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SPORT-SCAN DAILY BRIEF NHL 1/31/2020 1173616 Ducks defenseman Hampus Lindholm ‘learning great 1173648 Dylan Strome is back on the ice as the Blackhawks return lessons’ from their break and prepare for a pivotal February: 1173617 How the Kings and Ducks honored Kobe Bryant and all 1173649 5 key dates in a daunting February that could decide the the victims of Sunday’s tragedy Blackhawks’ postseason fate 1173650 Dylan Strome participates in Blackhawks practice after bye week, nearing return 1173618 Oliver Ekman-Larsson injured in Arizona Coyotes' loss to 1173652 Surveys indicate Blackhawks fans approve of Jeremy Kings Colliton far more than Stan Bowman 1173619 Arizona Coyotes acknowledge report of recruiting 1173653 Kane and the Blackhawks visit the Coyotes violations, NHL investigation 1173654 Forward Strome back as Hawks return to practice 1173620 Arizona Coyotes remember Kobe Bryant's work ethic, 1173655 After flurry of key injuries, Blackhawks getting healthy at support of peers the right time 1173621 Coyotes seek exit from rough stretch that continues vs. 1173656 Who could Blackhawks part with at trade deadline? Kings 1173622 Coyotes return from extended break with loss to Ducks 1173623 D Oliver Ekman-Larsson leaves game for Coyotes, 1173657 Sans Nathan MacKinnon, the Avalanche returned from doesn’t return nine-day hiatus to prepare for road trip 1173624 Report: NHL investigating Coyotes over alleged draft 1173658 Avalanche Insider: Vegas sportsbook gives Avs prospect violation second-best odds to win after All-Star break 1173625 Happy thought for Rick Tocchet, Coyotes: The 2011-12 1173659 Keep it 100? Yeah, Nathan MacKinnon does that and then team offers a February blueprint for success some Bruins 1173626 David Backes, waived by Bruins two weeks ago, will not 1173660 Blue Jackets' current run is both memorable and report to Providence improbable 1173627 ready for a return 1173661 ‘What would your song be?’: Blue Jackets pick the 1173628 David Backes will not report to Providence tunes, we spin the … playlist 1173629 Five Bruins questions for stretch run 1173630 Bruins at the Break: Secondary scoring remains an area of concern for the Bruins 1173662 Why Detroit Red Wings' Robby Fabbri was a perfect fit for 1173631 Tuukka Rask (concussion) slated to return for Bruins vs. Steve Yzerman and the team Winnipeg 1173663 Athanasiou returns to Red Wings practice, hopes to finish 1173632 Bruins' David Backes won't be reporting to the AHL, so season strong now what? 1173664 Yzerman praises Ovechkin after Caps star passes him on 1173633 With bye week over, Bruins recall Jeremy Lauzon, Karson all-time goals list Kuhlman 1173665 Red Wings needed to hit rock bottom for quicker path 1173634 David Backes will not play for Providence, leaving him, back to top and Bruins, in limbo 1173666 What to look for from Griffins the rest of the season 1173635 Excellence. Consistency. Why Tuukka Rask could win a 1173667 Red Wings trade tiers: Who’s tradable? Who’s second Vezina Trophy this season untouchable? And who’s logical to move? 1173636 Sabres follow fast start with 'flat' second period, drop to 1173668 Oilers Zack Kassian leaves mark on contract, then Battle sixth in Atlantic of Alberta 1173637 Sabres lose Kyle Okposo to upper-body injury in loss to 1173669 What’s next for Tyler Benson and William Lagesson after being called up by the Oilers? 1173638 Yet again, Sabres just leave you scratching your head 1173670 Lowetide: Breaking down the Oilers’ 50-man list at the 1173639 The Wraparound: Canadiens 3, Sabres 1 trade deadline and the changes expected to come 1173640 Marco Scandella returns to Buffalo amid 'amazing' 1173671 Examining 3 trade deadline scenarios for the Oilers and experience with Canadiens the tough decisions that come with each 1173641 Sabres game day: It's Carter Hutton vs. the Habs 1173672 ‘Now it’s over’: With a new contract in hand, Zack Kassian 1173642 The Sabres are a broken organization, and one fan’s radio ready to move on after Matthew Tkachuk fight rant has given a voice to everyone who is sick of it 1173673 Alex Iaffalo’s 1st NHL hat trick helps Kings stun Coyotes in 1173643 Monahan logs first NHL scrap dropping gloves with overtime Nugent-Hopkins 1173674 How the Kings and Ducks honored Kobe Bryant and all 1173644 'You have to give him credit': Tkachuk earns respect in the victims of Sunday’s tragedy scrap with Kassian 1173675 JANUARY 30 POST-GAME QUOTES: MCLELLAN, 1173645 ‘You have to show up sometimes’: Flames standing up for ARIZONA themselves as the stretch-drive plot thickens 1173676 GAME 52: LOS ANGELES AT ARIZONA 1173677 DOUGHTY IMPROVING BUT WON’T PLAY TONIGHT VS COYOTES; KINGS HOPEFUL FOR SATURDAY 1173646 Canes’ Svechnikov’s second season filled with highs, lows 1173678 MOULSON HONORED WITH 1,000TH PRO GAME, and a touch of lacrosse ALL-STAR CAPTAINCY, FOR TERRIFIC CAREER 1173647 Loose Pucks: Canes comment on death of Kobe Bryant, 1173680 WAKING UP WITH THE KINGS: JANUARY 30 workout routines and vacation plans in return from break 1173681 GOOD MORNING, GLENDALE Wild 1173682 Wheeler’s 2020 NHL prospect pool rankings: No. 14 1173711 SNAPSHOTS: Christian Wolanin takes a step in the right direction toward return from injury 1173712 GAME DAY: at Ottawa Senators 1173713 Some Senators trying not get caught up in deadline 1173683 In the Habs' Room: Kovalchuk keeps proving his worth distraction, but it's tough with Montreal 1173714 Jean-Gabriel Pageau focused on having a strong season 1173684 Canadiens ride strong second period, stout defence to win with Senators over Sabres 1173715 The Sens Panel | Young players and the future in Ottawa 1173685 Liveblog replay: Gallagher, Habs knock off Sabres in 1173716 More than an asset: Inside a player’s life on the block at Buffalo the NHL trade deadline 1173686 Canadiens game day: Wholesale changes as Gallagher returns vs. Sabres 1173687 Canadiens trade bait: tweaks or a titanic deal? | HI/O 1173717 Analyzing the remaining schedules of the Flyers and their Show playoff competitors | On the Fly 1173688 Canadiens at Buffalo Sabres: Five things you should know 1173718 Little margin for error as Flyers, in a ‘great position,’ get 1173689 Video Review: Nick Suzuki and Ilya Kovalchuk shine in the ready for fascinating stretch run Canadiens’ win over the Sabres 1173719 Flyers defenseman Ivan Provorov closing in on 300 1173690 Analyzing the choppiest trade deadline waters Marc consecutive games Bergevin has ever had to navigate 1173720 Carter Hart still sidelined as Flyers head back to work 1173721 Stretch drive demands Flyers to step up their competitive pace 1173691 Predators' David Poile becomes winningest GM in NHL 1173722 Ed Snider Hockey gives $500,000 for Neumann history scholarships 1173692 Predators coach John Hynes didn't feel like stranger for 1173723 Flyers injury update: Key players return to practice after long in old home NHL All-Star break 1173693 Predators CEO Sean Henry says raising $1 million for 1173724 Trade rumor target Shayne Gostisbehere nearing return Tennessee State is personal for Flyers 1173694 Hynes, Predators win 6-5 in shootout in return to New 1173725 Flyers Q&As: Checking in with Bobby Brink, Cam York Jersey and Yegor Zamula as they keep their eyes on the big club 1173695 is heating up, but is it too late for him with the Predators? 1173726 Recharged Penguins gear down for grueling stretch 1173727 Penguins defenseman Justin Schultz closing in on return 1173696 Devils fall to Predators in shootout following wild affair in 1173728 Penguins’ Sidney Crosby: Kobe Bryant ‘inspired so many John Hynes’ return people’ 1173697 What Devils interim coach Alain Nasreddine expects in 1st 1173729 Penguins recall forwards Andrew Agozzino, Anthony meeting against former coach John Hynes Angello 1173698 Devils’ lines, pairings vs. Predators (1/30/20) | P.K. 1173730 First Call: Terry Bradshaw’s new reality show, Myles Subban game-time decision after illness Garrett update, Penguins trade talk 1173699 NHL rumors: Will ex-Devil Ilya Kovalchuk be a trade chip 1173731 Dominik Kahun still sidelined by a concussion; Justin for Canadiens? Schultz likely to return Friday 1173700 Devils are putting the puck on net more, so when will the 1173732 Anthony Angello ready to 'take it all in' during possible goals come? NHL debut with Penguins 1173701 Friends turned foes: Former NJ Devils coach John Hynes 1173733 Five things to know about the Flyers and Capitals, the returns to face Alain Nasreddine Penguins' opponents this week 1173702 Devils fall to Predators and their former coach John Hynes 1173734 Marshall: Analyzing the Penguins’ best scoring chances 1173703 Devils mailbag: Trade deadline outlook, goaltending from the first half options and the realistic path forward 1173735 Sharks’ Tomas Hertl has torn ACL and MCL, will miss 1173704 Islanders look to shake the rust after their long break remainder of season 1173705 Islanders player poll: Who has the worst taste in music? 1173736 Canucks 5, Sharks 2: Another injury, more faceoff woes, and what to do with Martin Jones 1173737 Sharks forward Tomas Hertl out for season with knee 1173706 Henrik Lundqvist felt strong Kobe Bryant connection: injury ‘Competitor’ 1173738 Sharks All-Star Tomas Hertl out for season after tearing 1173707 David Quinn challenges Ryan Lindgren with Rangers ACL, MCL defensive shakeup 1173739 How Sharks' third-period struggles have sunk team's NHL 1173708 Listen to Episode 9 of ‘Up In The Blue Seats’: What It Was playoffs hopes Like to Face Gretzky feat. Chris Kotsopoulos 1173740 Tomas Hertl injury is the latest blow to Sharks; Doug 1173709 Rangers goaltender Igor Shesterkin will start first game Wilson knows club ‘has lots of work to do … on several f after All-Star break NHL 1173710 NHL Seattle mailbag: Coaching candidates, farm team and potential to host draft and All-Star Game St Louis Blues Websites 1173741 Blues notebook: Calahoo gang comes to watch its favorite 1173779 The Athletic / How minor hockey is set up to eat its young son coach his hockey team with coaches, parents and associations sharing the 1173742 Berube on Blues' win at Calgary: 'I can't stand that hockey' 1173780 The Athletic / Fur-ty-one thoughts: A 7-year-old breaks 1173743 Blues still not immune to injury bug as Sundqvist heads to down the mascot madness at NHL All-Star weekend IR 1173781 The Athletic / More than an asset: Inside a player’s life on 1173744 A look at the rooks: Evaluating the performances of the the block at the NHL trade deadline Blues’ call-ups this season 1173782 Sportsnet.ca / Canadiens Takeaways: On Kotkaniemi, Suzuki and finishing strong 1173783 Sportsnet.ca / Andrew Ference talks inclusivity, winning 1173745 How the Lightning executed a nearly-perfect power play the Cup, playing with Mario against the Kings 1173784 Sportsnet.ca / Evaluating and comparing Oilers' Zack Kassian's contract extension Maple Leafs 1173785 Sportsnet.ca / NHL Power Rankings: How Stable Is Your 1173746 Auston Matthews can give the Leafs something rare — the Goaltending? Edition Rocket Richard glare 1173786 Sportsnet.ca / What last year's NHL rental market tells us 1173747 Leafs goaltender Frederik Andersen answers the (Golden) about Chris Kreider's value Bell and gets his game back on track 1173787 Sportsnet.ca / Flames, Oilers add classic chapter to Battle 1173748 Can the Maple Leafs bring road magic home? of Alberta lore 1173749 Maple Leafs set team goal-scoring road record in win over 1173788 Sportsnet.ca / Leafs' Nylander closing in on family history Stars with renewed swagger 1173750 Maple Leafs Snapshots: Ring's the thing for Rick Bowness 1173789 Sportsnet.ca / Canucks begin difficult road trip with 1173751 Stars interim coach Rick Bowness hopes lucky ring can resilient win over Sharks help beat Maple Leafs 1173790 TSN.CA / Giordano and Brodie pairing continues to carry 1173752 Tyson Barrie has flaws, but here’s a blueprint for how the Calgary Maple Leafs can maximize his talents and their blue Canucks 1173765 Beaulieu absorbs tough breaks 1173772 Canucks: Motte heads to injured reserve; MacEwen, 1173766 Sun-soaked Jets hoping to get around to winning ways Bailey called up 1173767 Jets' Morrissey ready to tee it up 1173773 Canucks at 50: Bure's bitter breakaway from Vancouver 1173768 JETS NOTEBOOK: No excuses for Jets against Bruins netted blue-chip talent in deal 1173769 GAME DAY: at Winnipeg Jets 1173774 Ben Kuzma: Roussel believes Canucks shouldn't chase 1173770 Jets' Morrissey set to play in province's re-branded PGA toughness at trade deadline Tour Canada tourney 1173775 Ed Willes: Canucks' Beagle, Sutter rock with blocks as 1173771 Jets trade tiers: Who’s tradable? Who’s untouchable? shutdown pair Who could realistically move ahead of the deadline? 1173776 With Canucks depth about to be tested, can Justin Bailey and Zack MacEwen help? 1173777 Q&A with former Canucks GM Mike Gillis: ‘There are a SPORT-SCAN, INC. 941-284-4129 couple of things I would have done entirely differently’ 1173778 The Armies: ‘The Natural’ Quinn Hughes, Tuna beats Shark and always be closing 1173753 Class in session as Golden Knights return from bye 1173754 Golden Knights’ William Karlsson, Cody Glass still sidelined 1173755 Ex-Golden Knights coach Gerard Gallant subject of Twitter hoax 1173756 Theodore, Holden turning into Golden Knights best defensive pair 1173757 LeBrun: Gerard Gallant on shock of being fired, biggest change in the league and why he’s in no rush to coach Washington Capitals 1173758 Capitals Coach Todd Reirden continuing to find ways to push players as competition ramps up 1173759 Capitals, Monumental sponsor second future service dog, Scout 1173760 Who are the Capitals at-risk of losing in the Seattle expansion draft? 1173761 Who will start in goal for the Caps Sunday? Here's why it matters 1173762 Braden's blunder, Ovechkin's gimme and two goals for Panik 1173763 Capitals drop 8th straight to Nashville in sloppy, back- and-forth loss 1173764 How a Capitals fan collected a jersey for every player on the Cup-winning team 1173616 Anaheim Ducks “I’m not sure I’ve seen that many smiles on the ice, by our players and their players,” Eakins said. “It was great to have the teams mixed up. It was just one of those moments that, for 15 minutes, you truly understood Ducks defenseman Hampus Lindholm ‘learning great lessons’ that hockey is for everybody.”

Lindholm has two goals and 18 assists this season, the seventh The U.S. hosts Team Canada on Feb. 8 at Honda Center. consecutive year he's recorded 20 points or more Orange County Register: LOADED: 01.31.2020

By ELLIOTT TEAFORD | PUBLISHED: January 30, 2020 at 4:33 pm | UPDATED: January 30, 2020 at 4:35 PM

IRVINE — Hampus Lindholm moved to his right ever so slightly just as Ducks teammate Derek Grant launched a centering pass toward Carter Rowney in the opening minutes of the second period of their 4-2 victory Wednesday over the Arizona Coyotes at Honda Center.

It turned out to be one of those subtle plays that helped the Ducks win the game within the game and take a hard-earned victory over the Coyotes. When the Grant-to-Rowney connection misfired, Lindholm was in the right spot to prevent the puck from exiting the offensive zone.

Lindholm then fired a from near the blue line that beat Arizona goaltender to give the Ducks a 3-1 lead 5:25 into the second period. The goal might never have happened if Lindholm maintained his position at the left point and the puck skipped out into the neutral zone.

It provided a tidy summary on Lindholm’s development this season.

“I think he’s learning great lessons every night,” Ducks coach Dallas Eakins said after Thursday’s practice at Great Park Ice. “I think you should be learning, even if he was 32 years old right now and we were trying to get a little bit more offense. I still think you can learn every day.”

For example, going into the season, Eakins asked Lindholm to try to shoot more, to set up more teammates, to score more in 2019-20. Lindholm’s goal was his second of the season to go with 18 assists, marking the seventh consecutive season in which he’s scored 20 points or more.

Lindholm might not reach his career highs of 13 goals, set in 2017-18, and 34 points, set in 2014-15, but they’re not out of reach, either. He has one goal and two assists, with a plus-4 defensive rating, in his past three games, tying his longest point streak of the season.

“I definitely think I’ve been taking some strides,” Lindholm said. “I just turned 26 (on Jan. 20). I feel like I have my best hockey ahead of me. I try every day to work on things that are going to make me better and make the team get better.”

GOALTENDING ROTATION

Eakins and goaltending coach Sudarshan Maharaj, along with goalies John Gibson and Ryan Miller, sketched out a schedule for the rest of the season, and they may or may not stick with it for the final 30 games of 2019-20. Eakins made it clear it is not written in stone, but with a pencil.

It wasn’t immediately clear whether Gibson or Miller would get the call for Friday’s game against the Tampa Bay Lightning or who would play in Saturday’s game against the Kings at Staples Center. Eakins will split the workload for the first of six remaining games on consecutive nights.

“I just think the workload of ‘Gibby’ and the play of them both will dictate what we do, but we’re comfortable with the plan,” Eakins said of divvying up the starts. “We don’t want to kill one, but we’ve got it down how we think it’s going to go. Sometimes we’re right and sometimes we’re wrong.”

Goaltending has been the least of the Ducks’ worries this season.

After all, Gibson had a 15-20-3 record with a 2.96 goals-against average, a .905 save percentage and one shutout in 38 games going into Friday. Miller was 5-5-2 with a 3.01 goals-against average and a .904 save percentage in 13 appearances in relief of Gibson, a two-time All-Star.

NATIONAL TEAM(WORK)

After the Ducks finished their practice and after the U.S. Women’s National Team completed its workout on an adjacent rink, the teams mixed and matched players for a 10-minute scrimmage followed by a five-round shootout. Annie Pankowski of Laguna Hills scored the first goal. 1173617 Anaheim Ducks There was a different connection. All nine had ties to Orange County. Bryant, who often took a helicopter to games while he played to escape the snarl of Southern traffic, lived in Newport Coast for many How the Kings and Ducks honored Kobe Bryant and all the victims of years. A smaller but no less significant flower and balloon-laden Sunday’s tragedy memorial sits outside the family’s gated community. The seven others that perished — Orange Coast College coach John Altobelli, his wife, Keri, and daughter, Alyssa; Christina Mauser, a mother of three and coach with Bryant’s Mamba Academy eight-grade team; pilot Ara Lisa Dillman, Eric Stephens and Joe Smith Jan 30, 2020 Zobayan and mother and daughter Sarah and Payton Chester — were all county residents.

The last time the Kings played a game at Staples Center was on Jan. 8, “He was really one of us,” said Robert Ercoli of Laguna Beach. “It’s still such a long time ago that L.A. Live and Xbox Plaza still had that cheerful kind of a shock. But it’s cool how much the Orange County community is post-holiday vibe going. In fact, the holiday ice rink was still there then, really united. Not only to honor Kobe but the other families as well.” drawing a wide cross-section of locals and, presumably, international Ercoli recalled how, as a student-manager for the Gonzaga men’s visitors. basketball team, former players like Ronny Turiaf, Adam Morrison, On Sunday, it had transformed into an emotional epicenter, a focal point Robert Sacre and Elias Harris would share stories of Bryant’s legendary for grieving fans to gather together, finding individual ways, primarily with competitiveness. As he spoke while wearing a No. 24 jersey, Ercoli flowers, to express their love and admiration for Lakers legend Kobe delighted in how Bryant put up with lesser Laker teammates like Smush Bryant and his daughter Gianna, who were killed in a helicopter crash Parker and Chucky Atkins and matured into a leader in the post-Shaq earlier in the morning. Nine lives were lost that morning and nine names days with Pau Gasol and Lamar Odom. He tried to ignore the television were listed on the electronic screens around L.A. Live. and social media but then watched the emotional remembrances from O’Neal and Jerry West. The feelings of shock and grief were just as palpable on Wednesday night. Two hours before the Kings-Lightning game, the bustle and What most impressed him was the well-rounded man Bryant had anticipatory buzz you often see and feel before games in that become. entertainment district was replaced by quiet reflection and homage. “I’m Catholic and towards the end of his life, that became a bigger part of Kings fan Jeff Laguna of Rancho Cucamonga, who was in the plaza his life,” Ercoli said. “And how he went to Mass the morning that he before the game, called Bryant the emotional center of Los Angeles for passed. It was just cool to know that was a part of his life as well.” the last 20 years. He explained why. Bracamontes felt it was best to wear his jersey to the Ducks game. He “Watching the Lakers play and going through those ups and down, going has seen the massive crowds at L.A. Live. The sight stirs up his through the growing pains and watching Kobe develop,” Laguna said. emotions. “And then feeling the highs with him. There was so much emotion we “I haven’t went to Staples since it happened,” he said. “But I’ll be at a experienced with him. His last game … 60 points. I mean, that was game in two weeks. I haven’t went to pay tribute to him. Not yet. incredible. “To me, I still can’t believe it. It’s so unreal to me. Honestly, I don’t even “One of the reasons people loved him so much was that in a world of so want to go. It’s too much.” many personalities and bad guys, he was a guy that worked his ass off in practice. His work ethic was unrivaled in any sport. And I’m a hockey fan. The Kings and Lakers have always had a special bond. Jack Kent I grew up playing . Cooke, the first owner of the Kings, also owned the Lakers. Cooke sold the Kings and the Lakers to Jerry Buss in 1979. “Even as a hockey fan, it transcended that. He transcended all that.” Fast forward to the present. Kings owner Phil Anschutz of AEG still owns That feeling wasn’t limited to downtown L.A. Thirty miles south, the a piece of the Lakers (reported to be one-third) and the home arena Ducks were hosting Arizona in the heart of Orange County. The (Staples Center) of both teams. connection to Bryant and Honda Center is limited to the annual exhibition game that the Lakers would play in Anaheim. And while there was no Kings broadcasting legend Bob Miller, who retired in 2017, was the plaza full of tributes to the fallen basketball icon, numerous fans stopped emcee for a pregame tribute honoring Bryant and the victims from to snap pictures of an image of a smiling Kobe hugging Gianna frozen on Sunday’s helicopter crash. the two large video screens outside the main entrance to the arena. LA Kings Inside, some yellow and purple Bryant jerseys stood out among those many in attendance with their usual Ducks-themed sweaters. ✔

“I’ve been wearing my jersey all week,” said Louie Bracamontes, a @LAKings Whittier resident. “All week. I’ve been wearing my Kobe shoes. Father. Sports icon. Worldwide humanitarian. Something to represent Kobe. I’m a diehard Laker fan. Love Kobe. I was born in 94. Kobe was drafted in 96. All I know is Kobe and the Lakers.” Tonight we remember Kobe Bryant, his daughter Gigi & all those Back in L.A., Luis Diaz of Whittier was kneeling on the plaza pavement lost during Sunday's tragedy. #MambaForever with a Bryant jersey next to him. Diaz penned a lengthy tribute to Bryant Embedded video on the pavement thanking him for “inspiring this generation of your people with your hard work, loyalty, dedication and commitment to being 4,236 the best on the court.” He clearly had put a great deal of thought into what he wanted to say, and his high school coach helped him craft the 2:12 AM - Jan 30, 2020 message. Twitter Ads info and privacy

“I had to come,” he said. “Someone told me that this is the first time 651 people are talking about this coming over here with sadness, instead of excitement.” The Kings players found their own way to honor Bryant. The silence was broken near us when an impromptu chant started, “Ko- be, Ko-be, Ko-be.” Another similar chant erupted behind us. It was “The last few days we can all see what is going on around the city,” said quickly followed by “M-V-P, M-V-P, M-V-P.” Kings Anze Kopitar during a pregame interview with Jim Fox on NBCSN. “The amount of people that came out and paid their respects to That wouldn’t be the last time hearing the “Kobe” chant on Wednesday obviously one of the greats in the game of basketball. For us, as hockey night. And it was the same down in Anaheim. A fan belted his name out players, being so many years kind of connected to the Lakers, just next during a moment of silence as the Ducks paid a somber tribute to all nine door. victims. Many others throughout the arena joined in unison. The chant would be repeated midway through the third period as fans in Lakers “We felt like we’ve got to pay some sort of tribute. Tonight, every player jerseys were spotlighted on the videoboard. (had) a jersey. It’s a little unorthodox for our dress code but we walked in with Kobe jerseys. What he meant to us: he was a champion, the “And then for that (Rowney goal) to happen. I’m not sure what to believe ultimate champion. He was known as the Black Mamba, the closer, if you sometimes when it comes to religion and things like that. But I do wonder will. He was here to win games and to win championships. That’s the did that happen by accident or was that part of the night? I get ultimate goal in sports.” goosebumps just standing here talking about it. That it actually happened tonight.” After the game, Kopitar spoke about his emotions. Ercoli coaches middle school basketball and he noted how some of his “I still get choked up, really, at least I did,” he said. “We crossed paths a kids had played against Payton Chester, who attended St. Margaret’s couple of times when they were still at (the same practice facility). My Middle School in San Juan Capistrano. He reflected on how, in the favorite thing about him is he wanted to win no matter what. Whether it darkest moments, a community can find comfort in each other. was playing hard, or finesse. There weren’t very many nights where he took the night off.” “We’re all united,” he said. “It’s a family. It’s awful but sometimes tragedy brings about the best of the human spirit.” The Lightning joined the Kings in honoring the Bryants and the victims of Sunday’s tragedy. The players from both teams wore a sticker on their The Athletic LOADED: 01.31.2020 helmets featuring the Kobe/Gigi heart logo. Kings and Lightning coaches and Kings staffers wore a lapel pin.

“Life is bigger than the game and I think we’re all in this sadness together,” Tampa Bay coach Jon Cooper said. “You can see what an icon, and how beloved he was not only globally but in this city.”

Lightning defenseman met Bryant over the summer at a wedding at the Resort at Pelican Hill, near Bryant’s home. The groomsmen were in a room preparing for the main event when Bryant walked in.

“I remember feeling like we were little kids, whispering to each other like, ‘There is he is,’” Shattenkirk said. “He actually approached us, said hello, congratulated my friend on the wedding.”

Luke Schenn, who played 43 games with the Kings in the 2015-16 season, used to see Bryant where his seats were near the entrance where Kings took the ice. Schenn would skate by and think, “Wow, I can’t believe that’s Kobe.”

“When I got traded here, you’re just in awe that you are in the same facility, not as the Lakers, but Kobe Bryant,” Schenn said. “You’d come to a Lakers game to see no one else but Kobe.”

Lightning star Steven Stamkos had his own memory of Bryant after he heard of the superstar’s death.

“Well, he scored 81 against my Raptors. That was probably the iconic moment for me,” Stamkos said. “I haven’t had that feeling before. You’re in shock. That it wasn’t really real.”

Ducks center Adam Henrique hails from Ontario, the province that’s thousands of miles away from the like-named city in the Inland Empire. But the nine-year NHL veteran has spent enough time here to see the spell Bryant cast over sports fans throughout the region. His death has only reinforced his meaning to the multitudes.

“Where I grew up, you still know who he is and the magnitude of him,” Henrique said. “He’s a superstar. I was never a huge basketball guy but guys like him, you still know. You see jerseys everywhere growing up. (People) doing the Kobe shot. So many things.

“To see his drive and to hear stories about his drive on a daily basis. Not even just for games but practice days and away from the court. How much he meant to other people, whether it was other sports or other business. And how he carried himself as well and what he represented. To come here, being relatively new to L.A. and the whole area, it even takes that to the next level. Which I probably didn’t even realize.”

Fittingly, the numbers two and four played out within the two hockey games in cities tethered together by Interstate 5.

The Kings would lose, 4-2. But the Ducks got a 4-2 win. And in a twist of fate, Anaheim’s final goal came courtesy of Carter Rowney. He wears No. 24. His goal came on the Ducks’ 24th shot of the game, their 24th home contest of this season.

Days have passed since Sunday’s painful jolt to several families and millions more throughout the world. The pain has especially hit home here. L.A. and Orange County felt as if it had a piece of a luminary to call its own.

“Obviously Kobe Bryant and his family has just an unbelievable positive effect and influence on ,” said Dallas Eakins, the Ducks’ coach. “To honor him tonight, I thought that was incredible right from the players on the ice to what our organization did. More importantly, those fans up there. It was very surreal and somber and humbling standing on that bench during that moment of silence. 1173618 Arizona Coyotes

Oliver Ekman-Larsson injured in Arizona Coyotes' loss to Los Angeles Kings

Richard Morin, Arizona Republic Published 9:39 p.m. MT Jan. 30, 2020 | Updated 10:51 p.m. MT Jan. 30, 2020

The Coyotes' losing streak grew to four games after an overtime loss to the Los Angeles Kings on Thursday at .

Kings forward Alex Iafallo scored all three goals for Los Angeles.

Nick Schmaltz and Christian Dvorak scored in the second period as the Coyotes rebounded from a one-goal deficit after one frame.

Schmaltz scored his eighth goal of the season at 11:22 of the second period just moments after a power play had expired. Schmaltz sprung off the half-wall and ripped a shot past Kings goaltender Jack Campbell.

Dvorak scored in the final minute of the middle frame, potting a rebound from an initial shot by Taylor Hall. Conor Garland collected the other assist.

Iafallo tallied his second goal of the night in the final minutes of regulation, sending the game to overtime, where he scored just 24 seconds later.

Coyotes captain Oliver Ekman-Larsson suffered a lower-body injury in the second period and did not return. He appeared to engage in a knee- on-knee collision with Kings forward Dustin Brown.

Coyotes head coach Rick Tocchet did not have an update on Ekman- Larsson after the game.

The skinny

The score: Kings 3, Coyotes 2.

The streak: L4.

The record: 26-21-6, 58 points.

The 82-game pace: 40-32-10, 90 points.

The standings: 4th in Pacific, 1st in Wild Card.

The player: Alex Iafallo.

The moment: Iafallo's second goal at 17:06 of the third period.

The number: 1 — The Coyotes managed just one point out of a possible four against the Anaheim Ducks and Los Angeles Kings, the 28th and 30th ranked teams in the NHL standings.

View from the press box: The Coyotes were better on Thursday than they were on Wednesday, but mistakes and a lack of consistency continue to persist. This team has undoubtedly hit a low point. Winners don't lose to losers. Time will tell if the Coyotes are winners, but they have certainly not taken care of business against subpar teams this season.

Song of the night: "Into Hell's Mouth We March" by Vanna.

Arizona Republic LOADED: 01.31.2020 1173619 Arizona Coyotes

Arizona Coyotes acknowledge report of recruiting violations, NHL investigation

Richard Morin, Arizona Republic Published 6:23 p.m. MT Jan. 30, 2020 | Updated 6:36 p.m. MT Jan. 30, 2020

The Arizona Coyotes issued a statement Thursday acknowledging reports they are being investigated for illegally conducting pre-draft physical testing on Canadian Hockey League (CHL) players.

TSN' Darren Dreger first reported Thursday evening that the NHL was involved in an ongoing investigation into whether the Coyotes were involved in the aforementioned recruiting misconduct. Teams are prohibited from performing physical testing on any draft-eligible CHL player prior to the NHL Scouting Combine.

The Coyotes' statement can be found below:

"We are aware of the reports. We have discussed the matter with the NHL and we will have no further comment at this time."

The NHL did not respond to a request for comment on Thursday.

If found guilty, the Coyotes will likely be looking at monetary fines, a league sourced said. Dreger reported that a fine of $250,000 per player illegally tested could be rendered at the discretion of NHL Commissioner Gary Bettman.

Arizona Republic LOADED: 01.31.2020 1173620 Arizona Coyotes "He always wanted to go against the best and guard the best guys," Tocchet said. "His compete level is why people endear him. He hated to lose. Yeah, he was talented, but he was a fierce competitor. It's a lot to Arizona Coyotes remember Kobe Bryant's work ethic, support of peers learn for us as athletes not to take anything for granted. Don't waste practices and don't waste time with your teammates.

"It should inspire people, his legacy." Richard Morin, Arizona Republic Published 4:29 p.m. MT Jan. 30, 2020 Arizona Republic LOADED: 01.31.2020

When Brad Richardson was en route to a Stanley Cup with the Los Angeles Kings in 2012, one of the team's biggest cheerleaders was Kobe Bryant.

Richardson said, during that playoff run, Bryant made several appearances in the Kings' locker room and gave encouraging words to several players, including defenseman Jake Muzzin.

Bryant attended a number of games at Staples Center that spring.

Bryant, who starred for the NBA's Los Angeles Lakers for 20 seasons, was sporting a Kings sweater and even made planned appearances on the video board to help pump up the crowd, Richardson said.

Like so many others, Richardson was devastated to learn of the death of Bryant, who at 41 perished in a helicopter crash on Sunday in Calabasas, California along with his 13-year-old daughter, Gianna, and seven others.

Richardson remembered what it was like to be a Los Angeles-based professional athlete at a time when Bryant was larger than life. And the fact that Bryant took his own free time to support the Kings was not lost on Richardson.

"I did meet him when we had our run in 2012," Richardson said. "He was there, wearing our jersey and supporting us. We did share a practice facility with the Lakers for a while, so you'd see him coming in and out. You always saw and heard what a great person he was. You've never heard a bad thing about him. He was such a great competitor who touched so many lives along the way.

"The whole thing was amazing. The Lakers had that run where they were in The Finals for so many years and winning, and then to have the hockey team that had never won before and to get support like that from a figure that big was incredible."

Clayton Keller grew up with Bryant's book, "The Mamba Mentality," on his nightstand. Keller, 21, said he grew up idolizing Bryant's famed work ethic.

"I definitely watched basketball growing up," Keller said, "and (Kobe) and LeBron were my two favorite players. My dad played basketball in high school, I played basketball in high school ... I read his book two years ago and everything everyone says about him is true in terms of how hard he worked.

"Early mornings, late nights and that's why he's arguably the best to play the game. It's all something I look up for and hopefully I can be half of that someday. It's something to work toward, to always have that mindset,'' he said.

Those who see Keller on a daily basis can see that same work ethic. Keller is routinely the first player on the ice and the last player off — and he said that has at least something to do with following Bryant's example.

"Ever since I was a young kid," Keller said, "Especially being smaller, I always had to work twice as hard. It's something I always did. I think by doing that I get an extra amount of shots in the net compared to guys who aren't out there. I think any extra edge you can get is huge."

Coyotes head coach Rick Tocchet remembers seeing Bryant at a Gold's Gym in Santa Monica, Calif. Bryant's work ethic certainly stood out, but there were more lessons from watching Bryant that Tocchet took with him into coaching.

"His details," Tocchet said. "He'd be there after practice shooting 500 baskets. That's something young players can learn from. You can only get something out of it if you work on your game. That's why I preach details with this team. I sound like a broken record, but when you practice under pressure and practice certain things, you can be prepared for those situations."

Tocchet said there are things Bryant can teach younger generations of athletes. 1173621 Arizona Coyotes — Defenseman and captain Oliver Ekman-Larsson exited the game with a lower-body injury and did not return. Rick Tocchet didn’t yet have an update on the health of his captain after the game.

Coyotes seek exit from rough stretch that continues vs. Kings Arizona Sports LOADED: 01.31.2020

BY MATT LAYMAN JANUARY 30, 2020 AT 11:12 PM

GLENDALE, Ariz. — Sports seasons for any team seem to always have peaks and valleys. The Arizona Coyotes are clearly, as of Thursday, in a valley.

“You find you’re going to have adversity through the season,” Rick Tocchet said. “Right now, we’re hitting it. We’re having a tough time winning games.”

Arizona lost 3-2 in overtime to the Los Angeles Kings on Thursday night. But that loss is only a sliver of the concern; players and the head coach spent most of the postgame interview sessions zoomed out on the bigger picture as the Coyotes have lost seven of their last eight games. They have four points (a win and two overtime/shootout losses) in that span.

There’s 29 games left in an extremely tight Pacific Division playoff race.

“There’s no sense of beating ourselves up on it,” Derek Stepan said. “We have no time to dwell on anything right now. There is zero time for it. So we shift our focus to Saturday night, and each night, the importance of those two points gets bigger and bigger.”

Arizona’s game against the Kings on Thursday was not atrocious. Arizona had a 2-1 lead with less than three minutes in regulation. They outshot L.A. 25-20 through two periods. The Coyotes won 59% of the faceoffs. The Coyotes alluded to that multiple times in separate instances:

“Guys worked hard,” Tocchet said. “We’re going to stay positive.

“I thought we played a pretty good game. We had a couple guys had a chance at the end to win it.”

“We build on the positives tonight,” Stepan said. “Through this stretch, I felt like that was closer to what we want. We just keep building.”

Positivity is good. If you listen to the team explain the remedy for climbing out of this whole, positivity was key:

“You can’t dwell on these losses,” forward Nick Schmaltz said. “We got a point out of it tonight, but we’ve got to bounce back with a big effort on Saturday.”

“You’ve got to keep your energy level up,” Tocchet said. “You have to. You’ve got to stick together. That’s the way it is.”

The Chicago Blackhawks are up next on Saturday.

“I think you go through your ups and downs throughout the year, and obviously this isn’t the time we want to have one of those low points, but it’s going to happen,” Schmaltz said. “We’ve got to put together a good stretch here and really start to bank some points.”

THE GAME ITSELF

Arizona was outshot 37-28 in total, including 16-3 in the third period alone when the Coyotes had a 2-1 lead.

“In the third there, I thought we were sitting back a little bit, maybe just trying to preserve the lead instead of trying to stick it to them and kind of stepping on their throat and end it,” Schmaltz said.

Adin Hill was in net for the Coyotes, and Jack Campbell was in goal for Los Angeles. Campbell made 22 saves to Hill’s 29.

The Coyotes got out to a 1-0 deficit after a period of play, but goals by Christian Dvorak and Schmaltz in the second period made it 2-1. The Kings scored with 2:54 left in regulation to tie it, and then another goal just 0:24 into overtime.

All three Los Angeles goals came from Alex Iafallo for the hat trick. He now has 14 goals on the season.

QUICK HITS 1173622 Arizona Coyotes

Coyotes return from extended break with loss to Ducks

BY ASSOCIATED PRESS | JANUARY 29, 2020 AT 11:35 PM UPDATED: JANUARY 30, 2020 AT 11:24 AM

ANAHEIM, Calif. — Adam Henrique scored twice, Carter Rowney had a short-handed goal and the Anaheim Ducks defeated the Arizona Coyotes 4-2 on Wednesday night.

Hampus Lindholm also scored for the Ducks, who have won three of four. Derek Grant added two assists and John Gibson stopped 25 shots.

Henrique — who leads the Ducks with 17 goals — got the go-ahead score with 3:51 remaining in the first period. Ondrej Kase made a spin move and dished the puck to Henrique in front, setting up the center for his third multi-goal game of the season.

Arizona’s third line was responsible for its offense. Vinnie Hinostroza and Lawson Crouse each had a goal and an assist, while Nick Schmaltz had two assists. Antti Raanta made 28 saves for the Coyotes, who have dropped their last three.

Henrique opened the scoring at 5:39 when Troy Terry’s shot deflected off his right skate past Raanta. The goal was set up when Terry intercepted a cross-ice pass from Alex Goligoski at the red line, skated into the Arizona zone and fired a shot from just outside the left circle.

Hinostroza tied it 99 seconds later with a wrist shot off an odd-man rush. It was the forward’s fifth goal but his first in 26 games.

Lindholm extended Anaheim’s lead to 3-1 at 5:25 if the second with a slap shot from near the blue line. The defenseman has a point in three straight games but it was only his second goal of the season.

Crouse brought the Coyotes back within a goal when his backhand shot deflected off Gibson’s blocker with 3:59 remaining in the second for his 12th.

Arizona fell behind by two again when Grant stole the puck from Oliver Ekman-Larsson behind the net. His shot went off Raanta’s blocker, but Rowney buried the rebound for his sixth of the season with 46 seconds left in the period. It was Anaheim’s ninth short-handed goal this season, third-most in the NHL.

NOTES: Anaheim RW Jakob Silfverberg returned to the lineup after the birth of his daughter. … Arizona is second in the league in road points (31) but has dropped its last four away from home. … Kobe Bryant and the eight others killed in Sunday’s helicopter crash were remembered before the game with 24 seconds of silence. “Kobe! Kobe!” chants broke out at the end of the remembrance and a couple of times when fans were shown wearing his jersey.

UP NEXT

Coyotes: Begin a four-game homestand Thursday against Los Angeles.

Ducks: Host the Tampa Bay Lightning on Friday.

Arizona Sports LOADED: 01.31.2020 1173623 Arizona Coyotes

D Oliver Ekman-Larsson leaves game for Coyotes, doesn’t return

BY KELLAN OLSON JANUARY 30, 2020 AT 9:50 PM

Arizona Coyotes defenseman Oliver Ekman-Larsson was ruled out for the rest of Thursday’s game against the Los Angeles Kings due to a lower-body injury.

In the second period, Ekman-Larsson got in a knee-to-knee collision with Kings forward Dustin Brown.

Here's the play that sent Oliver Ekman-Larsson to the locker room.

He will not return to tonight's game. pic.twitter.com/XQcM195ndO

— FOX Sports Arizona (@FOXSPORTSAZ) January 31, 2020

Ekman-Larsson was seen skating gingerly to the locker room and it was later announced he would not return to the game.

The Coyotes’ franchise defenseman for the better part of last decade has not missed a game yet this season and missed only three combined in the last two seasons.

This year, Ekman-Larsson has six goals and 16 assists for a total of 22 points.

