason Zucker. With another game Thursday in Montreal, Boudreau hoped his players would see past the loss. “It’s hard to be mad at them when everyone gives everything they have, and we just come up short,” the coach said. “We played a lot better. It’s unfortunate we didn’t get the result we wanted, but we played a pretty complete game for the most part. “Hopefully, it’s something to build on. It always gets worse before it gets better, but we played the way we’re supposed to play.” Toronto won its second game in a row despite playing without superstar Auston Matthews. The second-year forward missed a game for the first time in his career, sitting out because of an undisclosed injury. The Wild also had an unexpected absence, as goaltender Alex Stalock — who was supposed to start — returned to the Twin Cities to be at the birth of his second child. The rest of the team calmly picked up the slack, as Andersen kept the Wild at bay while goals by Nazem Kadri, Patrick Marleau and Connor Carrick kept the Leafs in front all evening. The Wild outshot Toronto 23-12 in the first two periods but trailed 2-1 at the second intermission. Kadri scored midway through the first when a shot banged off the end boards and went in off Dubnyk’s skate. Zucker tied it on a rebound with 1:45 remaining in the first period, then Marleau scored from the slot on a well-executed play at 3:47 of the second. The Wild got three power plays later in the period but came up empty. Carrick’s goal at 3:40 of the third, off Olofsson after Dubnyk could not smother a rebound, made it 3-1. “It’s tough,” said Dubnyk, who has given up a few fluky goals and is 4-6-1 this season. “I’m not going to lie. “After each game, you tell yourself it’s bound to stop, and it keeps going. It’s getting old.” Dubnyk said the only recourse is to keep forging ahead, a message Boudreau wanted to send to his entire team. The Wild is halfway through its longest road trip this season and is 0-2, with games Thursday in Montreal and Saturday in Philadelphia. That leaves no time for self-pity, as easy as that might be. “We’re all a little discouraged,” Boudreau said. “But if we let it beat us up, there’s what, how many games left? If you’re discouraged now, then you’re in trouble. “I think at one point, we’re going to go on a good run, and that will make up for all this stuff. We’ll look back, and we’ll be a better team for going through this.” Star Tribune LOADED: 11.09.2017 1082321 Minnesota Wild

Wild’s Alex Stalock leaves road trip for birth of second child

By DANE MIZUTANI | [email protected] | Pioneer Press

TORONTO — Wild starting goaltender Devan Dubnyk woke up on Wednesday morning to a text from backup goaltender Alex Stalock. “I thought it was a little strange that he was texting me first thing,” Dubnyk said with a laugh. “I saw him last night, so I didn’t know why he wanted to talk so early. And then I opened it up.” Stalock, a South St. Paul native, was alerting Dubnyk that he had returned home to be with his wife, Felicia, for the birth of the couple’s second child. He was already back in the Twin Cities by the time Dubnyk woke up and rolled out of bed in his hotel room at the Ritz-Carlton in Toronto. “It’s exciting for him,” Dubnyk said. “He’s going to be there. It’s obviously an extremely important day.” That said, it has created a little drama in the hours leading up to tonight’s game against the Maple Leafs. Stalock was originally scheduled to start. “It’s good drama as long as everybody is healthy when he gets home,” coach Bruce Boudreau said. “… I hope Duby’s ready.” Sitting in the visitor’s locker room at the Air Canada Centre. Dubnyk said nothing of his typical game-day routine had changed. “It’d be different if I woke up from a nap this afternoon and things had changed,” he said. “It wasn’t really much of a knuckle ball.” Dubnyk is 4-5-1 with a 3.03 goals-against average and .907 save percentage. “Stats-wise, it’s obviously not where I want to be,” Dubnyk said. “When I sit back and analyze how I feel in the net, though, and how I’m moving around, I’m pretty comfortable with that. It’s just a few things here and there sharpening up on a couple plays. I feel good. I’m just going to continue to push to get to another level.” The Wild recalled goaltender Niklas Svedberg to serve as the backup goaltender Wednesday. He is 3-6-1 with with a 2.84 GAA and .904 save percentage in 10 games with Iowa. He will more than likely finish the road trip with the Wild. LUCK BREAKS After escaping stars Brad Marchand (upper body) and David Backes (diverticulitis) in Monday’s game against the Boston Bruins, the Wild caught another break as Auston Matthews (upper body) was ruled ruled out for Wednesday’s game against the Maple Leafs. Asked how that changes his game plan, Boudreau responded, “Well, I’ll wait until 7:30, and if I don’t see him on the ice, I’ll adjust then.” BRIEFLY After finishing practice Tuesday, Boudreau rushed out to spend time with his 84-year-old mother, Theresa, who also happens to be his biggest critic. “She was fine,” Boudreau said when asked about the visit. “She knew I wasn’t feeling too good so she laid low. She didn’t pour it on too much.” Pioneer Press LOADED: 11.09.2017 1082322 Minnesota Wild “Hopefully it’s something to build on,” Boudreau said. “It always gets worse before it gets better. We played the way we’re supposed to play. … It’s hard to be mad at them when everyone gives everything they have Wild lose third straight with 4-2 loss to Maple Leafs and we just come up short.” Zucker, however, wasn’t one for silver linings. Not with Thursday’s road game against the Montreal Canadiens staring them in the face. By DANE MIZUTANI | [email protected] | Pioneer Press “We can’t put it behind us and forget about it,” Zucker said. “We need to be better. We need to use it. We know we have to go into Montreal tomorrow and play a good game. … We need to go in and play a great TORONTO — Wild coach Bruce Boudreau provided a good snapshot of 60 minutes or we’re not going to win that game. We need to focus on his struggling team before Wednesday’s game against the Toronto Maple what we didn’t do well tonight and fix it and on what we did do well and Leafs. be better at it.” “We are more of a group that has to do everything together,” Boudreau Pioneer Press LOADED: 11.09.2017 said. “We don’t have the big guy to come in and score three goals a night and take the weight of the world on his shoulders.” It’d sure be nice if they did. A slow start to the season for the Wild hit a new low with their third straight loss, 4-2 to the Maple Leafs at the Air Canada Centre. Asked after the game whether his team — 5-7-2 and in 13th place in Western Conference — the is starting to get discouraged, Boudreau tried his best to put a positive spin on it. “They probably are a little bit,” Boudreau admitted. “This is a team that’s accustomed to winning. I’m accustomed to winning. We are all a little discouraged.” Boudreau, however, noted the importance of not letting it beat them up too much, especially when there’s still 68 games left in the season. “If we’re discouraged now, I mean, then we’re in trouble,” Boudreau said. “I think at one point we’re going to go on a good run and that’ll make up for all this stuff, and we’ll look back and we’ll be a better team for going through this.” That point isn’t in sight right now for the Wild, though, and their most recent loss came despite the Maple Leafs playing without their best player, Auston Matthews, who missed the game with an upper-body injury. It also featured a couple more fluky goals surrendered by Wild goalie Devan Dubnyk, which ultimately proved to be the difference in the game. “It’s tough,” Dubnyk said. “I’m not going to lie. After each game you tell yourself it’s bound to stop, and it keeps going. … It’s getting old.” Boudreau said before the game that fluky goals like the ones Dubnyk has allowed lately can be detrimental, especially for a team that hasn’t experienced a lot of success. “You look down the bench, and the shoulders are slumping, and it’s a big difference than when the goalie makes a save like that,” Boudreau said. It happened again Wednesday, as Dubnyk kicked a puck into the back of the net for a second straight game. “That’s how it’s been going,” Ryan Suter said. “We have been giving up some (expletive) goals the last few games, and it puts us behind the eight ball.” Maple Leafs center Nazem Kadri got his stick on a shot from the point, and it ricocheted off the backboards and then off Dubnyk before crossing the goalie line. That gifted the Maple Leafs a goal midway through the first period despite the fact that they hadn’t played well up to that point. “That’s the way it is right now,” Jason Zucker said. “We can call it fluky goals. We call it whatever we want. It’s not getting it done right now, and we need to be better.” Zucker tried to do his part, tying the game late in the first period with his first goal since newborn son Hendrix was born Oct. 27. That wouldn’t last very long as Maple Leafs center Patrick Marleau scored from the slot early in the second period, a goal that came after winger Zach Hyman flew into the attacking zone and found Marleau wide open in front. Maple Leafs defenseman Connor Carrick increased the lead early in the third period after a shot from way outside bounced off Gustav Olofsson and into the back of the net. Things got a little interesting late in the third period when Zucker scored his second goal of the game, but for the second consecutive game the Wild couldn’t net the equalizer. 1082323 Montreal Canadiens

Auston Matthews to miss game against Wild with lingering injury

THE CANADIAN PRESS

Toronto forward Auston Matthews will miss his first NHL game on Wednesday night when the Maple Leafs host the Minnesota Wild. Matthews is listed day-to-day with an upper-body injury after appearing to play in some discomfort earlier in the week. His status became questionable when he missed Tuesday's practice. The 20-year-old centre originally left Monday's game-day skate early but still suited up that night against the Vegas Golden Knights, picking up an assist in a 4-3 shootout win. Matthews has played in 98 straight regular-season games since Toronto drafted him first overall in 2016, including all 82 in his Calder Trophy winning campaign last year. He leads the team this season with 10 goals and 19 points in 16 games. Matthews was asked about his issue after Monday's win against Vegas and said what was bothering him at the time wasn't enough to keep him out of the lineup. "It's just a little bit of soreness. It was fine to play." said Matthews. "I think you never really feel 100 per cent. I felt good enough to play and felt good enough to be able to contribute." Leafs coach Mike Babcock said he plans to shift Patrick Marleau to centre to replace Matthews against the Wild. Toronto also recalled centre Frederik Gauthier from the American Hockey League's Toronto Marlies. "Obviously Auston's a very important piece of our puzzle and we'd like him to play as many games as possible but no matter who is in or out, I think we have guys to fill the void and certain guys are just going to have to step up," Leafs forward Nazem Kadri said after Wednesday's game- day skate. Globe And Mail LOADED: 11.09.2017 1082324 Montreal Canadiens

Canadiens notebook: Carey Price skates; Jonathan Drouin skips practice

Pat Hickey, Montreal GazettePAT HICKEY, MONTREAL GAZETTE

There was good news on the Carey Price front Wednesday as the goaltender skated for the first time since he suffered a minor lower-body injury in last Thursday’s 6-3 loss in Minnesota. Price was on the ice in full equipment at 9 a.m. and skated for about 30 minutes. He was accompanied by defenceman David Schlemko, who is on the injured reserve list as he recovers from hand surgery. There were two absentees at the regular practice later in the morning as Andrew Shaw and Jonathan Drouin took therapy days. Drouin missed the third period of Tuesday’s 3-2 win over Vegas after suffering what the team described as an upper-body injury. Julien said it was 50-50 whether either player would be ready Thursday to face the Minnesota Wild (7:30 p.m. TSN2, RDS, TSN 690 Radio). Coach Claude Julien said Price’s appearance on the ice was the “first step” in his return. He said the goaltender would be evaluated on a day- to-day basis, but noted that he was on the ice by himself. Charlie Lindgren will make his third consecutive start in goal against the Wild. Montreal Gazette LOADED: 11.09.2017 1082325 Montreal Canadiens

Brendan Gallagher, Tomas Plekanec playing key roles in Habs' revival

Pat Hickey, Montreal GazettePAT HICKEY, MONTREAL GAZETTE

Brendan Gallagher wasn’t surprised to see Tomas Plekanec racing down the ice to negate an icing call in the first period of the Canadiens’ 3-2 win over the Vegas Golden Knights Tuesday night. And he was only a bit amazed when Plekanec threaded a pass through two defenders to find Gallagher alone in front of the net. “People don’t realize how fast Pleky is,” said Gallagher, who buried the pass for his team-leading seventh goal of the season. “When we do our testing at the beginning of the season, he’s always in the top four or five. And he’s such a smart player. He read that play so well and got the jump on the defence. Then he hesitated before he found me in front with a backhand saucer pass. “When you get a pass like that, you know you have to score,” Gallagher said. Plekanec and Gallagher are both coming off disappointing seasons, but they are playing key roles on a team that has rebounded from a slow start to challenge for a playoff position. As they head into Thursday’s home game against the Minnesota Wild (7:30 p.m., TSN2, RDS, TSN- 690 Radio), Montreal is only two points shy of a playoff spot. Plekanec had the worst offensive numbers of his career last season, scoring 10 goals and adding 18 assists for 28 points. He did kill penalties and he managed to finish plus-10 in the plus/minus statistics despite the fact he was matched against the opposition’s top line night after night. “I didn’t play up to the expectations and nobody had higher expectations than I did,” admitted Plekanec. “I’m hard on myself when I know that I can do better.” Plekanec’s line continues to draw the top defensive assignments, but his ice time has dropped because he makes only occasional appearances on the power play. But coach Claude Julien has encouraged him to explore his offensive side. “I had Tomas as a 20-year-old and I’ve told him I want him to be what I know he can be — a top two-way forward,” Julien said. Gallagher’s problems were mostly physical. For the second time in two seasons, he had to deal with a broken hand, but he also struggled to find his confidence. He was getting chances, but his 10 goals and 19 assists represented the lowest output of his career. The biggest difference this year is that I’m healthy,” Gallagher said. “I’ve played with Pleky a lot and I think we have some good chemistry.” Plekanec, Gallagher and Paul Byron have been the team’s most productive line with 13 goals. Philip Danault. Andrew Shaw. and the red- hot Max Pacioretty — four goals and four assists in the last six ganes — have combined for 12 goals, while Jonathan Drouin, Alex Galchenyuk and Artturi Lehkonen have nine. Drouin left Tuesday’s game after he suffered an upper-body injury in the second period and he didn’t practise Wednesday. Shaw also took a therapy day and Julien said it was 50-50 whether they would face the Wild. Julien said he would go with the hot hand in goal and give Charlie Lindgren his third consecutive start. Lindgren is 2-0 since being recalled to replace the injured Carey Price and is 5-0 in the NHL over three seasons. Price skated in full equipment before practice Wednesday, but didn’t take any shots. Julien described it as the first stage of Price’s recovery from what has been described as a minor lower body injury not related to the knee problems that sidelined him for most of the 2015-16 season. Martin Reway, who was released from his contract with the Canadiens last month, has joined HC Slovan Bratislava for the remainder of the KHL season. Montreal Gazette LOADED: 11.09.2017 1082326 Montreal Canadiens

Analyze This: Brendan Gallagher helps Canadiens dig out of deep hole

Marc Dumont, Special to The GazetteMARC DUMONT, SPECIAL TO THE GAZETTE

Brendan Gallagher is off to a great start to the 2017-18 season. He has seven goals in only 16 games and is on pace for a 35-goal campaign after a 2016-17 season that saw him score only 10 goals in 64 games. Although when we take a look at his numbers from last season, the resurgence in his production shouldn’t come as a major surprise. In 2016-17, Gallagher led all players in shots per 60 minutes of ice time, and was second on the team in high-danger shot attempts per 60 minutes (see graph). He didn’t suddenly start playing better this season, although he’s definitely enjoying an uptick in production. Part of the difference can be explained by his five-vs.-five shooting percentage, which was a paltry 5.5 per cent last season, and is hovering around 10 per cent this year. By all logic, he should have scored more last season, because his numbers have always been good. The Canadiens have consistently enjoyed a shot, and scoring-chance, advantage while Gallagher has been on the ice, even during his poor 2016-17 campaign. So then, why the sudden jump in production? There are several reasons, although they’re all intertwined. Last season, he admitted he was having a hard time gripping his stick because of the injuries he suffered to his left hand. He was still putting plenty of shots on net, and was creating high-quality chances, but he simply couldn’t overcome the side effects of taking a Shea Weber shot directly on the hand. Now that he’s fully healed, his confidence is soaring. A confident, and healthy, player is always more likely to produce. He’s also creating more high-quality chances this season — almost two additional high-danger chances per 60 minutes of ice time — which might very well be a side effect of his surging confidence. It’s also worth noting that while in past seasons the Canadiens mainly relied on Gallagher to create quality chances, they have a few players helping out this season in that department, including Paul Byron and Artturi Lehkonen. Gallagher has found chemistry alongside Tomas Plekanec, which has also led to a resurgence in the Czech veteran’s game, including two goals and five points in his last five games. Gallagher controls more shots when he’s away from Plekanec, but when they’re paired, they control many more scoring chances and high-danger chances than when they’re apart. Now that the Jonathan Drouin, Phillip Danault and Plekanec lines are playing well, it gives head coach Claude Julien more options during games and makes life a little more difficult on opposing defenders. It’s also a lot harder to shut down three lines than just one. And that has been the opposing teams’ game plan to smother the Canadiens’ offence in past years; target whichever line Max Pacioretty is on and shut it down. But beyond his statistics, which are great, Gallagher is the Canadiens’ spark plug. The team looks to him to change the momentum in the offensive zone, and he’s doing it at key times with hard work, good puck protection, driving the net relentlessly and his ability to fluster opposing goalies. Those are things that statistics can’t really measure, but they’re quite apparent when watching Gallagher buzz around the ice. Simply put, he’s leading the Canadiens out of the hole they dug to start the season. We often discuss the value of intangibles, like heart and character, when evaluating players. On their own, those characteristics are rather meaningless over the long run if you can’t back them up with talent. But in Gallagher’s case, he combines a strong work ethic with skill, which is why he’s so successful. You generally need both to score in the NHL, and Gallagher is setting the example for his teammates at a time when the Canadiens need it most. Montreal Gazette LOADED: 11.09.2017 1082327 Montreal Canadiens

Las Vegas fought the Habs on Twitter, forgot the actual game

Montreal GazetteMONTREAL GAZETTE

Has anyone told the Las Vegas Golden Knights that Stanley Cups are not won on the merits of your social media presence? Maybe they should be — Las Vegas is more fun to watch on Twitter than many teams are on ice — but the National Hockey League does not appear inclined to institute such changes. The lack of a trophy for good tweets does not, however, appear to have slowed down the Golden Knights’ social media output. The expansion team, as you might recall, announced its presence in the league by going for the Habs’ jugular in September. We're definitely proud! But not as proud as @CanadiensMTL are of how many championships they won when there were only 6 teams in the league https://t.co/FaK14I2XLz — Vegas Golden Knights (@GoldenKnights) September 20, 2017 When the two teams met for the first time last night, then, the real show was always going to be on Twitter. Las Vegas even showed a hint of awareness in this regard if we could get one win for every time twitter dot com called us a bunch of try-hards, we'd definitely be going to the playoffs — Vegas Golden Knights (@GoldenKnights) November 8, 2017 We shall henceforth resist the urge to call them try-hards because there’s no need to give the opposition wins; we will nevertheless be thinking it very loudly. The team’s prolific Twitter output was, in part, dampened by the Habs jumping to an early lead. End Of 1 Period Them: 2 Us: 1 Mood: Better than at the same time last night. — Vegas Golden Knights (@GoldenKnights) November 8, 2017 As the game wore on, the Golden Knights’ jokes moved away from the subject of hockey: the only thing worse than this game so far is twitter dot com expanding to 280 characters — Vegas Golden Knights (@GoldenKnights) November 8, 2017 To be fair, their play had also moved away from the subject of hockey, so what was the team supposed to tweet about? it's still only 6:30 in vegas maybe these eastern games are just too early for us? — Vegas Golden Knights (@GoldenKnights) November 8, 2017 hockey is frustrating — Vegas Golden Knights (@GoldenKnights) November 8, 2017 The Habs ultimately won 3-2, which surely counts as revenge for Vegas’ earlier joking about our Stanley Cups. FINAL SCORE Them: 3 Us: 2 Mood: We're taking our ball and GOING HOME! — Vegas Golden Knights (@GoldenKnights) November 8, 2017 Let this serve as a reminder to Las Vegas that Twitter wins don’t count in the official standings. That and Montreal, despite the Golden Knights’ snark, has more Stanley Cup wins than the nascent franchise has regular season wins in its history. Montreal Gazette LOADED: 11.09.2017 1082328 Montreal Canadiens

Minnesota Wild at Canadiens: Five things you should know

More from Pat Hickey, Montreal Gazette

Here are five things you should know about the Canadiens-Minnesota Wild game at the Bell Centre on Thursday (7:30 p.m., TSN2, RDS, TSN 690 Radio). Time for payback: The Canadiens have won five of their last six games and the only blemish on that record is a 6-3 loss to the Wild last Thursday in St. Paul. Coach Claude Julien wasn’t happy with the effort or the execution in that game and he’ll be reminding his players that they have a score to settle. He said the timing of this game is good. “When you’re in a situation like that, it’s always good to face a team when the memories are still fresh,” said Julien. The NHL schedule maker has given the Canadiens a bit of a break with this one because the Wild played Wednesday in Toronto. Lindgren grew up with the Wild: Goaltender Charlie Lindgren will be putting his unbeaten NHL record on the line against the team he has cheered for since he was a kid. That’s no exaggeration. The Lakeville, Minn., native was in the crowd when the Wild played its first NHL game in 2000 and he was nine years old when the Wild made a run to the conference final two years later. Lindgren, who will be making his third consecutive start, has a 2-0 record this season and has allowed only two goals with a .971 save percentage. He is 5-0 in his young career with a 1.39 goals-against average and a .955 save percentage. Medical updates: The most immediate concern for the Canadiens is the condition of Jonathan Drouin and Andrew Shaw. They were banged up in Tuesday’s 3-2 win over Vegas and Julien rated their chances of being in the lineup at 50-50. Goaltender Carey Price and defenceman David Schlemko both skated on their own before practice. It was the first time on the ice for both players and Julien described it as the first stage of their return to the lineup. The Wild’s Zach Parise hasn’t played this season and is out after having back surgery in late October. Centre Charlie Coyle is out with a broken fibula. Gallagher on a roll: Brendan Gallagher has emerged from two frustrating seasons to lead the Canadiens in goals (seven) and points (12). Gallagher said it all starts with being healthy after he had to deal with a broken hand in each of the past two seasons. Gallagher is the most accurate shooter among the team’s forwards. His seven goals have come from 50 shots, for a success rate of 14 per cent. The hottest Canadien is Max Pacioretty, who is riding a six-game points streak. He has eight of his 10 points this season during that run with four goals and four assists. The other guys: The Wild went into Toronto Wednesday with a 5-6-2 record and a two-game losing streak. The Wild is in the middle of the pack offensively with 3.09 goals a game, but the defence has been giving up three goals a game. Devan Dubnyk, a two-time Vézina Trophy finalist, has been a disappointment with a 3.07 goals-against average and a .907 save percentage. The offence lacks some pop without Parise and Coyle, and the leading scorer is defenceman Jared Spurgeon with two goals and 10 points. Veteran Chris Stewart is the leading goal-scorer with six, while Eric Staal has five. Staal has had success against Montreal with 42 points — 21 goals and 21 assists — in 45 games. Montreal Gazette LOADED: 11.09.2017 1082329 Montreal Canadiens

Canadiens notebook: Carey Price skates; Jonathan Drouin skips practice

Pat Hickey, Montreal GazettePAT HICKEY, MONTREAL GAZETTE

There was good news on the Carey Price front Wednesday as the goaltender skated for the first time since he suffered a minor lower-body injury in last Thursday’s 6-3 loss in Minnesota. Price was on the ice in full equipment at 9 a.m. and skated for about 30 minutes. He was accompanied by defenceman David Schlemko, who is on the injured reserve list as he recovers from hand surgery. There were two absentees at the regular practice later in the morning as Andrew Shaw and Jonathan Drouin took therapy days. Drouin missed the third period of Tuesday’s 3-2 win over Vegas after suffering what the team described as an upper-body injury. Julien said it was 50-50 whether either player would be ready Thursday to face the Minnesota Wild (7:30 p.m. TSN2, RDS, TSN 690 Radio). Coach Claude Julien said Price’s appearance on the ice was the “first step” in his return. He said the goaltender would be evaluated on a day- to-day basis, but noted that he was on the ice by himself. Charlie Lindgren will make his third consecutive start in goal against the Wild. Montreal Gazette LOADED: 11.09.2017 1082330 Montreal Canadiens always having to be prepared to jump over the boards for several minutes at a time.

“I’ve been on both sides of it now,” Benn said. “Obviously it’s up to the The Canadiens defence is complicated, just as we always assumed it coach and whatever he says, wherever it goes. Being the bottom two is a would be little stressful. You’re sitting there, you’re sitting there, you’re waiting to get called and in your legs you haven’t been skating around and you’re not really sweating. So when you get out in the game it’s a little hard on Arpon Basu the legs. The legs kind of seize up a bit from sitting there for so long. “But for the four that are playing, you’re just getting into a groove.” This was obviously coming. That groove is something that has been difficult for Mete to find lately. For Morrow, he’s grown somewhat used to being in this situation, but The biggest question facing the Canadiens entering the season was who Mete has always played a ton of minutes. He’s not used to spending would play with Shea Weber. Out of nowhere, the answer became Victor more than three minutes at a time on the bench, like he did on eight Mete, but it was always clear handing that role to a 19-year-old was far separate occasions against the Golden Knights on Tuesday. from ideal. “For sure it’s tough just because you don’t know when you’re going to go So here we are. next when you don’t get a regular shift,” Mete said. “You kind of just have to stay mentally focused so that when you do go out there you can make Mete’s ice time over the last four games has gone from 15:53 to 10:56 to good plays and not sloppy plays, just because you haven’t been on (the 10:04 to 8:00, setting a new season low in each of the last three games. ice). So you kind of have to go out there and keep doing well so they can That’s not necessarily a problem. In fact, it’s perfectly normal that Mete trust you to go out there again. go through something like this at his age. “What I try to do is visualize what guys are doing on the ice, what plays I “It’s obviously new to me, but I kind of expected this being my first year would have made if I was in his position. I just try to keep my mind fresh here. I’m just kind of going with everything,” Mete said after practice and keep it kind of going with the game so that when I go on I don’t make Wednesday. “This is honestly something I haven’t dealt with, even in the a bad play and then sit the rest of the game. But if I can make a good OHL I’ve always played bigger minutes. It’s something I have to go play maybe I’ll go on that extra shift.” through right now and I just have to stay positive and keep myself That’s a tough mental game to ask a 19-year-old to play, almost as tough motivated for games to come so that if I get those extra few minutes I can as asking Mete to play top pair minutes against top opposition. The wild be prepared.” card in this situation is David Schlemko, who skated for the first time That’s the right attitude to have, because at the end of the day, Mete is Wednesday since having surgery on his hand Oct. 18. He was supposed playing in the NHL. He has nothing to complain about. But the problem is to miss three to four weeks, and we are now three weeks after surgery. the impact Mete’s reduced ice time has on the rest of the Canadiens When he returns, who comes out? And will his arrival allow the situation defence, most notably the pillar, Shea Weber. on defence to stabilize? That appears to be the hope. Claude Julien has already recognized he would like to manage Weber’s “It’s a lot of mixing and matching right now,” Alzner said. “We’re riding the minutes to prevent him from having to play close to half the game, as he big guy pretty good already, but he’s dealt with it his whole career. He’s did in Winnipeg (29:08) and Chicago (27:55). But with Weber having been playing a lot of minutes and I’ve never really had a guy that I played essentially lost his regular partner, he has now become the equivalent of with who was relied on as the guy so heavily. So it’s interesting for me to that beer league player who is too good for the game. Weber is playing see how it all happens. with everyone. “But it’s a long season, when Schlemmer gets back I think that will shake In Chicago on Sunday, Weber played at least 60 seconds at 5-on-5 with things up some more and hopefully it’ll kind of level everything out, all five of the Canadiens’ other defencemen. Our resident numbers guru because when it comes down to it you want guys to be fresh throughout at The Athletic, Tyler Dellow, found that it was the fifth time this season the season. There was a couple of times in Washington when a couple of Weber has played at least 60 seconds at 5-on-5 with at least four us got ridden pretty hard and playoff time came around and we were different defencemen. tired. So it’s a balancing act, but they obviously know what they’re doing Over the previous five seasons, Weber had only done that twice. so it’ll work out.” So this is something new for him, and something that is relatively rare in The Athletic LOADED: 11.09.2017 the NHL in general. Over the past four seasons, Dellow found that it’s only happened eight times that a defenceman played at least 30 percent of his games with four or more partners, as Weber has so far. Is this tenable? Julien doesn’t see a problem for now. “There’s nothing wrong with players learning to play with different players, especially on defence,” he said. “It’s a pair, it’s not three guys up front and you’re mixing them every 10 minutes and stuff like that. It’s more about just pairs and I don’t see any issue with that, there’s a lot of teams that do it. There’s a lot of teams that stick with their pairs, but in our situation right now I don’t think it’s been an issue and if anything, I guess it manages the ice a little bit better. “I know in Mete’s situation, eight minutes might have been a little bit low, but it’s like the other day when Webby’s ice time might have been a little bit high. So we’ll manage those things, but I don’t see that as an issue.” The issue, aside from Weber’s ice time, is how much more difficult it becomes to manage the bench during a game. Against the Blackhawks on Sunday, Weber, Jordie Benn and Joe Morrow each played at least a full shift at 5-on-5 with five different defencemen. Jeff Petry, Karl Alzner and Mete played at least a shift with four different partners. That can create a complicated environment on the bench. “You definitely have to be more alert on the bench because it’s not set in stone,” Alzner said. “Changes happen fast and it can be a deciding factor sometimes if you’re not on top of it. You just try and pay close attention. We’re all supposed to play the same style, so it shouldn’t matter who we’re playing with.” Then there’s the disparity in ice time between the top-4 and bottom-2, which creates a difficult situation for the guy waiting for his next shift, 1082331 Montreal Canadiens Hudon is going to continue on the 4th line he’ll need better linemates to produce offence.

· Alex Galchenyuk and Artturi Lehkonen: Lehkonen actually seemed to Melnick: The good, the bad and the ugly game 16, Montreal 3, Vegas 2 uncharacteristically struggle with the puck at times but we did get a glimpse of what Galchenyuk at centre might look like. With their regular centre out with an injury, Galchenyuk was moved to the middle in the Mitch Melnick third period. A few shifts in, he used the extra room to skate with the puck, moving to his left inside the Vegas zone before sending a perfect cross ice pass the other way to a waiting and open Lehkonen who one- timed it, only to be stopped by Lagace. When asked after the game how There’s a word for what we saw from the Vegas Golden Knights last he thought Galchenyuk looked at centre, Claude Julien displayed the night at the Bell Centre: Plucky. Not to be confused with Pleky, who timing of a stand up comic “I didn’t see much (limited shifts because of certainly did his part as the Habs managed to eke out a win to kick off a the injury).” Then he paused. “I still see him as a winger (with a big six-game home stand. We saw firsthand why Vegas set a record for the smile)”. Cue the laughter. At least he’s smiling again. best start in expansion team history – in any of the major sports. (But then again, they do hold the distinct advantage of having their pick of · Shea Weber: Had to do a double take when Weber was sent off for players without an expansion cousin to get in the way.) cross checking moments after he splendidly broke up a 2-on-1 in front of his net. It was his first penalty of the season. Before you go thinking Lady The Golden Knights are well coached, work extremely hard and have just Byng trophy, here’s a direct quote from Weber once he sat down in the enough of a dash of skill to hit the back of the net to win their share of penalty box – “You (eff)ing piece of (sp)it!” I’m not sure if it was directed games. The surprise aspect of their start is that even their fourth string at referee Marc Joanette or a Vegas player but when Weber was given goaltender can make enough saves to keep them in a game. For now, his second penalty of the night for holding, you could clearly hear him anyway. again on his way to the box yelling “F-off” as Joanette’s mic was turned But back to the Habs, whose third string goaltender has quickly moved to on to announce the call. Weber gets away with a lot on the ice. You can number one. For now, anyway. say he’s earned it. A couple of more cross-checking penalties in front of his net might not be a bad thing. Weber’s four minutes in the box leaves THE GOOD one Hab without a penalty this season – Jordie Benn. · Charlie Lindgren: He began his first ever Bell Centre start with a big · Karl Alzner: Solid again. Except for the ill-timed rush deep into Vegas save on James Neal. He ended it with an even bigger save on Neal to territory. Alzner was caught up the ice but was bailed out. Why does he preserve the desperately needed two points. And suddenly the Habs are keep doing this? a win away from .500. It was not an easy start as the only other shot Lindgren faced in the first period after stoning Neal from in close was the THE BAD first Vegas goal. But among the dozen saves he made in the second · Injury to Jonathan Drouin: Just as the Habs are finally rolling. Drouin period was on a William Carrier breakaway. He had to be at his best in was seen on the bench applying ice to his hand after he coolly snared a the third period as the Habs spent most of it hemmed in their own zone. pass out of mid-air in the neutral zone. But the Habs called the injury Lindgren’s net turned into a shooting gallery, even as the final 30 “upper body”. The waiting is the hardest part. seconds played out after he made a terrific left leg save on a strong shot by Neal, the former 40 goal scorer. Lindgren’s 5-0 start to his career is · Jeff Petry: Bad first period got worse when Pierre-Édouard Bellemare the best since Wayne Thomas in 1972-73 when Thomas served as an walked around him to get Vegas back in the game. Petry just wasn’t understudy to Ken Dryden. Next up for Lindgren, a match up against his focused enough as he made a fourth line player look like Pavel Datsyuk. home state team from Minnesota. He got the goal back when his shot was deflected in by Pacioretty but that’s not the game highlight people are focusing on. · Jordie Benn: A game high 25:51? His first two-point game since 2013- 14? The first one goal, one assist night of his NHL career? Second star · Michael McCarron: Startlingly bad. Did not look like an NHL player. At of the game? Who is this bearded one? It’s Jordie Benn and don’t you one point late in the second period McCarron looked fatigued – just 10 forget it. He plays defence for the Montreal Canadiens. He also seconds into his shift. So it was no surprise when the Habs announced freelances for TSN 690 radio every Monday morning. Surely it’s no after the game that McCarron was returning to Laval. Next? Enter the coincidence that his game picked up after he started his weekly chats recently named captain of the Rocket, Byron Froese, who got a long look with Conor Mckenna, Shaun Starr and Rick Moffatt. A (radio) star is born. from Julien during training camp. He just needed a night like this to catch up to his radio work. THE UGLY · Tomas Plekanec-Brendan Gallagher-Paul Byron: Gallagher is just three goals away from last season’s total of 10. He’s playing fearless and · Michel Bergeron: I was informed on the air this week by Michael Farber ferocious hockey, as if he has something to prove. Anybody who actually that Bergeron recently referred to Carey Price as a “princess” during one paid attention a year ago knows the story. A mangled hand, too many of his clownish stints on TVA. Bergeron stated that nobody could say games missed, never catching up, in short he was a shell of who he anything bad about Price, because he knows he’s “the king but he might really is. When he is healthy he is perhaps the Habs most indispensable be the princess of the Canadiens.” So Bergeron promptly decided to forward. We were again reminded of that last night, not only by his carve him up, suggesting Price gets preferential treatment, whatever that continued strong play but when he was nailed into the boards and means. Carey Price can’t hide from the fact that he’s been awful to start especially later in the game when it took him an extra moment or two to the season (see previous blogs). It’s one thing to dump on a guy for a get up following an open ice hit in the neutral zone, courtesy of David sub-par performance. We all do it. It’s another to personally attack his Perron. Gallagher’s opening goal was the result of Plekanec skating hard character. I’m not sure where the hate-on stems from but Bergeron from his blue line to beat out an icing call as he picked up a loose puck repeatedly dropped references to Price’s new contract during his rant. that had been sent around the boards by Benn from behind his own net. Envy is a destructive emotion. But then again, if your employer demands Plekanec had plenty of time and space to move to the side of the net and constant “hot takes” I suppose the end result is often a lot of spitting at feed a wide open Gallagher, who scored his fourth goal in five games. the camera. Stay classy Michel. Gallagher almost made it 3-0 with five minutes left in the opening period as he finished off a pretty 3-way passing play with his linemates only to The Athletic LOADED: 11.09.2017 be robbed from in close by Maxime Lagace, who made a few of those to keep his team in the game. · Phil Danault-Andrew Shaw-Max Pacioretty: Now he’s rolling, as Pacioretty deflected a shot through Lagace to give Montreal an early 2-0 lead. Pacioretty has five goals in his last eight games and has picked up a point in six straight. Shaw made a skilled, heavy backhand pass to the blue line to set up the goal. Danault continues to play inspired hockey. He’s also winning a lot more face offs (58 percent), becoming Claude Julien’s go-to guy in key situations. · Charles Hudon: Strong bounce back after having to leave the game in Chicago. There was some question whether Hudon would actually dress as he rotated on line rushes in the morning with Jacob De La Rose but once he appeared on the second power play unit in the morning it was apparent he was ready to go. He too was robbed in close by Lagace, on at least three separate occasions. Led the Habs with five shots on goal. If 1082332 Montreal Canadiens

Three things we learned against Vegas

Arpon Basu

Canadiens 3, Golden Knights 2 • Jonathan Drouin did not finish the game, leaving after the second period with an upper-body injury even though he played the final shift of the second. It put an end to another dangerous game for Drouin and Alex Galchenyuk, who were buzzing together again. But we already knew that. What we learned here is that Claude Julien has an open mind. He has been complimenting Galchenyuk’s work ethic and compete level over the past few days, going so far as to say Tuesday morning that he has never seen Galchenyuk play this well since taking over as Canadiens coach in February. But when Drouin left the game he took it a step further, moving Galchenyuk to centre for the third period. He showed a glimpse of what he could do in the 13th minute of the period when he entered the offensive zone from the middle of the ice, carried the puck to the left side, attracted defensive attention and reversed the puck to Artturi Lehkonen for a one-timer that Maxime Lagace made a big save on. Now, this was a decision made out of necessity, but if Julien wanted absolutely to stick to his guns he could have easily moved someone else to centre, as he’s done on other occasions this season. Torrey Mitchell was sitting right there. But no, it was Galchenyuk in the middle during the third. Perhaps there is hope for his future as a centre. Probably not. “Well, we didn't see that much of him,” Julien said when asked about Galchenyuk in the middle, before a sly grin came across his face. “But I still see him as a winger.” • The sparkplugs for the Canadiens remain Brendan Gallagher and Andrew Shaw, two players cast from the same mould, two players who drive opposing defencemen crazy and two players who give their team energy when they need it. Gallagher set the tone with his team-leading seventh goal of the season off a great set up by Tomas Plekanec, who beat out an icing call before finding his Energizer Bunny linemate alone at the other side of the net. But it is Gallagher’s constant pressure on the forecheck that makes him so effective, and the same goes for Shaw, who was a menace all over the ice over the first half of this game. The most surprising part of how Shaw has been playing, for me at least, has been his playmaking. It is an aspect of his game we haven’t really seen in Montreal yet, and one that continues to show itself at various moments in the game. • Victor Mete is not out of the woods yet. He played a regular shift in the first period and made an incredible slap pass to set up Lehkonen for what looked to be a sure goal, only to have his pass bounce off Lehkonen’s stick out of harms way. But then came a situation midway through the second period when Mete found himself too deep in the offensive zone. A brutal turnover by Torrey Mitchell afterwards, a play Mitchell never should have even attempted, resulted in a breakaway for William Carrier, one snuffed out by Charlie Lindgren. Mete did not play another shift the rest of the second period, played just 1:46 in the third and 8:00 in the game. Again, for a third game in a row, the result is chaos on the defensive end of the Canadiens bench, with pairs being mixed and matched as the game goes along. It is far from ideal and needs to be addressed. The Athletic LOADED: 11.09.2017 1082333 Nashville Predators

Predators' Kyle Turris excited for fresh opportunity

Adam Vingan, USA TODAY NETWORK — Tennessee Published 3:52 p.m. CT Nov. 8, 2017 | Updated 4:15 p.m. CT Nov. 8, 2017

Kyle Turris didn't receive a grand introduction Wednesday. The Predators' newest center didn't make a flashy entrance, which wouldn't have suited his modest demeanor or playing style, anyway. He strode in front of a bay of cameras wearing a maroon hoodie and fitted gray sweatpants, his No. 8 sweater waiting for his Saturday debut at Bridgestone Arena. "You saw the success last year here," said Turris, acquired Sunday from the Ottawa Senators as part of a three-team trade. "For me to have an opportunity to be a part of that and have another run this year, it's something I'm really looking forward to." On Wednesday, Turris connected with his new teammates at Centennial Sportsplex, a few of them — Ryan Johansen, Ryan Ellis, P.K. Subban and Miikka Salomaki — he previously knew from international competition or playing overseas. He'll practice Thursday at Ford Ice Center, where Nashville's improved forward lines should come into focus. Turris, who also signed a six-year contract worth $36 million Sunday that starts next season, offered the usual platitudes with reporters — how he's excited to integrate himself within a new dressing room, how he watched with awe last season as Nashville swelled with enthusiasm during the Predators' journey to the Stanley Cup Final. "I'm going to work hard," Turris said, sharing another. "I'm going to try to contribute offensively and create lots of opportunities, but also be strong defensively. They have such a good team here. I just want to help contribute to the team's success." The 28-year-old's arrival coincides with the Predators' longest winning streak through the season's first month. Nashville, which hosts the Pittsburgh Penguins on Saturday, has won three consecutive games. "He's a terrific two-way player," Predators coach Peter Laviolette said Tuesday. "I think when you add someone like that to your lineup, you're definitely going to improve your depth. ... A welcome, good addition." Reach Adam Vingan at [email protected] and on Twitter @AdamVingan. NEXT GAME PREDATORS vs. PENGUINS When: 7 p.m. Saturday TV/radio: Fox TN/102.5-FM Tennessean LOADED: 11.09.2017 1082334 New Jersey Devils

Will Devils forward Kyle Palmieri play Thursday vs. Oilers?

By Chris Ryan [email protected],

NEWARK -- An official decision will be made after the Devils' morning skate, but forward Kyle Palmieri appears to be on track to return to the lineup on Thursday against the Edmonton Oilers. Palmieri logged his first practice Wednesday after missing six straight games with a lower body injury suffered in an Oct. 22 practice. The veteran forward said he felt good after going through the entire session. The right wing said he would need to talk things over with coach John Hynes about playing Thursday, but when asked if he felt ready for an NHL game, Palmieri didn't hesitate. "Yeah. It was definitely nice to get the practice in," Palmieri said. "It would be nice to get a few more, but I felt pretty good out there and the legs feel good. Hopefully moving forward don't have any setbacks and should be good to go." The forward resumed skating last Friday while the Devils were on their Western Canada trip, so Palmieri got ice time with fellow injured forwards Travis Zajac and Michael McLeod. Palmieri got to test himself to an extent while skating with them, but he needed the added element practice provided. "For me, it was unexpected movements, being able to react to another guy," Palmieri said. "Those skills sessions, obviously it's a lot of hands work and you're doing the cutbacks and holding your edges, but it's all stuff that you know what you're doing. "The only thing standing between you doing that is just the ice and your balance. It was something that getting out there and having guys put some pressure on you and have you react is something I needed to test out." As long as Palmieri shows up to the rink feeling ready physically on Thursday, Hynes won't hold him back. "If everything looks good today into tomorrow morning, then it looks as though he's a good possibility to play," Hynes said. If the Devils activate Palmieri off injured reserve for Thursday's game, they will need to make a corresponding roster move to make room. Hynes said that would likely come in the form of putting Marcus Johansson on IR. Johansson has not skated since suffering a concussion on Nov. 1. The Devils went 3-2-1 with Palmieri out of the lineup, but they will enter Thursday losers of three straight games, including a 6-3 loss to the Oilers in Edmonton last Friday. Getting Palmieri back would certainly provide a boost to the top line and the power play. "It'll be huge," forward Taylor Hall said. "He's a big player for us, plays special teams, plays a big role in our team." Star Ledger LOADED: 11.09.2017 1082335 New Jersey Devils

Why is Devils' John Quenneville back in N.J.?