Arizona Sports LOADED: 01.31.2020 1173624 Arizona Coyotes

Report: NHL investigating Coyotes over alleged draft prospect violation

BY MATT LAYMAN JANUARY 30, 2020 AT 6:19 PM

The is reportedly investigating the Arizona Coyotes over allegations involving physical fitness testing of draft prospects, TSN’s Darren Dreger reported Thursday.

In a video segment called Insider Trading, Dreger further explained his report, saying that the NHL prohibits teams from working out prospects prior to the NHL scouting combine. The Coyotes allegedly worked out draft-eligible prospects before they were allowed to.

He said that the Canadian Hockey League (CHL), which is an umbrella organization over Canadian junior hockey leagues OHL, QMJHL and WHL, emailed junior teams from those leagues and asked that “any contact be reported.”

“Now, according to sources,” Dreger said, “multiple teams have returned to say, ‘Yes, there has been contact.’ … If guilt is established […] the Arizona Coyotes could face substantial fines: $250,000 or more per incident, at the discretion of NHL commissioner Gary Bettman.”

Following the news of Dreger’s report, the Coyotes later issued a statement.

We are aware of the reports. We have discussed the matter with the NHL and we will have no further comment at this time.

If the Coyotes were to face hefty fines, it’s unclear whether that would have any impact on the organization’s hockey operations, although it’s worth noting that a new owner, Alex Meruelo, took over this summer.

Arizona Sports LOADED: 01.31.2020 1173625 Arizona Coyotes are every bit as precarious as they were in 2012 and the NHL schedule makers have played a few more cruel jokes on them, like a Thursday evening home game against Carolina on Feb. 6, followed by a road Happy thought for Rick Tocchet, Coyotes: The 2011-12 team offers a game in Boston on Feb. 8 at 11 a.m. Eastern time. February blueprint for success The February schedule of 14 games in 29 days

Road games: Boston, Montreal, Toronto, Ottawa, Dallas, St. Louis

By Craig Morgan Jan 30, 2020 Home games: Chicago, Edmonton, Carolina, Washington, New York Islanders, Tampa Bay, Florida, Buffalo

The similarities are striking. “We have no time to dwell on anything right now,” forward Derek Stepan said. “We shift our focus to Saturday night (Chicago) and each night, the In 2012, the Coyotes were coming off an awful month of January in which importance of those two points gets bigger and bigger.” they lost nine of 12 games (3-5-4). On the morning of Feb. 1, they sat in fourth place in the Pacific Division. They were tied for the eighth and final For the Coyotes to capture those points, they must recapture their playoff spot with a 22-21-8 record after 51 games, and they were staring defensive identity. Including the 8-5 loss to Minnesota in which Kuemper at a murderous February schedule that began with 11 straight games was injured on Dec. 19, Arizona has allowed 58 goals in its past 17 against teams ahead of them in the standings, including three division games (3.41 per game), the 10th worst mark in the NHL over that span. leaders. “To me it’s the egregious stuff,” Tocchet said. “At the end of the game, Following a 4-5-2 January, the 2019-20 Coyotes also find themselves in we’re like, ‘Hey, we only gave them 11 chances, but three of the chances fourth place in the Pacific Division (pending Friday’s outcome of the were so egregious. That’s what I guess irks us as a (coaching) staff. If a Vegas-Carolina game) with a 26-21-6 record after a 3-2 overtime loss to team earns a play, if a team takes the puck hard to the net and there’s the lowly Los Angeles Kings at Gila River Arena on Thursday. The teams rebounds, they muck and they score goals, sometimes you’ve got to all around them in the playoff chase have games in hand and the shake their hand. It was a good play by them but we’re just giving goals Coyotes are once again facing a murderous February schedule of 14 away this month and that’s’ something that we haven’t done here in the games in 29 days (a leap year like 2012), including 10 games against last year and a half.” teams ahead of them in the standings and three division leaders. There are 29 games left in the Coyotes’ regular season. That is an “Nobody’s going to feel sorry for us,” coach Rick Tocchet said after his eternity to get things turned around. Remember, the Coyotes are still in a team lost its season-high fourth straight game (0-3-1) by blowing a lead playoff position despite their recent struggles. If they close out a good with 2:54 left in regulation. “You’re going to get a lot of negativity around homestand in these next three games, they will still be well-positioned and we’ve got to stick together.” despite what the other teams in the Pacific and West are doing around them. If this season’s Coyotes want a blueprint for how to do so in February, the most successful team in franchise history has a few pointers. The If you want further hope, you can cling to that psychic reading I did with 2011-12 team went a stunning 11-0-1 in February 2012, its only setback Mrs. Rita’s Spiritual Awakening Center in October. Proprietor Nancy a shootout loss at Vancouver on Feb. 13, to climb into first place in the Nickels predicted that February would be an exceptionally good month Pacific Division on the morning of March 1. for the Coyotes and she hasn’t been wrong on any of her predictions to date. “I think we knew that at every point would be huge so we played like that,” said former Coyote Radim Vrbata, who did his part with seven If you want a more concrete endorsement, Vrbata offered some goals (four game-winners) and 13 points in the month. “With how we had perspective on the ebbs and flows of an NHL season. played before that, there was no guarantee that we would make the “Every team goes through stretches like that but they’re still in a good playoffs so it was a fight because we needed every possible point that we position to do what we did,” he said. “And if they can have the same kind could get.” of run or a good month, I think they could be really dangerous in the The 2011-12 Coyotes began that run with wins against division leaders playoffs.” San Jose and Detroit, running their winning streak to five games before The Athletic LOADED: 01.31.2020 the setback at Vancouver in which they still earned a point. By the time they arrived in Los Angeles in the wee hours of the morning on Valentine’s Day, the mood of the team had shifted dramatically. With two days off, the Coyotes held a rookie dinner in Beverly Hills that further lifted their spirits.

“I had a lot of rookie parties throughout my career and this was one of the better ones,” Vrbata said, laughing. “It was a good town to have a couple days off, plus we were winning. It was good feelings all around.”

The Coyotes beat the Kings, 1-0 at Staples Center on Feb. 16, with Vrbata providing the lone goal, and the Coyotes won six straight to close out February. That and a five-game winning streak to end the season helped vault them to the franchise’s only division title and a run to the Western Conference Final.

“You just build up momentum and you want to keep it going as long as possible,” Vrbata said. “I remember (Shane Doan) always talking about how it was important to keep it rolling because if you lose one then you need to start all over again and that feeling is lost. If you win three, four, five in a row, it’s like a snowball and you just get confidence.

“We were winning lots of close games (three wins by two goals; six by one goal) or but we were able to find a way to keep winning.”

There were plenty of stars that month for the Coyotes. Vrbata was the goal-scoring leader, Ray Whitney led the team with 15 points (three goals), Doan had five goals and goaltender Mike Smith went 11-0, allowing just 16 goals on 331 shots for a .952 save percentage with two shutouts.

The 2020 Coyotes will be looking for similar standouts as goaltender Darcy Kuemper nears a return to the lineup. The Coyotes’ playoff hopes 1173626 Boston Bruins “We’d said middle of February is his timeline and he’d have to skate with us for a little while,” Cassidy said.

Cassidy said he expects to have an update on both defensemen when David Backes, waived by Bruins two weeks ago, will not report to the team returns home after the weekend. Miller has been skating and Providence hasn’t had any setbacks, Cassidy said.

“Until he’s with the team again it will be hard to say that he’s making By Nora Princiotti Globe Staff,January 30, 2020, 12:54 p.m. great steps but right now he’s sticking with his program which is a positive this year, we seem to have had a few setbacks,” Cassidy said.

Not shaken up David Backes had one goal and two assists in 16 games this season. Jake DeBrusk was among a handful of Bruins players who went to David Backes is healthy but will not be playing for Providence in the AHL, Puerto Rico during the break but he was in San Juan, on the opposite the Bruins announced Thursday. side of the island from the magnitude 5.0 earthquake that hit on Jan. 25, and didn’t feel it. “I was just hearing from the locals and things like that, Backes was waived on Jan. 17. At that time, Bruins management it’s been tough over there. I didn’t know about it until I got on social expected he would go to Providence after the NHL’s All-Star break. But media,” DeBrusk said. with the team heading to Winnipeg to resume play Friday, general manager Don Sweeney said in a statement it was in the best interest of Boston Globe LOADED: 01.31.2020 Backes and the organization that he not go.

“David is fit and able to play, but in order to preserve all potential options for both David and the Bruins moving forward, we have decided this is the best course of action,” Sweeney said in the statement.

Sweeney said in the statement he’d spoken to Backes and that they’d come to that conclusion together. Coach Bruce Cassidy said Thursday he hadn’t been involved in those discussions and therefore couldn’t say if the decision was made to keep Backes healthy in case there’s a move to be made before the trading deadline.

Backes is not suspended, Cassidy said.

Backes, 35, missed 13 games this season after sustaining a concussion in a clash with Scott Sabourin during a 5-2 win over the Ottawa Senators Nov. 2. He has a history of concussions, having sustained at least four since joining the Bruins in 2016, something Cassidy cited when explaining the decision to waive Backes.

Patrice Bergeron, who is close with Backes, didn’t know if the door closing on Backes’s opportunity to work his way back to the Bruins roster by playing in Providence means the writing is on the wall for the end of his time with the team but, given the possibility, acknowledged the asset he believes Backes has been.

“Respectfully, I’m not going to comment on it because I don’t know the whole perspective of it,” Bergeron said. “That being said obviously he’s had a huge impact on and off the ice. Off the ice the way that he handled himself as a leader I’ve learned from, we’ve all learned from him, and obviously we’re great friends and wish him all the best.”

Rask plans to start

Tuukka Rask will be back in net this weekend, Cassidy said.

The plan is for Rask to start Friday against the Jets. Rask has been out with a concussion. He was elbowed in the head during a loss to Columbus on Jan. 14.

“It’s really our first, his first high-stress practice but barring anything waking up [Friday] he’ll probably be our starter [Friday],” Cassidy said. “If not he’s definitely going to play Saturday [at Minnesota], it’s just a matter of is he the front end or the back end.”

Tuukka Rask gets in some work at practice Thursday.

Rask said he felt good during Thursday’s practice and expects to start Friday. He dealt with motion sickness symptoms the first few days after he was concussed but said his symptoms were manageable.

“I didn’t have to sit in a dark room for many days in a row and I was kind of able to live my life for the most part after so that was good,” Rask said.

There was some question as to whether Rask would need to serve a one-game suspension for pulling out of the All-Star Game, but both Rask and Cassidy said their impression was he will not have to. Rask pulled out for family reasons before his he was concussed and was therefore hit with the suspension, but Cassidy said his understanding was that the injury precluded Rask from having to serve a suspension.

Return men?

Both Connor Clifton and Kevan Miller are making progress toward getting back with the team, but Clifton is likely to return first, Cassidy said. 1173627 Boston Bruins buddies or whoever you go away with, but it also gets you excited to come back and play again. I think that’s where we’re at. We had a lot of fun today out on the ice. Looking forward to get back at it.”

Tuukka Rask ready for a return He said he’s also feeling better physically, though he hinted he may not Bruins’ goalie recovered from concussion be at 100%.

“It’s always good to have the break to heal up on a couple of things. It’s a long year and things can linger, but we’ll play it out,” said Marchand. By STEVE CONROY | PUBLISHED: January 30, 2020 at 4:35 pm | UPDATED: January 30, 2020 at 4:35 PM Ice chips

Jeremy Lauzon and Karson Kuhlman were recalled from Providence, with Lauzon taking his place on a third pair with Matt Grzelcyk while While Bruins coach Bruce Cassidy was still holding off on naming a Kuhlman skated on a line with David Krejci and Danton Heinen … starter for Friday’s game in Winnipeg, goalie Tuukka Rask was Connor Clifton (upper body) and Kevan Miller (knee) skated before pronounced fit and ready to play for the first time since suffering a practice, according to Cassidy. The coach said Clifton is closer than concussion on Jan. 14. Miller, who has not played yet this year as he tries to come back from a twice-broken knee cap. Rask said the first few days after the concussion were rough, but that he rapidly improved. Boston Herald LOADED: 01.31.2020 “I had very bad motion sickness for the first two days. That was different,” said Rask, who had suffered a concussion last season as well. “My headaches were never too bad, but I sat in a car and when walking, it was spinning a little bit. I figured that might have been because I got hit in the side of the head so it messed up my balance. But other than that I felt pretty good.”

He said the symptoms of this most recent one compared to the one he suffered last season were a little different but the severity was similar.

“They’re all different … but I didn’t have to sit in a dark room for many days in a row. I was able to live my life for the most part so that was good,” said Rask.

Rask was able to take the vacation with his family that he planned. Before he got hurt, Rask had announced that he would not be going to the All-Star game because he wanted some rest, relaxation and family time. That would have carried a one-game suspension to have been served either in the last game before the break or the first one after it. But since Rask had to sit out the Vegas game before the break anyway because of the concussion, the league waived any further .

Rask was concussed on a questionable hit from the Blue Jackets’ Emil Bemstrom at the start of the B’s 3-0 loss in Columbus. With Brandon Carlo in pursuit and Torey Krug in front of the net, Bemstrom clipped Rask in the head. While it caused a bit of a firestorm when the B’s did not get their pound of flesh on the rookie, Rask accepted the player’s explanation that it was unintentional.

“Well, he said it was an accident, so it was an accident,” said Rask. “It looked bad but if he was trying to rip his hand off Carlo and then just did the motion … he said it was an accident.”

Bemstrom has four penalty minutes in 37 games for Columbus.

“I don’t think he’s a guy who would go out and punch a goalie purposely. But was he Swedish? Then, yeah, he might have done it,” joked the Finn.

Tanned and ready

The Bruins returned to practice after what was, for most of them, a nine- day layoff with the All-Star game and bye week, many of them sporting tans from tropical vacations.

The rest should do them some good, especially the veterans. Chief on that list would be Brad Marchand, who entered the break having scored just one empty-net goal in his last 10 games.

“He was fighting the puck a little bit so I don’t know if the break helps him or is it going to make it worse,” said Cassidy with a chuckle. “But I think it will help him. I think mentally you clear your mind, you’re away, you’re focused on your family or the young guys are focused on getting away from the rink. I think that part of it is good. Specifically with Marchy, yeah, I think it will help. I think as good a player as he is and as good a pro, it’s going to bother him when he’s not producing at his expectation. When there’s no games to worry about, you clear your head a bit. I’d like to think going forward it will be good for him.”

Marchand conceded he’d been suffering a little mental fatigue.

“I think it will be good mentally, for everyone. This season has been a little long. It seems a little longer than usual,” said Marchand. “It’s always good to get away from it and spend some time with your family and your 1173628 Boston Bruins Still, with his chance to secure a regular spot in the lineup for this season looking like a long shot, Backes nevertheless went back to work in the summer, hiring a new skating coach and looking somewhat reborn in the David Backes will not report to Providence preseason.

Bruins, player protecting options But on Nov. 2, he suffered a concussion in a frightening collision with Ottawa’s Scott Sabourin. The latest head injury had Backes himself contemplating retirement before seeking another opinion from a Detroit- area specialist. After that visit, he felt comfortable enough to continue By STEVE CONROY | PUBLISHED: January 30, 2020 at 2:26 pm | playing. UPDATED: January 30, 2020 at 4:15 PM In his first game back on Dec. 1 after missing a month with the

concussion, he scored the game-winning goal in the Bruins’ 3-1 win over David Backes will not be working his way back to the Bruins by playing the Montreal Canadiens. But he played only seven more games for the for their minor league affiliate in Providence, that much was made clear B’s, six of which he saw fewer than 10 minutes of ice time. With his hefty on Thursday. salary spending most game nights on the ninth floor, it was obvious that the situation could not continue. As the mystery continued to build as to whether or not the veteran would report to the P-Bruins, who were returning to practice themselves on But while the ending wasn’t storybook, Backes did leave his mark on this Thursday after the All-Star break, Bruins’ GM team. Don Sweeney released a statement reading that it was not going to “Obviously, the situation, respectfully, I’m not going to comment on it happen. because I don’t know (all the details) of it,” said Patrice Bergeron. “That “After speaking with David, we have agreed that it is in the best interest being said, obviously, he’s had a huge impact, on and off the ice. Off the of David and the Bruins for him not to play in Providence at this time. ice, the way that he handled himself as a leader, I’ve learned from, so David is fit and able to play, but in order to preserve all potential options we’ve all learned from him. We’re great friends and we wish him all the for both David and the Bruins moving forward, we have decided this is best.” the best course of action,” said Sweeney. Boston Herald LOADED: 01.31.2020 The statement suggests the relationship between the player and team is as amicable as it can be right now, with the team treating the highly regarded veteran with as much respect as he’s earned over his career. Sweeney was traveling on Thursday and was not available for further comment or clarification, though coach Bruce Cassidy did say that the veteran, waived two weeks ago after playing in just 16 games in this season that was marred by another in a series of concussions he has suffered with the Bruins, was not under suspension. He is in the fourth of a five-year deal worth an average annual value of $6 million and he’ll continue to collect on that.

While it’s safe to assume Sweeney had explored trade options for the 35- year-old Backes before waiving him, perhaps something else can shake free as the Feb. 24 trade deadline approaches. If they’re able to move the contract, it will most likely come with some pain for the B’s. Last summer the Maple Leafs had to give up a first-round pick to Carolina in order for the Hurricanes to take on the final year of aging veteran Patrick Marleau’s contract at $6.25 million. The ‘Canes then bought out Marleau, who later signed with the Sharks.

If the B’s can’t move the contract, Backes could sit the rest of the season and then, presumably, the B’s could buy him out in the summer. If that was the case, it would cost the B’s $4 million against the cap next year and then another $1 million the following season. Backes could also retire, though it doesn’t appear that that’s the route he’ll be taking.

Regardless of the direction this goes now, it’s pretty clear that Backes has played his last game with the Bruins, if it hadn’t been already.

Since the day he signed the five-year, $30 million deal in the summer of 2016, there was the possibility that this would not end well. He’d played a hard-rugged style throughout his career and it had already seemed that it was taking its toll on him late in his career with the St. Louis Blues, for whom he was a beloved captain.

But while Backes may not have given the B’s every penny’s worth of the deal, he was not a classic bust. In his first two years, he brought his more vocal style and added it to the already strong leadership group, helping to bridge the gap between the older veterans who’d won a Stanley Cup in 2011 and some of the younger players coming into the system like Sean Kuraly and Brandon Carlo. He was very much a part of the B’s rebuild on the fly as the team returned to the playoffs in 2017 after a two-year hiatus.

Last year, however, his role with the team became less and less prominent. He endured his first healthy scratch as a Bruin and sat out intermittently. He wasn’t completely done, however. His insertion into the lineup in Game 2 of the first-round series against Toronto helped turn that series around. He also made positive contributions in the series wins over Columbus and Carolina. He was a healthy scratch, however, in Games 6 and 7 of the Stanley Cup Finals against his former team, which was a bitter pill to swallow. 1173629 Boston Bruins What prospects are untouchable? This may be a list of one, maybe two. The one that’s definite, at least to these eyes, is Jack Studnicka. With both Patrice Bergeron and David Krejci moving into their mid-30s, the B’s Five Bruins questions for stretch run cannot afford to give up one of their eventual replacements. Top six centermen are too valuable. Whether or not he can have as productive a Bruins’ full identity yet to come into focus career as either of those two remains to be seen, but he’s lived up to expectations in his first full year in Providence, despite a recent scoring

slump. Studnicka should be legitimately competing for an NHL job in By STEVE CONROY | January 30, 2020 at 6:00 am September. The other possible untouchable is Urho Vaakanainen, the 2017 first round pick. He hasn’t been a big point producer this year but he is still a good prospect. And while it seems like the B’s have an abundance of left-shot defensemen in Boston and Providence, that could At last, the National Hockey League stretch run is upon us. The Bruins’ change quickly with Krug’s uncertain status and Zdeno Chara’s report back to work Thursday morning for practice at Warrior Ice Arena advancing years. after their long, nine-day break. There are 31 games remaining and it will be pedal to the metal the rest of the way. They’ve got seven sets of back- So just how good is this Bruins team anyway? That’s the big one. They to-backs and never have more than two consecutive days off the rest of went 18-3-5 in the first two months of the season and just 11-7-7 since the way. then. That’s sub-.500 in December and January if you take away the benefit of the loser point. What’s the cause of this? Is it the In a sense, it feels like the season is just beginning right now. We all understandable and inevitable fatigue from the long playoff run into June knew the Bruins were a good team to begin with and, when they started or is it lack of focus that can come with a big lead in the division? You the season on a tear that lasted two months, the playoffs — barring an could look at it a different way, too. Did the B’s, eager to burn off the utter collapse — became a near-lock. They still have something to play bitterness from the Game 7 loss, stockpile points against teams that for. Tampa is capable of overtaking them for the top spot in the Atlantic simply didn’t bring the same intensity in October and November? Then Division, yes, and it would be a shame to lose one of the top two seeds in there’s the matter of the league-leading 12 losses in extra time. You can the East. But these last couple of months are all about positioning for the say that they didn’t have the finishing power in overtime or the shootout, post-season. but those two exercises are immaterial when it comes to the playoffs. Here are a few queries to ponder as the intensity turns up the rest of the Between now and April, we should get a better handle on this team’s true way: identity.

What is the most pressing need? As hot a start as the B’s had, it has Boston Herald LOADED: 01.31.2020 always been clear that they would still have to be involved in the trade market, and for more than just depth pieces. For months it looked like we’d be simply singing the same refrain about needing a top six wing, preferably a right shot. Righty Tyler Toffoli would be a perfect fit, though he may be less impactful than lefty Chris Kreider. If moved, those players would be traditional rentals, but GM Don Sweeney could also lean toward a player with some term left on his contract (i.e. a Kyle Palmieri). Another interesting name is Josh Anderson, an RFA-to-be who has been limited by injury this year and has had contract issues with Columbus. But the B’s concerning habit of blowing leads — and occasionally losing the battle of the nasty — suggest they need a rugged righthanded defenseman in the mold of Kevan Miller just as much as a wing. Miller is attempting a comeback and, if he can pull it off after suffering a broken kneecap twice plus a couple of setbacks in his rehab, that would solve a big problem. But it’s also a big “if.” San Jose’s Brenden Dillon is a name that’s been connected to the B’s lately. His 6-foot-4, 220-pound frame would fit the bill, but he’s a left shot.

How long will we see Torey Krug in a Bruin uniform? One would hope it’s for a very long time. He’s overcome some of his defensive deficiencies to become a legitimate top four defenseman, not just a terrific power-play specialist. He’s part of the next wave of the leadership core. Krug wants to be a Bruin long-term — he has said he’s willing to take something of a hometown discount, within reason — and the club seems to appreciate everything that he brings to the table. Yet the longer this goes without Krug’s name on a long-term extension, the closer he gets to the lure of unrestricted free agency. I wouldn’t expect him to be moved by the Feb. 24 deadline, whether he’s signed or not. But the direction they go at the deadline — if they offload salary, if they take on term beyond this year — should be something of a tell on whether the club believes it can sign Krug.

Could a roster player be on the way out? Deadline deals have usually meant that picks and/or prospects are the commodities going out the door for the buyers. Yes, the B’s did include Ryan Spooner in the Rick Nash deal a couple of years ago, but he had exhausted many chances in the B’s organization before he was moved. It wasn’t a shock when he was included in the package. While there isn’t anyone in the Spooner category this year, it wouldn’t be a huge surprise if a young roster player is included in a deal, especially if they target a player with term. Who could go? Well, Anders Bjork could attract some interest, but the feeling here is there is too much unexplored upside to Bjork’s game to move him now. Same goes for Karson Kuhlman. But how about Danton Heinen? Though I think Heinen could produce more offensively if he was able to settle into a consistent line — which was the case his rookie season — I don’t think he’ll ever be an explosive scorer. But he’s a solid, responsible NHLer and he should be for a lot of years to come. He’s a player who is helping the B’s win, but he could be the B’s most marketable piece if they’re to get a more productive, experienced player with term. 1173630 Boston Bruins Some of that will change at the NHL trade deadline, as the Bruins are expected to bring in another top-9 forward a la Marcus Johansson last season, who absolutely made a difference when he arrived in Boston.

Bruins at the Break: Secondary scoring remains an area of concern for But Johansson wasn’t enough of an impact winger to put the Bruins over the Bruins the top in the postseason. And it feels like the Bruins need a high-impact forward to come in and make their middle forward lines a little more dangerous offensively. By Joe Haggerty January 30, 2020 9:30 PM That goes above and beyond the need the Bruins have for a fourth-line forward that can bang bodies, protect his teammates and bring a little more toughness and snarl to the forward group as well. That may or may The “Bruins at the Break” is a five-part series this week with the B’s on a not get addressed at the trade deadline, but it’s absolutely a need for the bye, and will examine the first half of the regular season and how it could Black and Gold whether the roster builders acknowledge it or not. potentially impact the remaining 31 games in the second half of the year. Today we look at the team’s biggest weakness in the first half, secondary Some of the answers could come from within now that Trent Frederic is scoring. really finding his game physically and offensively at the AHL level. And Jack Studnicka is still with the P-Bruins as the top forward prospect in the Some might look at the small collection of blown three-goal leads from system. the first half as Boston’s biggest issue. But as in years past, the Bruins are top-heavy with their forward group Others might see Boston getting pushed around by bigger, stronger and scoring options headed into the final few months of the season, and teams like Washington and St. Louis as the biggest area of concern. they will need some outside help entering a stretch run where they are Or maybe it’s a fourth line that hasn’t been nearly as good this season as far too easy to stop when the B’s top line and top power play unit are they were last year and how much the absence of Noel Acciari has having a bad night. factored into that development. SportsNet.com LOADED: 01.31.2020 But those are all minor team issues to be worked out behind the problem that has dogged this team for the last couple of seasons and has never, truly, been fully addressed by the Bruins team builders.

It’s the scoring depth and sources for secondary goal-scoring on the Bruins behind the top trio of Brad Marchand, Patrice Bergeron and David Pastrnak. Those three have scored nearly 50 percent of Boston’s 169 goals scored this season in the first 51 games of the year, and will always lead the way offensively with all three forwards fully capable of scoring 30 plus goals each and every year.

But behind those three, there hasn’t been enough goal-scoring depth with just Jake DeBrusk (15) and David Krejci (12) in double-digits in the goal-scoring department. DeBrusk is on pace for 25 goals and a career- high 49 points this season, and is actually producing at a pretty good clip (albeit in a bit more streaky fashion than would be ideal).

Underscoring his importance, the Bruins are a crazy 44-5-1 when DeBrusk scores a goal during his career with the Black and Gold, and have a 6-3 record in the playoffs when DeBrusk scores as well.

Krejci is, likewise, on pace to surpass 20 goals again this season and has been as good as possible considering the revolving door he’s been playing with on his right wing again this season.

But Charlie Coyle and Danton Heinen aren’t exactly striking fear in the hearts of anybody as third line-types while both tracking to score under 15 goals this season. And 23-year-old Anders Bjork is just getting through his first full NHL season without any injury issues sidetracking him along the way.

Karson Kuhlman would be a fine 13th forward on a really good playoff caliber roster, but he is instead relied on to be a top-9 forward for the Bruins as well now that both Brett Ritchie and David Backes have been dropped on waivers.

Sean Kuraly, Joakim Nordstrom and Chris Wagner have been okay as a fourth line for the Bruins this season and have provided physicality and energy some nights. But they have combined for a rough minus-21 on the season.

Haggerty: B's biggest underachiever so far? McAvoy

The bottom line with this group is that once again, much like last season, if Nos. 37, 63 or 88 don’t score for the Bruins when the going gets tough in the playoffs, then there won’t be too many players that can provide the necessary offense.

"We win the game tonight if we get secondary scoring from anybody," lamented Bruce Cassidy after a shootout loss to Tampa Bay all the way back in October. "I think we’re stating the obvious saying that. Having said that, our record is pretty good without it, but I don’t think it’s sustainable."

It’s still not sustainable for the Bruins once they get locked up with the deeper, more talented teams during the Stanley Cup playoffs. 1173631 Boston Bruins

Tuukka Rask (concussion) slated to return for Bruins vs. Winnipeg

By Joe Haggerty January 30, 2020 5:33 PM

BRIGHTON, Mass. — There’s no such thing as good timing when it comes to an injury like a concussion, but it’s fortunate for both the Bruins and goaltender Tuukka Rask that he ended up missing just three games headed into a 10-day break with his latest head injury.

Rask was knocked out of the Jan. 14 shutout loss to the Columbus Blue Jackets when he was punched in the side of the head, and missed the next three games all started by backup Jaroslav Halak headed into NHL All-Star Weekend and this week’s team bye.

Rask made it through Thursday’s practice at Warrior Ice Arena without any issues and is slated to start Friday night’s game against the Winnipeg Jets at the DTS Center.

Bruce Cassidy stopped short of naming him the starter because he wants to see how Rask feels in Winnipeg on Friday, but short of a setback all systems are go for the No. 1 netminder to return between the pipes.

“[Thursday] was really his first high-stress practice, so barring anything [unforeseen] he’ll probably be our starter [in Winnipeg],” said Cassidy.

Rask said things were a little different this time around with motion sickness in the days following the initial injury, but any symptoms disappeared a couple of days after the injury with Rask skating again ahead of NHL All-Star Weekend. Still, Rask sat out the All-Star festivities with the injury and wasn’t subject to the one-game suspension because he was concussed headed into the break.

So instead of sitting out Friday night’s game, Rask is excited to get going after a long break that should leave both goaltenders refreshed headed into the final 31 games of the regular season.

Haggerty: Backes won't report to P-Bruins, so now what?

“I skated before [the break] and I felt good enough after two or three days to start the [concussion recovery] protocol. I skated a few times so that helped,” said Rask. “I had very bad motion sickness for the first few days. I figured it was probably because I got hit in the side of the head and it messed with my balance a little bit. But I’ve felt pretty good [since then].

“It’s kind of like last year. It’s funny that it happened almost similar [timing-wise]. They are never good, but when you have a break coming you have the time to recover. You’re not rushing yourself, so that’s a positive. You let your body heal. You let your brain heal. That’s beneficial.”

Given how good Rask has been when properly rested this season, he should be primed for a great stretch of play with a 17-4-6 record along with a 2.27 goals against average and .925 save percentage already in the books for the first half. Both Rask and Halak will need to be excellent with five sets of back-to-back games slated for the month of February in a very busy stretch of the schedule for the Black and Gold.

Both Kevan Miller and Connor Clifton skated on their own ahead of Bruins practice, so here’s the expected B’s line combos and D-pairings against the Winnipeg Jets based on Thursday’s practice:

PROJECTED LINES

Brad Marchand Patrice Bergeron David Pastrnak

Danton Heinen David Krejci Karson Kuhlman

Jake DeBrusk Charlie Coyle Anders Bjork

Joakim Nordstrom Sean Kuraly Chris Wagner

DEFENSIVE PAIRS

Zdeno Chara Charlie McAvoy

Torey Krug Brandon Carlo

Jeremy Lauzon Matt Grzelcyk

Comcast SportsNet.com LOADED: 01.31.2020 1173632 Boston Bruins the Bruins despite him sitting things out right now, but it sure feels like Backes isn’t walking back through those TD Garden doors again.

Haggerty: Bruins recall Lauzon, Kuhlman after All-Star break Bruins' David Backes won't be reporting to the AHL, so now what? Backes had just one goal and three points in 16 games along with a minus-3 rating while averaging just 8:33 of ice time this season, and he By Joe Haggerty January 30, 2020 2:46 PM wasn’t playing a particularly physical role either after suffering another concussion after a nasty collision with Scott Sabourin in November. The Bruins decided in the days following the embarrassing lack of response to Tuukka Rask getting concussed in Columbus that they needed some When Bruce Cassidy said a couple of weeks ago that David Backes competition on the NHL roster, and that meant waving goodbye to wouldn’t be reporting to Providence until after the NHL All-Star break and Backes and Brett Ritchie while calling up Karson Kuhlman and Jeremy bye week, it was the first, fleeting indication the Bruins power forward Lauzon. might not be playing in the minors after all. Backes was a former captain and All-Star level forward with the St. Louis That was confirmed on Thursday as Bruins GM Don Sweeney released a Blues, and he brought hard-nosed play and veteran leadership to a statement saying that both the team and the 35-year-old Backes were in Bruins dressing room yearning for both when he was signed to a five- agreement he wouldn’t be playing in the AHL at this point in time after year, $30 million contract. being waived a couple of weeks ago. “The situation I’m not going to comment on because I don’t know the “After speaking with David, we have agreed that it is in the best interest whole perspective of it,” said Patrice Bergeron, when asked about the of David and the Bruins for him not to play in Providence at this time,” situation with Backes. “Obviously he had a huge impact on and off the said Sweeney. “David is fit and able to play, but in order to preserve all ice. Off the ice with the way he’s handled himself as a leader, I’ve potential options for both David and the Bruins moving forward, we have learned from it. So we’ve all learned from him, we’re great friends and we decided this is the best course of action.” wish him all the best.” LIVE stream the Celtics all season and get the latest news and analysis But the $30 million contract handed out to Backes will be long on all of your teams from NBC Sports Boston by downloading the My remembered as the worst contract for Sweeney since he took over as Teams App. GM of the Bruins. It’s no stretch to call it a hindrance to the Black and So to sum up, Backes will keep getting paid by the Bruins on the $6 Gold over the last few seasons as an aging Backes has lost any million a year contract he signed in 2016, he will not be playing for the P- effectiveness at the NHL level, and one can only wonder how things Bruins for the foreseeable future despite being fully healthy, he won’t be might have been different last June if the Bruins had one more impact retiring and he won’t be suspended by the team either. At first blush it forward in their lineup while Backes was serving as a healthy scratch for would appear Backes out-and-out refused to play in the AHL and the the last three games of the Stanley Cup Final. Bruins are giving him some space without consequences after waiving None of this is Backes’ fault, of course, and he played and practiced like him for ineffective play. a true professional during his time in Boston. But that doesn’t seem to be what’s going on here. Thursday’s announcement from Sweeney just adds another odd chapter Instead it feels like the Bruins are perfectly fine with Backes not playing, to a Backes stint in Boston that was pretty much doomed as soon as he and don’t want to take the chance he might suffer an injury that would signed with them as a 32-year-old unrestricted free agent. prevent him from getting dealt ahead of next month’s trade deadline. Comcast SportsNet.com LOADED: 01.31.2020 Surely the Bruins would have to eat half his remaining contract in order to move him, and there would need to be something headed in the other direction to sweeten the deal.

Haggerty: B's biggest strength? A line that's pure Perfection

But there are some NHL teams that are already on record with a willingness to take on extra salary in the short term this season. One of these teams is the Anaheim Ducks with roughly $3.6 million in open cap space, and players like solid right winger Ondrej Kase and rugged D-man Josh Manson who would fit big-time needs for the Boston Bruins.

Clearly any deal involving Backes, Kase and/or Manson would also require significant assets moving to Anaheim from the Bruins, and it’s still up in the air what Boston would be offering aside from their own first round pick.

That would be the premium cost for the Ducks taking Backes’ money off their hands. But an expanded trade would clearly be more than B-level prospects from Providence given both what Boston would be sending and what would be coming back in return.

It’s been no secret that Anaheim has scouted the Bruins pretty closely in recent months leading up to the deadline, and vice-versa with Bruins Director of Player Development Jamie Langenbrunner spotted scouting a Kings/Ducks game in early December.

Real Talk: Anaheim is a franchise currently going nowhere and the Ducks certainly could be in the market for some of Boston’s younger players deemed expendable, and supporting players like Kase and Manson would be much better served on a contending team like Boston.

So a fairly big deal between the two franchises would make sense on multiple levels.

If things don’t work out and Backes isn’t dealt by the trade deadline, though, then perhaps at that point he would report to the AHL and begin playing for the P-Bruins. Perhaps he’d even be a hand on deck in the playoffs if the Bruins needed veteran forward depth as they did a few times in last year’s postseason. It’s not a lock that his days are done with 1173633 Boston Bruins

With bye week over, Bruins recall Jeremy Lauzon, Karson Kuhlman

By Joe Haggerty January 30, 2020 10:41 AM

The Bruins will finally get back to work on Thursday morning with a team practice at Warrior Ice Arena ahead of two-game road trip, and following a 10-day break for NHL All-Star Weekend and the team’s bye week during the regular season.

With the season now back in session, the Bruins have recalled winger Karson Kuhlman and defenseman Jeremy Lauzon back up from Providence ahead of the two-game road swing through Winnipeg and Minnesota.

Both young players were sent down to the AHL during the break to stay sharp once the season resumed and now both will be back on the B’s roster after playing well ahead of All-Star Weekend.

LIVE stream the Celtics all season and get the latest news and analysis on all of your teams from NBC Sports Boston by downloading the My Teams App.

Kuhlman had three assists in three games after returning from the minors following the waiving of Brett Ritchie and David Backes, and Lauzon made an impact in the final game ahead of the break while scoring a goal in the 3-2 win over the Golden Knights. Kuhlman has brought speed and playmaking to the top-9 rather than the brawn of the players he replaced on the roster, and Lauzon brings some of the ruggedness and size/strength on the back end that the Bruins have been missing this season with Kevan Miller out of the lineup.

One player who wasn’t recalled from Providence was Dan Vladar, a clear sign that Tuukka Rask is fully recovered from the concussion he suffered in Columbus that knocked him out of the final few games ahead of the extended break for the Black and Gold.

It’s expected that the long respite will leave the Bruins as close to full health as they have been since very early in the season, and should energize a bunch that looked like they needed a break while posting a middling 9-7-7 record since Dec. 5.

Despite treading water for the last six weeks, the Bruins still hold a five- point lead in the Atlantic Division and have their destiny in their own hands headed into the final 31-game sprint remaining in the regular season.

Comcast SportsNet.com LOADED: 01.31.2020 1173634 Boston Bruins

David Backes will not play for Providence, leaving him, and Bruins, in limbo

By Fluto Shinzawa Jan 30, 2020

One thing is certain: David Backes will not play for Providence.

The rest is unknown.

Backes, waived on Jan. 17, remains in NHL limbo. According to a statement from the Bruins on Thursday, the two sides have mutually concluded that AHL Providence will not be Backes’ next stop. As such, Backes is not in violation of his contract and is not under suspension.

“After speaking with David, we have agreed that it is in the best interest of David and the Bruins for him not to play in Providence at this time,” general manager Don Sweeney said in the statement. “David is fit and able to play, but in order to preserve all potential options for both David and the Bruins moving forward, we have decided this is the best course of action.”

Backes’ contract (five years, $30 million) expires following the 2020-21 season. For now, he will continue to earn the full value of his one-way deal. The Bruins are responsible for carrying Backes’ full cap hit. Had the Bruins assigned Backes to Providence, they could have saved $1.075 million, pro-rated for the remainder of the season.

That the Bruins have not forced Backes to report to Providence may indicate the possibility of dealing the 35-year-old. In such an instance, the Bruins would have to bundle Backes’ contract with an asset to a team that can absorb the pro-rated remainder of his $6 million average annual value.

Last year, Carolina set the threshold by acquiring a first-rounder and seventh-rounder in 2020 from Toronto in exchange for Patrick Marleau, who had one year remaining on his deal. Carolina bought out the remainder of Marleau’s contract. The veteran signed with San Jose.

Until a deal can be made, it looks like Backes will be in a holding pattern. His stall at Warrior Ice Arena remains in place. According to Bruce Cassidy, Backes spent the break in Florida with his family. To Cassidy’s knowledge, Backes has since returned to his in-season home in suburban Boston.

“I wasn’t involved in the conversations, the last ones, with David and Donny,” Cassidy said. “I was just told he’s not going to Providence. He’s not on the roster here and he’s not going to Providence. That’s where he is. Right now, typically we focus on the guys that are here and get ready to go. We’ve got 23 healthy guys. (Tuukka Rask’s) looking great. Guys came back from break looking great.”

The Athletic LOADED: 01.31.2020 1173635 Boston Bruins themselves,” Essensa said. “We learned several years ago that there was a cutoff point for Tuukks. A couple of those years, he played 65-70 games. Too many. Probably too many for anybody.”

Excellence. Consistency. Why Tuukka Rask could win a second Vezina 2. Crease chemistry Trophy this season Rask is easygoing. Halak is intense. Their disparate personalities, however, have blended well to form perhaps the best 1-2 pairing in the By Fluto Shinzawa Jan 30, 2020 league.

Halak is unrestricted at year’s end. This could be the veteran’s final contract. Whether Halak, 35, can land a multi-year deal is unknown. It The most commonly used metric for assessing goalies, their all-situations could benefit both sides to agree on a one-year extension. save percentage, contains limitations on illustrating a goalie’s play. It includes the volatility of special teams, where goalies stare down high- “We’re lucky we have a great complement in Jaro,” Essensa said. “Why percentage shots on the power play and penalty kill. not ride them both as long we can, as long as they’re both playing good?”

But applied over time, save percentage can still serve as a roadmap to a 3. Excellent defense goalie’s destination. And for a time, the statistic showed that Tuukka The Bruins are allowing 2.51 goals per game, second-fewest in the Rask was sliding down a slippery slope from the peak of very good to the league. According to Evolving Hockey, they are expected to give up 2.01 valley of average. goals per 60 minutes of five-on-five play, also the NHL’s second-stingiest In four seasons from 2015 to 2019, Rask finished with the following all- standard. situations save percentages: .915, .915, .917, .912. They were The Bruins, in other words, do not require Rask to steal results. Playing pedestrian performances compared with the .930 standard he set in behind an airtight defense can allow goalies to shine. 2013-14, the year he won the Vezina Trophy. “As the season’s gone on, we might be giving up a certain number of Rask is climbing back skyward. chances each game. But I don’t think we’re giving up high quality, which Through 28 games this season, Rask owns a .925 save percentage. is obviously good,” Essensa said. “When we give up those, our guys Among goalies with 25 or more appearances, only three have played have been good. They’ve been dialed in.” better by this metric: Tristan Jarry (.929), Darcy Kuemper (.929) and Ben 4. Evolution of technique Bishop (.927). Rask’s natural tendency is to slide, drop into reverse vertical-horizontal Rask’s numbers shine even more during five-on-five play, where he and express his speed. claims a .939 save percentage, tops among goalies with 1,000 or more minutes. According to Natural Stat Trick, Rask has saved a league- Over time, with input from Essensa, Rask has incorporated more standup leading 12.48 goals above average. Rask’s high-danger save percentage stuff into his game. Rask does not hold his edges as much as Halak, but is an NHL-best .884. he’s settled on a blend of both.