By Chris Ryan [email protected],

NEWARK -- Devils prospect John Quenneville is in New Jersey rehabbing from an upper body injury. Quenneville spent the first month of the season with the Binghamton Devils in the AHL, where he tallied four goals and two assists in six games. He last played in a game on Oct. 21 before suffering the injury. Instead of keeping Quenneville in Binghamton to rehab, Devils coach John Hynes said the team brought him down to Newark to be near more team trainers and coaches. "It was a just a situation for him to be able to come up," Hynes said following Wednesday's practice. "We have a few more hands on deck with out strength and conditioning coaches, trainers, doctors, things like that here than in Binghamton. It was an opportunity for him to come up, help him, get him up and around the team, work with some people here, and hopefully get him up and going with his rehab." Palmieri back at practice Quenneville was seen watching Tuesday's game against the St. Louis Blues at the Prudential Center, and he has a stall inside the Devils' locker room. He has not participated in any team practices. The Devils haven't called up any players from Binghamton this season, and it appears Quenneville will not be an addition to the NHL team soon. The Devils had forward Kyle Palmieri return to practice from a lower body injury on Wednesday. Star Ledger LOADED: 11.09.2017 1082336 New Jersey Devils

Devils forward Kyle Palmieri returns to practice | What it means

By Chris Ryan [email protected],

NEWARK -- Devils forward Kyle Palmieri returned to his first practice since Oct. 22, when he suffered a left foot injury while sliding into the boards. Palmieri was placed on injured reserve on Nov. 1, so he is eligible to be activated at any time. The forward did not travel with the Devils during their three-game Western Canada trip, and he began skating on his own in New Jersey on Nov. 2. Forward Marcus Johansson was absent from Wednesday's practice again after suffering a concussion on Nov. 1. Devils fall to Blues: 9 notes The Devils wasted no time getting Palmieri weaved into their plans. He played on the team's top line during line rushes to open practice, and he took his spot back on the top power play unit. It is unknown if Palmieri will be ready to play on Thursday when the Devils host the Edmonton Oilers, but his presence at practice indicates his return to the lineup is close. Here is how the Devils lined up during Wednesday's practice, with 23 players on the ice. FORWARDS Taylor Hall - Nico Hischier - Kyle Palmieri Jesper Bratt - Adam Henrique - Drew Stafford Brian Gibbons - Brian Boyle - Jimmy Hayes Miles Wood - Blake Coleman - Stefan Noesen Pavel Zacha DEFENSEMEN Andy Greene - Steven Santini John Moore - Mirco Mueller Will Butcher - Ben Lovejoy Dalton Prout - Damon Severson GOALIES Cory Schneider Keith Kinkaid Star Ledger LOADED: 11.09.2017 1082337 New Jersey Devils

Why Devils couldn't maintain play against Blues

By Chris Ryan [email protected],

NEWARK -- Most things went according to plan for the Devils in the early going of Tuesday's 3-1 loss to the St. Louis Blues. The Devils had a 1-0 lead through 20 minutes, and despite giving up three power plays in the first period, the Blues out shot the Devils just 10- 9. But as the game wore on, the Devils drifted away from the style that created some dangerous chances. The third period ended with the Blues outshooting the Devils, 17-4, pushing the final tally to 40- 22 in favor of St. Louis. "We just didn't generate enough. Against a team like that, I thought we had the upper hand for a while," forward Brian Boyle said. "We let it slip though. We could have made it a lot harder on them, but that's tough, that's a tough game. We dictate the first, we should dictate the rest of the game." Devils fall to Blues Puck decisions began to cost the Devils as the game wore on, as they drifted from dumping it deep into their offensive zone to trying to weave through a tough Blues defense. Eventually, it caught up with the Devils. Even as the Blues pushed back in the second period, the Devils held on to their 1-0 lead before a deflected puck tied the game at 1-1 63 seconds before the second intermission. A power-play goal 32 seconds into the third period was enough to sink the Devils, who couldn't get any more traction in the offensive zone. "It's just little mistakes. We gave their power play a real chance to perform tonight, and our goalie played great," Devils forward Taylor Hall told NJ Advance Media. "We stuck around all game, and just made a couple errors that gave them too many chances. That's the way it goes. That's a really good team over there, but we stuck with them for a long time, so we're pretty close. But that's a fine line between winning and losing sometimes." The Devils went to the penalty box five times on Tuesday, and despite allowing just one power-play goal off their penalties, the minors sapped the Devils of some energy at certain points. Why Devils are entering most important stretch of their season so far After the Devils played the style they wanted early in the game, the Blues adjusted and forced the Devils to alter their attack. "They're playoff experienced, they've been together a long time," Devils coach John Hynes said. "That's a test of maturity. Tonight, in this game, we failed the maturity test of what does it take in a 60-minute battle against a top-five team in the league." Star Ledger LOADED: 11.09.2017 1082338 New Jersey Devils Sign of a mature team

Devils fall to Blues: 9 observations | Power play quiet; Injuries catching One positive sign the Devils could take away from Tuesday night is how up to Devils? they started the game under the circumstances. They returned from an eight-day trip to Western Canada on Monday, and they didn't show any signs of a hangover in the opening period. When the Devils returned from By Chris Ryan an eight-day California trip last November, they fell behind, 3-0, in 20 minutes against the Toronto Maple Leafs. It's common for teams to be slow out of the gates after a long trip, but the Devils avoided that. NEWARK -- The Devils dropped their third straight game when the St. “That’s a huge sign of maturity for a young team," Devils forward Brian Louis Blues scored the final three goals on Tuesday night to leave Boyle said. "To prepare ourselves, come out and have a start like that.” Prudential Center with a 3-1 win. Against the Western Conference's top team, the Devils had a strong start before things fell apart quickly later in Why Devils' Damon Severson was healthy scratch vs. Blues the second period and early in the third. Missing Palmieri and Mojo? The Devils opened the game by playing how they wanted. But as time The Devils have now played their last six games without forward Kyle ticked on, they veered away from what gave them a 1-0 lead in the first Palmieri, and they have missed forward Marcus Johansson for all but 58 five minutes of the game. seconds of the last four games. The Devils are 3-2-1 over that stretch, "I thought we had a really good start to the game," Devils coach John but they are now on their first three-game winless streak of the season. Hynes said. "We were certainly prepared to play and had opportunities, “It’s tough. We’ve been missing guys all year, and key guys, so we’re but at that point, to put a couple more in the net, and then we didn’t. As looking forward to getting back healthy and staying as healthy as we the game wore on, we didn’t play as sound as we needed to in the game can," Hall said. "It’s tough when you’re missing some of your best guys.” against the opponent we had.” Regardless of the Devils' injury situation, Hynes said he expects the And when the Devils were playing at their best in the early going, same team identity and effort from the 18 skaters that dress for any given penalties got in the way of turning that 1-0 lead into something more. game. Three first-period penalties and five overall kept the Devils from creating more chances, and it slowed them down when they were getting “That’s what the league is. You have to play and find a way to win with pressure on the Blues early. whatever group you have," Hynes said. "We can have guys come back in our lineup, and we have to play a certain way to give ourselves a chance “We’ve got to dig in, and we know what our team identity is, and I think a to win. We can have guys out of our lineup, and every game is a different lot of it comes in to executing how we want to execute, being able to stay entity. Doesn’t matter who’s in, who’s out. You have to find a way, guys with how we want to play long than what we did," Hynes said. "If you look have to step up and play, and that’s what our focus is. Guys we do have at a game like tonight, a little bit, we hurt ourselves with an ill-advised in the lineup, not guys that we don’t." penalty to kill the momentum. You look at the first period, we had legs, energy, we were playing really well. Every time we got momentum, we Star Ledger LOADED: 11.09.2017 took a penalty. That’s defeating yourself." Not the "sexy" play, but the right play Between what Hynes and the players said after the game, the Devils had a clear strategy early on to get the puck deep into the Blues' defensive zone, where they could use their speed and compete to win battles and create chances. After doing so in the opening part of the game, the Devils attempted to beat the Blues with passes and finesse, and it cost them. “They have good gaps and we have to put (pucks) behind them," defenseman Andy Greene said. "We have to make them turn all night. Even if it’s not the sexy play or whatever, but it wears them down. It might not be the next shift, maybe it’s in the third (period) but it starts to wear them down. That’s just part of us growing up, maturing as a group, and realizing we need to stick to it and keep playing like that.” Lopsided third period As the chances dwindled for the Devils, it led to a surge for the Blues. They struck for an early goal on the power play to start the third period, giving them a 2-1 lead, and they ended up outshooting the Devils, 18-4, over the final 20 minutes. The Devils contained the Blues for the most part over the opening two periods, but they couldn't close them out. “We still gave up 40 shots, so we have some things where we have to be better still," forward Taylor Hall told NJ Advance Media. "For the first two periods, we had them. We were playing really well 5-on-5, we were managing the puck, coming back off a West Coast road trip, we were good. But in the third, we gave them too many chances.” Devils lose early lead, fall to Blues | Rapid reaction Power-play differences The Devils finished 0-for-4 on the power play, marking their fourth straight game where they did not net a power-play goal. They entered the night clicking at a 25.6 percent clip on man advantages, but their units have cooled off after netting power-play goals in seven of their first 10 games. Referring to Tuesday's effort, Hynes said the Devils struggled in two different aspects. “We didn’t do very good on our entries for the most part," Hynes said. "The first power play we had, we were very good on our entry, and then after that, they pushed us up the ice a little bit, and we didn’t make the right choices or have strong execution to be able to get in and get set up. When we did get set up, we deferred. We want to be a team that’s going to attack on the power play, in particular attack the blue paint. I thought we passed it around a little too much.” 1082339 New Jersey Devils

Skidding Devils likely to get Kyle Palmieri back

Andrew Gross, Staff Writer, @AGrossRecord Published 4:29 p.m. ET Nov. 8, 2017

NEWARK – It was early in Wednesday’s practice at Barnabas Health Hockey House at Prudential Center and right wing Kyle Palmieri stood at the bench and relieved the weight on his left leg, foot and ankle, at least one of which he hurt while crashing into the boards during the Devils’ practice on Oct. 22. But the flex was fleeting and Palmieri remained on ice for the whole practice – his first with the team since getting hurt – and will likely return to the lineup when the Devils continue a three-game homestand on Thursday night against the Oilers at The Rock. “Yeah,” Palmieri said when asked whether he felt like he can play. “It was definitely nice to get a practice in. It’d be nice to get a few more but I felt pretty good out there and the legs feel good. Hopefully I keep moving forward and I don’t have any setbacks and I should be good to go.” Palmieri, 26, of Montvale, has three goals and four assists in seven games. The Devils (9-4-1), mired in a three-game losing streak after Tuesday night’s 3-1 loss to the Blues, which followed a 1-1-1 Western Canada road trip, are 3-2-1 since Palmieri was injured. That includes a 6-3 loss at Edmonton on Friday night. That was the day Palmieri resumed skating on his own. The Devils must activate Palmieri from injured reserve, and coach John Hynes confirmed Marcus Johansson (concussion) will most likely be placed on IR retroactive to Nov. 1, when he was hurt 57 seconds into a 2-0 win at Vancouver, in order to make room on the roster for Palmieri. New Jersey Devils' Marcus Johansson, of Sweden, is “He looks good and he practiced full today,” Hynes said of Palmieri. “If everything looks good today and into tomorrow morning, it looks like he’s a good possibility to play.” Hynes reunited Palmieri with No. 1 overall pick Nico Hischier and Taylor Hall, playing his fourth game against the team that drafted him first overall in 2010 and then swapped him to the Devils for defenseman Adam Larsson on June 29, 2016, as the top line for Wednesday’s practice. “Kyle is a huge part of our team,” Hynes said. “He really is an identity player for us the way he plays the game.” “It’ll be huge,” added Hall, who had a five-game point streak snapped on Tuesday, of Palmieri’s potential return. “He’s a big player for us. He plays special teams. He plays a big role in our team.” Beyond Palmieri and Johansson’s absences – or perhaps as a result of them – the Devils have had trouble putting together complete, 60-minute efforts of late. Hall said the Devils played one good period against the Canucks, 30 good minutes against the Oilers, two and a half strong periods in Sunday’s 5-4 shootout loss at Calgary and two solid periods against the Blues. “I think teams are obviously trying to protect against letting us skate and getting our speed going,” Palmieri said. “Watching the games, the road trip and last night, it just didn’t seem like we were able to do that and be tenacious on pucks. You can partly point to the travel.” Pavel Zacha of the Devils shot is stopped by Jonathan Pavel Zacha of the Devils shot is stopped by Jonathan Bernier of Colorado. (Photo: Chris Pedota/NorthJersey.com) BRIEFS: Second-year forward Pavel Zacha, 20, the sixth overall pick in 2015 who has two goals and two assists in the 14 games, skated as an extra forward on Wednesday and Hynes acknowledged he is under consideration to be a healthy scratch for the first time this season. “There’s no guarantee he’s out,” Hynes said. “We feel like he’s been given some pretty good opportunities. We think he’s done well in some of them. There’s got to be more consistency in his game, using his skating and his size and his consistent compete factor. …” Left wing John Quenneville, the 30th overall pick in 2014, will remain in New Jersey to rehab an upper-body injury he suffered while playing for Binghamton (AHL). Bergen Record LOADED: 11.09.2017 1082340 New Jersey Devils

Kyle Palmieri returns to practice for the Devils

Andrew Gross, Staff Writer, @AGrossRecord Published 1:05 p.m. ET Nov. 8, 2017 | Updated 1:06 p.m. ET Nov. 8, 2017

The Devils are getting healthier. Kyle Palmieri (injured reserve/left foot) is practicing with his teammates today at Barnabas Health Hockey House at Prudential Center for the first time since going hard into the backboards and leaving practice on Oct. 22. Coach John Hynes had said prior to Tuesday night’s 3-1 loss to the Blues – which opened a three-game homestand – that there was a possibility Palmieri would be on ice for today’s practice. Palmieri has been skating on his own since last week. With Palmieri practicing on Nico Hischier’s line with Taylor Hall, Pavel Zacha appears to be the extra forward. Zacha logged 14.53 against the Blues without a shot. Zacha has appeared in all 14 games so far. The Devils would have to make a roster move to active Palmieri and that’s not likely to come until Thursday. The Devils are carrying eight defensemen so there’s a possibility one could be sent down. However, the more logical move would be to place Marcus Johansson (concussion) on injured reserve retroactive to Nov. 1, when he was hurt 57 seconds into a 2-0 win at Vancouver that started a 1-1-1 Western Canada road trip. Devils losing streak hits three after 3-1 loss to Blues Blues 3, Devils 1: Post-game observations Devils Daily Faceoff: Three storylines for Nov. 8 The Devils host the Oilers on Thursday night at The Rock after losing 6-3 at Edmonton on Friday night in the second game of a 1-1-1 Western Canada road trip. Here were the lines at today’s practice: Taylor Hall-Nico Hischier-Kyle Palmieri Jesper Bratt-Adam Henrique-Drew Stafford Brian Gibbons-Brian Boyle-Jimmy Hayes Miles Wood-Blake Coleman-Stefan Noesen And the defense pairs: Andy Greene-Steven Santini John Moore-Mirco Mueller Will Butcher-Ben Lovejoy Dalton Prout-Damon Severson Kyle Palmieri (21) on ice for #NJDevils practice today. pic.twitter.com/hzNmQvigWq — Andrew Gross (@AGrossRecord) November 8, 2017 Bergen Record LOADED: 11.09.2017 1082341 New Jersey Devils

Devils Daily Faceoff: Three storylines for Nov. 8

Andrew Gross, Staff Writer, @AGrossRecord Published 7:54 a.m. ET Nov. 8, 2017 | Updated 7:54 a.m. ET Nov. 8, 2017

NEWARK – It’s back to the drawing board today for the Devils, or, more accurately, the dry erase board. Not that the Devils (9-4-1) need to start over from scratch. But, with a three-game losing streak after Tuesday night’s 3-1 loss to the Blues at Prudential Center, Devils coach John Hynes and his players know they need to get back to the roots of how they were playing when they forged a 9-2-0 start. The Devils practice at 12:30 p.m. at The Rock before continuing their three-game homestand against the Oilers on Thursday night (Faceoff: 7 p.m.; Television: MSG Plus; Radio: WFAN-101.9FM/660AM, digital One Jersey Network). “We’ve got to dig in,” Hynes said. “We know what our team identity is. It comes with executing the way we want to executing and staying with the way we want to play longer than what we did.” Hynes cited “ill-advised” penalties “to kill momentum, particularly in the first period.” Every time we got momentum, we took a penalty,” Hynes said. “That’s defeating yourself and not sticking with the game plan long enough.” The Devils took three penalties in the first period on Tuesday night, two after they had taken a 1-0 lead on Blake Coleman’s goal at 3:35. Two of the infractions occurred in the offensive zone, a big no-no. So here are three storylines to watch today: First period – Will Kyle Palmieri practice? The top-line right wing has been out since injuring his left foot in practice on Oct. 22 but has been skating on his own for about a week. Hynes said before Tuesday’s game that Palmieri is scheduled to skate again today and there was a possibility he could join his teammates for practice. Rejoining his teammates for practice is a pre-requisite for Palmieri rejoining the lineup. Second period – ‘Nip it in the bud:’ That’s exactly what the Devils must do with this losing streak, the first time they’ve lost consecutive games this season. Most Devils put a happy spin on a 1-1-1 Western Canada road trip that ended with Sunday night’s 5-4 shootout loss at Calgary. Still, the Devils’ sudden stall has left other teams either passing them or gaining on them in the standings. “We’ve got to stop the slide here, we’ve got to get out of this before it gets too deep,” said goalie Cory Schneider, expected to start on Thursday after stopping 37 shots against the Blues. “We’ve got to find a way to nip this in the bud right now.” Third period – The defensive rotation: Hynes is still searching to come up with a consistent top six. On Tuesday night, it was Damon Severson out, Steven Santini, who had missed Sunday night’s game with an upper- body issue, back in and veteran Ben Lovejoy remaining in the lineup. Most likely, Severson will be back in on Thursday, maybe Mirco Mueller will be back out. Either way, there will probably be more personnel shuffling. Bergen Record LOADED: 11.09.2017 1082342 New York Islanders

Mathew Barzal’s playmaking prowess proves Islanders right

By Arthur Staple

It’s June 26, 2015, on the floor of Florida’s BB&T Center. The Islanders have already traded away their first-round draft pick, 21st overall, to complete the ill-fated Thomas Vanek deal from 2013. As the first round progressed, general manager Garth Snow looked for a way into the middle of the pack to try and draft the player the Islanders badly want, Seattle center Mathew Barzal. The Bruins had three straight picks, Nos. 13, 14 and 15. The Oilers, at 16 and already with Connor McDavid in the fold, were looking to deal. The Islanders brain trust held its collective breath as the Bruins make their three picks; none are Barzal. Snow dealt defense prospect Griffin Reinhart to Edmonton for the 16th and 33rd picks and the Islanders get their young man. A text soon buzzed through from an NHL scout. “Someone’s getting fired after all this!” Two years later, the NHL is finding out why the Islanders were so set on getting Barzal. He’s now 20 and piling up the eye-popping plays and points — he added another assist in Tuesday’s 2-1 overtime loss to the Oilers, giving Barzal 11 assists this season, one off the rookie lead. And he brought Isles fans to the edges of their seats a few more times as well, including in the first period when he made four moves in a tight space to get by Edmonton defenseman Oscar Klefbom and nearly beat Cam Talbot. “He’s young but he’s obviously eager to learn and get better,” Andrew Ladd said. “His confidence is really growing game by game.” Sign upBy clicking Sign up, you agree to our privacy policy. Doug Weight said on Tuesday morning that Barzal’s growing confidence will lead to some tougher matchups as well. “We’ve relatively sheltered him so far in terms of matchups,” Weight said. “You’re going to get some OK matchups too when you’ve got [John Tavares] with 12 goals on the top line. But Barzy wants more and we’re going to give it to him.” Teams are noticing. Another NHL scout who has seen Barzal play several times already this season said Barzal “is in the same conversation as [Arizona rookie] Clayton Keller. We can all see it. This guy is special.” On the ice, opposing players are surely taking notice as well. His setup for Ladd early in the third period of the Islanders’ 5-3 win over the Sharks on Oct. 21 is worth watching again, just to see the San Jose players a bit frozen in their own end as they watch Barzal fly around the net and find Ladd for a quick shot that broke open a tie game. “Maybe I’m catching some people by surprise, but this is the best league in the world and these are the best defensemen in the world,” Barzal said. “They don’t get surprised too much. I’m just trying to do what I can to create chances, create space for my linemates.” No one in the Bruins or Oilers front office has lost a job after that sequence of events on the draft floor in Florida two years ago. But the grumbling among Boston and Edmonton fans has certainly grown as everyone is now seeing what the Islanders saw. Notes & quotes: The Islanders brought Alan Quine back from his conditioning stint to make the trip to Dallas on Wednesday. Nikolay Kulemin (upper body), injured on Tuesday, was placed on injured reserve. The Islanders still have one more roster spot available. Newsday LOADED: LOADED: 11.09.2017 1082343 New York Rangers

Jimmy Vesey scores twice in 29-second span as Rangers beat Bruins, 4- 2, for fifth-straight win

JUSTIN TASCH

One of the reasons Jimmy Vesey didn’t sign with his hometown Bruins when the Harvard product was a college free agent in 2016 was because he wanted to get out of his comfort zone. He sure looks comfortable playing against them. Vesey scored twice in a 29-second span in the first period in the Rangers’ 4-2 home win Wednesday night against Boston, the Blueshirts’ fifth straight win as they continue to distance themselves from their rough start to the year. Both of Vesey’s goals came from in front of the net, the first off a rebound of Pavel Buchnevich’s shot and the second a cleanup of Kevin Shattenkirk’s long shot that hit the outside of the net. “A couple of greasy ones,” said Vesey, who doubled his scoring account for the season and has five points in four career games against Boston. “Two pucks just laying there for me, but I’ll take them.” The Rangers (8-7-2) didn’t have to chase this one, took a 3-1 lead into the third and withstood some nervy moments before Rick Nash’s empty- netter sealed it. Henrik Lundqvist (31 saves) had one of his better performances of the season, stopping 25 of 26 shots over the final two periods. Buchnevich continues to blossom, adding confidence to the impressive offensive instincts he’s shown since Day One last year as a rookie. He displayed strong hands in beating Zdeno Chara and roofing a shot in tight to open the scoring at 9:53 of the first before the Bruins tied it 21 seconds later. Nine of Buchnevich’s 14 points have come in the last seven games (six goals, three assists.) For Buchnevich’s fellow sophomore Vesey, Wednesday represented some progress in that he remained a contributor until the final horn. In three of the previous five games, Vesey had either had limited third- period ice time or been benched altogether for the third. Jimmy Vesey celebrates his first of two goals scored. Still, Alain Vigneault has liked what he’s seen in a number of Vesey’s performances, including Wednesday’s, despite the peaks and valleys. “Maybe he wasn’t finishing on a lot, but Jimmy was working hard and, like you saw (Wednesday) early on, before he scored the goals, he made a couple real strong plays along the wall in our end that permitted us to get the puck out,” Vigneault said. “So there’s more than just finishing.” Finishing, though, is what has keyed the Rangers’ rise out of quicksand. They’re averaging 4.4 goals per game during their five-game win streak. And though there remain some defensive lapses, the penalty kill continues to excel. After going 4-for-4 Wednesday, the Rangers are 12-for-12 over their last five games and have killed off 25 of their last 27 shorthanded situations. They are a much more confident group than they were just more than a week ago. And knowing where they were 12 games into the season, they don’t expect to become complacent. “We don’t take it for granted, absolutely not,” Marc Staal said. “We have to keep on working and keep grabbing points when we are on a roll like this.” New York Daily News LOADED: 11.09.2017 1082344 New York Rangers

Brendan Smith once again a healthy scratch as defenseman has underperformed with Rangers

JUSTIN TASCH

Brendan Smith, who was given a four-year, $17.4 million contract to remain a Ranger after the club gave up a second- and third-round pick at last season's trade deadline to get him, was set to be a healthy scratch Wednesday for the fourth-straight game and sixth time in 17 games. Suffice to say, this isn't what Smith was expecting when he signed his contract. "No, absolutely not," Smith told the Daily News. "Anytime you sign somewhere on your own accord, you want to help the team and play minutes. Unfortunately, I haven't been able to do that yet." On one hand, Smith being held accountable for underperforming is justified. He's looked slow this season, unlike the very effective defenseman he was during last spring's playoff run. But four-straight healthy scratches and six overall is a lot for a guy who just over the summer signed for a $4.35 million annual cap hit. Vigneault said Smith will play again soon but didn't feel Wednesday was the right time. The coach didn't envision Smith sitting this much but said it's a part of having "good internal competition." "He needs to be stronger on his puck battles," Vigneault said of Smith. "We believe that he can play with an edge, play with a bite, (be) a little bit quicker going back for pucks and making that right initial play. I think if he does that (in) some of those situations where he's put himself in a little bit of a challenging place, if he goes back just a little bit quicker and makes that first initial play, he'll be fine." Smith agrees that he can be more physical, but he says he can't go looking to be and must let it come to him. He's focusing on trying to keep his stamina up, which he says is difficult while not playing, and to be ready whenever he draws back in. "But it's hard when you're sitting and not getting exposure to the game," Smith said. The Rangers were on a four-game win streak entering Wednesday's game against Boston. Vigneault generally prefers to keep his lineup the same after wins and believes the defensive group he's dressing is playing well. Smith did come out of the lineup after a win against Vegas in which the Rangers allowed four goals over the first 40 minutes. Smith played just 34 seconds in that third period. Vigneault praised Steven Kampfer's game and called him "dependable," likes that he's a righty who can skate. But Kampfer, who sat the final 11:19 of the third period Saturday in Florida, is an insurance policy, not an everyday player. Smith was ticketed to be in the Rangers' top four, spent several games this season playing on the top pair with college teammate Ryan McDonagh. So the longer this goes for Smith, the more frustrated he grows. "Yeah, for sure. Like I've told you guys before, I want to help the team compete," Smith said, "and it's hard to do that from the stands." New York Daily News LOADED: 11.09.2017 1082345 New York Rangers There is no evidence that the Rangers are looking to move Smith anywhere else but back into the lineup. They signed him for a reason.

“There are no issues with AV and there are no issues with the team,” Brendan Smith’s marriage with the Rangers is off to a rocky start Thun said. “Seasons go in ebbs and flows. Smitty will get back in there and when he does, he’ll be fine. By Larry Brooks November 8, 2017 | 5:34PM “This is where he wanted to be and this is where he wants to be.” New York Post LOADED: 11.09.2017 If you look at the four-year, $17.4 million commitment Brendan Smith and the Rangers made to one another on June 28 as a kind of marriage, it is safe to say that neither party thought the “for worse” part of it would arrive so soon. But it has. And through a confluence of circumstances involving his own disappointing performance out the gate and the Rangers having gotten onto a bit of a roll without the defenseman in the lineup, Smith was a healthy scratch for the fourth straight game and sixth of the first 17 when the Bruins came to the Garden on Wednesday night. No Smith in the lineup. Neither Tony DeAngelo nor Neal Pionk on the roster, both young American righties learning their trade in Hartford. Alexei Bereglazov is no longer in North America, the Russian lefty having returned to Magnitogorsk and the KHL. Instead, a defense including both Nick Holden and Steven Kampfer, who started the season as seven and eight on the depth chart. No one could have projected this. No one could have imagined Smith, who created a positive impression and impact in New York following his Feb. 28 acquisition from the Red Wings, either playing as ineffectively as he did or then becoming the odd man out for games at a time. Smith’s turnover rate has been alarming. His lack of physical play has been unexpected, given the fact that his nastiness in the first round against Montreal was not only a key to the Blueshirts’ six-game victory, but a major reason why general manager Jeff Gorton went to 17.4 million lengths to keep Smith from becoming a free agent. Brendan Smith hasn’t looked like the same player he was during the playoffs last season.AP There were, of course, other teams waiting on Smith had the intense 28- year-old hit the open market on July 1. Multiple teams would have been willing to at least match the Rangers’ offer. One would think that there would be significant interest in Smith if the Rangers wanted to annul the agreement. It is worth wondering whether, this soon into the union, there is buyer’s/seller’s remorse on Smith’s part. The answer came from Smith’s agent, Anton Thun. “I’m not sure who’s the buyer and who’s the seller in this case, but there are no regrets at all from Smitty,” Thun told The Post prior to Wednesday’s match. “And while I don’t want to speak for the Rangers, I talk to Jeff pretty regularly and I’ve never gotten that impression from him. “Smitty’s no dummy. He knows this is a performance-based industry and his hasn’t been where he would like it to be or where it needs to be. He’s just working hard to get back in the lineup.” It is difficult to imagine the Rangers attaining heights with their current blue line alignment even if the defense has performed capably throughout the four-game win streak that began with Smith in the lineup against Vegas. But the Blueshirts’ four-goal third period comeback to win the game they had trailed 4-2 at the end of two periods was achieved with Smith on the bench for the final 15:09 of a match in which he delivered a 24.2 percent Corsi night while paired with/dragging down partner Ryan McDonagh. We know that coach Alain Vigneault is no slave to Corsi, if he even believes in the shots-attempted group metric at all. Smith, who is a plus- one at five-on-five, ranks sixth among the seven defensemen on the roster in Corsi at 44.8 percent. Kampfer, who is a minus-three, is seventh at 42.6. Oh, and first among the eight that began the season in New York? Why that would be DeAngelo, at 55.9 in a much smaller sample size than his mates. “I’m going to get Smitty in here at some point,” Vigneault said. “He’s working extremely hard and understands the areas he needs to improve and focus on. “He needs to be stronger in his puck battles. We believe he can play with an edge and play with bite. [He needs to be] a little bit quicker going back for pucks and making the right initial play.” 1082346 New York Rangers

Jimmy Vesey’s struggle to find a role on the Rangers is real

By Brett Cyrgalis November 8, 2017 | 3:23PM

Jimmy Vesey understands this is all part of that overarching “process,” that sometimes a second-year player is going to be on a short leash and might end up stapled to the bench. And sometimes, good graces don’t last very long. The Rangers winger played what he called “maybe my best game of the season” in a 2-1 overtime win against the Lightning in Tampa on Thursday, an individual performance coach Alain Vigneault described as “a real strong game against a real strong opponent.” It was preceded two nights prior by a 6-4 win comeback win of the Golden Knights when Vesey scored the first goal and still sat for the final 9:18 of regulation, as well as a 5-4 loss in Montreal on Oct. 28, when he sat for the final 25:25. Then on Monday at the Garden, Vesey was on for two goals against as his team went down 2-0, and then he sat for the final 22:45 as the Rangers came back for a 5-3 win over the Blue Jackets. “What are you going to say when you’ve been on the ice for two goals against?” Vesey told The Post on Wednesday morning, as the Blueshirts took a four-game winning streak into a nationally televised Garden match against the Bruins. “I’m just going to keep working hard. I’ve been out at the end of games before, so just want to make sure I keep having good habits and consistency and keep developing that trust where [Vigneault] wants to have me out there.” After his much-ballyhooed decision before last season to sign with the Rangers as a free agent out of Harvard, Vesey is still adjusting to life as a professional while trying to establish an on-ice identity. In his rookie season, he came out of the gate offensively flying, putting up six goals and nine points in his first 10 games in the league. But in the first 16 games of his second year, he had put up just two goals and three points, but doesn’t think that’s a total reflection of his overall performance. Vesey is still trying to balance being physical without making mistakes.Shutterstock “I think at this point last year, obviously I had more points, but I think this year I’m actually a better player — if that makes sense,” Vesey said. “My skating, my physicality, my work ethic has been at a higher level this year.” For a while, Vesey seemed to find some chemistry on a line with Kevin Hayes and . They were a defensively responsible unit that Vigneault could trust during a time when the Rangers were losing in troves. But it was broken up during that game against Vegas on Halloween, and since then, Vesey has been on a line with David Desharnais and J.T. Miller. With Desharnais having a penchant for making risky plays and occasionally turning the puck over in dangerous places — so much so that Vigneault was going to make him a healthy scratch against the Panthers before Boo Nieves came down with a stomach bug — Vesey has been put in some precarious defensive situations that he hasn’t been able to rectify. “He, I believe, can be better,” Vigneault said. “He’s still a very young player, second year into the league. I believe there is a lot of potential and upside there. I believe he’s got a great attitude and great work ethic. I think sometimes in a 82-game season, you go through phases. Right now, he’s trying to find his rhythm and trying to find his game.” With this being the final year of his two-year, entry-level deal before reaching restricted free agency (with arbitration rights), there isn’t a ton of time for the Rangers to decide exactly what they have in the 24-year-old Vesey. Vigneault said he expected him to be in their top six this year, but “at this time, he’s not.” So it’s on Vesey to show that he’s worthy of being out there, because there isn’t much wiggle room for him to make mistakes. “I think that’s also part of my development,” Vesey said. “So in a couple years or whatever, maybe I’m the guy on the ice all the time because of what I’ve watched and learned or gone through and made mistakes and learned from.” New York Post LOADED: 11.09.2017 1082347 New York Rangers

Henrik Lundqvist undefeated with his new mask

By Brett Cyrgalis November 9, 2017 | 3:26am

Henrik Lundqvist debuted his new mask with the shiny silver cage on Halloween, what turned out to be a game when the Rangers goalie backstopped his team to a victory over the Golden Knights. It just so happened to also be the first game of a winning streak that extended to five straight games following the 4-2 victory over the Bruins on Wednesday night at the Garden. When that (non) coincidence was brought up to Lundqvist on Wednesday morning, the franchise netminder just looked up and smiled. “It was time for a change,” he said. Lundqvist said he normally goes through about three or four masks a season, this way he can auction them off for charity. His previous mask had a navy blue cage on the outside, but the inside of the pipes were painted white for better vision. This cage is all silver, and Lundqvist had the insides of the pipes sanded down so that there is less glare. He certainly saw the puck well enough against the Bruins, making 31 saves in his fifth straight start. “This was probably the best Hank has looked as far as, you know, in control,” said coach Alain Vigneault, who picked up his 200th win as Rangers coach. The only other Rangers coaches to reach that milestone are Emile Francis (342) and Lester Patrick (281). Defenseman Brendan Smith was a healthy scratch for the fourth straight game and the sixth game this season. Smith signed a four-year, $17.4 million contract this summer before reaching free agency, carrying a $4.35 million annual salary-cap hit. “I’m going to get Smitty in here at some point,” Vigneault said. “He’s working extremely hard. He understands the areas he needs to improve and focus on.” As for what Smith had to work on, Vigneault added: “Needs to be stronger on his puck battles. We believe that he can plays with an edge, play with a bite. A little bit quicker going back for pucks and making the right initial play.” Boo Nieves remained out of the lineup for the third straight game as the fourth-line center was still recovering from what he described as either “food poising or a virus,” stemming from a bad meal in Florida on Friday night. “Feeling better, but it’s tough, haven’t been able to eat much,” Nieves said after skating Wednesday morning. Vigneault added that he wasn’t going to put Nieves in the lineup after “basically four days without going on the ice.” The lineup remained the same for the third straight game, meaning Paul Carey was the fourth-line center until Vigneault gave him only one third- period shift and he sat for the final 17:23 of regulation. New York Post LOADED: 11.09.2017 1082348 New York Rangers line, but that’s part of it. There’d be an issue if you weren’t frustrated, right?

“Pav wants to play. We all do. We all want to contribute.” One Ranger starting to become a game-breaking talent The Rangers had their way through the first 20 minutes against a Boston team that played without the injured Brad Marchand, David Krejci, David By Larry Brooks November 9, 2017 | 2:23am Backes, Andrew McQuaid and Ryan Spooner. The final 40 was a dog fight.

“We knew they’d be hungry as heck and tough to play against,” Kreider So , how about we start a list of the Rangers’ elite skill guys over the last said. “We knew we were going to need to tough it out.” decade? And they did, winning what became a meat-and-potatoes game on a “Rick and Gabby, obviously,” Marc Staal said, referring to Rick Nash and night that the flash and dash of Buchnevich gave the team an early leg Marian Gaborik. “Nikolay Zherdev was really talented, no question about up. that. “He’s pretty happy-go-lucky,” Staal said. “At the same time, though, you “And if you want to go way back, Michael Nylander, with his little plays can see that he wants to be called on. He wants to be on that first line. out of the corner.” He wants to be on the power play. What say you, Chris Kreider? “You can see that he thrives on that. He wants to make a difference.” “We’ve got Rick Nash on our team,” No. 20 said after the Rangers New York Post LOADED: 11.09.2017 extended their winning streak to five games with Wednesday’s 4-2 Garden victory over the Bruins. “And since I’ve been here I’ve been lucky enough to play with guys with tremendous skill like Marty St. Louis and Brad Richards. “Oh, and Gabby. My God.” OK, then, enough of memory lane. What then of Pavel Buchnevich, the 22-year-old sophomore winger who opened the scoring with a spectacular goal at 9:53 of the first period after a change-of-pace move on his backhand beat Zdeno Chara to the net from the right side before he shifted to the forehand to roof it over Tuukka Rask? “Oh, for sure,” said Staal. “Incredibly skilled,” said Kreider. “So impressive,” said Henrik Lundqvist. “I could see his skill last year, but he’s more confident now. He’s more determined to make things happen.” The Rangers don’t have a Sidney Crosby or an Evgeni Malkin or a Connor McDavid or an Auston Matthews. Don’t have a Nikita Kucherov or a Patrik Laine. They don’t have a game-breaking talent. Or maybe they will in Buchnevich. Maybe they do. “He’s a very impressive person,” said Lundqvist, who played perhaps his finest game as the Bruins constantly drove to the front and created havoc around the net through the third period as they attempted to rally from 3- 1 down. “I spent some time with him in Florida talking with him the other night and I could see how much more confident he’s become, not only in hockey but in life. “Moving here from Russia at his age is not easy. It isn’t just the language, it is an entirely different culture and way of life here. He’s very intelligent and picks up on things very quickly. It’s fun to be around him. It’s fun to watch him play. “He’s been huge for us.” Buchnevich, who has recorded six goals in his last seven games and seven overall, is no one-trick pony. He can snipe from the circles. He can dart in from the boards. He can skate. He is learning how to use his 6- foot-2, 190-pound frame to his advantage in shielding the puck, in battles and on his defensive assignments. He always seems to be around the net and on the puck. Last season’s issues with his back and core appear to be a thing of the past following a strenuous offseason program. Pavel Buchnevich scores a first-period goal.Paul J. Bereswill “He’s very Russian-like with lateral plays, mobility, his wide pulls and his edge work,” said Kreider. “He’s a lot of fun to play with.” The Kreider-Mika Zibanejad-Buchnevich unit was intact for the first six games of the season. Despite their obvious chemistry, the trio had accounted for just one even-strength goal scored by Zibanejad as the Rangers took a 1-5 pratfall out of the gate. Coach Alain Vigneault shuffled things. Buchnevich spent the next six games on the fourth line — Guess what? It didn’t kill him — before the original first line was reconstructed five games ago. “That’s part of being a young guy in the NHL,” Kreider said. “From my own experience, you’re a little disappointed if you’re not on a top-three 1082349 New York Rangers

Jimmy Vesey’s two goals in 29 seconds propel red-hot Rangers

By Brett Cyrgalis November 8, 2017 | 10:51pm | Updated

Infection in his left eye, benchings in his very recent past, an uninspiring stat line through the first 16 games of his second NHL season — and now, the Broadway Hat atop his head. Jimmy Vesey had to ask exactly the proper way to wear the fedora bestowed upon the Rangers’ team-picked best player from each win, because it had been a while. But his two goals in 29 seconds late in the first period propelled the Rangers to a 4-2 victory over the Bruins on Wednesday night at the Garden, and kept the Blueshirts rolling with five straight wins. “I consider myself a goal scorer, I’ve been that my whole life,” Vesey said, now with four goals and one assist on the season. “I think I’ve had the chances some games and it hasn’t necessarily fallen for me. But got a couple greasy ones tonight and hopefully it’ll start falling for me.” As he was speaking, J.T. Miller walked by and jokingly said, “Nice game, Jimmy. A couple tap-ins.” Henrik Lundqvist makes a save during the Rangers’ 3-2 win.Paul J. Bereswill Truth was, Vesey’s goals were tap-ins — maybe more jam-ins — but it was hard work that got him to the front of the net to give him the chance. And that is a microcosm of how the Rangers (8-7-2) have turned their season around after that disastrous 1-5-2 start, by continuing to work hard and put themselves in positions to win. The injury-ravaged Bruins (6-5-3) just could never beat the sharpening Henrik Lundqvist when they pushed in the latter stages of the third period, and now things are starting to turn for the better on Broadway. “I think we all know you can lose it fast and you can gain it so fast,” said Lundqvist, who finished with 31 saves, none better than the diving stop he made on Patrice Bergeron about five minutes into the third period and less than two minutes before Bergeron would cut the Rangers lead to 3-2 on a goalmouth spin-around to increase the pressure in the final moments. “That’s the good thing about this game — you play so many games that you have a chance to make up for a bad performance the next night or two nights later. “So it comes quick. It can turn for you fast. You just have to stay humble and honest about your own game.” The Blueshirts could be nothing but honest as they were losing in droves to start the season, and Vesey was looking a bit like a scapegoat when coach Alain Vigneault benched him for long stretches at the end of three recent games, including Monday when he sat for the final 22:45 of regulation as the Rangers came back for a 5-3 win over the Blue Jackets. “I think that’s also part of my development,” Vesey told The Post Wednesday morning. “So in a couple years or whatever maybe I’m the guy on the ice all the time because of what I’ve watched and learned or gone through and made mistakes and learned from.” The game started with Pavel Buchnevich and David Pastrnak trading goals just 21 seconds apart midway through the opening frame, but then Vesey got his first at 14:41 and his second at 15:10, the quickest succession of goals scored by a Ranger since Jaromir Jagr in 2006. It turned a 1-1 tie into a 3-1 lead, and it was more than just the finishing that impressed Vigneault. “Before he scored the goals, he made a couple real strong plays along the wall in our end that permitted us to get the puck out,” Vigneault said. “There’s a complete 200-foot game, and tonight, the positive thing and the confidence-builder for him is he was able to finish.” So were the Rangers, who were able to relax and celebrate yet another win once Rick Nash buried one into the open Boston net in the waning seconds. It was hard work that got them here, for both Vesey and his teammates. “I’ve been trying to have good habits in my game — finishing checks, stopping in front of the net,” Vesey said. “I had two pucks just land there for me, but I’ll take them.” New York Post LOADED: 11.09.2017 1082350 New York Rangers

Brendan Smith scratched again as Alain Vigneault cites shortcomings

By Steve Zipay

Brendan Smith was a healthy scratch for the fourth consecutive game and sixth time this season. Vigneault said Smith, who signed a four-year, $17.4 million contract during the summer and had offers from other teams, would be back in the lineup “at some point” but has “areas he needs to improve.” Vigneault said the former Red Wing “needs to be stronger on his puck battles. We know he can play with an edge, can play with a bite.” He added that Smith, 28, needed to be “a little bit quicker going back for pucks and making that right initial play.” Smith was penciled in as a top-four defenseman, but has not reached that level consistently this season. “That’s part of internal competition,” Vigneault said. BLUE CHIPS Boo Nieves, still feeling some effects of the flu, sat out for the third consecutive game, and Paul Carey filled in . . . D Steven Kampfer, who was a healthy scratch for eight games, started his fifth straight. “He’s real dependable, keeps its simple and high-percentage, I think he knows his limitations, he’s not a very big player but skates well and is good in puck battles,” said Vigneault. Newsday LOADED: LOADED: 11.09.2017 1082351 New York Rangers

Jimmy Vesey scores twice as Rangers win fifth in a row

By Steve Zipay

Before Wednesday’s game against the Bruins, coach Alain Vigneault said forward Jimmy Vesey, who had been benched in the third period of two of the last five games, “was trying to find his rhythm and trying to find his game.” Against the Bruins, the Harvard graduate who had scored 16 goals as a rookie last season unearthed both. Vesey doubled his goal output from the first 16 games of the season, scoring twice in the first period to help the Rangers extend their win streak to five games with a 4-2 victory at Madison Square Garden. Vesey was hanging around the net in both cases. At 14:41, he put a bouncing puck past Tuukka Rask in front after Pavel Buchnevich, who had scored on a nifty move and shot under the crossbar at 9:53, kept the play alive. Just 29 seconds later, Vesey pulled the puck off the twine behind the right post after Kevin Shattenkirk’s shot and tucked in his second to provide a 3-1 lead. The assist gave Shattenkirk the NHL lead in points (16) among defensemen. Jimmy Vesey, who grew up watching the Bruins, said afterward: “I’ve been trying to have good habits, finishing checks, stopping in front of the net, and there’s two pucks just laying there for me, I’ll take it. I think deep down, I get a little extra against Boston.” According to the Elias Sports Bureau, Vesey and Colorado rookie Alexander Kerfoot (in 21 seconds against the Islanders on Sunday) are the only players to score a pair of goals in fewer than 30 seconds this season. “He’s had some good games, in Tampa, I thought that was a real strong game,” Vigneault said before the game. “Had some other games, with and without the puck, when some other guys were better. He’s still a very young player [24], second year in the league, and has a great attitude and work ethic.” Trailing by two, the Bruins came out attacking in the second. Henrik Lundqvist had to dart right to left to deny Jordan Szwarz just before a carryover power play ended and made two other stops. At the other end, Rask (29 saves) blocked two Brady Skjei slappers. Sign upBy clicking Sign up, you agree to our privacy policy. All four first-period goals — including David Pastrnak’s backhander from the blue paint when Ryan McDonagh fell asleep for a second 21 ticks after Buchnevich’s highlight-reel score — were at even strength. The Rangers’ penalty-kill, which was 21-for-23 in the last eight games, had to come up big for the second time against the fourth-best power play in the league when the Blueshirts were called for too many men on the ice with 6:14 left in the second. The Bruins had nine shots on goal already in the period and Lundqvist had stopped them all, plus two more from Danton Heinen. Just 2:37 into the third, Nick Holden’s slash gave the Bruins a chance to pull within one. They had four shots on the prior two minors and two more as the Rangers and Lundqvist were 3-for-3. But Patrice Bergeron, who assisted on the first Bruins goal, spun in front and slid the puck past Lundqvist at 6:44. That sparked the visitors, who engaged in net-front battles and had a few quality scoring chances on Lundqvist (31 saves). The Rangers killed another penalty after David Desharnais was whistled for tripping with 7:36 left. Rick Nash sealed it with an empty-netter with 7.7 seconds left. Like the Rangers (8-7-2), the Bruins (6-5-3) started slow this season — they were 2-3, then earned points in seven of the last eight games. The Rangers are 7-2-0 after beginning on a 1-5-2 slide and wrapped up their sixth win in their past seven games and fourth straight at home, where they will host the Edmonton Oilers in a Saturday matinee. Newsday LOADED: LOADED: 11.09.2017

1082352 Ottawa Senators

Peter Forsberg says Duchene trade works for everyone

Bruce Garrioch Published on: November 8, 2017 | Last Updated: November 8, 2017 7:28 PM EST

STOCKHOLM — Peter Forsberg is happy for Matt Duchene. And the former Colorado Avalanche great believes that, while the 26- year-old centre will make an impact for the Ottawa Senators, it’s a trade that will help all the teams involved in the three-way deal that was completed Sunday. “Duchene is a centre who plays both ways and definitely he’s going to produce,” Forsberg said Wednesday at the Ericsson Globe. “He’s really good on the power play. “In this situation, I’m glad it worked out for everybody. A three-way trade is complicated and so was the whole situation. I’m glad he got to a team that wants to compete and wants to win. I think Colorado is in a different situation and I don’t think they’re really trying to win the Stanley Cup this year. “Even if they’ve started really good and have really good young players, you look at the trade, they wanted some young guys in there. I think I played two games with Matt, but he’s so quick in the first couple of steps and he’s got a good shot, and he does unexpected things. He can do things from nowhere. I think that’s what Ottawa kind of needed. It worked out great for the situation all three teams are in. “I hope he brings Ottawa to the next level so he they can go further in the playoffs.”

Ottawa Citizen LOADED: 11.09.2017 1082353 Ottawa Senators “I don’t know the prices of the tickets yet but there’s also probably going to be a bunch of people in the stands that I know so it’s going to be fun,” Claesson said. Fredrik Claesson picks up second gig as local tour guide He predicts there will be more Ottawa fans in the building. “I could see (Senators) fans because of Karlsson,” said Claesson. “He’s Bruce Garrioch huge over here.” Published on: November 8, 2017 | Last Updated: November 8, 2017 7:38 This is a nice chance for Claesson, a great host, to show off his city and PM EST he’s enjoying every minute.

STOCKHOLM — Fredrik Claesson is spending a lot of time playing the Ottawa Citizen LOADED: 11.09.2017 role of tour guide in his hometown. So, Wednesday he took the media on a little walk around the city. The Ottawa Senators defenceman has had this trip to Stockholm to face the Colorado Avalanche circled on his calendar for a long time, and he’s proud of the fact he’s been able to give people a little taste of what life is like overseas in the middle of a busy NHL season. Claesson grew up only 20 minutes from the Ericsson Globe where the Senators will take on the Avs in a back-to-back series this weekend, and he doesn’t live far from it when he comes back in the summer so he was pretty happy to show the media where he grew up while enjoying a coffee on the club’s off-day. “I’m super-excited. I didn’t really think this was something that was going to be able to happen when I heard about it,” Claesson said. “Now that we’re here, I’m super-excited and it’s really fun to go back to see my family and friends and show you guys around Stockholm.” Claesson took the media for a walk in downtown Stockholm just before lunch. We were going to stop into one café nearby but he told reporters if they’re in Sweden they must have a smoothie at Joe and The Juice. He was right, it was pretty good stuff, and he’s hopeful everybody gets the opportunity to experience the culture here. It should be noted when we were in Joe’s waiting for our drinks, a fan asked Claesson who he played for and got an autograph for his son. Another fan took a selfie at the cash. An autograph seeker got him to sign a sweater at the corner near the hotel. All this shows that hockey means a lot here. He said that doesn’t happen to him daily when he’s home in the summer. “I think that’s because of all (the media),” Claesson said with a smile. “It doesn’t happen that often. It probably happens to (Erik) Karlsson and (Gabriel) Landeskog that get the attention here.” Claesson has an apartment downtown where he makes his home when he’s not in Ottawa and he’s proud of the city, which is why this is all so special to him. He’ll head to his apartment Thursday and then focus on getting ready for the game. This is the first time the NHL has ventured overseas at this time of year and that’s why Claesson is so thrilled. “It’s a great thing to play in Stockholm, especially for the kids, so they can see NHL hockey up close,” Claesson said. He grew up playing the game and was a goalie when he was kid but opted to become a defenceman because Claesson played on outdoor rinks, didn’t get many shots and got too cold. It was a crisp and cool Wednesday in Stockholm. “When I was young, we were playing outside a lot. I started off as a goalie and I was just freezing so that’s why I quit playing goalie,” Claesson said. “But now I’m here (as a defenceman) and I’m happy.” Of course, the six-hour time change hasn’t been easy for the Claesson or his teammates, and that’s been the biggest adjustment. Coach Guy Boucher gave the players a day off so they could get to see the city but also wanted them to try to get some rest because these are important games on the weekend. The Senators held a team dinner near the hotel Tuesday night after their visit to the Canadian Embassy to end what had been a long travel day after taking a red-eye from Ottawa to Stockholm. “It’s tough for them to fly over here with the jet lag and stuff but I think at the end they will appreciate it,” said Claesson. There shouldn’t be any shortage of Claesson jerseys as the Globe on the weekend because he has to buy 25 tickets himself. 1082354 Ottawa Senators

Dorion happy the Senators getting this chance

Bruce Garrioch Published on: November 8, 2017 | Last Updated: November 8, 2017 7:31 PM EST

STOCKHOLM — Pierre Dorion spent plenty of time overseas as an NHL scout. He’s happy to be back in his role as general manager and he’s confident the Ottawa Senators will head home Sunday with good memories of their trip to Sweden. “This is great,” Dorion said Wednesday. “This comes back to every amateur scout’s dream. Every second week of November, the European league stops playing and we’d all come over to watch a tournament (to look at juniors). This week always brings me back to my roots of amateur scouting. “For our players, you see guys like Erik Karlsson has a little jump in his step, Freddy Claesson has a jump in step and Johnny Oduya looks pretty happy, and (extra) goalie Marcus Hogberg is just in awe of everything. It’s fun for those guys but at the same time it’s great for our team. “Once Friday rolls around, we’d better be ready. These are real games. They’re not exhibition games, they’re not the first two games at the start of the year. I think the NHL’s idea of doing it at this time is fantastic.”