The latter statistic loosely corresponds with one that Bob Essensa tracks “Everybody’s trying to hold their edges a little bit more than maybe they closely: save percentage on scoring chances. The Bruins goaltending did a few years ago,” Essensa said of the positional trend. “Because the coach believes that anything .830 or better leads to trophies — the three game’s getting quicker and quicker. You have to be able to get over there Vezinas that Rask (2013-14) and Tim Thomas (2008-09, 2010-11) won under control. Once you start sliding around, these guys are going to on Essensa’s watch. take advantage of you. It’s something we’re trying to stay conscious of. There’s going to be times when they go dot to dot where you’re not going “Timmy, when he won his, he was probably 84-plus,” Essensa recalled to feel comfortable trying to stay on your feet. We give our guys leeway on Jan. 13, one day before Rask was injured against Columbus. to get off it as long as their crease containment remains decent. Jaro’s “Tuukka, when he won his, he was probably in the same ballpark. Both been probably ahead of the curve of that for years. Tuukks, a little bit (Rask and netmate Jaroslav Halak) are both in that same area right now differently.” too, which is great.” 5. Accumulation of experience One of hockey’s great debates is how to quantify a scoring chance. Essensa’s definition may not concur with those of others. Rask has seen a lot. He supported Thomas during the 2011 Stanley Cup run. He lost to Chicago in the 2013 final. Last year, Rask was one win And Rask’s timeshare with Halak may prompt some voters to move him away from taking home the Conn Smythe. further down their Vezina ballots. Since Rask’s win in 2013-14, no Vezina-winning goalie has appeared in fewer than 53 games. Rask has He has appeared in 612 regular-season and postseason games. only 28 appearances so far. Assuming he returns after his team’s break this week, he is on pace for 45. That could be an issue. “A lot of guys don’t start playing well until their 30s,” Essensa said. “They get that experience. They get that game feel. They read pucks off sticks What cannot be argued is the excellence and consistency with which the as well as you possibly can. Hopefully the best is still yet to come with 32-year-old Rask has played all year. Here are five reasons Rask is Tuukks. But we certainly like the way he’s trended the last couple years.” chasing his second career Vezina: The Athletic LOADED: 01.31.2020 1. Reasonable workload

In 2014-15, Rask made 70 appearances. He totaled 4,063 minutes. Both were career highs. The Bruins had no choice but to ride their ace.

Claude Julien, then the coach, had little faith in Niklas Svedberg (.918 save percentage in 18 appearances). Malcolm Subban, who let in three goals in his only appearance, was not ready for the NHL.

Things didn’t really improve over the next two seasons. In 2015-16, the Bruins signed Jonas Gustavsson as Rask’s backup. In 2016-17, Anton Khudobin, Zane McIntyre and Subban shared No. 2 duties.

The position stabilized in 2017-18, the second season of Khudobin’s two- year deal. It’s been even better the past two seasons because of the partnership Rask has formed with Halak. In 2018-19, Rask made 46 appearances. He is in line to hit that number again this year.

“I’m hopeful and the team’s hopeful that the blueprint we’ve laid out is going to allow both guys to stay fresh, stay confident and feel good about 1173636 Buffalo Sabres Goaltending was the story line entering the game because Linus Ullmark sustained a lower-body that will keep him out three to four weeks. Hutton, though, stopped 27 of 29 shots while making only his fourth start since Sabres follow fast start with 'flat' second period, drop to sixth in Atlantic Dec. 1. The 34-year-old's save on Gallagher during a late third-period breakaway kept the deficit within one.

For the second time in as many games, Krueger pulled the goalie for an By Lance Lysowski Published Thu, Jan 30, 2020 extra attacker with just over two minutes remaining, only to have the opponent score on an empty net. A desperate lunge at the puck sent

Eichel on a collision course for the net, but Tomas Tatar managed to get After an act of desperation sent him crashing into the empty net, Jack the puck across the goal line for a 3-1 lead with 1:47 remaining. Eichel picked his stick off the ice and swung at the post. Eichel, one of a number of Sabres who have experienced the anguish of The blossoming hope of a new season has wilted into an ugly, familiar past seasons, reacted by breaking his stick. He has credited Krueger reality for the Buffalo Sabres. As the Montreal Canadiens celebrated a 3- with changing the mindset within the dressing room and expressed hope 1 win on Thursday night, Eichel sat on the bench in KeyBank Center, that this season would be different, but Buffalo is running out of shaking his head in an expression of disbelief. opportunities to snap the longest playoff drought in the National Hockey League. Another game, another missed opportunity. The Sabres (22-22-7) dropped to sixth in the Atlantic Division, two points behind the "Not desperate enough," McCabe said. "Not nearly desperate enough Canadiens, and remain 10 points out of a playoff spot with 31 games and that's kind of been the message in the room, especially after today is remaining. Again, Buffalo endured the same issues that have haunted it guys got to understand the position we're in and we do like to keep the in the Eichel era: a lack of secondary scoring and long bouts with picture small, but the last two games -- we've been good on home ice -- inconsistency. but we've let ourselves down here and nobody's going to feel bad for us."

An effort that coach Ralph Krueger described as "flat" resembled many of Buffalo News LOADED: 01.31.2020 the losses the Sabres incurred during their historic collapse under Phil Housley last season. All involved on the home side Thursday night could not pinpoint the cause, however, Jake McCabe, an alternate captain, theorized one potential solution for avoiding a slide.

"To be honest, tune you guys out," McCabe said bluntly. "To be honest honest with you, tune you guys out. Tune the negativity out because we’ve got a lot of good guys in here and a group that really is focused. Tune the negativity out and focus on the positives, focus on the small picture. Tomorrow is a new day. We’re going to come back to work. Saturday is a big game for us."

Moments earlier, McCabe acknowledged the Sabres lost their confidence after allowing two goals in a span of 2:16 in the second period. Ilya Kovalchuk retrieved a loose puck near the slot, collected his own blocked shot and lifted the puck over the glove of an unsuspecting Carter Hutton to tie the score.

Buffalo responded with an ugly defensive mishap, leaving Brendan Gallagher wide open in front of the net. Gallagher, who entered Thursday with 15 goals in 41 games, scored on Hutton with a backhanded shot off his own rebound for a 2-1 lead at 3:05 into the second period.

The Sabres were outshot 30-12 after recording the first nine shots on goal of the game. Much like its 5-2 loss to Ottawa on Tuesday, Buffalo was unable to sustain pressure in the offensive zone. Its inability to generate scoring chances caused Krueger to reunite Eichel and Sam Reinhart with Jeff Skinner in the third period, though the experiment resulted in only one shot on goal between the three.

"We really have to find it in the room," Sabres forward Curtis Lazar said. "We’ve proven before this season we have it in us. We are a good hockey team, but it’s a matter of translating it on the ice."

The start was everything Krueger envisioned. The Sabres peppered Carey Price with nine shots in the first nine minutes, not including Skinner's wrister off the crossbar during a 2 on 1 with Michael Frolik. Price also made two saves on high-danger chances by Eichel, who failed to record a shot on goal in the game's final 40 minutes.

Eichel, though, scored his 30th goal on the season with a sharp wrist shot over Price's glove on the power play at 7:11 into the game. Rasmus Dahlin passed the puck over to Eichel in the left circle, and the captain took a few strides toward the net before releasing the shot for a 1-0 lead.

The Sabres had only three shots on goal in three power plays, one of which occurred late in the third period. Losing Kyle Okposo to an upper- body injury forced Krueger to shuffle his forward lines, and the resulting changes produced no significant chances by secondary forwards.

"It’s difficult to understand, really," Krueger said. "We came out of the gate as we had hoped for, as far as we had a lot of movement, very confident on the puck. Lots of support and probably didn’t create as much offensively as we would have liked to from all that control. We had a couple opportunities where we needed to get the 2-0 lead. ... It’s extremely disappointing where we’re standing right now." 1173637 Buffalo Sabres

Sabres lose Kyle Okposo to upper-body injury in loss to Montreal

By Lance Lysowski Published Thu, Jan 30, 2020

The Sabres will likely be without another forward when they host the Columbus Blue Jackets in KeyBank Arena on Saturday afternoon.

Winger Kyle Okposo is not expected to play Saturday against Columbus after sustaining an upper-body injury in the first period of a 3-1 loss to the Montreal Canadiens on Thursday night. Okposo, 31, was unable to return to the game after playing just 3:47 over five shifts.

Coach Ralph Krueger told the media afterward that Okposo did not sustain a concussion, but the veteran forward will be evaluated Friday.

Okposo has five goals among 12 points with a minus-3 rating in 40 games this season. He has missed 11 games this season, 10 of which came after he suffered a concussion Nov. 16 against the Ottawa Senators in Buffalo.

The Sabres are already without Victor Olofsson (lower body), Tage Thompson (shoulder), Vladimir Sobotka (knee) and goalie Linus Ullmark (lower body). Jean-Sebastien Dea, Rasmus Asplund and Casey Mittelstadt are among the forward options in Rochester.

Buffalo News LOADED: 01.31.2020 1173638 Buffalo Sabres * I don't get how nobody will admit to the big picture. You know, the one that has them 10 points out of the playoffs and looking about 98 percent certain to miss the postseason for the ninth straight year.

Yet again, Sabres just leave you scratching your head * I don't get why the Sabres didn't sign when their injury run started and he was was probably willing to come for a low cap number -- but then traded for Michael Frolik and his $4.3 million deal. By Mike Harrington * I don't get what they're going to do with Sam Reinhart. Do you want to pay $6-7 million a season for multiple years? I don't.

I don't get it. * I don't get why "D.J. Milk" is still around to scream through the intermissions. It sure is one big party downtown, isn't it? It's basically what the reaction can be about almost everything surrounding the Sabres these days. * I don't get why I see beautiful renovated buildings also built in the 90s like the ones in Philadelphia, St. Louis, Nashville, Washington and * I don't get how a team desperate for a win can get 10 shots on goal in Chicago, and KeyBank Center looks so shabby with no changes in sight. the last two periods of a game against a team that was giving up nearly I guess ownership only cares about its football stadium. 32 per game. That's how you end up with a 3-1 loss to a Montreal team that hit KeyBank Center in the same dire hole with 51 points and 10 out *I don't get how this franchise allows so many of its tickets on the resale of a playoff spot. market through brokers, thus allowing large swaths of the 100 level to be filled with red-clad Habs jerseys. * I don't get how Jack Eichel is having the season of his life -- perhaps becoming a 50-goal, 100-point man -- and the Sabres are going to let it (That tickets-sold count of 16,604 was nearly 2,500 shy of capacity. The waste away into nothing. bean counters darn well are noticing that).

* I don't get how Evan Rodrigues, he of no goals against any NHL team * I don't get how the entire organization isn't embarrassed to its core this year other than pathetic Detroit, can possibly be on Eichel's line. when its building is full of red jerseys and that "Ole Ole Ole" song from Habs fans is reverberating through the place in the final minute. * I don't get how Ralph Krueger can say on Jan. 1 that "We will work with the players that really want to be here, and quite clearly, play the players At this point, the confusion is so high that my head hurts. And, that want to be here" and then on Jan. 30 have Rodrigues on the top line. remember, I don't pay to watch this.

* I don't get how Jason Botterill, if he's pushing Krueger to do that, can Buffalo News LOADED: 01.31.2020 justify such a move. Or if he's not, how he's not knocking on his coach's door and telling Krueger to knock it off.

* I don't get what Rodrigues is doing there and Jeff Skinner isn't. Skinner finally got there in the third period, about two months too late.

* I don't get how Carter Hutton can lose 12 straight games. He's not an NHL starter but he's not hot garbage in the crease either. The guy works hard. Some games in this run have been his fault. Others have not. No problem with Hutton Thursday. They scored one goal for him.

* I don't get how the defense goes haywire with Hutton in net. Zemgus Girgensons and Brandon Montour let Brendan Gallagher skate in alone from the blue line. Gallagher had so much time with the puck alone in front of Hutton he could have counted all the red jerseys in the crowd before deking Hutton down and scoring the winning goal. They don't make those plays with Linus Ullmark back there. It's weird.

* I don't get how the Sabres can ice a power play that includes Rodrigues and Conor Sheary playing together.

* I don't get what the Sabres have done to Colin Miller, who seems like a poster child for "everything that happens in Vegas stays in Vegas" -- which apparently includes quality work on an NHL blue line.

* I don't get how the Sabres ever thought they have too many good defensemen.

* I don't get how Jake McCabe can say one problem with this club is the big bad media. We've seen this kind of collapse before. So how, I asked, does this team snap out of yet another rut?

McCabe: "To be honest, tune you guys out. Tune the negativity out. We've got a lot of good guys in here, a group that's really focused. Just tune the negativity out. Just focus on the positive. Focus on the small picture."

Ooooooook.

* I don't get how McCabe or anyone else didn't hear all those boos at the end of the second period -- after the Habs outshot Buffalo, 14-3. Didn't hear any boos in the press box.

* I don't get how the Sabres are so fragile that they can fall apart when they give up a couple goals like they did early in the second period.

"That hit us hard, the 1-2 punch in the second period," Krueger said. "All of us felt that, the whole building did."

Toughen up, buttercups. 1173639 Buffalo Sabres Return: Former Sabres defenseman Marco Scandella returned to KeyBank Center for the first time since he was traded to the Canadiens on Jan. 2. Scandella waved to the crowd when he was welcomed back The Wraparound: Canadiens 3, Sabres 1 with a message on the video board.

Next: The Sabres are scheduled to practice Friday in preparation for their game Saturday against the Columbus Blue Jackets in KeyBank Center. By Lance Lysowski Puck drop is 1 p.m.

Buffalo News LOADED: 01.31.2020 The start was everything Ralph Krueger could have wanted. The Sabres had each of the first nine shots on goal and took the early lead on a wrist shot by Jack Eichel.

The final 50 minutes of the game were the issue Thursday night.

Buffalo allowed two goals in a span of 2:16 in the second period and never recovered in a 3-1 loss to the Montreal Canadiens in KeyBank Center.

The Sabres (22-22-7) fell further out of the playoff race and lost each of their first two home games out of the All-Star break. With Linus Ullmark out three to four weeks, Carter Hutton received his fourth start since Dec. 1. Hutton made 26 saves, including 12 in the second period.

Ilya Kovalchuk, Brendan Gallagher and Tomas Tatar scored for Montreal (23-22-7), which has won five of its last seven games. Tatar's empty-net goal with 1:47 remaining helped the Canadiens pull away for the win. Buffalo finished with 21 shots on goal after having the first nine of the game.

Milestones: Eichel was the best player on the ice in the first period, totaling three shots on goal in 6:01 of ice time. He drew the tripping penalty that gave Buffalo its first power play and capitalized by corralling a pass from Rasmus Dahlin, taking a few strides toward the net in the left-wing circle and rifling a wrist shot short side for a 1-0 lead at 6:49.

Eichel became the first Sabres player to record at least 30 goals and 30 assists in a season since Jason Pominville in 2011-12. Eichel also scored his 30th goal in his 50th game this season, matching Gilbert Perreault’s personal best for fewest games needed to get to 30 goals and 30 assists (1974-75).

Only four Sabres have scored 30 goals with 30 assists in fewer than 50 games: Pat LaFontaine, Rick Martin, Alexander Mogilny and Rene Robert. Additionally, with his primary assist on Eichel's goal, Rasmus Dahlin surpassed Bobby Orr for the fourth-most points (73) by a teenage defenseman in NHL history.

Drought: In addition to scoring first, the Sabres had a stronger start to the game compared to Tuesday night against Ottawa. The Canadiens did not have their first shot on goal until 9:37 remaining in the period, and the majority of Montreal's scoring chances came on deflected shots.

Buffalo, meanwhile, had eight different players with at least one shot on goal. Jeff Skinner hit the crossbar during a 2-on-1, and Eichel had two shots from the slot stopped by Carey Price.

Injury: Kyle Okposo did not return to the game after suffering an undisclosed injury in the first period. Okposo won one faceoff and recorded zero shots on goal in 3:47 of ice time.

2:16: The Canadiens needed only two minutes, 16 seconds to take a 2-1 lead in the second period. Montreal tied the score, 1-1, when Kovalchuk retrieved a loose puck near the slot, collected his own rebound that was blocked and shot far side with Hutton up against the right goal post. The second goal occurred on a centering pass by Tomas Tatar with Gallagher left uncovered in front of the net.

Gallagher collected his own rebound and finished with a backhanded shot over a sprawling Hutton to make it 2-1 at 3:05.

Flat: The Sabres were outshot, 22-5, over a 29-minute span from the latter portion of the first period through the second. Their best opportunity in the second period was foiled by Conor Sheary missing the net during a 2-on-1 with Curtis Lazar. The Sabres entered Thursday with a 1-15-2 record when trailing after two periods.

Line change: After being scratched in six of the team's previous 10 games, Evan Rodrigues started the game on a forward line with Eichel and Sam Reinhart. Defensemen Lawrence Pilut and Zach Bogosian were Buffalo's healthy scratches, and Jonas Johansson served as the backup goalie. 1173640 Buffalo Sabres The Amerks (24-13-6) are second in the AHL's North Division, four points behind the first-place Belleville Senators. Casey Mittelstadt likely will have the opportunity to be an important part of a playoff push. The 21- Marco Scandella returns to Buffalo amid 'amazing' experience with year-old center has five goals among 10 points in 17 games since joining Canadiens the Amerks.

"I’ve said it before, I believe that Casey can play in the National Hockey League right now," General Manager Jason Botterill said Tuesday. "But By Lance Lysowski Published Thu, Jan 30, 2020|Updated Thu, Jan 30, we want him to not just survive, we want him to excel. We have high 2020 expectations for Casey, and Casey does for himself, too. What we’ve really liked about his attitude in Rochester is he’s being very proactive in

what he needs to work on with the coaching staff, his new teammates Marco Scandella beamed inside the KeyBank Center visitors' dressing there. Overall, it’s been a good experience for him." room Thursday morning as he described the pride with which he wears a Prospect watch Montreal Canadiens jersey. Forward Arttu Ruotsalainen, a 22-year-old Sabres prospect, has 12 goals Scandella did not express displeasure with his time in Buffalo and spoke among 31 points in 30 games with Ilves of Liiga, Finland's top glowingly of his former teammates, adding that a Sabres breakthrough is professional league. Ruotsalainen was with the Sabres in training camp "inevitable." However, the 29-year-old defenseman always envisioned after signing a three-year contract with the team in May. wearing Canadiens red, white and blue. Sabres prospect Matej Pekar, a 19-year-old forward, has three goals Scandella's dream became a reality Jan. 2, when he was traded by the among 14 points in eight games since joining Sudbury of the Ontario Sabres to the Canadiens for a fourth-round draft pick. Two nights after Hockey League. Meanwhile, Dylan Cozens has 28 goals among 59 walking out of KeyBank Center, Scandella was playing in front of an points in 35 games for the Lethbridge Hurricanes, who have the fifth- announced crowd of 21,302 inside . most points in the 22-team . "Surreal," Scandella said. "I felt like a lot of emotions in that building." Buffalo News LOADED: 01.31.2020 Scandella's return to Buffalo might be a footnote in a critical Atlantic Division matchup between Montreal and the Sabres. After all, the Sabres missed the playoffs during his two-plus seasons in Buffalo, and he struggled with injuries and ineffectiveness in 2018-19. The reunion comes at an interesting time, though.

The Sabres had one of their worst defensive games of the season in a 5- 2 loss Tuesday against Ottawa and Buffalo needs a win over Montreal. Scandella's return also has some meaning to his former teammates.

Scandella became a beloved figure inside the Sabres' dressing room. He was a stabilizing force on defense during his 31 games with Buffalo this season, serving as a mentor to Henri Jokiharju and often providing an example of how coach Ralph Krueger wanted the Sabres to perform in the defensive zone.

"There’s a lot of talent in that locker room," Scandella said of the Sabres. "Great coaching. I feel like it’s inevitable it’s going to happen soon. I wish them the best moving forward."

Scandella's bounce-back in Buffalo made him coveted on the trade market. He had three goals among nine points with a plus-9 rating while averaging 16:36 of ice time. The timing of the trade was somewhat unexpected.

Scandella arrived to KeyBank Center for a game against the Edmonton Oilers, only to be told he was traded to his hometown team. While he mentally prepared for a midseason move, Scandella was still surprised. He left the arena, packed his belongings and made the six-hour drive to the city in which he spends his offseasons.

"Growing up watching the Canadiens, just being a part of this franchise is huge," Scandella said. "It’s amazing. Being home, being able to see my mom weekly. Going for dinner there. It’s just great."

Scandella's stay in Montreal might be short. He could be among the Canadiens traded before the deadline because he's a pending unrestricted free agent. Montreal was 10 points out of a playoff spot entering Thursday.

Scandella has been a reliable presence on the blue line for Montreal. Entering Thursday, he had one assist with a minus-2 rating while averaging 19:15 of ice time over his 10 games.

"He’s an experienced defenseman," Canadiens coach Claude Julien said. "He’s a guy that, for the most part, is known for his defensive stability. He’s got a good shot, offensively, good first pass. For us, it was about stabilizing the defensive part of our game. We needed some depth there. ... We needed somebody that was capable of maybe stabilizing the other part of our game, and he’s done that."

Amerks back from break

The Rochester Americans returned to practice Thursday in preparation for their first game out of the All-Star break, a Friday night faceoff against the Syracuse Crunch in Blue Cross Arena. 1173641 Buffalo Sabres Sheary-Larsson-Rodrigues

Vesey-Lazar-Okposo

Sabres game day: It's Carter Hutton vs. the Habs Pilut-Bogosian

Dahlin-Montour/Miller

By Mike Harrington Published Thu, Jan 30, 2020|Updated Thu, Jan 30, McCabe-Jokiharju 2020 Ristolainen isn’t practicing.

— Lance Lysowski (@LLysowski) January 29, 2020 Carter Hutton is a popular figure in the Sabres dressing room with his coaches and teammates. He's a go-to guy for the media and is one of Off the start: The Sabres didn't have a shot on goal in the first eight those glib players who you could easily see analyzing the game on minutes Tuesday against Ottawa. They have a minus-11 goal differential television when his career is over. in the first period this season while the Habs are plus-6. Buffalo has to get off to a better start. And much as his team needs a win tonight against the Montreal Canadiens in KeyBank Center, Hutton probably needs one even more. "There's no question we knew it would be questionable how we would perform in Game 1 coming out of the break," Krueger said. "I've learned He's lost 11 straight starts (0-7-4) and hasn't won one since nine days a lot also my first time through that process but we're back at it. before Halloween. With injured Linus Ullmark now out for three to four Yesterday, you could feel it already in practice. The meetings today. weeks, the Sabres have to be close to turning the crease over to rookie Everybody is back in the routine and we feel poised for a good game and AHL All-Star Jonas Johansson if the 34-year-old Hutton can't find a here tonight." way to beat the Habs tonight. "We got outplayed the last game," Okposo said of the disaster against "We all know it's been a tough stretch and nobody knows that more than the Senators. "Maybe it helped them playing the night before coming off him," winger Kyle Okposo said today. "You guys have been around him the break and they were able to get into their game. We're going to be too and know what kind of person that he is. He works extremely hard, better prepared physically for this game tonight and we know with takes a lot of pride in his craft. We want to get him rolling, get him a win. Montreal here it's going to be a good building and a fun crowd." We still feel he's a big part of our team, a huge personality. Hot against Habs: The Sabres have won three straight home games "The thing about 'Huts' is that his personality has never changed. We against Montreal and are going for their first four-game run downtown know it's been extremely hard for him mentally but that outward since taking seven in a row from Dec. 26, 2001-March 24, 2004. appearance and the way he interacts with the guys and the group hasn't Montreal will get Brendan Gallagher (15-17-32) back after he sat six changed. That speaks volumes who Carter Hutton is as a person." games with a concussion but coach Claude Julien said the rest of the lineup is uncertain with some players struggling with the flu. Hutton has a 4.22 goals-against average and .867 save percentage in these 11 decisions. He's given up four our more goals in seven of the last Return of Scandella: Former Sabres defenseman Marco Scandella plays eight. his first game in KeyBank Center since he was traded to the Canadiens on Jan. 2. Scandella got his first point with the Habs, an assist, during "We've had some off nights in front of him the last couple of times and Monday's 4-2 loss to Washington. He is minus-2 in 10 games with his I've felt bad about that," coach Ralph Krueger said today. "I believe it's hometown team and has played more than 18 minutes in seven of them. now just a very small picture here about today. He's worked really hard in the last while. (Goalie coach) Mike Bales has worked specifically with him "He's a good dude, a lot of fun," Hutton said today. "He's usually a lot of off-ice, on-ice everywhere and we're optimistic he's ready for this energy on the bench, has a lot of funny things to say during a game. I challenge." think some of the boys might be using his lines tonight when he's out there. It will be weird lining up against him." Carter Hutton to 'carry the ball' for Sabres with Linus Ullmark out 3 to 4 weeks Buffalo News LOADED: 01.31.2020

The standings: The teams are tied with 51 points. The Sabres are 22-21- 7, Montreal is 22-22-7. They're tied for fifth in both the Atlantic Division and wild-card races, 10 points out in each.

The other net: Veteran Carey Price starts for the Habs carrying very unlike-Carey Price numbers (20-17-4, 2.85/.909). In his career against the Sabres, he's 17-12-9 but has strong numbers (2.10/.930).

The Captain's Corner: Jack Eichel has 29 goals, 34 assists and 63 points this season, tied with South Buffalo's Patrick Kane for eighth place on the NHL scoring list. Eichel has a point in 28 of his last 31 games, a stretch that dates to his four-goal game Nov. 16 against Ottawa. Eichel has 44 points in that run (21-23) – and that's third in the NHL since that date behind New York's Artemi Panarin (18-29-47) and Colorado's Nathan MacKinnon (19-27-46). MacKinnon and the Avalanche will be here Tuesday night.

The 30-30 club: Eichel set a career high with his 29th goal of the season Tuesday. When he gets No. 30, he will become the first Sabre with 30 goals and 30 assists since Jason Pominville in 2011-12 (30-43-73). Tonight is Eichel's 50th game of the season and a goal would match Hockey Hall of Famer Gilbert Perreault's fastest 30-30 mark of his career (1974-75). Only four Sabres (Pat LaFontaine, Rick Martin, Alexander Mogilny and Rene Robert) have gone 30-30 in fewer than 50 games.

The lineup: As usual, Krueger said the Sabres will skate with 12 forwards and seven defensemen in warmup and then make their lineup decision. Zach Bogosian is expected to remain as a healthy scratch.

Sabres’ lines/pairings at practice:

Girgensons-Eichel-Reinhart

Skinner-Johansson-Frolik 1173642 Buffalo Sabres actual attendance. Seats are routinely empty and so are luxury boxes, including during Thursday’s visit by the Canadiens.

MAN, IT’S A GOOD THING ALL THESE HABS FANS SHOWED UP. The Sabres are a broken organization, and one fan’s radio rant has given OTHERWISE, WE’D BE ABLE TO COUNT THE CROWD. a voice to everyone who is sick of it PIC.TWITTER.COM/WND5QKSYL6

— JOHN VOGL (@BUFFALOVOGL) JANUARY 31, 2020

By John Vogl Jan 30, 2020 This was supposed to be a year of celebration, a time to reflect on 50 years of NHL hockey. Then the losses started and were joined by dubious decisions that included not enough anniversary jerseys to meet BUFFALO, N.Y. — A day after his radio rant that rallied a fan base and demand, fake sweaters on alumni, misspelled last names of team annoyed an organization, Duane Alan Steinel was still going strong. legends and no 1990s jerseys on 1990s night.

“We were called Hockey Heaven a decade ago,” the Buffalo Sabres fan “I can’t imagine they’re ignorant to it,” Steinel said of the Pegulas. said Thursday night. “I’m not going to say it, but what are we now? It’s “They’re very smart people and we owe them so much. We really, really garbage. It’s garbage.” do, and I don’t want that to get lost in all of this. Like we really do owe the Pegulas so much, but at the end of the day they work for us. They work As Steinel paced between Sections 106 and 107 in KeyBank Center and for me. They work for all these people. talked passionately about the team he’s loved his whole life, it disappointed him again with a boring 3-1 loss to Montreal. But even a “What’s going on? What the hell is going on? Answer the concerns. Just thrilling victory wouldn’t have changed things. The Sabres are a broken come out with a statement and say, ‘Hey, we screwed up.’ That would go organization, and Steinel has given a loud, honest voice to everyone who so much further than not saying anything because at least you said is sick of it. something. Don’t just hide as an organization with what’s going on.”

“It’s not even just about the product on the ice,” the 32-year-old said of As Steinel finished the sentence, Sabres defensemen Rasmus the Sabres, who will likely miss the playoffs for the ninth straight season. Ristolainen got into a scrum with three Canadiens. “I can wrap my head around being in cap hell and needing another year for free agency to open up money. I get that. We have a lot of money tied “I just want to see the same passion,” Steinel said. “Right there, that’s up in players who aren’t really contributing. I get that. what I want from this organization from the manager aspect. That’s what I want. I want them to start fighting for us — and they don’t. “But at the end of the day, what happened to the fan experience? It’s awful. There’s a distinct smell in the arena. It’s true. The same seats. IT’S “Is that complacency because fans are going to buy tickets anyway? THE 50TH YEAR! IT’S THE 50TH YEAR! And it’s been garbage. It’s They’re going to come no matter what, is that what it is? Are they just been garbage. And I hate to say that because I love this team, I love this taking us all for granted? I don’t know anymore, man. I don’t know.” organization.” Outside criticism may be stoking paranoia within the organization. On the Steinel’s lifelong love for the Sabres is what thrust him and the same day that a Pegula Sports executive berated WGR management, foundering organization into the spotlight this week. The franchise has the organization reached out to Elliotte Friedman of “Hockey Night in repeatedly tripped over itself during its 50th anniversary season, so a Canada” to talk about his report that there is frustration within the Sabres fed-up Steinel called local radio station WGR-AM 550 on Wednesday and that losing is wearing on . Friedman confirmed the and let ‘er rip. conversation to The Athletic, saying it wasn’t bullying but more of a “reasonable debate.” The rant, while epic, likely would have stayed local if someone from Pegula Sports and Entertainment — the parent of the Sabres and the Still, his was hardly an earth-shaking commentary, and the organization’s Buffalo Bills — hadn’t berated WGR management, which led to a tweet decision to reach out brought more negative attention to the team. promoting the audio being deleted. The decision led to more attention, The repeated missteps are draining the faith of people who’ve long and soon Steinel’s words were spreading from Vancouver to Florida. offered unconditional love. Steinel wanted to play hockey because he “I called in and I wasn’t even expecting to go off the way I did,” Steinel and his father watched the 1999 Stanley Cup finals with their season said while wearing a Sabres cap and Dominik Hasek jersey. “I just kind of tickets in the 200 level. He became a goalie because of Hasek. got caught up in my words in the beginning, and something in my head “My whole life in hockey is because of this team,” he said. “Hockey is the said, ‘Screw it and just go.’ It just started rolling off my tongue. connection I have with my dad growing up. We come to games together “I just felt compelled to call. When I was sitting on hold, I was just thinking and I always look forward to it. It was fun. What do kids, this new about how I was going to word what I was going to say. I’m not going to generation, have? They don’t have it. They don’t have what I had. They lie, I was kind of inspired by (host Chris ‘Bulldog’ Parker) in the weeks don’t know winning hockey. previous, thinking just, ‘How have we fallen this far down?'” “People are playing the game because of the team they watch, just like He quickly noted how Buffalo annually ranks near the top of the television me. Who’s going to want to play hockey from watching this or coming to ratings for playoffs and Winter Classics. He referenced all the Bills and this? Who? Who? The atmosphere is so bad. Sabres fans who fill other stadiums while traveling to see their teams. “How much longer is this going to keep going on? We feel like we’re Then he thought about the losses, the stained arena seats that haven’t second-rate to the Bills. I love the Bills, I’m ecstatic about the Bills, but been changed in decades, the pleas to management that have been we feel second-rate. We feel like we’re not cared about. … Make the ignored and the simple requests to owners Terry and Kim Pegula that go arena better. It’s falling apart. I know the Bills are a big deal right now, unanswered. but you bought the Sabres first. You made us promises. You made us promises and I’m just so tired of it. I’m so tired of it.” “Again, I get it if there isn’t enough (cap) money to put the product you want on the ice,” Steinel said, “but treat us like we matter, man. Treat us The intense reaction to Steinel’s rant showed he’s not alone. like we matter. That’s all I want. That’s all we want. “I just said how I felt and I yelled a lot,” he said. “I didn’t mean to, but it “I’m sorry, a jersey giveaway off a player’s back at the end of the season happened. I never thought it would have this effect.” isn’t enough anymore for what we’ve been dealing with. Thousands of Steinel’s call has reached the masses. It was more than a rant. It was a dollars from honest, hard-working Buffalo people for season tickets and clarion call to an organization that has lost its way off the ice as much as it’s just … I don’t know. We’re done. We’re done.” on it.

Faux pas and fake teams have combined to make things ugly and “I’m not going to apologize for anything I said,” he said. “I’m not because miserable in Sabreland. The Sabres are tied for 25th in attendance, it’s true.” according to ESPN, selling their 19,070-seat arena to just 90.7 percent capacity (excluding the “home” game in Sweden that is listed in ESPN’s He’ll also stay true to his team despite the pain and anger. numbers). And that average attendance of 17,301 is tickets sold, not “I probably still will get my season tickets next year because I love this team,” he said. “I love watching hockey and it’s always something to do. But at the end of the day, I’m not everybody. This hashtag #WeAreAllDuane, not everybody’s like me who’s just going to keep coming back. At some point, people are going to have to have a breaking point and go do something else, you know?”

He knows it. The Sabres’ fan base knows it. The question is, do the organization and its owners know it?

“I love them,” Steinel said of the Pegulas. “I think they can bring a Cup to Buffalo. I really do. But you have to start putting more effort and passion into this organization.”

The Athletic LOADED: 01.31.2020 1173643 Calgary Flames Scotiabank Saddledome (8 p.m., CBC, Sportsnet, Sportsnet 360, Sportsnet 1, Sportsnet 960 The Fan).

“Our only concern right now is to get two points,” he said. “I mean, you Monahan logs first NHL scrap dropping gloves with Nugent-Hopkins look at the standings and this is obviously a four-point game. You’re trying to move up a day at a time.

Kristen Anderson, Postmedia “When you’re playing your rivals like that, you want to step up and earn those points.”

Calgary Sun: LOADED: 01.31.2020 Without blinking, Sean Monahan could recall exactly the last time that he’d been in this situation.

And who his opponent was.

“Mitchell Heard,” said the Calgary Flames forward, after media had understandably requested his presence after Wednesday’s 4-3 shootout win over the Edmonton Oilers.

Sure enough, a quick search would find evidence of a fight between him and the former forward on Oct. 9, 2011, when Monahan was a member of the Ottawa 67’s and Heard was amid an season that saw him rack up 111 regular season penalty minutes.

It was, literally, Monahan’s only fight on his card — until Wednesday’s unexpected back-and-forth with Edmonton Oilers forward Ryan Nugent- Hopkins boiled over into full-blown fisticuffs. His first at the National Hockey League level after skating in 523 regular-season games with the Calgary Flames.

Even Monahan sounded surprised.

“Yeah, it was (the first NHL fight),” he said. “It is what it is. I’m happy it’s over with. I think I was going to get a penalty and I didn’t want to go short-handed and I just decided to go. And it happened.”

Obviously, Nugent-Hopkins is not known for his brawn, either, but given what was at stake in Wednesday’s Battle of Alberta at Rogers Place, anything was bound to happen.

At that point in the game, the entire province was waiting with bated breath for something — ANYTHING — to happen between Flames forward Matthew Tkachuk and Oilers tough guy Zack Kassian after over two weeks’ worth of lead-up and back-and-forth commentary boiled over from the last time these teams faced.

So while all eyes were on No. 19 and No. 44, Monahan casually gave a shot to Nugent-Hopkins while he was skating by Calgary’s bench.

A whack turned into a shoving match which led to Monahan ripping off Nugent-Hopkins’ helmet.

And then it was on.

“I mean, I fought before in junior — it’s been a long time,” Monahan said. “I felt good . . . the emotion gets the best of you and sometimes it just happens.”

Case and point.

“It’s an important game,” he said. “You’re willing to do whatever it takes to get the two points. Mangy (Andrew Mangiapane) stepped up, with two huge goals. Ritter (David Rittich) stepped up and stood on his head at times. Guys were blocking shots. We had a lot of penalty kills.

“Guys played hard (Wednesday) and played for each other and it showed.”

The most comical part of the entire fight was the fact that it occurred near the end of the first period and just before Tkachuk and Kassian actually squared off. Meaning that Monahan watched the entire main event from the dressing room as his fight with Nugent-Hopkins turned into the undercard.

“I didn’t know what happened,” he said. “But (Tkachuk) obviously came in here and we spent some time together in the penalty box.”

Monahan, of course, authored the game-winning shootout goal to seal the game and help improve the Flames’ record to 27-19-6 which had them sitting second in the Pacific Division.

And chances are, there won’t be a rematch between Nugent-Hopkins and Monahan when these teams square off again on Saturday at 1173644 Calgary Flames The 29-year-old Kassian, despite his current credentials as McDavid’s sidekick on the Oilers’ top unit, has done his share of dancing at the NHL level.

'You have to give him credit': Tkachuk earns respect in scrap with Their measurements may be similar — according to the listings, Kassian the gap is just one inch and nine pounds — but nobody considers these dudes to be in the same weight-class as would-be brawlers.

Wes Gilbertson Which had many wondering, would one of Tkachuk’s teammates feel compelled to handle this handiwork?

Perhaps it would be Milan Lucic, who was conveniently skating as his During all the bickering and build-up to this latest Battle of Alberta, linemate in the early stages of Wednesday’s contest. Matthew Tkachuk had insisted that, good or bad, he never pays a lick of attention to what is being said or written about him. Or maybe Zac Rinaldo, who had a chat with Kassian during warmups and was spotted telling him after his tussle with Tkachuk that he wanted So Wednesday, in the early stages of a rivalry renewal that lived up to all the next waltz. that hype and then some, Zack Kassian made sure the Calgary Flames’ leading scorer and pain-in-the-you-know-what received the message. Turns out, it would be No. 19 himself.

These, for a change, were kind words. With the adrenaline pumping, the Flames’ first-liner tossed one glove halfway to the roof at Rogers Place as he dropped ’em. “(Tkachuk) wanted to fight right away, but I wanted to keep him guessing a little bit,” Kassian said of the scrap that every fan in the Wild Rose Kassian takes Tkachuk to the ice. Province — and countless other hockey-crazed locales — had been Kassian was swinging with his left, an off-balance Tkachuk hurling rights waiting for. “But I respect him for that, and I told him before we even before falling to the ice. dropped the gloves.” “It had nothing to do with the hits or anything, I just didn’t like getting kind Respect. of pummelled at home like I did,” Tkachuk explained after his eighth That, really, is what Tkachuk was fighting for. career big-league bout. “A lot of people didn’t want me to do it, but I wanted to. It was a way for me to stick up for myself. It wasn’t anything to The 22-year-old isn’t quite a one-of-a-kind, but there are not many like do with owing anybody. I was just doing it for myself there. him — not many guys as skilled at scoring and setting up teammates as they are at squirming under the skin and between the ears of their “Every time that somebody said ‘Don’t do it,’ that made me want to do it opponents. more.”

The Battle of Alberta, which resumes Saturday at the Saddledome (8 The Flames will certainly tell Tkachuk, who will make more enemies p.m. MT, CBC/Sportsnet 960 The Fan), seems to bring out the best of along the way, that they don’t want him fighting too often. both. He’s too important.

Tkachuk became a curse-word in Oil Country after a Jan. 11 meeting, He tops the team scoring charts with 41 points, was an all-star for a when he irked Kassian with a hat-trick of hits and then refused to engage reason. when the veteran forward started wailing away, earning a double-minor for roughing and a two-game suspension. He is the sort of difference-maker that opposing coaches always mention in their pre-scout meetings. That night, a seething Kassian called the Flames’ alternate captain a “young punk” — and something else that’s not fit for newsprint — and But Tkachuk also wants to be known around the NHL as a guy who will told reporters at the Saddledome that he wasn’t the first NHLer to point back up his abrasive style. out that Tkachuk needs to “answer the bell once in a while.” He wouldn’t — he couldn’t — admit it prior to Wednesday’s puck-drop at Done. Rogers Place, but it was important to Calgary’s fan favourite and likely captain-of-the-future to fight his own fight in this instance. As a result, there will be no more name-calling, no more bulletin-board material, in advance of Saturday’s rematch in Cowtown. (The Flames, by “Pretty gutsy by him to stand up and do it,” assessed Flames interim the way, have won all three meetings against their provincial rivals so far coach Geoff Ward. this season, including Wednesday’s 4-3 shootout triumph.) Truth is, Tkachuk wanted to do the deed even sooner. “Credit to a guy that stepped up and fought a big guy like Kassian,” said Oilers superstar Connor McDavid of Tkachuk, his Pacific Division His preference was to scuffle on the first shift. teammate last weekend at the 2020 NHL All-Star Game. “You have to “But I kind of wanted to do it on my terms,” said Kassian, who now give him credit for stepping in and standing in there. There are not a lot of considers this case closed. “Make him wait, think about it for a little bit … guys that would do that against Kassian. Ultimately, he was running That’s the game within the game. around, so he has to do that.” “I just told him, ‘It’ll come. Just wait for it.’ He wanted to get it over quick. I The praise was not just coming from the home locker-room at Rogers always said that he was a good player. I respect him for stepping up to Place. the plate like that.”

Retired defenceman Kevin Bieksa, who had dozens of dust-ups during Respect. his career, wrote on Twitter: “You have to give Tkachuk credit…he didn’t really have to fight but wanted to make sure things were square. I’ve That’s exactly what Tkachuk was fighting for. fought Kass (off ice) and those are some heavy lefts!!” Calgary Sun: LOADED: 01.31.2020 Former Flames forward Brandon Prust, with 126 bouts on his resume, echoed that on his own social-media account: “Good for Tkachuk for standing up for himself! Earned a lot more respect around the league.”

Good for tkachuk for standing up for himself! Earned a lot more respect around the league. I wonder if he knew kassian was a lefty! I’m hoping someone told him before the game. I always watched video n showed teammates how to fight certain guys if they knew it was gonna go down!

— Brandon Prust (@BrandonPrust8) January 30, 2020

That’s a lot different than what some were saying two-and-a-half weeks earlier. 1173645 Calgary Flames Even more amazing than those two gents trading blows was a hyped-up night of hockey that actually lived up to its billing. It took a shootout to settle this peppy performance — with Sean Monahan supplying winning ‘You have to show up sometimes’: Flames standing up for themselves as strike in the 4-3 decision. the stretch-drive plot thickens “A lot of people in Calgary were talking before (the game) that it’s must- see TV,” said Tkachuk. “Fans get into it. There’s been a rivalry for years. I never really knew about the Battle of Alberta, to be honest, but the day I By Scott Cruickshank Jan 30, 2020 got drafted I was told, ‘You don’t like them.’ So it’s been ingrained in me. So I think that makes for good TV, but we don’t care about that. We just

care about winning. EDMONTON — Would the main event come to pass? Some doubted it. “Tonight was back and forth all night. Chippy early, then it got into playing Some expected it. up-and-down hockey. Towards the end and overtime — I don’t know But nearly everyone was hoping. what you guys thought of it — I thought it was pretty fun, kind of back and forth … and a good ending for us.” The simmering feud between Edmonton Oilers winger Zack Kassian and Calgary Flames winger Matthew Tkachuk appeared to have only one When someone brought up Saturday’s rematch in Calgary, Tkachuk next step — the men dropping their gloves at Rogers Place. chuckled. “Honestly, right now, I just want to go home and go to bed.”

And, to the glee of nearly everyone in attendance Wednesday, that’s The latest chapter of the Tkachuk-Kassian spat had been intriguing, but, exactly what happened, with the forwards throwing punches after a according to Ward, “there was a lot of stuff going on out there.” faceoff in the visitors’ end. Monahan vs. Nugent-Hopkins Tkachuk, later, insisted the fight had nothing to do with him needing to If someone had told you that the night’s first tiff would involve Monahan, answer any bell for his Jan. 11 hits on Kassian. you wouldn’t have believed it. “I just didn’t like getting pummelled at home like I did,” he explained. “A The Flames centre, after all, was a finalist for the 2019 Lady Byng lot of people didn’t want me to do it, but I wanted to. It was a way for me Trophy. But there, in front of the Oilers bench, he was slugging it out with to stick up for myself. It didn’t have anything to do with owing anybody or Ryan Nugent-Hopkins. anything. I was doing it for myself there. “I don’t think probably a lot of people would have thought Ryan Nugent- “Every time somebody said, ‘Don’t do it,’ it made me want to do it more.” Hopkins would fight, either,” said Ward. “But there they are. It’s in the Asked if he considers the matter to be now settled, Tkachuk replied: “I rivalry. It’s two guys competing and they decided to throw down. That’s didn’t even know it wasn’t settled. I think it’s just two good teams that are hockey.” going at it … big hits, physical. All in all, it was a good game by two good It marked Monahan’s first fight in the NHL. (In the OHL, he’d tangled with teams.” Mitchell Heard.) Two evenly matched outfits, sure. No argument there. “It is what it is, and I’m happy it’s over with,” he said. “I think I was going But all eyes had been on Tkachuk from the opening faceoff. to get a penalty, so I didn’t want to go shorthanded. I just decided to go. Obviously, he dropped his gloves and it happened. With , in charge of the league’s department of player safety, presiding over the affair from the press box; with fans in the “The emotion gets the best of you and sometimes it just happens.” stands dressed as turtles and waving turtle-themed signs; with onlookers Rittich vs. Smith eager to see Tkachuk get what they thought he deserved after refusing to engage Kassian earlier in the month; with the Battle of Alberta having Stablemates for parts of three winters in Calgary, David Rittich served had its temperature cranked up a notch, the night did feature a primarily as the understudy to Mike Smith. remarkable atmosphere. Wednesday, the two went back and forth all night long, trading terrific And not just because of a hotly anticipated skirmish between Tkachuk saves. Each ended up repelling a breakaway in overtime — by Leon and Kassian. Draisaitl, by T.J. Brodie — before the contest reached the shootout phase. Although that certainly didn’t hurt matters. Smith permitted Monahan’s goal, while Rittich surrendered nothing, “I wanted to do it earlier, but he said no,” Tkachuk said. “He said, ‘No, it’s keeping Nugent-Hopkins and Draisaitl and McDavid from counting. The too early.'” latter two, of course, happen to be the NHL’s top scorers. Kassian’s confirmed the exchange — that Tkachuk had been eager to “Different guys stepped up at different times,” said Monahan, “and, punch it out. obviously, Ritter kept us in there.” “The first shift, yeah,” said Kassian. “But I wanted to do it on my terms. I And when his brash poke-check foiled Draisaitl’s effort to prolong the wanted to make him wait a little bit, think about it a little bit. Part of the shootout, Rittich gave his goalie paddle the equivalent of a walk-off bat game — the game within the game. flip. “I just told him, ‘It’ll come. Just wait for it.’ Obviously, he wanted to get it “The three guys who went in the shootout are really good players,” said over quick. I respect the guy. I always said he was a good player. I Rittich. “It’s really good they didn’t score. During the game, that’s why I’m respect him for stepping up to the plate like that.” there, right? I want to help the guys out. I want to make those saves to After they settled on a late-first-period scrap, even the Oilers captain had take the two points.” to offer his approval. Flames vs. McDavid “Credit to the guy that stepped up and fought a big guy in Kass,” said The travellers did a good job shutting down the Oilers’ superstar, limiting Connor McDavid. “You’ve got to give him credit for stepping in and him to a single second assist. standing in there. Not a lot of guys would do that against Kassian. Ultimately, he was running around, so he’s got to do that.” But some of the attention paid to McDavid did not thrill the hosts.

Geoff Ward said he’d had no say in Tkachuk’s decision to drop his mitts. Late in the second period, Mark Giordano used his leg to impede the The Flames coach indicated that he doesn’t like to get involved in that Oilers’ captain who was racing through the neutral zone. The incident did side of a player’s game. not go over well. Kassian was fuming on the ice and he confronted the Flames captain. McDavid, on the bench especially, was hot. Like, stick- “Pretty gutsy by him to stand up and do it,” said Ward. “We talk about it breakingly mad. all the time — you have to show up sometimes. I thought he gave a good accounting of himself. He wasn’t intimidated by the situation.” Postgame, though, he was tight-lipped. “I don’t want to start a big media circus at all,” McDavid said. “He’s a guy who plays hard and that’s that.”

And, of course, you don’t need a superb memory to recall Game 82 last year when Giordano cut down No. 97, necessitating the extensive offseason overhaul of his damaged leg.

The Athletic LOADED: 01.31.2020 1173646 Carolina Hurricanes As the Canes (29-18-3) went into the NHL All-Star break and bye week, Svechnikov had 45 points in 50 games. He has 19 goals and five have come on the power play after he finished his rookie season without a Canes’ Svechnikov’s second season filled with highs, lows and a touch of power-play score. The Canes are 23-7-0 in games in which he has had lacrosse at least one point.

“He’s a man already, which you can’t say for many 19-year-olds,” Canes forward Jordan Martinook said. “The skill is off the charts. When he puts BY CHIP ALEXANDER JANUARY 30, 2020 08:00 AM it all together in games it’s fun to watch. You just sit back and go ‘Wow.’”

That was the reaction this season to his two lacrosse-play goals, long known as the “Michigan” after former Wolverines player Mike Legg pulled One night he’s slinging in a lacrosse shot for a goal that quiets most of it off during an NCAA Tournament game in 1996. Svechnikov was the the good hockey folks in Winnipeg and has the NHL buzzing, again. first in the NHL to successfully score on the play, against Calgary on Oct. A few nights later, he’s sitting in an exercise area in the Carolina 29 at PNC Arena, then did it again at Winnipeg on Dec. 17, both in Hurricanes locker room at PNC Arena, dejected, his head in his hands Canes wins. after a loss to the . Which was better? Such have been the swings, in his play and his moods, for Canes “Both were difficult,” Svechnikov said. “People ask which I like best but I forward in his second NHL season. His can be the don’t care. Like for me, it’s the same thing. For me, it’s hockey, it’s a brightest smile in the room, his personality shining through, his goal. A good goal.” confidence evident, but some losses can eat at him, especially if he feels responsible. Also one that now has been duplicated by of the Nashville Predators, who became the second NHL player to score on it. Svechnkov The Florida loss, for example. has seen the Forsberg replay from the Preds’ Jan. 14 game against Midway through the second period of the Dec. 21 game at PNC Arena, Edmonton, calling it a nice play while smiling and joking, “I still have one Svechnikov was called for high-sticking the Panthers’ Jonathan more.” Huberdeau. Late in the period, he had another high-sticking call after a Before the New Year’s Eve game against the Montreal Canadiens, run-in with Florida’s Brett Connolly, and both players were assessed Svechnikov was being interviewed by Montreal media in the Canes’ unsportsmanlike conduct penalties, room. Asked about the “buzz” he created with the lacrosse shots, he The Panthers twice scored power-play goals and won 4-2. Svechnikov said, “What is that, buzz?” was spotted after the game with his head down. Told it was the frenzied social media chatter, he nodded and noted, yes, “I was a little pissed,” he said of that moment. “A couple of key penalties he has an Instagram account and he said it went “a little crazy.” pissed me off. Sometimes, it’s a good thing when you’re pissed. It means Another question was posed: was he afraid of having a “sophomore you want to win the game.” slump” as some players do in the NHL after strong rookie years? That’s the way Canes coach Rod Brind’Amour viewed it. He likes “Afraid of what?” he said. ”I never think of that. I just want to show my Svechnikov’s youthful competitiveness. Not the penalties it can cause at best game this season.” times, many of them stick infractions, but the drive, the determination and compete level. The Canes, who last played Jan. 21 against Winnipeg, resume their season Friday at home against the Vegas Golden Knights. They’ll likely “I love the fact that he cares,” Brind’Amour said. “That wasn’t his best have to play the last 32 games without defenseman Dougie Hamilton, out game for sure but he was trying. They (Panthers) got under his skin a with a broken fibula, but with former captain Justin Williams now in the little bit and that’s what teams are going to do. He has to understand that lineup. and he will.” Svechnikov said he popped down to Miami’s South Beach for a few days So much was new for Svechnikov last season. The second overall pick in during the Christmas break. He planned a trip to Mexico for the extended the 2018 NHL Draft, the Russian winger was in the lineup at 18 and All-Star Game and bye-week break. scored 20 goals as the Canes surged into the Stanley Cup playoffs. There was so much to like. “I think after 50 games it helps you so much, mentally more than anything,” he said. “You can come back fresh, and play fresh again, and I Canes captain Jordan Staal once was the second pick of the draft in think that’s great.” 2006. He played as an 18-year-old rookie for the Pittsburgh Penguins, scoring 29 goals, setting an NHL rookie record with seven shorthanded All the better to handle the highs and the lows. scores. News Observer LOADED: 01.31.2020 In his second season, Staal tailed off to 12 goals. “It was,” he said, “a challenging year.”

Like Svechnikov, Staal learned that it’s not always a smooth ride. Teams have learned your weaknesses and try to exploit them while taking away your strengths. If you show emotion, they’ll try to rattle you. They’re always pushing you, testing you.

In the Jan. 2 game against Washington at PNC Arena, the Caps’ Brendan Leipsic shoved Svechnikov to the ice as the first period ended and the Caps’ Nic Dowd then tossed Svechnikov’s stick into the stands. That was unusual, earning Dowd a 10-minute misconduct penalty. Svechnikov kept his cool and did not retaliate.

“It can be frustrating at times,” Staal said. “Eighty-two games is a long season and a lot of things happen that are not going to go your way. It’s about rebounding and worrying about the next shift and focusing on the present. It’s about sticking with it and believing in yourself. I think ‘Svech’ has done a great job of staying even keel and focusing on what he does best.”

What Svechnikov does best is give the Canes a power forward with different ways of putting the puck in the net. As Brind’Amour said, “He’s got the green light to do pretty much anything in the offensive zone when he has the puck.” 1173647 Carolina Hurricanes need to be more consistent. I think our second periods tend to feel like a struggle. We need to clean that up specifically.”

Foegele is clearly a big basketball fan, and I’m thankful he shared some Loose Pucks: Canes comment on death of Kobe Bryant, workout powerful thoughts on Kobe Bryant’s death: “It’s just tragic. I think it puts routines and vacation plans in return from break into perspective, just, you need to tell your loved ones you love them. There’s more to life. You need to appreciate all the small things. I think that’s really the message. Obviously, Kobe was a hell of an athlete. He By Sara Civian Jan 30, 2020 was just a winner. His work ethic was just unbelievable. I have his book (“Mamba Mentality”), and I’ve read it. I’ll probably read it again. I texted

my brother right away, I just told him I loved him.” As at least a few of you witnessed, the first post-All-Star break practice at I appreciated Brind’Amour’s thoughts as well. “It’s obviously just a tragic PNC Arena on Thursday was quite rowdy. Clearly, the Hurricanes were event,” he said. “It affects so many people. I think when (that happens to) excited to reunite and get back on the ice. a superstar, one of the things it touches on is that we’re all human. I think “That’s kind of what you’re trying to do today,” head coach Rod sometimes, people put those guys at a different level, where things like Brind’Amour said. “Getting the game back up to speed, getting all the that can’t happen to them. But we gotta make every day count. You just time off rust out then tomorrow touching up on what we do to make sure don’t know — none of us do, and that puts that home. It’s obviously a they’re dialed in on what we’re going to face. Then, drop the puck.” tragedy, but I think a lot of people have talked about how they’re now looking at their lives differently because if it can happen to him, and his Although a good number of Hurricanes players went to Miami together, family it can happen to any of us. Just make sure you tell the people some had family obligations. Brind’Amour and Justin Williams watched around you that you love them. That seems to be the common theme on their sons play hockey — Williams at a tournament, Brind’Amour at that.” Quinnipiac University, where Oilers draft pick Skyler is a freshman. Dougie Hamilton was wheeling through the dressing room Thursday. All “It was great just to see him first of all, I haven’t seen him all year since smiles. he went up there,” Brind’Amour said. “He didn’t play great, unfortunately. But he’s gonna be all right, you know? It’s a different stress watching What was Noted Accuracy Shooting Champion Jaccob Slavin’s strategy? your kid play.” “Shoot really fast.”

It’s hilarious whenever we get to ask Brind’Amour about his son because The Athletic LOADED: 01.31.2020 he sounds just like any other hockey dad. I remember when Skyler scored his first NCAA goal on Oct. 12. I asked Brind’Amour about it.

“That was good,” he said. “But then I watched the game he only played about six shifts, so that kind of bummed me out again. But at least he’s having fun and contributing.”

Classic.

Some other Canes players took little trips of their own (Cancun, Finland). One won an All-Star challenge.

“It was much needed mentally, just to get away from the game a bit,” Warren Foegele said. “But I was really excited to come back, see all the guys and hear about their vacations. It was good to get out there today.”

How much “getting away from the game” is ideal? It’s probably a fine, varying line for each player. Nine days is a lot.

“The break, in general, is too long,” Brind’Amour said (of course). “I don’t know why the players would even want a 10- or nine-day break. I think they’d rather have two four-day breaks, you know, at different times. There’s a lot of rust and a lot of other things that I think creep in when you’re out this long.”

But at least everyone is in the same boat. The Golden Knights are coming off a break of the exact same length ahead of their tilt with the Canes on Friday.

“I think everyone’s coming off a break, everyone’s had the same time off,” Jaccob Slavin said. “It’s never pretty hockey coming out of the break, but it’s going to be the team that wants it more (that will win), and the team that really, really pays attention to the little details on the ice.”

There was a video circulating after the Hurricanes’ last game before the break in which Brind’Amour made a half-joke.

“Go have some fun. Every one of you is going somewhere, I’m sure. And I know you guys spend some big bucks on these places. They all got nice gyms. … I know it. (Bleeping) real good ones. Don’t be afraid to hit ’em.”

Foegele said head strength coach Bill Burniston designed programs for the Canes to complete every other day while on their nine-day break.

He said with a smirk that he probably didn’t follow it as well as he should’ve last season, but he was on top of it this time around. He felt it pay off on this first skate back, and he knows the grind the final 32 games of the season is about to be.

“We need to be more consistent,” Slavin said, looking ahead to the final stretch. “We’ve had too many waves. We’re not stringing together a lot of wins. It feels like we gotta win three, lose three or whatever it is and we 1173648 Chicago Blackhawks When Strome got hurt, he initially thought he would miss a lot more than seven games. He made brief attempts to skate not long after the injury, but it took only a few seconds on the ice to realize he wasn’t ready.

Dylan Strome is back on the ice as the Blackhawks return from their The smart move was to rest and not push it. break and prepare for a pivotal February: ‘It’s a huge month for us’ “I got lucky,” he said. “Whatever it was, it just didn’t feel good right when it happened. It didn’t really hurt that much. I stood up and I just felt weak. By JIMMY GREENFIELD CHICAGO TRIBUNE |JAN 30, 2020 | 7:34 PM I thought I broke my tibia or fibula or one of those around my leg. Didn’t feel good.”

While Strome will return soon, Andrew Shaw is not on the trip and still GLENDALE, ARIZ.-The purpose of the All-Star break — at least for has symptoms from a concussion he suffered in late November. Still, the Blackhawks not named Patrick Kane — was to get away from hockey for Hawks are healthier than they have been in a month and hopeful they more than a week, spend several uninterrupted days with family and can continue a resurgence that had them three points out of a playoff friends and perhaps visit a quiet beach for a few days. spot entering Thursday’s games.

Jonathan Toews came back from his vacation with some color in his “The job isn’t done yet,” Colliton said. “We’ve got some work to do as far face, while Dylan Strome returned from a few days in the sun ready to as our game goes, and (the Panthers loss) can be a little bit of a reality practice for the first time since injuring his right ankle Jan. 7 against the check for us. I’m not saying we played bad but not good enough. Flames. “So after that good stretch of play where we did get a bunch of wins, it’s Hawks coach Jeremy Colliton, try as he might, just couldn't put hockey not the end of the world to have that game and remind us we have to out of his mind. show up every night and play as close to (a full) 60 minutes as we can.”

“You think about it every day, no matter what,” he said. “That’s just the Chicago Tribune LOADED: 01.31.2020 business we’re in, and everyone’s really competitive. My kids are asking me where we are in the standings, so it’s like, thanks, rub my nose in it. At the same time, when you don’t have to prepare for the next day, you do get some time to relax.”

Thursday’s practice at Gila River Arena was somewhat relaxed though energetic with an air of fun surrounding the drills. It began with throwing some pucks on the ice and letting a scrimmage break out among all the players at the same time.

[Most read in Sports] Helicopter in Kobe Bryant crash wasn’t certified to fly in poor visibility »

The rest of the practice contained quite a bit of skating to help the players get their legs back in anticipation of Saturday’s game against the Coyotes, one of several teams the Hawks are chasing for a Western Conference wild-card spot.

“We can pick up two points and don’t lose a game in hand,” Colliton said. “It’s a big momentum builder for the team. We’ve had some games where we’ve (risen) to the challenge and we’ve had some games where we didn’t.

“If we lose the game, it’s not the end of the world, but it is a big opportunity. We’ve had a few days to get ready for it and we have a couple days to practice, so definitely the focus is there.”

The Hawks are not far removed from their best stretch of the season. Despite losing 4-3 to the Panthers in the final game before the break, they’ve won 11 of 16 and they put together a season-high five-game winning streak before the loss to the Panthers.

5 key dates in a daunting February that could decide the Blackhawks’ postseason fate »

Still, their work is cut out for them. They have 11 road games in February, all against playoff contenders.

“It’s a huge month for us,” Toews said. “Huge month for a lot of other teams, so the faster we can get into the playoff hockey mindset, the better. These are do-or-die games for us. We need points right now, so we can’t wait any longer.”

That’s why it’s good they’re getting healthier. Brandon Saad returned to the lineup from an ankle injury shortly before the break and had two goals in three games, and now Strome appears ready to return from his ankle injury that cost him seven games.

It’s not certain he’ll play against the Coyotes, but he was skating at full strength and has one more practice Friday to determine if he’s ready for game action.

“A game’s a lot different than a practice,” Strome said. “(I’ll) try to push it pretty hard tomorrow. Felt pretty good out there, did a lot of skating. It’s an injury where you don’t want to make it worse.

“I tried to skate a few times after it happened. Didn’t really help it. Felt OK to walk on, but the skating (is) a different story. Took some time off, got the right treatment. Feels pretty good now, so happy about that.” 1173649 Chicago Blackhawks Blackhawks center Jonathan Toews battles the Predators' Matt Duchene, left, and Mattias Ekholm during a game on Jan. 9, 2020, at the United Center.

5 key dates in a daunting February that could decide the Blackhawks’ The Hawks have been inconsistent against the Predators, losing 3-0 and postseason fate 5-2 and winning 7-2. It’s a microcosm of their season: You never know which Hawks team is going to show up on a given night.

By JIMMY GREENFIELD CHICAGO TRIBUNE |JAN 30, 2020 | 7:30 AM 4. Feb. 23-29: at Stars, Blues, Lightning, Panthers

If the Hawks can survive the first 10 games of the month, they have quite a reward waiting for them. Put Blackhawks games in March and April out of your mind for now; they don’t matter yet. They finish February with four road games against two legitimate Stanley Cup contenders — the defending-champion Blues and Lightning — and Not when there’s so much at stake in February. two likely playoff teams in the Stars and Panthers that entered Wednesday a combined 32-15-4 at home. It feels as if eight months have passed since the Hawks last played, so as a reminder, a lot was happening when they last hit the ice. As scary as this stretch and the earlier one against their West rivals look, the Hawks are 12-9-3 on the road after going 7-1 in their last eight games On Jan. 21, the Hawks held a pregame ceremony to commemorate before the break. Patrick Kane reaching the 1,000-point milestone, then honored Joel Quenneville during his return to the United Center for his legendary 5. Feb. 24: NHL trade deadline 2008-19 run as coach. The Hawks — despite a blip against Quenneville’s Panthers — were one of the hottest teams in the league. The best bar conversation lately regarding the Hawks is whether they’ll be buyers or sellers — or neither — at the trade deadline. Even with their 4-3 loss to the Panthers in the final game before the All- Star break, the Hawks are 11-5 in their last 16, and talk of a playoff run is With 11 games remaining before the deadline, the Hawks have time to back in the locker room — unless a daunting stretch of 11 of 14 road move in one direction or the other, and general manager Stan Bowman games in February takes them out of it. has salary-cap room available to make some deals because of season- ending injuries to Calvin de Haan and . Here’s a look at key dates and what the Hawks need to do to survive a hellish month: Blackhawks general manager Stan Bowman addresses the media at a news conference on Oct. 3, 2019, in Prague. 1. Feb. 1: at Coyotes Given their precarious spot in the standings, the Hawks are in no-man’s Every game matters the rest of the way, especially those against the land. They’re not going to be sellers as long as the playoffs are a other Western Conference wild-card contenders. The Hawks’ first game possibility. They’ve gone to great lengths to send a message to fans that after the break comes Saturday against the Coyotes, who heading into they’re not in a rebuild, so there’s no reason to believe they’ll bail at this Wednesday’s action were among three teams that were three points point. ahead of the Hawks for the last wild-card spot. But are the Hawks willing to be buyers with such a treacherous February Keep in mind that each of the contenders plays at least once before the schedule? They could use a veteran forward to guard against injuries or Hawks return to the ice Saturday, so they could be even further back, allow them to sit Alex Nylander if he remains unproductive. The Hawks putting even more importance on getting off to a good start against the gave no indication before the break that Andrew Shaw was close to Coyotes. returning from a concussion.

How have the Hawks fared on the road against the Coyotes recently? As strong as Slater Koekkoek has played for seven straight games, Well, pretty awful. They were outscored 12-3 in losing three straight, would Bowman pass up a chance to land Devils defenseman Sami including a 5-2 defeat last month in which the Coyotes lit up goalie Robin Vatanen if he doesn’t have to give up a first-round pick? Lehner. The Hawks were shut out 1-0 in their one game in Glendale, Ariz., last season and 6-1 in February 2018. Many questions remain. The Hawks will start to get answers Saturday.

Blackhawks goaltender Robin Lehner gives up a goal to Coyotes left Chicago Tribune LOADED: 01.31.2020 wing Michael Grabner during a game on Dec. 12, 2019, in Glendale, Ariz.

Kane hasn’t had a point at Gila River Arena since 2017. It hasn’t been pretty.

There’s a decent chance former Coyotes forward Dylan Strome will return from a right ankle injury that cost him seven games before the break.

2. Feb. 9-16: at Jets, Oilers, Canucks, Flames and Jets

The five-game swing through Western Canada is the first of two long February trips that could be a killer — or propel the Hawks toward their first postseason berth in three years.

The Hawks open and close the trip with games against the Jets and face the Oilers, Canucks and Flames in between. All those teams are in the same boat as the Hawks: fighting for playoff spots and needing every point they can get.

The upside is that the Hawks are 5-2-1 against the four teams this season, including road wins over the Jets and Flames.

3. Feb. 21: vs. Predators

This is one of only three games at the United Center this month and the only one against a Western Conference contender, although the Predators are fading and also have a hellish post-break schedule with eight of 12 on the road, including at the Capitals and Blues. 1173650 Chicago Blackhawks

Dylan Strome participates in Blackhawks practice after bye week, nearing return

The forward could play for the first time since his Jan. 7 ankle injury on Saturday against the Coyotes.

By Ben PopeJan 30, 2020, 7:28pm CST

GLENDALE, Ariz. — Dylan Strome returned from the Blackhawks’ nine- day midseason break noticeably tanner but also golf-deprived and ready to be fully recovered from his ankle injury.

The forward, sidelined for the second time this season, was a full participant in practice for the first time since the injury and is unofficially questionable for Saturday’s game against the Coyotes.

“Yeah, [I’m] getting there,” he said Thursday. “A game’s a lot different than a practice. [I’ll] try to push it pretty hard tomorrow. Felt pretty good out there, did a lot of skating.

“It’s an injury where you just don’t want to make it worse. I tried to skate a few times after it happened. I think [that] didn’t really help it. Felt OK to walk on, but the skating [is] just a different story. Took some time off, got the right treatment, feels pretty good now, so happy about that.”

Strome was racing on a two-on-one break with Kirby Dach on Jan. 7 when he collided awkwardly with Flames defenseman Oliver Kylington, who had sprawled out to break up Strome’s attempted pass, and tumbled awkwardly into the boards.

When X-rays indicated it was only a left ankle sprain, Strome tried to bounce back immediately by coming out onto the ice before practice Jan. 10. But he left within seconds.

“It was pretty sore to walk, but sometimes you’ll have an injury where it hurts to walk, but when you get on the ice, it feels pretty good,” he said. “But [it] felt horrible. Couldn’t even push off.”

The time missed has weighed on him mentally. He missed four games with a concussion between Nov. 23 and Dec. 2 and had been back barely more than a month before exiting the lineup again.

He mentioned in the middle of an unrelated sentence that he has missed 11 games this season. That number had clearly been on his mind all break, although he “still got away to the sun” despite sacrificing the golf part of his vacation.

“It sucks watching when you know you could be out there,” he said. “Obviously going through that play [with Dach] in my head a few times, I wish I would have shot it on that one. You obviously can’t think about that.”

But while sitting out, he also watched the Hurricanes’ Dougie Hamilton suffer a likely season-ending fractured fibula on a similar play and realizes his sprain was altogether a fortunate outcome.

“It’s pretty much the same thing that happened to [Hamilton]. I got lucky,” Strome said. “I stood up and . . . I just felt weak. Yeah, I thought I broke something. I thought I broke my tibia or fibula, or one of those around my leg. Didn’t feel good.”

Coach Jeremy Colliton said the Hawks will have a better idea Friday of Strome’s availability for Saturday, but the center is clearly returning soon.

The fact Brandon Hagel was not recalled Wednesday from the AHL alongside Dennis Gilbert demonstrates confidence in that, and Strome skated on a line in practice with Alex DeBrincat and David Kampf.

Strome’s return will be another huge boost for the forward corps, which saw Drake Caggiula and Brandon Saad return from injuries shortly before the All-Star break and make immediate impacts. Other than Strome, Andrew Shaw is the only other attacker on injured reserve.

“I’m very fortunate it was like 10 or 11 days off,” Strome said. “That’s probably five or six more games. Good timing, I guess, if you’re going to get injured right before the All-Star break.”

Chicago Sun Times LOADED: 01.31.2020 1173651 Chicago Blackhawks

Dylan Strome participates in Blackhawks practice after bye week, nearing return

The forward could play for the first time since his Jan. 7 ankle injury on Saturday against the Coyotes.

By Ben Pope Jan 30, 2020, 7:28pm CST

GLENDALE, Ariz. — Dylan Strome returned from the Blackhawks’ nine- day midseason break noticeably tanner but also golf-deprived and ready to be fully recovered from his ankle injury.

The forward, sidelined for the second time this season, was a full participant in practice for the first time since the injury and is unofficially questionable for Saturday’s game against the Coyotes.

“Yeah, [I’m] getting there,” he said Thursday. “A game’s a lot different than a practice. [I’ll] try to push it pretty hard tomorrow. Felt pretty good out there, did a lot of skating.

“It’s an injury where you just don’t want to make it worse. I tried to skate a few times after it happened. I think [that] didn’t really help it. Felt OK to walk on, but the skating [is] just a different story. Took some time off, got the right treatment, feels pretty good now, so happy about that.”

Strome was racing on a two-on-one break with Kirby Dach on Jan. 7 when he collided awkwardly with Flames defenseman Oliver Kylington, who had sprawled out to break up Strome’s attempted pass, and tumbled awkwardly into the boards.

When X-rays indicated it was only a left ankle sprain, Strome tried to bounce back immediately by coming out onto the ice before practice Jan. 10. But he left within seconds.

“It was pretty sore to walk, but sometimes you’ll have an injury where it hurts to walk, but when you get on the ice, it feels pretty good,” he said. “But [it] felt horrible. Couldn’t even push off.”

The time missed has weighed on him mentally. He missed four games with a concussion between Nov. 23 and Dec. 2 and had been back barely more than a month before exiting the lineup again.

He mentioned in the middle of an unrelated sentence that he has missed 11 games this season. That number had clearly been on his mind all break, although he “still got away to the sun” despite sacrificing the golf part of his vacation.

“It sucks watching when you know you could be out there,” he said. “Obviously going through that play [with Dach] in my head a few times, I wish I would have shot it on that one. You obviously can’t think about that.”

But while sitting out, he also watched the Hurricanes’ Dougie Hamilton suffer a likely season-ending fractured fibula on a similar play and realizes his sprain was altogether a fortunate outcome.

“It’s pretty much the same thing that happened to [Hamilton]. I got lucky,” Strome said. “I stood up and . . . I just felt weak. Yeah, I thought I broke something. I thought I broke my tibia or fibula, or one of those around my leg. Didn’t feel good.”

Coach Jeremy Colliton said the Hawks will have a better idea Friday of Strome’s availability for Saturday, but the center is clearly returning soon.

The fact Brandon Hagel was not recalled Wednesday from the AHL alongside Dennis Gilbert demonstrates confidence in that, and Strome skated on a line in practice with Alex DeBrincat and David Kampf.

Strome’s return will be another huge boost for the forward corps, which saw Drake Caggiula and Brandon Saad return from injuries shortly before the All-Star break and make immediate impacts. Other than Strome, Andrew Shaw is the only other attacker on injured reserve.

“I’m very fortunate it was like 10 or 11 days off,” Strome said. “That’s probably five or six more games. Good timing, I guess, if you’re going to get injured right before the All-Star break.”

Chicago Sun Times LOADED: 01.31.2020 1173652 Chicago Blackhawks Seventy-four percent voted that they believe the team will be better in three years.

That’s likely due to the abundant youth on the roster, ranging from Surveys indicate Blackhawks fans approve of Jeremy Colliton far more established young core members Alex DeBrincat and Dylan Strome to than Stan Bowman high-pedigree rookies Adam Boqvist and Kirby Dach to breakout star A series of Twitter polls on Wednesday revealed some interesting Dominik Kubalik. majorities in the fan base entering the season’s stretch run. Most fan bases throughout the NHL would probably be similarly optimistic about their team’s long-term trajectory, though, and obviously not all will follow through. By Ben Pope Jan 30, 2020, 6:55am CST Chicago Sun Times LOADED: 01.31.2020

The Blackhawks finally will reconvene after the All-Star break and their bye week on Thursday in Arizona, prepping for their game Saturday against the Coyotes.

That game will begin both the 32-game stretch run of the season and an exhausting February schedule which packs 14 games, including 11 on the road, into the month.

So a lot could change in the coming weeks. But for now, the Hawks and their fans are idle in the eye of the storm, making it a good time to gauge the opinion of the fan base.

A series of Twitter polls Wednesday each garnered several hundred votes, providing a sufficient sample for the overall population.

Here are the major takeaways:

• Jeremy Colliton’s approval rating isn’t great, but Stan Bowman’s is far worse.

In a surprising twist, 48 percent of fans said they support the coach, while a mere 28 percent offered the same support for the general manager.

Colliton is just two partial seasons into his NHL coaching career and has been lightly booed before every game at the United Center for months, but he’s barely in the red.

Bowman, meanwhile, has held his position for more than a decade, but his heavy trade activity in recent years has included a few moves that have alienated some fans. The Henri Jokiharju-Alex Nylander swap of last summer is one that has generated an increasing wave of social- media vitriol lately.

• Fans are nearly unanimous in favor of Robin Lehner over Corey Crawford.

The Blackhawks’ salary-cap situation for this coming offseason, and the two goaltenders’ expectations for fair and sizable contracts, make it very likely that only one of the two will stay in Chicago beyond this season.

If it does come down to a choice, a whopping 91 percent of Hawks fans would prefer retaining Lehner over Crawford, the longtime franchise cornerstone.

Considering Lehner’s terrific play and overnight popularity, as well as Crawford’s somewhat declining results and injury history, Lehner’s victory in the poll is hardly shocking. The landslide, however, is eye-opening.

• Playoff optimism is roughly in line with the actual odds.

After early results showed a slight majority were confident in the Hawks’ playoff chances, the crowd’s realism took over and shifted the final results. Eventually, only 43 percent believe in a postseason berth.

That number is intriguingly close to the team’s actual odds of making it, which stood at 39.8 percent according to MoneyPuck (or 35.9 percent per Hockey-Reference) entering Wednesday.

If the Hawks don’t make the playoffs, though, fans would prefer wholehearted tanking, presumably in search of the highest possible draft pick. Sixty-five percent said they’d prefer the Hawks to finish last in the West, rather than just below the cutoff line in ninth, even though the latter result likely would inspire more confidence entering the 2020-21 season.

Unfortunately, the Kings, Ducks and Sharks’ struggles make the Hawks’ odds of finishing 15th quite low.

• Long-term optimism still abounds.

Despite the relatively negative approach to the rest of this season, Hawks fans remain on board with the long-term vision of the franchise. 1173653 Chicago Blackhawks

Kane and the Blackhawks visit the Coyotes

By Associated Press

Chicago Blackhawks (24-21-6, sixth in the Central Division) vs. Arizona Coyotes (26-21-6, fourth in the Pacific Division)

Glendale, Arizona; Saturday, 8 p.m. EST

BOTTOM LINE: Patrick Kane leads Chicago into a matchup against Arizona. He's ninth in the NHL with 63 points, scoring 25 goals and recording 38 assists.

The Coyotes are 16-12-5 against conference opponents. Arizona has scored 32 power-play goals, converting on 19.8% of chances.

The Blackhawks are 6-7-2 against opponents from the Central Division. Chicago has scored 24 power-play goals, converting on 15.6% of chances.

In their last meeting on Dec. 12, Arizona won 5-2. Vinnie Hinostroza recorded a team-high 3 points for the Coyotes.

TOP PERFORMERS: Christian Dvorak leads the Coyotes with a plus- eight in 53 games played this season. Taylor Hall has totaled five goals and six assists over the last 10 games for Arizona.

Kane leads the Blackhawks with 25 goals and has recorded 63 points. Jonathan Toews has recorded 16 points over the last 10 games for Chicago.

LAST 10 GAMES: Blackhawks: 6-4-0, averaging 3.7 goals, 6.5 assists, 2.9 penalties and 5.8 penalty minutes while allowing 2.6 goals per game with a .914 save percentage.

Coyotes: 3-5-2, averaging 2.8 goals, 4.8 assists, 3.3 penalties and 6.6 penalty minutes while giving up 3.2 goals per game with a .897 save percentage.

INJURIES: Coyotes: Oliver Ekman-Larsson: day to day (lower body).

Blackhawks: None listed.

Daily Herald Times LOADED: 01.31.2020 1173654 Chicago Blackhawks

Forward Strome back as Hawks return to practice

John Dietz

Forward Dylan Strome, who has missed seven games with an ankle injury, practiced with the Blackhawks in Arizona as the team prepares to take on the Coyotes on Saturday.

Strome was injured during a 2-1 loss to Calgary on Jan. 7.

"Felt pretty good out there," he told reporters afterward. "Obviously you don't want to miss games. ... I haven't missed too many games in my hockey career. This year I've already missed 11."

The other four came when Strome was out with a concussion from Nov. 26-Dec. 2. Strome has 10 goals and 20 assists on the season.

"Obviously frustrating not being out there with the guys and helping the team win," he continued. "The guys have been playing well, so you want to get back as soon as you can. But at the same time you don't want to hurt it more."

Coach Jeremy Colliton was hopeful that Strome could practice again Friday and then play against Arizona.

The Hawks have been off since dropping a 4-3 decision to Florida on Jan. 21. They're hoping the break did them some good, but they also realize there's no easing back into things with just 31 games remaining.

"When you take yourself out of something that you've been doing every day for months and months -- you kind of let your hair down ... and the wind goes out of the sails a little bit," Jonathan Toews said. "It's nice that we have (two days) to get our minds back in the grind to be ready because we know it's going to be a tough game Saturday. ...

"We don't want to miss a beat getting back at it."

Slap shots:

Jeremy Colliton said Andrew Shaw is still suffering from concussion symptoms and there is no change in his status. ... Zack Smith did not practice Thursday. ... Arizona defenseman Niklas Hjalmarsson, who missed three months with a fractured fibula, returned on Jan. 12 during a shootout loss to Pittsburgh.

Daily Herald Times LOADED: 01.31.2020 1173655 Chicago Blackhawks

After flurry of key injuries, Blackhawks getting healthy at the right time

By Charlie Roumeliotis January 30, 2020 7:30 PM

GLENDALE, Ariz. — The Blackhawks were decimated by injuries during the first half of the season and most of them were key pieces to the puzzle, particularly on the back end, which included Duncan Keith, Connor Murphy and season-ending injuries to Calvin de Haan and Brent Seabrook.

But the Blackhawks are starting to get healthy at the perfect time.

Drake Caggiula missed 27 games with a concussion and has five points (three goals, two assists) in seven games since returning to the lineup. Brandon Saad, who missed 12 games with a right ankle sprain, also came back before the NHL All-Star break and didn't skip a beat, scoring two goals in three games.

And now they're hoping for the same from Dylan Strome, who practiced with the team on Thursday in Arizona for the first time since suffering a right ankle sprain on Jan. 7 that's forced him to miss seven games. It’s unclear whether he’ll play on Saturday against the Coyotes, but it’s a positive sign that he was a full participant.

“I think a game’s a lot different than a practice,” Strome said. “Try to push it pretty hard tomorrow. Felt pretty good out there, did a lot of skating. It’s an injury where you just don’t want to make it worse. I tried to skate a few times after it happened and didn’t really help it. Felt OK to walk on, but the skating's just a different story. Took some time off, got the right treatment, feels pretty good now so happy about that.”

Strome initially thought he broke his leg on the play. But the MRI showed no structural damage and it was ruled by team doctors as a sprain, which was a huge sigh of relief for Strome, who admitted "I hate missing games more than anyone."

"I got lucky," he said. "There's no way around it. You see Dougie Hamilton [who suffered a fractured fibula two weeks ago], it's pretty much the same thing that happened to him. I got lucky. Whatever it was, it just didn't feel good right when it happened. ... It felt like something wasn't right. I was walking around with my stuff off right after it happened. Tried to push on it and see if I could go back out there. I was limping pretty good. Obviously the right thing to stay off it and recover."

Fortunately for the Blackhawks, Strome should be back in the lineup soon to help balance out the four-line rotation as they look to climb back into the playoff race.

The lengthy break may not have come at an opportune time from the standpoint the Blackhawks have won 11 of their past 16 games and five of their last six, but it allowed the players an opportunity to heal up and that's probably the most important part. Now it's picking up where they left off.

"Our focus is to try and find that rhythm again," Jonathan Toews said. "It's like anything you do, you take yourself out of something you've been doing every day for months and months, you kind of let your hair down a little bit and the wind goes out of the sails a little bit. So, just got to find a way.