Ottawa Citizen LOADED: 11.09.2017 1082355 Ottawa Senators (Jean-Gabriel) Pageau and everybody has been impressed with Nate Thompson, that gives us four quality centremen.”

Dorion said he has to be active working the phones because that’s a big Pierre Dorion's work is never finished part of the job. “It’s very general manager’s job to find out who’s on the market,” he said. Bruce Garrioch “Sometimes through rumours, agents, pro scouts or just on calls (with GM’s) but I think I’ve been pretty diligent on finding out who’s out there Published on: November 8, 2017 | Last Updated: November 8, 2017 6:15 and who’s not out there _ and the real truth on players out there. PM EST “For us, we feel if can improve we’ll look at it. We’ve felt over the last 18 months our team has gotten better.” STOCKHOLM _ Pierre Dorion is doubtful he’ll make a deal while his team is overseas until the weekend. Ottawa Citizen LOADED: 11.09.2017 That doesn’t mean he’s finished making changes by any stretch of the imagination. The Ottawa Senators general manager pulled off a blockbuster Sunday when he dealt for Colorado Avalanche centre Matt Duchene as part of a three-team trade that sent Kyle Turris to Nashville, but Dorion’s work is never finished and now his job is to evaluate what’s next. While the Senators have been looking for a depth forward since the start of training camp in September, Dorion hasn’t been able to find the right fit and now he wants to see what Belleville callup Nick Paul can do in the club’s two games this weekend before determining if he needs to make another deal. The Senators expect to have winger Bobby Ryan back from a broken finger in the next couple of weeks. Once he makes his return the club will have a full complement of forwards and if the answers to what the Senators need up front can come from within then Dorion doesn’t have to give up any assets. “We’re anxious to see how Nick Paul will play,” Dorion told reporters at the club’s downtown hotel Wednesday. “We want to see where his development is at. He was our best forward in Belleville so we just felt he has really taken a step forward after a so-so year last year. We want to see what we in Nick Paul. “We always feel comfortable with our depth on defence and we like both of our goalies so up front might be a spot that we’re looking to improve.” The timing for Ryan right now is around the time the club starts a three- game road trip against the New York Rangers on Nov.20th at Madison Square Garden. “Sometime the following week is when we expect Bobby to come back,” Dorion said. “I don’t know who is playing with who when someone camps back. That’s up to coach. In the next few days is when (Ryan’s) going to start shooting the puck.” “At a certain point in time we’re going to have to see who plays with who and the gelling of lines,” Dorion said. “We’ve added a pretty big piece here. It depends what we see. We might think we need a left winger but maybe we need a right winger. We might think we need a right winger but we need a centre. “We’ll decide at some point in time but Guy always tells me that with the slash, the dash and the swarm, it doesn’t matter what position you play.” Adding Duchene has changed Dorion’s perspective as well. The top centre was brought in to make an impact and the Senators want to see what impact he can make before making any determinations as well. “It changes a lot of things,” said Dorion. “Once Bobby is healthy, and I don’t know what Guy’s going to do, we’ll see what happens.” Bringing in Paul was done with a purpose in mind. “This callup was (deserved). If we were back in North America we might have made a switch,” said Dorion. “We feel Nick deserves a game at some point in time.” Since taking over 18 months ago, Dorion has put his stamp on this team. He dealt Turris for Duchene, but that’s not the only change he’s made. In 2016, he traded Mika Zibanejad to the New York Rangers for Derick Brassard. Those are big changes and Dorion has been aggressive in his role. “When I took over we weren’t a playoff team and I felt we could be playoff team,” said Dorion. “Goaltending is always going to be one of the most important positions but your centremen are crucial to a team’s success. “At the same time, we feel we’ve upgraded. These two guys, once everything settles into place (with Duchene), we’re going to have a pretty good one-two punch, however, it might be. I think with the emergence of 1082356 Ottawa Senators “That was an unbelievable experience and I never thought I would be able to do something like that,” said Alfredsson. “Coming to Stockholm was pretty hectic but it was pretty fun. It was an unbelievable experience Alfredsson explains his role in Duchene trade that ranks very high through my hockey career. “I didn’t play great in the two games. We won one and lost one in OT, but it was a great experience overall.” Bruce Garrioch

Published on: November 8, 2017 | Last Updated: November 8, 2017 7:02 PM EST Ottawa Citizen LOADED: 11.09.2017

STOCKHOLM — Daniel Alfredsson took a break from his life away from the NHL to join the celebration of the games taking place in Sweden this week. While the former Ottawa Senators captain walked away from his role as a senior adviser to hockey operations on July 1, he arrived in Stockholm on Wednesday with his wife, Bibbi Backman, and immediately went to the Ericsson Globe to attend a press conference with former Avalanche great Peter Forsberg. Both are playing the role of ambassadors this week as the Senators take on the Avalanche on Friday and Saturday in a two-game regular season series. Alfredsson has kept himself busy this winter by moving into a new home in Ottawa and he’s also been involved with youth hockey. He’s enjoying his time away from the game but hasn’t ruled out returning one day if the right offer came along. For now, though, he wants to be a stay-at-home father because of the commitment involved in the day-to-day routine of being involved with a team. “Four kids in hockey takes up most of the time,” Alfredsson said. “It’s been nice to settle down for the foreseeable future. We’re very happy and I’m happy to spend some more time at home especially with the kids.” Alfredsson admitted he missed being around the team. When he left, he wanted a break from hockey and the day-to-day work involved with being part of a team. The demands on people’s timetables are heavy and he wanted to step back for a while. “Of course you do (miss it), there’s no question,” he said. “I had a great time in the two years I was there. If you want to keep climbing in that job, you’ve got to put in more time. You can’t go in there and think, ‘I played hockey for 18 years in the NHL, a few Olympics and I know this.’ That’s not the way it works. “If you want to do this, you have to put everything you have into it. If you go in and do a half-job and think it’s very easy, you’re not going to be very happy.” No, he hasn’t ruled out returning to a team down the road. “I’d really like to be an owner,” Alfredsson joked. “Who knows? I answered the same question in Swedish earlier and I think if the family situation allows it, the timing is right for everybody and somebody would like me to be part of something there’s no question I would look at it. “I miss it at times but at the same time I really enjoy the time with the family.” Part of Alfredsson’s job when he was with the Senators was helping general manager Pierre Dorion do homework on trades. He was happy to see the club get Matt Duchene from the Avalanche because Alfredsson knew how much work had gone into that transaction. “I really liked Kyle (Turris) as a player and a person so it’s really hard to see him go but at the same time it’s an exciting player in Duchene coming in,” said Alfredsson. “It will be fun to follow what he can do in Ottawa. “I did some research probably (18 months) ago and I called some friends in Sweden from when he was there playing and some guys he’s played with before. All I was told was that he takes hockey very seriously, he loves the game, he works really hard and looks after himself as well, and takes his job seriously. “Hopefully, it’s a trade that works out for everybody.” Being back in Stockholm has brought back memories of the Senators’ trip here in 2008 when Alfredsson was the captain and the club took on the Pittsburgh Penguins to open the season. He also got a chance to play in his hometown of Goteborg and the club faced Frölunda in an exhibition game. 1082357 Ottawa Senators

The Senators have big plans for Parliament Hill

Bruce Garrioch Published on: November 8, 2017 | Last Updated: November 8, 2017 10:56 AM EST

STOCKHOLM – The Ottawa Senators are planning a big weekend around next month’s outdoor game against the Montreal Canadiens. With the construction of the outdoor rink on Parliament Hill nearing completion, there will be no shortage of activities centred around the NHL 100 Classic which will take place Saturday night at Lansdowne Park between the Senators and the Montreal Canadiens. The Senators want this to be a weekend celebration of the game and what they have planned should allow for that to happen. The Senators will hold a Red and White Alumni game and league sources say the concept they’re working on at the moment would see Team Alfie (Daniel Alfredsson) vs. Team Phillips (Chris Phillips). Though all the details haven’t been finalized, ideally Alfredsson, the most prolific player in franchise history who had his No. 11 retired last Dec. 29th, would lead one alumni team while Phillips, who holds the record for the most games in the club’s history with 1,179, would head up the other. Alfredsson would only confirm Wednesday in Stockholm he will play a role. “I don’t know if it’s been finalized. I talked to some of the organizers about being a part of it. I think it will be a great event to play an outdoor game at Parliament Hill. It would be great to see a lot of the old teammates and just a fabulous event,” said Alfredsson. There will be no admission charge for the game which will be held on But the action on the Hill won’t stop there. With the outdoor game a virtual sellout already, that doesn’t mean people can’t be part of the celebration. The plan is for the Senators to set up a big screen on Parliament Hill so fans can go up there and watch the game with their families. Not only will fans be able to watch the game, they’ll also have the chance to lace up their skates and go for a twirl. The day after the game the rink will be open for the club’s annual skating party. It will also be free to the public. The Senators want this weekend to be special because hockey is not only part of the community, it’s part of the fabric of the country. Yes, owner Eugene Melnyk wanted the game being played against the Habs on Parliament Hill initially, but the federal government was worried about the logistics and decided not to allow it. If these activities get the green light then it gives the Senators the ability to still use Parliament Hill as a backdrop for the game.

Ottawa Citizen LOADED: 11.09.2017 1082358 Philadelphia Flyers

Flyers trying to get a boost from … Dick Vermeil?

Updated: NOVEMBER 8, 2017 — 4:04 PM EST by Sam Carchidi, STAFF WRITER @BroadStBull | [email protected]

The Flyers on Thursday will play their first game — they host the Chicago Blackhawks — since they received some inspiring words from a Philadelphia sports icon, Dick Vermeil. The former Eagles coach, at the request of captain Claude Giroux, spoke to the Flyers after their practice Tuesday at the Skate Zone in Voorhees. “He came in and it wasn’t hard for him to grab our attention,” winger Matt Read said after Wednesday’s practice. “Just the way he talked, his tone of voice, he caught everyone right off the bat. He had some good stories, and it was good motivation for everyone.” Vermeil talked about his days coaching the Eagles, the St. Louis Rams, and the Kansas City Chiefs, along with his time at UCLA. He also spun a few tales about John Wooden, the coaching legend of UCLA’s powerhouse basketball teams, and what he learned from him. “He talked about how a group of individuals can become a team and what it takes from management, coaches and players — and how to combine into one, like a big family,” Read said. “He talked about having a good environment to produce a winning team.” Vermeil, 81, who owns a boutique winery in Calistoga, Calif., and lives in Chester County, led St. Louis to the Super Bowl in 2000. He coached the Eagles from 1976 to 1982, and directed them into the Super Bowl in 1981. “He was unbelievable. When he speaks, you listen,” winger Travis Konecny said. “It’s pretty cool that what he said was directed toward every player in this room and the coaching staff, and management. Everything he talked about involved everybody from head to toe in our organization.” Konecny said Vermiel’s message was “just caring for each other and trusting each other, working hard for on another and making sure we’re on the same page every day.” “The amount of energy he has and brings to the table was fun to be a part of,” Flyers coach Dave Hakstol said, adding it’s “special and a great opportunity to have a different voice come in from time to time during a busy season.”

Philadelphia Inquirer / Daily News LOADED: 11.09.2017 1082359 Philadelphia Flyers

Flyers trying to stop home skid

Updated: NOVEMBER 8, 2017 — 3:50 PM EST by Sam Carchidi, STAFF WRITER @BroadStBull | [email protected]

The Flyers had more quality scoring opportunities but dropped a 3-0 decision in Chicago last week. Blackhawks goalie Corey Crawford was the difference, making 35 saves. “I think if we play the same way we played in Chicago, we’re going to be in good shape,” said Flyers captain Claude Giroux, whose team is just 3- 2-2 at the Wells Fargo Center and has lost three straight at home since a 2-1 victory over Edmonton on Oct. 21. “I actually thought we were the better of the two teams,” right winger said of the loss to the Blackhawks (7-6-2), “but sometimes you don’t get the bounces, and Crawford was unbelievable. Hopefully, [Thursday] will be a different story. We’re going to work our butts off.” The Flyers (7-6-2) will start a stretch in which they play 21 games in the next 45 days. “I think looking back at the end of the season, and the position we’re going to be in, we’re going to be looking back at these 21 games,” Giroux said. “It’s a tough schedule for us, but we have to embrace it and accept the challenge and be ready to play every night. … We feel good about our team and how we’re playing right now. We just have to keep building on it.” Simmonds likes the consistency his team has shown despite its mediocre record. “We have a young team, and we’re going to continue to get better as we go along,” he said. The Flyers are expected to have veteran Radko Gudas back in the lineup after missing two-plus games. The feisty defenseman was injured in the first period in Chicago, when he took an elbow to the head from Brandon Saad. In the last six games, the Flyers have allowed the first goal five times. “We need a good, solid effort right from the get-go,” center Scott Laughton said. “We need to get on them early. We went in there and didn’t have the outcome we wanted [in Chicago], and we have to go into the Wells Fargo Center and take it to them the first 10 minutes and continue to push them and play a physical, hard game.” The Flyers will be playing their first game since former Eagles coach Dick Vermeil, 81, addressed the team after Tuesday’s practice. “The amount of energy he has and brings to the table was fun to be a part of,” coach Dave Hakstol said. It’s “special and a great opportunity to have a different voice come in from time to time during a busy season.” Hakstol said it was beneficial to have extra practice time the last few days, and a “good time to mentally and physically recover and rest up a little bit” after playing seven games in 12 nights.

Philadelphia Inquirer / Daily News LOADED: 11.09.2017 1082360 Philadelphia Flyers

Flyers remember Roy Halladay fondly

Updated: NOVEMBER 8, 2017 — 1:26 PM EST by Sam Carchidi, STAFF WRITER @BroadStBull | [email protected]

Many members of the Flyers grew up around Toronto and had a close allegiance to the Blue Jays and their star pitcher, Roy Halladay. On Wednesday, they were painfully trying to come to grips with Halladay’s tragic death from a plane crash Tuesday in Florida. Halladay was the only person in the plane. “I remember going to the Jays games with my dad and watching him and guys like [first baseman] Carlos Delgado,” center Scott Laughton said after Wednesday’s practice in Voorhees. Laughton said Halladay was his favorite player. “He was the best pitcher when I was growing up. I had his jersey, and he was just unbelievable,” said Laughton, who played some baseball in his youth. “I read a couple articles on how he finished his workouts at 5:30 in the morning.” After learning about Halladay’s death, Laughton talked with his dad Tuesday night. “It’s just tough. It chokes you up seeing that,” he said. Right winger Wayne Simmonds echoed the sentiments. “Being a huge Blue Jays fan, I got to see him pitch a lot of good games,” Simmonds said. “When he got to Philly, he was unbelievable for the Phillies, too. It’s a tragic shame, and thoughts and prayers go out to the family.” Simmonds said Halladay was a no-frills performer. “I remember growing up and watching him play. You never heard too many [sound] clips from him,” Simmonds said. “‘He’d just go out and pitch a nine-inning shutout or something like that. It was nice getting a chance to see him pitch.” Piloting a plane was one of Halladay’s joys. “Some guys have different interests after you’re done [playing],” Simmonds said. “You don’t get the time to do a lot when you’re in a sport … and I heard his dad was a pilot, so obviously he got that from his dad, and he enjoyed it.” Simmonds paused and added, “It sucks that we’re standing here today talking about the loss of a 40-year-old man who had so much more to give.” Flyers captain Claude Giroux said Halladay was a “good ambassador for the sport.” “I was a pretty big Blue Jays fan, and then when I came here, he played for the Phillies,” Giroux said, adding that he talked with Halladay a few times but didn’t know him that well. “I never heard anyone say anything bad about him. When it was game day, he was a really focused guy and did a lot of good things for baseball.” Based on Wednesday’s practice, it appears Michal Neuvirth will start in goal against visiting Chicago on Thursday. … First-round pick Nolan Patrick, sidelined with a head injury, did not practice Wednesday. He is expected to miss his seventh straight game Thursday.

Philadelphia Inquirer / Daily News LOADED: 11.09.2017 1082361 Philadelphia Flyers Comcast SportsNet.com LOADED: 11.09.2017

Scott Laughton, Claude Giroux remember Roy Halladay

By John Boruk | NBC Sports Philadelphia November 08, 2017 3:10 PM

VOORHEES, N.J. — Somewhere Scott Laughton's old No. 32 white Roy Halladay jersey he wore as a kid is stored in a closet down in his parent's basement. “I remember going to Jays games with my dad and watching him and Carlos Delgado and guys like that," Laughton said Wednesday. "It kind of chokes you up a bit. It was really, really tough to see that. I don’t want to see that happen to anyone. It’s definitely a sad time.” After learning of Halladay’s tragic death, Laughton tweeted: Laughton grew up in Oakville, Ontario, a Toronto suburb about 20 miles from the Rogers Centre (formerly Skydome), and while hockey has always been Laughton's true passion, attending baseball games was a summertime ritual with his father, Craig Laughton. His parents were at the stadium the night the Blue Jays and Joe Carter defeated the Phillies in Game 6 of the 1993 World Series to capture Toronto's first ever world championship. Laughton was born seven months later, and by the time he was 8, he was watching arguably one of the organization's best players during his prime years. "He was the best pitcher in the organization for quite some time," Laughton said of Halladay, "and then he came to the Phillies and did a great job too. Just the way he worked, I read a couple of articles last night where he finished his workouts at 5:30 a.m. and things like that.” While Laughton never had the opportunity to meet Halladay in person, Claude Giroux did. Halladay pitched his perfect game in Miami on the same day the Flyers and Blackhawks squared off in Game 1 of the 2010 Stanley Cup Final on May 29, 2010, and within a few years, Halladay and Giroux were undoubtedly the two best athletes in their respective sports in the city. "I talked to him a couple of times," Giroux said. "I was a pretty big Blue Jays fan and the things he did for Toronto. When I came here, he was playing for the Phillies, a good ambassador for the sport. "I didn’t know him that much, but I never heard anyone say a bad thing about him. When it was game day for him, he was a very focused guy. He did a lot of good things for baseball.” Before to Thursday night’s game against the Blackhawks, the Flyers will hold a moment of silence in remembrance of Halladay. Make it three? Michal Neuvirth was the first guy on the ice for Wednesday's practice and the first player to come off — one indicator he's in line to start Thursday against Chicago. "I've been here in this league for a while," Neuvirth said, "so I know when I have a good practice and when I don't, I'm trying to push myself even harder." If he does start, it would mark the first time this season Neuvirth has started three consecutive games. He missed Monday's practice but has put in a couple days of hard work. "He's gone out and made a lot of good saves at key times," Flyers coach Dave Hakstol said of Neuvirth. "Sometimes the focus is on goals that go in or goals that are given up and that has a way of having people forget some of the saves that are made throughout a game at key times. I think Neuvy has been a pretty consistent figure for us and has battled hard for us." It will be up to Neuvirth and the rest of the Flyers to continue one of the longest streaks in the NHL when the Blackhawks come to the Wells Fargo Center Thursday night. The Flyers have beaten the 'Hawks in their last 13 regular-season games in Philadelphia. Chicago's last win in Philadelphia came on Nov. 9, 1996, which will mark exactly 21 years to the day the Blackhawks left South Broad Street with a 4-1 win over the Flyers in a game that saw former Flyer Jeff Hackett stop 33 shots in a winning effort.

1082362 Philadelphia Flyers “He’s on unbelievable motivating type of figure,” Hakstol said. “It was enjoyable to have him here for a little while. Just a real impressive man and the amount of energy he has and that he brings to the table, it was Death of Phillies pitcher Roy Halladay touches Flyers fun to be a part of.” Thursday’s game is the fifth in a stretch of 10 straight games against Western Conference opponents. By next Tuesday the Flyers will have Dave Isaac, @davegisaac Published 4:41 p.m. ET Nov. 8, 2017 | played both games against Chicago, Minnesota and Anaheim while Updated 4:41 p.m. ET Nov. 8, 2017 having played against a division opponent just once so far. They won’t face the New Jersey Devils until January 13 or the New York Rangers until January 16. VOORHEES — Of the Flyers’ 23-man roster, 13 are Canadian. Whether from as far West as British Columbia, like Brandon Manning, or as East as Quebec, like Sean Couturier, Canada has one baseball team — the Toronto Blue Jays. Courier-Post LOADED: 11.09.2017 That’s how most of the Flyers knew Roy Halladay, the ex-Phillies pitcher who died in a plane wreck around noon Tuesday in the Gulf of Mexico. According to the Pasco County (Florida) Sheriff’s Office, Halladay’s single-engine ICON A5 plane crashed in six feet of water. Halladay, 40, was a two-time Cy Young Award winner and Scott Laughton’s favorite player. “I remember going to a Jays game with my dad and talking to him,” said Laughton, who grew up in Oakville, Ontario, a suburb of Toronto. “It was tough to see that (news Tuesday). You never want to see that happen to anyone. I just remember going to Blue Jays games and watching him, guys like Carlos Delgato and guys like that. Definitely a sad day.” After a 12-year career in Toronto, Halladay was traded to the Phillies in December 2009. He spent four years in Philadelphia before retiring, so most of the players on the Flyers’ current roster never crossed paths with him in that time frame. Claude Giroux was one of the few exceptions. “I talked to him a couple times,” the Flyers’ captain said. “I didn’t know him that much, but I’ve never heard anybody say a bad thing about him. When it was game day for him he was very focused. He did a lot of good things for baseball.” “He’s had a big influence in Toronto and his career there, winning Cy Youngs and then coming to Philly, too,” Manning added. “When you see a sports icon of that nature and that value to two different cities, it hits home for a lot of different guys.” The Flyers plan to have a moment of silence to honor Halladay before facing off against the Chicago Blackhawks Thursday. Back in 2010 the Flyers faced the Blackhawks in the Stanley Cup finals and Game 1 of that series was Game 48 in the Phillies season. Halladay threw the 20th perfect game in MLB history that night, a 1-0 win over the then Florida Marlins. For the third time this season, Michal Neuvirth will see likely action in consecutive games. He was in net for the Flyers’ shootout loss to the Colorado Avalanche last Saturday and is the projected starter against Chicago Thursday night. He’s tried to find a groove this season despite playing second fiddle to Brian Elliott, who has nine starts to Neuvirth’s six. “It’s tough. That’s why you’ve got to treat every practice like a game,” Neuvirth said. “I think I’m doing a pretty good job of that.” He has a 2.17 goals-against average, sixth in the league among the 43 goalies who have played at least five games, and a .928 save percentage that is also sixth among the same group. Coach Dave Hakstol seems to have preferred Elliott for much of the season, but Thursday appears to be another chance for Neuvirth to change his mind. “I think he’s done pretty similar things each and every game since training camp,” Hakstol said of Neuvirth. “He’s gone out and made a lot of big saves at key times. Sometimes the focus is on goals that are given up and that has a way of having people forget some of the saves that are made during a game at key times. Neuvy’s been a pretty consistent figure for us and battled hard for us.” After Tuesday’s practice, ex-Eagles coach Dick Vermeil stopped by for a visit and addressed the team. Vermeil, 81, spoke at the request of Giroux. A new voice can be refreshing in the midst of a long season and Hakstol was honored to give him the floor. 1082363 Pittsburgh Penguins

Defenseman Justin Schultz comes back just in time for Penguins

JONATHAN BOMBULIE | Wednesday, Nov. 8, 2017, 6:21 p.m. Updated 1 hour ago

The last few weeks of the Penguins season has been a lot like the parade that celebrated last year's Stanley Cup championship. It's not a lot of fun until Justin Schultz shows up. Schultz, who achieved legendary status with some of the team's fanbase by pounding beers while strolling down the Boulevard of the Allies during the aforementioned parade, returned Tuesday night against Arizona after a six-game absence because of a concussion. He scored a first-minute goal to help the Penguins shake off some of the doldrums that plagued them on a 1-3-1 western road trip. “He's a big-time player, for sure,” goalie Matt Murray said. “Anytime he's in the lineup, we're a better team.” The numbers back up Murray's assessment in a fairly striking way. Schultz has played 11 and missed six of the Penguins' first 17 games. When he's in the lineup, the Penguins are 7-3-1, averaging 3.18 goals. When he's out, they're 2-3-1, averaging 1.67 goals. At even strength, the statistics are just as telling. With Schultz, the Penguins average 1.90 goals. Without him, they average 0.67. “He has real good offensive instincts. He sees the ice extremely well,” coach Mike Sullivan said. “That's what he can bring to our team. That's what he has brought to our team.” It's an oversimplification to suggest Schultz is the magic ingredient who solves all of the Penguins' problems just by showing up, of course. There's probably a debate to be had about correlation versus causation in this case. After all, his concussion came just before the Penguins embarked on their most grueling road trip of the year. Still, Schultz's return has a positive effect on the team in one tangible way. It allows all six defensemen to slip into a defined role in a blue-line hierarchy that makes sense. With Schultz around, Sullivan and assistant Jacques Martin aren't as tempted to play Kris Letang, who has struggled so far this season, 27 or 28 minutes a game. He can work a more comfortable 23 or 24 minutes, like he did Tuesday night. “He helps us manage the minutes back there with our defensemen a lot more efficiently,” Sullivan said. “Not only does it help our team, it helps individuals and Tanger might be one of the biggest ones.” Just as importantly, with Schultz in the lineup, the other defensemen don't have to worry about pressing their luck offensively to make up for the points he produces. “One of the pitfalls a team struggling to score goals gets into is everyone tries to do more, and everyone tries to help and it actually makes it worse,” said Ian Cole, Schultz's most frequent defense partner. “Everyone's trying to do too much and is turning pucks over or whatever the case may be. Everyone's squeezing a little bit. “Over the years, you come to find out the more you can stick to doing your job and winning your singular battles, that tends to get you out of a funk quicker.” With all due respect to coach Rick Tocchet, Tuesday night's victory didn't cure all that ails the Penguins. It came over a team with a 2-13-2 record, and it's not like the Penguins poured in a flood of even-strength goals. They scored two. The return of Schultz, though, might be the clearest indication the scoring slump that has dragged down the Penguins for the better part of the last two weeks is close to coming to an end. “For me, I always want to try to jump in the play and create offense, but you don't want to overdo it,” Schultz said. “Goals are going to come if you're getting chances. It's just a matter of time.”

Tribune Review LOADED: 11.09.2017 1082364 Pittsburgh Penguins It would also be prudent to remember that, in those eight games, the Penguins have scored 15 goals (2.1 average) with seven of them coming during five-on-five play — important because Sheahan doesn’t see any Riley Sheahan is still searching for goals, points and a home in power-play time. Pittsburgh Meanwhile, Sheahan has been on the ice for just one five-on-five goal against. He’s also won 54.2 percent of his faceoffs and logged 2:39 per game — most among forwards — on a penalty kill that has been JASON MACKEY successful 87 percent of the time he’s been here. Pittsburgh Post-Gazette “We like his defensive conscience,” Sullivan said. “He’s really helped us on the penalty kill. He’s a pretty good faceoff guy. He has good size. [email protected] When he defends against other teams’ top lines, he has the ability to lean on people down low.” 2:01 PM NOV 8, 2017 The penalty-killing aspect of Sheahan’s game, however, deserves some

special attention. And it might be a situation worth monitoring in the Riley Sheahan doesn’t have a goal in eight games as a Penguin and has coming weeks or months. contributed just one assist. You could argue that, after averaging just 10 seconds of PK time in He also hasn’t yet nailed down a place to stay in Pittsburgh. Detroit this season, Sheahan’s larger PK role has been fine; that 87- percent team success rate, with Sheahan squarely in the rotation, is Let him worry about his own living situation, of course. But should you be excellent. concerned about Sheahan’s work as the team’s third-line center? But dig deeper, and it’s not nearly as pretty. Tough to say at this point. Maybe. Although Sheahan and Penguins coach Mike Sullivan both believe the chances have been there, and that Sheahan has been on the ice for 11 high-danger scoring chances against assertion is backed up by numbers. Sheahan has also had a really goofy in 21:16 of shorthanded ice time with the Penguins, one fewer than Kris start to his Penguins tenure. Letang has been on the ice for in 53:25. Different positions, yes, but still. Daniel Sprong fires a shot during a Sept. 19 preseason game against the Sheahan has also been on for all three power-play goals the Penguins Sabres in University Park, Pa. have allowed in those eight games. The trade to acquire Sheahan was made Oct. 21. His first Penguins It’s fair to wait and see at this point, believing it could be too small of a practice was Oct. 23, 17 days ago. In that span, Sheahan has woken up sample size and unfair to pin PK troubles on one guy. Also worth noting in Pittsburgh eight times and in another city nine times because of a — and why maybe you can expect those penalty-killing numbers to season-long, five-game road trip. improve — is Sheahan’s enthusiasm for killing penalties. “It’s good to be back,” Sheahan said Tuesday morning. “I’m kind of in the “It’s been fun to get back into that role,” Sheahan said. “When you can be process right now of finding my own spot. It’ll be good to be out of the on the kill, it’s something you take pride in. It’s something that can build hotel room. Especially being on the road, you’re in a hotel room so much, momentum for the team. If you have a strong PK, it can help win games, to come back to another hotel room is not great. We’re looking at some especially with the NHL right now. It’s definitely fun.” spots, and we’re looking forward to settling down here.” The elongated road trip afforded Sheahan the chance to get better The Penguins are looking forward to having Sheahan produce some acquainted with his new teammates, through hotel life and team dinners. goals and points, but it’s hard to argue with the idea that he’s had He thinks he’s close to nailing down a more permanent living situation, chances. Consider: too. • In 80 games last season — we should stop here and acknowledge this Could a goal come next? Nobody, Sheahan included, would complain, was a bad season, one of the worst offensive campaigns in recent that’s for sure. memory — Sheahan contributed to a five-on-five shot share of just 46.14 “He’s been playing well, and he’s playing hard at both ends of the ice,” percent. He averaged 9.3 shot attempts per game played, 4.5 scoring fellow Notre Dame product Bryan Rust said of Sheahan. “He’s getting his chances and 1.6 high-danger scoring chances, according to chances. He’s helped create chances for guys he’s been on the ice with. naturalstattrick.com. “Like a lot of guys right now, I think it’s kind of a matter of time until pucks This led to zero goals in 79 games, two on the last night of the regular start going in the net.” season and a total of only 13 points.

• Already this year, in his eight games with the Penguins, those numbers have improved to 51.19, 10.8, 5.0 and 2.1. That’s a huge possession Post Gazette LOADED: 11.09.2017 swing (plus 5.05 percent), an increase of 1.5 shot attempts and an addition half scoring/high-danger chance per game played. “It would be nice to contribute on the scoresheet, but I think I’m getting chances,” Sheahan said. “It’s still early in the season.” Pittsburgh Penguins Justin Schultz celebrates his goal in the first period against the Coyotes Tuesday, November 7, 2017, at PPG Paints Arena in Pittsburgh. • Sheahan’s numbers also show a drastic improvement from his eight games in Detroit at the beginning of this season. In fact, they paint the picture of a player who probably knew he was getting traded. With the Red Wings, Sheahan contributed to a shot share of 48.21 percent while averaging 6.8 shot attempts, 3.1 scoring chances and 1.5 high-danger chances per game. By surrounding him with such wingers as Carl Hagelin, Patric Hornqvist, Jake Guentzel, Phil Kessel and Bryan Rust, the Penguins have seemingly pumped some offensive life into Sheahan. They simply haven’t gotten a goal out of him for their efforts. “Riley’s played some good hockey for us,” Sullivan said. “He’s a good, solid, two-way player. He’s had some scoring chances on the offensive side. I think he’s helped set up some scoring chances. If there was a little more finish there, I think that would be great for us as far as helping us score some goals.” 1082365 Pittsburgh Penguins “I’ve probably only seen Brett Hull really be able to pick corners with one- timers,” said Young, who played with Hull in St. Louis. “If you’re aiming at the middle of the net at a good height, and looking to hit the puck the Daniel Sprong fires a shot during a Sept. 19 preseason game against the right way, again, if you’re missing the middle of the net, it’s going to find a Sabres in University Park, Pa. 1 corner. With guys like that, your shot’s so hard, it’s going to find some holes.”

JASON MACKEY Post Gazette LOADED: 11.09.2017 Pittsburgh Post-Gazette [email protected] 10:44 AM NOV 8, 2017

Daniel Sprong has an absolutely lethal shot, one that wouldn’t be out of place in the NHL if he was summoned from Wilkes-Barre/Scranton this minute. That hasn’t stopped the Penguins from trying to improve it, however. Or at least work with Sprong, 20, on his aim. “One of the things we’ve been really emphasizing with him is hitting the net,” Penguins director of player development Scott Young said late last month. “He’s got such a good shot. There are too many times he tries to get too fine with it.” Riley Sheahan works for position against the Oilers Oct. 24. The results have been striking — and, for a welcomed change, it doesn’t involve the posts or crossbar. In 10 American Hockey League games this season, Sprong has eight goals and 12 points, converting 43 of his shots on goal for a shooting percentage of 18.6. Sprong’s production has been exactly what the Penguins had hoped for, general manager Jim Rutherford said. Score a bunch of goals in the minors. Get some confidence. Be ready for a promotion. A regular occurrence for Wilkes-Barre/Scranton has been Young and Sprong on the ice together early, firing one-timers from all over the ice. The thinking has been basically to expose Sprong to every possible shot he’ll experience and make sure he’s out of the habit of getting overly fine, instead trusting that the puck will find a hole. “With the one-timer, we want to feed him one-timers and make sure he’s shooting at the middle of the net and he’s not missing the net,” Young said. “The one-timer’s a tough shot. You do it from a lot of different angles. From the middle of the point, to the top of the circles, to inside the dots, from the goal line out to the middle of the slot. He’s seeing them from a lot of areas.” To prove his point on why this is important, Young cited simple math. Sprong is averaging 4.3 shots on goal per game. Although shot attempts aren’t as easily accessible in the minors, Young believes Sprong missed the net roughly equal to the number of times he got the puck on it. Pittsburgh Penguins Justin Schultz celebrates his goal in the first period against the Coyotes Tuesday, November 7, 2017, at PPG Paints Arena in Pittsburgh. “If he gets five quality shots on net, chances are one’s going to go in,” Young said. “But if he misses the net five times, he’s probably passing up on another goal.” Sprong’s development hasn’t been just about scoring goals, either. Young has been impressed with Sprong’s ability to read plays and find weak-side defensemen with passes. Young also said Sprong’s play away from the puck has been steadily improving, something that dates back to his time with the Charlottetown Islanders in the Quebec Major Junior Hockey League. “His passing and vision are underrated,” Young said. “It’s not just his shot.” True, but Sprong’s shot is his calling card, even when he doesn’t score on it, which is why the Penguins view better accuracy for Sprong as essential. Young outlined, in a recent game, why this is so vital. Five-on-four power play. Sprong shot from the slot. Five-hole, on target. The goalie stopped it, but it led to a pair of rebound chances. The opposing team had to take another a penalty, and Sprong completed a hat trick with an easy, one-time goal during five-on-three play. If Sprong misses the net, likely nothing else happens. 1082366 Pittsburgh Penguins Antti Niemi played badly in three starts. Jarry should get another start this weekend.

I get all of the issues. Ron Cook: It's way too early to worry about the Penguins and their struggles I just don’t see any as being insurmountable. Mike Sullivan liked that the Penguins had 28 5-on-5 shots on goal against the Coyotes. He said he has liked their 5-on-5 play since the final RON COOK three games of their five-game Western swing despite losses in the final Pittsburgh Post-Gazette two at Calgary and Vancouver. [email protected] “I think if we just stay with the process and continue to pay attention to the details and stay committed to playing the game the way we’ve been 5:45 AM NOV 8, 2017 playing it the last week or so then I think the goals will continue to come.” Crosby and Letang will play better. Does anyone really believe that they won’t? I spent two minutes Tuesday wondering if that tired, old hockey axiom that says a hockey club has to struggle in its first home game after a long Jim Rutherford will find a third-line center through a trade. Does anyone trip has any validity. It didn’t Tuesday night for the Penguins, who beat really doubt him after what he has done the past two seasons? Carter the Arizona Coyotes, 3-1, at PPG Paints Arena. It probably helped that Rowney, out the past eight games with a broken hand, will be back soon the Coyotes came in with a 2-12-2 record, that goaltender Antti Raanta to center the fourth line. allowed a horrid goal to Justin Schultz from an impossible angle behind the end line just 59 seconds in, that Raanta gave up a juicy rebound of a It will be wonderful if Jarry shows he can be an adequate backup to Matt Phil Kessel shot that Evgeni Malkin turned into a goal barely three Murray, who made 24 saves against Arizona to run his brief career minutes in and that the Coyotes never really gave themselves a chance record at home, including playoffs, to 39-8-6, including 12-0-1 in the past by taking the first six penalties. But I still felt as if I wasted two minutes of 13 games. The heck with Jarry’s long-term development. The Penguins my life. are worried about winning this season, not next season or the season after. Murray is the present and future. I’m just glad I didn’t spend a second worrying about the Penguins’ rough start to the season. That really would have been a waste of precious All of that is why I wouldn’t have panicked if the Coyotes had somehow time. found a way to take advantage of the Penguins’ first game back after a long trip. Nobody in the Penguins room would have panicked. “I’m fine and we’re fine. It’s a long season. It’s way too early to judge.” But … That was LeBron James on the Cleveland Cavaliers’ poor start to the NBA season. “You want to create those good habits as the season goes along to prepare yourself for the late stretch and playoffs,” Schultz said. “I thought Riley Sheahan works for position against the Oilers Oct. 24. we had a good effort tonight.” It could have been Sidney Crosby on the Penguins. So did Sullivan. I know all about the team’s struggles. Before Tuesday night, they had “I think it was important for us to win. We can talk about the process all played 16 games and lost as many as they had won. They can’t score 5- we want. We’ve got to get results at some point. It’s evidence that, when on-5. They can’t win the second game on back-to-back nights. Crosby we play the right way, we can have success.” isn’t playing well. Kris Letang is playing worse. They don’t have a legitimate third- or fourth-line center. They don’t have a perfect backup The Penguins have 65 games remaining before the playoffs. goalie situation. I’m thinking there is time for them to have plenty of success. Does that about cover it? It’s enough to make you think the world is ending. Post Gazette LOADED: 11.09.2017 It’s so silly. A prediction: We won’t remember these early games in April when the playoffs begin and the Penguins go after a third consecutive Stanley Cup. Penguins goalie Matt Murray makes a save on the Coyotes' Max Domi in the second period Tuesday. I get the issues, starting with the slightly-above-mediocre 9-6-2 record. The goals by Schultz and Malkin gave the Penguins 21 5-on-5 goals. Their opponents have scored 44. Arizona has 27. The Penguins are 0-4-1 in the second game of those back-to-backs with 10-1, 7-1 and 7-1 losses. Their next opportunity comes Saturday night in Nashville after they play Friday night in Washington. Crosby hasn’t scored a goal in nine games, matching the second-longest drought of his spectacular career. He didn’t even have one shot on goal against Arizona. He’s a minus-12, second-worst on the team. He took another penalty Tuesday night, his NHL-leading 10th minor penalty. Letang has gone 13 games without a goal and has only one this season. His minus-15 isn’t just the worst on the Penguins. It’s the worst in the NHL. Riley Sheahan, acquired in a trade with Detroit last month to be the third- line center, has one assist in eight games with the Penguins and didn’t have a shot on goal against Arizona. Fourth-line center Greg McKegg also didn’t have a shot in only 8:22 of ice time. Those guys aren’t Nick Bonino and Matt Cullen. Backup goaltender Tristan Jarry has made exactly two NHL starts. The plan was for him to spend the season at Wilkes-Barre/Scranton to develop his game, but that was scratched when offseason acquisition 1082367 Pittsburgh Penguins During five-on-five play, he can quickly move the puck and reads plays exceptionally well. He’s not an overly physical defender, but he can skate, has a good stick and understands what he’s doing. Justin Schultz has wide-ranging impact in return to Penguins lineup Put it this way – and no this stat isn’t perfect – but there’s a reason he was plus-27 a season ago, putting him squarely in the top 10 league- wide in that category. JASON MACKEY “Justin’s a guy who can really help us with his game,” Sullivan said. “He Pittsburgh Post-Gazette scored a goal for us [Tuesday], but he helps us in so many other ways. [email protected] “He helps us manage the minutes back there with our defensemen a lot more efficiently. Not only does it help our team, but it helps individuals. 11:13 PM NOV 7, 2017 ‘Tanger’ might be one of the biggest ones.” A few other takeaways from Schultz’s night: Justin Schultz needed just 59 seconds to make his presence felt • Schultz said it took some time to feel completely comfortable. Tuesday during a 3-1 win over the Coyotes at PPG Paints Arena. “It takes a little bit to get up to game speed,” Schultz said. “You can’t train He used the rest of the game to prove his immense value to the or condition for a game.” Penguins. • The time off was somewhat evident when he ran the top power play. Schultz, who returned from a six-game absence due to a concussion, That wasn’t as functional as Schultz would have liked. scored on a bad-angle shot to give the Penguins a lift, while his presence on the back end solidified a defensive group that recently has had to rely “Was obviously a little rusty out there with those guys,” Schultz said. a little too much on Kris Letang. • Not a perfect night, in that Schultz was on the ice when Tobias Rieder “I got a little lucky,” Schultz said of the shot that went off Arizona scored Arizona’s only goal. Schultz and Olli Maatta simply lost track of goaltender Antti Raanta and in. “That was nice to see it go in and get the Rieder, who beat Murray from the left circle. win.” “He just got behind us,” Schultz said. “Lost him for a second. He has a lot Penguins goaltender Matt Murray (30) makes save on the Coyotes' Max of speed. He made a good play.” Domi in the second period Tuesday night at PPG Paints Arena. Quick hits It was more than luck. The goal and the quality return for Schultz, who signed a three-year, $16.5 million contract extension this summer. • Not even a shot on goal for Sidney Crosby, who failed to score for a ninth consecutive game. The goal was the second of the season for Schultz – both kicking off the scoring for the Penguins — and it said a couple things about how the Only once in Crosby’s career has he gone longer without a goal; he went night would go: 12 games in 2011-12, when he missed three and a half months because of concussion troubles. • The Penguins improved to 8-2-1 this season when scoring first. The captain needs one in the back of the net. • They used a strong first period to slide past Arizona, a 20-minute slice in which they had struggled at times this season. Coming into this one, • More dominance for the Penguins at home and against Arizona. the Penguins had been doubled up in goals (11-22) in the first. Not They’ve gone 5-1-1 in their last seven against Arizona and have won four Tuesday. There was a purpose from puck drop. in a row here. • On the ice with Schultz was Evgeni Malkin’s line — Malkin, Phil Kessel • Last nine times the Penguins have returned from a road trip of five or and Jake Guentzel — which accounted for both five-on-five goals the more games, they’re 8-0-1 in the first game back. Penguins scored. Kessel scored a power-play goal in the third with • At home, the Penguins improved to 5-0-1 in 2017-18. They’re 11-0-1 in Malkin assisting. their last 12 games at PPG Paints Arena tracing back to last year’s • Speaking of five-on-five offense, the Penguins got more than one of playoffs. those goals in a game for the first time since Oct. 17. • Rieder’s goal ended a scoreless stretch of 122:17 for the Coyotes here, “[Schultz] is a big-time player, for sure,” said Matt Murray, who stopped a run that started with Rieder’s goal on March 28, 2015. 24 of 25 shots to improve to 39-6-4 during his career at home (regular • Riley Sheahan didn’t record a shot on goal. Only attempted one. But he season and playoffs). “Anytime he’s in the lineup, we’re a better team. did win nine of 12 faceoffs. That was pretty evident [Tuesday]. He scored on his first shot. Not only that, but he makes a lot of good defensive plays. He’s always in good position. Good breakout passes. He’s a big-time player.” Post Gazette LOADED: 11.09.2017 Daniel Sprong fires a shot during a Sept. 19 preseason game against the Sabres in University Park, Pa. If you look at the Schultz goal, one of the things that makes the play is a fast, effective breakout. Schultz isn’t the sole reason why that happens, but he’s a part of it. Schultz played 20:31 in this one, the second-most ice time for a Penguins defenseman. Letang was first, of course, but instead of playing 26:53 – which he averaged over the half-dozen games Schultz missed – he logged only 23:38. It marked only the seventh time this season Letang (plus-1) wasn’t a minus player. In a game where the Penguins had 11:12 of power-time time, 5:44 went to Letang and 5:27 went to Schultz, a perfect split. “[Having Schultz back] gives ‘Tanger’ an opportunity to recover more completely before he’s going back on the ice, so it gives him an opportunity to play more quality minutes,” Penguins coach Mike Sullivan said. It also gives the Penguins another offensive threat on the back end. Schultz put three shots on goal and showed an aggressiveness in shooting the puck on the power play that can be a benefit to this bunch. 1082368 Pittsburgh Penguins specifically,” Sullivan said. “When they do that and they stay close and they support one another, they end up with extended offensive zone time, and they’re talented enough that usually it results in quality Penguins offense shows signs of life in 3-1 win against Arizona chances. “When they’re not going as well is when they tend to be a one-and-done line or the types of chances they get are limited to just off the rush. SAM WERNER “A night like tonight, they generated chances both ways, off the rush and Pittsburgh Post-Gazette within offensive zone play because they were paying attention to the details.” [email protected] After the game, though, Malkin already was ready to turn his sights 12:10 AM NOV 8, 2017 forward, to the Penguins’ next game Friday night against rival Washington.

“It’s just one game,” he said. Like any great duo, sometimes Evgeni Malkin and Phil Kessel might just need some time apart to remember what it is that makes them such a “We’re excited to play together, but we need to understand it’s one game. good pairing in the first place. It’s important, but now we need to play more — next game against Washington, Nashville — at the same level. We understand each other After being split up for most of the team’s five-game road trip out west, pretty well tonight, but it’s not [about] just one game. Malkin and Kessel were back on a line together Tuesday night against Arizona, and they served up a reminder of how dangerous they can be “We need to play better and better every game.” together in the Penguins’ 3-1 win against the Coyotes.

They had three points apiece, and the Penguins offense finally showed some signs of life, with multiple 5-on-5 goals for the first time in 10 Post Gazette LOADED: 11.09.2017 games. “Yeah, finally,” Malkin said. “We know we [can] score 5-on-5, just a little bit of bad luck the last couple of games.” Penguins goaltender Matt Murray (30) makes save on the Coyotes' Max Domi in the second period Tuesday night at PPG Paints Arena. Malkin’s line, which also included Jake Guentzel on the left wing, was responsible for both of their 5-on-5 goals Tuesday. “I thought his line was terrific,” coach Mike Sullivan said of Malkin’s unit. “They had a lot of possession time, they had a lot of zone time, they were threats on most shifts. They’re playing hard right now. They score some big goals for us, obviously.” Malkin and Kessel didn’t wait long to create those goals, either, picking up both assists on Justin Schultz’s opening goal 59 seconds into the game. Malkin banged home his seventh goal of the season on a rebound off Kessel’s shot less than three minutes later, and the Penguins were off to a 2-0 lead against an Arizona team in last place in the NHL standings and coming off an overtime loss Monday night in Washington. “It’s easy to play if the first or second shift you score,” Malkin said. “It’s a different game. You’re excited. It was very important tonight. We knew Arizona played back-to-back, we know it’s very important to play the first 10 minutes and we showed we were ready to play.” Malkin and Kessel combined for a third goal in the third period, effectively putting the game away. Malkin’s shot from the left side on the power play deflected off Patric Hornqvist’s stick, Arizona goalie Antti Raanta’s pads and up in the air, and Kessel patiently waited for the puck to dip below the crossbar before he slapped it into the net. That goal snapped an 0-for-5 start to the night for the Penguins on the power play. Pittsburgh Penguins Justin Schultz celebrates his goal in the first period against the Coyotes Tuesday, November 7, 2017, at PPG Paints Arena in Pittsburgh. “We know we’re five great players and we think we [should] score every shift, every power play,” Malkin said. “It’s not happening sometimes, then we start getting frustrated, but we understand we need to support each other. It’s not going to work every night, but we have great chances.” Tuesday night, most of those great chances came courtesy of Malkin and Kessel. The two can be a bit of a tumultuous pairing on the ice, sometimes seeming disjointed and out of sync and other times, well, combining for six points in a game the Penguins needed to win to reclaim momentum after a disappointing Western Canada trip. Sullivan said he thought the common theme when Malkin and Kessel are clicking together isn’t that they’re both flashing their elite offensive abilities, but that they’re willing to do the hard work it takes to create sustained offensive pressure. “They’re stopping on pucks, they’re playing in the battle areas, they don’t allow their linemates to get outnumbered down low in the offensive zone, 1082369 Pittsburgh Penguins

Home from deployment, troop surprises family at Penguins game

ADAM BITTNER Pittsburgh Post-Gazette [email protected] 8:59 PM NOV 7, 2017

Steven McAlister’s family gathered to see the Penguins face the Coyotes Tuesday believing the construction mechanic second class in the U.S. Navy was still deployed overseas. The Penguins had quite a surprise in store for the group. After introducing the McAlisters on the PPG Paints Arena scoreboard, public address announcer Ryan Mill revealed that the team was sending them home with something: their son. Terrible Towel in hand, Steven emerged from the concourse and joined his family in their seats to hugs and tears. Penguins goalie Matt Murray makes a save on the Coyotes' Max Domi in the second period Tuesday.

Post Gazette LOADED: 11.09.2017

1082370 San Jose Sharks “Right now, they have the best offense in the league. They’ve been playing 4-3, 5-4 games, us on the other side have been playing a little tighter. It’ll be a great test for us defensively.” Three things to know for Sharks-Bolts: Vlasic’s back, Hansen’s chance 3. Special teams battle: The Sharks’ penalty kill, ranked second in the and Stamkos’ similarities to Ovechkin NHL as of Wednesday morning, faces the league’s second-best power play as Tampa Bay is 9 for 26 (34.6 percent) with the man advantage over its last seven games and 17 for 59 (28.8 percent) for the season. By CURTIS PASHELKA | [email protected] | Bay Area News Group The Sharks have done a decent job staying out of the penalty box over the last five games, having been on the penalty kill just 12 times (and PUBLISHED: November 8, 2017 at 1:33 pm | UPDATED: November 8, killing 11 of them). 2017 at 1:33 PM Few teams, though, can match the firepower Tampa Bay has on its first power play unit with Stamkos, Kucherov, Victor Hedman, Alex Killorn and Vladislav Namestnikov, who have combined for 11 goals and 25 assists SAN JOSE — The Sharks have already made some impressive on the man advantage. statements so far this homestand with wins over Toronto, Nashville and Anaheim. Wednesday’s game against the Tampa Bay Lightning is Stamkos gets set up near the faceoff circle to put himself in position to another opportunity to show that they deserve to be mentioned in the unleash one of the best one-timers in the league. same breath with the NHL’s best teams. “They run a power play similar to Washington’s with Stamkos playing The Lightning enter Wednesday with an Eastern Conference-leading where (Alex) Ovechkin plays,” DeBoer said. “They move him around a record of 11-2-2. Seven of their players have at least 11 points so far, little bit more than that, but it’s not a game we want to get into tonight. with Steven Stamkos and Nikita Kucherov leading the way with 25 and 23 points, respectively. “I don’t think we want to trade specialty team (chances) with them. If we do, I think you have to be aggressive and you have to respect the fact The Sharks have won four straight, largely because of the way they’ve that Stamkos is there but they also, like Washington, have a ton of other managed the puck and limited chances against. That figures to be a options. It’s a three, four-headed snake, so to speak.” tougher task against the Lightning, which features a forward group as deep and talented as there is in the Eastern Conference. Having Vlasic and Hansen back on the penalty kill should help the Sharks in that respect. Here are three things to watch as the Sharks play the fourth game of their five-game homestand. “I know how dangerous they are, I’ve played against Stamkos before, I know what he’s like on the power play,” Vlasic said. “We’ll try to take him 1. Hansen gets back in: After being a healthy scratch for the last six away and we’ll try to take Kucherov away as well.” games, Jannik Hansen draws back into the lineup and will be on the Sharks’ fourth line with Barclay Goodrow and Joel Ward. “Make sure you’re playing well, don’t make too many turnovers, or any San Jose Mercury News: LOADED: 11.09.2017 turnovers to be precise,” Hansen said of his goals for tonight. “Use your linemates, hopefully create some opportunities and making sure you’re playing well in your own end.” The Sharks didn’t call anyone up Wednesday morning and have 22 players on the active roster. It won’t be like that forever, so Hansen needs to make the most of his chance to get back into the lineup. So far this season, Hansen has one assist in seven games, and is listed as having eight giveaways and seven takeaways. “He’s handled it like a pro, like we expect him to,” Sharks coach Pete DeBoer said Wednesday of Hansen sitting out. “It’s on those guys that are out for extended periods to come back and make that decision tougher next time. It’s not easy, but it is what it is and hopefully the message is delivered and received and he doesn’t put himself in that position again.” Goodrow, who played center for the first time as a professional on Saturday, combined with Ward for a third period goal against the Anaheim Ducks, one second after a penalty to Dylan DeMelo had expired. “He did a great job,” DeBoer said of Goodrow playing the middle. “Again, like all young guys, you’ve got to translate that into two games, three games. But he did a good job.” San Jose Sharks' Marc-Edouard Vlasic (44) carries the puck agains the New York Rangers in the overtime period of their NHL game at SAP Center in San Jose, Calif., on Tuesday, March 28, 2017. (Josie Lepe/Bay Area News Group) 2. Vlasic returns: Good timing for the Sharks, as their top shutdown defenseman will be ready to play Wednesday against the NHL’s best offensive team. Marc-Edouard Vlasic took the morning skate, said he felt good and was eager to play against the Lightning. Vlasic missed Saturday’s game against Anaheim with a head injury he suffered Nov. 1 against Nashville on a check from Ryan Johansen. He’ll be back alongside Justin Braun as the Sharks look to control the pace of Wednesday’s game. Like our Sharks Facebook page for more San Jose Sharks news, commentary and conversation. “Thirteen games in, teams are starting to establish themselves,” Vlasic said. “A team that has this much offense at the beginning of the year hopefully can continue it through 82 games, but there’s still 60-plus games left. 1082371 San Jose Sharks games, and when the puck drops tonight, he’ll be skating on the Lightning’s second line with Brayden Point and Ondrej Palat.

“I’m really happy the way this team’s supported me and I’m trying to Former-Sharks prospect and San Francisco Bull thriving in NHL with make the most of it,” Gourde said. Lightning

San Jose Mercury News: LOADED: 11.09.2017 By PAUL GACKLE | [email protected] | Bay Area News Group November 8, 2017 at 1:30 PM

SAN JOSE — The remnants of a short-lived hockey venture in San Francisco found its way back to the Bay Area in the form of a bonafide NHL player. Yanni Gourde, who played eight games with the now-defunct San Francisco Bulls of the ECHL on a reassignment from the AHL Worcester Sharks, will square off against the organization that kickstarted his pro hockey career Wednesday when his Tampa Bay Lightning (11-2-2) meet up with the Sharks (8-5) at SAP Center. “It was a great time for me to play at a pro level,” Gourde said, reflecting on his two seasons in the Sharks organization. “It made me grow as a professional hockey player, I learned how to be a pro. I had great mentors there.” The Sharks organization launched Gourde’s career by giving him a tryout after he went undrafted, completing his junior hockey career with the Quebec Major Junior Hockey League’s Victoriaville Tigers, where he won a scoring title by accumulating 124 points in 68 games during the 2011- 12 season. The Worcester Sharks eventually signed Gourde to an AHL contract, and he spent parts of two seasons with the club, racking up 41 points in 83 games. During his rookie campaign in 2012-13, Gourde played eight games with the Sharks’ ECHL affiliate, the San Francisco Bulls, who folded later that year in just their second season of existence. Gourde notched 10 points in eight games with the Bulls, earning a recall back to Worcester, keeping his career alive. “I do remember playing at the Cow Palace,” Gourde recalled. “It was pretty funny because you had to go down the stairs (from the locker room) to go on the ice, and each period, you’d be gassed after the period, and you’d have to walk up the stairs. But it was fun. “Every part of that is an experience that I grew on and it made me the player I am today.” Gourde also expressed gratitude toward Barracuda head coach Roy Sommer, who helped him develop from a boy to man on the ice during his time in Worcester. “Turning from junior to pro, it is kind of hard. Roy helped me out in finding my game and how to succeed as a pro,” Gourde said. “He use to always tell me, slow down, slow down, because I was trying to go 100 mph everywhere on the ice. “I wasn’t doing much because I was all over the ice.” Like our Sharks Facebook page for more San Jose Sharks news, commentary and conversation. But the Sharks eventually let Gourde walk during the 2013-14 season and he resurfaced with the Lightning organization, signing a two-way contract with the . Gourde eventually made his NHL debut with the Lightning on Dec. 15, 2015, but after a two- game NHL stint, he was reassigned to the Crunch. The undersized forward (Gourde is listed at 5-foot-9, 172 pounds) eventually made the most of his March recall last season, impressing the Lightning braintrust by notching six goals and eight points during an 18- game audition with the NHL club. The Lightning are a perfect fit for a player with Gourde’s skill set. They play a modern NHL game based on speed and skill, and the organization has a reputation for giving undersized players, such as Martin St. Louis and Tyler Johnson, opportunities. The speedy forward acknowledged that the timing of his arrival worked out perfectly. The NHL is giving more looks to players with his attributes. “It’s moving toward a faster game and it’s really good for me,” he said. “I probably wouldn’t have gotten this opportunity a few years back.” Gourde is carrying the momentum of his late season recall last spring into the 2017-18 season. So far, he’s recorded nine points (4g, 5a) in 15 1082372 San Jose Sharks

Searching for offense, Sharks instead find a shutdown line

By CURTIS PASHELKA | [email protected] | Bay Area News Group PUBLISHED: November 8, 2017 at 8:18 am | UPDATED: November 8, 2017 at 8:25 am

SAN JOSE — As part of a shake-up last month to see if some new combinations up front could generate an offensive spark, Sharks coach Pete DeBoer put Melker Karlsson and Tomas Hertl on a line with center Logan Couture. While Couture has seven goals and four assists in nine games since he was put with Hertl and Karlsson, their merger has brought about another by-product for the Sharks — a genuine shutdown line. Since they were put on the same line for the third period of the Sharks’ game against the New York Islanders on Oct. 14, Couture, Hertl and Karlsson have allowed just two even strength goals against. Their efforts, not to mention those of goalie Martin Jones, have helped the Sharks enter Wednesday’s game against the Tampa Bay Lightning with the fewest goals against in the NHL at 30 through 13 games. Tampa Bay is averaging an NHL-leading 3.87 goals per game. “I didn’t go going I’m looking to put together a shutdown line,” DeBoer said. “We were looking to score some goals and get some production. That’s why we initially did it. “But I felt pretty safe in knowing that that would be the case when you put three smart, responsible guys like that together.” Get Sharks news in your inbox. Sign up now for the free Sharks Report newsletter. The Sharks on the whole have done a terrific job of limiting goals and shots against. Since a 5-3 loss to the Islanders in Brooklyn on Oct. 21, they’ve allowed just seven even strength goals in six games. For the season, they’re allowing an NHL-best 27.8 shots against per game. The Sharks’ second line has certainly done its part. The only even strength goals Couture, Hertl and Karlsson have allowed so far together was one to Montreal’s Jonathan Drouin on Oct. 17 and another to Toronto’s Auston Matthews on Oct. 30. Couture and Hertl are interchangeable at center and Karlsson’s work ethic and tenacity seem to be contagious whatever line he’s on. “I know we gave up a goal in the Leafs game 5-on-5, but it’s been pretty good,” Couture said. “Obviously playing against the other team’s top line most nights, we take pride in trying to shut them down. When we play in the D-zone, I think the biggest thing is keep it simple and try and play in their end. Tomas is hard on the puck, and Melker’s tenacious on it, so it’s been good. We’ve been able to hold onto pucks.” Like our Sharks Facebook page for more San Jose Sharks news, commentary and conversation. DeBoer doesn’t go out of his way to chase line matchups, as he expects whatever line he puts out there to at least hold their own against an opponent. Still, it wouldn’t be a surprise to see Couture’s line skate against Tampa Bay’s top line more often than not Wednesday night. Center Steven Stamkos and wingers Nikita Kucherov and Vladislav Namestnikov have combined for 62 points in 15 games. Tampa Bay, which led the NHL as of Tuesday morning with an 11-2-2 record, has the league’s third-ranked power play at 28.8 percent (17 of 59). The Sharks have won four straight. “We play pretty good lines out there every night, so we take pride in that,” Karlsson said. “Also we’re creating some offense and I think we have. We haven’t stuck them in the net lately, but it’ll come.”

San Jose Mercury News: LOADED: 11.09.2017 1082373 San Jose Sharks It was a frantic first 20 minutes, perhaps not quite the pace the Sharks were looking to have against one of the NHL’s most dangerous offenses.

The Lightning averaged a league-best 3.87 goals per game coming into Sharks can’t keep up with Lightning, win streak ends with a thud Wednesday and owned an Eastern Conference-leading record of 11-2-2. Seven of Tampa Bay’s players had at least 11 points, with Stamkos and Kucherov leading the way with 25 and 23 points, respectively, to pace By Curtis Pashelka | [email protected] | Bay Area the NHL. News Group The Sharks already made some impressive statements so far this PUBLISHED: November 8, 2017 at 10:06 pm | UPDATED: November 8, homestand with wins over Toronto, Nashville and Anaheim, as their four- 2017 at 11:15 PM game win streak was largely a product of goaltending, timely goals, puck management and limiting chances against.

Wednesday’s game, it seemed, was another opportunity to show they SAN JOSE — The Sharks couldn’t complete a line change or get control deserve to be mentioned in the same breath with the league’s best of the puck as the Tampa Bay Lightning connected on at least six passes teams. inside San Jose’s defensive zone in one second period stretch. “As the game went on, we could never just reset ourselves,” Pavelski The sequence ended — almost mercifully — for the Sharks when Steven said. “Laid a few pucks in, we kept missing passes and just fed their Stamkos fed an open Vladislav Namestnikov right next to goalie Martin rush.” Jones for a tap-in goal. After being a healthy scratch for the last six games, forward Jannik Coming into Wednesday riding a four-game win streak, the Sharks got a Hansen drew back into the lineup and was on the Sharks’ fourth line with big time reality check from arguably the NHL’s best team, as the Barclay Goodrow and Joel Ward. Hansen had 12:04 of ice time. Lightning skated away with a convincing 5-1 win.

Namestnikov’s goal was one of five straight by the Lightning after Joonas Donskoi’s opener 25 seconds into the first period, which turned out to be San Jose Mercury News: LOADED: 11.09.2017 the home team’s lone highlight. Jones was chased after two periods after stopping 17 of 21 shots. “What you take away is when you play an elite team, you have to bring your A game,” Sharks coach Pete DeBoer said. “We didn’t have that tonight across the board. When you show up with your B game against a team like that, that’s what it looks like.” Namestnikov finished with two goals and an assist, part of an impressive night for Tampa Bay’s top line. Stamkos and Nikita Kucherov also had three points each, with Kucherov scoring his league-leading 15th goal and Stamkos raising his NHL-best point total to 28. “Anytime we had it, we seemed to give it back to them,” Sharks captain Joe Pavelski said of the team’s turnovers. “They got a lot from us tonight, but no doubt, they create off of that as well.” Namestnikov’s first goal was a prime example of how every time the Sharks found themselves even slightly out of position, the Lightning either created a quality scoring chance or made San Jose pay with a highlight-reel score. “If you miss assignments and leave them alone in the slot, they’ll bury you,” said Sharks defenseman Marc-Edouard Vlasic, who returned to the lineup after a one-game absence with a head injury. “Kucherov’s goal, he was all alone. (Namestnikov) was all alone too on his goal. If you do that against that line, they’ll score.” Donskoi had the Sharks lone goal in the first two periods, his fifth goal of the season. Slowly, though, the Lightning began to exert its will over a Sharks team that has prided itself on tight-checking hockey. Get Sharks news in your inbox. Sign up now for the free Sharks Report newsletter. The Sharks had done a decent job of slowing down the top scorer of each of their past five opponents, holding Rickard Rakell, Filip Forsberg, Auston Matthews, Evander Kane and Brad Marchand to a combined one goal, two assists and 12 shots on goal. Through two periods though, the Lightning’s top line of Stamkos, Namestnikov and Kucherov had combined for six points. “I think we played maybe a good first five minutes and then our game tailed off,” Sharks center Logan Couture said. “They kind of found their legs and we turned pucks over, didn’t forecheck well. They forechecked well and we gave their skill time and space. They felt comfortable and had the puck all night. Our focus going into tonight was not to do that and we let them do it.” The Sharks only had two power play opportunities, but the Lightning had the better scoring chances on both tries. The Sharks had two shots on goal with the man advantage, and Tampa Bay had four shorthanded shots on goal. “They outskated us all over the ice,” Couture said. “They were a man short and they looked like had five more guys than us on the ice. It was embarrassing on all of us on the power play.” Like our Sharks Facebook page for more San Jose Sharks news, commentary and conversation. 1082374 San Jose Sharks

Lightning rout Sharks to end their 4-game winning streak

By Ross McKeon Updated 11:01 pm, Wednesday, November 8, 2017

Tampa Bay’s offensive prowess was on full display at SAP Center on Wednesday night during the Lightning’s 5-1 win over the Sharks. Steven Stamkos and Nikita Kucherov, the league’s No. 1 and 2 scorers, enjoyed three-point nights, and Vladislav Namestnikov scored two goals to help snap San Jose’s four-game winning streak and hand the Sharks their most lopsided loss of the season. “They’re good players, for sure,” Sharks captain Joe Pavelski said. “They made some plays, played with the puck a lot. And partly that’s on us. Any time we had it, we seemed to give it back to them. They got a lot from us tonight. But, no doubt, they create a lot as well.” Stamkos contributed three assists to boost his league-leading point total to 28. Kucherov scored his NHL-leading 15th goal and added two assists as Lightning coach John Cooper earned his 200th win. “They’ve got two guys as hot as anyone in this league in a long time,” Sharks forward Logan Couture said. Namestnikov, who also enjoyed a three-point game, scored his second of the game and seventh of the season at 6:14 of the third period against Aaron Dell, who relieved starting goalie Martin Jones after two periods. The Lightning tilted the ice in a second period in which they scored the only three goals and outshot the Sharks 14-9. Kucherov broke a 1-1 tie just 44 seconds into the period, just following the conclusion of Tampa Bay’s second power play. Sharks head coach Peter DeBoer gambled by employing Joe Thornton and Pavelski on the penalty kill with usual linemate Joonas Donskoi poised to join the duo upon exit of the box, but the Sharks couldn’t clear the puck before Kucherov scored from the slot. The teams traded failed power plays before defenseman Slater Koekkoek slipped a puck from the right side between the pads of Jones, who was hugging the post and should have stopped the shot. Koekkoek’s third goal of the season came at 9:21. The visitors capped the scoring in the period at 12:00 when Namestnikov tapped a great cross-ice pass from Stamkos past Jones on the weakside post for a 4-1 lead. “It was one of those games that got away from us way too fast,” Pavelski said. The Sharks and Lightning were tied 1-1 after 20 minutes. Tampa Bay displayed its speed and applied pressure in the San Jose zone, but struggled to hit the net. The Sharks were pass-happy in the early going, passing up opportunities to shoot to instead misconnect and turn pucks over. It took Donskoi only 25 seconds to put the Sharks on top. After he failed to convert a 2-on-1, Donskoi found himself alone in the slot when the puck popped free. He scored his fifth of the season in close with Thornton earning his 1,015th career assist (one behind Joe Sakic, who is No. 12 all-time). “We were just uncharacteristic at times,” Pavelski said. “We got the start we wanted, you could feel the energy in the building, and we just took that away from ourselves.” The Lightning struck at 7:17 when rookie defenseman Jake Dotchin stepped into a shot from the top of the right circle that clipped the skate of San Jose forward Melker Karlsson and changed direction on Jones. “Good start and then they scored five goals,” Sharks defenseman Marc- Edouard Vlasic said. “That’s not what we wanted.

San Francisco Chronicle LOADED: 11.09.2017 1082375 San Jose Sharks

Lightning boast league’s best line, but it's their depth that will test Sharks

By Marcus White November 08, 2017 2:02 PM

It’s safe to say the Tampa Bay Lightning missed Steven Stamkos last season, but not for the reason you might think. He missed 65 games in 2016-17, and the Lightning missed the playoffs for the first time since 2013. Any team would understandably struggle without a superstar, but Tampa Bay didn’t exactly do that. They finished the season on an 8-1-1 run, missing the playoffs by a single point as Nikita Kucherov scored 40 goals for the first time in his career. All without one of the league’s 10-best players. With Stamkos back in the lineup, the Lightning are no longer simply formidable, but enter Wednesday night’s matchup against the Sharks as a legitimate juggernaut. Stamkos and Kucherov comprise the league’s best duo, as the NHL’s top two scorers, and two-thirds of one of its best lines. Only one line has scored more even strength goals than the trio of Stamkos, Kucherov, and Vladislav Namestnikov’s 12. Kucherov has scored a league-leading 14 goals in 15 games, and Stamkos paces all players with 25 points, including a league-leading 18 assists. You’d expect the 18 to be in the ‘G’ column for a noted sniper like Stamkos, but he’s only converted on 6.9 percent of his shots at even strength. He hasn’t scored less than 35 goals in a full season since his rookie year a decade ago, so there’s little reason to believe he will struggle to score. Somehow, one of the league’s best lines, on the league’s best team, could be even better. The Lightning are far from a one-line team, however, as the combination of Brayden Point, Ondrej Palat, and Yanni Gourde has scored the eighth- most even strength goals of any line. Only one other team, Los Angeles, has two lines in the top ten, and no other pair of lines has scored more than their 21 goals. Tampa Bay’s famed trio of “triplets” have separated entirely, and Tyler Johnson is centering the team’s third line. This team is so deep up front that Alex Killorn, who has 11 points in 15 games, will skate on the team’s fourth line. Not to mention the team’s blueline, led by Norris Trophy finalist Victor Hedman. That’s all to say that San Jose will have their hands full Wednesday night. They’re getting Marc-Edouard Vlasic back from injury just in time, but the Lightning will be the Sharks’ toughest opponent to date. You'd also be hard-pressed to find a better one all season.

Comcast SportsNet.com LOADED: 11.09.2017 1082376 San Jose Sharks

Marleau passes ex-Sharks teammate on all-time scoring list

By Marcus White November 08, 2017 6:13 PM

Patrick Marleau continues to move up the all-time goal-scoring list, and who he passed on Wednesday may make his latest goal extra satisfying. Former Shark Patrick Marleau moved into sole possession of 39th on the NHL's all-time goal-scoring list with his 514th career goal on Wednesday night, passing an ex-teammate and longtime critic in the process. The Toronto Maple Leafs forward's second period goal against the Minnesota Wild moved him ahead of fellow former Shark Jeremy Roenick. The two played together in San Jose from 2007-09, and Marleau's drawn significant criticism from Roenick since his retirement. The NBCSN analyst has called Marleau, among other things, "gutless," not "one of the locker room favorites," and one of the "five players [he] most hated playing with." He's often criticized Marleau for a perceived lack of effort, and told reporters this offseason that "lulls" in his game "[happen] to Patrick Marleau too much." There was also tension when the two were teammates, at least according to Roenick. In his memoir, he recounted leaving his family "around Thanksgiving" and showing up to Marleau's house, unannounced. "I wanted to inspire him, to let him know that his teammates were behind him. I went there to tell him that I believed he could be one of the league’s very best players if he just altered his game slightly. He needed to play with more of an edge," Roenick wrote in “J.R.: My Life as the Most Outspoken, Fearless and Hard-Hitting Man in Hockey.” "“I tried to tell him that that night, but I could tell 10 minutes into our conversation that I was wasting my time. He considered my arrival at his house an intrusion. He listened to me, but he never did anything to change the way he was.” His inclusion in Roenick's book prompted the normally soft-spoken Marleau to respond. “To say that I don’t care about my play or winning or being gutless is absurd,” Marleau wrote in a text message to David Pollak. “I wouldn’t have left home at 14 years old to play a game I didn’t care about. I want to win more than anyone. Just because I don’t jump up and down acting like a buffoon on the ice doesn’t mean I’m not into it.” Roenick correctly predicted this offseason that Marleau would leave the Sharks. Marleau signed a three-year, $16.75 million contract with Toronto this summer, and returned to SAP Center for the first time on October 30. In addition to the regular season, Marleau has scored more postseason goals than Roenick, as well as more game-winning goals in the regular season and playoffs than his former teammate.

Comcast SportsNet.com LOADED: 11.09.2017 1082377 San Jose Sharks

Lightning storm past Sharks, snap San Jose's winning streak

Staff Report By Associated Press November 08, 2017 10:05 PM

SAN JOSE -- Vladislav Namestnikov had two goals, Nikita Kucherov scored his 15th of the season and the Tampa Bay Lightning ended San Jose's four-game winning streak by beating the Sharks 5-1 on Wednesday night. Jake Dotchin got his first career goal and Slater Koekkoek also scored for the Lightning (12-2-2), who lead the NHL standings with 26 points. Steven Stamkos had three assists for Tampa Bay. Kucherov added two and Namestnikov had one as all three players finished with three points. Stamkos (28 points) and Kucherov (26) rank 1-2 in the league in scoring. Joonas Donskoi scored for the Sharks, who allowed five goals for the third time this season. They gave up a total of six during their winning streak. Donskoi scored 25 seconds into the game as the Sharks peppered Andrei Vasilevskiy with a myriad of shots before Donskoi found a hole. Vasilevskiy was a wall the rest of the way, stopping 32 shots on the night. Sharks starter Martin Jones allowed four goals on 21 shots and was pulled after two periods. Aaron Dell stopped eight of nine shots in the final period. Dotchin joined Tampa Bay's scoring frenzy midway through the first after taking a pass from Brayden Point. One of the NHL's top offensive teams, the Lightning added three goals in the second period against one of the best defensive teams in the league. NOTES: Sharks C Joe Pavelski's next goal will be his 300th. ... Sharks D Marc-Edouard Vlasic returned to the ice after missing a game due to a blow to the head. ... Sharks forward Jannik Hansen was in the lineup after sitting out the previous six games. ... Kucherov has at least one goal and one assist in five of his past eight games. ... Point has nine points in his last eight games. ... Stamkos had his ninth multi-point game of the season.

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Reports out of Russia say Blues have offered contract to KHL star

By Jim Thomas St. Louis Post-Dispatch 4 hrs ago (…)

According to the Russian media site, Championat.com, the Blues have offered a contract to veteran Kontinental Hockey League forward Danis Zaripov. The Blues declined to comment Wednesday. Zaripov's agent, Detroit- based agent Daniel Milstein, tip-toed around the topic of whether the Blues had expressed interest in his client. Milstein said he recently sent out a list of seven Russian hockey players who are available to play in the National Hockey League to every NHL team. He said it is part of the normal run of business for NHL teams to then check on those players. "But you can quote me on this," Milstein told the Post-Dispatch Wednesday. "I do not have a contract in my hands (from the Blues)." Milstein represents several Russians in the NHL or NHL organizations, including Blues prospect Klim Kostin. Zaripov, 36, is a six-time KHL all-star and was a member of Russia's 2010 Olympic team. He has played on four Gagarin Cup championship teams, the KHL's version of the Stanley Cup. Including playoffs, Zaripov has scored 254 goals with 311 assists in 603 games over nine KHL seasons. Earlier this year, Zaripov was banned from the KHL and the International Federation for two years for doping. However, the NHL subsequently approved his eligibility for its league in late August because the substance that led to his KHL and International Ice Hockey Federation suspension was not on the NHL's list of banned substances, and also because Zaripov was not allowed to testify at his hearing for the initial suspension. The Blues held an optional skate at noon Wednesday with 12 players participating. The team returns to action Thursday at Scottrade Center against the Arizona Coyotes.

St Louis Post Dispatch LOADED: 11.09.2017 1082379 St Louis Blues No matter what you call them, Yeo says: “They’re three good players and when you have all three ready to work and ready to go out and compete and stay with it in a tight-checking, hard-fought game, then you’d like to Is a nickname in order for Blues' top line? think that eventually they’ll break through.” That’s what happened in New Jersey, a game in which the fast-skating, tight-checking Devils made the Blues work for everything they got. By Jim Thomas St. Louis Post-Dispatch 5 hrs ago (…) Rest assured, the rest of the NHL will be looking for ways to slow the (Insert Nickname) Line by whatever means necessary as the season progresses, starting with the Arizona Coyotes on Thursday at Scottrade Three of the NHL’s top 10 scorers entering Wednesday’s games play Center. their hockey right here in St. Louis. Better yet, they can be found on the same line. “Yeah, there’s no question,” Yeo said. “They’re going to face tough matchups. And they’re going to face game plans against their type of After back-to-back road losses to Florida and Tampa Bay, Blues coach line. But you know what I’ve seen and what’s been impressive to me is Mike Yeo added Vladimir Tarasenko to Jaden Schwartz and Brayden that they have seen that already. Schenn, and they’ve been making beautiful music together — in a hockey sense — ever since. “They’re able to create offense in different ways. They’re able to do it off the rush. They’re able to do it with their work ethic and getting into the “I think it started with Schwartzy and Schenner,” Yeo said. “Those two offensive zone and creating turnovers and getting to the net. guys had chemistry right from Day 1 of training camp. We didn’t know if it was going to work or not, but they really haven’t given us an opportunity “Every game’s going to present a different challenge and they’ve been to even think about changing it because they played so well together, able to rise above it.” they worked so well together.

“And then when we put Vlady there obviously we were trying to put Vlady in a situation where guys could help him, get him the puck and help him St Louis Post Dispatch LOADED: 11.09.2017 get to his game and be the threat that he is on a nightly basis. But also he’s a guy that can finish those plays that they create and a guy that can help them get to their game as well.” It’s been raining points ever since. Since joining forces in Game 7 of the season against Chicago, the trio has scored at least one point in every game except for that 2-0 shutout loss last week to Philadelphia. On most nights, it’s been much more than one point. Like nine points in Saturday’s 6-4 triumph over Toronto, on a goal and eight assists. Tuesday in New Jersey, they accounted for all seven Blues points — three goals and four assists — in a 3-1 victory over the Devils. “Every time they’re on the ice, I think the whole bench, you feel like something can happen at any moment,” center Kyle Brodziak said. “It’s fun to be on a team that has a line like that. They can change the game at the drop of a hat.” Make no mistake, it takes a village to build a 12-3-1 record in the world’s top hockey league. The Blues have gotten excellent goaltending, lots of scoring from their defensive corps and solid to very good contributions from their other forward lines. But Schwartz, Schenn and Tarasenko are providing firepower. “We need those guys to create offense for us,” Yeo said. “We need them to factor in on the score sheet. But they’re doing it the right way, and it’s a line that we can trust in any zone and any situation right now.” When the Blues returned from New Jersey late Tuesday/early Wednesday, Schwartz was tied for third in the NHL in scoring with 21 points on nine goals and 12 assists. Tarasenko was tied for fifth with 19 points on eight goals and 11 assists. And Schenn was in a nine-way tie for 10th with 18 points on four goals and 14 assists. Together, that adds up to 58 points on 21 goals and 37 assists — one more point than the Tampa line of Steven Stamkos, Nikita Kucherov and Ondrej Palat had entering Wednesday with 25 goals and 32 assists. “I think each guy on the line brings something different,” Schenn said. “Vlady’s a shooter and can score pretty much at any given time. And he’s getting chances. Schwartzy’s so good on the forecheck and seeing the ice and taking away pucks. “So the three of us feel like we complement each other. But at the same time — we’re 12-3 or whatever — it’s just not our line. Each night it’s someone that’s getting the job done for us. Each line’s getting the job done for us and we’re working in five-man units, working as a team, and that results in winning hockey.” But the question becomes, have things reached the point where this union needs one of those catchy nicknames? “I don’t know,” said Brodziak, slightly amused by the question. “I’m not sure I can answer that one too well. You’re gonna have to ask them.” As far as in-house. . . . “We don’t have a nickname for their line,” Brodziak said. “No. They’re pretty good, but we don’t need to give ’em a nickname.” The Post-Dispatch sought out the fans’ views through Twitter and got a variety of, uh, interesting suggestions. 1082380 St Louis Blues

Blues reportedly interested in Russian forward

By Jim Thomas St. Louis Post-Dispatch 5 hrs ago (…)

According to the Russian media site, Championat.com, the Blues have offered a contract to veteran Kontinental Hockey League forward Danis Zaripov. The Blues declined to comment Wednesday. Zaripov’s agent, Detroit- based agent Daniel Milstein, tip-toed around the topic of whether the Blues had expressed interest in his client. Milstein said he recently sent out a list of seven Russian hockey players who are available to play in the National Hockey League to every NHL team. He said it is part of the normal run of business for NHL teams to then check on those players. “But you can quote me on this,” Milstein told the Post-Dispatch Wednesday. “I do not have a contract in my hands (from the Blues).” Milstein represents several Russians in the NHL or in NHL organizations, including Blues prospect Klim Kostin, currently with San Antonio of the American Hockey League. Zaripov is a six-time KHL all-star and was a member of Russia’s 2010 Olympic team. He has played on four Gagarin Cup championship teams, the KHL’s version of the Stanley Cup. Including playoffs, Zaripov has scored 254 goals with 311 assists in 603 games over nine KHL seasons. Earlier this year, Zaripov was banned from the KHL and the International Ice Hockey Federation for two years for doping. However, the NHL subsequently approved his eligibility for its league in late August because the substance that led to his suspension was not on the NHL’s list of banned substances, and also because Zaripov was not allowed to testify at his hearing for the initial suspension. At age 36, it’s debatable how much prime hockey Zaripov has left in him, and there’s always the adjustment to the NHL game by Russian imports. But if the Blues feel like they are close to making a run at the Cup and need more scoring on their third line, perhaps there’s some logic to the reported interest in Zaripov. After an optional skate Wednesday with 12 players participating, the Blues return to action Thursday at Scottrade Center against Arizona. The Coyotes are dead last in the NHL with a 2-13-2 record. With that record in mind, coach Mike Yeo was asked if the Blues had to guard against taking Arizona lightly. “I think that would be a silly insult to them,” Yeo said. “It’s an NHL team. I know (Tuesday) they lost, but you look at what they did two nights ago in Washington and Washington barely scraped by in that game.” The Coyotes lost 3-1 Tuesday in Pittsburgh and lost 3-2 in overtime at Washington on Monday. “I’ve said this before: Our greatest strength up to this point has been our detail, our work ethic, and our willingness to stay with it for 60 minutes,” Yeo said. “So if we think that we can’t bring those three ingredients into the game and come away with a win, we’re going to be mistaken. “Not much separates us from the team that’s across from us on a nightly basis. It doesn’t matter who we’re playing, where we’re playing, we have to be ready to play our game.” Yeo has done very little tinkering with his defensive pairings this season, occasionally moving rookie Vince Dunn around in situations where the Blues are trailing. Such was the case Tuesday when the Blues fell behind 1-0 in the first period to New Jersey and were struggling to generate offense. He switched out Dunn and Carl Gunnarsson from their usual pairings, matching Dunn with Alex Pietrangelo and pairing Gunnarsson with Robert Bortuzzo. “Obviously in a game like that...we’re trailing, we need to find a way to help us get to our game to create a little bit more offense,” Yeo said. “And with (Dunn’s) capabilities, he was a nice fit up there.”

St Louis Post Dispatch LOADED: 11.09.2017 1082381 St Louis Blues

BLUES VS. COYOTES

By Jim Thomas St. Louis Post-Dispatch 6 hrs ago (…)

Penguins spoil Tocchet's return in 3-1 victory over Coyotes About the Coyotes • After an 0-10-1 start, Arizona finally got its first victory with a 4-3 overtime win against Philadelphia on Oct. 30. The Coyotes have played better lately, going 2-3-1 in their last six games to bring a 2-13-2 record to St. Louis. Their roster features two St. Louisans: rookie sensation Clayton Keller (Chesterfield) and defenseman Dakota Mermis (Alton). Keller, the seventh overall pick in the 2016 draft, ranked fourth in the NHL with 11 entering Wednesday’s games. Keller made his NHL debut at Scottrade late last season. Mermis has played in four NHL games since his callup last week from Arizona’s American Hockey League affiliate in Tucson.

St Louis Post Dispatch LOADED: 11.09.2017 1082382 Tampa Bay Lightning

Lightning's top line takes charge in 5-1 win over Sharks

Joe SmithTimes staff writer Published: November 8, 2017 Updated: November 9, 2017 at 06:24 AM

SAN JOSE, Calif - Coach Jon Cooper dubbed this three-game road trip through California the team’s the biggest test yet this season. So far, so good. The Sharks came in as one of the league’s hottest teams, and the Lightning whipped them, 5-1 in front of a stunned SAP Center. The five goals San Jose allowed nearly matched the combined total (six) during it’s four game winning streak. And they all came after the Sharks scored 25 seconds in. "You look at the score now, I don’t know if we were thinking that after the first shift," coach Jon Cooper said. "I thought it said a little bit about our team the way they responded after that, because it always feels like when you come into this building and they jump on you, you try to weather the first five minutes. We really responded after that." The Lightning’s top line continued to dazzle with nine combined points. Nikita Kucherov (15th goal) and Vladislav Namestnikov (sixth and seventh) both scored, and captain Steven Stamkos adding to his league- leading point total with three more assists. And Tampa Bay’s blueline continued its offensive resurgence, with Slater Koekkoek and Jake Dotchin each scoring a goal. Dotchin’s became the third Lightning defenseman to tally his first NHL goal this season, joining Koekkoek and Mikhail Sergachev. "I remember banging into the glass (for the celebration), but I don’t really remember much before that," Dotchin said. "Obviously it was exciting, something I’ve looked forward to for sure." The fact the Lightning (12-2-2) entered first intermission tied gave it a boost. It had been too passive in the first period - pass-happy, more like it - but had a whole different feel in the second, which Stamkos dubbed their best period of the year. "There was a lot said between the first and second," Cooper said. "As the game went on, in the second period, we were on top of them, we were skating, we weren’t giving them any space." Namestnikov, who might be playing the best hockey of his career, notched his second goal in the third period, giving him seven on the season (he had 10 all of last year). The Lightning resumes its trip Thursday against the Kings at Staples Center. "This is a big trip for us," Cooper said. "And it’s a huge step to get the two points (Wednesday). But we’ve got a couple heavy teams that we have to find a way to beat."

Tampa Bay Times LOADED: 11.09.2017 1082383 Tampa Bay Lightning "At that point, it was far from the NHL," Gourde said. "But all I wanted to do is get to the pro level, earn my living as a hockey player. It’s been a really fun journey since." Lightning’s Gourde returns to where it all began, and where it almost ended Tampa Bay Times LOADED: 11.09.2017

Published: November 8, 2017 Updated: November 8, 2017 at 10:57 PM By JOE SMITH

SAN JOSE, Calif — Yanni Gourde sat back in his dressing room stall Wednesday afternoon, reflecting on returning to where his pro career began five years ago. But the Lightning forward never forgets that San Jose was also where his NHL dream appeared to hit a dead end. In 2012, Gourde dropped from the Sharks’ AHL affiliate to the ECHL, where he played for the San Francisco Bulls at the Cow Palace. You want the perfect metaphor for the 25-year-old’s steep climb to the NHL? Try the 25-plus steps that exhausted Bulls players had to make to get into the home dressing room between periods. "It was really high," Gourde said, laughing. "I was like ‘Oh my God.’ Sometimes I’d take a chair and sit there for a second before going up. But it was fun. It was an experience that I kind of grew on, and it made me the player I am today." Today Gourde is a key cog on the Lightning’s most complete line, joining Brayden Point and Ondrej Palat in shutting down opposing team’s top players. The line is relentless, tenacious and tireless. That basically describes Gourde. "What’s that bunny you put the batteries in? He’s kind of like that," coach Jon Cooper said. "He just is a worker." Gourde, an undrafted and undersized (5 feet 9) forward, had to claw his way into the NHL. He seemed light years away while playing those eight games with the Bulls. He had bounced in and out of the AHL Worcester Barracudas lineup, struggling to find his way. Worcester coach Roy Sommer, who had noticed Gourde’s playmaking ability in juniors (124 points in 68 games with Victoriaville in the Quebec Major Junior League in 2011-12), saw potential in bringing him back after 38 combined games in the ECHL between San Francisco and Kalamazoo in 2013-14. "Usually when a guy starts down there, they’ve got to take a different path," Sommer said. "Those guys do it the hard way. By the time you get them, they don’t want to go back." Gourde credited Sommer for helping him make the transition to the pro game. "Roy always used to tell me to, ‘Slow down, slow down!’ because I was trying to go 100 miles per hour every time I was on the ice," Gourde said. "And I wasn’t doing much because I was all over the ice." Gourde harnessed his energy to become almost a point-per-game player (four goals, 20 assists) in a 25-game tryout with Worcester in the second half of the 2013-14 season, eventually signing a free agent deal with the Lightning. Sommer said Gourde was tenacious, creating a handful of scoring chances a game. "The big thing with him was his stick-to-itiveness," said Sommer, who was at Wednesday’s game. "He didn’t give up and played the game the right way. It didn’t surprise me that he made the NHL." Gourde’s breakthrough callup late last season, during which he score six goals in a 20-game stint, earned him his first one-way contract (two years, $2 million) in June. But Gourde didn’t want to sit on it. He stayed in a downtown Tampa hotel during training camp, refusing to assume that a roster spot was a given. Gourde settled into an apartment when the season started. "Every time I’m on the ice, I’m like, ‘I want to be here tomorrow,’?" Gourde said. And if Gourde’s start to the season is any indication — nine points in 15 games and plus-7 entering Wednesday’s late game against the Sharks — he’s on track to remain an NHL regular for a long time. Not that Gourde will stop climbing, never forgetting those steps at the Cow Palace. 1082384 Tampa Bay Lightning

Lightning journal: Victor Hedman embraces more minutes on ice

Joe SmithTimes staff writer Published: November 8, 2017 Updated: November 8, 2017 at 10:15 PM

SAN JOSE, Calif. — Kings D Drew Doughty, whom the Lightning faces tonight, logged more than 35 minutes in Tuesday’s game against the Ducks. Senators D Erik Karlsson is another workhorse, often playing about half the game. Does Lightning D Victor Hedman ever go to coaches and say, "I can do that, too"? "I would never do that," Hedman quipped. "They know I want to be out there." Hedman has been on the ice more than ever, entering Wednesday’s game against the Sharks averaging a career-high 25:51, ranking ninth in the league. The Sabres’ Rasmus Ristolainen entered Wednesday leading the league at 27:10. Not only is Hedman’s average around 90 seconds higher than his previous best, 24:30 last season, but it’s more than the other defensemen with whom he was a Norris Trophy finalist last year, Karlsson at 25:37 and the Sharks’ Brent Burns at 25:07. Hedman embraces the larger workload. "My body feels great," he said. "This is what you work for every summer, to add more minutes to your game. But you’ve got to earn the right to play those minutes, and I take nothing for granted." Associate coach Rick Bowness said Hedman’s increased ice time is based on a few things. There’s the increase in power plays this season, Hedman a regular on both special teams units. And Bowness said the Lightning wants to make sure either Hedman, Anton Stralman or Dan Girardi is on the ice with rookie Mikhail Sergachev. Bowness said Hedman’s ice time is something they have to monitor over an 82-game season. "You’ve got to get a feel when he’s on and when he’s not," Bowness said. "When he’s on, let him go." Hedman, a combined minus-3 in his previous five games, knows there’s still room for improvement. "I know I’ve got better in me," he said. "I want to play as good as I can. It’s still early, and the team is winning. But I still feel like I have a few more steps in my game." C Cedric Paquette said he has thought a lot lately about whether his string of bad luck with injuries is finally behind him. Paquette has missed 66 combined games the past three seasons, including the past 10 this season, though he is expected to return on this three-game road trip. His latest, undisclosed, injury, suffered Oct. 9 against Washington, came at a time Paquette was playing some of his best hockey, on a line with Gabriel Dumont and Chris Kunitz. "I thought, at the beginning of the season, I played pretty much like I did three years ago in my first year," Paquette said. "It’s been tougher this year than last year, the year before, tough mentally. But what can you do, right?" Slap shots • G Andrei Vasilevskiy started Wednesday against San Jose. Backup Peter Budaj was expected to play tonight against his former team, the Kings. • D Slater Koekkoek returned to the lineup, replacing Andrej Sustr, who struggled Saturday against the Blue Jackets (minus-2 in 3:45 of ice time). F Gabriel Dumont was scratched. J.T. Brown stayed in. • F Erik Condra cleared waivers and returned to AHL Syracuse.