"It's nice that we have today's practice and tomorrow to get our bodies ready and our mind back in the grind to be ready because we know it's going to be a tough game Saturday. Arizona's having a couple games before that, so they'll be ready too, but we don't want to miss a beat getting back at it."

Comcast SportsNet.com LOADED: 01.31.2020 1173656 Chicago Blackhawks Comcast SportsNet.com LOADED: 01.31.2020

Who could Blackhawks part with at trade deadline?

By Scott King January 30, 2020 7:16 AM

As the bye week ends, the Blackhawks are in an interesting spot with less than a month until the Feb. 24 trade deadline.

They're three points out of a wild card spot as of Thursday and have won five of their past six games. With the team showing signs of improvement, it's best for GM Stan Bowman to wait until the deadline and see where they're at in the standings, which is what he said he plans on doing.

Given the tight wild card race in the Western Conference, one bad stretch could have them changing from buyers to sellers. Keep in mind Chicago also has $13.8 million in cap space (according to Cap Friendly) and has the option of taking on bad contracts to acquire draft picks.

The season had been up and down, which is why the Hawks have been usually around a .500 team, until the recent five-game winning streak.

The Blackhawks have gotten great goaltending from both Robin Lehner and Corey Crawford in the last stretch and for majority of the season. With the way Lehner has played and what he's meant to Chicago, he could be a Vezina Trophy finalist for the second straight year.

Lehner and Crawford both become unrestricted free agents after this season. Robin has said he enjoys being with the Blackhawks, but doesn't want to take a discount. It's possible that if the Hawks are out of the playoff picture at the deadline Lehner could be dealt.

It was reported the Carolina Hurricanes, a past trade partner with the Blackhawks, were very interested in Lehner and you can bet they're not the only ones. Crawford has a modified no-trade clause this season and believes he can still be a starter moving forward.

With how well Lehner has played for the Blackhawks, it's likely they'll hold onto him at the deadline and do what they can to keep him after this season. They have been thinking about their goalie depth for the future and handed Rockford IceHogs (AHL) goalie Matt Tomkins a two-year, two-way contract.

Brandon Saad's name always seems to come up around the trade deadline. Saad, who has a modified no-trade clause before becoming an unrestricted free agent after next season, has been one of the Hawks' most consistent players this year. The winger has 21 points (13 goals, eight assists) in 39 games and has proven to be effective anywhere in the lineup with no signs of slowing down. I expect those number to increase; it would be wise not to trade him away again.

The likeliest trade bait remains defenseman Erik Gustafsson. Rookie Adam Boqvist has shown he's capable of being Chicago's puck-moving defenseman of the future and has shown glimpses of how effective he can be quarterbacking the power play.

The Blackhawks' offense, led the always reliable Patrick Kane, a surging Jonathan Toews and a red-hot rookie in Dominik Kubalik, doesn't need much help. As mentioned, the goaltending is solid; so the area to improve is on defense.

A lot of teams would trade for a puck-moving D-man with a scoring touch like Gustafsson. The 27-year-old's production is down a tad from last year's 60 points (17 goals, 43 assists). He has 24 (six goals, 18 assists) in 50 games this year.

Defenseman Slater Koekkoek, who was in and out of the lineup earlier this season, has looked solid in seven consecutive games. Prospect Ian Mitchell recently told the Chicago Sun-Times he plans on signing with the Hawks after he finishes with the University of Denver this season.

That being said, the defense has shown signs of improvement since losing Brent Seabrook (right shoulder, right hip) and Calvin de Haan (right shoulder) for the rest of the season.

The stability a top-four defenseman could provide is still something the Hawks need. We'll see if Bowman and Co. try to make it happen, which would command more than just Gustafsson or another lineup player, or stand pat at the deadline. 1173657 Colorado Avalanche

Sans Nathan MacKinnon, the Avalanche returned from nine-day hiatus to prepare for road trip

By MIKE CHAMBERS | January 30, 2020 at 7:41 PM

Amid an 11-day break between games, the Avalanche gathered for the first time in nine days Thursday for a relatively long, two-sheet practice at Family Sports Center.

With the exception of leading scorer and lone 2020 NHL All-Star Nathan MacKinnon, all players were present and cleared to play. MacKinnon, coach Jared Bednar said, had a “big All-Star” weekend and was taking the day off, but will be at practice Friday morning before the team departs for a five-game trip beginning Saturday at Philadelphia.

Bednar said he is not concerned about how his well-rested team will play against the Flyers.

“I might have had some concerns, depending on we came out and practiced today but I loved our practice,” the coach said. “Great energy. Physical. Competitive. Lots of talk, chatter on the ice. Which just tells me the guys are mentally rested and they’re ready to go. Physically rested, I know we are, for sure, after the time off. I know we had some skate. We can’t have a mandatory skate but there were guys skating over the break together, which is nice. So they’ve been taking care of themselves, got some time away, and we’ll be on the ice (as a team) three times before we play Philly. I think there’s no reason why we shouldn’t be excited for the stretch run.”

The long break was especially beneficial to winger Joonas Donskoi, who has missed the last five games to recover from a concussion. Donskoi was cleared for contact before the break but he and the team decided to make his return Saturday for precautionary reasons.

“I feel great. Super excited. It was hard to be out,” said Donskoi, who was injured Jan. 7 at the New York Rangers. “Feels like forever since my last game. I just can’t wait to get back.”

Donskoi practiced Thursday on a bottom-six line with center Tyson Jost and left winger Matt Nieto. Donskoi has been a top-six guy for the Avs but Bednar wants to take his return slowly based on how the team played without him — going 3-0-2 on a five-game homestand.

“I really liked the way we finished the homestand. I like the line combinations we had. And now, he’s pushing a month of being out,” Bednar said. “So we’ll probably start him there, and then, everything is subject to change.”

Colorado has 33 remaining games in the 82-game regular season. The Avs (28-15-6) entered Thursday’s games tied with Vancouver for second in the Western Conference with 62 points, with two games in hand over the Canucks. Colorado also has played two fewer games than conference-leading St. Louis (70 points).

The Avs came in No. 6 in the NHL.com’s Super 16 rankings Thursday, largely based on their consistency over the first four months off the season. They rallied to finish 5-2-2 in January after going 7-5-2 in December. They were 8-2-2 in October and 8-6 in November during a stretch without several key players including top-line wingers Mikko Rantanen and Gabe Landeskog.

Footnotes. The Avs began breaking in their new sky-blue Stadium Series breezers (pants) Thursday. New breezers, to be worn Feb. 15 against the Los Angeles Kings at Air Force’s Falcons Stadium, are typically stiff and there’s usually a break-in period. … Colorado has one glaring weakness right now — the power play. The Avs are just 2-of-25 (8 percent) in their last eight games.

Denver Post: LOADED: 01.31.2020 1173658 Colorado Avalanche “I’m a disher. I’m a passer,” the Colorado Avalanche All-Star told The Denver Post. “I’ll get 70 assists but not 50 goals.”

Denver Post: LOADED: 01.31.2020 Avalanche Insider: Vegas sportsbook gives Avs second-best odds to win Stanley Cup after All-Star break

By KYLE FREDRICKSON and JEFF BAILEY

The long-awaited return of NHL hockey following the All-Star break is almost here, and if you ask the oddsmakers at sportsbook Bovada, only two teams have a better chance to hoist the Stanley Cup than the Colorado Avalanche.

Here are Bovada’s updated frontrunners to win it all with 32 regular- season games left this season (sidenote: sports betting becomes legal in Colorado starting on May 1).

Tampa Bay Lightning: +800

Washington Capitals: +800

Colorado Avalanche: +900

Pittsburgh Penguins: +900

Boston Bruins: +1000

St. Louis Blues: +1000

The Avalanche (28-15-6) are currently second in the Central Division standings with 62 points behind the Blues (70). Colorado broke out of an early January losing spell to win their last three games, and the Avs return to action Saturday at the Philadelphia Flyers to begin a five-game road trip.

But can we just fast forward to the playoffs already? Colorado is a legitimate Cup contender looking to bring it home for the first time since 2001. Winning the division and securing home-ice advantage in the postseason will be critical. Now, it’s time to find out if this Avs team is for real.

— Kyle Fredrickson, The Denver Post

What’s on tap?

At Philadelphia Flyers, 5 p.m. Saturday, ALT

Colorado Avalanche center Nathan MacKinnon (29) in the third period of an NHL preseason hockey game Thursday, Sept. 19, 2019, in Denver. Dallas won 2-1.

Chambers: Why Avalanche’s Nathan MacKinnon is the mid-season NHL MVP

Nathan MacKinnon is on pace to win the Hart Trophy for the very reason he finished second in the NHL MVP voting in 2018. Read more…

John Mitchell (7) of the Colorado ...

Seth McConnell, The Denver Post

John Mitchell (7) of the Colorado Avalanche eyes the puck as he takes a face off against Alan Quine (10) of the New York Islanders during the first period at the Pepsi Center in Denver, Colorado on Oct. 6, 2017.

Avs podcast: Former Colorado center John Mitchell, making a deal for Henrik Lundqvist and more

Denver Post hockey writer Mike Chambers sat down with former Avalanche center John Mitchell and some of Chambers’ long-time hockey buddies after a recent beer-league skate in the latest episode of Traffic In Front of The Net. Listen here…

Andy Cross, The Denver Post

Nathan MacKinnon (29) of the Colorado Avalanche, and Mikko Rantanen (96) of the Colorado Avalanche celebrate with Gabriel Landeskog (92) of the Colorado Avalanche after Landeskog scored a goal against the in the first period at the Pepsi Center January 14, 2020.

Keeler: Don’t look now Connor McDavid, but Avs star Nathan MacKinnon is gaining on you 1173659 Colorado Avalanche “I think he’s just one of those ultra-competitive guys that if he’s interested in something, he’s not just satisfied with being average,” said Avalanche forward Matt Nieto, who is MacKinnon’s “Fortnite” partner. “He’s a guy Keep it 100? Yeah, Nathan MacKinnon does that and then some that will do whatever it takes to be good and that’s why he’s so good in hockey and he is like that in video games as well.”

And for those wondering, Nieto said MacKinnon does not hide in the Ryan S. Clark Jan 30, 2020 bushes in “Fortnite.”

Now rewind about 36 or so hours before that team practice at UBC. That was the evening the hockey world witnessed MacKinnon reinforce his Everyone within the Colorado Avalanche’s dressing room knows Nathan leadership role in what might have been the most public of settings in his MacKinnon possesses this innate need to both win and to win all the career. MacKinnon was extremely vocal with how officials did not stop time. play when Avalanche forward Matt Calvert was trying to stop a shot only And it has been that way ever since he was a child. to inadvertently block the puck with his head in a 5-4 overtime win over the . “Nathan is the most competitive person I have ever been around,” said Halifax Mooseheads assistant coach Jon Greenwood, who coached MacKinnon netted the game-winning goal but was rather open with how MacKinnon when he was a youth back in Nova Scotia. “The overall the situation was handled. He praised Calvert for being one of the competitiveness he had at 11 or 12 years old was noticeable. In any toughest players he has seen in his career while further stating that fault team sport when you have someone that competitive, it’s contagious and lies with the league — not the referees — for the rule itself. MacKinnon everyone sees he wants to win that much and how badly he hates to said these things on “” and again with reporters lose. That rubs off on your teammates and, through osmosis, everyone in the dressing room after the game. becomes that way.” It proved to be a moment when he seamlessly accepted the mantle of Imagine that. MacKinnon, an offensive juggernaut already at 12, and also what it meant to be the team spokesman — along with alternate captain more competitive than everyone else on the ice. and defenseman Erik Johnson — at a time when Landeskog was still recovering from a lower-body injury. He’s no longer a child running dominion over Atlantic Canada. Nor is he the quiet 18-year-old who was still learning the nuances of an Avalanche “Once you get more comfortable, I think guys get a little bit more dressing room when he first broke into the NHL. He is now a full-blown comfortable in the locker room,” Johnson said. “Then when he became superstar who — at 24 years old — has made an annual habit of one of the better players in the league, I think that made him more challenging for a place to be one of the premier players in the league. comfortable and then, he started getting more vocal.” Many believe MacKinnon is one of the primary reasons the Avalanche Johnson and Landeskog, the team’s longest-serving players, each have the potential to develop into the NHL’s next long-term Stanley Cup- recalled what MacKinnon was like when he joined the franchise after caliber dynasty. being the first pick of the 2013 NHL Draft. Avalanche center Nathan MacKinnon ranks third in the NHL at the All- “I think it was a progression for him,” Johnson said. “It was about getting Star break with 72 points, fourth with 30 goals and sixth with 42 assists. more comfortable and then he kind of took off from there.” (Isaiah J. Downing / USA Today) Landeskog said any young player who enters the league is naturally Having the ability to create magic with a few strides and a flick of his quiet at first. He said MacKinnon, though, had a swagger while he was wrists has helped MacKinnon reach this stage. So has making establishing himself. accountability a central theme. He has balanced in-your-face intensity with an approach that teammates have found to be respectful. “A few years ago, after the 16-17 season, we kind of felt the same way, like enough was enough,” Landeskog said of the team that finished with “That’s just the way he is. He demands a lot of himself,” Avalanche the worst record (22-56-4, 48 points) in the salary cap era. “We wanted captain and star left winger Gabriel Landeskog said. “He puts in to establish ourselves as a good team in the league and as a team that countless hours to prepare himself to make sure he is as good as he can could win a Stanley Cup. He’s really taken it upon himself to be the best be and that’s what he expects from his teammates as well. He expects he can be and pull all the other guys with him.” that from his coaches. He expects that from the rest of the organization. That’s why he’s so important for the team because he demands Here’s the thing. MacKinnon does not just shoot off unfounded opinions. everybody is at their best. It pushes everybody and holds everybody There is a process in how he is constantly observing his surroundings. accountable. Sometimes, he has a funny way of going about it by being a bit aggressive. Food and monitoring what his teammates eat being evidence. The Avalanche conduct monthly body fat tests to ensure players are being “But I think it gets guys on their toes and ultimately, if he’s taking care of responsible with their eating habits. himself in the best possible way, nobody else is going to want to cheat.” MacKinnon is one of those players who could pass just off the eye test Greenwood remembers how a young MacKinnon already had the alone. He is cut to the point every part of his upper body is defined with wherewithal to notice when a teammate could have done something his shoulders being sculpted in a manner similar to that of Los Angeles different or better on a particular play whether it be in practice or a game. Clippers superstar forward Kawhi Leonard. He would speak up to encourage his teammates to shoot instead of passing it to him if they had a better look at the net. So he clearly cares about what he eats and has no problem letting teammates know he’s also watching what they consume. In practices he always wanted to keep score. With everything. All the time. Drills. Mini-games. Whatever. Although Johnson quipped how MacKinnon will have junk food from time to time. MacKinnon is still like this. There are times when fourth-year Avalanche coach Jared Bednar will end practice with some sort of game that “When he sees you eat something that he doesn’t like, he lets you know MacKinnon is always trying to win. Perhaps the strongest example came it’s better to not have that,” Avalanche forward Andre Burakovsky said. earlier in the season when the team practiced at the University of British “He’s definitely on a couple guys about diets and what’s the right thing to Columbia. Bednar had the defensemen take on the forwards in a variety eat before games. He wants 100 percent from everyone and that’s of drills. preparation on the ice, off the ice, everything. He wants 100 percent all the time and that’s the guy you need to be looking after certain guys to So what did MacKinnon do? He told the forwards, “We’re not losing!” only make sure they do the right things and being prepared in the right way.” to have star rookie defenseman Cale Makar score a goal within seconds of that declaration. This season, in particular, has generated more examples of the imprint MacKinnon has left on some of his teammates. The defense ultimately won the competition and MacKinnon went to Bednar in an attempt to plead his team’s case. But Judge Bednar just MacKinnon urged Burakovsky to shoot more after he had studied his smiled and chuckled. teammate’s metrics over the summer. The 15 goals Burakovsky scored before the All-Star break are two shy of matching his career-high. He’s “Still, to this day, he tries to get the most out of himself and never seems on pace for 27 goals and a personal-best 151 shots. satisfied.”

“Sometimes, he’s on you on the bench when you make a mistake and The Athletic LOADED: 01.31.2020 guys are not happy about hearing it from someone else,” Burakovsky said. “But I think you have to listen to the message. I think he’s always trying to help guys to be better and more successful. That’s a guy you need on your team. That’s a guy who is going to lead the way. That’s a guy who is going to lead the way in the playoffs too. I think you have to listen to the message because he knows what it takes. He knows how to be professional.”

Calvert was also extremely open about the role MacKinnon has played in what could end up being the 30-year-old winger’s first 20-goal season. He said MacKinnon pushed him to change his diet while adding how the superstar center’s ability to drive teammates is one of his greatest strengths as a leader. MacKinnon said he chirped at Calvert a few times while adding, “I’m not going to take credit for that. He’s doing that out there.”

“He’s in your face about it and that’s his style, but he wants to win so bad,” Calvert said. “If you have a guy who is in your face but doesn’t back it up with his play or with the work he does on and off the ice, then guys should take it the wrong way. But the way he prepares and the way he does everything, he’s ready to go every night. You better be ready to go every night too.”

Then there is the impact he has had with Makar. From the minute Makar joined the Avalanche’s roster, MacKinnon has been one of his biggest supporters.

When they’re on the ice, at morning skate or during practice, the two always seem to be talking — sometimes a few words, sometimes more.

Any interview MacKinnon does about Makar usually includes at least one reference to how he feels the reigning Hobey Baker Award winner is already one of the best defensemen in the NHL.

“He’s a very intense individual and he’s a perfectionist by nature. And I’m a pretty big perfectionist as well,” said Makar, who could be the first Avalanche player to capture the Calder Trophy since MacKinnon in 2013- 14. “He’s going to get on you when things don’t go our way or his way. But, at the end of the day, he means well. I think it just shows his leadership. He’s very intense and wants to win so bad that competitiveness just shines through. I would say that is his main leadership trait.”

Landeskog offered insight into how MacKinnon fits within the Avalanche’s leadership dynamic. He said the team has adopted a “leadership by committee” philosophy to make sure more than just one or two players have a voice. The goal, he said, is to harness what each player provides and channel it in a way that allows everyone to be effective.

Johnson said players do not need to wear a letter on their sweater to take a leadership role. That includes those brought in by general manager Joe Sakic and his front office staff over the last few offseasons like Calvert, Ian Cole and Nazem Kadri, experienced voices who help sustain the winning culture.

Burakovsky said everyone within the dressing room has the freedom to speak up and share their thoughts during any team meeting.

“Different guys bring different things,” Johnson said. “It’s Nate’s team. It’s Gabe’s team. I’ve been here a long time now. It’s a good dynamic. I think everybody contributes and it’s not just three guys leading the way. It’s a bunch of guys that are doing the right things and saying the right things when they need to be said.”

MacKinnon’s growth is a part of that and Greenwood saw those tendencies at an early age.

He said MacKinnon’s overall talent and drive separated him from other high-end players back home.

And those traits continue to serve him well as he becomes one of the NHL’s best players and a contender for the Hart Memorial Trophy.

“One thing you can say about Nate is that he is genuine,” Greenwood said. “What you see in him at 24, that’s what he was at 11 or 12. Of course, there was less maturity on a smaller scale back then. But he did not get to the NHL and change who he is. He has always had that drive and those expectations and is certainly not faking anything. That’s what he was and having that genuine personality has helped him as an athlete to still have that personality. 1173660 Columbus Blue Jackets Blue Jackets star Sergei Bobrovsky in his return and getting help from Werenski, who had his first career hat trick.

Merzlikins has gone 9-2-0 in 11 post-Korpisalo starts, including his first Blue Jackets' current run is both memorable and improbable NHL shutout Jan. 11 at Vegas, which he celebrated in true Elvis style by strumming his goal stick like a guitar and striking a dance pose.

Brian Hedger The Columbus Dispatch Jan 30, 2020 at 5:30 AM It was his first of back-to-back shutouts and three shutouts in four games, earning recognition as the NHL's second star of the week and rewarding the Blue Jackets for not acquiring a veteran to replace Bobrovsky — or Korpisalo. It was remarkable and improbable. “I'm happy for him,” Tortorella said after the shutout within steps of the In the span of 22 games from Dec. 9 to Jan. 22, the Blue Jackets saved Las Vegas Strip. “It's Elvis winning his … he has a shutout in Vegas. I a season on the brink of collapse. They won 16 games, earned 36 of 44 mean, that should be your headline.” available points and went 16-2-4 to go from 11 points back of a playoff spot into the Eastern Conference's first wild card entering their annual Happy returns mandated break, a period that for them was matched up with the NHL All-Star weekend. Vegas kicked off the current winning streak. Victories followed against Boston (again), Carolina (for a third time in as many meetings), New Also, there were injuries. Yet as they piled up — affecting up to 10 Jersey (again), the New York Rangers and Winnipeg. regulars in the lineup — so did the victories. The Blue Jackets began finding a way in just about every game and clawed their way back into Merzlikins started all but one, ceding the net once to fellow rookie Matiss the playoff chase with 31 games to go once the schedule resumes Kivlenieks, who made 31 saves Jan. 19 at the Rangers to earn his first Saturday at the Buffalo Sabres. win in his NHL debut against former Blue Jackets star forward Artemi Panarin. There were so many memorable moments that they deserve a review. Other standout moments included a late winning goal for captain Nick 'Embarrassed' and driven Foligno against the Hurricanes, a 41-save shutout for Merzlikins against the Devils, Bemstrom being accused of thuggery — after an accidental After a lackluster loss Dec. 7 at the Florida Panthers, the Jackets mishap that left Bruins goalie Tuukka Rask with a concussion — and rebounded with a 5-2 rout of the Washington Capitals on the road. returns from injury by Atkinson and Bjorkstrand. Rather than building on it, though, they stumbled again Dec. 12 at Pittsburgh. Atkinson had three goals and four points in his first two games back from a high ankle sprain, and Bjorkstrand had consecutive two-goal games. Despite the Penguins missing five players to injury, including stars Sidney Crosby and Evgeni Malkin, the Jackets were outplayed and lost “We're not going to let it slip, certainly not after the momentum we've 1-0 in overtime, stealing a point thanks to Joonas Korpisalo's 31 saves. carried here the last little while,” Foligno said after the Winnipeg win. “Now, enjoy the break.” There was a team meeting in the locker room after the game, and coach John Tortorella didn't hold back after practice the following day. Improbable run? Absolutely.

“It's the most embarrassed I've been for our organization,” he said. “This Also, remarkable. isn't just about players. This is about an organization. I'm embarrassed for the organization.” Columbus Dispatch LOADED: 01.31.2020

He wouldn't be for long. The Jackets went 15-2-3 in their next 20 games, including a five-game winning streak from Dec. 16 to 23 and a current streak that began Jan. 11 and stands at six wins.

Insult to injuries … to winning

The game after the Pittsburgh debacle was at Ottawa. It also ended with an overtime loss.

The Senators won 4-3, the winning goal completing a hat trick for Anthony Duclair, a former Blue Jacket who was part of a trade last season for disappointing rental forward Ryan Dzingel. The Jackets also lost three players to injuries in that game — Sonny Milano, Josh Anderson and Ryan Murray — just two games after losing rookie Emil Bemstrom to a rib injury.

Things weren't great, but the Jackets had put together points in three straight games and then ran off five straight wins — shutting out Washington before downing Detroit, Los Angeles, New Jersey and the New York Islanders, all before Christmas. They also lost three more players to injuries — Andrew Peeke (against Detroit), Cam Atkinson (Los Angeles) and Oliver Bjorkstrand (New Jersey) — plus David Savard missed a game while sick.

Elvis earns top billing

It shouldn't have happened, but it did.

Elvis Merzlikins shined as the starting goalie, pushed into the role when Korpisalo suffered a torn meniscus in his left knee during a controversial shootout loss to Chicago on Dec. 28 at Nationwide Arena.

The shootout never should have happened, but an error by the clock operator wiped out what would have been a winning goal by Zach Werenski right before time expired in overtime. Instead, a shootout followed, Korpisalo was hurt, and Tortorella was fined for his postgame remarks about the mistake.

But Merzlikins seized his opportunity. He electrified Nationwide Arena with 36 saves on Dec. 31 for his first NHL victory — outplaying former 1173661 Columbus Blue Jackets Pierre-Luc Dubois would love to see the Blue Jackets adopt goal songs. In fact, he’d probably change his up every other game. “I think we need more goal songs, more everything, more personality,” Dubois said.

‘What would your goal song be?’: Blue Jackets pick the tunes, we spin And while he says he’d probably stay in the realm of “old-school dance the … playlist songs like you listened to when you were 8 years old and played video games,” his initial selection would be “Hey, Baby” by DJ Otzi.

By Alison Lukan Jan 30, 2020 Sonny Milano is another player who’d be in favor of player-specific goal songs. He hadn’t seen the San Jose story but he loved the idea. “That’d be cool, are they doing it? That’d be sick.” His song choice? “Mind Mischief” by Tame Impala. When San Jose announced earlier this month that it was going to have player-selected goal songs, the news didn’t just grab the attention of It took a few days for Adam Clendening to make a choice. He knew he those who follow the Sharks. Multiple Blue Jackets players saw the wanted to pick a country tune but he wanted it to be something upbeat announcement and the concept has caught fire in post-All-Star Game that goes with hockey. When he finally settled on a song, it was “Country play. Girl (Shake it for Me)” by Luke Bryan. The defenseman’s criteria? It has to be funny for people in the stands, be an entertaining song and get HE FINALLY CHOSE HIS GOAL SONG! AND IT’S PERFECT I everyone going. CAN’T WAIT!!! Then there was Gustav Nyquist,who made the critical error of saying he’d — CHRISTINA MARLEAU (@C_MARLEAU) JANUARY 29, 2020 turn the song selection over to us, “You get to pick.” So immediately, a So with San Jose setting a trend, we thought it’d be fun to ask the Blue player poll was born: “What should Gus’ goal song be?” Jackets players: “What would your goal song be?” Dubois went all in with his selection: “Baby Shark.” Wow.

It was a harder decision than you might think. Many players asked for Boone Jenner demurred on his own song choice but chimed in on extra time to think about it, but for those who could make a decision, the Nyquist’s tune. “I think some Swedish House Mafia is what comes to answers crossed genres, time frames and definitely allowed for some mind for me. ‘Baby Shark’ is a good one, though, I like that one.” fun. Seth Jones was prepared for these questions. He already had to pick Nick Foligno has two goals in his past four games, and after his tally songs for his introductions at this year’s All-Star Game, so he quickly against New Jersey on Jan. 18, he said he had seen the Sharks’ offered that his goal song would be: “Mr. Jones” by Counting Crows. message but needed time to pick a song. He definitely did not want it to “Has to be something with Jones in it.” And he, too, immediately went to be Van Halen’s “Jump,” which was played for him in Ottawa as an Swedish House Mafia for Nyquist. “Those Swedes stick together,” he homage to his dad Mike’s “Foligno Leap.” said with a smile.

The captain held true to his promise, though, and the next day, he Along the same lines, Eric Robinson doesn’t hesitate on his song choice. walked through the locker room with an announcement. It came after the forward saw a fan-made sign during warmups prior to “‘Yellow Ledbetter’!” the Jan. 14 game against Boston. It said, “Here’s to you, Eric Robinson.” So the song of choice? “Mrs. Robinson” and “maybe they could change By Pearl Jam? Why, Nick? the words around a little.”

“Everybody knows it,” Foligno said. It’s also the first Pearl Jam song Extra credit to Robinson who, when asked, said he’d prefer the original Foligno heard after his brother-in-law introduced him to the band. Add in by Simon and Garfunkel over the 1992 cover by the Lemonheads. “Let’s the indistinguishable lyrics, (Foligno says he lost it watching misheard keep it classic.” lyrics videos for the song) and the choice was an easy one for the captain. Like Dubois, Matiss Kivlenieks wanted the option to change his song over time. After all, tastes can change in the time that passes between We’ll leave the numerous attempts from the locker room to sing along to goalie goals. “There are a few songs I like that get you pumped up and this one off the record. you just keep trying to find new songs over time,” Kivlenieks said. “At the end of the day, I don’t have one song I’ll always listen to.” Another player who had a dad influence on his song evaluation? Oliver Bjorkstrand. When Bjorkstrand’s father, Todd, played in Denmark, “Born But the netminder says his song would always be either rap or rock, and in the USA” played after the Americans scored. The younger one song he really likes right now is “Feel Good Drag” by Anberlin. Bjorkstrand’s choice is “Touch the Sky” by Kanye West. Jakob Lilja doesn’t know what his song would be. Probably Swedish rap. Cam Atkinson was caught off guard when pressed to pick a celebration But he joins in the fun on a song selection for Nyquist. “Probably some tune. But after a few minutes of contemplation, he popped out of the half-boring old Swedish song. Abba maybe?” he said with a smile. dressing room with a big grin and his song selection: “Killa Cam” by Cam’Ron, “but just the beginning part.” Natch. One player said he doesn’t need a goal song: Alexander Wennberg. Even though the center saw the San Jose story, he’s good with the Riley Nash, with his ever-present wry humor, selected “We Like to Party!” status quo. “I like the song I have right now — the cannon.” by Vengaboys. Why? “Because it’s catchy and would be good for after goals.” Touche.

On the defensive side of the ice, it was more about artist than song. And for his fellow Swede? ‘Baby Shark’ gets another vote as the tune for David Savard doesn’t have a specific choice as long as it’s something by Nyquist. “It sums up Gus a little bit more than Abba,” Wennberg said with Coldplay or Neil Young. And Scott Harrington wants a Tragically Hip a grin. “He’s pretty much American. Abba is too Swedish for him.” tune. The Athletic LOADED: 01.31.2020 But, few are more creative than Vladislav Gavrikov. The defenseman is already known for his “call me” goal celebration.

And when asked, Gavrikov said the corresponding song would be … wait for it … ‘What is Love?” by Haddaway. Is it a reference to the cheesy film classic, “A Night at the Roxbury”? No. It’s not.

“It’s because when you sing ‘what is love?’ it sounds like ‘Vlad-i-slav!’” Gavrikov says without missing a beat.

No one will ever sing the original lyrics again. 1173662 Detroit Red Wings Detroit Free Press LOADED: 01.31.2020

Why Detroit Red Wings' Robby Fabbri was a perfect fit for Steve Yzerman and the team

Helene St. James, Detroit Free Press Published 6:13 p.m. ET Jan. 30, 2020 | Updated 6:13 p.m. ET Jan. 30, 2020

NEW YORK _ The last time the Detroit Red Wings played at the Rangers, the Wings lost one teammate and gained a fresh face.

Robby Fabbri will play his first game in a Wings sweater at Madison Square Garden on Friday, but he has forged quite the impression since becoming a member of the organization Nov. 6. In that 34-game span, he ranks second on the team with 23 points — one behind Dylan Larkin — and first with five power-play goals. For a team that has struggled as much as the Wings have this season, acquiring Fabbri has been a positive.

“We looked at him and thought, when we traded for him, there was talent there to be a guy who could add some offense to us,” coach Jeff Blashill said Thursday. “He’s been given good opportunity and I think he’s done a good job with it overall.

“He’s smart offensively, he’s got good skill.”

Fabbri drew attention to his skill set in his first game with the Wings, scoring two goals during man advantages when he debuted Nov. 8 against Boston. He has since added eight goals.

“It was more of a matter of getting the opportunity,” Fabbri said. “I knew the work I’d put into coming back from my injuries, the work I’d put back to getting to where I was before those.

“It was a big opportunity coming in. I wanted to make the most of it and not let it slip away. It’s been a good start.”

Fabbri, 23, was drafted 21st overall by the St. Louis Blues in 2014, the same year the Wings grabbed Larkin at 15th overall. (Larkin ranks third in his draft class with 249 points.) Fabbri had a promising trajectory with 18 goals and 37 points his rookie NHL season in 2015-16, but was derailed by injuries to his left knee in each of the following two seasons. By the time he was ready to reboot his career, the Blues had moved on. That led to November, when Wings general manager Steve Yzerman acquired Fabbri in exchange for grinder Jacob de la Rose, a reclamation project the Wings had picked up off waivers in October 2018.

Yzerman and Blashill discussed how Fabbri, who is 5-foot-10 and 190 pounds, could fit before Yzerman triggered the trade.

“Steve comes and says 'this is something I’m looking at potentially, here’s the potential,' ” Blashill said. “The question in any trade is what we have to give up. I liked Jacob de la Rose as a player a lot, I think he’s a real good player. But sometimes you look at your team and say, what do you have a lot off and what don’t you have enough of? We were missing some offensive firepower and hoped that bringing Fabs in could help with that.”

Since joining the Wings, Fabbri ranks second on the team with 67 shots. He has played on the first line with Larkin or second line with Valtteri Filppula, and has been a regular on the power play. He’s made some brutal turnovers — partly reflected in his minus-21 rating — but that comes with being counted on to produce, and Fabbri is working on making better decisions.

“It’s more just picking and choosing when the right time to try something is,” he said. “Just be responsible and not play too high risk. I’ve gotten caught a few times doing that and you learn quick.”

Fabbri doesn’t have the speed to cover for turnovers, but at his best, he’s a tenacious guy with above-average offensive instinct. He’ll be a restricted free agent this summer coming off a $900,000 salary cap hit, and has made a solid case, since the last time the Wings' last trip to New York, for fitting into the rebuild.

“I’d love to be here for as long as I can,” Fabbri said. “There’s a lot of upside in this room. It’s just not getting the results right now, but I feel like you see a lot of upside from guys and where things can go very quick.” 1173663 Detroit Red Wings Forward Tyler Bertuzzi had a memorable All-Star/bye break. Bertuzzi was the Wings’ representative in Saturday’s game, his first All-

Star appearance, and had a goal and four assists during the two 3-on-3 Athanasiou returns to Red Wings practice, hopes to finish season strong games, with the Atlantic Division losing in the final to the Pacific Division.

Bertuzzi also distinguished himself during the skills portion of the weekend. Ted Kulfan, The Detroit News Published 6:12 p.m. ET Jan. 30, 2020 | Updated 4:45 a.m. ET Jan. 31, 2020 “I was kind of nervous going in, I didn’t know what to expect, but it went well,” Bertuzzi said of the All-Star festivities. “I didn’t really know many guys going in. I met a few guys and that made it more comfortable, knowing some guys, getting to know some of them, and it went smooth.” New York — In a season in which there have been few of them, this was a good day for Andreas Athanasiou. Bertuzzi enjoyed the skills competition and game itself.

Recovered from whatever undisclosed injury kept him out since Dec. 29, “I was kind of nervous in the skills competition, but the game, it was just Athanasiou was back on the ice for Thursday’s practice at Madison like any other game,” Bertuzzi said. “It was a lot of fun, just a real good Square Garden, the Wings’ first since ending their week-long All-Star experience for me.” Game/bye break. Also fun for Bertuzzi’s father and brother, who joined Bertuzzi for the After he scored 30 goals last season, there was much anticipation and weekend. expectation for Andreas Athanasiou heading into this season. “They had a blast,” Bertuzzi said, noting his teenage brother Evan had a “Anytime you’re out for a period of time, and you get a chance to get particularly memorable time. “Seeing all those guys (All-Stars) around the back and play with the boys, it’s always fun to be out there with them,” hotel, and being a hockey fan, seeing all those good players surrounding Athanasiou said. him, I was happy I was able to share it with him.”

Athanasiou took part in all the drills and didn’t appear to have any But the best was yet to come. restrictions. Bertuzzi headed to Miami after the game, and got engaged to his Still, coach Jeff Blashill said Athanasiou would not be in the lineup for girlfriend Ashley. games against the New York Rangers Friday and Saturday, the latter at Little Caesars Arena. But Monday’s game against Philadelphia appeared “It was a good week,” Bertuzzi said. a strong possibility. Ice chips “The one thing about Andreas, he’s a real good skater, so it won’t take The Red Wings recalled recalled defenseman Dennis Cholowski and him much to get back and feeling good and getting going,” Blashill said. forwards Givani Smith and Filip Zadina from Grand Rapids. All of them After he scored 30 goals last season, there was much anticipation and played for the Griffins last weekend during the NHL break. expectation for Athanasiou heading into this season. … Blashill said goaltender Jonathan Bernier (lower body) wouldn’t be Athanasiou is a restricted free agent after this season, so there was the ready for Friday’s game, but wouldn’t rule Bernier out for Saturday’s possibility of a big-money contract if there was to be another 30-goal (or game against the Rangers. more) season. … Forward didn’t play in the final game before the break, But just as it’s been a miserable season for the Red Wings’ collectively, but Blashill was optimistic Nielsen would be ready for Friday. Athanasiou has struggled mightily. … The Wings and Rangers are in the same boat, having not played in a He has five goals and 19 points through 36 games, with a ghastly minus- week. Blashill does not want his team to play “loose”. 35 plus-minus rating. “The games coming out of these breaks are generally loose,” Blashill Time spent out of the lineup because of injury has only compounded the said. “We don’t want to play loose. We can’t afford to play loose. We frustration. have to play tight as a group. We’re going to have to try to get as tight as we can be, as quick as we can. “Right now I’m just trying to get back on the ice, and at this point right now, obviously we know where we are (in the standings),” Athanasiou “But we’re all in the exact same boat.” said. “I just want to come back and play hockey with my teammates, play Red Wings at Rangers some good hockey, and just be ready once this injury heels. Faceoff: 7 p.m. Friday, Madison Square Garden “It happens, it’s part of the business, part of the job, so it’s about staying focused and working through it and just trying to become better.” TV/radio: FSD Plus/97.1 FM

Speculation has been building that general manager Steve Yzerman Outlook: The Rangers (23-21-4) have fallen out of the playoff picture might dangle Athanasiou before the February 24 trade deadline. after going 4-6-0 in their last 10. … LW Artemi Panarin (26 goals, 68 points) has been an outstanding free agent signing, but G Henrik There aren’t many Red Wings teams might be interested in acquiring Lundqvist (9-10-3, 3.18 GAA, .907 SVS) has been disappointing this before the deadline, but Athanasiou might be one, because of his age season. (25), goal-scoring ability and potential going forward. Detroit News LOADED: 01.31.2020 But a strong push before the deadline would be needed from Athanasiou, showing he is healthy and still capable of scoring goals.

If the Wings don’t trade Athanasiou before the deadline, it’s more likely they could deal him around the Entry Draft in June, again in an effort to acquire draft picks or a comparable young veteran.

Blashill sees these final two months of the season, or 31 games as an opportunity for the Wings, and Athanasiou, to finish the season strongly.

“There’s a lot of games left,” Blashill said. “You look at what your challenges are ahead of you, it’s the same we have as a team. Let’s do everything we can, and when he gets back, to have a great first game and move on from there.”

Eventful break 1173664 Detroit Red Wings

Yzerman praises Ovechkin after Caps star passes him on all-time goals list

The Detroit News Published 4:14 p.m. ET Jan. 30, 2020

Red Wings general manager Steve Yzerman praised Alex Ovechkin after Ovechkin passed Yzerman into ninth place on the NHL's all-time goals list.

Ovechkin scored his 693rd career goal for the league-leading Washington Capitals in Wednesday's 5-4 loss at home against the Nashville Predators.

Yzerman scored 692 goals in his 22-year career with the Red Wings and is now ranked 10th all-time in goals but in no immediate danger of falling out of the top 10.

The only other active player on the list of top 50 goal scorers is San Jose Sharks forward Patrick Marleau, who is in 26th place with 561 career goals.

Yzerman salutes Ovechkin, says he'll join party if he passes Gretzky

"You've had a tremendous career to date, and it looks like you're going strong and might play forever," Yzerman said in the video produced by the Red Wings and sent to the Capitals. "Best of luck and continued success. I really enjoy watching you play and watching you fill in the net."

Before Yzerman signed off, he asked for an invitation to Ovechkin's party if Ovechkin passes Wayne Gretzky (894) for the NHL's all time leader in goals.

"After watching your Stanley Cup celebrations, I want to be invited to your party," Yzerman said.

NHL all-time leading goal scorers

► 1. Wayne Gretzky (894)

► 2. (801)

► 3. Jaromir Jagr (766)

► 4. Brett Hull (741)

► 5. Marcel Dionne (731)

► 6. Phil Esposito (717)

► 7. Mike Gartner (708)

► 8. Mark Messier (694)

► 9. Alex Ovechkin (693)

► 10. Steve Yzerman (692)

Detroit News LOADED: 01.31.2020 1173665 Detroit Red Wings got. But he’s 18 years old and is performing very well in Grand Rapids. It looks like he’s a good, sure-fire piece on defense.

“Veleno could have been in junior hockey, but we advanced him at age Red Wings needed to hit rock bottom for quicker path back to top 19. I would say this time next year he’ll be scoring goals in the American League. I think the biggest problem he has is at 19 (he turned 20 on Jan. 13), he’s playing against guys that are 26, 27, 28. They’re bigger, stronger. He’ll build himself up and I would predict probably two years By Ansar Khan from now he will be a top-nine forward on the Red Wings.”