Tampa Bay Times LOADED: 11.09.2017 1082385 Tampa Bay Lightning

Cedric Paquette nears return, hoping bad luck behind him

By Joe Smith Published: November 8, 2017 Updated: November 8, 2017 at 04:19 PM

Lightning center Cedric Paquette said he's thought about it a lot lately. Just when will luck finally be on his side, the 24-year-old having missed a combined 65 games the past three seasons due to injuries. Paquette, sidelined since mid-October, will miss his 10th straight game today in San Jose, but will likely return on this California trip. "Hopefully it's behind me after this one," Paquette said. "And I can be healthy and be back to myself again." When Paquette is at his best, he's a relentless, gritty forward, who is a key cog in the bottom-six and on the penalty kill. He gets under opponents' skin, plays with an edge. But it's been difficult for Paquette to stay in the lineup, as he's seemingly been a magnet for the puck. His latest undisclosed injury, suffered Oct. 9 against Washington, came at a time Paquette was playing some of his best hockey, on a line with Gabriel Dumont and Chris Kunitz. "I thought, at the beginning of the season, I played pretty much like I did three years ago in my first year," Paquette said. "It's been tougher this year than last year, the year before, tough mentally. But what can you do, right?" This is a big season for Paquette, who is schedule to be a restricted free agent next summer. With a deep pool of prospects ready to jump into a bottom-six role in the NHL, Paquette is playing for his spot in the lineup, and with the organization, next year. "It's tough to get injured at this point," Paquette said. "But it's part of the game." More from morning skate: G Andrei Vasilevskiy will start for the Lightning, with backup Peter Budaj likely getting the nod Thursday against his former team, the Kings… D Slater Koekkoek will be in the lineup, replacing Andrej Sustr as the seventh defenseman. F Gabriel Dumont is scratched, with J.T. Brown still in.. Paquette is not ready to return… The Lightning is preparing to face a red-hot Sharks team that has won three straight and been very stingy in doing so (G Martin Jones was the NHL's third star of the week). "This will be the biggest test of the year for us," coach Jon Cooper said. "This trip."

Tampa Bay Times LOADED: 11.09.2017 1082386 Toronto Maple Leafs

Leafs remember ‘inspiring’ Halladay

By MARK ZWOLINSKI Sports reporter Wed., Nov. 8, 2017

Toronto Maple Leafs players were saddened by the passing of former Jays ace Roy Halladay, saying they’d drawn inspiration from the legendary pitcher’s work ethic. “It’s inspiring for sure,” Leafs centre Nazem Kadri said. “Watching him and other elite athletes do what they do, and living it every night, seeing how they play for their team, their teammates, and their city … you can learn from that.” Halladay’s death in a plane crash Tuesday was followed by tributes from around the sports world. The Leafs were to hold a moment of silence for the fallen pitcher prior to their game against Minnesota Wednesday night. “There are things you can learn from successful people,” Leafs winger James van Riemsdyk said. “You can pick things up from successful people, things that can give you and edge in your own game.” Former Blue Jays star pitcher Roy Halladay died Tuesday, leaving many of his peers in the sports world in shock. (The Canadian Press) Halladay, for instance, once ran a running club in spring training called the “Breakfast Club.” It got under way very early in the morning, and rookie pitchers and players attended the club, like it or not, rather than be seen as one who skipped the opportunity to gain access to Halladay’s preparation methods. Leafs defenceman Jake Gardiner, while not a “big baseball fan,” compared Halladay’s presence to newly-acquired veteran Patrick Marleau. “You look at Patty, he’s the first guy on the ice all the time, he’s working every day shooting pucks near the net, from different angles and different things,” Gardiner said. “Then you see the great shape he’s in, he’s always in great shape. He’s always taking care of his body. You see that and you can’t help but take notice.” Van Riemsdyk, meanwhile, was moved by the Halladay tragedy, partly because, after all the work and the success in baseball, the former Jay had precious little time to enjoy his other passions in life — his family, his airplane, golfing, and muscle cars. “It puts things in perspective,” van Riemsdyk said.

Toronto Star LOADED: 11.09.2017 1082387 Toronto Maple Leafs

Ailing Leaf star Auston Matthews to skip Wild game

By MARK ZWOLINSKISports reporter Wed., Nov. 8, 2017

Leafs centre Auston Matthews will sit out a game for the first time in his career when Toronto meets the Minnesota Wild on Wednesday night at the Air Canada Centre. “Upper body, day-to-day,” Leafs coach Mike Babcock said after the club’s morning skate. Matthews, who missed practice Tuesday, played in all 82 games in his rookie season last year and all 16 of the Leafs’ games to this point in the current season. Babcock is likely to keep the lines he had in practice Tuesday, with the centres being Patrick Marleau, Nazem Kadri, Tyler Bozak, and Dominic Moore. Marleau is moving from the wing to centre, a position he played for much of his career with San Jose. Toronto also recalled centre Fredrik Gauthier from the Marlies on Tuesday, but Gauthier will likely be a scratch for the game against Minnesota. “No one is taking his spot, someone will play there,” Babcock said about Matthews. “What we’ll do is make the (line changes) and give ourselves the best opportunity matchup-wise, defensive zone to offensive zone, and faceoffs. We’ll coordinate and give ourselves the best chance to win.” The Leafs held an optional skate at their morning skate Wednesday, with most of the players staying off the ice.

Toronto Star LOADED: 11.09.2017 1082388 Toronto Maple Leafs Toronto Star LOADED: 11.09.2017 Change of direction paying off for New Jersey Devils

By JOSHUA CLIPPERTONThe Canadian Press Wed., Nov. 8, 2017

After five miserable seasons without playoff hockey, the New Jersey Devils recognized they needed to change. The plodding, defensive style that had more or less defined the franchise for the better part of the last 25 years — and won the Devils three Stanley Cups in the process — was no longer the route to success in the youth- and speed-driven NHL of today. The pivot ushered in by head coach John Hynes and general manager Ray Shero has provided some impressive early results. Heading into Wednesday night’s action, New Jersey sits seventh in the overall standings and tied for sixth in goals per game, a far cry from past Devils teams that would often slow things down to the point where it looked like opponents were skating through quicksand. “I don’t know if we’re trying to change perception around the league. I know we’re trying to play a certain way,” Hynes said recently. “We want to be an aggressive team, we want to be a team that can play with lots of pace. “We have guys that are quick, they’re fast, they’re tenacious on the puck, they’re very competitive.” The Devils finished 27th overall and 28th in scoring in 2016-17, their team goals against per game wasn’t much better at 24th, and they wound up 27th in even strength shot differential. That came on the heels of Hynes and Shero’s first year in charge where New Jersey was dead-last in the league in offence and 29th in shot differential in missing the playoffs by 12 points. The puck possession number still aren’t great — they rank 27th so far this season — but the power play is up to eighth after finishing 22nd a year ago. “They are not the Devils of old,” Canucks head coach Travis Green said prior to Vancouver’s 2-0 home loss to New Jersey last week. “They are a very good hockey team that is hard to play against. “If you’re not ready to play that way it’s going to be a long night.” The Devils got off to the best start in franchise history at 9-2-0 before a recent 0-2-1 slide that included a 6-3 loss in Edmonton and a 5-4 shootout defeat in Calgary before Tuesday’s 3-1 setback at home to league-leading St. Louis. One area where New Jersey hasn’t been as strong as in years past is defensively, with the club averaging 3.14 goals against per game to rank 22nd, but those frailties sometimes come with the territory on a young team with seven players under the age of 23. “We don’t seem to break too often or too easily,” said Devils goalie Cory Schneider, who is 6-3-0 with a .919 save percentage. “There might be some moments where we get running around or we are on our heels a bit. “But I think mentally we have had that resolve this year where we don’t get down, we don’t get discouraged, we don’t look lost and just wait for something bad to happen.” The roster that’s tied for seventh youngest in the league at 26.5 years of age includes a trio of impressive rookies in centre and No. 1 overall pick Nico Hischier, defenceman and reigning Hobey Baker Award winner Will Butcher, who signed as a free agent over the summer, and winger Jesper Bratt — a sixth-round selection in 2016. New Jersey winger Taylor Hall, meanwhile, leads the team in scoring with five goals and 12 assists after a difficult first year following the trade from Edmonton. “Get some respect back for ourselves and for our team and organization, and re-energize our fans,” Hynes said of the Devils’ focus in training camp. “Lots of times — young, old — it’s about how you play. We’re just proud of the fact that some of the younger guys in our team have come in and they’ve been very consistent. “They’ve been able to play to the identity we want to play with. Good results have followed that process.” 1082389 Toronto Maple Leafs “All-World skill, but he plays like a third or a fourth-line player,” goaltender Braden Holtby said.

“How many guys do as many things as he does on the ice?” MacLellan T.J. Oshie earned contract from Capitals with his off-ice attitude asked. “He’s top of the league, I bet, in versatility.” MacLellan scheduled the individual end-of-season meetings in order of By ISABELLE KHURSHUDYAN The Washington Post age, starting with the oldest player. That meant Orpik was first, and while MacLellan didn’t ask everyone for an opinion on the team’s pending free Wed., Nov. 8, 2017 agents, he wanted to know Orpik’s thoughts as one of Washington’s alternate captains.

“I think his energy and his personality is very infectious in the room, T.J. Oshie brought home boxes and started the process of packing up especially for an 82-game season,” Orpik said he told MacLellan. “You the home he and his family have rented in Arlington for the past two need guys like him. I think he leads by example, how he plays, and Mac years. It was early May, and the Washington Capitals’ season had just obviously can see that, but it was kind of our job to let him know how ended in familiar and bitter fashion, leaving Oshie less than two months important he was in the room and (how) big a part he was on the team off from unrestricted free agency. He wanted to re-sign in Washington, but the ice, too.” he wasn’t blind to the big picture. Holtby also spoke up to MacLellan, concerned the team couldn’t afford to “We kind of just assumed that there wasn’t really enough salary cap lose another lively personality in the locker room after Jason Chimera space to stay,” he said. “We weren’t really planning on leaving, but we signed with the Islanders two summers ago. “A lot with consistency has were just figuring we were going to have to find somewhere else.” to do with the energy in our room,” he said. While Oshie was pondering the packing ahead, Capitals general The long NHL season stretches from the start of training camp in manager Brian MacLellan was conducting his end-of-season meetings. It September through the Stanley Cup Finals in June — so many early was during those exit interviews that player after player campaigned for mornings at the rink that it’s understandable to show up tired or in a bad the team to retain Oshie. mood on occasion. But Oshie is so consistently buzzing with joy that some Capitals have wondered if he’s faking it at times. They didn’t gush about his 33-goal season, nor the fact that he was the first player besides Alex Ovechkin to lead the franchise in goals since “He’s always been that way,” said Lauren Oshie, T.J.’s wife. “I think that’s 2009-10. They figured his play had spoken for itself. Instead they focused what attracted me to him when we first met.” on his constant positivity throughout the draining 82-game seasons and the vigour he brought to every shift on the ice. And they spoke of both in Lauren saw some of that spirit in Oshie’s father, Tim, who manages to reverence. crack jokes and get the room laughing even as he’s lived with an Alzheimer’s diagnosis for the past five years. When T.J. and Lauren “I don’t think I’ve ever played with a guy who has the combination of his learned their first child, Lyla, would be born with a condition called talent on the ice and that energy,” defenceman Brooks Orpik said. “I think gastroschisis, a hole in the abdominal wall that causes a baby’s he’s a guy — I don’t want to say impossible — but he’s pretty hard not to intestines to be outside of the body, it was T.J.’s positivity that helped like.” ease Lauren’s stress during the pregnancy. The steady stream of praise gave MacLellan plenty to think about, and “I really think a lot of it is just innate,” Lauren said. put the Capitals on the course for their most crucial decision of the summer. In Oshie, MacLellan felt he had a player who had the blue-collar Some of it was intentional, learned from Oshie’s previous stops in the attitude to inspire others around him while still possessing the skill to NHL. As a 22-year-old rookie in St. Louis, Oshie overlapped with veteran score, two ingredients the team has desperately needed as it has failed Dan Hinote, whom Oshie credits for always holding a glass-half-full to advance past the postseason’s second round with Ovechkin on the mentality. team. “He was the guy in the locker room that I’m still trying to be now,” Oshie “We get in the playoffs, you notice him,” MacLellan said. “He brings you said. into the fight. He recognizes when the team’s a little flat and he tries to go out and change the energy.” “There’s a lot that goes into that,” said Rangers defenceman Kevin Shattenkirk, who played with Oshie in St. Louis and Washington. “It’s not But MacLellan also faced a complicated off-season picture with 11 always just being a guy who everyone likes. It’s being a guy who players in a contract year and some due for big pay raises, including everyone respects. T.J. has always been a guy who just works hard in Oshie, who would have been coveted by other teams as the top practice, he works hard in games — I don’t think anyone ever questions unrestricted free agent on the market. On June 23, Oshie signed a $46- his work ethic. He holds guys accountable when they need to be held million contract that will keep him in Washington through the 2024-25 accountable, and he knows how to pick guys up as well . . . season, four seasons longer than the current deal of Ovechkin, the face of the franchise. With that contract, and because of his unique “I don’t think anything is going to change within T.J. when he’s 36 or 37. I combination of talent and charisma, Oshie shifted from a peripheral piece think he’s still going to have that young, boyish personality and that into the team’s core. lightheartedness that keeps guys up and keeps guys happy. He’s someone who can play until he’s 38, 39 years old.” “You want as many of these guys as you can find,” MacLellan said. When Oshie sat down for his end-of-season meeting with MacLellan, he How the team valued Oshie could probably best be seen in a later move expressed his desire to stay. Then, as so many other players had that made by MacLellan. To help accommodate the new salaries for Oshie day, Oshie gave MacLellan his opinion. and the team’s restricted free agents, the Capitals traded away Marcus Johansson, a top-six, goal-scoring forward, for draft picks. “I thought it was realistic that we can have a real shot at a couple Stanley Cups,” he said. The message was clear. While the team liked Johansson, he was a complementary piece over his seven seasons in Washington. Oshie, in The Capitals gave Oshie a maximum eight-year term because that the two years since the Capitals acquired him from the St. Louis Blues, helped get the salary cap hit, derived from the average annual value of had become an indispensable part of its foundation. the contract, down to something that would still allow Washington future flexibility with its roster. Committing that many years to a 30-year-old is Trading for Oshie before the 2015-16 season became one of the risky as goal-scorers typically are in decline at this age. But the team marquee moves of MacLellan’s three-year tenure as Capitals general figured he’d continue to be a top-line player for at least the first half of the manager. Washington had needed a top-line complement to Ovechkin contract, when Washington’s championship hopes are highest, and he and centre Nicklas Backstrom for years, and while Oshie may have could help establish a culture in the locker room with a roster that’s started as their sidekick, the change of scenery helped him become a expected to get younger in the second half of his deal. star in his own right. Oshie’s 23.1 shooting percentage was the highest in the league last Oshie rediscovered his creativity in Washington, and after never scoring season, well above his career average of 11.8 per cent. MacLellan more than 21 goals in St. Louis, he put up 26 in his first season with the wasn’t concerned that may be a red flag for future regression in Capitals. In his second year, his 33 goals matched Ovechkin for the team production because Oshie’s power play position in front of the net lead, even though Oshie played 14 fewer games. But the goals only provides him regular high-probability scoring opportunities. accounted for part of Oshie’s value. He’s a threat on Washington’s top power-play unit, he kills penalties and his two-way game is sophisticated “He has such a good release and shot from that area and you have enough to match up against opponents’ top goal-scorers. Backstrom and (Evgeny Kuznetsov) feeding you and Ovi behind you, so I mean, are you going to have a normal shooting percentage?” MacLellan said. The long-term ties to Washington hit home for Oshie when he considered that by the time his new contract expires, his daughters Lyla and Leni will be 11 and 9, respectively, having spent the bulk of their childhood here even after Oshie played seven seasons in St. Louis. “That’s the crazy part,” he said. The fan base has embraced his family, with Lauren Oshie’s Instagram account boasting roughly 166,000 followers eager to see photos and videos of the girls every day. In the same way, the Oshies have fallen hard for the D.C. area. Lyla takes local ballet and gymnastics classes, and she’s in nursery school with Haley Backstrom, Nicklas’s daughter. T.J. still slows down every time he drives by the White House on his way to Washington’s downtown arena. The boxes he brought home in May for a potential move are still in the garage, and the family will still have to pack soon. They bought a house in nearby McLean, Va., and plan to move there in February. “D.C. is our home now,” Oshie said.

Toronto Star LOADED: 11.09.2017 1082390 Toronto Maple Leafs

The long and the short of Frederik Gauthier’s return from his leg injury

By Mark Zwolinski Sports reporter Wed., Nov. 8, 2017

A funny thing happened to Frederik Gauthier after a not-so-funny leg injury he suffered last May — he got shorter. It wasn’t a dramatic change for the six-foot-five centre, but there was a side effect to the surgical procedure he went through to correct a detached hamstring. “I actually got shorter because (of) what they had to do to it. They took some of (the hamstring muscles) out and then (reattached) the muscles,” said the 22-year-old Gauthier, who joined the Leafs from the Marlies on Tuesday to add depth at centre, with Auston Matthews missing Wednesday’s game against Minnesota. Gauthier took a hit from behind in the Marlies’ second-round playoff series last May against Syracuse. He slammed heavily into the boards and when he got back up, he knew something was wrong. Syracuse defenceman Jake Dotchin was suspended three games for the hit; Gauthier was done for the season. The extent of the injury wasn’t apparent at first. Gauthier said the situation got “worse and worse” until surgery was required to repair an avulsion of the hamstring, a complete tear of the muscle where it attaches to the pelvis under the buttocks. St. Louis Blues forward Steve Ott was the most recent NHLer to undergo a similar procedure after suffering the same injury against the Leafs last December. Ott returned in April. Gauthier was given a six-month time frame for recovery, but he was skating less than three months after his May surgery. He stayed in Toronto for the entire summer, and relied on the Leafs’ sports sciences team while re-learning his walking and skating technique. “It was a long summer,” he said. “It was tough mentally, not having the strength you usually do, and working hard to get it all back. “At first, I had to learn to walk all over again, just being in a (leg cast) at first, then a lot of work in the pool, then trying to run. Eventually, I got back on the ice and then I had to learn to skate again, it was very tough.” And while he might be a touch shorter — maybe a millimetre — he says he’s faster on skates now. And he can smile about the ordeal he went through. “My left side is shorter than my right side now because of what they took out, but I’m 100 per cent now,” Gauthier said.

Toronto Star LOADED: 11.09.2017 1082391 Toronto Maple Leafs

Leafs’ Nikita Soshnikov has option to return to KHL if he’s not in the NHL next week

By Kevin McGran Sports Reporter Wed., Nov. 8, 2017

The Maple Leafs have a bit of a ticking time bomb with Nikita Soshnikov’s contract. If the 24-year-old Russian forward, currently with the Toronto Marlies of the American Hockey League, is not in the NHL by Tuesday, he has the right to return to the KHL. “At that time if he is not called up to the NHL he has the option to go to Russia,” Dan Milstein, Soshnikov’s agent, told the Star. “It will be up to the general manager and the coaching staff to make a decision. “In my opinion, Nikita Soshnikov is an NHL player.” Milstein confirmed the clause to the Star after TSN’s Pierre LeBrun first reported it. Soshnikov failed to make the Leafs out of training camp and was sent to the minors in part because of a numbers game. He did not require waivers to be sent to the Marlies, but he will once he plays three more NHL games. It is possible the Leafs could convince Soshnikov to remain in the AHL, but it would require further negotiation with Milstein. Soshnikov is a restricted free agent July 1. If he remains in the minors as of Tuesday, Soshnikov does not have to exercise his option to move back to Russia right away. He can choose to go later. Leafs GM Lou Lamoriello did not offer a comment. But if in anjury or a trade does not materialize, Lamoriello’s hand may be forced while other teams peruse the Leafs roster to see how this may fall in their favour. To call up Soshnikov, the Leafs would have to create a roster spot. The only player the Leafs can send to the Marlies who doesn’t require waivers is Frederik Gauthier, who was just recalled as a depth centre with Auston Matthews missing Wednesday’s game with an upper-body injury. The Leafs, who have just loaned Eric Fehr to the AHL San Diego Gulls, are loathe to lose a player for nothing. Under Lamoriello, they have found imaginative ways to hold on to players, including a liberal use of provisions for injured reserve and conditioning stints within the collective bargaining agreement. The Leafs signed Soshnikov as a free agent in 2014, when he was one of the promising youngsters coming out of the KHL. He spent most of last season on the NHL roster, but suffered a series of injuries. He has seven goals and seven assists in 67 career NHL games, and three goals and six assists in 11 games with the Marlies this season. “Nikita Soshnikov had an accomplished KHL career before coming to the NHL,” Milstein said. He came here because he wants to play in the NHL. We’re patiently waiting until Nov. 14. “I don’t want to speculate. I have a great relationship with Lou. Nikita is having a great season in the AHL. Of course he wants to be in the NHL. We’ll let the system work itself out.”

Toronto Star LOADED: 11.09.2017 1082392 Toronto Maple Leafs Toronto Star LOADED: 11.09.2017

Marleau fills in for Matthews in win over Wild

By Kevin McGranSports Reporter Wed., Nov. 8, 2017

When it came to looking around the Maple Leafs dressing room to see who might fill the void, Maple Leafs coach Mike Babcock turned to his trusted veteran, Patrick Marleau. The Maple Leafs signed Marleau to be a winger, but with Auston Matthews missing his first game due to an undisclosed upper body injury — widely believed to be a back injury — the speedy 38-year-old was inserted on the top line with Zach Hyman and Connor Brown. Marleau and Brown both scored, and the Leafs skated off with a 4-2 win Wednesday night over the Minnesota Wild. “It’s a good example to all of us,” Babcock saod. “A good example for all of us. You’re 38 years old and you can work that hard and do things right. I don’t want him to play in the middle a lot. You play in the middle, it’s a lot of work (skating) 200 feet all the time. “Right now we need him and I thought he stepped up real good.” Hyman, who has played with Matthews for most of his young career, was duly impressed with Marleau. “He’s not really old, he’s got a lot of energy,” Hyman said. “A guy that scored over 500 goals beating out an icing shows you what a pro should do and how you should play. “Any time you get a chance to play with a player with that much experience, you learn a lot of things. Patty’s great, whether he plays centre or wing.” Though it was the Leafs’ second win in a row, it won’t do much to allay concerns about their style of play. They’ve beaten two tired Western Conference road teams in the midst of long trips east. This win wasn’t pretty. There were plenty of turnovers and plenty of mistakes. Minnesota held the better of the play, and Leafs goalie Frederik Andersen was full value for his saves. Morgan Rielly set up the first goal by Nazem Kadri, a terrific shot that bounced off the backboards. Marleau scored the second goal. Connor Carrick also scored for the Leafs. It made Rielly seem almost like a prophet with is pre-game prediction. “We’ll deal with it,” Rielly said of missing Matthews. “We have guys who can jump in and play. Our depth is a proud point for this team.” Carrick scored what turned out to be the winner, but only because he took a careless penalty toward the end of the third period. Jason Zucker got his second of the game on the power play as the Wild gained some life and led to a crazy finish. Brown’s empty netter secured the win. Carrick was upset with himself for his needless roughing penalty and the power-play goal that took the potential winning goal away from Marleau. “I liked the way I was playing, but (that was) a horrible penalty I took. I owe an apology,” Carrick said. “Horrible decision.” Minnesota’s rally backed up what Babcock had said before the game. “One second you have breathing room, then you take your foot off the gas and the next thing you know you don’t have any breathing room,” Babcock said. “That’s how I think it’s going to be for teams like us right to the end. I think each and every year right now, that’s how the league is set up and it’s exciting for fans, not as exciting for the coach. I’d like to know we’re in the playoffs about Game 20, but it’s not like that.” The Leafs are certainly in OK shape, now 10-7-0. And when Andersen is on, they have a chance to outscore their mistakes. Certainly, on a night without Matthews, their other best players were indeed their best players. Matthews’ absence had an effect throughout the lines. Marleau played centre between Zach Hyman and Brown, while William Nylander moved to the right wing with Leo Komarov and Kadri. Josh Leivo moved back into the lineup, on the fourth line with Dominic Moore and Matt Martin. The only familiar line was one that was reunited for the occasion: Tyler Bozak with James van Riemsdyk and Mitch Marner.

1082393 Toronto Maple Leafs Look, it’s not like it’s been Matthews and his line and nothing else. Morgan Rielly is having a serious season; Ron Hainsey has been capable. Kadri now has nine goals, one fewer than Matthews; Marleau, So this is Game 1 of Life Without Matthews: Arthur who played centre Wednesday, has done everything you could ask. This is still a team with a lot of talent, and the capacity to do much more.

But this was a chance for the Leafs to show they are more than their top By Bruce ArthurSports Columnist line, habits and all. They only vaguely managed that, but won anyway. They still have plenty of work to do. Matthews wants to top Connor Wed., Nov. 8, 2017 McDavid, whose Oilers could well have won that 2016 lottery, and who are already in the running for the No. 1 pick next year; in Edmonton, the

complaint is that McDavid doesn’t have enough around him; in Toronto, it Do you remember life for the Leafs before Auston Matthews? Do you hadn’t reached that point. It probably won’t. remember the temporary scaffolding-style rosters, or P.A. Parenteau as Of course, nobody knows how long Matthews will be day to day — as their second-leading scorer, or Leo Komarov as an all-star, because Babcock said, “I don’t have a clue, honestly.” Unless it’s a real problem, everybody needs one, and he was Toronto’s. Bless Uncle Leo. But. this team should have enough to overcome his absence; the graveyards Remember Leafs life before that? Boos, chants, waffles on the ice, are full of indispensable men, goes the old saying, meant to be wry. But Salutegate — for all the noise, a team decided not to salute its fans then, some men are more indispensable than others. because they were upset at how they were being treated — Dion

Phaneuf and the stereo, Phil and everything? Toronto Star LOADED: 11.09.2017 The past wasn’t so long ago, really. It just feels that way. That was all before Auston Matthews, who sat out Wednesday night’s empty-net-aided 4-2 victory against the Minnesota Wild with what was described as an upper-body injury. As much as the roster has been improved, Matthews is the biggest accelerator and had never missed a Leafs game before. Never one to waste a good crisis, coach Mike Babcock tried to make it a teachable moment for a young team that has been skidding off the road. “Well, I just think it’s time for us to dig in,” Babcock said. “It’s simple. I don’t think you can race to 10 (goals) without him and so we’ve got to play right without the puck. And, if you play right . . . we’ve been talking and working on this for a long time, the results don’t always show it, but that’s what we’ve been trying to talk about and, growing up as a team, here’s a real good opportunity for us.” Unpacked, Babcock was basically saying that without Matthews, the chance of this Leafs team outscoring its opponents — which for a team second in the league in scoring doesn’t seem too much to ask, at times — goes down dramatically. And then the Leafs spent more time than you’d like chasing the puck against an injury-dotted Minnesota team. Before the game, Wild defenceman Matt Dumba was chattering to his teammates in the hallway and barked, “It’s our city. They just live in it!” For long stretches, hockey- wise, he wasn’t wrong. Which led to the simplest solution to deal with no Matthews: timely goals, and have the goalie make some bleepin’ saves. Matthews may be this team’s superstar, but Frederik Andersen is its most indispensable player, and had been effectively absent — say, 10.05 per cent absent — for the first month of the season. Wednesday, he was the glue, stopping 35 of 37 shots. It changes so much, when your goalie makes saves. “All in all, it was a good night for us. Good for our goaltender, too,” Babcock said. “Confidence is an important thing, it’s starting to get going, and it’ll be good for him.” “When you have that good feeling,” Andersen said, “you want to build on it.” Which, without Matthews and absent some real improvement, may be necessary. At 5-on-5, Matthews has been on the ice for 18 goals for and . . . five against. His linemates William Nylander and Zach Hyman are now at 17 and five and 11 and five, respectively. And the only other Toronto forwards who had been on the ice for more 5-on-5 goals for than against were Patrick Marleau, Nazem Kadri and Matt Martin. Kadri and Martin only got there Wednesday, and all three have one-goal margins. Add in special teams and Matthews was at 27 for, eight against. The only NHL forwards on the ice for more goals: Steven Stamkos and Nikita Kucherov in Tampa, and Jaden Schwartz, Brayden Schenn and Vladimir Tarasenko in St. Louis. So, Matthews was centering the third-most productive line in hockey, more or less. Fifth in scoring, fifth in goals, 20 years old. That the Leafs reached a point where they split Matthews and Nylander in St. Louis, even briefly, was an indication of how messy the rest has been. “He’s a guy we can play against anybody,” Babcock said. “He plays against the best matchups on the road and I think he’s plus — I don’t know what he is — plus-14 or something like that. He’s playing against the best D and the best forwards on the road and he’s playing against the best D and the second-best forwards at home. I think that speaks to it right there.” 1082394 Toronto Maple Leafs

Leafs Locker: Soshnikov won't use KHL clause - yet.

Lance Hornby November 8, 2017 11:33 PM EST

Nikita Soshnikov has an option to get off the crowded Toronto Marlies roster and play at home to improve his profile for getting called up. The Russian winger who showed promised the past couple of years before getting marginalized by injuries and the general Leafs youth movement, has a contract clause that allows him to join any KHL club on loan if he’s not on the NHL roster by Nov. 14. Soshnikov played 56 Leaf games last season with nine points, but didn’t make the team out of camp with Josh Leivo the extra forward and almost no injuries creating any openings. Soshnikov has nine points in 11 games so far with the Marlies, placing him third on the farm team. Not that the former winger with Atlant in the KHL would jump next Tuesday at first chance. “We are not entertaining any offers from the KHL at this time,” agent Dan Milstein told the Toronto Sun in an e-mail Wednesday morning. Coming up on restricted free agency next season, if Soshnikov did go home to the KHL he’d be subject to recall by the Leafs during any loan period. But he is also three NHL games away from 70 and being waiver eligible, meaning if the Leafs were to play him three more times at any stage, they could not send him back down without having him clear. Wild coach Bruce Boudreau was in fine form Wednesday after spending the previous night visiting family and dropping by a reunion of his junior Marlies. A gathering of the 1955 Memorial Cup champions and ex-Leaf Boudreau’s ‘75 team, was held at the home of “Ultimate Leafs Fan” Mike Wilson. The ‘75 team were the last to win the Memorial Cup before the Marlies moved away in the ‘90s. “It was great,” Boudreau said. “I was telling our players it’s amazing that you don’t see guys for 40 years, but what championship teams do is create a bond that can never be broken. You see guys for the first time and it’s just where you left off. Nothing seems to be different, except the way we look.” Boudreau was also asked about Johnny Bower turning 93 on Wednesday. The great goalie was around the Gardens scene with Boudreau in the 1970s. “He worked with me at my hockey school for 10 years and then John Jr. took over,” noted Boudreau. “He’s been 93 for about 22 years. He’s just going to keep going, a tremendous man.” The Wild planned a switch to relief netminder Alex Stalock on Wednesday. Stalock was technically a Leaf at the end of the 2015-16 season when he came with Ben Smith in the James Reimer trade with San Jose. But the impending birth of Stalock’s second child caused him to leave town and No. 1 Devan Dubnyk was in his usual spot.Stalock was 1-2 with a .907 save percentage with the Marlies, joining the Wild organization at the start of the ‘16=17 season. Prior to Wednesday’s game, the Leafs were 4-0 when Patrick Marleau scores … Boudreau says he’s not going to get involved with any technical advice while Dubnyk is going through an early-season slump. “I talk to the goalie coach (Bob Mason) and the goalie coach talks to him,” Boudreau said. “I’ve never been active going in and telling the goalie how to play. I’ve never played the position.” … Prominent in the hallway between both dressing rooms Wednesday morning was former Wild coach Jacques Lemaire, now a Leafs special assignment coach based in Florida.

Toronto Sun LOADED: 11.09.2017 1082395 Toronto Maple Leafs Morgan Rielly just missing the net, but nicking Kadri and getting a backboard bounce right off the goalie’s skate and in.

Rielly and defence partner Ron Hainsey couldn’t exit the zone late in the Matthews-less Maple Leafs tame Wild first, a failure that eventually led to Hyman losing track of Jason Zucker in front and getting to an Eric Staal rebound. On Zucker’s second goal with five minutes to play and Carrick in the box, Staal collected his 49th point Lance Hornby in his 44th game against Toronto. November 9, 2017 6:16 AM EST But Brown’s empty netter sealed the deal and somewhere in the lower bowl where Leaf extras watch the game, Matthews must have been smiling. Those fans bummed at paying large coin at the ACC and not seeing young star Auston Matthews still had bang for their buck from an old hand at centre and a hot hand in goal. Toronto Sun LOADED: 11.09.2017 With leading scorer Matthews missing his first game after 104 straight regular season and playoff appearances, Toronto survived defensive breakdowns and a slow start offensively to beat the Minnesota Wild 4-2 Wednesday and take consecutive games at home since the first time since early October. The Leafs now have a record of 5-0-0 when new acquisition Marleau scores, while a second straight win for Frederik Andersen after a wonky Western road trip also gave coach Mike Babcock some encouragement. “We took (three second-period penalties) and needed Freddy,” Babcock said of his perfect penalty kill in that frame. “We scored timely goals. I thought the Marleau line (the 38-year-old at centre between Matthews’ winger Zach Hyman and Connor Brown) and Nazem Kadri’s were good, playing against two pretty good centres. We found a way to win.” After a guessing game all day Monday about Matthews’s status against Vegas, Babcock put a quick end to speculation in the morning, scratching him at least one game with a suspected back injury or “upper body” as he repeated when specifics were requested. Where Babcock often opines that an injured player should be OK to play in an ensuing game, Babcock would not commit to Matthews being ready for the weekend home-and- home against Boston. Matthews has a lingering injury from the West and this week’s schedule was getting quite jammed. The Boston series, against a divisional rival, completes 10 games in 17 days. Babcock said he recognized Matthews’ durability in not taking a breather since his dramatic four-goal debut in Ottawa 13 months ago. “For sure, but sometimes you get bumped or you get hacked or those things happen. We sat out Matt Martin and James van Riemsdyk one time (this season). You’ve got to use your head the best you can. That’s why we’ve got other (medical) people than me. Everyone would play every night if I was in charge of that.” With Matthews out, flankers Hyman and William Nylander were dispersed, Nylander placed with Kadri and Leo Komarov. They led the shutdown of the Wild, whose best chances came from 15 Toronto giveaways and some lax coverage from the blue line. Connor Carrick and Andreas Borgman had some issues and took three minors between them, though Carrick was credited with the winning goal through traffic early in the third. But it was Marleau with a big marker after Andersen’s save on a wide open Matt Cullen gave the Leafs a 2-1 lead. Marleau also out-legged two Wild players to negate an icing in that second period. “That guy has been around forever and he understands how it works,” Kadri said. “That’s one guy who is going to bring it every single night and he stepped up to the plate and was able to come through. He’s got speed and it seems you put a puck in any area and he’s gonna go get it. His work ethic is second to none and even when he’s not there first, he’s getting on top of the play. “Auston’s a guy we can’t replace, but we have a lot of guys who can handle some quality minutes.” Andersen’s 42nd win as a Leaf tied Terry Sawchuck for 20th place in team history. He avoided a late-game injury when Carrick bent an exposed arm backwards as the defenceman came around his net. Andersen’s play on the road trip (1-3) had people scrutinizing his save percentage as the Leafs slipped close to .500, but he made 35 stops on Wednesday. “We realized we didn’t have the best road trip and wanted to get back on track the next two games,” Andersen said. “We want to build on it.” The Leafs waited almost nine minutes for their first shot on goal of the game, which might have been a good thing for Minnesota, given goalie Devan Dubnyk’s early season inconsistency. Toronto scored first, 1082396 Toronto Maple Leafs The Leafs honoured Roy Halladay with a pre-game video tribute and a moment of silence. Good to witness … The most recent Leafs game without Matthews in the lineup was on April 9, 2016, the regular-season Snapshots: Maple Leafs' Hyman showing plenty of confidence finale. The Toronto centres that night were Tyler Bozak, William Nylander, Frederik Gauthier and Byron Froese … Who was Jake Gardiner’s hockey hero growing up in Minnesota? None other than ex- Leaf Darby Hendrickson, now an assistant coach with the Wild. “He Terry Koshan scored the first (home) goal in Wild history and I always thought that was pretty cool,” Gardiner said. “He lives in my parents’ neighbourhood, so November 8, 2017 11:57 PM EST we run into each other once in a while.” … Babcock’s take on parity in the NHL: “It’s exciting for fans, not as exciting for the coach. I’d like to know we’re in the playoffs around Game 20, but it’s not like that.” Zach Hyman doesn’t necessarily need confidence, not with the manner in which the Maple Leafs forward plays hockey. Dogged determination and resilience are Hyman’s trademarks. Toronto Sun LOADED: 11.09.2017 Still, when Hyman made the kind of play he did in the Leafs’ 4-2 win against the Minnesota Wild at the Air Canada Centre on Wednesday night, setting up Patrick Marleau for the Leafs’ second goal, you can bet Hyman will have a bit more of a spring in his step. “I think the big smile is (because of) the win,” Hyman said. “That’s why you come to the rink, is to win. “But any time you help the team and you see stuff you have been working on come to fruition, it’s nice. You just want to build off that too. It’s a good feeling when you make a play like that.” Early in the second period, Hyman controlled the puck in the offensive zone, patiently waited for Marleau to move into the play and fed the 38- year-old in the slot. Marleau slowed and beat Minnesota goalie Devan Dubnyk, giving the Leafs a 2-1 lead at time. With Auston Matthews out, Hyman and Marleau meshed well with Connor Brown. “I think he should have a world of confidence,” Leafs coach Mike Babcock said of Hyman. “He’s right up there in our 5-on-5 scoring, he doesn’t get to play on the power play, but he easily could. He blocks shots, he’s physical, he’s hard to play against, he comes every single night.” Does Babcock expect Matthews back for the weekend, when the Leafs play a home-and-home set Friday and Saturday against the Boston Bruins? “I don’t have a clue, honest to God, I don’t know,” Babcock said after the game. “(The medical staff) will keep me abreast. One thing I know is you can’t go to a guy and ask him every day, (because) you’re putting pressure on him. When (Matthews) is ready to play, they’re going to tell me.” … A source indicated that Matthews is dealing with a back issue. After Babcock said Wednesday morning that Matthews is day to day with an upper-body injury, we asked the coach specifically if Matthews’ back was the problem. “Upper body,” Babcock repeated … The game between the Leafs and Wild before 19,049 was what you might have expected: Mid-week dull. The Leafs missed Matthews in the sense that he has the potential to put people on the edge of their seats on every shift. Frederik Andersen was the best player in blue and white as Toronto was outshot 37-19 … If Andersen is mediocre, it’s a safe bet the Leafs don’t win. “You see it throughout the regular season, teams with strong goaltending … you have to have it,” defenceman Connor Carrick said. “It’s non-negotiable. You see a guy back there who is horse and creates confidence for your team, that leakiness (if it exists) can seep into the group and kind of create some nervous tendencies. We’re definitely fortunate to have him.” … Marleau’s goal was his sixth as a Leaf and 514th of his National Hockey League career, moving him past Jeremy Roenick into 39th on the NHL career list … Breakdowns meant the Leafs had some difficulty breaking out of the defensive zone. Tape- to-tape passes were the exception at times, not the rule … Not long before the Leafs scored their second goal, Andersen made a great pad save on Matt Cullen after the Leafs couldn’t move the puck out of the zone. And another point-blank save, this one on Nino Niederreiter, came after the Marleau goal … Six-foot, 175-pound Mitch Marner knocked 6- foot-2, 210-pound Wild defenceman Kyle Quincey off the puck in the first period. Marner won’t always win those physical battles, but you can bet he gets a check mark in Babcock’s good books when he does … The Wild goal toward the end of the first period came when Jason Zucker had more time than he should have been allowed to beat Andersen on a rebound. The Leafs didn’t wilt and dug in, as Babcock hoped they would, killing off three Wild power plays in the second period … Marleau drew a loud cheer when he raced past two Wild players to negate an icing. “You see a guy who has scored over 500 goals beating out an icing, it shows you what a pro should do and how you should play,” Hyman said … Of the Leafs’ 10 wins, it was the fifth in which they allowed two goals or less … Defenceman Andreas Borgman played nine minutes 17 seconds, his lowest ice time of the season. 1082397 Toronto Maple Leafs accepted practice. Every team does it to some extent. Of course, it’s easier to do in a sport where teams like the Golden State Warriors have already locked up a playoff spot by November. Should the NHL take a page from the NBA's book and start resting its The NHL has far more parity so it’s a risk for any team to go into a game stars? with a disadvantaged roster. Every point, whether it’s in October or April, matters in the standings. At the same time, taking one player off an NHL roster should have less of an impact as taking a player off an NBA roster, Michael Traikos since NHL rosters are bigger and their star players are on the ice significantly less than NBA stars. November 8, 2017 In the past, the Pittsburgh Penguins have won gone weeks and months without Sidney Crosby or Evgeni Malkin in the lineup and not missed a beat. The Montreal Canadiens are undefeated in the three games that Auston Matthews earns towering comparison with early scoring spree: Carey Price has been out with a lower-body injury, while the Ottawa 'He's a young Mario Lemieux' Senators were without Erik Karlsson for their first five games of the In hockey, the term used is “maintenance day.” season and earned at least a point in all five. It sounds like someone is taking his body to the auto shop for a tire While Matthews is important to the Leafs’ success, this is a team that has rotation and a tune-up, but it mostly means a player was too sore to so much depth that Mitch Marner has been playing on the fourth line and practice. By now no one questions it. Hockey is a physical sport. If you NHL-calibre players such as Josh Leivo and Kasperi Kapanen are unable need to skip the day’s on-ice session to soak in an ice bath or get a to get into the lineup on a regular basis. massage, do it. Toronto should survive. And Matthews, whenever he is healthy — or The question is why doesn’t it happen on game days? well-rested — will be the better for it. Maybe it should. Maybe it is and we just don’t know. Two days after Auston Matthews was a game-time decision and played National Post LOADED: 11.09.2017 in the Toronto Maple Leafs’ 4-3 overtime shootout win against the Vegas Golden Knights, and one day after he missed practice with “soreness,” the best player on the Toronto Maple Leafs will not play Wednesday night against the Minnesota Wild. The official word from head coach Mike Babcock is that Matthews is day-to-day with an upper-body injury. The unofficial word was that he needed a break. And few could blame him. This is a brutal part of the schedule for the Maple Leafs. After playing four games in six nights on the road last week — three in California and one in St. Louis — they returned home for another four games in six nights this week. In total, they play eight games in 13 days, including two sets of games on back-to-back nights. If this were the middle of March, perhaps whatever is ailing Matthews wouldn’t have kept him out of the lineup. But if you are going to miss a game to rest a bump or a bruise, better to do it in the second week of November when the points in the standings don’t seem as dire. “I think you’re never going to feel 100 per cent,” Matthews said after Monday’s win against Vegas, in which he had an assist and logged a game-high 21 minutes and 11 seconds among forwards. “But I felt good enough to play and good enough to contribute.” It was another way of saying that he had gutted out and played through whatever was bothering him. He might have done the same on Wednesday, except he either couldn’t or was advised not to for fear of the injury becoming worse. Whatever the reason, he took the night off and it wasn’t a big deal — or at least it should be. The Leafs won’t play goalie Frederik Andersen in every game this week, because they don’t want him to burn out. But if Andersen needs rest, why doesn’t Matthews, who is averaging a minute more in ice time than any other Toronto forward and plays in all the critical situations? The answer has more to do with hockey’s warrior mentality than any stats-based reasoning. Yes, you need Matthews on the ice to win games. He is a top-5 scorer in the league with 10 goals and 19 points in 16 games this season. He already has two game-winning goals and assisted on another. Draw up a list of the Hart Trophy candidates so far and his name would be on it. Even if he is hobbling, Toronto is a better team with Matthews in the lineup. But you could say the same thing about Andersen, who provides Toronto with a far better chance of success than backup goalie Curtis McElhinney. The only difference is that it’s become acceptable for starting goalies to get the second night of a back-to-back off. Asking a forward or defenceman to do the same runs counter to a hockey culture where players hide concussions and huff smelling salts on the bench. That could explain why the league introduced mandated periods idle periods for each team. (The Leafs have one game in an eight-day stretch in March, for example.) Without them, players like iron man Andrew Cogliano who played in his 800th consecutive game this week, would never sit out. It’s not like this in the NBA, where resting star players has gone from that quirky thing that the San Antonio Spurs did to what’s now become an 1082398 Vegas Golden Knights

Defenseman Griffin Reinhart adapts to role with Chicago Wolves

By Emily Polglaze Special to the Review-Journal November 8, 2017 - 1:56 PM

It was good for Griffin Reinhart to get back on the ice, even if it meant a trip to the minors. Reinhart, an expansion draft pick from the Edmonton Oilers, had a rough start with the Golden Knights. Despite making the team’s opening roster, the defenseman didn’t see any minutes in its first handful of regular season games. On Oct. 30, he was loaned to Chicago long-term — and it was a welcome change. “It’s tough to just practice, you can’t really simulate much of a game,” Reinhart said. “So even with just a little bit of contact, it makes a big difference out there.” Reinhart was highly regarded as a junior player and was chosen fourth overall by the New York Islanders in 2012, but he’s had trouble living up to the hype in the NHL, even prior to Vegas. He played just eight regular season games in New York and 29 in Edmonton after being traded in 2015, with two points overall. He played only once — in the playoffs — with the Oilers last season. NHL struggles aside, Reinhart has proven himself in the AHL. He’s been kept off the score sheet in three games with Chicago, but in his most recent stint with the Bakersfield Condors, he suited up for 84 games and tallied 31 points. Reinhart said that the loan has far more to do with development than it does flashiness. “I’ve got to be assertive, close on guys quick off the rush, and try to add some offense if I can,” Reinhart said. “I think it’ll take a few games to get my timing going again, but as time goes on I think it’s getting better.” Shea Theodore alluded to roster moves being made in Las Vegas in late October, and his predictions came true sooner than later. The defenseman was recalled on Oct. 30 for the first time and has played three games. Theodore was on the ice for just over 13 minutes in the team’s shootout loss against Toronto on Nov. 6, but he recorded an assist on Deryk Engelland’s game-tying goal. Theodore was Chicago’s leading defenseman with 11 points and second on the team prior to his recall. Rocky Thompson had plenty of reason to worry when his starting goaltender, Maxime Lagace, was sent to Vegas in late October. But instead of panicking, the Wolves were crafty. In the wake of the Knights’ goaltending crisis, a call-up of C.J. Motte from the ECHL Quad City Mallards and a loan from the Toronto Marlies in Kasimir Kaskisuo has kept Chicago afloat. Both Motte and Kaskisuo have notched wins since joining the Wolves and have proved that no matter how long Vegas needs the help, they’ll be able to hold their own. “Kaskisuo has played well for us, he’s done a good job, he’s calming in net, and that’s also what Motte does,” Thompson said. “Our players get the sense that, and I know I do in coaching, that [they’re] going to make the first save for us.”

LAS VEGAS REVIEW JOURNAL LOADED: 11.09.2017 1082399 Vegas Golden Knights

Goaltender Marc-Andre Fleury back on ice for Golden Knights

By David Schoen Las Vegas Review-Journal November 8, 2017 - 6:18 PM

The Golden Knights finally received some good news regarding their goaltenders. Marc-Andre Fleury skated Wednesday at City National Arena for the first time since his concussion Oct. 13 in a game against Detroit, an indication the team’s No. 1 netminder is close to returning to the lineup. The Knights had the day off Wednesday and did not comment on Fleury’s status through a team spokesperson. General manager George McPhee is expected to provide an update when the team returns to practice Thursday. The Knights (9-5-1, 19 points) host streaking Winnipeg (8-3-3, 19 points) at 7:30 p.m. Friday at T-Mobile Arena. Marc-Andre Fleury on the ice this morning. https://t.co/DF1yBQlm8z — Allan Walsh (@walsha) November 8, 2017 Fleury, 32, was injured in a collision with Detroit’s 6-foot-5-inch, 225- pound forward Anthony Mantha during the second period. Fleury remained in the game and allowed four goals in the third period of 6-3 loss. He was placed on the injured-reserve list the following day after showing concussion symptoms. Last month, Fleury’s agent, Allan Walsh, blasted the NHL’s concussion spotter protocol and said, “the way the NHL is allowing players to remain in games is a joke.” Fleury was the NHL’s second star from the opening week of the season, and he is 3-1 with a 2.48 goals-against average and a .925 save percentage. Fleury was with the Knights at the beginning of their six-game road trip that concluded Tuesday at Montreal, but did not participate in any of the team’s practices or game-day skates. “Once he gets on the ice, he’s probably at least four to five days away,” Knights coach Gerard Gallant said on Oct. 23. Based on that timetable, Fleury could travel with the Knights next week when they visit Pacific Division foes Edmonton (Tuesday) and Vancouver (Nov. 16). Malcolm Subban, who took over in goal when Fleury went down, remains on IR with a lower-body injury and is approximately a week and a half away from returning. Subban was hurt in the third period against St. Louis on Oct. 21 and expected to miss four weeks. In three appearances, he is 2-0 with a 2.06 GAA and a .936 save percentage. Oscar Dansk, the Knights’ No. 3 goalie, went down with a lower-body injury against the New York Islanders on Oct. 30 and was ruled out for the remainder of the road trip. Dansk was 3-0 with a 1.78 GAA before he was hurt in Brooklyn. It is uncertain whether he will be healthy enough to play Friday. If Fleury and Dansk are not ready, the Knights will stick with Maxime Lagace against Winnipeg. Lagace earned his first NHL win against Ottawa on Saturday and held the Knights in games against Toronto (4-3 shootout loss) and Montreal (3-2 loss). Lagace is 1-4-1 with a 3.87 GAA and .866 save percentage. Backup Dylan Ferguson remains with the Knights, but the 19-year-old is expected to return to his major junior team in the Western Hockey League when Fleury or Dansk is activated.

LAS VEGAS REVIEW JOURNAL LOADED: 11.09.2017 1082400 Vegas Golden Knights

Golden Knights’ Marc-Andre Fleury back on ice after concussion

By Jesse Granger (contact) Wednesday, Nov. 8, 2017 | 1:41 p.m.

For the first time in nearly a month, Vegas Golden Knights goalie Marc- Andre Fleury took the ice this morning at City National Arena. Fleury was placed on injured reserve after suffering a concussion on Oct. 13. The 32-year-old veteran goalie took a knee to the head during the second period of Vegas’ 6-3 loss to Detroit. Anthony Mantha charged toward the net on a break, and his knee hit Fleury’s mask after he was pushed by Luca Sbisa. It was Fleury’s third recorded concussion of his career. He suffered two during the 2015-16 season with the Pittsburgh Penguins. The team has provided no updates on Fleury’s status, except on Oct. 23 when coach Gerard Gallant said, “I think it’s days. Not this week, but I think he’s getting better every day. He’s on (injured reserve) but we don’t expect it to be long term...Once he gets back on the ice, he’s probably four to five days away.” Today’s workout is an encouraging sign that he could be back soon. Prior to the concussion, Fleury was spectacular in net for Vegas. He was 3-1 with a 2.48 goals-against average and a .925 save percentage. Rookie goaltender Dylan Ferguson, who was recalled on an emergency basis from his junior club, the Kamloops Blazers, is expected to return to Kamloops soon. That could mean a return by Fleury by Tuesday’s game in Edmonton, or even Friday’s contest against the Winnipeg Jets at T- Mobile Arena. Oscar Dansk, who was 3-0 with a 1.78 goals-against average before suffering a lower body injury on Oct. 30, could also be nearing a return. The initial diagnosis from the Golden Knights was that Dansk would miss the remainder of the road trip, which wrapped up Tuesday in Montreal. Then there’s Malcolm Subban, who suffered a lower body injury Oct. 21. He was originally expected to miss four weeks, which would put his possible return somewhere around the Golden Knights’ Nov. 22 game in Anaheim. The Golden Knights have suffered more goaltender injuries in a month than most teams do in an entire season, but it appears they could be getting back to full strength soon.

LAS VEGAS SUN LOADED: 11.09.2017 1082401 Washington Capitals “All-world skill, but he plays like a third or a fourth-line player,” goaltender Braden Holtby said.

“How many guys do as many things as he does on the ice?” MacLellan Forget the 30 goals, T.J. Oshie earned his contract in the Capitals’ locker asked. “He’s top of the league, I bet, in versatility.” room MacLellan scheduled the individual end-of-season meetings in order of age, starting with the oldest player. That meant Orpik was first, and while By Isabelle Khurshudyan November 8 at 4:29 PM MacLellan didn’t ask everyone for an opinion on the team’s pending free agents, he wanted to know Orpik’s thoughts as one of Washington’s alternate captains. T.J. Oshie brought home boxes and started the process of packing up “I think his energy and his personality is very infectious in the room, the home he and his family have rented in Arlington for the past two especially for an 82-game season,” Orpik said he told MacLellan. “You years. It was early May, and the Capitals’ season had just ended in need guys like him. I think he leads by example, how he plays, and Mac familiar and bitter fashion, leaving Oshie less than two months from obviously can see that, but it was kind of our job to let him know how unrestricted free agency. He wanted to re-sign with Washington, but he important he was in the room and [how] big a part he was on the team off wasn’t blind to the big picture. the ice, too.” “We kind of just assumed that there wasn’t really enough salary cap Holtby also spoke up to MacLellan, concerned the team couldn’t afford to space to stay,” he said. “We weren’t really planning on leaving, but we lose another lively personality in the locker room after Jason Chimera were just figuring we were going to have to find somewhere else.” signed with the New York Islanders two summers ago. “A lot with consistency has to do with the energy in our room,” he said. While Oshie was pondering the packing ahead, Capitals General Manager Brian MacLellan was conducting his end-of-season meetings. It The long NHL season stretches from the start of training camp in was during those exit interviews that player after player campaigned for September and through the Stanley Cup finals in June, so many early the team to retain Oshie. mornings at the rink that it’s understandable to show up tired or in a bad mood on occasion. But Oshie is so consistently buzzing with joy that They didn’t gush about his 33-goal season, nor the fact that he’s the first some Capitals have wondered if he’s faking it at times. Capitals player other than Ovechkin to score at least 30 goals since 2009-10. They figured his play had spoken for itself. Instead they focused “He’s always been that way,” said Lauren Oshie, T.J.’s wife. “I think that’s on his constant positivity throughout the draining 82-game seasons and what attracted me to him when we first met.” the vigor he brought to every shift on the ice. And they spoke of both in reverence. Lauren saw some of that spirit in Oshie’s father, Tim, who manages to crack jokes and get the room laughing even as he’s battled an “I don’t think I’ve ever played with a guy who has the combination of his Alzheimer’s diagnosis for the past five years. When T.J. and Lauren talent on the ice and that energy,” defenseman Brooks Orpik said. “I think learned their first child, Lyla, would be born with a condition called he’s a guy — I don’t want to say impossible — but he’s pretty hard not to gastroschisis, a hole in the abdominal wall that causes a baby’s like.” intestines to be outside of the body, it was T.J.’s positivity that helped ease Lauren’s high stress during the pregnancy. The steady stream of praise gave MacLellan plenty to think about, and put the Capitals on the course for their most crucial decision of the “I really think a lot of it is just innate,” Lauren said. summer. In Oshie, MacLellan felt he had a player who had the blue-collar attitude to inspire others around him while still possessing the skill to Some of it was intentional and learned from Oshie’s previous stops in the score, two ingredients the team has desperately needed as it’s failed to NHL. As a 22-year-old rookie in St. Louis, Oshie overlapped with veteran advance past the postseason’s second round with Ovechkin on the team. Dan Hinote, whom Oshie credits for always holding a glass-half-full mentality. “We get in the playoffs, you notice him,” MacLellan said. “He brings you into the fight. He recognizes when the team’s a little flat, and he tries to “He was the guy in the locker room that I’m still trying to be now,” Oshie go out and change the energy.” said. But MacLellan also faced a complicated offseason picture with 11 players “There’s a lot that goes into that,” said New York Rangers defenseman in a contract year and some due big pay raises, including Oshie, who Kevin Shattenkirk, who played with Oshie in St. Louis and Washington. would have been coveted by other teams as the top unrestricted free “It’s not always just being a guy who everyone likes. It’s being a guy who agent on the market. On June 23, Oshie signed a $46 million contract everyone respects. T.J. has always been a guy who just works hard in that will keep him in Washington through the 2024-25 season, four practice, he works hard in games – I don’t think anyone ever questions seasons longer than the current deal of Ovechkin. With that contract, and his work ethic – he holds guys accountable when they need to be held because of his unique combination of talent and charisma, Oshie shifted accountable and he knows how to pick guys up as well. . . . from a peripheral piece and into the team’s core. “I don’t think anything is going to change within T.J. when he’s 36 or 37. I “You want as many of these guys as you can find,” MacLellan said. think he’s still going to have that young, boyish personality and that lightheartedness that keeps guys up and keeps guys happy. He’s How the team valued Oshie could probably best be seen in a later move someone who can play until he’s 38, 39 years old.” made by MacLellan. To help accommodate the new salaries for Oshie and the team’s restricted free agents, the Capitals traded Marcus Facing the future in D.C. Johansson, a goal-scoring forward, for draft picks. When Oshie sat down for his end-of-season meeting with MacLellan, he The message was clear. While the team liked Johansson, he was a expressed his desire to stay. Then as so many other players had that complementary piece over his seven seasons in Washington. Oshie, in day, Oshie gave MacLellan his opinion. the two years since the Capitals acquired him from the St. Louis Blues, “I thought it was realistic that we can have a real shot at a couple Stanley had become an indispensable part of its foundation. Cups,” he said. A dynamic presence The Capitals gave Oshie a maximum eight-year term because that Trading for Oshie before the 2015-16 season became one of the helped get the salary cap hit, derived from the average annual value of marquee moves of MacLellan’s three-year tenure as Capitals general the contract, down to something that would still allow Washington future manager. Washington had needed a top-line complement to Ovechkin flexibility with its roster. Committing that many years to a 30-year-old is and center Nicklas Backstrom for years, and while Oshie may have risky as goal-scorers typically are in decline at this age. But the team started as their sidekick, the change of scenery helped him become a figured he’d continue to be a top-line player for at least the first half of the star in his own right. contract, when Washington’s championship hopes are highest, and he could help establish a culture in the locker room with a roster that’s Oshie rediscovered his creativity in Washington, and after never scoring expected to get younger in the second half of his deal. more than 21 goals in St. Louis, he put up 26 in his first season with the Capitals. In his second year, his 33 goals matched Ovechkin for the team Oshie’s 23.1 shooting percentage was the highest in the league last lead, even though Oshie played 14 fewer games. But the goals only season, well above his career average of 11.8 percent. MacLellan wasn’t accounted for part of Oshie’s value. He’s a threat on Washington’s top concerned that may be a red flag for future regression in production power play unit, he kills penalties and his two-way game is sophisticated because Oshie’s power play position in front of the net provides him enough to match up against opponents’ top goal-scorers in games. regular high-probability scoring opportunities. “He has such a good release and shot from that area and you have Backstrom and [Evgeny Kuznetsov] feeding you and Ovi behind you, so I mean, are you going to have a normal shooting percentage?” MacLellan said. The long-term ties to Washington hit home for Oshie when he considered that by the time his new contract expires, his daughters Lyla and Leni will be 11 and 9, respectively, having spent the bulk of their childhood here even after Oshie spent seven seasons in St. Louis. “That’s the crazy part,” he said. The fan base has embraced his family, with Lauren Oshie’s Instagram account boasting roughly 166,000 followers eager to see photos and videos of the girls every day. In the same way, the Oshies have fallen hard for the D.C. area. Lyla takes local ballet and gymnastics classes, and she’s is in nursery school with Haley Backstrom, Nicklas’s daughter. T.J. still slows down every time he drives by the White House on his way to Washington’s downtown arena. The boxes he brought home in May for a potential move are still in the garage, and the family will still have to pack soon. They bought a house in McLean and plan to move there in February. “D.C. is our home now,” Oshie said.

Washington Post LOADED: 11.09.2017 1082402 Washington Capitals

Madison Bowey held out of Capitals’ game vs. Sabres with a ‘lower-body’ injury

By Isabelle Khurshudyan November 8 at 8:15 AM

BUFFALO — Defenseman Madison Bowey took warm-ups at KeyBank Center on Tuesday night, seemingly good-to-go for Washington’s game against Buffalo. But when the Capitals’ scratches for the game were announced, Bowey was listed among them, out for the game because of an undisclosed “lower-body” injury he suffered against the Coyotes Monday night. “He tweaked something — lower body — yesterday,” Coach Barry Trotz said after the Capitals’ 3-1 loss to the Sabres. “He went through warm- ups and was able to go, but we felt in the long-term, especially in a back- to-back and we’re playing big minutes on our [defense], we didn’t want to risk putting him in. We went with a little bit of a cautious approach and put [Aaron] Ness in. I thought Nesser did a real good job.” Bowey wasn’t on Washington’s bench for roughly 10 minutes in the second period against Arizona, but he later returned in the third period and finished the rest of the game, skating 11:41. Bowey has played in 10 games with the Capitals this season, recalled after top blue-liner Matt Niskanen suffered a left hand injury in the fifth game of the season. The Capitals are off Wednesday, returning to practice on Thursday before hosting the Pittsburgh Penguins on Friday. It seems that Bowey could be back on the ice at that point, and he might not be the only one. Washington has been down four players to injuries in the past six games, but on Tuesday afternoon, Trotz indicated forwards Brett Connolly and Tyler Graovac and defenseman Matt Niskanen are close to practicing with the team, one of the last steps before getting back into the lineup. “They’re all day-to-day,” Trotz said. “They’re getting from week-to-week to day-to-day type of situation, so they’re getting their conditioning ramped up. They’re just feeling better from whatever injuries they have, and hopefully we’ll start getting one at a time into the lineup here.” All three players skated on Tuesday afternoon. Connolly suffered a concussion against Vancouver on Oct. 26, and Graovac has missed the past eight games with an undisclosed “upper-body” injury. Niskanen was eligible to come off long-term injured reserve on Nov. 7, but while he’s been skating on his own, he’s yet to rejoin the team for a session. Forward Andre Burakovsky had surgery on his left thumb on Oct. 24 and was expected to miss four to six weeks from that point. The Capitals were the healthiest team in the league last season with just 49 man-games lost to injury.

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Tom Wilson was not happy about fighting Jake McCabe and was not sure why he had to

By J.J. Regan November 08, 2017 12:32 PM

Tom Wilson is never afraid to drop the gloves, but he wasn’t happy about having to do so on Tuesday. In the second period against the Buffalo Sabres, Wilson unleashed a big hit on forward Sam Reinhart. Defenseman Jake McCabe took exception, but Wilson was not really sure why. “The hit kind of came as the play developed and I finished my check,” Wilson told reporters after the game. “I wasn’t even thinking about fighting there, I just wanted to kind of play with energy and try to get the guys going that way.” You can watch the hit here. Reinhart has the puck and Wilson hits him with a shoulder check. The point of contact is Reinhart’s shoulder. It is by every definition a clean check. Yet, Wilson was called to task for it. “I don’t know why I have to fight in that instance,” Wilson said. “To me, that’s textbook. Everything I’ve been told about instigating, that’s what that is. It’s frustrating from that standpoint.” The fight resulted only in matching majors for fighting as McCabe was not issued a penalty of instigating. This is a big season for Wilson as he needs to show he can provide the team more than just his fists. We saw how much of a difference maker he can be in the playoffs when he played a phenomenal series against the Toronto Maple Leafs. The third line of Wilson, Lars Eller and Chandler Stephenson has also been one of the team's best over the past few games. Losing Wilson for five minutes takes that line out of its rhythm which hurts the team offensively. It is no secret that the Caps want more offensive production from Wilson this season. It will be hard for him to do that if he has to drop the gloves and spend five minutes in the penalty box after every big, legal hit to an opponent.

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Barry Trotz upgrades 3 injured Caps from 'week-to-week' to 'day-to-day'

By Tarik El-Bashir November 08, 2017 8:35 AM

BUFFALO—The Caps could be on the verge of getting back one or more of their injured players, according to Coach Barry Trotz. On Tuesday morning in Arlington, defenseman Matt Niskanen and forwards Brett Connolly and Tyler Graovac went through a vigorous skate that included some game-like situations. All three have been sidelined for with upper body injuries. “They’re all day-to-day,” Trotz said prior to Washington’s 3-1 loss in Buffalo. “They’re getting from week-to-week to day-to-day type of situations.” “So,” the coach added, “they’re getting their conditioning ramped up. They’re feeling better from whatever injuries they have. Hopefully we’ll start getting one at a time into the lineup here.” Although the Caps have won three of their last four games, their depth has been tested by the absences, particularly Niskanen's. The team’s No. 1 blueliner has been sidelined since Oct. 13. Connolly has been out since leaving the game in Vancouver on Oct. 26, while Graovac has been sidelined since Oct. 17. It's possible Gravoac is slightly ahead of the others; he participated in Monday's morning skate. The team is also without Andre Burakovsky, but he’s recovering from surgery on his left thumb and will be on the shelf until next month. After the loss to the Sabres, Trotz had more positive news on the injury front: the lower body ailment that caused rookie defenseman Madison Bowey to be a late scratch is not considered to be serious. “He went through warmup and was able to go,” Trotz said. “We felt that long term…that we didn’t want to risk [it]. So we went with a little bit of a cautious approach.” The Caps did not practice on Wednesday. They'll return to the ice at 10:30 a.m. on Thursday for practice in Arlington.

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Why that postgame expletive from mild-mannered Philipp Grubauer is understandable

By J.J. Regan November 08, 2017 6:00 AM

Tuesday’s game in Buffalo was a frustrating loss for the Capitals and no one took it hard as goalie Philipp Grubauer. Grubauer was once again put in a difficult situation by starting the second end of a back-to-back and once again, he took the loss. In five starts this season, his record is now 0-4-1 and he took it pretty hard. Grubauer: "I'm sick of f---ing losing." Grubauer is typically very even-keeled and calm after games. It doesn’t matter if he was in a blowout, a shutout, the preseason or the postseason, he always tends to be calm after games. To hear him vent his frustration was striking, but also understandable. The Caps have not been losing because of Grubauer, they’ve been losing despite him. The German netminder turned aside 29 of the 31 shots he faced on Tuesday in what was another strong performance by him. Grubauer has been good in every appearance except for the Philadelphia Flyers game in which no one played well. If you exclude that game, he has registered a .914 save percentage. Another reason for the frustration is the fact that he has not been getting much help from the offense. A Capitals team that is averaging 3.00 goals per game scored only once in Buffalo. In his five starts this season, the Caps have scored only eight goals. Total. That’s an average of 1.6 goals per game. Any goalie in the NHL would struggle to win with that little support. Grubauer’s frustration did not seem to be directed at his teammates, however, but just at the situation. Four of his five starts have been the second leg of back to back games. He is the backup goalie so of course he is going to be tasked with those difficult assignments, but that can still wear on a player. This is a team used to winning and a goalie who has his sights set on being a starter eventually becoming a No. 1 goalie. Starting five games without a single win to show for it would frustrate anyone. And with one word on Tuesday night, Grubauer pointedly expressed his feelings.

Comcast SportsNet.com LOADED: 11.09.2017 1082406 Winnipeg Jets neutral zone and get their scoring chances. They found out after they lost the game that that wasn’t going to happen. So that’s our task this week, is to make sure we understand what they’re good at." Jets get back to business Vegas is competing despite having the top-three goaltenders in their system on injured reserve. They got some potential good news Wednesday as Marc-Andre Fleury, the clear No. 1, took a twirl on the By: Mike McIntyre other sheet of ice at their practice facility where the Jets were skating. He’s working his way back from a concussion suffered on Oct. 13. Posted: 11/8/2017 10:48 PM | Comments: 1 There’s still no timetable for his return. Vegas wrapped up a six-game trip on Tuesday night in Montreal with a 3- 2 loss to the Canadiens. They Golden Knights 1-4-1 on the trip. LAS VEGAS, Nev. — First they teed off at a pristine golf course in the Las Vegas valley. After some sightseeing, they enjoyed a team dinner at "For sure, they have a hard-working team. They’ve played well, a renowned steakhouse on an outdoor patio overlooking the famous especially here. It’s for sure going to be a tough building to play in. But Bellagio fountains. For a nightcap, some checked out a charity concert with the way we play and the way we handle the pressure, we’re going to featuring five of the world’s biggest DJs. have a good score for sure if we can play our game the whole 60 minutes. It’s going to be a good game, for sure," said Laine. Yes, it was a memorable day off unlike few others for members of the Winnipeg Jets on Tuesday. But it was quickly back to business on The Finnish sniper also took on the role of interviewer Wednesday, Wednesday as the team returned to the practice ice for an hour-long crashing the scrum with linemate Ehlers to ask his own question. skate at beautiful City National Arena in Summerlin, a Vegas suburb located at the foothills of Red Rock Canyon. "How did you play in Dallas?" Laine asked while holding his phone out like a microphone. And skate they did. Head coach Paul Maurice put his troops through a gruelling 20-minutes of laps that was eerily reminiscent of the so-called "I had a really good game, thank you. Thank you," Ehlers replied. "bag skate" that came one day after their season-opening 7-2 loss to the Toronto Maple Leafs. As Laine walked away, Ehlers began chirping. "Tell (Laine) to get going. Five-on-five, he takes off. But as soon the power play is on, he checks But there was nothing punitive about this one. It was all about trying to in," Ehlers cracked. stay sharp and keep the momentum going. The Jets are flying high these days, enjoying an 8-3-3 start to the season as they prepare to take on the It’s safe to say the mood is rather light around the Jets these days, no Vegas Golden Knights Friday night at T-Mobile Arena. doubt a product of collecting points in eight straight games (5-0-3) and 11 of their last 12 (8-1-3). They’ll get in another practice today before "Good to get out and have that opportunity when you’re feeling good Friday’s first-ever meeting with the Golden Knights. about yourselves as a hockey team. Because you’ll have 23 guys sitting down for dinner instead of 12 different dinners. They hang together "Yes, we feel good right now. But there are still many games to go and more," Maurice said Wednesday of the break his team enjoyed following we want to keep this going," said Ehlers. Monday night’s 4-1 win against the Stars in Dallas to kick off the road trip. Winnipeg Free Press LOADED 11.09.2017 Indeed, many Jets players are experiencing Sin City for the first time and raving about the experience. "Vegas, I think it’s unbelievable. Coming from a small town in Europe, all of this you see in the movies. Actually being here now is pretty amazing," said Nikolaj Ehlers, the 21-year-old Danish-born speedster who has eight goals this season. Patrik Laine got his first taste of Vegas last summer when he came here for the NHL awards, where he was runner-up to Toronto’s Auston Matthews in the rookie-of-the-year race. Now he’s back for a second time with teammates. "It was a lot of fun hanging out with the team, playing a little bit of golf and having a nice dinner. It’s always nice to be here," said Laine. The 19-year-old winger has scored in three straight games, giving him seven on the year, and hopes his good fortune continues Friday. "I’m obviously feeling better because the team is doing well and I can help my team to win. It’s always nice to score. Overall, I feel good about my game right now. There are things I need to improve but everybody has," said Laine. Jets fans from Winnipeg began arriving in in the desert Wednesday, as a contingent of several hundred is expected at the game. A handful of locals greeted the Jets after practice Wednesday and got pictures and autographs. The Golden Knights have surprised many with a 9-5-1 start to their expansion season, considering they are a collection of other team’s so- called castoffs who only came together for the first time a couple months ago. They have a 6-1-0 record at home, which has led many to suggest they have the best home-ice advantage in the league as visitors get swept up in the bright lights and perhaps lose focus of the task at hand. But that’s now how Maurice sees it. "I think their team’s better than people thought it would be. I think that’s the key piece to all of this. And when they play at home they get a better matchup. They got a good hockey team, they play a good, structured game and they can counter real fast on you. I think it’s all on-ice," Maurice said Wednesday. "I think they’ve passed through that kind of surprising team window. We’ve all seen them play enough games now. That’s a good hockey team, well-coached, very well-structured. They don’t give up anything off the rush. A lot of teams early on I think they justw expect to be able to move the puck easily or at will through the 1082407 Winnipeg Jets Golden Knights goalie Marc-Andre Fleury was back on the ice on Wednesday morning as his teammates enjoyed a day off following a long road trip. Connor making his minutes count Fleury has been out of action with a concussion since Oct. 13 after what was a fantastic start to the season – going 3-1 with a 2.48 goals-against average and .925 save %. Ken Wiebe With some rumblings the Golden Knights were going to return November 8, 2017 emergency backup Dylan Ferguson to the Kamloops Blazers, there’s some speculation Fleury could be activated and be in uniform as early as Friday’s game against the Jets. LAS VEGAS – Kyle Connor looks nothing like the guy who was simply When you consider Winnipegger Calvin Pickard was traded by the trying to find his way during the pre-season. Golden Knights to the Toronto Maple Leafs, Vegas has already gone six goalies deep on the depth chart by bringing up Ferguson. By chipping in three goals and seven points in nine games since being recalled from the Manitoba Moose of the American Hockey League, Oscar Dansk and Malcolm Subban are both on injured reserve with Connor has settled in nicely on the Jets top line with Mark Scheifele and Fleury and right now Maxime Lagace has been starting. Blake Wheeler. Injuries are part of the game but Maurice admits he’s never seen Wheeler (with four goals and 13 points during his past five games and 21 anything quite like it. points overall) and Scheifele (who sits second in team scoring with 18 points, including a team-high nine goals) are doing a lot of the damage “Not to keep winning. That’s a tough thing to do,” said Maurice. “The but Connor is also doing his part and carving out a bigger role for himself. goaltender, whoever is in the net, has seen consistently the same kind of shots. That’s a tough road trip they were on, and back to back, and they “I’m getting better each game. Just continue to take strides as a player were in all the games. They played pretty darn well. But their game and continue to improve,” said Connor. “Every time you play and get hasn’t opened up. They’ve done a really nice job of skating, good sticks, more minutes, you get that confidence.” knock things down, counter well. They get behind in a game they can turn it on. They’re a good hockey team.” Connor was quick to point out the veterans on the line are making life easier for him. “It’s just been a lot of fun. Those guys are incredible players. You see it Winnipeg Sun LOADED 11.09.2017 every night. They don’t take any shifts off,” said Connor. “In practice, in game situations, everything. On and off the ice, they’ve been great. “We all play a direct game, with lots of speed. We try to play it quick. Our games complement each other for sure.” By taking 26 shifts for 20:20, Connor has more than 20 minutes per game in two of the past three outings– which shows how much trust Jets head coach Paul Maurice is placing on him. “Well, part of that is him. He came back this summer and was in a lot better shape,” said Maurice. “But the last game, for (Scheifele) and Wheeler, they played a lot of minutes but they did it on 30 shifts. And if you’re a fit guy and get your shift length right, a lot of minutes in the course of a game without getting worn down. “I thought that was their best game I can remember in terms of what I thought their strength was like at the end of a game. That’s a lot of minutes. I’d prefer they didn’t play that many. But on the shift length that they had they can handle it.” After enjoying a day off in Las Vegas, the Jets went through a 60-minute practice on Wednesday that finished off with a sweat-inducing conditioning skate. The Jets, who are 8-3-3, are back in action on Friday against the Vegas Golden Knights, who are 9-5-1 and just wrapped up a six-game road trip, going 1-4-0-1. It’s been three games since Jets winger Patrik Laine provided a critical evaluation of his play and the Finnish sniper has scored a goal in each of those contests, moving him to seven goals and nine points in 14 games. “Now, I’m obviously feeling better because the team is doing well and I can help my team to win. It’s always nice to score. Overall, I feel good about my game right now. There are things I need to improve but everybody has (those).” Several minutes after meeting with the media himself, Laine inserted himself into the scrum for linemate Nikolaj Ehlers and worked a question about how the Danish forward played on Monday. As Laine was walking away, Ehlers took a good-natured shot at him. “Tell (Laine) to get going,” said Ehlers. “Five-on-five, he takes off. But as soon the power play is on, he checks in.” Ehlers then provided an assessment of how he thinks the chemistry on the line with centre Bryan Little is coming together. “Last year, we played a little bit together and it feels good,” said Ehlers, who has eight goals and 11 points in 14 games. “(Little) is such a good two-way centreman. He reads the plays really well, makes some great plays and (Laine) can shoot the puck. We’re doing really good right now. We’ve got to keep this going, we’ve got to work hard and help this team win some games.” 1082408 Vancouver Canucks like it did Tuesday. Miller could help get the Ducks to a place of prominence in the Pacific Division.

Miller made 33 saves, including nine in overtime, in a 4-3 shootout win Kuzma: Ryan Miller finds healthy balance between hockey and family over the Carolina Hurricanes on Oct. 29. He followed that up by going six rounds of a shootout Saturday in a 2-1 loss to the San Jose Sharks. Ben Kuzma On Tuesday, he relieved the injured Gibson — his mask was knocked off by a blow to the head — and played the final 6:53 of regulation. He made November 8, 2017 nine saves in a 4-3 overtime setback to the Los Angeles Kings and will start against the Canucks on Thursday.

“I’m still sorting out a few things on the ice timing wise, but for the most ANAHEIM, Calif. — Ryan Miller was pressed for time. part, the foundational stuff is going well, said Miller. “My biggest thing is you come to a new team and you want to contribute right away and gain Getting his game back in order after a lingering wrist injury delayed his the trust and then you can kind of settle in.” debut with the Anaheim Ducks until late October remains a maintenance priority. And if the wrist co-operates, that shouldn’t be a problem. Getting better acclimated with frantic Southern California freeways — so “It’s something they (doctors) identified as an older injury — but it was those treks between his Los Angeles home and Anaheim area rental are nothing I really felt. As a goalie, you get hit in the hands quite a bit and manageable to maximize family time — requires day-to-day diligence. it’s a daily thing,” Miller said. “Sometimes, it hurts more than others, and maybe one time in the past one (shot) got me pretty good. Enough that it Amid all this, Miller still finds time to talk. He always did. He always will. caused an injury that I aggravated it a year or two down the line. Ryan Miller embraced the role of competitor and mentor in Vancouver. “The wrist is such a small working unit that if one thing gets aggravated, A passion for his profession, his family and the relationships forged in it’s a chain reaction, and I had trouble rotating my wrist. It was definitely three challenging seasons with the Canucks is not lost on the 37-year-old the second part of the injury and not the only thing going on. stopper. “I was getting a little anxious there because it was taking a while.” Miller could have remained a Canuck had he accepted a one-year incentive-laden contract extension. But on the first day of free agency he got bigger bucks and better term in a two-year, $4 million US Vancouver Province: LOADED: 11.09.2017 commitment from the Ducks. He also got a window to win it all and a better bond with his L.A.-based actress wife, Noreen DeWulf, and their 2 1/2 year old son Bohdi. You can’t beat that. “I made sure to communicate that back to the boys in Vancouver,” said Miller. “That was a big reason I made this decision. It was based on the other people in my life and not just my hockey family. I’ve done the transition with three different teams and the one thing that’s different is that I left a team where I made great relationships. “I really wanted to make my mark in Vancouver and do something with that group. It didn’t work out the way we hoped. The one that felt weird starting this season is that there was a comfort level in Vancouver and we enjoyed our time there.” The on-ice experience was often trying and constant losing can grate on any player, let alone one in the twilight of his career. Yet, Miller was always meticulous in his practice and game preparation and detailed in descriptions of what went wrong on so many nights. In his final season of a three-year, $18-million contract, he faced 40 or more shots on nine occasions — including three times in the final month of Vancouver’s sorry season — and was often the only reason the Canucks were even in games. His lasting legacy is his mentorship of Jacob Markstrom. The more competitive and composed Canucks goalie you see today is a product of the student learning from the professor. “I’m proud of him,” said Miller. “After I signed here, I passed along a few things. That’s always been my intention, to be the best I can be because it’s going to help me in the long run, help the team and Jacob. He has always had all the tools — he’s very athletic and has the size and the mentality. “He’s harder on himself than he lets on, but he has an easy-going demeanour. If he can harness it all the right way, he could be in a good place. It doesn’t surprise me that he’s playing good hockey — he’s got the instincts.” Markstrom credits a newfound perspective and better battle level — especially after early goals — to the tutelage of Miller. “He called me a couple of times this summer after he signed in Anaheim and I really wanted him back in Vancouver, but he had a chance to be closer to family and you’ve got to respect that,” said Markstrom. “He helped me out a lot mentally — just to see him in practice and to talk about small technical stuff.” Once Miller’s wrist ailment was more manageable — it was an old injury that morphed into a ligament concern — he made the right statement. The Ducks are committed to the 24-year-old John Gibson as their starter, but Miller is much more than just an insurance policy should injury arise, 1082409 Vancouver Canucks Cloutier, of course, approached goaltending with that same level of fanaticism and now admits his competitive fire held him back. He said, by the time he’d learned to let the losses and the bad goals go, he was in Ed Willes: Intense Markstrom savouring teaching of fiery Cloutier his early 30s and suffering from a congenital hip injury in Los Angeles that effectively ended his career.

Now, he hopes it doesn’t take as long for Markstrom to absorb that Ed Willes lesson. November 8, 2017 4:37 PM PST “I think early in my career I took the losses so hard,” says Cloutier. “I took them to the rink the next day and it kept building. You think about how you should have handled certain situations, how you should have learned to let go. I feel like at the end of my career I was there. But then I got Should the NHL take a page from the NBA's book and start resting its hurt.” stars? His voice trails off at that point. Then he returns to his student. Jacob Markstrom has seen the video in which his coach — the man who stresses the need to stay calm and composed in the net — appears to “He’s a little old school when it comes to his personality. His teammates lose his mind. really like him. They see how badly he wants to win. That’s who he is. It’s a big part of what makes him successful.” There’s Dan Cloutier, then the Rangers’ rookie goalie, charging the length of the ice to join in a line brawl with the Islanders. There’s Cloutier As for the other part, that will determine the end to this story. going medieval on Isles goalie Tommy Salo. There’s Cloutier, now without his jersey, challenging the Islanders’ bench. “That was a Swedish goalie he beat up there,” Markstrom says. Vancouver Province: LOADED: 11.09.2017 The Canucks’ keeper is then asked if he’s getting a mixed message from Cloutier, the reformed wild man who now preaches a Zen approach to the game. “I don’t know,” he answers. “He’s helped me with everything, but you’ve got to learn for yourself. It’s so easy for me to say, ‘Well, you’ve got to be calm,’ but when it’s in your nature, it’s hard. I don’t know if I’m more even-keel. I’m a passionate guy, I hate losing and I love winning.” Which is something Cloutier knows about. The challenge with Markstrom, the Canucks’ goalie coach will tell you, is channelling that passion and competitiveness without changing the essence of the man. Cloutier never quite got there as a player. Now, with the Canucks’ season hanging in the balance, he hopes to pass that lesson on to the 27-year-old Swede. Markstrom’s play, thus far at least, has been one of the main storylines in the Canucks’ encouraging start to this season. Tasked with the bulk of the starts — 11 in their 14 games — he’s provided NHL-calibre goaltending on a nightly basis, spearheading an effort that has the Canucks tied for fourth-fewest goals against in the entire league. He stopped 29 of the 32 shots he faced in Tuesday’s 5-3 victory over the Flames, and his 2.36 GAA is seventh-best in the NHL among goalies with at least 10 games, along with a .917 save percentage that is 12th best overall. But Markstrom has ridden hot streaks before during his years in Vancouver. The question, and it’s being asked in earnest this season, is can he sustain that level of play over six months; can he be the man for 55 or 60 starts? Now in his eighth year as a pro, his career has pointed to this season and much of its success will be determined by his relationship with Cloutier, the man who understands Markstrom’s strengths and his weaknesses as well as anyone. “He’s a fiery guy for sure,” says Cloutier, the former Canucks goalie. “I was too. The biggest thing is learning to control that anger, that emotion. It’s a big part of making your game more consistent.” Thus far, at least, Markstrom has been consistent. While he’ll never be confused with a master technician, his combination of size, athleticism and his monomaniacal determination to keep the puck out of his net has made him an effective keeper. The challenge with Markstrom is working at refining his skills while maintaining all the positives he brings to the position. Again, this is something Cloutier knows a little about, which is what makes this partnership so fascinating. “You don’t want to change a guy too much,” says Cloutier. “But you do want him to start with good technique, then let his instincts take over. If they make it all the way here, it’s because they have good instincts. But you can play around with them a little bit, try to develop their technique, so they become more consistent.” As for the other tools in Markstrom’s work belt, Cloutier says he has something that can’t be taught. “It’s his will to stop the puck. He’ll do anything to stop the puck, even if he’s out of position he’ll try to get some part of his body on it. He doesn’t care how it looks. It’s something I look for in goaltenders, for sure.” 1082410 Websites of confidence, comedy and character that’s difficult to quantify. You just know when you have it. And when you don’t. While there are inevitably energy lulls in the marathon that is the regular season, having one in The Athletic / Provenzano: When is the right time to make a mid-season November is a major red flag. coaching change? When it happened early on in Detroit, Jeff Blashill's name immediately moved to the hot seat. To his credit, the Red Wings have appeared to come out of it during a trip West. But it's clear, that group is a few losses Frank Provenzano away from another coaching debate flare up. 20 hours ago While there isn’t, in my opinion, the win-now pressure to make a coaching change behind the Red Wings’ bench, that doesn’t mean that it’s not important to give the proper attention to the feedback information from this team during the first half of this season. This is data-gathering There is a reason why the adage “You can’t fire the players, so fire the time for GM Ken Holland and company. coach” exists. It’s true. Sort of. The challenge in a situation like this, and I’ve been in a few of them, is While the NHL schedule is a grinding six-and-a-half-month, 82-game that losing creates an opinion-rich environment from many different slog, the reality is that the standings snapshot when the calendar hits angles and leverage points. It can become hard to focus on the factors December remains remarkably intact when the playoffs actually get that actually matter through the noise and soul-sucking mental and under way in April. Which means that November can be a real witching emotional drain of a meaningless season. Making a coaching change month for the people running NHL benches. right now would only add to the difficulty of finding the answers that In my front-office experience, I always felt that in-season personnel Holland will be searching for in 2017-18. changes were a move of last resort. The same argument doesn’t hold true for some of the other teams Why? around the NHL. A quick look at the early November standings has some teams with high expectations in perilous situations. The Capitals are The easy part is firing the coach. The hard part is actually getting better. clinging to a wildcard spot. The New York Rangers, Montreal Canadiens, When you make a move in November, there simply aren’t as many Carolina Hurricanes, Minnesota Wild and Edmonton Oilers are all in candidates to choose from as there are in the offseason to fix what ails spots that will see a lot more heat in their Thanksgiving kitchen if they your hockey team. Your replacement pool is almost always limited to don’t start nailing down more standings points in the next three weeks. guys who have been fired from their previous gig, as teams are generally loathe to grant interview permission rights to coaches within their system Some of those coaches are locked up long-term but if any of these front during the middle of the season. offices are, in fact, considering firing their coach, the sooner they do it, the better. The short-term performance bump might just be enough to That’s not to say that it doesn’t work. The Pittsburgh Penguins used a make the difference between making the playoffs next April and sitting on mid-season coaching change as a spark and won two of their last three the sidelines. Stanley Cups after an in-season house cleaning, though it’s notable that in both instances their replacement solution was an internal promotion of Dave Tippett, keep your phone charged. the coach from their American Hockey League affiliate.

The reality is that there are only so many times that a general manager The Athletic LOADED: 11.09.2017 gets to fire a coach before the spotlight is turned on the GM. (As a general rule, I believe most GMs get two coach firings per contract.) It is not, or at least should not, be a decision made lightly. The deciding factors on whether to pull the November trigger fall into three main categories: Competitive Cycle: The thermometer in an NHL head coach’s office is directly related to expectations (both real and perceived) among the team’s fan base and, most importantly, in the owner’s suite. A rebuilding team or a team that is hopeful to make the playoffs should probably wait until the offseason to make wholesale changes to its coaching staff, as the decision timeline to execute this strategy is not hampered by the noise of a game schedule. On the other hand, if you are team built to win now, time is of the essence. If you aren’t where you need to be through the first 10-15 games of the season, you only have about a dozen or so more games to right the ship without having to rely on low probability sustained winning percentages. Once you hit January, it’s REALLY hard to climb the standings ladder without stringing together a big winning streak, as more games get to overtime and thus more “loser points” are handed out. In that scenario, teams are more likely to be looking for someone to come in and right the ship with bona fide NHL coaching skins on the wall, so a short list of unemployed former coaches doesn’t factor as a significant negative. The Metrics of Underperformance: Making a coaching decision based on a small season sample size relies heavily on the answer to the question: “Why have we been losing games?” Underperformance so early in an NHL campaign likely revolves around three to five swing games. I believe you have to look hard at the key team performance metrics to determine if they are predictive over the remainder of the season or if some statistical “bad luck” is at play. Side note: The same critical analyses should probably be done for overachieving early season teams, but nobody likes a fun mosquito at a party as a general rule. Gut Feel: Your main job as a management group during the first quarter of an NHL season is to more or less “be around” your team to gauge the taste of the lineup soup you put together the previous summer. This is an admittedly un-scientific process, and usually the last, but often most definitive, step you take in pulling the coaching change plug. If you have been around NHL locker rooms, there is a certain energy that permeates teams that are successful versus those that are not. It’s a mix 1082411 Websites instead made a quick backwards bank-pass off of the boards to Kasperi Kapanen in motion for a clean zone entry.

The second came moments later when, late in the power play, Saarijarvi The Athletic / The Gifted: How Red Wings prospect Vili Saarijarvi plays received a pass at the point, faked the shot to draw the corner forward fast without playing rushed toward the centre of the ice, and quickly passed it back to his now- uncovered forward. With the faked shot, the Russian forward has to track back further to contain within the penalty kill's box. It's subtle, but it Scott Wheeler creates a gap. 21 hours ago The third and fourth came in a split-second movement when Saarijarvi wound up even further to feign commitment to a one-timer on another reception moments later. In one motion he finished the downswing and used his forward momentum to push the puck laterally two feet and shoot In hockey, as in life, there are archetypes built on hyperbole and buzz from an aggressive stance for the redirect from captain Mikko Rantanen. words which are designed to fit every player into a pre-defined box. Scouts and evaluators often fall prey to lazily characterizing young At no point in any of these plays does Saarijarvi hold onto the puck. He prospects in this way; the power forward, the two-way centre, the speedy doesn't handle it, he doesn't skate with it and try to beat the Russians winger, the one-dimensional scorer, the elusive European, the stay-at- with the puck on his stick. Instead, he makes each of the decisions as home defenceman. But sometimes, just sometimes, there’s a player that quickly as he can in the biggest moment of his hockey career to date. On is so uniquely different from everyone else in approach or in ability, that each decision, his brain is moving faster than everyone else on the ice. you can’t help but notice him. These players have mastered their skill He's in control, and they're reacting, not the inverse. When he draws for and used it to set themselves apart. The Gifted is a 10-part series which the huge one-timer, he's already made the decision to go back against examines through video the NHL’s most fascinating prospects and the the grain and throw a wrist shot on net for the tip. But it happens so unique skillsets that define them. It runs every Wednesday. quickly that you'd miss the nuance at full speed. A member of the Mississauga Steelheads' management staff recently Watch the full 15 seconds playback below and notice how quickly told me that Vili Saarijarvi was the OHL's equivalent to Erik Karlsson. Saarijarvi makes his decisions – often before the puck arrives on his stick. The second fake is the most impressive, because he doesn't For pretty well every great OHL defenceman of the last few years, that hesitate to make his play right away with the push-shot. If he waits, which comment would come as a surprise. For Saarijarvi, it didn't. You don't most players would have, the defenders have time to recover and the have to watch Saarijarvi play for long to appreciate the way he controls a goalie is set in his stance. Notice in particular how goalie Alexander game from the back end. Georgiyev tracks the play before the second shot and then has to lift his There are a lot of gifted offensive defencemen in junior hockey but many head (and body) when Saarijarvi fakes, moving from a position of of them dictate in one way: They use their skill as handlers to hang onto strength to one of weakness, so that when Saarijarvi finally shoots he the puck and create by jumping up into the play as a fourth forward. They isn't ready. impose their will on the game by forcing the play to run through them. At Saarijarvi doesn't hesitate at the pro level either, which can burn a lot of the junior level, this works. At the NHL level, it often doesn't. Why? young defencemen as forwards close in on them faster and stronger. Because it slows down the game. If a defenceman is going to look to impact a game primarily with his handling at the NHL level, he has to On his first AHL assist, he made a similar play and faked a shot to draw have elite skating ability. Otherwise, the play moves too fast through the attention before finding his partner for a higher-percentage look. neutral zone and his forwards get ahead of him while he waits too long to make a play. The best handlers look to push tempo as passers before Saarijarvi has a decent look at the net and coverage that has opened up they try to make a play as a carrier. Karlsson is one of the best handlers for him on the left side. Still, knowing that the coverage is going to in hockey, but his brilliance shines through most in the way he makes overcompensate to front his shot, he gives it back against the grain to put quick decisions with the puck when the play is there – the outlet passes, them even more off balance. the one-touch slap-passes, the chips. As a result, he turns a good look into a better look. And it all happens in Stylistically, Saarijarvi plays hockey in the same way. He's not Erik one touch. Again, Saarijarvi doesn't have to handle the puck after faking Karlsson, and he never will be, but he looks to make the quick play. The the shot. He doesn't corral it to stop it or slow it down. It's one motion as oft-overused “he plays fast” cliché actually applies. One of the first things he pivots his feet mid-downswing to feed his partner closer to the middle coaches will teach you in minor hockey is that the puck moves faster of the ice. (Take note of where all of the Rockford defenders are looking. than your feet. A lot of good defencemen haven't fully grasped that. Hint: It's not at the defencemen who's about to get the puck and score.) Saarijarvi has. When he's put into a position where he has to use his feet and his To put it in perspective, I'll take you back to his pinnacle. handling, he has the footwork and the skating – a huge strength – to make the play and still keep the tempo high. He's always been excellent wherever he's played. The USHL all-rookie. The U18 worlds all-star. The U18 worlds' highest-scoring defenceman But it's normally followed by a quick play. Notice on this play with the (nine points in seven games). Named a top-three player at the U18 and Grand Rapids, which resulted in a goal and an elusive “third assist” for U20 levels for Finland. The Flint Firebirds' highest-scoring defenceman. Saarijarvi, the way Saarijarvi uses his feet to shuffle into open space and The Steelheads' highest-scoring defenceman. Last year, he scored 11 turn to complete a pass cross-ice to his partner in motion. Here, again, if goals for Mississauga – in just 34 games. Had he played the full year, he Saarijarvi waits to make a play he may be checked. If he turns and tries would have broken the 20-goal mark – as a defenceman. to attack as a handler, he runs into a trio of defenders at the offensive zone blueline. Instead? Receive, read, convert. But none of these moments, or seasons, were his pinnacle. When the options aren't there, Saarijarvi will make the play himself. But That came in the gold medal game of the 2016 world juniors, one of the on every play, he's looking to move the puck as quickly as possible. On single-most impressive one-game performances I've ever seen from a the brilliant goal below, the best of his junior career, Saarijarvi identifies defenceman in the tournament. that none of his outlets are providing him with options. When he sees that they're all stationary, he attacks the space himself and finishes under the That year, were it not for big numbers out of teammate Olli Juolevi and bar from a near-impossible angle with his high-end puck skills. American standout Zach Werenski, Saarijarvi should have been named to the world juniors' all-star team. Here (and this is getting repetitive), Saarijarvi is constantly thinking of ways he can make a faster play and push the Petes into a position of In the tournament finale, which saw the Finns claim their fourth gold recovery. Watch how he opens up his stance to look pass in the middle medal just a year after they were eliminated in the quarters, Saarijarvi of the ice. When he sees that the trailing Petes forward stick-lifts his famously played nearly 40 minutes. On each of those shifts, he was in option, he turns to his last resort – the low-percentage shot from the complete control in a game that was played faster than any in recent corner – and finishes with the perfect shot. memory. Watch the magic from a closer angle and notice his ability to open his That was most evident on one of the biggest plays in recent Finnish stance for the mohawk, look pass and pivot toward a shot off his front hockey history. With the game tied late in the third period, Saarijarvi foot: made four quick plays with the puck in the span of under 15 seconds. Too often, when we talk about players who play hockey intelligently and The first came in the neutral zone when Saarijarvi tracked back to pick up throw around ambiguous punchlines like “hockey IQ,” we're really just a puck, shaded like he was going to pass cross-ice to his partner and talking about players who can make quick and fast decisions without rushing plays. Saarijarvi never looks rushed, but he's still playing faster than everyone else. We can actually see intelligence in his game. It's evident on the defensive side of the puck in the way Saarijarvi reacts to the play in a split second there, too. Watch below, on a play we too- commonly see, how Saarijarvi reacts to breaking his stick. Rather than rushing for the bench to get a new stick, or interfering with the attacking Canadian player by grabbing him to prevent a breakaway and take a penalty, Saarijarvi recognizes that he can win the race and make a play nonetheless. When he feels the Canadian forward jump around him to the middle of the ice, he uses his right foot to kick back against the grain and put the puck into the corner. With nine out of 10 players, this play ends poorly. When you can make plays that quickly, you differentiate yourself and endear yourself to coaches who cringe when defencemen have pucks lifted off them while trying to be too cute – in any zone. Mix in an unmentioned heavy slapshot, excellent handling and an effortless stride, and you've got a package that lends itself well to playing in an NHL top- four sooner or later. Put it all together and you've got a player the Red Wings should have recognized was too good for the ECHL, where he posted five points in eight games before earning his shot in a deep defence core in Grand Rapids.