Teams need to get lucky occasionally with mid- to late-round picks (third The Detroit Red Wings’ rebuilding efforts, launched at the 2017 trade round or later). The Red Wings have had only two since 2006: fourth- deadline, when they were sellers for the first time in a quarter century, rounders Nyquist (2008) and Andreas Athanasiou (2012). could take longer than anticipated. Too many bad contracts The Red Wings emerge from the All-Star break and their bye week on Every team has bad contracts. The Red Wings have their share. pace for one of the three-worst seasons in the franchise’s 94-year- history, based on points percentage. Holland, not wanting to risk losing to free agency players he believed could help the team maintain its playoff streak, signed several veterans They have 28 points, 13 fewer than the next-worst NHL team. That’s a to long-term deals that haven’t performed up to their pacts – including 45-point pace, which would be their lowest total since 1985-86 (40) and Jonathan Ericsson (six years, $25.5 million) in 2013, Justin Abdelkader the fewest points for a non-expansion club in 22 years (Tampa Bay had (seven years, $31.5 million) in 2015, and Darren Helm (five years, $19.25 44 points in 1997-98). million) in 2016. “They’re not pretty and they’re not fun and we’re at rock bottom,” Red They also had an expensive free agent bust in Stephen Weiss, someone Wings senior vice president Jimmy Devellano said of rebuilds. former coach Mike Babcock lobbied extensively to sign but was bought It’s a painful process for the organization and fans, and while some would out after two years of a five-year, $24.5 million pact. And Frans Nielsen, argue it should have started sooner, the Red Wings have done right by signed to a six-year, $31.5 million deal in 2016, shortly after Pavel bottoming out for higher draft picks and more selections. Datsyuk returned to Russia with a year remaining on his Red Wings deal, has not panned out. After several years of making moves geared toward extending a 25- season playoff streak that included four Stanley Cup championships, The Red Wings will trim several veterans from their roster after the former general manager Ken Holland dealt assets for futures in each of season (perhaps some at the trade deadline). The list includes players in the past three years. the final year of their contracts (Mike Green, Trevor Daley, Jimmy Howard and Ericsson). They might opt to buy out a player or two “How it happened was when we decided, Kenny and I, three years ago, (candidates include Abdelkader, Nielsen and Helm). to start to acquire draft picks, we traded (Tomas) Tatar, (Gustav) Nyquist, (Nick) Jensen, (Petr) Mrazek, (Tomas) Jurco, (Riley) Sheahan,” This will clear cap space and roster spots for younger players. Devellano said. “When you do that you weaken the team because all One of Yzerman’s priorities in free agency was to not sign anyone for those players are NHL players. Now we’re at rock bottom. more than two years (Valtteri Filppula, Patrik Nemeth). That could be the “We would do it all over again. We couldn’t make the playoffs with those case again this summer as the rebuild continues. players, but they wouldn’t have us in last place either. It’s something we Devellano said there are several potential unrestricted free agents that had to do, but it really makes this year very painful. could improve the team next season but there will be plenty of “Now we have to slowly build up. We got to hope that some of these draft competition for them and the best players might be reluctant to join a picks start to blossom.” rebuilding organization.

Too many picks didn’t pan out “Pre-cap in the Mike Ilitch Era we could do it by overpaying,” Devellano said. “We can’t overpay now because of the cap. So, the job Ken Holland Because of their success, the Red Wings drafted at or near the bottom of had (in the cap era) and Steve Yzerman has now is much harder than the first round for 25 years, and several times they dealt their first-round the one I had, significantly harder. pick to help their Stanley Cup push (Brendan Shanahan, Chris Chelios, Dominik Hasek, Robert Lang). “When I took over, 16-of-21 teams made the playoffs. Steve Yzerman takes over when 16 out of 31 make it. It’s a much tougher situation we They had no selections in the top 20 from 1992 to 2004. They have had face now.” only three top-10 picks since 1992, all in the past three years. Examples of hope All of their top picks from 2005 to 2012, some of whom were taken in the second round, had minimal impact or were busts: Jakub Kindl, Cory Two of the NHL’s worst teams of the past 35 years experienced Emmerton, Brendan Smith, Tom McCollum, Landon Ferraro, Sheahan, remarkably quick turnarounds. Jurco and Martin Frk. After the Red Wings finished with 40 points in 1985-86, Devellano hired “There’s not a lot of good news, but there is some good news,” Jacques Demers as coach. The team nearly doubled its point total the Devellano, the club’s GM from 1982-1990, said. following year (78) and reached the Western Conference finals the next two seasons. That team had a young superstar in Yzerman that would go The Red Wings have had better luck in recent drafts. Beyond the on to become a Hall-of-Famer. established core of Dylan Larkin, Anthony Mantha and Tyler Bertuzzi, Devellano is high on Filip Hronek and Filip Zadina on the current roster. More recently, the Colorado Avalanche had the worst record in the league in 2016-17 with 48 points and nearly doubled that total the “There is no doubt (Hronek) is going to be a top-four defenseman,” following season (95 points), reaching the playoffs as an eighth seed. Devellano said. “Right now, he’s probably our best defenseman. Filip Zadina has eight goals, that projects him to probably be a 25-goal scorer, “If we get first pick in draft, that could be us, we could be Colorado,” so he appears to be ready.” Devellano said.

The Red Wings need some of their top prospects with the Grand Rapids Winger/center Alexis Lafreniere of Rimouski of the League is Griffins to pan out, a group that includes Evgeny Svechnikov, Dennis widely expected to be the first pick in the June 26 draft. He could be a Cholowski (recalled just before the break), Michael Rasmussen, Joe game-changer for the Red Wings. Veleno and Moritz Seider, who Steve Yzerman selected sixth overall in Problem is, regardless of how historically bad their season might turn out, 2019 in his first draft as Red Wings GM. they would have only an 18.5 percent chance of winning the draft lottery. “Steve Yzerman, with his first pick, it appears it’s going to be very, very They would have a 50.6 percent chance of dropping to fourth in the good,” Devellano said. “Seider is going to be a top-four defenseman. The order. only thing we can’t tell you about him is how much offensive upside he’s “He’s like an Yzerman, (Mario) Lemieux, (Sidney) Crosby, that caliber of player,” Devellano said. “Problem is we live in a lottery system and the only thing we know is we’ll be drafting 1, 2, 3 or 4.

“When you get a franchise player, it moves the rebuild up much quicker.”

When Yzerman was hired in April after nine years with the Tampa Bay Lightning, the first eight as GM, he stressed patience.

He has supported coach Jeff Blashill while seven teams have fired their coaches since November (five for team performance). Yzerman and Devellano believe Blashill is a good coach in a difficult situation. He will finish the season. Yzerman might even exercise Blashill’s option and bring him back next year.

Even if the Red Wings land the top pick, they have many holes to fill on a roster that ranks last in many key categories. They need more help on defense in addition to Seider. They need a franchise goaltender moving forward.

But Devellano is pleased with the direction of the franchise.

“I’m optimistic,” Devellano said. “I think we’ve done the right things.”

Michigan Live LOADED: 01.31.2020 1173666 Detroit Red Wings SETTLE THE GOALIES Calvin Pickard

So many injuries. Jimmy Howard and Jonathan Bernier have been What to look for from Griffins the rest of the season sidelined at separate times, and it’s been a distraction in Grand Rapids. Calvin Pickard, who signed a two-year deal in an attempt to get his once- stellar career back on track, hasn’t had much of a chance. He has been By Peter J. Wallner recalled four times, and not just for emergency purposes. He’s appeared in three games with the Red Wings, which have not gone well (15 goals

allowed). Everyone in the AHL is looking for a good stretch run, including the Here’s his season in a nutshell: He finally got some me-time in goal in who have to figure out if they’re the team from the January, started five of six games and became the AHL Player of the past 10 games - and be encouraged - or the one most games before that Week. The Red Wings called him up the day of the announcement, he - and prepare for an early April. allowed five goals in a relief appearance and then was sent back to The Griffins resume the season Friday after the all-star break - hardly the Grand Rapids where he was recognized to the crowd his first game back halfway point with 30 game remaining - with points in eight of 10 (6-2-0- as player of the week. Process that. 2) to pull themselves from the bottom of the Central Division. It’s gotten Getting Pickard settled is important, because the Griffins aren’t sure what them to fifth (20-20-2-4). to do otherwise. December signee Kevin Poulin and long-time The Griffins are nonetheless in good position to extend the franchise organizational player Pat Nagle have had moments, but neither was postseason streak to seven seasons, but there’s not a lot of wiggle room. intended to be the backup. That was going to be Filip Larsson, and he’s The Griffins, with 46 points, are within one point of third, while the had no fun. He struggled early (4.01 GAA in seven games), went to the Milwaukee Admirals and Iowa Wild remain out front with 68 and 58 ECHL and then was sidelined a month before reassigned to Toledo this points, respectively, 11 points ahead of everyone else. week. Given the still high hopes for him, the organization might settle for more confidence and experience with the Walleye the rest of the way. If you’re looking to be encouraged, Griffins have beaten the Admirals and Wild the past three times combined. SCHEDULE

To make inroads they will need help up top, which is funny because that The Griffins finally got some momentum in January, thanks to a just doesn't happen in the AHL. But at least if the Red Wings stay healthy it completed eight-game homestand, the longest in nearly 14 years. The would reduce the shuttle between Grand Rapids and Detroit (The Red rest of the way won’t be so easy. They play seven of 12 on the road in Wings recalled or assigned a player to Grand Rapids 69 times by the all- February. March is better with seven of 12 at home with two four-game star break). homestands, the second leaking into one of five games in April to wrap up the regular season. Here's some points to follow as the Griffins head to Iowa Friday. Of the 30 remaining games, 23 are within the division and 12 of those are SAY GOODBYE against teams currently ahead of the Griffins in the standings.

Filip Zadina Michigan Live LOADED: 01.31.2020 Filip Zadina is congratulated after one of two goals he scored with the Griffins on Friday, Jan. 24. (Sam Iannamico | Grand Rapids Griffins)

A couple key early-season offensive cornerstones are gone to the Red Wings and likely for the rest of the regular season. Filip Zadina definitely and Givani Smith probably.

Keep in mind, both could return if the Griffins make the playoffs. That’d be interesting. Would the Red Wings send them back in April especially if their roles in Detroit expand and they endure a lot? Or would the opportunity to gain experience in the AHL postseason be too tough to pass up?

A couple guaranteed scratches await, however. Based on recent comments from general manager Steve Yzerman and coach Jeff Blashill, prized prospects in 18-year-old defenseman Moritz Seider and 20-year- old center Joe Veleno will get an opportunity up top. It would be no more than nine games - like what happened to Zadina last year- to keep from using up a year’s service time.

It wouldn’t be a surprise, either, if the Red Wings summoned a couple others, most notably former first-round pick Evgeny Svechnikov. The right winger has had glimpses in his first season back from a torn ACL (6- 9-15 in 36 games) and it would behoove the organization to see if he has a future or not in Detroit.

Defenseman Dennis Cholowski is the other. In fact, he’s returned with the Red Wings on Thursday, but because of injuries. He started the season in Detroit before joining the Griffins in mid-December.

WATCHING RAS

Michael Rasmussen

All eyes are on center Michael Rasmussen, a huge piece of the future. The second-year pro with great net-front size (6-6, 230) missed 28 of the first 38 games with an injury, which Red Wings coach Jeff Blashill acknowledged put him behind schedule. Rasmussen believes otherwise, and has five points (2-3-5) in eight games back.

How well he plays, and whether the Red Wings want to give him another dose of the NHL this season, could be the difference whether or not the Griffins make the playoffs. 1173667 Detroit Red Wings Their contracts mean these two are in Detroit to stay. CapFriendly Depth Charts

@CF_DepthCharts Red Wings trade tiers: Who’s tradable? Who’s untouchable? And who’s logical to move? Highest cost per point among forwards signed to a standard contract (min. 20 GP):

Justin Abdelkader - $587,398 By Max Bultman Jan 30, 2020 Frans Nielsen - $411,585

Jay Beagle - $375,000 Don’t hold your breath for a blockbuster trade out of Detroit before the Feb. 24 deadline. Milan Lucic - $358,537

The Red Wings — sitting in last place in the NHL and well into a rebuild Mark Jankowski - $272,358 — are clearly going to be sellers. The problem is that their leading trade chips don’t quite have the same luster as they have in the last couple Loui Eriksson - $252,033 seasons, when the Red Wings were able to turn Tomas Tatar, Gustav Kyle Okposo - $237,805 Nyquist and Nick Jensen into a first-round pick, three second-rounders, two thirds and Madison Bowey. Jeff Skinner - $231,065

With that said, things can change fast. And considering the market as a 695 whole isn’t flooded with star power, all it takes is one team to covet one player to make deadline week (or day) exciting. 12:52 PM - Jan 29, 2020

What follows is an idea stolen from James Mirtle, who stole it from Eric Twitter Ads info and privacy Koreen. I’ve broken up the Red Wings’ roster into tiers, from players who 209 people are talking about this are almost certainly staying put next month, to the player I think makes the most logical sense to move, with shades of gray in between. 2. Not likely, but not impossible

And the fun part about February is: It only takes a couple phone calls to Jimmy Howard (UFA after this season, $4 million cap hit): go from gray to crystal clear. Howard showed a flash of resurgence before the All-Star break, but (Note: There are a few players not mentioned in this article. That’s outside of that it’s been a rough year for him. His .883 save percentage is because I don’t anticipate those players being the centerpiece of a trade, the worst of his career (in seasons in which he’s started more than one but in most cases there would be no major obstacle to including them as game), and by Evolving-Hockey’s Goals Saved Above Expectation, he’s part of one either.) having the worst season of any goalie in the league (-21.36). That’s not an appealing trade target. His last few games before the break were 1. Not going anywhere definite progress, so it’s possible Howard has figured something out. But Dylan Larkin (three years remaining, $6.1 million cap hit): even then … Howard’s contract is a $4 million cap hit, so even retaining half makes him a $2 million hit. It’s not ideal. The face of the franchise gives the Red Wings one of the toughest pieces to get in a rebuild: a top-line center. He’s also the presumed captain in Patrik Nemeth (One year remaining, $3 million cap hit): waiting. Nemeth is the most important defensive presence on the Red Wings with Filip Hronek (one year remaining, RFA, $714,166 cap hit): Danny DeKeyser out, and he is near the top of the league in the even strength defense component of Evolving-Hockey’s Goals Above Detroit’s best young NHL blueliner, Hronek plays 23 minutes a night Replacement. Losing him would be a huge blow to Detroit’s defense, (often more) and is on a 43-point pace as a defenseman. He’s a 22-year- even more so considering he, DeKeyser and Hronek are the only Red old top-four defenseman, and you don’t trade guys like that when you’re Wings defensemen under contract for next season. He could help a in the Red Wings’ position. playoff team, but the Red Wings probably wouldn’t draw the kind of offer to make all those problems worth it. Filip Zadina (two years remaining, RFA, $894,167 cap hit): Darren Helm (one year remaining, $3.85 million cap hit): Zadina seems to have found his groove as a second-year pro. In 26 games, he’s already up to eight goals and 15 points for the Red Wings, Helm has a no-trade clause, though according to CapFriendly it can be which is excellent progress for a player who didn’t turn 20 until late voided because Detroit didn’t make the playoffs last season. In the micro, November. Zadina looks like a big part of the puzzle in Detroit, and the Helm is still an effective bottom-six player, with good speed and strides he’s made even since September point toward him becoming a forechecking ability. With a $3.85 million cap hit and one year remaining, go-to winger in the near future. though, the Red Wings would have to likely retain the maximum 50 percent to even get a conversation going. Are they really willing to pay Anthony Mantha (RFA after this season, $3.3 million cap hit): that much money just to acquire a mid-round pick? I doubt it.

Mantha’s 25, so on a team that’s still years away from contention he Valtteri Filppula (one year remaining, $3 million cap hit): might not be “untouchable” in the truest sense of the word — even if he was Detroit’s best player when healthy this season. But he is still a Down the middle, the Red Wings realistically have Larkin, Filppula and a foundational piece for this rebuild, as the Red Wing with the best shot at bunch of fourth-line centers. That means Filppula is playing a bit higher in becoming a 40-goal scorer. He might have even gotten there this year the lineup than he should have to. He’s nonetheless played fine this had he been able to stay healthy. He’s been out since December and season, and if he could slot on a playoff team’s third line he wouldn’t look may not return until after the trade deadline, so it’s hard to imagine too out of place, but he just left a contender to come back to Detroit and Mantha going anywhere. he does have a no-trade clause, per CapFriendly. Moving him also would leave Detroit with a total void between Larkin and the rest of its centers. Tyler Bertuzzi (RFA after this season, $1.4 million cap hit): Mike Green (UFA after this season, $5.375 million cap hit): Detroit’s lone All-Star, the Red Wings see Bertuzzi as the kind of player who will eventually help them win when it counts. He’s also on pace for Green’s offensive numbers are down this season (he has just 8 points in 27 goals and 57 points, in just his second full NHL season, on a team 41 games) but his defense has actually graded out fairly well and he still that hardly ever scores. That combination makes him pretty hard to can make the right play when he needs to. For a veteran with lots of replace. playoff experience, that should have made him a real trade chip for Detroit. Alas, Green was injured right before the All-Star break, which Justin Abdelkader (three years remaining, $4.25 million cap hit) throws all of that into doubt.

Frans Nielsen (two years remaining, $5.25 million cap hit): Madison Bowey (RFA after this season, $1 million cap hit): Especially lately, Bowey’s been one of the more impactful offensive Entering the season, Athanasiou seemed like the player to watch at this players the Red Wings have at 5-on-5 (though his defense has still deadline, and for good reason. A pending RFA (so not a pure rental) graded out in the negative). He hasn’t gotten much power-play time, coming off a 30-goal season, he should have been one of the most though, which is interesting considering his skill set is arguably best attractive names on the market. But amid a season that’s combined geared to that situation. It’s also a disadvantage for any theoretical trade injuries (he’s played just 36 games) and some tough puck luck (despite a purposes, as it’s tough to pitch someone as an offensive, power-play career shooting percentage over 12, Athanasiou has converted just 5.7 quarterbacking defenseman if you’re not using him much at 5-on-4. percent of his shots on goal this season), it’s not the perfect time to be Either way, though, I don’t think Bowey’s getting moved. He just merited shopping him. a mention here. Now, with that said, NHL scouting departments are smarter than to base Jonathan Bernier (One year remaining, $3 million cap hit): their opinions of a player solely on his last four months, and one NHL executive recently told Craig Custance he thinks Athanasiou could be In theory, if the Red Wings were willing to retain half of Bernier’s $3 worth a first-round pick at the deadline. If Detroit gets that kind of offer, it million cap hit, he could probably provide a steady backup to a should take it, because Athanasiou is in his prime now and could help a contending team on the cheap, with one year of term remaining. That has real contender much more than he’ll be able to help the Red Wings the some value. But trading goalies is always hard (good teams usually next couple seasons. If not, waiting until this offseason (perhaps the already have starters) and when you’re talking about one who may be draft) could be a way to broaden the pool of potential suitors. seen as a backup, the return is not likely to warrant the issues trading Bernier would cause Detroit. 4. The most logical to move

He’s been by far the Red Wings’ best goalie this season (moving him Trevor Daley (UFA after this season, $3,166, 666 cap hit): would open the door for even more demoralizing results down the stretch), and he’s also the only goalie other than their AHL starter, Calvin Probably not the preferred name in this spot if the Red Wings want to Pickard, under contract for next year. If the Red Wings traded Bernier, add picks, since Daley (who’s near the bottom of the league in shot share they would need to sign two goalies this offseason. There are plenty when he’s on the ice) is not going to command a whole lot on the trade expected to be available (including some interesting possible short-term market. But since Daley is a pending UFA with Cup experience, he options like Pavel Francouz, Thomas Greiss and Anton Khudobin), but it remains the most natural candidate to move, even if it means getting just just might be more trouble than it’s worth for the return. a conditional pick in return.

3. Could plausibly move for the right offer For an acquiring team, the motivation is to add a veteran depth defenseman with Cup experience to its locker room. That has some Robby Fabbri (RFA after this season, $900,000 cap hit): potential value even if Daley ends up playing sparingly in the actual postseason. For Detroit, getting some kind of (even conditional) asset out Fabbri is maybe the most interesting case here. On one hand, he of the deal would be reason enough, but it also would clear some lineup represents the biggest trade win of Yzerman’s Detroit tenure so far, after space for the Red Wings to potentially give young defenseman like the Red Wings acquired him for fourth-line center Jacob De La Rose Moritz Seider, Dennis Cholowski and Gustav Lindstrom late-season from St. Louis early in the season. Fabbri, since arriving, has lived up to looks (although you could also argue Daley would be a helpful veteran his mantle as a former 21st overall pick, scoring 23 points in 34 games, presence in the locker room if those players are brought up). Either way: including 10 goals in that span. That’s a great add for Yzerman. A Daley move wouldn’t make headlines, and his market may be slim, but The question now is: Do you extend Fabbri this summer and hope he can it seems like the most natural option of the bunch. keep this up, eventually slotting in as the kind of 20-goal, third-line scorer Cap info via CapFriendly.com; Stats via Natural Stat Trick, Hockey- contending teams always need? Or do you go the route of the one red Reference.com and Evolving hockey paper clip? The Athletic LOADED: 01.31.2020 For those unfamiliar, back in the early 2000s, there was a Canadian man who started out with one red paper clip and traded it for a pen, then traded the pen for a doorknob, then the doorknob for a camp stove, and so on … all the way until he had acquired a house. In this case, by getting Fabbri for a player they once claimed off waivers, the Red Wings have already skipped some steps in that metaphor. But how much further could they take it if they’re willing to gamble and move him again? Because of Fabbri’s injury history, I don’t think the Red Wings could get a first-round pick for him. But is there a contending team that wants a playoff-tested scorer and is willing to give up a different pick or a prospect with real upside? That seems more plausible. If so, how do you weigh that potential against what Fabbri already is?

It’s ultimately a philosophical question. Fabbri is in the Red Wings’ top six right now, and he’s shown enough to think he can stick in the top nine even when this rebuild ends. He’s only 24, so the safe, smart move is probably to take the win and extend Fabbri. But if someone offers a chance at a house …

Luke Glendening (one year remaining, $1.8 million cap hit):

Glendening, in coaching parlance, is the kind of player you win with. Maybe he’s not playing 15 minutes a game on a contender, as he is with these Red Wings, but he could quickly become a playoff team’s new matchup centerman, be a trusted penalty-killer, and also make more offensive impact than he sometimes gets credit for because of his forechecking. He’s also got a palatable $1.8 million cap hit with a year still left and is a respected alternate captain in the dressing room. That’s a lot to sell if Yzerman wants to. But he’s also one of the veterans Detroit should most want its young players watching and learning from, and, perhaps as a result of the Red Wings not playing any meaningful games in a while, he doesn’t always get the leaguewide notoriety to have mass marketability. This isn’t a player the Red Wings should be overeager to move unless they feel like they’re winning the deal, but with Glendening at age 30, it has to be considered an option.

Andreas Athanasiou (RFA after this season, $3 million cap hit): 1173668 Edmonton Oilers “He wanted to (fight) and I respect him for that. I told him before we even dropped the gloves. Now it’s over. I wish that would have happened in the first place and then it would have been done.

Oilers Zack Kassian leaves mark on contract, then Battle of Alberta “I always said he was a good player. I respect him for stepping up to the plate like that.”

Robert Tychkowski Edmonton Sun: LOADED: 01.31.2020

You never know how much you need a guy like Zack Kassian until you need a guy like Zack Kassian.

The Edmonton Oilers have been well aware of this for almost five years now, and that’s why they weren’t willing to let the 6-foot-3, 211 pound winger get away.

So, before the 29-year-old had a chance to entertain any offers on the free agent market, the club signed him to a four-year, $12.8 contract extension Wednesday.

“I’m happy to be here,” said Kassian, who was at the centre of the storm Wednesday night when the Oilers hosted the Calgary Flames. “I love being an Oiler, I love the city, I love the fans, I love my teammates.

“They’re building something special here and I’m happy to be a small piece to that puzzle. More than happy. I’m excited for myself, excited for my family, for my daughter. Life’s good.”

Linemate Connor McDavid likes the contract as much as the Kassians do. Having somebody who can ride shotgun physically while also carrying his weight offensively is a rare commodity in this day and age, so he appreciates having access to one of the few.

“Absolutely, you need those big, tough guys on your team,” said McDavid. “It’s nice to play with one alongside me every night. And there aren’t many bigger and tougher than Zack Kassian, he’s fun to play with.

“He means a ton to our group. He’s vocal guy in our room, brings the emotion and intensity every night. I’m glad that he’s going to be here for a long time.”

The contract works out to a $3.2 million cap hit, a pretty square deal for a player who could have been very attractive on the open market.

“It is good to have him signed,” said head coach Dave Tippett. “He is a really well-liked guy in the dressing room. He is a big, hard player who has a presence on the ice. He wanted to stay here and Kenny (Holland) and him were able to work out a deal. It’s good for both side, as deals like that should be.”

FIGHT! FIGHT! FIGHT!

Not long after agreeing to the contract, Kassian agreed to fight Calgary’s Matthew Tkachuk Wednesday night. As it turned out, Tkachuk was the only person who knew coming into the game that the fight was going to happen. Kassian didn’t find out until their first shift together.

“He wanted to fight right away, but I wanted to keep him guessing a little bit,” grinned Kassian. “I kind of wanted to do it on my terms, I wanted to make him wait a little bit, think about it a little bit. Part of the game within the game. I told him ‘It will come, just wait for it.’

And it did. Not long after Ryan Nugent-Hopkins and Sean Monahan dropped the gloves, Kassian figured it was time.

“After the first fight, I think it got him (revved up),” said Tkachuk. “He wanted in on the action and I said ‘Sure, I’ll do it, absolutely.’”

Tkachuk says he wanted to square up with Kassian more to erase the embarrassment of what happened last time rather than out a sense or responsibility for delivering a couple of controversial hits.

“It had nothing to do with the hits. I just didn’t like getting pummelled at home like I did. A lot of people didn’t want me to do it but I wanted to. So it was just kind of a way for me to stick up for myself and it didn’t have anything to do with owing anybody. It was just doing it for myself there.

“I just wanted to stick up for myself. Every time somebody said ‘Don’t do it,’ it made me want to do it more. So it was fine.”

Kassian isn’t buddies with Tkachuk by any stretch, but he gave him credit for showing up. Finally. 1173669 Edmonton Oilers What about Lagesson? Lagesson is one of three hotshot defencemen from Bakersfield who have

been pushing for NHL jobs over the last few seasons. Ethan Bear and What’s next for Tyler Benson and William Lagesson after being called up Caleb Jones are now in the NHL, and Lagesson joins them with Russell’s by the Oilers? injury. Lagesson was up earlier in the year but played in only two games. The extent of Russell’s injury isn’t known but a seventh defenceman usually gets plenty of work, so it’s likely he will play in the coming weeks.

By Allan Mitchell Jan 30, 2020 He has more of a shutdown style, although Lagesson’s passing is good and he has blossomed offensively with Jay Woodcroft and Dave Manson

coaching him with the Condors since fall 2018. The Edmonton Oilers recalled Tyler Benson and William Lagesson from The Oilers’ pipeline the Bakersfield Condors on Thursday, moves made necessary by injuries that occurred during the 4-3 loss Wednesday to the Calgary Flames. It’s important to note the quality of recalls by Edmonton. Bear and Patrick Russell were feature players on the Condors last season and won NHL To make room, the Oilers placed Joakim Nygard and Kris Russell on jobs in training camp. Jones and Yamamoto got the call earlier this injured reserve, and Nygard might be out of the lineup for some time. He season and have had a positive impact. played seven shifts during the first period but blocked a shot leading up to the end of the period and looked to be in considerable discomfort. Benson and Lagesson are bona fide prospects who are NHL-ready. For Nygard missed the remainder of the game with a hand injury. them, the time is now.

The injury to Russell, who was diagnosed with a concussion, is The Athletic LOADED: 01.31.2020 something of a surprise. He took a hit from Zac Rinaldo, who was called for cross-checking, on a play at 7:54 of the third period. Russell took just one shift after the penalty, suggesting something was wrong at that point.

What do we know about Benson?

Benson, 21, is from Edmonton, so the recall will allow him to return home. He played bantam hockey for the South Side Athletic Club on the way to being drafted No. 1 by the Vancouver Giants in the 2013 WHL bantam draft. In 2014-15, he became a WHL regular, showing great promise with 45 points in 62 games at 16. Benson lost half a season in his NHL draft year because of injury, and the time out of the lineup took him from a mid-first projection to a second-round option; he was ranked No. 39 by TSN’s Bob McKenzie on his final list.

The Oilers drafted him at No. 32, passing on some notable junior talent like Alex DeBrincat and Carter Hart.

His junior career was marred by several long stretches of inactivity due to injury. In September 2015, he had surgery to remove a cyst near his tailbone. He played 30 games in 2015-16 and just 33 in 2016-17 before finally playing a complete season in 2017-18. He blossomed in his final junior campaign, posting 27 goals and 69 points in 58 games.

Since turning pro, Benson has been among the top-performing players in his age group. In 2018-19, he was among the five highest-scoring 20- year-olds, joining Drake Batherson, Dillon Dube, Jordan Kyrou and Logan Brown, but was the only one who didn’t see time in the NHL.

Benson had the best age-20 season of any forward in the Oilers organization since 2000.

Oilers fans have been tracking Benson’s progress since he was drafted. In the early days, there was much consternation as DeBrincat and Hart emerged and settled into NHL careers. However, with his strong final season of junior, and a terrific rookie AHL season, attention turned to Benson’s looming call-up.

When Kailer Yamamoto got the call in December, some fans felt Benson should have been the choice.

Now, the date of Benson’s NHL debut and his spot in the lineup are the next big items on the agenda. Benson will likely sit out the Oilers’ game against St. Louis on Friday, and perhaps their game at Calgary on Saturday, too, as coach Dave Tippett reacquaints himself with Benson’s style and ability. Tuesday at Arizona might be a good fit.

As for his spot in the lineup, there are several options. Benson’s range of skills — he is an outstanding passer and has excellent two-way ability — puts him in the conversation for several roles. The Athletic’s Scott Wheeler described Benson as “a driven, puck-pursuit, pass-first winger” who can be useful up and down the lineup.

First blush suggests time on the fourth line with Sam Gagner or Gaetan Haas as his centre. Once he wins the trust of Tippett, it’s possible we see Benson move up the depth chart. Yamamoto’s performance in his first weeks in Edmonton may help Benson get a shot with the Oilers’ top players.

There are miles to go and lots of proving to do for Benson. The biggest hurdle, the recall from the minors, has finally been accomplished. 1173670 Edmonton Oilers so far, with only Granlund falling out of the NHL. Jurco was sent down from Edmonton to Bakersfield and then got hurt, but he showed some good signs in both cities before getting hurt. Day and Malone have played well in the minors. Lowetide: Breaking down the Oilers’ 50-man list at the trade deadline and the changes expected to come How many bets made by Holland will return to the NHL team in 2020-21?

James Neal carved the NHL in the season’s first month, scoring 11 goals in 14 games. He has just eight goals in the 36 games since. Neal’s a By Allan Mitchell Jan 30, 2020 streaky player, so betting against him filling the net over a three-week stretch in the second half is unwise. His lack of even strength production

(seven goals through 50 games) and straightforward buyout cost gives Connor McDavid was added to the Edmonton Oilers’ 50-man list the day Holland some summer options. he signed, July 3, 2015. His current contract expires in the summer of Mike Smith has started 25 games and has a .901 save percentage, 2026, meaning he’ll have been on the team for at least 11 years if things ranking No. 38 among 48 goalies with 20 or more games in 2019-20. He play out as hoped. has a 12-9-4 record and coach Dave Tippett used him heavily during the If Ken Holland is going to be around as general manager through 2026 strong January run leading up to the All-Star break. Still, in a league and beyond, it’s important for him to improve the roster, upgrading the where the average save percentage is .904, Smith’s return for next 50-man list of players under contract. He’ll also need to use cap space season is not secure. His January record (5-0-2 win-loss record, 2.54 more efficiently than his predecessor, something Oilers fans may be GAAA and a .920 SV%) is the strongest bullet point on his current wondering about in the hours after the Wednesday announcement of the resume. new Zack Kassian contract (four years, AAV of $3.2 million). Alex Chiasson’s scoring rates have increased year over year on the It’s the universal challenge for all NHL general managers. Darcy Regier, power play; he’s not scoring as many goals, though, so there’s less the former Buffalo Sabres GM put it this way: “I once asked Al Arbour attention being paid. He was scoring 4.71 points per 60 on the power what’s the secret to building a team? He said no secret, it’s not play a year ago, it’s up to 7.04 per 60 this season. His goal scoring rates complicated. Get good players.” are also up on the power play. Chiasson’s 5-on-5 production is down but his possession numbers and goal differential are rock solid. Using Oilers 50-man on Holland’s arrival expected goals, he has been on a successful line with Ryan Nugent- Hopkins and James Neal (121 minutes, 61.82 expected goals Edmonton’s 50-man list on the day of Holland’s arrival boasted strength percentage) and with Gaetan Haas and Joakim Nygard (55 minutes, up the middle, a promising group of defencemen and a lot of questions 56.93 expected goals percentage). on the wing and in goal. Here are the players who were signed to deals for 2019-20 before Holland’s arrival: Josh Archibald, Joakim Nygard and Riley Sheahan were all mentioned recently in Elliotte Friedman’s 31 Thoughts in terms of possible new Goalies: Mikko Koskinen, Stuart Skinner, Dylan Wells (3) contracts by the organization. No guarantees, but it’s a good sign. All Left defence: Oscar Klefbom, Darnell Nurse, Andrej Sekera, Kris Russell, three men bring something unique to the roster, and in January the 5-on- Brandon Manning, Caleb Jones, William Lagesson, Keegan Lowe, Dmitri 5 offence has been strong. Sheahan (2.88 points per 60), Nygard (2.53) Samorukov (9) and Archibald (2.13) are all posting outstanding scoring numbers over the last seven games. The trio has nine 5-on-5 goals this season, but Right defence: Adam Larsson, Matt Benning, Joel Persson, Ethan Bear, four have come in the last eight games. No one should expect those Evan Bouchard, Ryan Mantha (6) totals to sustain, but one of the key reasons for signing each man was a Centre: Connor McDavid, Ryan Nugent-Hopkins, Kyle Brodziak, Colby lack of scoring in the bottom-six forwards. This group is finding the range. Cave, Cooper Marody, Ryan McLeod (6) Gaetan Haas appears to be a bubble item for Holland and the Oilers. Not Left wing: Leon Draisaitl, Milan Lucic, Tyler Benson, Nolan Vesey, Ostap mentioned in the Friedman piece, he’s playing centre most of the time Safin (5) and currently boasts a 40.9 faceoff percentage at 5-on-5 while scoring 0.99 points per 60 with an expected goal percentage of 50.25 (all at 5-on- Right wing: Zack Kassian, Sam Gagner, Kailer Yamamoto, Josh Currie, 5). I think he’s the only player Holland signed as a free agent that is in Cameron Hebig, Kirill Maksimov (6) doubt.

That’s 35 players, with decisions required on RFAs Tobias Rieder, Jujhar This would mean Granlund, Jurco and Malone are either gone or on two- Khaira, Patrick Russell, Colin Larkin, Joe Gambardella, Tyler Vesel, way deals. Jesse Puljuarvi, Robin Norell and Shane Starrett. Restricted free agents Get good players Jujhar Khaira has had a tough season and earned five healthy scratches Since arriving in April, Holland has added 13 players: James Neal (by over the last 12 games. This is a player who is a supreme penalty killer trade), along with unrestricted players Mike Smith, Alex Chiasson, Josh (ranks No. 3 among forwards over 50 minutes in goals-against per 60) Archibald, Gaetan Haas, Joakim Nygard, Markus Granlund, Tomas who brings much size and strength to a lineup that needs it. He ranks No. Jurco, Riley Sheahan, Logan Day and Brad Malone. Holland signed 2018 7 among Oilers forwards in 5-on-5 goals (0.77) and yet Wednesday night second-round selection Olivier Rodrigue in May and 2019 first-round was his first game since Jan. 9. Why? Khaira looks indecisive, his selection Philip Broberg on July 4 — both contracts became “slide rule” coverage is poor and his 5-on-5 on-ice goal differential is 4-14 since Dec. deals, meaning they don’t count toward the 50-man list for the 2019-20 1. This isn’t some journeyman player added over the summer, Khaira season. was drafted and developed in the system and earned a two-year deal July 1, 2019. He is on the razor’s edge of this roster. Holland retained restricted free agents Jujhar Khaira, Patrick Russell, Joe Gambardella and Shane Starrett. He recently added Caleb Jones, who Patrick Russell earned an NHL job out of training camp and has was coming up on restricted free agency and would have required a new performed well enough to stay with the Oilers all year. He doesn’t bring a contract. lot of offence and his possession numbers aren’t grand, but he has a pile of defensive zone starts (119 to 51 offensive zone starts) and has been All were on the 50-man list previous to his arrival. outscored only 8-10 in 346 minutes. His 5-on-5 goals against per 60 is Edmonton bought out defenceman Andrej Sekera after Holland’s arrival third-lowest on the team. in May. Kyle Brodziak was moved to LTIR. For a new GM with a limited Caleb Jones played so well in Bakersfield and then Edmonton he earned budget and little room to wheel, Holland did a lot of tweaking to the a contract. It’s a sweet two-year deal for Edmonton; Jones has a chance roster. to be an exceptional value contract for both seasons (deal kicks in at the How many will return? beginning of the 2020-21 season).

It’s one thing to sign a bunch of free agents, quite another to have them Shane Starrett has been injured and Joe Gambardella is a fine AHL flourish on the roster. Holland’s summer bets have produced few failures player but Patrick Russell won the job he was shooting for in training camp. He’ll return next year (he has one year left on his deal) and Starrett is RFA and may not be retained because of the large stockpile of and that’s a tell. If things continue in this way, a new deal could come goaltending in the minors. long before free agency opens.

Projected 50-man at the deadline Holland will sign Nurse, Bear and Benning; I expect all three to be in the 2020-21 opening night lineup. Lagesson and Persson, among the other As things currently stand, with Brodziak on LTIR, two slide rule contracts, restricted defenceman, could get contracts, get traded or return to and new deals for Jones and Zack Kassian, here’s the current state of Europe. Chances are Day and Mantha do not return. the Oilers 50-man list (RFAs are * and UFA are in bold): The defence is going to take up a lot of available cap, so look for a bridge Goalies: Mikko Koskinen, Mike Smith, Shane Starrett*, Stuart Skinner, deal on Bear and something reasonable with Benning. Nurse? Oilers Dylan Wells (5); Olivier Rodrigue slide rule fans discuss it daily, my own opinion is that $6.25 million times seven or Left defence: Darnell Nurse*, Oscar Klefbom, Kris Russell, Caleb Jones, eight (the Josh Morrissey deal with Winnipeg) is the outer marker but William Lagesson*, Keegan Lowe, Dmitri Samorukov, Brandon Manning we’ll have to wait for the final numbers. (8); Philip Broberg slide rule The big takeaway is Nurse gets paid, Bear gets a bridge and the Oilers Right defence: Ethan Bear*, Adam Larsson, Matt Benning*, Evan may be looking at another sticky wicket contract two years from now. Bouchard, Joel Persson*, Logan Day*, Ryan Mantha* (7) Lowe and Manning exit, Broberg and fellow SHL defenceman Filip Berglund arrive in Bakersfield. That sounds about right. Centre: Connor McDavid, Leon Draisaitl, Riley Sheahan, Gaetan Haas, Kyle Brodziak (LTIR), *, Markus Granlund, Brad Malone, At centre, I suspect the Oilers sign Sheahan, Haas and Cave, allowing Cooper Marody, Ryan McLeod (10) Brodziak to retire, plus Granlund and Malone to move on to new challenges. The club may add a centre at the deadline. At the lower Left wing: James Neal, Ryan Nugent-Hopkins, Joakim Nygard, Jujhar levels it’s likely Holland cleans out some of the fringe NHL players so Khaira, Tyler Benson, Joe Gambardella, Tomas Jurco, Nolan Vesey*, McLeod can increase his workload in the minors. Ostap Safin (9) On the wings, Jurco and Vesey are long shots to return on the port side. Right wing: Zack Kassian, Kailer Yamamoto, Josh Archibald, Alex Right wing exits might include Gagner, Currie and Hebig. I also think we Chiasson, Sam Gagner, Patrick Russell, Josh Currie, Cameron Hebig*, may be seeing the final days of Khaira as an Oiler, with Josh Archibald, Kirill Maksimov (9) Joakim Nygard and Patrick Russell getting new contracts. Raphael Lavoie is likely to sign and turn pro during the offseason. That’s 48 contracts, and the slides (Rodrigue, Broberg) are added when the new league season begins July 1. One note: Broberg could slide for Here’s what the draft week 50-man list might look like: another season, allowing him to stay in Sweden for another year. The Oilers have traditionally respected player wishes in the past, although Goalies: Mikko Koskinen, Stuart Skinner, Shane Starrett, Dylan Wells, Holland is now general manager and might feel differently. Olivier Rodrigue (5)

Deadline deals Left defence: Darnell Nurse, Oscar Klefbom, Kris Russell, Caleb Jones, William Lagesson, Dmitri Samorukov, Philip Broberg (7) If the Oilers are a buyer at the deadline, some of the restricted free agents could be in play as Edmonton considers dealing. William Right defence: Ethan Bear, Adam Larsson, Matt Benning, Evan Lagesson needs a contract and he needs to be on the roster next fall. Bouchard, Joel Persson, Filip Berglund (6) The signing of Caleb Jones complicates his future. Matt Benning might Centre: Connor McDavid, Leon Draisaitl, Riley Sheahan, Gaetan Haas, be a name in play if Edmonton was selling, but it doesn’t look like that will Colby Cave, Cooper Marody, Ryan McLeod (7) happen this deadline. Left wing: James Neal, Ryan Nugent-Hopkins, Joakim Nygard, Tyler Among roster players and prospects, only Khaira seems obviously Benson, Joe Gambardella, Ostap Safin (6) expendable among the players under contract and his trade value won’t be high at this time. I will also mention Jesse Puljujarvi as being a trade Right wing: Zack Kassian, Kailer Yamamoto, Josh Archibald, Alex piece with value and it’s reasonable to expect a draft pick or two to be in Chiasson, Patrick Russell, Josh Currie, Kirill Maksimov, Raphael Lavoie play from Edmonton. (8)

Projecting the summer 50-man That’s 39 players signed, with room for a college addition (perhaps a mature forward like Parker Tuomie) or the return of Jesse Puljujarvi or A roster snapshot is just that, a glimpse in time that freezes one moment, Anton Slepyshev. while the world goes on all around. Oilers fans saw an example on Wednesday, when Kassian signed a long-term deal with the team. I think Of the 35 names who had 2019-20 contracts the day Holland took over, we’ll see some movement and a few players allowed to test free agency. only two (Milan Lucic, Andrej Sekera) are gone. Change is coming. Additions and retained free agents are in bold. I’m estimating the exit of Lowe, Manning, Day, Mantha, Khaira, Brodziak, Goalies: Mike Smith, Mikko Koskinen, Stuart Skinner, Shane Starrett, Granlund, Malone, Jurco, Vesey, Gagner and Hebig. Olivier Rodrigue (5) Holland’s style, as we are seeing, involves measured moves and rare Left defence: Darnell Nurse*, Oscar Klefbom, Kris Russell, Caleb Jones, transactions. Khaira might have a new address soon. We could see a William Lagesson*, Keegan Lowe, Dmitri Samorukov, Brandon Manning Neal buyout and a Smith extension this summer. It looks more and more (8); Philip Broberg slide rule like the loud noise of July will be a free agent winger who can play with elite skill. It’s a very small list and includes Taylor Hall, Mike Hoffman and Right defence: Ethan Bear*, Adam Larsson, Matt Benning*, Evan Chris Kreider. Any of the three would impact Edmonton’s roster in a big Bouchard, Joel Persson*, Logan Day*, Ryan Mantha* (7) way.