The Athletic LOADED: 11.09.2017 1082412 Websites zone almost the same amount of times as their opponent. This is where the quality of the entries comes into play. We know from past research that controlled entries — or those that come with possession of the puck The Athletic / Evaluating the Flyers' performance in all three zones this — are over twice as likely to result in a shot than uncontrolled entries season (better known as “dump-and-chase” entries). So do the Flyers have an edge in this area?

Team Controlled Entries Controlled Entry Percentage Charlie O'Connor Flyers 446 53.03% 19 hours ago Flyers' Opponents 394 46.63%

This is a substantial advantage for Philadelphia. Over 53 percent of the Through 15 games of the 2017-18 regular season, the Philadelphia Flyers' entries have come with possession of the puck, but they've held Flyers as a team are more or less delivering the results that most opponents to below 47 percent. Basically, they are generating more expected from them coming into the year. They currently sit one point out controlled entries than uncontrolled ones, while forcing their opponents to of a wild-card spot in the Eastern Conference with a 7-6-2 record and are do the opposite. tenth in the conference in Points Percentage at 53.3%. Essentially, they remain within striking distance of sneaking into a playoff spot, but it's far The move toward a more controlled entry-centric game has been from a lock. None of this was unexpected entering the season. gradual, but consistent for the Flyers under Dave Hakstol. In Year 1 of his tenure, Philadelphia was clearly a dump-and-chase team, but in each Sure, the road has been filled with some surprises. Claude Giroux and of the last two seasons, it's moved more toward a rush-based neutral Jakub Voracek's bounceback seasons were nowhere near guaranteed, zone approach. The Flyers' ability to prevent controlled entries, on the and Sean Couturier's offensive explosion couldn't have been easily other hand, has basically stayed stable, and the result has been a predicted, either. The performance of the team's fourth line has also massive, positive discrepancy between Philadelphia's ability to create on exceeded expectations. But other issues — a struggling middle-six and the rush while preventing the other team from doing so at a high rate. injuries on the back end — have the Flyers right about where many pundits project them to finish at the end of the year. In turn, the team's Neutral Zone Score — which weighs each entry created and allowed for quality — is currently over 50 percent this The standings of course are just one way to evaluate a team in the early season, at 51.13%. That's not a dominant rate, but it's perfectly solid, and going. Most stat-based analysis tends to focus on 5-on-5 performance as it implies the team is “winning” the middle of the ice thus far in 2017-18. the central means of measuring team strength, which makes sense to a degree — it's the situation in which the bulk of a game is played. But it What about the defensive zone? does ignore key aspects of a winning team, such as power-play and Now that we know exactly how often opposing teams have entered the penalty-kill efficiency, which should not be tossed aside lightly. At the Flyers' end thus far this season, we can evaluate how well they have same time, those can easily be evaluated separately, and in later articles, done in preventing shots and chances while their opponents have been I plan to do just that. in on the attack. Over the 14 games in our dataset (remember, we're But for now, I'll focus on Philadelphia's 5-on-5 play so far, specifically in missing the Ottawa game), Flyers' opponents have entered their zone terms of shot creation and suppression. Goaltending matters, obviously, with possession 394 times, via a dump-in on 451 occasions and have but either sustaining brilliance or fixing incompetence is the task of three earned 208 faceoffs in the Flyers' zone as well. main people — the two regular netminders and the goalie coach. When we discuss defensive zone play, we're implicitly talking about two Creating shots, chances and goals, and preventing the other team from things (aside from goaltending). The first is raw shot suppression — generating shots and chances of its own is a shared effort across four ideally, the defense prevents the other team from getting a shot off at all. lines, three defensive pairings, and the entirety of the coaching staff. But it also includes the prevention of quality chances. NHL teams are When I evaluate 5-on-5 performance, I like to isolate a team's play in going to create shots while they're on the attack at least sometimes. But each zone if the data available allows me to do so. Luckily, the when they do, you want your team's defense to be ensuring those shots indefatigable Corey Sznajder has already tracked 14 of the Flyers' 15 are as low quality as possible. As a result, we'll evaluate the Flyers based games this season, with the lone exception being the October 26 contest on both criteria. against the Ottawa Senators. Using his data, we can measure the Flyers' First, let's look at raw shot prevention. Through Sznajder's tireless work, performance thus far in each of the three zones — offensive, neutral and we know how many shots (on average) tend to originate from each type defensive. of entry, which gives us a baseline to judge the Flyers. But what's the best way to measure performance in each area of the ice? Entry Type League-Average Unblocked Shots Per Entry Type In the neutral zone, I'm primarily looking at whether the Flyers are driving more entries into the offensive zone than they are allowing to their Controlled 0.66 opponents. In addition, I want to know if the quality of Philadelphia's entries is higher than that of the opposition. For example, if the Flyers Uncontrolled 0.29 generate ten offensive zone entries in a period and the Capitals generate Offensive Zone Faceoff 0.29 ten as well, it's even by raw entry totals. But if all ten of Philadelphia's entries came with possession of the puck and all ten of Washington's As you can see, controlled entries generate a little more than double the were dump-ins, it's clear that the Flyers won the neutral zone battle after average shots of uncontrolled entries and faceoffs. The latter two are adjusting for entry quality. nearly identical in shot-based results, which makes sense. After all, a dump-in requires a puck battle for the attacking team to get on offense, As for the offensive and defensive zones, there are two main goals: and what is a faceoff but a legislated puck battle? create (or prevent) as many shots as possible, and ensure (or deny) those shots are quality. Therefore, I'll be evaluating the Flyers' ability to Because we know how many entries the Flyers have allowed so far and create and suppress raw shots and chances in each of the attacking the type of each, we can determine how many shots they would be thirds. “expected” to allow assuming league-average outcomes. If they've allowed more than that, we can infer they've done a poor job of raw shot Let's get to it. suppression in the defensive zone. If they've allowed less, then they're How have the Flyers performed in the neutral zone so far? suppressing shots at a better-than-league-average rate. Let's go back to the numbers and find out. We'll begin by checking to see if Philadelphia is winning the raw entry battle in the middle of the ice. Essentially, it's a simple question — have Entry Type Total Entries Allowed Expected Unblocked Shots the Flyers had more possessions in the offensive zone at 5-on-5 than Allowed their opponents have had? Controlled 394 260.04 It's very close thus far, but the Flyers are just a bit behind. Uncontrolled 451 130.79 Flyers' Total Entries Opponents' Total Entries Flyers' Entry For Offensive Zone Faceoff 208 60.32 Percentage Totals 1053 451.15 841 845 49.88% So the Flyers “should” have allowed about 451 unblocked shots at 5-on-5 Now, we're only talking about a difference of four entries here, so the in those 14 games based on the opponents' entries and faceoffs. Flyers have basically broken even. They've had the puck in the offensive However, the Flyers actually allowed 442 unblocked shots, nine less than Offensive Zone Faceoff 0.29 0.25 would be expected. That's a good sign for their shot suppression abilities, as it's +2.03% better than what's expected. At the very least, Philadelphia Controlled entries are, logically, the type of offensive zone possession isn't getting gashed for extra shots while defending. where it's easiest to utilize creativity. After all, the team retains control of the puck throughout the possession, and that designation also includes But how are the Flyers doing when it comes to suppressing shot quality? rush chances, which are tailor-made for high-difficulty passes. Yet it's not Unfortunately, we don't yet know the average number of scoring chances controlled entries where the Flyers have really struggled to extract shot that occur during each entry type, but we can judge the team by volume value. Instead, it's the “puck battle” entries where they're way Expected Goals Allowed, a metric from Corsica.Hockey. I've broken below league-averages. down the basics in this primer, but as a quick overview, Expected Goals (or xG) evaluates each shot for location and quality and gives it a To try and pinpoint the real issue here, I went back through Sznajder's numerical value. A shot from the point may have an xG value of 0.02, data, and compared the Flyers' ability to recover the puck on dump-in while a rebound chance in the low slot could be 0.60. Each shot is judged entries so far this season versus last season. Interestingly enough, the by the likelihood of it turning into a goal, so when using xG to judge Flyers have done a worse job in the early going of recovering defensive zone play, you want your team to be allowing very few uncontrolled entries. In 2016-17, they gained possession on 24.31% of Expected Goals to the opposition. their dump-ins; this year, that's down to 22.03 percent. Over the first 15 games, the Flyers have done just that. At 5-on-5, It's not a massive drop, and my guess is that increased patience in the Philadelphia has allowed just 2.15 Expected Goals per 60 minutes, which offensive zone is contributing to the shot volume issue. But sacrificing is the sixth-lowest total in the NHL this season. It would have ranked volume for quality is a philosophical debate in which I tend to fall on the them eighth last season, and is an improvement over their 2.24 number side the Flyers are currently leaning. Recovering fewer dump-ins, on the from 2016-17. other hand, is objectively and unequivocally a poor outcome for a hockey team. So on the whole, the Flyers grade out very strong in the defensive zone. They've suppressed shots above expectation, and aren't getting gashed The good news is that it's seemingly fixable. Dialing up the forechecking for chances on the shots that they allow, either. Defensively, Philadelphia pressure just a bit or placing a greater emphasis on puck retrieval over has been a sound team at 5-on-5 so far in 2017-18. the course of a few practices could potentially get the Flyers right back to where they were last season in that area, without negatively impacting The Flyers have been above-average in both their neutral zone results at the improvement in shot quality once the team gets set up. Such an 5-on-5 and their shot/chance suppression in the defensive zone. That improvement would just give Philadelphia more opportunities to create just leaves their performance in the attacking third of the ice. How have those higher-quality chances, and hopefully raise those goal and xG they done there? metrics even further. It's probably best to refer to their performance in the offensive zone so far On the whole, the Flyers are doing a lot right in all three zones during 5- as “uneven.” It certainly doesn't qualify as bad — after all, the team has on-5 situations. In the middle of the ice, Philadelphia is breaking even scored 2.34 Goals per sixty minutes thus far at 5-on-5, which is a from a raw entry standpoint, but running away with the quality battle. In dramatic improvement over last season's pathetic 1.95 mark. Forwards the defensive zone, the Flyers are beating out league averages when it seem more willing to be patient and creative with the puck while on the comes to raw shot suppression, and they're one of the NHL's best teams attack, and it's resulting in better-quality chances for the team as a whole. in the early going in preventing quality chances. Considering the injuries they've suffered on the back end, that defensive zone soundness is truly That does show up in their xG-based metrics. Their Expected Goals impressive. Created per 60 in 2017-18 is at 2.27, up from last season's 2.18 rating. In addition, their Expected Unblocked Shooting Percentage is up It's the offensive zone where things get complicated. By the numbers substantially, from 5.3% to 5.63% this year. That may not seem like (and the eye test), the Flyers have legitimately improved the quality of much, but last year it would have been the difference between being up their shots while on the attack. It's no accident that improvement has near Minnesota and Chicago vs. down with Buffalo. It's a significant, coincided with an increase in goal scoring on the part of Philadelphia. A measurable improvement in shot quality. team is more likely to rack up goals when shots are coming from closer to the slot and not always way out on the perimeter. Unfortunately, the Flyers have seemingly sacrificed shot volume in the pursuit of shot quality. Let's do the same exercise for the Flyers' zone However, the Flyers' raw shot creation is suffering a bit this season. entries that they've created in the 14 games from Sznajder's dataset, Relative to expectations, they've created 7.58% fewer shots than if they determining how many shots they “should” have considering the had simply produced league-average outcomes based on their frequency and quality of their entries. possessions in the offensive zone. As a result, they've remained more of a middle-of-the-road team when it comes to offensive zone play, both Entry Type Total Entries Allowed Expected Unblocked Shots from an xG and actual goal production standpoint. Allowed That's almost certainly related to the newfound emphasis on shot quality. Controlled 446 294.36 More difficult passes may create higher-quality shots, but they also Uncontrolled 395 114.55 increase the likelihood of turnovers and “wasted” possessions. It's the price a team pays in the pursuit of the best possible chance, and one Offensive Zone Faceoff 198 57.42 that's almost certainly justified. Totals 1039 466.15 I wouldn't recommend that the Flyers turn their offensive zone approach back to the “shoot from anywhere” style that made them one of the Their expected shot creation total puts them a little over 466 unblocked league's worst goal scoring teams in 2017-18. But there are other ways shots in those 14 games, but their actual total in those contests is just to up the shot volume that shouldn't negatively impact shot quality. Doing 431. They've managed 35 fewer unblocked shots than if they had just a better job at recovering dump-ins would be a good start, and extracting delivered league-average outcomes. That's obviously not ideal, and gives more value from set faceoff plays doesn't seem impossible either, them a -7.58% Offensive Zone Score when it comes to raw shot creation considering the fact that the team's three most frequent faceoff takers thus far. (Giroux, Couturier and Valtteri Filppula) are all solidly above 50% in faceoff-winning percentage. But this brings us back to the improvement in shot quality. Is it really a bad thing if the Flyers are taking less shots upon entry into the zone The Flyers don't look like a dominant team at 5-on-5 quite yet. But when because they're attempting to be more creative and trying higher-difficulty you break down their performance by zone, it's not difficult to envision a passes and plays? Sure, it may result in more shot-less possessions path that allows them to establish themselves as solidly above-average. than would be ideal, but when a possession does result in shots, those shots are tending to be higher quality chances. Maybe the sacrifice is worth it? The Athletic LOADED: 11.09.2017 That's a line of logic that I was totally behind. That is, until I started diving deeper into the numbers, and discovered something interesting about which types of entries are dragging down Philadelphia's raw shot totals. Entry Type League-Average Shots Per Entry Flyers Shots Per Entry in 2017-18 Controlled 0.66 0.65 Uncontrolled 0.29 0.24 1082413 Websites 2.) Many (all) pro hockey teams seem to have a free floating anxiety that they may not be big or tough enough, regardless of success rate. For example: the Pittsburgh Penguins traded for Ryan Reaves after winning The Athletic / Bourne and Wilson: A conversation on the value of having the Stanley Cup. Is this true to some degree? And is it justified? a 'tough guy' jtbourne 1.) Yeah, I've literally heard of one of the smartest hockey people on Justin Bourne earth telling a fourth line NHL player “Do you think we care if you ever score a point? 'Cause we don't.” I really do believe it's changing in the big 15 hours ago picture, but this leads me into the next point… 2.) The nuclear option. There are games, maybe two a season, where things get wholly out of hand, and it sucks being the small team. Some One of the perks of working for The Athletic is using Slack, which is coaches like having the big red button at the end of their bench to push basically just a big chat room for employees of a single company. I say that results in George Parros (or whoever) grabbing the opposing player it’s a perk, because our particular company has a lot of really bright who's being an asshole and straightening him out. There's no doubt that hockey minds, and interacting with them on hockey topics can provide teams are less likely to misbehave when the opposing idiot is aware the some really interesting insights, information, and ideas. other team has someone who'll make him answer for his idiocy. I was having one of these said chats with one of these bright people the Of course, I'm not defending this from any angle. It's stupid to waste a other day – that would be Kent Wilson, who’s a Flames contributor for us roster spot on someone like that. I'm just explaining why I believe that – about the value of having a “tough guy” (a crasher, a banger, a heavy) role still exists on about half the NHL teams today. in a team’s lineup. I think, at the heart of all this, there's a collective mindset in a locker This was sparked by the Calgary Flames somewhat baffling use of room. Hockey People often talk about team “identity” because it's a real Tanner Glass this season, who’s recently been demoted back to the thing. If your team comes back a few times early in the season, maybe AHL. But that he was in the NHL at all seemed bizarre. He only dressed the next time they're down they keep pushing because they believe their in 11 NHL games last season, his teams have historically been team is “pesky.” I think there may be the idea with management that dominated when he plays, he doesn’t produce anything of offensive having tough players makes other players play tougher, knowing other value … but boy oh boy, will he punch you in the face if he doesn’t like guys (or a guy) has their back if they cross the line. So maybe the idea is, what you’re doing. at least a bit, to make everyone a little bigger with one big player. I had the distinct non-pleasure of playing against Glass in junior, and can kwilson say I know exactly how it feels (literally, he once kicked my ass) to play against not just those guys, but specifically him. And, well, it sucks. It can Very interesting. So my resultant question is: how do coaches and GMs be intimidating, you can find yourself pulling up on puck races not evaluate the efficacy of adding “pure toughness.” So, for other players knowing if it's him, and you’re just a little more hesitant all over the ice. you can grade their performance by certain outputs, like possession or chances or scoring rate. But grinders and tough guys seem to be But I mean really, does that have a demonstrable effect on the outcome evaluated almost exclusively by certain “inputs” only — size, toughness, of a hockey game if that’s all he provides at the NHL level? What’s the willingness to work hard, room presence, etc. So how does a decision value of guys that play that role to an NHL team — or at least, what's the maker decide that adding the tough guy “worked” (ie; that he is actually perceived value? contributing to the success of the club)? Well, we really got into it, and that conversation is below. Hope you jtbourne enjoy, and we'd love to have you weigh in in the comments as well. That's a really interesting point, and I think by some of the head kwilson scratching signings we see, nobody has really figured that out. I'd say the bar for a player like that would be “can he keep his head above water So first thing I wanted to tackle is — what is the internal line of thought while providing that toughness for us.” As in, can we put him out there when a team signs a guy like Glass? As in — how is the decision and not be in sheer terror of getting scored on. Can he skate well enough justified? And what do decision makers like coaches and GMs expect to to hit people on the forecheck before the puck is long gone. Imagine not happen (ie; what is the impact they think the player will have)? being judged on your outputs! Great gig if you can get it. jtbourne kwilson Part of it is, I think, GMs just checking their perceived “team needs” See that's what baffles me about these signings most often. I mean, boxes. Do we have speed, can we defend, etc. etc. So in the case of a Glass has never kept his head above water during his relatively long guy like Glass, can't you see a team with Brian Burke at the top of the tenure in the league. His team is almost always outshot, outchanced, food chain looking at the Flames roster and going “are we tough enough? outscored when he's on the ice. He provides almost no offence. We have No.” Obviously they all want the best player in that role possible — years of data on this. So my assumption is teams expect some sort of everyone slobbers at the thought of peak Milan Lucic — but if you can't diffuse benefit that accrues to the other players on the roster by adding a find a guy that can play AND be useful, teams settle. Something to guy like Glass. Stuff that isn't necessarily captured in direct outputs. remember: the bulk of management in the NHL played in the NHL, when Possible? it was a much tougher era. And they know how it made them feel when they went in to play big tough teams. They would've kept their mouths jtbourne shut more, been hesitant heading into the corners, and just generally have felt intimidated. I think that's how a lot of GMs want the opposition Well, there's the distinct possibility that management is just generally less to feel when they come play their team. They want them on their heels. interested in your fancy “outputs” than us. Seriously, just looking at his stats, I could see someone considering his plus/minus — I can feel you One thing though: I already think we're starting from different viewpoints cringe as I type that — and going “minus-three in 57 games three years here. 'Cause when you say “what do coaches/GMs expect to happen,” it ago. Even last year in 11 games. Minus-two in seven games. That's feels like you think they know they've signed a lesser player whose pretty well even, we can live with that for the truculence he provides.” tough. Generally, I would think they believe they've signed a useful Some teams are finally trying to ice some players farther down the lineup player, and they expect him to be useful. who actually tilt the ice in their team's favour. But to recognize that, you have to be looking at least slightly below surface level stats to recognize (And by useful in that role, I mean get pucks deep, run into people, go at that. opposing players who challenge their teammates, don't get scored on. That role in the past has had a pretty low bar for success. Which is One real takeaway I had during my time with the Marlies was how human changing, significantly, but not everyone evolves at the same speed.) it all still is, even at the NHL level. Yes, there are many, many numbers provided, but different people value different numbers, and don't believe kwilson what many others appear to be telling them. And at the end of the day, Yes, that touches on a couple of things I wanted to look at. decisions have to be made, and there's just no magic computer that spits out answers. You're dealing with human players who may be having 1.) When it comes to checking the “toughness box,” there seems to be a personal problems, they take care of themselves differently, and you just different set of criteria for judging the player in question (especially if the never really know what you're getting. Half the time you feel like you're player isn't a Lucic, but a Glass) — that is, stuff that other players on the guessing, even though you're the most informed person in the world on roster would be judged by like chances, points, etc. is less significant the decision you're about to make. So anyway — whatever outputs he's than the other things you mention (chip it in, fight when needed, etc.) shown, the NHL still skews pretty heavy to the eye test.) kwilson kwilson That dovetails with another pet theory I have — that because of Yeah I was going to bring up that angle again. The irony of this is: competitive pressures that are unique to the bottom end of the roster, coaches and GM's may look at a resume like that and take comfort in the NHL coaches and GMs will be attracted to tough guys who are fact that a guy is known around the league, is a seasoned pro, can be “memorable” or “stand out” during their limited ice time. counted on not to create waves or be a problem in the room, etc.. Whereas myself as a critical analyst looks at years of underlying data for So: once you get into fourth liner territory in the NHL, you are usually a player that show he gets outshot, outchanced, can't score etc. which dealing with replacement level or slightly above replacement level talent. drives me in exactly the opposite direction: toward a rookie or someone Which means there is an ocean of “similar” players out there to you new. But coaches like the devil they know more often than not. That's talent-wise. I looked and the difference between a 1.25 ESP/60 player why I recently introduced the phrase “tie goes to the veteran” when it and a 1.05 ESP/60 player over the course of a full season, assuming comes to roster decisions. right ES minutes per game, is about three or four points. jtbourne Which makes it really difficult to discern the difference between guys at the bottom of the rotation. Especially if you are heavily influenced by the Yeah, that's a line Babcock actually uses in media scrums. As the game eye test — most fourth line players simply won't stand out on a nightly gets faster and with the salary cap being as crucial as it is, I think we're basis if you're judging them by the usual standards. seeing less “tie goes to the veteran” around the league. A lot of veterans are being driven out of the league way earlier as the smarter teams think But guys who crash and bang? Who get into a fight? Who throw that way less and less. themselves in front of harm's way with abandon? They are memorable. So at the bottom end of the roster the way to survive isn't necessarily to kwilson be useful, it's be noticeable. Because from a perceptual and observational stand point, it's difficult to separate those two things when it Definitely, and this make sense. A lot of the research we have now comes to fourth liners. shows that players typically peak around 24 years old. That said, there is likely some benefit to having guys in the room that are pros, know the jtbourne system, etc. etc. Do you think a balance will be struck between the intangibles that can sometimes drive decision making and the tangible That's brilliant, I'm absolutely on board with the idea that that happens. on-ice stuff? Are we there already? The question then becomes, if two potential fourth line players are basically identical in terms of offensive production, doesn't it make sense jtbourne to take the guy who provides the extra element? (I guess in this case, that means intimidation/physical play.) Yeah, the fun of this all, is we're never going to find the answer to “what's the exact right mix” in terms of evaluation and decision-making. It kwilson changes as the game and players change, you can only do the best you can do with each individual situation. Yup, that makes sense. If your choices are Tanner Glass and players who are as bad as Tanner Glass at driving play or scoring, but who aren't tough, then adding Tanner Glass makes sense. But, in reality, Glass is a sub-replacement level talent in most aspects of the game, so in the The Athletic LOADED: 11.09.2017 Flames case they could have called up half a dozen guys from the farm and probably done better. That said, the “floor” for this type of player seems to be rising all the time. Five to ten years ago, teams were still employing enforcers who were probably ECHL level talents merely because they were tough. Now those guys are almost totally extinct. The Flames signed Glass at the start of the year because he was noticeable in pre-season, but then waived him 14 games into the season. Maybe the tide is turning toward finding strictly “functional” toughness (ie; a player must at least meet the threshold of replacement level to be on the active roster, even if he's a tough guy). jtbourne kwilson And likely always will because there is an element of intimidation, physicality to the game. The trick, I think, is to separate out the guys who are actually helping a team win versus guys who may just be doing things that are noticeable or memorable. Sometimes those two things intersect, but sometimes they don't. Do you think this is the same thing that's happening re: Roman Polak in Toronto? Or is there more to that relationship between the team and the player? jtbourne I definitely think the Maple Leafs looked at their D-corps in the middle of a losing streak and saw zero players with “snarl.” And, it was mid- season, so they couldn't get anyone decent. And again, they were losing. I can absolutely hear Mike Babcock throwing up his arms in a video session, seeing one of his D-men getting bullied on a specific play, and going “F*** me, this is pathetic, f*** are we soft. I don't care if he can barely move, we gotta get Poly back, I can't watch this s*** anymore.” kwilson Haha, sounds about right. So the familiarity of a player like that can bring coaches some sense of ease or comfort, even if an analyst can point to a row of numbers and say “this player gets routinely outplayed.” jtbourne Yeah. Particularly at the fringes of the roster that sort of thing would matter. Again, we've noted the difference between those guys is negligible. This is where stuff like “good in the room” matters (you spend a LOT of time together), work ethic matters (“sets a good example”), shit like that. **extremely Babcock voice** “Poly's a real good man, real good pro.” You know the drill. 1082414 Websites It's evident that Babcock just has more trust in the 38-year-old at this point and deservingly so given his Hall-worthy career. But it might also be an opportunity lost too what with Nylander's potential future at centre. The Athletic / Leafs face uncertainty without Auston Matthews in the Even for a game (and perhaps more), the Leafs will obviously miss lineup Matthews and miss him a lot. He's been the driver of all things from day one this season, already with 16 even-strength points in 16 games — third-best in the NHL heading into Wednesday's play. Jonas Siegel The only players with more goals in their first 98 regular season games 17 hours ago since the start of the 1997-98 season: Teemu Selanne (84), Eric Lindros (67), Alex Ovechkin (64), Pavel Bure (61), Joe Nieuwendyk (59) and Rob Brown (56). The Leafs will indeed get their first look at life without Auston Matthews. Matthews, who left the rink Wednesday afternoon in a teal sweatshirt and ball cap, has 50 goals and 88 points in his career so far. Matthews will miss the first game of his NHL career on Wednesday night, sidelined by a mysterious upper-body injury that's apparently been lingering for some unspecified time. The Athletic LOADED: 11.09.2017 “It's just a little bit of soreness,” the 20-year-old said Monday night, following a one-assist, three-shot performance in a shootout win over the Golden Knights. It's unclear how much time Matthews will miss. Mike Babcock, the Leafs head coach, would say only that Matthews was day-to-day, offering little beyond that as to the nature or severity of the injury. Matthews didn't practice Tuesday afternoon and didn't take part in an optional skate on Wednesday morning before the Leafs were due to host the Minnesota Wild. The Leafs have an opportunity to get him a steady dose of recovery time if they so choose it. Following Wednesday's game, the Leafs are due for a home-and-home, back-to-back set against the Boston Bruins. If Matthews sat out both, he would get a full nine days off before the New Jersey Devils come to town on Thursday, Nov. 16. In his absence, Babcock is planning to slide Patrick Marleau over to centre again with Nazem Kadri, Tyler Bozak and Dominic Moore all lining up down the middle otherwise. It's not totally clear who will line up alongside them given the absence of a full morning skate and Babcock's displeasure with the line combinations from Tuesday's practice, the composition of which looked as follows: Leo Komarov – Nazem Kadri – William Nylander Connor Brown – Tyler Bozak – Mitch Marner James van Riemsdyk – Patrick Marleau – Zach Hyman Matt Martin – Dominic Moore – Josh Leivo Babcock has evidently decided against playing Nylander at centre, potentially slotting the 21-year-old instead beside Kadri and Leo Komarov. It's a combination he tried to limited effect last year: It's probable that the Leafs load this unit up with defensive zone starts in Matthews' absence. The American was soaking up the second-most draws of that kind among Toronto centres (behind only Kadri) this year, his offensive zone start percentage plummeting from 63 per cent as a rookie to 47 per cent so far as a sophomore. Babcock raved about Matthews, who's started the season with 10 goals and 19 points in the first 16 games. He boasted about Matthews' plus/minus (he's plus-14 for those interested) and how he thrived offensively and defensively despite drawing the best forwards and defence of the opposition on the road and best defence and second-best forwards at home. “He's a guy we can play against anybody,” Babcock said. “When you play well defensively you have the puck all the time and he's real good at it and understands it and has got a good read on the game that way. And learned it quick so [he has] elite hockey sense.” The Leafs have outscored the opposition 18-5 when he's on the ice with five per side. Babcock suggested matching his reconstituted lines based on the Wild's deployment — which has seen Finnish captain Mikko Koivu drawing the bulk of defensive zone draws and Eric Staal garner the majority of those in the offensive zone. That could mean that Kadri's line matching up with Staal with the Brown-Bozak-Marner combo perhaps starting a whole bunch in the offensive zone. In opting against trying Nylander down the middle, the Leafs are giving Marleau another look. He played that role in three games over the team's recent road trip and was fine with a 1.77 Corsi Relative score. Still, the Leafs were outshot 15-11 when he was on the ice at 5-on-5 and outscored 4-3. 1082415 Websites too far removed from a losing streak and playing without a centre who produces all-world results while soaking up tough matchups.

“He’s a guy we can play against anybody,” Babcock said of Matthews. Sportsnet.ca / Matthews-less Leafs scrape out win thanks to Andersen’s “He’s playing against the best ‘D’ and the best forwards on the road and strong play he’s playing against the best ‘D’ and the second-best forwards at home. I think that speaks to it right there. When you play well defensively, you have the puck all the time. Chris Johnston “He’s real good at it and understands it and has a good read on the game @reporterchris that way and learned it quick. Elite hockey sense.” November 8, 2017, 10:34 PM Play the Sportsnet Fantasy Hockey Pool for your chance to score big with over $22,000 worth of prizes to be awarded!

It's FREE and easy to play! TORONTO – It went about how you’d expect it to go. On Wednesday night, the Wild came out ahead in high-danger scoring The Toronto Maple Leafs didn’t magically get any better without their chances (10-3) and even-strength shot attempts (52-37). They created best player, Auston Matthews, available to tilt the ice against Minnesota. more. They had the puck more. They obviously weren’t going to. Where Zaitsev saw improvement is in the number of glaring turnovers They did, however, manage to scratch out a 4-2 win over the Wild in no and times the Leafs got caught with too many men on the wrong side of small part to a Frederik Andersen performance that masked other faults. the puck – recent areas of emphasis in Babcock’s video sessions with his The underlying defensive issues were still on display Wednesday – at players. least to those of us seated high above the ice. “I think we did better,” he said. “We had no odd-man rushes at all today. I “Who got 37?” Leafs defenceman Nikita Zaitsev responded innocently, think we played well today. We were organized really good, I didn’t like when asked if the 37-19 shot disparity provided an accurate reflection of how we played against Vegas [in a 4-3 shootout win on Monday], the game. obviously.” He grew indignant when told it was Minnesota. It was an interpretation that sounded like it came straight out of the Randy Carlyle era, when the Leafs were routinely caved in by opponents. “I didn’t know that,” said Zaitsev. “It absolutely didn’t feel that way. This is that kind of game when it’s maybe some weird stats. Maybe the guy is Take away Matthews and turn back the clock. thinking that the pass off the pads is a shot or something. I guarantee we don’t feel it at all.” It wasn’t all bad. Sportsnet.ca LOADED: 11.09.2017 They locked things down pretty well over the opening 20 minutes, with Jake Gardiner expertly breaking up a 2-on-1 rush from Jason Zucker and Chris Stewart and not even allowing the Wild forwards to get a shot. But Minnesota had the Leafs swimming in failed zone exits for noticeable stretches of the middle period – drawing three consecutive minor penalties while also holding a 17-9 advantage in shot attempts at even strength. The only real difference at that stage of the game were bounces and goaltending: Nazem Kadri opened the scoring on a tipped point shot that hit the end boards and bounced in off Devan Dubnyk’s left skate; and Andersen stoned Matt Cullen from the edge of the crease shortly before Patrick Marleau slipped free on the rush to put Toronto ahead 2-1. “I kind of got a read on what he was going to do,” Andersen said of the Cullen chance, his best of 35 saves. “I was able to throw the leg out and Patty went down and scored and made a good play there. It was nice.” Early in the third period, Connor Carrick’s point shot bounced off a Minnesota player and in. That’s hockey, sometimes. The Leafs nursed that 3-1 lead home. “In the first there was hardly any chances for either [team], to be honest with you,” said Leafs coach Mike Babcock. “In the second period, their power play had a chance – I think they had four power plays tonight, if I’m not mistaken – so I think they had some of their shot advantage in that area for sure. “And then we were ahead so you don’t need to score any more and you just need to make sure you keep it out.” Without Matthews, they survived. It was the first time Toronto has played without him since the 2015-16 season that management punted for the chance to land him. It seems like an eternity ago. They may have to get used to it since there’s no guarantee Matthews returns from his upper-body injury for a home-and- home set with Boston this weekend. “I don’t have a clue,” said Babcock. “Honest to God, I don’t know.” This has been a truly bizarre start to a 10-7-0 season. The Leafs crushed opponents early and looked poised to channel their inner Harlem Globetrotters. However, they’ve been ceding offensive zone time in the two-plus weeks since, sliding down to 11th overall in even- strength shot attempts at 50.88 per cent. It’s a concerning trend in the big picture, but there’s still something to be said for grinding out victories in the moment. Especially when they’re not 1082416 Websites

Sportsnet.ca / GM Cheveldayoff: Jets’ goalie competition ‘a healthy situation’

Emily Sadler @EmmySadler November 8, 2017, 10:20 PM

The Winnipeg Jets have a goaltending competition on their hands, and that’s exactly what general manager wants. Cheveldayoff joined Prime Time Sports on Wednesday to discuss the Jets’ early-season success and the performances of goalies Steve Mason and Connor Hellebuyck. “I think what we basically said from the start is that we wanted to have that competition and we know that Steve Mason is a proven No. 1 goaltender in this league,” Cheveldayoff said. “But we’re very upfront with everybody, that it was going to be about winning for us, so certainly there were no misconceptions there.” The team picked up Mason in free agency this past summer on a two- year deal in an effort to upgrade the crease following a 2016-17 that saw plenty of instability in Winnipeg’s blue paint. Mason has started four games so far this season and has yet to register his first win as a Jet. The 11th-year pro has a record of 0-3-1, a 4.84 goals-against average and an .872 save percentage. Hellebuyck, meanwhile, has excelled. The 24-year-old hasn’t lost in regulation through 11 games this season, going 8-0-2 and carrying a 2.12 goals- against average and .936 save percentage—good for third-best in that category league-wide. “We still think that Mason is a No. 1 goaltender and for us to make any noise or do anything, we’re going to need to have that kind of goaltending on any given night,” Cheveldayoff explained. “His last outing against Columbus, he played exceptionally well—we lost in overtime, through no fault of his own. We’re happy that we have the goaltending situation that we do this year.” While the numbers clearly point to Hellebuyck as the Jets’ main man, Cheveldayoff is focusing less on declaring a No. 1 netminder and more on the bigger picture. “I think the competition that we have is probably helping Connor with where he’s at as well,” he said. “When you don’t have competition, there’s a different element in there as well. It’s a healthy situation that we have here … we hope that competition keeps pushing both of those guys, because you’re going to need them.” We’ll see both goalies in action this weekend, as the 8-3-3 Jets ready themselves for back-to-back matchups against the Vegas Golden Knights on Friday and the Arizona Coyotes on Saturday. “There’s going to be enough games for everybody to go around and if they’re both playing well,” said Cheveldayoff. “That’ll be a healthy situation.”

Sportsnet.ca LOADED: 11.09.2017 1082417 Websites

Sportsnet.ca / Blackhawks reuniting Toews, Kane, Sharp on top line to spark offence

Sonny Sachdeva @sonny_sachdeva November 8, 2017, 6:44 PM

With the first 15 games of their 2017-18 campaign in the books, the Chicago Blackhawks hold the second-worst record in the Central Division, an awkward look for the usual Western Conference powerhouse. Looking for an offensive spark as his team sits 18th in the league in goals-for per game, head coach Joel Quenneville is going old school, reuniting stars Jonathan Toews, Patrick Kane, and Patrick Sharp. Chicago has long thrived off of keeping Toews and Kane apart at 5-on-5, but with the Blackhawks failing to light the lamp as often as they need, the club is hoping they can right the ship by loading up their top line. “That’s the goal,” Kane told Mark Lazerus of the Chicago Sun-Times on Tuesday. “Create some magic.” The trio’s potential success lies in the diversity of their elite skillsets, according to Sharp. “(We’re) three different players,” Sharp said. “You’ve got a playmaker/puckhandler (Kane), a grinder (Toews) and a shooter (Sharp). We all have speed, and we all kind of think the same way. It’s been awhile since we’ve been a unit … but hopefully we can do something.” His captain echoed that sentiment, adding that the Blackhawks’ offensive corps as a whole might benefit from a new look. “Even if it’s something that’s not long-term, if it’s just for the time being, we want to go out there and just play,” Toews said. “The more chances we get, eventually something has got to go in for us. It’s a fresh start, and hopefully the three of us can generate something.” Kane leads the three offensively thus far this season, pacing the team with 14 points through 15 games. Toews sits right behind him with 10 points up to this point, while Sharp has just four points to his name. Chicago will see their new first line in action on Thursday when the Blackhawks take on the Philadelphia Flyers. But Quenneville said he’s hoping improved offensive success comes for more than just his top trio. “We still feel there’s enough offence in our group here that they can recapture it,” Quenneville told Lazerus. “If one line can score, maybe the next line gets ignited. We keep moving it around. Technically, defensively, structurally, we’ve been fine. We have to execute better with the puck. Let’s be confident with it and make some plays.”

Sportsnet.ca LOADED: 11.09.2017 1082418 Websites Expectations were high on the Edmonton native who signed with the Flames this summer after garnering Hobey Baker consideration following a 62-point season (in 38 games) with Union College. Sportsnet.ca / Calgary Flames prospect report: Offensive help on the He struggled at the Flames main camp and it was quickly apparent he way would need considerable seasoning in Stockton. The speedy winger is slowly adjusting to life in the pros armed with a Eric Francis brilliant work ethic and seeing plenty of ice-time with Morgan Klimchuk on the second power play unit. @EricFrancis Jon Gillies, 23, G November 8, 2017, 12:17 PM Drafted: Third round, 75th overall in 2012

Season to date: 6 GP | 4-2-1 | 2.42 GAA | .920 SP As the Calgary Flames struggle to find secondary scoring they can at least be heartened by the fact they have some prolific offensive players Playing twice as much as tandem-mate David Rittich, Gillies is off to a on the farm and in their system. great start on a Stockton Heat squad that has opened the season 7-3-0- 1. In terms of being able to summon immediate help, the Flames have the AHL’s second-highest scorer and October player of the month in Andrew The 6-foot-6, 223-pound American is the obvious first call-up should Mangiapane. injury or an Eddie Lack stumble arise with the big club. Two Flames prospects in junior are in the top five of scoring leaders in Gillies gained confidence in training camp with the Flames, as well as the their respective leagues. one NHL game he played last year when he allowed just one goal in a win. Here’s a peek at some of the more notable Flames prospects through the first month of the season. WHL AHL Dillon Dube, 19, LW Andrew Mangiapane, 21, LW Drafted: Second round, 56th overall, 2016 Drafted: Sixth round, 166th overall, 2015 Season to date: 15 GP | 7 G | 11 A | 18 PTS | -4 Season to date: 11 GP | 6 G | 10 A | 16 P | +10 One of the best prospects in the WHL night in and night out, Dube’s speed and skill stand out even on a powerhouse team like Kelowna. Even after his centre, Mark Jankowski, was called up from the Stockton Heat by the Flames, Mangiapane has continued the type of pace he was Adapted well to being a checking winger for Team Canada at last year’s accustomed to in junior where he was a 51-goal scorer. world juniors, but this year he’s expected to play a more prominent role and maybe wear a letter, too. Currently second in the American Hockey League in points as part of the hottest line in the minors, the 5-foot-10, 182-pound native of Bolton, Ont. Matthew Phillips, 19, C was the only player in the AHL to open the season with points in 10 Drafted; Sixth round, 166th overall, 2016 straight games. Season to date: 19 GP | 15 G | 20 A | 35 PTS | +13 Reason for optimism… The former 50-goal scorer in WHL Victoria is on an even greater pace Named AHL player of the month for his rousing start, Mangiapane is this year as he’s opened the season as the WHL’s third-leading scorer. second in the loop at plus-10 and has been shooting the puck a ton. The Calgary native is the captain of the Royals and is pushing for a spot The two-time 100-point man for the OHL’s Barrie Colts scored 20 goals on Canada’s world junior squad by virtue of his start. last season in Stockton despite being a first-year pro who was unable to work out all summer due to a groin injury. This year he came in healthy, The question continues to be whether the 5-foot-7, 155-pound offensive had a solid camp with the Flames and has tremendous confidence and dynamo can overcome his size at the next level. His skillset is so off-the- chemistry on the Heat’s top line. charts he’ll certainly get that chance to prove himself. Rasmus Andersson, 21, D Juuso Valimaki, 19, D Drafted: Second round, 53rd overall, 2015 Drafted: First round, 16th overall, 2017 Season to date: 10 GP | 1 G | 7 A | 8 PTS | +5 Season to date: 12 GP | 4 G | 8 A | 12 PTS | +4 The knock on the Swedish rearguard has long been his fitness levels, but The Finnish defenceman continues to be a point-a-game player as he he’s 11 pounds down from the weight he finished at last season. was last year in Tri-City. More focused so far this season than any before, Andersson has 20 A strong, steady blueliner, his camp with the Calgary Flames shots on goal and is still the creative offensive force the Flames drafted demonstrated he’ll undoubtedly be a top-four defenceman in the NHL. him to be. He’s playing with more pace than in the past and earned a call-up to the Flames after Travis Hamonic went down with an injury. There was no room with the big club for him to make a push this year, but he might make it harder for management to send him back down Oliver Kylington, 20, D again next year. Drafted: Second round, 60th overall, 2015 OHL Season to date: 11 GP | 1 G | 6 A | 7 PTS | +6 Adam Ruzicka, 18, C The left-handed Swede continues to progress in his third year with the Drafted: fourth round, 109th overall, 2017 Heat, further limiting the number of mistakes he used to make. Season to date: 18 GP | 13 G | 15 A | 28 PTS | +9 Coach Ryan Huska says he’s taken major steps early on as a key player on a team that has started the season well. Rasmus Andersson was the A big, solid prospect dominating with the Sarnia Sting, Ruzicka is third in first defensive call-up made by the Flames, but Kylington is also a player OHL scoring thanks to a start that has raised many eyebrows around the to consider in these situations later on. league. Spencer Foo, 23, RW Dropping in the draft because of his compete level, the 6-foot-4, 202- pound Slovakian teen has certainly addressed that criticism early on. Acquired: Free agent in 2017 A testament to his full engagement is the fact he’s fired 76 shots on goal Season to date: 11 GP | 1 G | 4 A | 5 PTS | -2 so far. The scariest thing about him is the expectation he’ll fill out and be an even bigger presence moving forward. NCAA Adam Fox, 19, D Drafted: Third round, 66th overall, 2016 Season to date: 3 GP | 0 G | 5 A | 5 PTS | +2 Considered a blue chip prospect by the Flames, the Harvard rearguard is actually being considered for the U.S. Olympic team. Fox has already excelled on the world stage as a stud for the gold medal- winning U.S. team at the World Junior Championship last year. At the very least he’s a shoe-in to return to the Christmas tourney as one of the American team leaders. ECHL Tyler Parsons, 20, G Drafted: Round 2, 54th overall, 2016 Season to date: 7 GP | 2-4-0 | 4.69 GAA | .870 SP Despite being, arguably, the Flames’ top goalie prospect there was no room on the Stockton Heat for the former Memorial Cup and World Junior Championship winner. The Flames placed him with Kansas City of the ECHL, where the first- year pro has been trying to adjust to a play in a notoriously more scramble-happy league. Regardless of his numbers, if there is a goaltending injury anywhere in the Flames system he’d likely be moved immediately to the AHL.

Sportsnet.ca LOADED: 11.09.2017 1082419 Websites agent Anders Nilsson to a two-year, $5-million contract to compete with Canucks starter Jacob Markstrom.