Centre: Connor McDavid, Leon Draisaitl, Riley Sheahan, Gaetan Haas, The Athletic LOADED: 01.31.2020 Kyle Brodziak (LTIR), Colby Cave*, Markus Granlund, Brad Malone, Cooper Marody, Ryan McLeod (10)

Left wing: James Neal, Ryan Nugent-Hopkins, Joakim Nygard, Jujhar Khaira, Tyler Benson, Joe Gambardella, Tomas Jurco, Nolan Vesey*, Ostap Safin (9)

Right wing: Zack Kassian, Kailer Yamamoto, Josh Archibald, Alex Chiasson, Sam Gagner, Patrick Russell, Josh Currie, Cameron Hebig*, Kirill Maksimov (9)

I believe the Oilers may sign Mike Smith before July 1, although there’s plenty of track left in the season and his numbers are below NHL average. Tippett is showing a preference for the big veteran , though, 1173671 Edmonton Oilers arrived or be close to it (Ethan Bear and Evan Bouchard) and that his trade value is highest right now he’s an interesting option. It’s also worth monitoring the status of Matt Benning, with the Oilers having seven top- six defencemen at the moment. He scored a beautiful goal in his first Examining 3 trade deadline scenarios for the Oilers and the tough game back from injury Wednesday, but his $2-million qualifying offer decisions that come with each might still be too dear for the minutes he plays.

Edmonton is tight to the cap but has a few pieces it could deal to even-up the money if taking on a big salary. Sam Gagner, Brandon Manning and By Jonathan Willis Jan 30, 2020 Markus Granlund are all on expiring contracts and count against the cap to varying degrees. That in concert with the ability to retain salary gives the Oilers some flexibility. The competitiveness of the Pacific Division represents a challenge for its five teams in the thick of the playoff hunt. It doesn’t take much GM Ken Holland will weigh all that and more, and then decide how to imagination to picture any of the five making it to the Western final. It also proceed. doesn’t take much imagination to picture any of the five falling to ninth in Selling at the deadline the conference by the end of the regular season. The Oilers have a really decent shot at the postseason, but it’s a good The decision to buy or not could easily make the difference between idea to consider all possibilities and a disastrous slump is among them. It finishing ninth and going into a winnable playoff series. It could also wouldn’t even take that much, really: four of Edmonton’s next six games make the difference between winning the division and landing in the last are against teams in the thick of the playoff hunt, along with one contest wild card slot and getting pushed into a first-round matchup with St. against the Blues and one versus San Jose. That’s followed by a three- Louis. It’s a choice that has to be made before the clock runs out in four game road trip into the old Southeast Division (Tampa Bay, Florida, weeks. Carolina). “Every game is important,” Edmonton coach Dave Tippett said Tuesday, In other words, the schedule is reasonably tough and a December-ish referring to Wednesday’s contest against Calgary. “Your division games swoon (say a 2-7-1 record in these first 10 post-break games, matching are that much more important, and you just have to look at the standings Edmonton’s worst run of the year) would badly wound the Oilers’ playoff to figure that out.” hopes. So much for the generalities of the situation. For the Oilers specifically, Would it injure them enough for Edmonton to sell at the deadline? In all there are additional factors worth consideration. likelihood, yes. Let’s imagine that the Oilers suffer through this worst- From a win-now perspective, Edmonton is gifted with something no other case ordeal, while their various opponents in the West continue winning team in the division can match: a top line centered by Connor McDavid, contests at the same clip they have all season. What would that look like and a second line built around Leon Draisaitl. That’s a lethal one-two one week out from the deadline? punch down the middle, and with some upgrades on the wing it is an A 10-game collapse could be expected to drop the Oilers out of a five- attack which could wreak havoc upon opposing defensive schemes. team race for the division title and into a five-team race for the final A more conservative thinker might point out that McDavid is 23 years old playoff spot. At that point the likeliest outcome would be missing the and Draisaitl 24. They might add that nearly all the important players on playoffs, and the second-likeliest a first-round date with the Blues. In the blue line are young, and that defencemen such as Ethan Bear, Caleb either case a low-key selling approach makes sense under these Jones and perhaps Evan Bouchard will be more ready to contribute to a circumstances. playoff push a year from now, to say nothing of forwards like Kailer At that point the two most interesting player clearly becomes Larsson, Yamamoto and Tyler Benson. Our pessimist could also add that the who would be valued around the league. Oilers’ greatest strength is special teams, and that in the playoffs NHL referees have a habit of pocketing their whistles. Jake Muzzin brought in a first-round pick and two real prospects when he was dealt last year as an affordable two-run rental; Larsson isn’t as good Somewhere between those extremes is a middle path, though it’s not of a player but as a right-shot defender carries a positional premium over necessarily the right one. An aggressive approach which keeps an eye the left-shot Muzzin. Most current scenarios assume the Oilers trade him on the long-term view might prioritize adding players with term left on for an equivalent forward, but if Edmonton slumps like this they’re better their deals, and could result in making the priciest possible addition at a off going the indirect route. Real players carry extra value at the deadline; time of year when the cost of bringing in real players is artificially inflated the play here would be to harvest a rich crop of picks/prospects and then by the limited market. A conservative approach could well lead to making go shopping for a winger in the summer with them. trades with no real purpose, expending useful for futures for players who won’t have any actual impact. Throw in one or two depth pieces—Khaira, perhaps Benning—and the Oilers would be in position to add a reasonable haul on deadline day. Each road is worth exploring in greater depth, though they all start from a shared appreciation of the state of the roster. The whole point of stockpiling futures is to eventually win games, though. Barring a disastrous run that puts the Oilers in a bad position, there’s a The team’s biggest problem is its mediocrity at five-on-five. Positionally, a real chance they could win playoff games this season. That’s when a few changes might help a lot there. The club is weak on the wings and a more aggressive strategy begins to look appealing. top-six forward to play on McDavid’s line would have a ripple effect. Riley Sheahan has played well of late, but an upgraded third-line centre would Buying aggressively at the deadline give Edmonton depth on the attack. Since we probably shouldn’t limit ourselves, it’s worth noting that while Adam Larsson seems to be coming The best player on the trade market was Taylor Hall, and in many ways around after a rough start he still has some of the team’s worst actual he was an ideal fit for Edmonton: a brilliant left wing, especially at five-on- and expected goal differential totals over Edmonton’s last 10 games and five, and potentially a fit for the roster beyond this season. That the Oilers a right-shot defenceman might be a good addition, if one can be had. were supposedly unwilling to deal a first-round pick to land him imply a measure of restraint even if the club takes a relatively aggressive/buying At the other end of the spectrum are the assets available to the Oilers. approach to the deadline. Edmonton has Jesse Puljujarvi, most of its picks the next two years (minus one third-rounder to Calgary, plus one sixth-rounder from Pierre LeBrun suggested one interesting way around that Wednesday. Pittsburgh) and some prospect depth, especially at left defence. Jujhar Referring to Ottawa’s Jean-Gabriel Pageau, he suggested that the Oilers Khaira will have value given what he does well but the Oilers can replace could hedge their bets with a conditional first-rounder. him internally. For example, it’s a second-round pick that can become a first-round pick Contract situations are worth watching, too. Zack Kassian was the if the Oilers advance to the Western Conference final. At that point, the biggest of the pending free agents, but re-signing him immediately before cost of a first-round pick is perhaps justified for that kind of playoff run not the Calgary game resolves his status. There are others. to mention the pick would be No. 28 at best.

Adam Larsson is a year and a half away from the open market. Given Add a prospect like William Lagesson and that deal begins to resemble that his long-term replacements on the right side seem to have either the one Chicago made for the comparable Antoine Vermette in 2015. Ottawa really ought to be able to get a no-strings first-rounder given the The most obvious one would be finding a long-term winger for the top- year Pageau is having, but as LeBrun writes it could be difficult given that six. the most interested teams are in similar positions to Edmonton. That might involve flipping Larsson elsewhere. It would be a calculated That kind of deal would likely be the Oilers’ big expenditure of the risk, with a proactive GM banking that the Oilers could survive his deadline period, but if they’re willing to gamble that much on Pageau it departure the same way they survived his absence, and further that the also makes sense to go after a winger. It might be possible to flip forward coming back will do more to help Edmonton’s specific mix of Puljujarvi for someone with a little bit of term, or Khaira for a lesser rental strengths and weaknesses than Larsson does. piece. There are always secondary winger options available at the deadline and it’s sensible to pursue one with one of Edmonton’s lesser It might involve leaning hard into a deal for a forward under team control trade chips. for several years. Minnesota is uniquely suited as a match in such a trade, with a wealth of left-shooting forwards on the roster and KHL star Trying to handicap which winger would be the best fit there is difficult. Kirill Kaprizov on the way. The Wild have just two regular forwards who Alex Galchenyuk is widely thought to be available. Nashville has a couple shoot right, and only Luke Kunin (24 points in 49 games) is a top-six of interesting options in Mikael Granlund and Craig Smith if it decides to option. sell. At the pricier end of the scale are premium additions with term like Andreas Athanasiou, Jason Zucker and Tomas Tatar, though if That’s perhaps why Jason Zucker’s name is out there once again, though Edmonton went heavily after a third-line centre it would be more difficult the player dealt might be Ryan Donato or Jordan Greenway or nobody at to justify paying a premium for a winger. all. Put together some combination of Puljujarvi, Khaira, defensive prospects and/or picks and the Oilers could muster a pretty decent Given the sheer quantity of winger options, of which we’ve barely package. This might be especially true in dealing with a team like the scratched the surface, it probably makes sense to leave that as an ‘X’ Wild, which has more coming up front than it does on the back end, factor. If the player acquired can play with McDavid, though, in concert having spent just one top-100 pick in its last five drafts on a defenceman. with a Tyler Benson recall and a Pageau trade it would give the club a legitimate chance at icing a three-line attack with a defence-oriented The hybrid approach certainly represents the most probable course for fourth line: Holland and the Oilers. Although it’s possible that Edmonton falls out of the playoff race, the team is in a good enough position to make that That’s a potentially formidable lineup, though it depends heavily on the unlikely, especially in the narrow window prior to the deadline. It’s also acquired winger being good enough to complement McDavid. That’s not possible that the Oilers push aggressively this season, but that would be a huge risk, given that virtually every player to slot in on that top line hits at odds with Holland’s actions both in the summer and over the season a new level playing with the league’s best centre. Benson, meanwhile, to-date. should be able to handle third-line work and might be a very nice complement to Pageau as a capable defensive winger and to Neal as a Whether bold or cautious, the aim will likely be to add in the present playmaker. without subtracting much from the future. That means not paying much and hoping for an out-sized return, or paying more but bringing in players There are a ton of variations along this theme, but most of them consist who will help both immediately and down the line. of the Oilers adding two forwards, something which is certainly possible if they’re both willing to risk their first-round pick this year and capable of The Athletic LOADED: 01.31.2020 convincing Ottawa to part with Pageau, the premier rental centre.

Hybrid approach at the deadline

Somewhere in between those extremes is the more measured tack most people expect the Oilers to take: one in which Edmonton tries to win games this season but does so without sacrificing wins over the next five years.

There’s nothing inherently good or bad about such a hybrid approach. It depends on execution.

Two examples illustrate that point.

In the spring of 2013, Steve Tambellini took a cautious strategy into the deadline. He hung on to his pending free agents and trading a fourth round pick for Jerred Smithson. Smithson, whose main claim to fame based on the post-trade press conference was having won 28 of 38 faceoffs in Florida’s five-game playoff loss the previous season, played a grand total of 117 minutes for Edmonton. It was a trade which exemplified Tambellini’s love of half measures, and he was fired in April by a franchise eager for more decisive action.

That same spring, San Jose’s Doug Wilson contrived to both buy and sell. He dealt third- and sixth-round picks for Raffi Torres and Scott Hannan, while unloading the trio of Ryane Clowe, Douglas Murray and Michal Handzus for six different selections. The Sharks made the playoffs, took the Kings to seven games in the second round, and restocked their prospect cupboard at the same time, despite being three games under .500 when Wilson kicked off the series of deals with the trade of Murray.

There’s nothing inherently wrong with bargain hunting, as Tambellini did, but ideally a GM gives himself a chance at a higher payoff than a fourth- line centre. Galchenyuk, mentioned earlier, is likely to fall into the discount aisle because of his contract. So are players like Mike Green and Evan Rodrigues. That’s a motley trio, but any on from that group might be attractive: Galchenyuk because he’s scored before, Green because he’s buried playing big minutes on an awful team, Rodrigues as a right-shot centre one season removed from 29 points and good shot metrics in a defensive role.

A conservative take on a win now/also win later approach would involve some judicious bargain-hunting. An aggressive take might try for some larger swings. 1173672 Edmonton Oilers Added Oilers captain Connor McDavid: “You’ve gotta give him credit for stepping in and standing in there. Not a lot of guys would do that against Kassian. Ultimately, he was running around, so he’s gotta do that.”

‘Now it’s over’: With a new contract in hand, Zack Kassian ready to move Nugent-Hopkins said he was a “little bit” surprised Tkachuk wanted to on after Matthew Tkachuk fight fight. Kassian said he had no idea what to expect.

But there was never any doubt in Tkachuk’s mind that he wanted to square up and throw down. By Daniel Nugent-Bowman Jan 30, 2020 “It had nothing to do with the hits or anything like that. I just didn’t like getting pummelled at home like I did,” he said. “A lot of people didn’t want me to do it, but I wanted to. It was a way for me to stick for myself. Zack Kassian talked a big game two weeks ago, vowing further retribution against Matthew Tkachuk for a couple of what he called “It didn’t have anything to do with owing anybody or anything. I was doing “predatorial” hits in the last Oilers-Flames matchup. it for myself there. Every time somebody said don’t do it, it made me want to do it more.” The Oilers bruising winger was given an invitation by his Calgary counterpart to back up his words on Wednesday. The two combatants That was the last of the scraps, but the chippy play only intensified from dropped their gloves in the first period for a tilt Edmonton fans were there while the teams traded goals the rest of the way. likewise hoping to see. Tkachuk and Nugent-Hopkins and then Tkachuk and Leon Draisaitl On a day when he also signed a big contract extension, it was pretty pretended to be lumberjacks, using their sticks to chop at the opponent’s much a dream day for Kassian – aside from the 4-3 shootout loss to the leg. The latter two were given slashing calls. Later, Tkachuk even took a Flames. couple runs at former teammate James Neal.

After being suspended two games for delivering repeated left-fisted Alex Chiasson, one of the Oilers goal-scorers, went nose to nose with blows to an unwilling Tkachuk on Jan. 11, Kassian finally got his chance Rittich after the Flames goalie gave him a whack during an Edmonton to duke it out with him. power play. Cooler heads ultimately prevailed.

“Now it’s over,” Kassian said. “I wish that woulda happened in the first The volatility nearly boiled over when it appeared Flames captain Mark place. Then it would have been done. But I respect him for stepping up to Giordano stuck out his leg on McDavid late in the second period as the the plate.” Oiler attempted to skate around the Flames rearguard. McDavid’s left leg – the one with the knee badly injured in the collision with Giordano last With NHL Head of the Department of Player Safety George Parros in April – was the target. attendance to supposedly quell the tension, it was apparent from the start of the game that his presence wouldn’t deter any rough stuff. McDavid, usually stoic and composed, was visibly incensed. He yelled at referee Chris Lee from the bench and broke his stick in frustration. He Oilers supporters booed Tkachuk the moment he hopped over the tried to downplay the incident after the game. boards, jeering him every time he touched the puck. Five minutes into the game, chants of “Turtle” – probably led by the fans wearing turtle “I don’t wanna start a big media circus at all,” he said. “He’s a guy who customs – serenaded to the Flames pest. plays hard and that’s that.”

The Flames scored first at 1:01 with Tkachuk on the ice, no less. The Oilers pushed the game to overtime when Matt Benning, who Tkachuk then offered to do the deed with Kassian after a faceoff in the missed 25 of the last 26 games because of two separate head injuries, neutral zone, only to have Kassian postpone. scored the tying goal with 8:11 left in regulation.

“He said, ‘No, it’s too early,’” Tkachuk said. Benning netted his first of the season when he walked around Flames blueliner Noah Hanifin before beating Rittich. Three games on a “I wanted to do it on my terms,” Kassian said. “I wanted to make him wait conditioning stint with AHL Bakersfield over the bye week showed early a little bit, think about it a little bit. Part of the game – the game within the returns. game. “I had some confidence with the puck and got in a few rushes,” he said. “I just told him, ‘It’ll come. Just wait for it.’” A frenetic overtime session – which saw McDavid paired with Nugent- It turned out that the main event needed an undercard. It came from the Hopkins and Draisaitl with Kailer Yamamoto – solved nothing. unlikeliest sources – the Oilers’ Ryan Nugent-Hopkins and the Flames’ Sean Monahan. Nugent-Hopkins and McDavid both hit the post in the shootout loss.

A couple of slashes and jabs turned into the third NHL fight for the man in But this night was all about Kassian, who also agreed to a four-year, $3.2 blue trunks and the first for the one in the black. million AAV extension in the afternoon.

“You never wanna see a guy like that fight too much. He did a great job “I’m happy to be here,” he said. “I love being an Oiler. I love the city. I there,” Kassian said, the far more experienced punch-thrower with 34 love the fans. I love my teammates. I feel when (GM) Kenny (Holland) regular season NHL fights on his resume. came in with Tipp (coach Dave Tippett), they’re building something special here. I’m happy to be a small piece of that puzzle.” “Monahan wanted to go and Nuge kinda got on quick. He ended up giving it to him pretty good. Nuge can really do it all.” Kassian has enjoyed the most productive months of his career since joining McDavid and Draisaitl midway through last season. Twenty-one seconds later, at 16:35 of the first period and with a faceoff to the right of Flames goalie David Rittich, it was finally time for the big He was held off the scoresheet on Wednesday, his best chance coming boys to go. halfway through the first when he kept on a 2-on-1 and shot right into Rittich’s mitt. However, at 13 goals and 28 points, he’s only two goals There was a roar from the stands as the players’ gloves flew in the air and one point away from tying his career highs. when the puck hit the ice. Tkachuk charged at Kassian, forcing him to back off. He ducked to avoid the Flame and then started throwing lefts. Naturally, playing with Edmonton’s dynamic duo (he’s only playing with Kassian threw an extra punch with his opponent on the ice before McDavid now) suits Kassian just fine. Tkachuk wrestled him down. “Whoever plays with them does well, right? That’s what star players do, “We know Kass can chuck ’em,” Nugent-Hopkins said. “It didn’t last too right? You look around the league; they help players out,” he said. long. I know Kass is probably happy that he got that chance.” “Those two have helped me out on the scoresheet, obviously.

“I respect the guy,” Kassian said. “I always said he was a good player. I “Just being around them every day, you learn from two superstars – their respect him for stepping up to the plate like that.” work ethic, the way they compete, the way they want to win, the will they have. They’re young, but they’re fun to be around. I’m excited to be around them even more now.” The feeling appears to be mutual.

“You need those big, tough guys on your team. It’s nice to play with one alongside side me every night,” McDavid said. “There’s not many bigger and tougher than Zack Kassian.”

That was apparent against the Flames as Kassian got his opportunity to get even with Tkachuk. The fight didn’t end up being much, but it settled the score.

The only problem, in the end, was the score didn’t favour his team.

“My main focus was two points. We came (out) with one,” Kassian said. “I wish we would have got two. But the game out of the break, we got a point. We’ve gotta move forward.”

The Athletic LOADED: 01.31.2020 1173673 Los Angeles Kings UP NEXT The Kings host the Ducks on Saturday night.

“It was a big win for the boys – we definitely needed that one” Alex Iaffalo’s 1st NHL hat trick helps Kings stun Coyotes in overtime Alex Iafallo chats with @CarrlynBathe after his first career hat trick

@LAKings | #LAKingsLive pic.twitter.com/sWmx0y582b By THE ASSOCIATED PRESS | PUBLISHED: January 30, 2020 at 10:32 pm | UPDATED: January 31, 2020 at 12:46 am — FOX Sports West (@FoxSportsWest) January 31, 2020

“You can’t describe it – it’s just such a good feeling. That’s what you play for you know? To see your teammates do well – and he’s just such a GLENDALE, Ariz. — Alex Iafallo scored 24 seconds into overtime, great guy and brings it for us” completing his first NHL hat trick and lifting the struggling Kings to a 3-2 victory over the Arizona Coyotes that ended their five-game losing streak Jack Campbell on Alex Iafallo’s milestone @CarrlynBathe | @LAKings Thursday night. | #LAKingsLive pic.twitter.com/kjFoSKIgPP

Iafallo tied the score with 2:54 left in regulation, then won it moments — FOX Sports West (@FoxSportsWest) January 31, 2020 later. Jack Campbell stopped 26 shots and Anze Kopitar assisted on two “His game speaks for itself. He was all over the puck, he was sharp when goals for the Kings, who got their second win of the month. he shot it… We’re real excited for him”

“Big win for the boys. We definitely needed that one,” Iafallo said. “We’ve Coach Todd McLellan reflects on Alex Iafallo’s role in tonight’s got to clean up some things but it’s a huge win for us and we’re excited win@LAKings | #LAKingsLive pic.twitter.com/bYV9XPtpxX for the next game.” — FOX Sports West (@FoxSportsWest) January 31, 2020 Christian Dvorak gave the Coyotes a 2-1 lead with 56 seconds left in the second period, and Nick Schmaltz also scored for Arizona. But the ALEX IAFALLO WITH THE HATTY @LAKings win, 3- Coyotes lost their fourth straight and are 1-5-2 in their last eight games. 2!#GoKingsGo pic.twitter.com/4ewS552m98

The Kings scored at 8:37 of the first period when the Coyotes couldn’t — FOX Sports West (@FoxSportsWest) January 31, 2020 clear the puck out of their defensive zone. Ben Hutton backhanded a pass to an open Iafallo, whose shot evaded goalie Adin Hill on his stick That's for Alex Iafallo and for the @LAKings #GoKingsGo side. pic.twitter.com/XluUc0YOcU

“I think his game speaks for itself. He was all over the puck, he was — FOX Sports West (@FoxSportsWest) January 31, 2020 sharp when he shot it,” Kings coach Todd McLellan said. “Needed help, though, and his teammates did a real good job, (Dustin) Brown and ONE-TIMER FROM ALEX IAFALLO @LAKings | #GoKingsGo | (Anze) Kopitar, at creating for him. Obviously, we’re really excited for #PuckPickEm pic.twitter.com/igq4bqoJ0L him. He’s played really well all year, but particularly since Christmas.” — FOX Sports West (@FoxSportsWest) January 31, 2020 hit the post with a shot during the Coyotes’ lone power play of Orange County Register: LOADED: 01.31.2020 the first period, and Michael Grabner missed an open look after a Kings turnover in their own zone.

Kessel took a hard hit from Derek Forbort early in the third and was slow to get up. Kessel was taken back to the dressing room but returned shortly thereafter.

Arizona defenseman Oliver Ekman-Larsson used his stick to impede the progress of Austin Wagner early in the second period, and Wagner was awarded a penalty shot. He missed it high and wide.

Ekman-Larsson, the Coyotes’ captain, headed to the dressing room with a lower-body injury late in the second after colliding with Brown. Ekman- Larsson didn’t return, and Coach Rick Tocchet didn’t have an update on his status after the game.

Again the Coyotes missed a chance to draw even when Campbell came out of the net to stop Taylor Hall’s wrister off a 2-on-1 at 6:06 of the second.

The Coyotes finally tied it with Schmaltz’s wrist shot that got by Campbell at 11:22, a moment after the end of an Arizona power play. Schmaltz raised his team-leading point total to 38.

“You’re going to find adversity throughout the season and right now we’re hitting it,” Tocchet said. “But I thought we played a pretty good game … we’ve just got to stick with it.”

NOTES

Kings defenseman Drew Doughty missed his second straight game due to injury. Doughty’s streak of 460 consecutive games played ended Wednesday night in the Kings’ loss at home to Tampa Bay. … The Coyotes played a pregame video tribute to the nine victims of Sunday’s helicopter crash that killed former Lakers star Kobe Bryant and his 13- year-old daughter, Gianna. Fans were asked to light up Gila River Arena with their phones. … Coyotes All-Star goalie Darcy Kuemper was scratched with a lower-body injury and hasn’t played since Dec. 19. He’s been practicing and could return as soon as Saturday against Chicago. … The Coyotes issued a statement after reports surfaced about the team being investigated by the NHL for allegations of physical testing of draft prospects. The club said it was aware of the reports and had discussed the issue with the NHL, with no further comment. 1173674 Los Angeles Kings There was a different connection. All nine had ties to Orange County. Bryant, who often took a helicopter to games while he played to escape the snarl of Southern California traffic, lived in Newport Coast for many years. A smaller but no less significant flower and balloon-laden How the Kings and Ducks honored Kobe Bryant and all the victims of memorial sits outside the family’s gated community. The seven others Sunday’s tragedy that perished — Orange Coast College baseball coach John Altobelli, his wife, Keri, and daughter, Alyssa; Christina Mauser, a mother of three and

coach with Bryant’s Mamba Academy eight-grade team; pilot Ara Lisa Dillman, Eric Stephens and Joe Smith Jan 30, 2020 Zobayan and mother and daughter Sarah and Payton Chester — were all county residents.

“He was really one of us,” said Robert Ercoli of Laguna Beach. “It’s still The last time the Kings played a game at Staples Center was on Jan. 8, kind of a shock. But it’s cool how much the Orange County community is such a long time ago that L.A. Live and Xbox Plaza still had that cheerful really united. Not only to honor Kobe but the other families as well.” post-holiday vibe going. In fact, the holiday ice rink was still there then, drawing a wide cross-section of locals and, presumably, international Ercoli recalled how, as a student-manager for the Gonzaga men’s visitors. basketball team, former players like Ronny Turiaf, Adam Morrison, Robert Sacre and Elias Harris would share stories of Bryant’s legendary On Sunday, it had transformed into an emotional epicenter, a focal point competitiveness. As he spoke while wearing a No. 24 jersey, Ercoli for grieving fans to gather together, finding individual ways, primarily with delighted in how Bryant put up with lesser Laker teammates like Smush flowers, to express their love and admiration for Lakers legend Kobe Parker and Chucky Atkins and matured into a leader in the post-Shaq Bryant and his daughter Gianna, who were killed in a helicopter crash days with Pau Gasol and Lamar Odom. He tried to ignore the television earlier in the morning. Nine lives were lost that morning and nine names and social media but then watched the emotional remembrances from were listed on the electronic screens around L.A. Live. O’Neal and Jerry West.

The feelings of shock and grief were just as palpable on Wednesday What most impressed him was the well-rounded man Bryant had night. Two hours before the Kings-Lightning game, the bustle and become. anticipatory buzz you often see and feel before games in that entertainment district was replaced by quiet reflection and homage. “I’m Catholic and towards the end of his life, that became a bigger part of his life,” Ercoli said. “And how he went to Mass the morning that he Kings fan Jeff Laguna of Rancho Cucamonga, who was in the plaza passed. It was just cool to know that was a part of his life as well.” before the game, called Bryant the emotional center of Los Angeles for the last 20 years. He explained why. Bracamontes felt it was best to wear his jersey to the Ducks game. He has seen the massive crowds at L.A. Live. The sight stirs up his “Watching the Lakers play and going through those ups and down, going emotions. through the growing pains and watching Kobe develop,” Laguna said. “And then feeling the highs with him. There was so much emotion we “I haven’t went to Staples since it happened,” he said. “But I’ll be at a experienced with him. His last game … 60 points. I mean, that was game in two weeks. I haven’t went to pay tribute to him. Not yet. incredible. “To me, I still can’t believe it. It’s so unreal to me. Honestly, I don’t even “One of the reasons people loved him so much was that in a world of so want to go. It’s too much.” many personalities and bad guys, he was a guy that worked his ass off in The Kings and Lakers have always had a special bond. Jack Kent practice. His work ethic was unrivaled in any sport. And I’m a hockey fan. Cooke, the first owner of the Kings, also owned the Lakers. Cooke sold I grew up playing ice hockey. the Kings and the Lakers to Jerry Buss in 1979. “Even as a hockey fan, it transcended that. He transcended all that.” Fast forward to the present. Kings owner Phil Anschutz of AEG still owns That feeling wasn’t limited to downtown L.A. Thirty miles south, the a piece of the Lakers (reported to be one-third) and the home arena Ducks were hosting Arizona in the heart of Orange County. The (Staples Center) of both teams. connection to Bryant and Honda Center is limited to the annual exhibition Kings broadcasting legend Bob Miller, who retired in 2017, was the game that the Lakers would play in Anaheim. And while there was no emcee for a pregame tribute honoring Bryant and the victims from plaza full of tributes to the fallen basketball icon, numerous fans stopped Sunday’s helicopter crash. to snap pictures of an image of a smiling Kobe hugging Gianna frozen on the two large video screens outside the main entrance to the arena. FATHER. SPORTS ICON. WORLDWIDE HUMANITARIAN.

Inside, some yellow and purple Bryant jerseys stood out among those TONIGHT WE REMEMBER KOBE BRYANT, HIS DAUGHTER many in attendance with their usual Ducks-themed sweaters. GIGI & ALL THOSE LOST DURING SUNDAY'S TRAGEDY. “I’ve been wearing my jersey all week,” said Louie Bracamontes, a #MAMBAFOREVER PIC.TWITTER.COM/LYPHRTTBJ3 Whittier resident. “All week. I’ve been wearing my Kobe shoes. — LA KINGS (@LAKINGS) JANUARY 30, 2020 Something to represent Kobe. I’m a diehard Laker fan. Love Kobe. I was born in 94. Kobe was drafted in 96. All I know is Kobe and the Lakers.” The Kings players found their own way to honor Bryant.

Back in L.A., Luis Diaz of Whittier was kneeling on the plaza pavement “The last few days we can all see what is going on around the city,” said with a Bryant jersey next to him. Diaz penned a lengthy tribute to Bryant Kings captain Anze Kopitar during a pregame interview with Jim Fox on on the pavement thanking him for “inspiring this generation of your NBCSN. “The amount of people that came out and paid their respects to people with your hard work, loyalty, dedication and commitment to being obviously one of the greats in the game of basketball. For us, as hockey the best on the court.” He clearly had put a great deal of thought into players, being so many years kind of connected to the Lakers, just next what he wanted to say, and his high school coach helped him craft the door. message. “We felt like we’ve got to pay some sort of tribute. Tonight, every player “I had to come,” he said. “Someone told me that this is the first time (had) a jersey. It’s a little unorthodox for our dress code but we walked in coming over here with sadness, instead of excitement.” with Kobe jerseys. What he meant to us: he was a champion, the ultimate champion. He was known as the Black Mamba, the closer, if you The silence was broken near us when an impromptu chant started, “Ko- will. He was here to win games and to win championships. That’s the be, Ko-be, Ko-be.” Another similar chant erupted behind us. It was ultimate goal in sports.” quickly followed by “M-V-P, M-V-P, M-V-P.” After the game, Kopitar spoke about his emotions. That wouldn’t be the last time hearing the “Kobe” chant on Wednesday night. And it was the same down in Anaheim. A fan belted his name out “I still get choked up, really, at least I did,” he said. “We crossed paths a during a moment of silence as the Ducks paid a somber tribute to all nine couple of times when they were still at (the same practice facility). My victims. Many others throughout the arena joined in unison. The chant favorite thing about him is he wanted to win no matter what. Whether it would be repeated midway through the third period as fans in Lakers was playing hard, or finesse. There weren’t very many nights where he jerseys were spotlighted on the videoboard. took the night off.” The Lightning joined the Kings in honoring the Bryants and the victims of “We’re all united,” he said. “It’s a family. It’s awful but sometimes tragedy Sunday’s tragedy. The players from both teams wore a sticker on their brings about the best of the human spirit.” helmets featuring the Kobe/Gigi heart logo. Kings and Lightning coaches and Kings staffers wore a lapel pin. The Athletic LOADED: 01.31.2020

“Life is bigger than the game and I think we’re all in this sadness together,” Tampa Bay coach Jon Cooper said. “You can see what an icon, and how beloved he was not only globally but in this city.”

Lightning defenseman Kevin Shattenkirk met Bryant over the summer at a wedding at the Resort at Pelican Hill, near Bryant’s home. The groomsmen were in a room preparing for the main event when Bryant walked in.

“I remember feeling like we were little kids, whispering to each other like, ‘There is he is,’” Shattenkirk said. “He actually approached us, said hello, congratulated my friend on the wedding.”

Luke Schenn, who played 43 games with the Kings in the 2015-16 season, used to see Bryant where his seats were near the entrance where Kings took the ice. Schenn would skate by and think, “Wow, I can’t believe that’s Kobe.”

“When I got traded here, you’re just in awe that you are in the same facility, not as the Lakers, but Kobe Bryant,” Schenn said. “You’d come to a Lakers game to see no one else but Kobe.”

Lightning star Steven Stamkos had his own memory of Bryant after he heard of the superstar’s death.

“Well, he scored 81 against my Raptors. That was probably the iconic moment for me,” Stamkos said. “I haven’t had that feeling before. You’re in shock. That it wasn’t really real.”

Ducks center Adam Henrique hails from Ontario, the province that’s thousands of miles away from the like-named city in the Inland Empire. But the nine-year NHL veteran has spent enough time here to see the spell Bryant cast over sports fans throughout the region. His death has only reinforced his meaning to the multitudes.

“Where I grew up, you still know who he is and the magnitude of him,” Henrique said. “He’s a superstar. I was never a huge basketball guy but guys like him, you still know. You see jerseys everywhere growing up. (People) doing the Kobe shot. So many things.

“To see his drive and to hear stories about his drive on a daily basis. Not even just for games but practice days and away from the court. How much he meant to other people, whether it was other sports or other business. And how he carried himself as well and what he represented. To come here, being relatively new to L.A. and the whole area, it even takes that to the next level. Which I probably didn’t even realize.”

Fittingly, the numbers two and four played out within the two hockey games in cities tethered together by Interstate 5.

The Kings would lose, 4-2. But the Ducks got a 4-2 win. And in a twist of fate, Anaheim’s final goal came courtesy of Carter Rowney. He wears No. 24. His goal came on the Ducks’ 24th shot of the game, their 24th home contest of this season.

Days have passed since Sunday’s painful jolt to several families and millions more throughout the world. The pain has especially hit home here. L.A. and Orange County felt as if it had a piece of a luminary to call its own.

“Obviously Kobe Bryant and his family has just an unbelievable positive effect and influence on Southern California,” said Dallas Eakins, the Ducks’ coach. “To honor him tonight, I thought that was incredible right from the players on the ice to what our organization did. More importantly, those fans up there. It was very surreal and somber and humbling standing on that bench during that moment of silence.

“And then for that (Rowney goal) to happen. I’m not sure what to believe sometimes when it comes to religion and things like that. But I do wonder did that happen by accident or was that part of the night? I get goosebumps just standing here talking about it. That it actually happened tonight.”

Ercoli coaches middle school basketball and he noted how some of his kids had played against Payton Chester, who attended St. Margaret’s Middle School in San Juan Capistrano. He reflected on how, in the darkest moments, a community can find comfort in each other. 1173675 Los Angeles Kings We have to find a way to score and keep the puck out of your net. I thought we had some good looks. We have to find a way to find the back of the net in those situations. Overall, pretty good game though.

JANUARY 30 POST-GAME QUOTES: MCLELLAN, ARIZONA Nick Schmaltz, on the loss:

I think our first was pretty good. They got one but I thought we had a lot of chances. I thought we played really well in the second. In the third I JON ROSEN JANUARY 30, 2020 thought we were sitting back a little, maybe just trying to preserve the lead instead of trying to stick it to them and step on their throat and end

it. Todd McLellan, on Alex Iafallo and the team’s performance: Friday, January 31 is an off-day for the Kings. The next practice will be a Team-wise, we did a really good job in coming back. We weren’t very 10:30 a.m. morning skate on Saturday, February 1 in advance of that happy after the second period. We got a little sloppy, the intensity went night’s game against Anaheim. down and it wasn’t where it needed to be, but the third period was exactly LA Kings Insider: LOADED: 01.31.2020 what we needed. Our bench got a little shorter, the lines got shuffled around a little bit, the players responded. As far as the individual player, Alex, his game speaks for itself. He was all over the puck. He was sharp when he shot it. Needed help, though. His linemates did a really good job – Brownie and Kopi – of creating for him, and obviously we’re really excited for him. He’s played well all year, but particularly since Christmas.

McLellan, on the defense as a whole without Drew Doughty:

Well, we played two pretty good teams. We gave up chances, our goaltender saved our bacon a little bit at times, but for the most part they were solid. Used all the D that were available so everybody got an opportunity to play, but make no doubt about it, we’d still like to have Drew in our lineup. He’s a calming influence and certainly a good quarterback on the power play. A penalty killer. But when he’s out, guys have to step up and for the most part they got the job done.

McLellan, on whether the team has been playing consistently but is simply challenged with burying:

No, that’s a good observation. We’ve kind of talked about it all year, especially the media that’s around us. We don’t go away, we’re like teams – we ebb and we flow. We have some bad moments during nights. We struggle to score, we’re getting better at preventing but the team- wide attitude is one we believe we’re getting better and that we’re sticking with things. Nights like tonight pay off. There was a night like last night where we didn’t quite get there. But the belief is that we’re improving and we’re going in the right direction.

McLellan, on the challenges presented by the upcoming trade deadline:

It’s not a surprise to anybody, first of all. So the fact that this team is in transition – it’s been in transition for a year and a half now – it’s not a surprise to anybody. Most of the players that their names are coming up in conversations, we like what they do. We’re happy that they’re part of our organization, and if they continue to be, we’ll be pleased. But the fact is that it’s a business. We’re trying to transition the team and names are going to come up. It’s never comfortable. But I do think, and it’s sometimes not fair but some of the older players understand it. They don’t have to accept it. Nobody does because you’re dealing with families. But I thunk they understand it. [Reporter: Tyler Toffoli would be a perfect example. A guy that you really like, but there’s a reality to deal with here.] Absolutely. Toff’s a tremendous player. I think Toff can be part of the solution as we move forward. It’s not a given that Tyler Toffoli’s going to find a home in three weeks. Perhaps he finds a full-time home here. But what happens between now and then, there’s business that has to be done. He has to make decisions, and the team does, and his job is to play as he has been playing, which is very well. And our job as a staff is to put him in a spot where he can succeed. So far it’s been going pretty well for him and for us.

Rick Tocchet, on how the game got away:

Well they scored. I mean I don’t know what else to say. Guys worked hard but we’re going to stay positive.

Tocchet, on the team’s current struggles:

You are going to have adversity through the season and right now we’re hitting it. We’re having a tough time winning games, we’re right there just needed a play. One or two plays to get that out and we didn’t get it out. The overtime kind of went to the one guy I think, just critical mistakes but I thought we played a pretty good game. We had a couple guys who had a chance at the end to win it, but we didn’t. we just have to stick with it.

Derek Stepan, on how the game got away: 1173676 Los Angeles Kings

GAME 52: LOS ANGELES AT ARIZONA

JON ROSEN JANUARY 30, 2020

Los Angeles Kings 3, Arizona Coyotes 2

Final-Overtime

Preview

Box Score

Ice Tracker

Fox Sports Live Stream

SOG: LAK – 37; ARI – 28

PP: LAK – 1/1; ARI – 0/2

First Period

1) LAK – Alex Iafallo (12) (Ben Hutton, Dustin Brown), 8:37

Second Period

2) ARI – Nick Schmaltz (8) (Jason Demers, Carl Soderberg), 11:22

3) ARI – Christian Dvorak (14) (Taylor Hall, Conor Garland), 19:04

Third Period

4) LAK PPG – Alex Iafallo (14) (Adrian Kempe, Alec Martinez), 17:06

Overtime

5) LAK – Alex Iafallo (15) (Anze Kopitar, Sean Walker), 0:24

Los Angeles Kings (18-28-5) at Arizona Coyotes (26-21-5)

Monday, November 18, 2019, 7:00 p.m. MT

Gila River Arena, Glendale, AZ

Referees: #3 Chris Schlenker, #24 Graham Skilliter

Linesmen: #82 Ryan Galloway, #63 Trent Knorr

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

LAK starters:

LAK scratches:

ARI starters:

ARI scratches:

LA Kings Insider: LOADED: 01.31.2020 1173677 Los Angeles Kings

DOUGHTY IMPROVING BUT WON’T PLAY TONIGHT VS COYOTES; KINGS HOPEFUL FOR SATURDAY

JON ROSEN JANUARY 30, 2020

INSIDERS. Game night. LA Kings-Coyotes (FOX Sports West / FOX Sports GO / LA Kings Audio Network) starts with a 6:00 p.m. PT LA Kings Live pre-game show in which Patrick and I will share some of our Kobe Bryant memories and what he’s meant to us as sports fans, commentators and as dads.