“I want to win hockey games and want to contribute to my team, as Sportsnet.ca / Ryan Miller reflects on time with Canucks, decision to always,” Miller says. “I value my family life and keep that in high regard leave and I wanted to make a decision that made me more present and available for my family, but still play at a high level. I think that’s the opportunity I found here with Anaheim.” Iain MacIntyre Miller says his wife landed a couple of acting jobs almost immediately @imacSportsnet upon their full-time return to the Los Angeles area, and she’s able to audition for roles on short notice. Their home is in West Hollywood, about November 8, 2017, 11:10 AM an hour’s drive from Anaheim, but the family also rents a place in Orange County.

After starting the Ducks season on injured reserve with a wrist injury, VANCOUVER – When he arrived 3½ years ago with the Vancouver Miller has been superb in two starts, stopping 78 of 82 shots while Canucks, mostly unwanted by fans clamouring for someone younger, splitting a couple of shootout decisions. He played the final 10:44 of Ryan Miller was regarded as a highly strung, fiercely-competitive Tuesday’s 4-3 overtime loss to the Los Angeles Kings when Gibson goaltender whose ability on the ice was offset by prickliness away from it. absorbed a blow to the head and left with 6:53 remaining in regulation. By the time he left on July 1 to sign a free-agent contract with the The Ducks are expected to update Gibson’s condition Wednesday, but Anaheim Ducks that took him home to Southern California, Miller was Miller is likely to start Thursday at home against the Canucks. viewed here instead as a hockey statesman, an unselfish and eloquent pro who did everything he could to help his teammates and team. “Even just getting back into some of these games and being able to contribute to the team is nice,” Miller says. “My brother (Drew) started his Even stopping 91.4 per cent of the shots he faced the last three seasons, career in Anaheim by winning a Stanley Cup in his rookie year. If I could Miller went only 64-68-16 for a Canucks team that was beyond saving finish mine here the same way, that would be an interesting perspective.” many nights. He played only three playoff games – all while injured.

Yet, with the benefit of perspective that becoming a father provided, Miller probably left Vancouver as a better person than when he arrived, Sportsnet.ca LOADED: 11.09.2017 having successfully reframed the discussion surrounding him. At age 37, he does not view as wasteful those three precious seasons near the end of his National Hockey League career spent playing for a team hopelessly far from competing for a Stanley Cup, which Miller has never won. “There’s no guarantees for anything in life,” he says on the phone from Anaheim. “Just because you play X amount of years doesn’t entitle you to anything. I think you have to go into every opportunity with an open mind and an open heart and compete as hard as you can. In that regard, I went up to Vancouver and did everything I could do. “I played as hard as I could and tried to get out and be part of the city. In the end, I think people got to know me a little better, which I was happy about. I tried to compete as hard as I could whenever I was on the ice; I hope that was enough for people.” Want to livestream all 82 Canucks games this season? See how you can stream this + over 300 regular season NHL games with Sportsnet NOW. Miller has been one of the best goalies of his generation. As he showed in Vancouver, he is devoted to his craft and his team. He is an articulate and accountable leader. No wonder the Ducks were thrilled to sign him for two years and $4 million to back up and mentor 24-year-old starter John Gibson. It is difficult to peg Miller’s place in Canucks history because the team in front of him was so poor the last two seasons. On many nights, the goalie from Los Angeles by way of East Lansing, Mich., was the best thing the Canucks had going for them. Even at $6 million per season in Vancouver, Miller never cheated anyone. He embraced both his team and his city. His wife, Noureen DeWulf, put her acting career on hold to live most of the time in Yaletown with her husband and their son, Bodhi, who was born here in 2015. Miller seemed to get much more than money from his Vancouver experience. “When I came up there, I set out as a goal to become part of the group and win hockey games,” he says. “Towards the end, that didn’t go as planned. You give yourself a window of opportunity to do something, and it didn’t work out. But there’s an emotional attachment to the city. I was trying my hardest to have fun up there and acclimate. My son was born there. “I was still on the (Canucks players’) group text for a while, so I sent a message back explaining my thought process. I wanted them to know that family was a big part of my decision (to leave). I forged a lot of great relationships and felt very comfortable in Vancouver. I enjoyed my time there immensely. It was a tough decision, but I’m happy when I do have downtime that there’s more family time.” It was Miller’s decision to leave. The Canucks had hoped to have him back and probably would have beaten the Ducks’ offer. But the goalie put his family first. Vancouver GM Jim Benning signed Buffalo Sabres free 1082420 Websites more now than it has at various other times in his development. He has good vision and is tougher to play against than people realize.

Reason for optimism… Sportsnet.ca / Ottawa Senators prospect report: An insider’s breakdown of the best in the system “He’s exceeded our expectations. He’s playing big minutes in Belleville and scoring some big goals. It’s a really good story because this is a guy who struggled and we weren’t going to sign him at one point because we Ryan Dixon questioned his compete level and his dedication. But he [went back to the QMJHL and] did a complete 180. We came to him and said, ‘Hey, @dixononsports you earn this contract’ and he hasn’t looked back. He just keeps getting better. He’s a top-six guy right now in the American League. We thought November 8, 2017, 4:52 PM he’d be way down in the lineup and we’d have to take baby steps with him.

“He’s proving he can skate at an NHL level, that he’s got a really good An annual crop of fresh faces isn’t the only new thing associated with the head. He’s just got to play consistently and compete hard every single Ottawa Senators’ top affiliate this fall. night. He’s one of the guys who self-evaluates really well and if he The Belleville Senators made their home debut on Nov. 1, as Ottawa’s doesn’t have a good game, he recognizes it and knows what he has to American Hockey League partner is now just two-and-a-half hours down do to get better.” the road after years of the Baby Sens being stationed in Binghamton, Ben Harpur, 22, D New York. Drafted: Fourth round, 108th overall, 2013 Belleville GM Randy Lee — who also holds the title of Ottawa’s assistant GM — said the renovation of Yardmen Arena came right down to the Season to date: 3GP | 0G | 0A | 0P | -1 wire, but the Sens were able to kick things off with a 4-3 shootout win over the Syracuse Crunch. Harpur played nine games during Ottawa’s playoff run last year and was recently called up to the big club, so many fans have a sense of what the Belleville began the AHL season with a nine-game roadie, providing an 6-foot-6, 222-pound blue liner can do. added degree of difficulty for the team’s prospects. As for how the next generation is performing — both at the AHL level and in a variety of other “Ben is a great passer, he has great vision; he’s one of those guys who leagues — we’ll let Lee handle the heavy lifting from here. can hook [his own] net and do the backhand pass to the centre right on the tape. Really good stick, really good range. When he plays with an AHL edge, he’s really hard to play against. There were times last year where we felt he was one of the top defencemen in the American League and Thomas Chabot, 20, D that’s what warranted the call up. He can play both the left and right side Drafted: First round, 18th overall, 2015 [as a left shooter].” Season to date: 7GP | 1G | 2A | 3P | -5 Nick Paul, 22, C As with all D-men in the pipeline, Chabot — who’s been bothered by a Drafted: Fourth round, 101st overall, 2013 (Dallas) slight groin injury — is up against the fact Ottawa has seven blue-liners Season to date: 0G | 5A | 5P | -2 on one-way deals. That said, the crown jewel of the system is still on track to star in the NHL. Acquired in the trade that sent Jason Spezza to Texas, Paul remains a player the Sens believe can contribute at the NHL level and he joined the “Last year, when we sent him back, we told him to go dominate,” Lee team for its trip to Sweden. His 6-foot-4, 223-pound frame is a wonderful said. “We told him he has to work on his shot; his play without the puck; asset. his stick; his body position and be able to maintain his compete level for 30 minutes a game. [He proved he could do that] not just in St. John, but “We like Nick Paul; we just challenged him to be harder to play against, in the world juniors. He exceeded our expectation there. we challenged him to have the same level of consistency in his game and he had a good off-season and we expected him to challenge for a “Now, it’s defending really well; making really good decisions with the spot out of camp,” Lee said. “Then he had an injury and it sort of set him puck; understanding the situation in the game, when to manage it. back. He’s still a young guy. We’re patient with our guys; we never write Overall, he had a good camp, but we have seven [defencemen on one- them off. We like what Nick Paul brings to the table and we think he has way contracts], so it’s up to him or [one of the other young defencemen] a chance to be a player.” to knock somebody out of the box. Christian Jaros, 21, D “He’s a very receptive guy and very coachable. He can play. He went up this year when we had the injuries and he played well.” Drafted: Fifth round, 139th overall, 2015 Colin White, 20, C Season to date: 9GP | 1G |4A | 5P | +4 Drafted: First round, 21st overall, 2015 “Myself and Shean Donovan are huge fans and we’ve seen him a lot in [Sweden]. We knew it was time for him to come over. He’s got offensive Season to date: 3GP | 0G | 1A | 0P |-1 instincts — he likes to rush the puck, he’s got a great one-timer — but he Had White not broken his wrist in training camp, he might be in the NHL combines it with a really hard, sandpaper-like [approach]. He’s a right right now. Belleville’s first home game doubled as White’s season debut. shot on our power pay and he just hammers the puck, but then you see him defensively and he comes over and wipes people out with these “He’s one of those guys who definitely would have pushed for a spot on great open-ice hits.” our team. He knows he’s got to play and get his game going and then he’ll dictate where he ends up at the end of the year. Andreas Englund, 21, D “Pace and strength [are the biggest thing]. More battle strength. He’s a Drafted: Second round, 40th overall, 2014 very competitive guy; he sees the game so well offensively and Season to Date: 12GP | 0G | 2A | 2P | 0+/- defensively; he’s a pain in the ass to play against. He really does get under your skin, which is fun, cause he’s a nice guy off the ice. But boy, “He’s a hard-to-play-against, shutdown D; he makes a good first pass. you strap the boots on and he comes to play. He’s never going to put up a lot of points. It’s funny, but he really likes the shutdown role. He likes to be hard around the net, he lays the lumber on “He was on the ice as soon as he could be [after the injury] working on guys. It’s a perfect [example] of guys who know what they are and his legs and his speed. He put a lot of time in in his rehab.” embrace it.” Filip Chlapik, 20, C Max Lajoie, 20, D Drafted: Second round, 48th overall, 2015 Drafted: Fifth round, 133rd overall, 2016 Season to date: 11GP | 2G | 4A | 6P | -4 Season to date: 10GP | 0G | 4A | 4P | -1 Ottawa’s coaching staff hadn’t seen much of Chlapik entering camp and he really caught their attention. The organization values the Czech much Lajoie, who turned 20 on Sunday, is eligible to return to the Western Season to date: 18GP | 17G | 13A | 30P | -4 Hockey League this season, but convinced Lee and the brass he deserves a look in the pros. Passed over entirely in the 2016 draft, Batherson is showing signs he could be a real find for the Sens. The nephew of former Ottawa tough “We said, ‘Right now, you’re staying’ and he’s playing big minutes. He’s a guy Dennis Vial, Batherson has impressed at every turn since he was power-play guy, he’s a puck-moving guy; very good composure. He selected. He’s eligible to play pro next season. makes the right read on the breakout, he knows how to look one way and pass the other way. “Something about him intrigued me in the [pre-draft] interview, but I said ‘Hey, I don’t know him as a player; you guys decide.’ We were lucky, we “He’s a guy who has a chance. He’s an under-the-radar guy who’s going got him in the fourth round. He had a great development camp, he had a to be on the radar really soon.” great rookie tournament and we signed him [to an entry-level deal]. That’s not common, where you sign a fourth-round pick right off the hop. I Gabriel Gagne, 20, RW told him stories about other guys we made wait right to the end, because Drafted: Second round, 36th overall, 2015 you have to earn the contract. Well, this kid earned the contract. Season to date: 12GP | 4G | 1A | 5P | -3 “He’s playing hard, he’s hitting, he’s fighting, he’s being a power forward. It’s a really good story for us and a great pick by our scouting staff.” Gagne, who stands 6-foot-5 and turns 21 on Saturday, played pro instead of major junior last year, including some time in the ECHL. “Now he’s starting to get a bit of swagger to his game where, when he Sportsnet.ca LOADED: 11.09.2017 gets the puck, he’s making plays, he’s shooting the puck really well. He’s starting to really carve out a bigger role for himself. He’s come a long way.” MARK SPECTOR OHL Alex Formenton, 18, LW, London Knights Drafted: Second round, 47th overall, 2017 Season to date: 7GP | 1G | 7A | 8P | +3 Formenton making the Senators was the story of September. He started raising eyebrows right from the development camp that was held just a little while after he was drafted last June. “Everybody knows about his speed, but he has a quiet confidence with the puck and he’s able to make plays. I think a lot of our veteran guys really liked the kid, so they took him under their wing. It’s a real special talent there. He earned what he got. He knows now how much of a step it is from junior to the NHL. He knows, if he wants to make it next year, he’s got to really work on his game this year. He went back with a great attitude and we expect big things from him.” Logan Brown, 19, C, Windsor Spitfires Drafted: First round, 11th overall, 2016 Season to date: 6GP | 5G | 6A | 11P | +1 There’s no doubt Brown had his heart set on being a Senator, but after four games in the NHL he was returned to the Windsor team he won a Memorial Cup with last year. Brown’s first post-draft season was marred by injuries and the message to him this year was basically the same thing the Sens told Chabot 12 months ago: Go dominate. “We know it’s tough, he wanted to make the team this year. It’s definitely not going to hurt him to go back and have a great season and work to make the world juniors and dominate at that level. “We told him, ‘We want your coaches to put you on the ice in critical situations. They have to trust you in a gold medal game. We’re excited about his potential. We kept saying, the amount of time you invest this season — like [Chabot] did [last year] — will pay huge dividends next year. If you just go down and glide and put it in neutral, then you’re going to lose ground because other guys will get better. Logan knows that and I think he’s receptive to that type of challenge. “We expect him to be a [No. 1 or 2] centre. He’s 6-foot-6 and he’s still a boy. He had a tough time last year with some injuries that really set him back. But he finished strong with the Memorial Cup, he had a really good off-season, he had a good rookie tournament, good training camp. It was like night and day [from last year]; his personality, he was much more engaged. I think the experience last year — like every young kid, they think they’re ready for the NHL — and then they get there and it’s a really tough [and] fast league, and it’s an everyday league. “His routine became so much better in terms of his preparation, how he took care of his body, how he worked on his game [with and without] the puck. He’s got incredible vision. I mean he’s got high-end NHL vision. If you look at the pre-season, the points he got were good points. He was right around the net, he was in dirty areas, he made some nice plays.” QMJHL Drake Batherson, 19, C, Cape Breton Screaming Eagles Drafted: Fourth round, 121st overall, 2017 1082421 Websites The Ste-Agathe, Que., native received the Molson Cup for the month of October before Tuesday’s game. It’s an award handed out each month to the player who collects the most three-star selections at the Bell Centre. Sportsnet.ca / Canadiens hoping irreplaceable Drouin can play Thursday He had collected three goals and eight assists through his first 15 games and appeared as though he was really coming into his own as the team’s No. 1 centre. Eric Engels "He’s a smart player," said Tomas Plekanec. "He’s smart, he’s really strong with the puck, and he’s extremely talented offensively. I think he’s November 8, 2017, 2:43 PM using all of that and has been really successful for us so far." Plekanec and the Canadiens are hoping Drouin can stay on that track on Thursday. BROSSARD, Que.— It was just one of several incredible sequences of play Jonathan Drouin’s offered since becoming a Montreal Canadien this past summer. Sportsnet.ca LOADED: 11.09.2017 With a little less than six minutes remaining in the first period of his team’s 3-2 win over the Vegas Golden Knights on Tuesday, Drouin corralled the puck along the left boards of his own zone. Knights forward Cody Eakin came at him at full speed, and Drouin calmly waited for Eakin’s stick-check, deked Eakin inside out, passed to Canadiens defenceman Jeff Petry and sped out of the Canadiens zone. Petry launched a wrist-shot pass waist-high at Drouin, as the centre was streaking through the neutral zone, and Drouin knocked it down, mostly with the shaft of his stick, and fired it just over the net. "He’s [expletive] amazing," said teammate Torrey Mitchell after Wednesday’s practice. "Who is?" asked Jacob De La Rose. "Drouin," replied Mitchell. "Did you see that play? Everyone’s panicking in our zone, and he’s just so patient. He turns the guy into a pylon and takes off and then makes that insane play. Can you imagine if he had scored on that?" "He’s really good," said De La Rose. It just so happens that part of that pass from Petry appeared to catch Drouin’s left thumb. He went to the bench and put some ice on it. Drouin was able to play through to the end of the first and took several shifts in the second but did not return for the third period. And now he’s got a 50-50 chance of playing against the Minnesota Wild on Thursday, according to Canadiens coach Claude Julien. For a team that hardly boasts the flashiest centre line in the NHL, losing Drouin could prove devastating. "He’s amazing through the neutral zone, he’s much better defensively than most people assumed before he played a game at centre for us, and he might be the best power-play player in the world," said Mitchell. Good luck replacing all of that. It was Alex Galchenyuk who took Drouin’s spot up the middle for the third period of Tuesday’s game, playing 5:01 in the frame, registering zero shots, nearly setting up Artturi Lehkonen for a goal and getting caught on the ice for Knights forward Erik Haula’s goal against. Galchenyuk’s got the talent portion to at the very least fill in for Drouin in the short term. But Julien’s decision not to exercise that option suggests talent isn’t enough. "I didn’t see that much of [Galchenyuk at centre in the third period], but I still see him as a winger," said Julien after Tuesday’s game. That’s why Mitchell was in between Galchenyuk and Lehkonen for Wednesday’s practice. He won’t cost the Canadiens on the defensive side of the puck, and it’s fair to say that’s more important to the coach than whatever offensive sacrifice might be made by putting him there. Mitchell has a row of donuts through his stat line after nine games this season. Ditto for De La Rose, who’s yet to produce anything through seven games and is currently centring the team’s fourth line with Charles Hudon and recent call-up Byron Froese. That’s what’s expected to be the fourth line if Andrew Shaw, who missed Wednesday’s practice, is good to go for Thursday’s game. If Shaw can’t play, there’s a possibility defenceman Brandon Davidson will take some shifts up front and Hudon will move into Shaw’s spot. It would be a considerable loss if Shaw was out for any extended period of time. Since the sparkplug winger was placed on a line with Phillip Danault and Max Pacioretty two Saturdays ago, he’s scored three goals and three assists in six games and played his best hockey with the Canadiens since coming over in a trade in June of 2016. But Shaw’s loss would pale in comparison to Drouin’s. 1082422 Websites Matthews aside, which Leafs player’s shot you must respect? That Mitch Marner can shoot the puck. I remember a couple times on the power play last year, him curling around the strong side and coming in Sportsnet.ca / Q&A: Devan Dubnyk on Carey Price, Mitch Marner, Bronx through the dot and ripping it pretty good. He’s definitely a guy to watch. cheers, slumps They’ve got a bunch of skilled guys to watch. Fun challenge. It’s always one of my favourite times coming to Toronto once a year. Luke Fox It’s funny. I hate sitting here and telling you I feel good because the numbers certainly don’t show that. @lukefoxjukebox I know you guys are last in your division, but there are other top-tier November 8, 2017, 2:46 PM goalies whose numbers have slid more than yours. No, they’re not that bad. There’s been some strange bounces. And it’s early, so there’s lots of time to make them better. I’m not somebody who TORONTO – Devan Dubnyk woke up this morning to an unexpected text uses numbers as the basis of how I think I’m playing. As a whole, I feel message from his friend and understudy, Alex Stalock, who was great in the games. I feel great reading plays. Everything feels good. It’s supposed to start Wednesday’s game for the Minnesota Wild against the been a little frustrating here and there because it doesn’t turn into the Toronto Maple Leafs. results you want. Being around long enough, I understand the most important thing is to not let that change what you’re doing. If there’s a few “I know we’re buddies, but I just saw him last night,” says Dubnyk says, things I need to sharpen, which there always is, then work on that. But I with a smile. don’t want to change what I’m doing if I feel right there. I expect high- Stalock was summoned back to Minnesota for the birth of his daughter, quality play from myself, and I won’t be happy otherwise. so Dubnyk gets a surprise and immediate chance to redeem his team Did you ever see a sports psychologist? after Monday’s debacle in Boston. I saw quite a few growing up. One I really worked with in Edmonton was Boudreau pulled his No. 1 goalie—one of the NHL’s best over the past Dr. Kimberley Amirault. She was with the team at the time. I have a laid- three seasons—then compared his team to the Keystone Cops in his back approach to things, so she was nice to talk to. As I’ve got older and post-game frustration. really understood my game, when a goal does go in, I think: What did The Wild view themselves as a contender, and yet Minnesota (5-6-2) has you do? What should you have done? sunk to the bottom of the Central Division. The 31-year-old Dubnyk is You immediately analyze it? coming off his first 40-win season, yet his early-season numbers (4-5-1, 3.03 GAA, .907 save percentage) haven’t been this poor since 2014, Yep. It’s quick. Usually you already know what you should’ve done. You when he bottomed-out professionally with the AHL Hamilton Bulldogs. don’t need to analyze. I sat back, or whatever it is. It’s bang-bang. Don’t do that next time. Leave it alone. These are all things that come with Dubnyk’s confidence hasn’t taken a hit, though. Not even close. playing more games and being comfortable with your own game. Being We sat down with the insightful goaltender to discuss the Wild’s identity confident in knowing what I need to do to be good allows me to give struggles, goalie psychology, Carey Price’s Bronx cheer, and how to myself a slap when a goal goes in and don’t let it happen again. handle the Maple Leafs. Thursday you’re in Montreal. When you see an elite goalie like Carey DEVAN DUBNYK: It’s not anything we didn’t agree with. Every single guy Price take heat for his slow start, you must empathize. in the room is probably thinking the exact same thing. We’re all Oh, yeah. All day. Gosh, I’ve been in that situation in Edmonton. People embarrassed with the first two periods of that game, and when we’re can say whatever they want. “Oh, look, he’s making so much money…” having a tough time getting consistently rolling and we have a hard- That doesn’t matter. This is one of the most competitive guys, one of the fought game against Chicago, that makes Boston sting that much more. best goalies in the world—that hasn’t changed. He’s still one of the best Simple fact is, that’s been the story of our year so far. We have small in the world. You feel for him. I know what that feels like. A start like that spurts of play that isn’t good enough, and that was the peak of it last makes day-to-day life not a lot of fun, and he’s going to get out of it, no game. problem. But that certainly doesn’t make it any easier when you’re in it. Have you learned what works to turn the tide when your team is Ever had the Bronx cheer on an easy save? slumping? I don’t think anybody knows what it’s like to get that in Montreal. That’s a What’s so frustrating with us is, we’ve been together for a while as a whole other ballgame. I did get a few in Edmonton, though. Probably group and we know our identity. We know what we need to do to win. deserved. [laughs] I had a couple undeserved ones in Edmonton, too. We’re one of the best—if not the best forechecking team around. Watch our game tape. We put the puck in their end, away from their goalie, and How does that make you feel? you won’t find a group that can get the puck back better. That’s how we create. We’re not a back-and-forth, odd-man-rush, chance-for-chance It’s about the worst feeling. It makes you angry and embarrassed at the team. We get our chances by retrieving pucks. That’s what we need to same time. Those are not good emotions to be having when you’re trying get back to. to play a hockey game. Those are the worst two emotions while trying to win a game, and they fill you up fast when you hear a sarcastic cheer. Now, when things don’t go great, naturally people try to do more because they want to help. That’s why they’re here: They care. But we need to get You’ve been a big proponent of the head-tracking technique. Did you back to our identity. tinker with anything stylistically over the summer? The Maple Leafs, on the other hand, have plenty of forwards who are Just continued with the head-tracking with the skating. That’s something dangerous off the rush. When two contrasting styles meet, what gives I’ll be driving home till I’m done playing. It’s such an important thing that one the edge? pertains to every aspect of your game. It’s fun learning things like, “Hey, my entire life I wasn’t looking down on this certain play.” You don’t know Depends who executes better. If you watch a game, almost every single it matters. rush opportunity happens due to neutral-zone turnovers; only the odd one is a chip past a defenceman. Quick turnovers don’t give defencemen Each summer I’m learning more, looking at video. Hey, if this play a chance to gap up, the forwards can’t give back pressure, the continues to happen and you’re doing the same thing over and over, I’ll defencemen sink, and that’s how chances are made. If the team that start looking down [on the puck] properly. Then you add that to your likes to forecheck doesn’t get the puck deep on an odd-man-rush team, game and, whoa, this play’s a lot easier! It used to be hard. The most fun that’s advantage odd-man-rush team. It’s really about puck management. for me is when you feel it come and go. Then when you feel it go… boom! You know exactly what to do to get it back. Before, when you When you play an Eastern Conference team that you only see twice a didn’t know what the problem was, it would come and go, and you don’t year, how much more video of shooters do you watch? know why one time you felt great on a shot and the next you pulled away. Each year, I can piece it together more and more. I watch hockey. You see highlights. When you’ve been around a while, you know how different guys score. You might take a peek at a new guy. High-danger versus low-danger save percentage has become a topical But for the most part, I’m looking at very small tendencies. A guy like discussion for goalies. Is that something you analyze? Patrik Laine wants to shoot the puck. A guy like Auston Matthews is capable of both , so you throw that out the window and read and react. You play the game and try to stop every chance you get. Realistically, You can’t be overthinking things with him. the team that gives up fewer high-quality chances is going to be in a better spot. The biggest thing is you work on your skating and you work on your tracking. Some games you’ll get one or two A scoring chances and eight or nine B scoring chances. Some games you’ll get 10 Grade- As. If you’re skating well, looking at it, you’re putting yourself in the best position to stop it, regardless if there’s one Grade-A or 10 Grade-As. Goalie is a reactionary position. You can’t make 50 saves if there’s only 10 shots. I got pulled last game. I can’t say I’m going to make 50 saves in Montreal to make up for it. Is there ever a time when you think, “You know what? It was probably best I got pulled”? I never want to get pulled. I wouldn’t have told you that six years ago. But with this team, I have a ton of confidence in them. I always feel like I’m in a control. That’s because we have a veteran group and we play a good game. Even after a [bad] second period, like in Boston, I never feel out of control. Knowing what I need to do to feel good, it doesn’t matter if it’s five or six [goals against] halfway through. It doesn’t need to be eight if I stick to what I’m doing. I never feel like it’s going to be 12. I never want to be pulled. Saying that, I understand it’s the coach’s decision, and I’m never upset about it.

Sportsnet.ca LOADED: 11.09.2017 1082423 Websites The NHL, its teams and the NHLPA are not the problem. They have some amazing programs and doctors ready to help at a moment’s notice. There is no question they have helped many and have definitely saved Sportsnet.ca / Betraying confidentiality only keeps players from seeking some lives. But unfortunately, as is the case with any large organization, help there are too many people within it and it is impossible to keep everyone and every situation quiet.

Put it this way: if something as simple as a trade can leak out, why should we expect players to trust the industry to keep supposedly other confidential elements of their personal lives from leaking? @@CoreyHirsch So what is a possible solution and what may have helped me? November 8, 2017, 4:38 PM I have spoken to some former NHL players that have also struggled with anxiety, depression and addiction. We agree that if there had been an independent, anonymous support group or helpline for professional One of the most difficult moments of my life came after I finally reached athletes-only, one that was not affiliated with the NHL, NHLPA, we most out for help. likely would have reached out for help sooner, and it may have prolonged It was November 1996 and anxiety and depression had finally a few careers along the way. overwhelmed me. It was almost crippling, forcing me to pull myself out of I am not suggesting we do away with the current NHL program. It is a starting assignment in New Jersey because I thought it was best for the wonderful and extremely necessary, and I strongly urge anyone team. After the morning skate, in front of my teammates, we had a team struggling to please reach out for help before it’s too late. What I am also meeting and the message from coach Tom Renney was simple: suggesting is that players need an additional option and it has to be an “Hirschey” was not feeling well, and Mike Fountain would be starting in independent, players-only option. An option that a player would be more my place. likely to use before they get to a point of desperation like I did. By that point it was not a secret to my teammates that something was I hope this one day becomes a reality, because then, just maybe, we seriously wrong. I had dropped down to 140 pounds. I was now wearing would see more professional athletes seek help instead of suffering in my illness physically as well as mentally. silence. I showered, changed, got on the team bus and sat in an empty seat They could get the help they need before it’s too late, and confidentiality upfront and away from everyone. I felt so alone, ashamed and so deeply would be what it is supposed to be, confidential. embarrassed with my head in my hands knowing full well that as my teammates shuffled by one-by-one, I had just thrown away my NHL career. And I did. After that season I would spend the rest of my career trying to get back in the NHL while doing damage control. Sportsnet.ca LOADED: 11.09.2017 The day before, in the basement of Nassau Coliseum in New York, I had reached out to then Vancouver Canucks trainer Mike Burnstein. But it was only because I was at a point where I had no choice and I couldn’t carry on. Mike put me in touch with a psychologist, which led me on the path to recovery. I was finally on my way to getting help, but the damage had been done. The years of trying to hide my illness from my teammates and others had taken its toll. It would take a long time to unwind what years of living in hiding and not getting help would do. To this day I can’t help to think that if I had been able to get help sooner it may have prolonged my career. Since coming out last February with my own personal struggle with Obsessive Compulsive Disorder, I am regularly asked if I think there are more players in the NHL fighting mental health issues such as anxiety, depression and addiction. My answer is always the same: a definite and resounding “yes.” And while I will never speak for anyone, and I have no direct knowledge of any players struggling, the statistics are well documented: one in five Canadians struggle with a mental health issue. There are 713 players in the NHL, so you do the math. I am living proof that because you play in the NHL, it doesn’t grant you immunity from mental health issues. Unfortunately, players do not come forward because they have 20 teammates relying on them to win. Their coach and general manager are continually under a microscope and there are six players lined up behind them waiting to take their job with millions of dollars on the line. Most players feel as though they can’t show the team any weakness or vulnerability, or they will soon be shipped out or buried somewhere in the system. But the biggest reason? Confidentiality off the ice as a professional athlete isn’t always so confidential. Recently on a French language radio station in Montreal, Mario Tremblay suggested that Montreal Canadiens forward Alex Galchenyuk had been in and out of rehab twice. Tremblay — who did not make himself available for comment when contacted by Montreal newspaper La Presse — did not say where he received this information. And even if it was true, why would he share it? It’s none of his business and it’s certainly not his place to discuss it publicly. What Tremblay probably didn’t realize at the time was that his comments will most likely result in other players currently considering asking for help, to remain in hiding. Tremblay has not publicly apologized for the comments. 1082424 Websites ricocheting off the endboards. Hyman’s patience with the puck in front of Devan Dubnyk’s crease is what set up the key pass to Marleau above the hashmarks. Carrick’s third period strike was a blistering shot from the TSN.CA / With Matthews missing, Andersen stands tall for Maple Leafs point through good traffic from the Leafs. The Leafs haven’t done that enough lately, and without Matthews in the lineup it was especially important they do a better job cycling than they have been. By Kristen Shilton It has practically become a ritual for the Leafs to point out in postgame press conferences that they need to do a better job not turning over pucks. But being aware of the issue and actually fixing it have, so far, been very different things. Toronto was credited with 15 giveaways on TORONTO – Frederik Andersen has had an inconsistent start to his Wednesday, putting them at second-most in the league with 217. season so far. But when the Maple Leafs needed a player to step up on a Whether it was a lack of communication in the defensive zone or simply night the team was missing its best player, their goaltender emphatically being careless with the puck, the Leafs committed some awful turnovers answered the bell. to Minnesota in their own end that if not for Andersen’s terrific night Toronto’s top-line centre Auston Matthews missed Wednesday night’s would have ended up in the net. Andersen especially has talked about game – his first after playing in all 82 regular-season games in his 2016- needing to play with pride and not throw pucks around haphazardly. So 17 debut campaign and 16 this season – against the Minnesota Wild with far, the Leafs have struggled to find a sustainable solution to one of their an undisclosed upper-body injury, and replacing his contributions wasn’t most glaring deficiencies. going to come from a single teammate. Instead, it was Andersen who He may be the oldest player on the Leafs’ roster at 38, but Marleau has stood tallest behind his team, turning in one of his best performances of enough jump to rival his youthful counterpoints. He was flying around the the season en route to a 4-2 triumph for the Leafs’ second straight ice against Minnesota, even outracing two Wild players to negate an victory. icing call in the second period. Marleau wasn’t supposed to be playing After a rough 2-5-0 stretch for him in net, Wednesday was the second centre the way he has been the last several games, but he’s adjusted time in as many games that Andersen has been the Leafs’ difference- back into the role he had earlier in his career and is one of the Leafs’ maker. best 200-foot players. The go-ahead goal he scored on Wednesday was the 514th of his career, putting him past Jeremy Roenick for 39th all-time “When you get the good feeling, you want to build on it and replicate that in the NHL. He finished the night with a team-high four shots on goal, and mindset,” he said. “I think it’s tough to explain if you’re not playing goalie, won 67 per cent of his draws. but once you’re in that mindset you feel better in the game and before the game.” Connor Brown has never garnered quite the same amount of attention drawn by his fellow sophomores, but despite spending several games on Toronto moves to 10-7-0 on the season. the fourth line to start the season, he’s far eclipsing his scoring pace as a rookie. Brown notched a goal and an assist on Wednesday, putting him Whatever frame of mind Andersen was drawing from, it was working for at 11 points on the season after 17 games. It took him 33 games to reach him in a big way against Minnesota. He turned aside 35 of 37 shots for that point a year ago, when he was playing half the time on Matthews’ his fourth-best save percentage of the season (.946). The Wild had won line. Brown’s seven goals on the season are also more than William seven consecutive games against Toronto leading into the matchup on Nylander (three) and Mitch Marner (one) combined. The winger’s Wednesday, six by just one goal. Head coach Mike Babcock said before versatility in the Leafs lineup and contributions on both special teams are the game the Leafs wouldn’t be “racing to 10 [goals]” without Matthews, still underrated, but he makes the most of his opportunities wherever they and would have to play well without the puck to be successful. come. In what ended up being a lower scoring game (the Leafs’ fourth goal was a Connor Brown empty-netter), it wasn’t so much the Leafs’ play defensively that held the Wild at bay as Andersen making the key saves TSN.CA LOADED: 11.09.2017 he’s been missing too often of late. The shot disparity necessitated an especially strong game from Andersen – Toronto was outshot 37-19 on the night, and 28-13 over the final two periods – and the Leafs were brutal in the defensive zone faceoff dot, winning just four of 24 draws there. “[Tonight was] good for our goaltender,” said Babcock. “Confidence is an important thing, it’s hard to get in the league, so a good night for him.” Andersen looked more settled in his crease right from the start of Wednesday’s game, but wasn’t tested much until the second period when the Wild forecheck started to get consistent pressure. While the game was tied 1-1, Andersen made a critical pad save on a Matt Cullen rebound that sent play back the other way. Zach Hyman carried the puck into the offensive zone and pulled up below the hashmarks before pitching the puck back to Patrick Marleau in the slot, and he gave the Leafs a lead they would never relinquish. It was clear to his teammates after that stop that Andersen was right in the zone. “He’s just been finding his groove and I think he played really well tonight,” said Hyman. “Everyone knows what kind of goalie is he is, you know he’s a number one guy and can play a ton of games and play them well. He’s calm, cool, collected.” Andersen faced a “scary” moment in the third period when teammate Connor Carrick went streaking around his net and got his stick caught under the netminder, pulling his shoulder around awkwardly. Andersen said after he was in pain at the time, but that he was lucky it didn’t hyperextend more. With no timetable set for Matthews’ return, the Leafs will need Andersen and his newly rediscovered groove as much as ever. “He just stays with it,” said Nazem Kadri. “It doesn’t seem like anything really bothers him in there, which is great. You want to see that attribute in a goaltender, especially playing in a city like Toronto.” Too often the Leafs have gotten caught in run-and-gun games where they’re trying to score off the rush. On Wednesday, they found success by throwing pucks towards the net and establishing their game down low. Kadri’s first goal was a tap-in that started with a Morgan Rielly point shot 1082425 Websites Like Andersen, Dubnyk will be looking for a bounce-back performance. He was pulled following the second period on Monday in Boston after allowing four goals on 24 shots. The Wild have stumbled out of the gate, TSN.CA / Andersen alters routine ahead of Wild game posting a 5-6-2 record and Dubnyk has been inconsistent. How's he feeling about his game? By Mark Masters "Good," he insisted. "You know, it has been a bit of a funny start to the year. Stats-wise it's not really where I want it to be [but] when I sit back and analyze how I feel in the net and how I'm moving around, I'm pretty comfortable with that. There are just a few things here and there and TSN Toronto reporter Mark Masters checks in daily with news and notes sharpening up on a couple plays, but overall I feel good." from Maple Leafs practices and game-day skates. The Maple Leafs and Minnesota Wild had optional skates at the Air Canada Centre on Dubnyk's save percentage has dipped from .923 last season to .907 Wednesday. through 10 games this season. Is it tough to stay the course when the numbers look crooked? Auston Matthews will miss the first game of his NHL career on Wednesday due to an upper-body injury. "It is difficult," he admitted. “That’s an old-guy thing. As I get older, it gets a little easier to do, to just be comfortable in how I know how I need to With Matthews out, Patrick Marleau will shift over to centre while winger play and what situations I need to be doing certain things in. If you can Josh Leivo draws into the lineup. The Leafs had an optional skate in the be comfortable in that, it allows you to put the other stuff aside. At the morning and Babcock didn't confirm if he'd stick with the same line end of the day, you just got to continue to build your game and work on combinations from Tuesday's practice (see below). what’s going to give you the best chance to make saves out there.” “One thing we’ve been talking about all year is the depth of the forward The Wild have lost three of four games and coach Bruce Boudreau group," said Nazem Kadri, "and just guys being able to fill any spots and blasted his team for a subpar effort on Monday, going as far as referring being versatile to play up and down the lineup. Obviously, Auston’s a to his players as the mistake-prone "Keystone Cops." But Babcock is very important piece of our puzzle and we’d like him to play as many expecting Minnesota's best punch tonight. games as possible but, no matter who’s in or out, I think we got guys who can fill the void and certain guys are going to have to step up.” "They're a good team and obviously we all go through things in a year where it's not going as good," Babcock said. "We're no different, there - Frederik Andersen plans on stepping up after allowing an ugly goal to should be no hungrier team than us, believe me. And, pursuing a way to Deryk Engelland in Monday's win over Vegas. The veteran defenceman play to be proud of when you leave the rink every day, once you find a beat the 6-foot-4 goalie cleanly on a snap shot from the top of the circle. way to be proud of and a work ethic to be proud of, the wins just rack up. You don't even have to worry about that, it's process-oriented. We're in a “I wasn’t aggressive enough on the puck," Andersen explained. "Moving battle to get the process right so we can feel good each night leaving the into the shot was really the only difference in making that save. We rink too. It should be two hungry hockey teams." looked at the tape and I did a lot of good things [in the game] where I did move into the puck and on that shot I didn’t so it’s just one of those things Boudreau, a Toronto native, caught up with his 84-year-old mother on you want to improve on.” Tuesday. She's usually among his harshest critics, but decided to go easy on her son during this visit. Jamie McLennan breaks down how Frederik Andersen was able to bounce back following a tying goal that he would like to have back. “She knew I wasn't feeling good so she laid low," Boudreau said to laughs. "She didn't pour it on too much.” Andersen is also making some adjustments to his routine. At Tuesday's practice, he didn't come out early to work with goalie coach Steve Briere, which was unusual. On Wednesday, Andersen was only on the ice briefly to test out some skates. Normally, he will do at least a 15-minute workout TSN.CA LOADED: 11.09.2017 with Briere on the morning of a game even if it's an optional skate for the team. “Just save it for tonight," Andersen said when asked about the change. "I just wanted to test out a few things with my skates so, yeah, nothing to write about, I don’t think. Nothing too crazy.” Frederik Andersen usually always hits the ice for a quick workout on the morning of a game. But on Wednesday, he was only on the ice briefly to test out some equipment. Why'd he make the change? What adjustments will he make after allowing an ugly goal on Monday? - Nikita Zaitsev has a minus-8 rating in the last nine games and doesn't appear to be as steady as he was in his rookie season. The Russian has seen his CorsiFor percentage fall to 46.98, which is worst among Toronto blueliners. Last season, he was at 49.26. Is anything missing from his game? "Not for me," head coach Mike Babcock said. "I thought on our trip he was like the rest of us, I thought he lost some juice as it went on. I think Zaitsev is great, but I say that every night. To me, he's one of our best players. Every single night he brings everything he's got. He's not 230 pounds, he's a 195-pound guy. Sometimes when we play him too many minutes the wear and tear on him isn't as easy, but to me, every night, if you want to mark on the sheet who you can count on every night, he's like money in the bank." Zaitsev leads the Leafs in average ice time per game this season at 22:59, including almost four minutes short-handed each game. With no role on the power play, Zaitsev has seen his offence dry up. He has just one point in the last 12 games. - Alex Stalock was expected to start for the Wild on Wednesday, but his wife is due to give birth to the couple's second child so the goalie travelled home in the morning. Stalock sent a message to Devan Dubnyk to let him know. "I thought it was a little strange that he was texting me first thing," Dubnyk said. "I know we're buddies, but I saw him last night so I didn't know why he wanted to talk so early. It's obviously an extremely important day. I'm excited for him. It wasn't really much of a knuckleball." 1082426 Websites

TSN.CA / Leafs forwards will have to 'dig in' with Matthews out

By Kristen Shilton TSN Toronto Maple Leafs Reporter

TORONTO – The offensive depth of the Maple Leafs, highly touted since training camp, is about to face a serious test. Top-line centre Auston Matthews is day-to-day with an upper-body injury and will miss the first game of his NHL career on Wednesday night against the Minnesota Wild. The 20-year-old's absence creates a void in the Leafs’ offence. Not only is he their top scorer with 19 points on the season, he’s their best two-way forward. “I just think it’s time for us to dig in,” said head coach Mike Babcock. “I don’t think you can race to 10 [goals] without [Matthews], so we have to play right without the puck. We’ve been talking and working on this for a long time. The results don’t always show it, but that’s what we’ve been trying to talk about…so here’s a real good opportunity for us as a team.” Babcock has tapped Patrick Marleau to remain at centre instead of sliding William Nylander to the middle or putting AHL call-up Frederik Gauthier in the lineup. Ideally, that’s how the Leafs will cope best at both ends of the ice without Matthews. “He’s a guy we can play against anybody,” said Babcock. “He’s playing against the best D and the best forwards on the road and he’s playing the best D and the second best forwards at home. That speaks to it right there. When you play well defensively you have the puck all the time and he’s real good at it and understands it.” On paper, the Leafs’ forward group looked as menacing as it’s ever been in Babcock’s three-season tenure. The explosion of scoring over the team’s first seven games, when they paced the league with 34 goals, further supported that. Toronto’s offence has since slowed, registering 26 goals in their last nine games. The Leafs have enjoyed excellent health over their first 16 games, losing just four man-games to injuries. How formidable Toronto’s depth is in the face of its first big challenge will be front and centre against the Wild, who have won seven consecutive games against the Leafs, dating back to Nov. 2013. “That’s one thing we’ve been talking about all year is the depth of the forwards and guys being able to fill spots and being versatile to play up and down the lineup,” said Nazem Kadri. “So I think that’s one thing that does favour us in this case. No matter who’s in or out, we’ve got guys who can fill the void and certain guys are just going to have to step up.” One such player will be Marleau, who projects to take over into the top- line centre roll vacated by Matthews. The Leafs didn’t sign the veteran to be a centre, but during their recent 2-6-0 stretch, Babcock called on Marleau’s previous experience in the middle to be a stabilizing force. The results for Marleau since he’s been shifting in and out of centre these last six games haven’t been stellar – he’s a minus-5 with one goal and two assists. Seeing tougher matchups and more attention with Matthews out will require a strong effort from his line. Babcock said he’ll pay close attention to adjusting centres accordingly for offensive and defensive-zone faceoffs to give the Leafs their best chance. But regardless of how players are deployed, the option of putting a responsible veteran at centre, and moving a talented winger like Josh Leivo in to play on the wing, is valuable for the Leafs as they try to build off Monday’s shootout win over the Vegas Golden Knights. “Our depth is a proud point for this team, so we’ll be okay,” said Morgan Rielly. “When you go through a period where you don’t win too much, you get a little bit nervous, a little bit tighter around the dressing room, but you come back and have a good win at home, have a good practice day, you come in and you’re feeling good.”

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USA TODAY / Which NHL teams need to make an early-season trade?

Kevin Allen and Jimmy Hascup, USA TODAY Published 2:32 p.m. ET Nov. 8, 2017 | Updated 5:44 p.m. ET Nov. 8, 2017

The Nashville Predators, Ottawa Senators and Colorado Avalanche stunned the hockey world on Sunday with a six-player, three-pick blockbuster trade headlined by Matt Duchene and Kyle Turris. Here are other teams that could benefit from an early-season trade. Which team needs to make an early trade the most? Kevin Allen: Edmonton Oilers (5-8-1). With Connor McDavid on this roster, it isinexplicable that the Oilers rank last in the NHL in goals per game (2.29) and 26th in power play efficiency (14%). The Oilers need a scoring winger, which is somewhat ironic given that they have traded away two former 25-goal scorers (Taylor Hall and Jordan Eberle) over the past two seasons. It hasn’t helped that Ryan Strome, acquired in the deal for Eberle, has only five points in 14 games. Jimmy Hascup: Washington Capitals (8-7-1). Something seems off here and it goes beyond their defense and Matt Niskanen’s injury absence. They rank 17th in goals per game (2.88) and 23rd in goals against (3.19), and neither their power play (17th) nor their penalty kill (23rd) is clicking. Their possession game has sunk to 21st (47.8%). Alex Ovechkin and T.J. Oshie are the only players with more than four goals. Opposing coaches will exploit favorable matchups, and that is not good for a Capitals team that has had its depth eroded because of a cap crunch. Who is a potential fit? Allen: Evander Kane is going to be an unrestricted free agent this offseason, and the Sabres are expected to deal him at some point. He has scored 48 goals in Buffalo over the past two seasons, and his quality start (nine goals,15 points) has only enhanced his value. Kane has some prickliness to accompany a scoring touch. The Oilers expected to be major contender in the Western Conference, and they can afford to give up future assets for help today. Hascup: General manager Brian MacLellan has $3.5 million in cap space, according to capfriendly.com. But roster or cap limitations have never prevented GMs Jim Rutherford or David Poile from being creative. Could the Capitals reunite with defenseman Mike Green, a free agent this offseason, and his $6 million cap hit if Detroit takes on money? Could the Canucks move winger Thomas Vanek? He's on a one-year, $2 million deal. Which off-the-radar team could you envision making a trade splash? Allen: New Jersey Devils (9-4-1). According to capfriendly.com, they have more than $10 million in cap space. The rise of Nico Hischier, Jesper Bratt and Will Butcher has helped put general manager Ray Shero’s rebuilding ahead of schedule. It would be a boost for the franchise to make the playoffs this season. They just need to add a few more proven players. Wouldn’t it make sense to acquire proven scorer and New Jersey native James van Riemsdyk? Hascup: Toronto Maple Leafs (9-7-0). Their growth curve has been accelerated and now expectations are for a deep playoff run. That means the front office will be looking to tinker, especially after a 3-6-0 rut. With $5.6 million in cap space, potential unrestricted free agents van Riemsdyk, Tyler Bozak and Leo Komarov and youth in the minors, the Maple Leafs have ammunition to utilize for a trade. They could look to upgrade their defense.

USA TODAY LOADED: 11.09.2017