Notes!

— No morning skate today. Todd shared one lineup change, noting that Derek Forbort would enter in for Kurtis MacDermid. I can’t divulge whether it was influenced by his toe-drag and shot on goal or chip-pass to Austin Wagner against Tampa Bay – which is not to invalidate his penalty, however borderline, that led to a sequence resulting in Steven Stamkos’ first goal – but he’s continued to trend in the right direction this season. “We feel very comfortable playing him on any given night. I’m not sure we felt that way at the beginning of the year, but he’s earned our trust and his teammates’ trust. Over and above the penalty last night which happens every now and then he’d been a really solid player for us and we need him to keep improving and not give anything better. I don’t worry one bit about him.”

No word on whether there will be a goaltending change. McLellan didn’t mention one, and Jack Campbell was among the few to take the ice at Gila River Arena. I shared on Twitter that I expected Campbell, but that was simply because it was a back-to-back situation against another playoff team in which they (well, both teams) lost an hour in travel. Wait for warm-ups.

— Arizona will start Adin Hill, who plays deep in net at a lanky 6-foot-6 and formerly wore dark maroon-and-black pads. No, he’s not Mike Smith’s identical twin. He’s actually only 23 and is 2-0-0 in his career against Los Angeles with a 1.92 goals-against average and a .936 save percentage. Brad Richardson (lower-body), Barret Hayton (upper-body) and Darcy Kuemper (lower-body) are on I.R. Antti Raanta backs up. The Coyotes, tied for fourth in the league with a .916 save percentage, are 2- 5-2 on the second half of back-to-back sets, losing six straight (0-5-1). They’re 1-5-1 in their last seven overall, having lost three straight in regulation, but retain the Western Conference’s second Wild Card spot.

— Drew Doughty (undisclosed) didn’t travel and is “at home taking care of himself,” per Todd McLellan. Saturday remains the target. “Indications are this morning that he’s feeling even better than he was yesterday, which is a great sign. Should be on the ice and we’re hoping that he’s ready to play Saturday night against Anaheim.”

— McLellan also shared that he was “deeply concerned” about the 10 days off between games but was encouraged by the execution, speed, pace in the 4-2 loss to Tampa Bay and praised his team’s attention to positioning.

“The problem we’re going to have is trying to explain ourselves not necessarily to the locker room but to people that are watching us and fans. They’re going to go ‘this guy is an idiot.’ But our ability to work on things and then put it into play has been pretty good. And we did work on some things. We saw it improve against Tampa. They ate us alive in Tampa in entries, on rushes, finding the fourth man, poor gap and we improved immensely in that area. We worked a lot on it. It’s just putting all the pieces together on a consistent basis. It seemed like we just attack one area and then we’ve got to go fix something else. Usually you’re probably not good enough when that’s happening, but we’ve got to keep plugging away at it.”

— Tonight’s officials are referees Frederick L’Ecuyer and Dan O’Halloran and linesmen Kory Nagy and Bryan Pancich. LA Kings Live starts at 6:00 p.m. PT. Talk soon, Insiders.

LA Kings Insider: LOADED: 01.31.2020 1173678 Los Angeles Kings able to be there. Unfortunately, my kids were flying out at 5 AM the next day, so they were at home sleeping, but my wife was there, my brother in law, his girlfriend and my father in law. It was a great moment.”

MOULSON HONORED WITH 1,000TH PRO GAME, ALL-STAR As he was named to that evening’s starting lineup, standing on the CAPTAINCY, FOR TERRIFIC CAREER blueline, the Thunderbirds acknowledged Moulson on the PA for his accomplishment, a classy gesture in an away building. Moulson said he had “no clue” the Thunderbirds were planning anything, but was extremely thankful for the acknowledgement…”they did a great job and I ZACH DOOLEYJANUARY 30, 2020 appreciate everything they did.”

As for the game itself, Moulson had one of his best of the season as he Matt Moulson stepped off the bus and onto the red carpet on Sunday scored the game’s final two goals in a 5-2 victory for the Bears. afternoon in Ontario, attending his first All-Star Classic as a professional. “It was awesome, I think I was a little nervous before the game, as much For that moment, as his name was announced and the crowd roared, it as I don’t like to admit it,” Moulson said with a smile. “It was a great felt like Moulson had never left the organization, as his cheers rivaled milestone, not just for myself but for all the people that have helped me those that the Reign players themselves garnered from the All-Star along the way, from family to coaches to friends. It was more teammates, entrances. I obviously wouldn’t be there without my teammates, it was a great thing.”

“I was very appreciative, it was awesome, it was a lot of fun,” Moulson As he reflects back on his All-Star honor, a recognition of the body of said of the ovation on the red carper. “It’s my first time doing this, so it work across his distinguished career, Moulson found himself humbled by was great to come into that welcoming. I had a great two years here, the accomplishments and honored for what the game of hockey has enjoyed every minute, and it definitely brought a big smile to my face.” provided for him.

As AHL President and CEO David Andrews perhaps put it best, as he “I think what you give to the game, it gives back to you,” he said. introduced Moulson the following day at the Hall of Fame induction “Hopefully that means you’re doing things the right way, and I’m just ceremony, “the captain of our Eastern Conference is representing the humbled by it. It’s something that I definitely take great honor in.” Hershey Bears, but by the sounds of the crowd last night, he was LA Kings Insider: LOADED: 01.31.2020 representing the Ontario Reign as well.”

Welcome back to Ontario, @MMoulson! pic.twitter.com/NWN13c8AFY

— Ontario Reign (@ontarioreign) January 26, 2020

And thus, All-Star weekend began, and what an honor and an accomplishment it was for Moulson. The 36-year-old forward had led an AHL team in scoring, multiple times. He had led an NHL team in goals in a season, multiple times, and he had placed in the NHL’s Top-10 leaguewide in goals scored in a season. But he had never been an All- Star.

And, for this past weekend’s event in Ontario, Moulson was more than just an All-Star. Moulson was selected as the captain of the Eastern Conference, representing both his current team, the Hershey Bears, and the AHL on a larger scale. When he got the call from Andrews, he said it was an easy choice to accept.

“Dave gave me a call, I was humbled and extremely honored to accept,” Moulson said. “I was very excited, to be honest with you, it was obviously an easy decision on my part. I was just very thankful that he honored me with the place on this team, it was a good moment.”

As a part of All-Star weekend in Ontario, Moulson volunteered his time to the Loma Linda University Children’s Hospital on Monday morning, as a part of the AHL’s annual community service visit on All-Star weekend, and was honored as a part of the AHL’s Hall of Fame ceremony on Monday afternoon, for his service and success in the AHL. And on top of that, most obviously, he got to participate in All-Star weekend on the ice, with his wife, Alicia, and two children, Mila and George, in attendance.

“To have my wife and kids here is huge,” he said. “I let the kids kind of roam around, they were out cold for the party last night. Hopefully, it’ll be something that they remember for their lifetime.”

The All-Star Classic was the latest honor for Moulson in a week of honors. On Friday evening in Springfield, Moulson skated in his 1,000th career professional game (650 NHL, 350 AHL). The Ontario native played 334 of those games within the Kings organization, spent with Manchester, Ontario and Los Angeles.

Prior to the game itself, Alicia created shirts with Moulson’s chariture on them for his teammates to wear that day. And they looked pretty damn awesome too.

How’s that for a squad pic? Tonight, we are proud to celebrate Matt Moulson’s 1,000th professional game! This morning at the rink, we dressed for the occasion #HBH pic.twitter.com/l3tAfRAsgu

— Hershey Bears (@TheHersheyBears) January 24, 2020

“My wife made some shirts with my caricature drawn on them, with my team wearing them,” he said. “I think the biggest thing was we got the win to make the night even that much more enjoyable, but my wife was 1173679 Los Angeles Kings able to be there. Unfortunately, my kids were flying out at 5 AM the next day, so they were at home sleeping, but my wife was there, my brother in law, his girlfriend and my father in law. It was a great moment.”

MOULSON HONORED WITH 1,000TH PRO GAME, ALL-STAR As he was named to that evening’s starting lineup, standing on the CAPTAINCY, FOR TERRIFIC CAREER blueline, the Thunderbirds acknowledged Moulson on the PA for his accomplishment, a classy gesture in an away building. Moulson said he had “no clue” the Thunderbirds were planning anything, but was extremely thankful for the acknowledgement…”they did a great job and I ZACH DOOLEY JANUARY 30, 2020 appreciate everything they did.”

As for the game itself, Moulson had one of his best of the season as he Matt Moulson stepped off the bus and onto the red carpet on Sunday scored the game’s final two goals in a 5-2 victory for the Bears. afternoon in Ontario, attending his first All-Star Classic as a professional. “It was awesome, I think I was a little nervous before the game, as much For that moment, as his name was announced and the crowd roared, it as I don’t like to admit it,” Moulson said with a smile. “It was a great felt like Moulson had never left the organization, as his cheers rivaled milestone, not just for myself but for all the people that have helped me those that the Reign players themselves garnered from the All-Star along the way, from family to coaches to friends. It was more teammates, entrances. I obviously wouldn’t be there without my teammates, it was a great thing.”

“I was very appreciative, it was awesome, it was a lot of fun,” Moulson As he reflects back on his All-Star honor, a recognition of the body of said of the ovation on the red carper. “It’s my first time doing this, so it work across his distinguished career, Moulson found himself humbled by was great to come into that welcoming. I had a great two years here, the accomplishments and honored for what the game of hockey has enjoyed every minute, and it definitely brought a big smile to my face.” provided for him.

As AHL President and CEO David Andrews perhaps put it best, as he “I think what you give to the game, it gives back to you,” he said. introduced Moulson the following day at the Hall of Fame induction “Hopefully that means you’re doing things the right way, and I’m just ceremony, “the captain of our Eastern Conference is representing the humbled by it. It’s something that I definitely take great honor in.” Hershey Bears, but by the sounds of the crowd last night, he was LA Kings Insider: LOADED: 01.31.2020 representing the Ontario Reign as well.”

Welcome back to Ontario, @MMoulson! pic.twitter.com/NWN13c8AFY

— Ontario Reign (@ontarioreign) January 26, 2020

And thus, All-Star weekend began, and what an honor and an accomplishment it was for Moulson. The 36-year-old forward had led an AHL team in scoring, multiple times. He had led an NHL team in goals in a season, multiple times, and he had placed in the NHL’s Top-10 leaguewide in goals scored in a season. But he had never been an All- Star.

And, for this past weekend’s event in Ontario, Moulson was more than just an All-Star. Moulson was selected as the captain of the Eastern Conference, representing both his current team, the Hershey Bears, and the AHL on a larger scale. When he got the call from Andrews, he said it was an easy choice to accept.

“Dave gave me a call, I was humbled and extremely honored to accept,” Moulson said. “I was very excited, to be honest with you, it was obviously an easy decision on my part. I was just very thankful that he honored me with the place on this team, it was a good moment.”

As a part of All-Star weekend in Ontario, Moulson volunteered his time to the Loma Linda University Children’s Hospital on Monday morning, as a part of the AHL’s annual community service visit on All-Star weekend, and was honored as a part of the AHL’s Hall of Fame ceremony on Monday afternoon, for his service and success in the AHL. And on top of that, most obviously, he got to participate in All-Star weekend on the ice, with his wife, Alicia, and two children, Mila and George, in attendance.

“To have my wife and kids here is huge,” he said. “I let the kids kind of roam around, they were out cold for the party last night. Hopefully, it’ll be something that they remember for their lifetime.”

The All-Star Classic was the latest honor for Moulson in a week of honors. On Friday evening in Springfield, Moulson skated in his 1,000th career professional game (650 NHL, 350 AHL). The Ontario native played 334 of those games within the Kings organization, spent with Manchester, Ontario and Los Angeles.

Prior to the game itself, Alicia created shirts with Moulson’s chariture on them for his teammates to wear that day. And they looked pretty damn awesome too.

How’s that for a squad pic? Tonight, we are proud to celebrate Matt Moulson’s 1,000th professional game! This morning at the rink, we dressed for the occasion #HBH pic.twitter.com/l3tAfRAsgu

— Hershey Bears (@TheHersheyBears) January 24, 2020

“My wife made some shirts with my caricature drawn on them, with my team wearing them,” he said. “I think the biggest thing was we got the win to make the night even that much more enjoyable, but my wife was 1173680 Los Angeles Kings potential to suffer a lapse for a few periods here or there given the competition and parity, but they’re 1-7-1 this month and need a win or “need” overtime loss to avoid this becoming the worst January in franchise history, eclipsing the 3-13-0 1969-70 squad’s .188 points WAKING UP WITH THE KINGS: JANUARY 30 percentage. When the team reconvened this week, McLellan reinforced expectations in their initial team meeting, referencing “four pillars” of

pushing standards on and off the ice, improving structure, building pace, JON ROSEN JANUARY 30, 2020 and controlling attitudes. This is going to probably be a trying stretch for McLellan and this group. The effort and will has been there, and those four pillars did seem to be trending well in a more panoramic view, never mind the lack of reward. This is a really challenging stretch, and it’s When a team like Tampa Bay is at or near the peak of their competitive probably a good thing they have an east coast road trip next week in cycle and playing amidst a 13-2-1 stretch, they’re capable of eking out which they’ll look to skate, practice and play without distraction. the breaks and bounces in narrow games against teams that don’t quite match-up, personnel-wise. And so it continues: The LA Kings played two LA Kings Insider: LOADED: 01.31.2020 very, very good games against the Lightning and earned one point when they coulda-shoulda-woulda banked four. There were extraneous circumstances, but let’s also face it, they were unable to hold or expand two-goal leads in both games despite opportunity to do so, and an aggressive pinch by Ben Hutton allowed two-thirds of the Triplets to find a dent in Los Angeles’ armor and pull themselves back into the game. It’s good to see the type of go-go-go aggression that the team would like to play with, and the player’s intuition should be to play with confidence and with purpose, but there’s certainly room for a debate as to whether a 2-0 lead was the right time to make that pinch. “I think of our team, we didn’t make them pay for their mistakes, and they made us pay for ours, and that’s the difference between a 70, 75-point team or whatever they are right now, and our club,” said Todd McLellan, who prior to the game compared the Kings’ current cycle to where the Lightning were between their 2004 Stanley Cup and rise under Jon Cooper. “I don’t think they worked harder than us, I don’t think they were committed any greater than we were, I don’t think their game plan was any better than [ours], they just have the skill right now to make you pay, and for every three chances they get, they find a way to chip one in the net, and we need sis, whether it’s us keeping it out or putting it in. It just really sums it up that we’ve got some work to do roster-wise, talent-wise and team-wise.”

Adam Pantozzi/NHLI

With the game at 2-1, Kurtis MacDermid and exchanged a few jabs and slashes across the ice but nothing that crossed any line, so it was a surprise to see MacDermid get whistled for what appeared to be a benign continuation of their exchange. But MacDermid has a reputation, and the slash, though seemingly within the boundaries of what’s acceptable, was a retaliation for a hit on Sean Walker. Gourde and the Lightning will often get that call, even though it probably wasn’t as much of a penalty as Mikhail Sergachev slowing Kyle Clifford down by a step along the boards in the neutral zone on a shift that followed Steven Stamkos’ game-tying missile. Though they were zapped by remaining on the ice for the entire 2:13 between MacDermid’s slash and Stamkos’ goal, that penalty kill has to be the gutsiest kill since Willie Mitchell sacrificed his availability for the Ducks series in Game 6 versus San Jose, no? Against a rather capable group of ::reads card:: Victor Hedman, Nikita Kucherov, Brayden Point, Alex Killorn and Stamkos, Anze Kopitar and Alec Martinez finished with two blocks, Joakim Ryan dove in front of a Kucherov one-timer to save a goal and Jonathan Quick made four saves. And the Lightning still won the war of attrition. If Alex Iafallo, Kopitar, Ryan and Martinez need the morning off, they might want to order some coffee and room service and send the bill to the officials’ room. McLellan actually did have a word about the officiating after the game. He didn’t like Stamkos’ spin to win the faceoff for Kucherov, who placed it on a tee for Erik Cernak. Ignoring for a moment the sordid poetic justice that placed Cernak in the precise spot to receive Kucherov’s handoff and score a third period, game-winning goal, McLellan offered perhaps his most direct assessment of an officiating error to date this season. “The linesman in that case, I don’t think you can cheat any more than they cheated, and he should’ve blown it down,” he said. “He knows he should’ve blown it down. We talk about it, but they’ve got a hard job. So, we move on. Unfortunately, we didn’t get the game.”

To McLellan and the players’ credit, you don’t hear excuses. You usually don’t hear excuses in hockey. Todd has shared at appropriate times his encouragement in how they’ve played competitively and with great pace and structure yet lost, but I’m not seeing many easy outs or lapses in effort or concentration on the ice. This is not a team lets games get away from them, nor should it be. An unclear forecast indicates winds of unease may develop as the trade deadline nears and players will leave the room of a team that’s now 18-28-5. This has been a difficult January. They haven’t played poorly beyond the expectation that any team has the 1173681 Los Angeles Kings

GOOD MORNING, GLENDALE

JON ROSEN JANUARY 30, 2020

Good morning, Sonoran Desert, and good morning, Insiders.

MUNTERS, HO! Two years to the day of the last sighting, friendly Glendalians have ensured this season’s final trip to Maricopa County will be experienced from the cushy confines of their esteemed Munters View suite. Imagine the possibilities of patio tailgates alongside these silver behemoths were the Cardinals to ever make the playoffs.

Thanks for the laugh, Insiders. (I’m assuming all of you are laughing.) This has been such a difficult week. Sometimes I want to use Bad Words I can’t use. There’s not usually a great deal of use for profanity in sportswriting or in situations when it’s best to use a full arsenal of vocabulary to most accurately describe what’s happening. But this week has been so surreal and awful and difficult to describe, and when I come back to a Kobe memory, or see him alongside his family, or any of the other victims alongside their families or read their stories and hear their tributes, I’m hit by waves of hurt and unfairness where sometimes the only word that comes out is one that wouldn’t be used on this page or shared around my kids. Bill Plaschke wrote over 800 words on Sunday, a blunt articulation of pure emotion when immediately faced with such devastating news. That’s hard to do, and the visceral reaction of stunned pain was clear and evident.

One last bit and then we’re moving on. And please yell at me if this comes off preachy or as if I’m micro-managing emotion when there’s no right or wrong way to process grief or share condolences. There are more important people families to be thinking about than those who write and report on tragedy. But having spoken with several reporters last week who’d covered the Humboldt bus crash, and those who will continue to work covering news in Los Angeles and Orange County this week, it does take a very real mental toll to insert oneself into such tragedy. These are not war photographers or those who are currently risking their lives to pursue truth and accountability, nor is this trying to weigh their grief amongst the victims’ friends and families or those within the Laker organization living through Sunday’s event. But think back to so much of what you’ve read, watched and heard over the past week. Kobe’s infectious personality allowed him into so many peoples’ lives, and there have been stirring tributes by those who’ve worked with him or covered him closely and knew the special relationship he had with his daughter, Gianna. Here’s a stick-tap to those who’ve been working to impart what they’ve experienced in getting to know Kobe and his family, and to share their stories and their experiences that may allow us to pause or think or reflect or maybe even laugh. Thank you, Bill, thank you Helene and Arash and the LA Times – and thank you to Lakers Reporter Mike Trudell and many, many others who’ve continued to work this difficult week.

No morning skate today, Insiders. There might be some additional reflection on last night’s ceremony in WUWTK, but that’s about it for now on LAKI Kobe coverage. Thank you as always for reading and laughing at the silly Munters jokes. Lots more to come on a Wile E. game day in the desert. [howling]

LA Kings Insider: LOADED: 01.31.2020 1173682 Minnesota Wild than that at No. 86. In hindsight, both were much too low. His puck control and maneuverability as a handler are both borderline elite as is his ability to navigate through traffic and hang onto the puck in the offensive zone. He can also take a hit, thanks to a low center of gravity. Wheeler’s 2020 NHL prospect pool rankings: No. 14 Minnesota Wild Then you add in some of the best natural playmaking talent in junior hockey, a consistent and physical defensive game as well as a lethal

one-timer. Though he can look a little slow and heavy as a skater, By Scott Wheeler Jan 30, 2020 Khovanov has everything else you want in a second-line center and he’s dangerous on the power play. I think he’s going to surprise some people.

4. Vladislav Firstov, LW, 18 (University of Connecticut) Welcome to Scott Wheeler’s 2020 rankings of every NHL organization’s prospects. You can find the complete ranking and more information on I’ve always been a big fan of Firstov’s and he’s still having a better the criteria here, as we count down daily from No. 31 to No. 1. The freshman year than I expected he would. After working to add some series, which includes evaluations and commentary from coaches and muscle this summer, Firstov’s ability to play with the puck on a string and staff on more than 500 prospects, runs from Jan. 13 to Feb. 11. create scoring chances has been immediately evident as UConn’s most dangerous forward on many nights. That added strength has turned a I’ve got to be honest, the run-up to the release of this ranking has been dangerous release into a heavy one. It has also helped him play faster unlike any of the others so far because I began receiving messages from and he has shown the occasional ability to turn defenders around or push Wild fans fairly early expressing surprise that they hadn’t appeared yet. through seams to create partial breaks for himself. He’s still probably In recent days, those messages ramped from surprise to shock. going to be a four-year college player but he has definitely accelerated his progression and he’s a borderline-dynamic offensive player. Don’t be That’s rare from a fan base, where the typical reaction normally goes the surprised if he puts up some big numbers in a couple of years. other direction. Most fans think their favorite team’s prospects should be ranked higher, not lower. The inverse reaction probably speaks to the 5. Sam Hentges, C, 20 (St. Cloud State University) way recent memory has soured Wild fans. Hentges just keeps getting better and better. Though he’s never really Therefore, if you’re looking for good news, you’ve arrived at the right been widely regarded as a top prospect, he has always kind of produced place because I really like the Wild’s top prospects and they’ve drafted like one, taking a dominant high school career to immediate USHL several other players recently who were higher on my board than where success, a good freshman year and a standout follow-up as a 20-year- they were picked. Consider this a glimmer of hope. old sophomore who now leads his team in scoring. He doesn’t scare goalies with his shot or hands. He doesn’t back defenders off with Note: I said when a team had more prospects worth mentioning than the explosive skating or power. But Hentges has become a well-rounded 20-player maximum I’ve established for the series that I would highlight offensive presence who can start and end plays, push the pace through them. Consider that taken care of for Fedor Gordeev, whose standout all three zones and drive a line as a puck carrier. And while I wouldn’t say skating ability for a 6-foot-7 defender alone makes him at least worth a he’s a standout defensive player, Hentges can hold his own off the puck, mention. doesn’t cheat for offense and supports the play intelligently. I don’t think 1. Kirill Kaprizov, LW/RW, 22 (CSKA Moskva) contributing middle-six forward who can play on the second power-play unit is out of the question. He does lack a truly dynamic trait though. It helps when your team has arguably the best winger outside of the NHL. And while the Wild’s relationship with Kaprizov hasn’t exactly 6. Adam Beckman, LW, 18 (Spokane Chiefs) played out according to plan, he’s a legit star-level talent who will be an Beckman’s breakout success in the WHL has truly surprised me because impact player from Day 1 of his NHL career. He’s doing his thing again I don’t think his skill set is particularly impressively. As with Firstov, the this year as CSKA’s leading point producer and is tied for the league-lead Wild banked on Beckman getting stronger to take his game, particularly in goals. Kaprizov is a natural playmaker who excels with the puck on his his skating, to the next level. For that, they’ve been rewarded. His biggest stick and can break down defenders in a myriad of ways. He can shoot asset is his shot, which is quick when he’s in stride but is particularly through them and score with his release. He can dangle through them effective as a catch-and-shoot standstill threat. The rest of his game has with his hands. He can occasionally burn them out wide (I would say he’s begun to catch up though and he looks a step faster and a stronger on fast without saying he’s explosive). And he can make plays through them the puck this season, which has helped him get to his spots, draw — or around them — as a passer, which remains an underrated element defenders in and open up his playmaking. It’s not like he’s doing it while to his game when defenders zone in on attempting to prevent him from playing on a loaded team or line, either, as he and dominant 19-year-old getting his shot off in dangerous locations. He’s also sneaky strong and Eli Zummack are separated at even-strength. He has turned me into a absorbs contact without getting pushed around. Though there are still believer. I’m looking forward to watching him progress ahead of next times in games when he can drift to the perimeter or fade for a period, year’s world juniors, where he could play a big role for Team Canada. Kaprizov can break a game open in a split second. Few young players in hockey are as exciting as he is with the puck on his stick. 7. Brennan Menell, RHD, 22 (Iowa Wild)

2. Matthew Boldy, C/LW, 18 (Boston College) Menell is quite the story, having gone from undrafted in the WHL and the NHL to one of the AHL’s best offensive defencemen, on the brink of If you’d told me at the beginning of the year that Boldy would start slow, I graduation. You’d think, though, given the way he has played in the last would have believed you. That’s not uncommon for an 18-year-old year and a half, that he’d already be a graduate. He hasn’t because at 5- freshman under Jerry York, who leans heavily on his veterans. If you’d foot-11, he lacks a pull-away gear as a skater, which will, in theory, limit told me he’d start this slow and that he wouldn’t be in contention to make his ability to use his obvious puck skill to push the pace, create the kind Team USA at the world juniors, I wouldn’t have believed you. And while of offense he has at the AHL level in the NHL and defend at a high level. some of the concerns about Boldy’s game have begun to pop up more I think some of those issues are overstated because you don’t need a prominently at the college level (mainly his straightaway explosiveness), powerful stride to make a stretch pass or to walk the line and find seams he has been more noticeable of late and I’m still a big believer in his as a passer. Menell processes the game so quickly that he mitigates talent level. Boldy’s edgework is extremely impressive, making him a against his average skating for his size. He also defends well with his more dynamic lateral skater than a North-South one. He’s got a stick, anticipates the play effectively and rarely gets turned around when dangerous shot, which he could stand to use more in college. He can he gaps up off the rush. He’s not going to eat minutes at the NHL level make plays through seams and traffic, helping to run a power play. He’s but I think he can probably play a regular shift, run a power-play unit and smart with the puck and responsible off of it, creating a two-way package advance the puck up ice. that is exciting. He has also had to adjust to a new (old) position, swapping out his role as a winger with the national program for center-ice 8. Marshall Warren, LHD, 18 (Boston College) duties with the Eagles. I still think he’s going to be an excellent second- line player, with the potential to be slightly more than that at his ceiling. He can fly, he’s got soft hands, he wants to make plays every time he touches the puck, he’s willing to keep trying something even if it doesn’t 3. Alexander Khovanov, C, 19 (Moncton Wildcats) work (a blessing and a cruse but more of the former than the latter in my opinion), he’s only going to get stronger, he takes away time and space Khovanov is entering steal territory at this point. After spending most of with his feet … I could go on. Warren has grown on me. He can try to do his draft year as a late first-round pick on my draft board, he fell to 44th too much and I’d like to see him pass a little earlier when the play he on my final ranking for the 2018 draft. He was then selected even lower wants to make isn’t there but he’s had a good freshman year and there been nice to see him step off the blue line a little more this year than last, are some high-end tools that he’s only going to continue to build upon. even if the results haven’t come so far.

9. Ivan Lodnia, RW, 20 (Niagara IceDogs) After going side-to-side to execute the outlet pass here (a play he typically makes), it’s nice for example to see him then join the rush and After a disappointing draft-year playoff performance spilled into a use his shot: disappointing post-draft campaign a year ago, Lodnia got back on track with an excellent start on a mediocre IceDogs team before he was kneed The attack mentality off of the blue line here, instead of standing still or a couple of weeks ago and needed help off the ice with a lower-body throwing the puck on net a second or two earlier, is also nice to see: injury that has sidelined him since. Lodnia, who was named IceDogs captain for the remainder of the season after they traded captain Akil 15. Nick Swaney, RW, 22 (University of Minnesota-Duluth) Thomas to the Peterborough Petes, relies on his ability to hang onto the For my money, Swaney is one of college hockey’s more underrated puck and slow the game down to his pace to create for his linemates or talents. He’s gifted with the puck, he can score, he can make plays beat a defender 1-on-1. He’s at his best when he’s pushing the envelope through traffic and he plays fast (both in terms of the way he processes and trying to make something happen, even if that creates the odd the game and in terms of his skating, which is quick from a standstill with turnover. He’s also a responsible defensive player who drives results with pro top speed). He’s not a physical player, nor a strong one, both of his ability to lift pucks off of opposing players. He’ll need to get faster — which can limit his ability to win battles along the wall, but I like the way and play faster — to reach his full potential at the pro level though. he uses his stick to poke pucks loose and jump on them. He’s a 10. Hunter Jones, G, 19 (Peterborough Petes) consistent shift-to-shift threat at the college level. And though he’s not super dynamic offensively, I think there may be enough offense to his Jones is big and athletic, the two most sought after skills in a goalie game to make him a good AHL player who gives himself a shot at a today. After a stellar start to this season, he began to generate some real promotion. buzz this season, stealing several games for a Petes team that gives up a lot of high-danger chances against (something that I think got 16. Dmitri Sokolov, RW/LW, 21 (Iowa Wild) overlooked when his numbers weren’t great last year behind a team that It breaks my heart that Sokolov hasn’t become more than he has to date rarely helped him out). His play has dropped off since returning from because it’s all there. He’s got a borderline-elite shot (both pounding the Team Canada’s world junior selection camp though. He’s worth signing one-timer and ripping his wrister), his puck skills are impressive and he and/or giving an opportunity to in the AHL/ECHL. has the size and power needed to get to his spots. But he also tries to do 11. Jack McBain, C, 20 (Boston College) too much, his stride labors and drags, he’s not physical with all that strength he has and he can stand around defensively or cheat up the After a semi-disappointing freshman year, McBain has taken some small wall. I still think it’s between the ears that’s holding him back more than steps this season as a more consistent offensive threat for the Eagles. the skating. He’s got NHL talent. He’s also going to bring some worthwhile elements as a physical cycle presence who can make the odd play. The question has always been — 17. Nikita Nesterenko, C, 18 (Chilliwack Chiefs) and will always be — whether his skating is strong enough to catch up Nesterenko, who has a late birthday (Sept. 10) and was nearly eligible for with some decent puck skill and playmaking ability for his size. To date, it this year’s draft, has put together a good first and last season in the hasn’t quite progressed to where you’d hope it would. But he’s a factor BCHL ahead of his commitment to Boston College. He leads Chilliwack on most shifts and I think we’ll begin to see more pronounced college- in scoring, hovering just above a point per game. His talent is undeniable. level production out of his game as he gets older and works into a more He’s got sick hands, he’s fun to watch on the power play and he can prominent role as a junior and senior. He’s not going to be a big point make plays from a standstill off the boards or in transition at speed. He’s producer but I think McBain has enough tools to be a useful bottom-six a bit of a project in the sense that he needs to get a whole lot stronger forward who provides something different. and I don’t think he’s going to be an impact player in college as a 12. Filip Lindberg, G, 20 (UMass) freshman but if the Wild can be patient he’s got enough skill to be interesting in a few years. Lindberg has been stellar now across 32 college games, proving to be one of the NCAA’s more consistent goalies in the last year and a half. 18. Brandon Duhaime, RW, 22 (Iowa Wild) Though he’s on the smaller end for a goalie these days at 6-foot-1, he’s Duhaime has fourth-liner written all over him. He’s a no-fuss player an athlete who can explode post-to-post or push to the top of his crease defensively, who tracks his assignments well, stays low and engaged, on low-to-high passes. There’s really not a lot about his game that offers a physical presence and can make a play to get the puck going in worries me, except for that size. He’s got a good glove hand, solid the right direction after he wins a battle. He’s got size, he leverages it rebound control and composure to his game that helps him from effectively and there’s at least some talent below the surface, particularly snowballing after a bad goal or a bad game. There are times when he in his ability to win back possession and then make plays to the slot. can lose pucks through traffic or get caught off his line but those are pretty minor concerns. 19. Damien Giroux, C, 19 ()

13. Will Bitten, RW, 21 (Iowa Wild) I really liked Giroux early on in his draft season but then he never really progressed, at least not at the same pace as his peers. Today, while his Bitten’s shot and playmaking have never caught up to his feet and hands, offense has begun to pop a little more, especially around the crease and which are both high-end. His skating and constant effort level make him the slot (he’s still not all that dangerous on the power play or off the intriguing as a potential energy guy further down the lineup, as well as an rush), I’m still a little worried that he has plateaued. He’s a reliable player effective penalty killer. Because of his size and lack of a dynamic quality off the puck, demonstrating good instincts, a commitment to staying he may not be the kind of player every coach wants in that role, though. above the puck and a work ethic that helps him overcome his size to win Still, he’s one of those players you notice in a game because he’s always back possession. He’s also got a nifty release, which can surprise hustling, he can stop and start with the puck to change tempo or direction goalies. But he’s 5-foot-10, he’s not explosive and he doesn’t have great and there are shifts where he seems to be all over the ice. That has kept playmaking ability (something he showed flashes of potentially him interesting. developing early on in his career). He may become a tweener but that’s 14. Filip Johansson, RHD, 19 (Leksands IF) probably where he tops out.

I’m not going to rub salt in the wound here. At the end of the day, 20. Shawn Boudrias, RW, 20 (Cape Breton) Johansson shouldn’t have been drafted where he was and shouldn’t Boudrias’ 6-foot-5, 220-plus pound frame has contributed to is QMJHL have progressed as early to the pro level as he did. Some more time in dominance this season more than his raw skill. That doesn’t mean junior to build confidence offensively and less pressure may have there’s nothing there, though. He does a good job creating shots for combined to do wonders. He can make the smart, easy play effectively himself, he has shown good reflexes and instincts in front of the net and and he’s a fine stick-on-puck defender off the rush because he skates he has finally learned to impose himself physically by hanging onto the well. He also does a good job getting his shot through. But he can display puck a little longer to drive the net. I’ve also seen him execute some tunnel vision — there are times when he needs to play faster under surprising passes for a big man. He doesn’t have enough talent to be pressure — limiting his ability as an outlet passer in the defensive zone more than a depth piece but a slow burn into a good AHLer wouldn’t or a producer of offense further down the ice. I will say this, though: It has surprise me. Honorable mention

Mason Shaw, C, 21 (Iowa Wild)

Shaw’s injury history is pretty worrisome at this point but he was good enough as a rookie in the AHL last year that I felt like he had more to offer and was prepared to take a step forward to become an impact playmaker at that level. So he deserves mention here. Shaw is a diminutive, creative, pass-first player who plays bigger than he looks and can make things happen from the flank on the power play. When you watch him play, it sometimes appears like he sees right through defenders, able to effortlessly find hiding linemates. He’s also got a little snarl in him, which helps endear him to coaches despite his size, while limiting worries about him being one-dimensional (he’s not much of a scorer) because he’s active without the puck.

The Tiers

Each of my prospect pool rankings will be broken down into team-specific tiers in order to give you a better sense of the talent proximity from one player to the next (a gap which is sometimes minute and in other cases quite pronounced).

The way I see it, the Wild have three legitimate prospects, all of whom could be No. 1 prospects on a slew of the league’s 31 teams. That’s the strength of their pool. With that said, though, I wouldn’t be surprised if a player or two from that next tier becomes a middle-of-the-lineup contributor, or if a player or two from the tier below that surprises. After that, you’ve got a bunch of wild-cards who offer varying degrees of intrigue. It’s a good group — and they deserve credit for that.

The Athletic LOADED: 01.31.2020 1173683 Montreal Canadiens Canadiens defenceman Marco Scandella returned to Buffalo for the first time since he was traded to Montreal this month and the Sabres welcomed him back on the scoreboard in the first minute of the game

In the Habs' Room: Kovalchuk keeps proving his worth with Montreal Scandella, who played 176 games with the Sabres over 2 1/2 seasons, has been nursing a minor injury suffered in practice Sunday and joined Scores team's first goal in win over Buffalo Thursday night. Sniper now Victor Mete on the third defence pairing. Brett Kulak moved up to play has 5 goals and 4 assists in 10 games since joining the Canadiens. with Jeff Petry on the second pairing.

Montreal Gazette LOADED: 01.31.2020 PAT HICKEY, Updated: January 30, 2020

BUFFALO — A solid defensive effort over the final 50 minutes of the game allowed the Canadiens to add to their impressive road credentials this season as they defeated the Buffalo Sabred 3-1 Thursday night at KeyBank Arena.

The Sabres dominated the first 10 minutes of the game, outshooting the Canadiens 9-0 and taking a 1-0 lead on a power-play goal by Jack Eichel.

But the rest of the game belonged to Montreal.

“The first 10 minutes were where we really struggled,” coach Claude Julien said. “They were playing us tight and killing plays in the neutral zone. We knew we had to get pucks behind them and once we started putting pucks behind their (defencemen), that’s when the game changed. We knew they would come out hard. I heard they were getting roasted (by fans and the media) the last couple of days and they were going to respond.”

The Canadiens picked up their offence at the end of the first period and took the lead on goals by Ilya Kovalchuk and Brendan Gallagher early in the second. But it was a solid defensive effort that sealed the victory. The Canadiens limited Buffalo to three shots on goal in the second period and outshot the Sabres 30-21 for the game.

“I told them if we want to win some hockey games, they’re going to have to be 2-1, 3-2, whatever,” Julien said. “We can’t get into those run-and- gun games. We did a good job after that 10-minute mark. I don’t think they had a ton of chances.”

The Canadiens’ offence came from their top two lines, with Gallagher making a successful comeback from a concussion, while Kovalchuk continued to demonstrate his value.

Gallagher replaced Kovalchuk on the top line with Phillip Danault and Tomas Tatar and he fit in comfortably with a game-high five shots on goal. He scored his 16th goal of the season on a shot from in close after a cross-ice pass from Tatar.

Kovalchuk is more of a pure goal-scorer than the opportunistic Gallagher and his special skill was on display as he lifted the puck into the top corner on Carter Hutton. There are decisions to be made about Kovalchuk’s future, but he’s showing that he can still play at a high level and he seems comfortable in the high-paced Montreal offence.

Kovalchuk made a seamless transition to playing with Nick Suzuki and Joel Armia after being booted from the top line with Gallagher’s return.

“We practised together for the last two days and obviously they are talented young players and it’s fun playing with them,” Kovalchuk said. “(Suzuki) is a really good creator and it’s fun to play with those guys.”

Kovalchuk’s NHL career appeared to be over when the Los Angeles Kings shut him down in November, but he has resurrected his career in Montreal. After not playing for nearly two months, he has five goals and four assists in 10 games.

“The coach gave me an opportunity to play the role I’ve always played,” Kovalchuk explained. “It’s easier to do that here than when I was playing in L.A.”

Julien raised some eyebrows when he took Jesperi Kotkaniemi out of the lineup, but he made it clear that he hasn’t given up on the 19-year-old who has only one goal and no assists in his last 12 games. He noted that Kotkaniemi has been going through a rough spell and that it was important to use the players who gave the Canadiens the best chance to win. 1173684 Montreal Canadiens

Canadiens ride strong second period, stout defence to win over Sabres

Ilya Kovalchuk and Brendan Gallagher score early in the second and the Habs limited Buffalo to only 10 shots over the final two periods.

PAT HICKEY, MONTREAL GAZETTE Updated: January 30, 2020

BUFFALO — The Canadiens kept their flagging playoff hopes alive by defeating the Buffalo Sabres 3-1 Thursday night in what was a must-win game for both teams. After a slow start, the Canadiens scored two goals early in the second period and then relied on a solid defensive effort that limited the Sabres to 10 shots over the final two periods.

The win gave the Canadiens 53 points and a two-point edge over the Sabres. They are only eight points out of a playoff spot, but there’s a huge asterisk attached to their position. They are eight points behind Florida in the battle for third place in the Atlantic Division, but the Panthers have three games in hand. Montreal is also eight points out of the final wild-card spot in the Eastern Conference, but Carolina enjoys two games in hand.

The Canadiens built some momentum in the latter stages of the first period and they were rewarded when Ilya Kovalchuk and Brendan Gallagher scored goals early in the second period to give the Canadiens a 2-1 lead.

Kovalchuk moved from the right wing to the left and had some new linemates, but he had no problems adjusting. Joel Armia controlled the puck behind the net on the first Montreal goal and found Nick Suzuki in front. The rookie dropped the puck off for Kovalchuk, who showed why he has been an elite goal-scorer throughout his career. He lifted the puck to the far top corner on Carter Hutton. It was his fifth goal as a Canadien and he has nine points in 10 games.

Gallagher, who returned to the lineup after missing 10 of the past 11 games with a concussion, converted a cross-ice pass from Tomas Tatar. Gallagher faked a shot on Hutton and then went to his backhand for his 16th goal.

Tatar completed the scoring with an empty-net goal.

For a team that is supposed to be playing with desperation, the Canadiens couldn’t have had a slower start. Montreal didn’t get a shot on goal until Kovalchuk tested Hutton at 10:29 of the first period. The Sabres had nine shots on goal at that point and had a 1-0 lead on a power-play goal by Jack Eichel.

Eichel, who was the consolation prize in the 2015 draft that saw Connor McDavid go to Edmonton, has developed into one of the top players in the NHL and the goal was his 30th of the season. Carey Price was square to the puck, but Eichel waited for the goaltender to make the first move and scored with a perfect shot over Price’s right leg.

Montreal was fortunate to trail by only a goal after the first period. Jeff Skinner had an opening on a 2-on-1 break, but he hit the crossbar.

The Canadiens have a day off Friday and will return to the Bell Centre for the traditional Super Bowl weekend matinees. They play the Florida Panthers Saturday and the Columbus Blue Jackets Sunday.

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Liveblog replay: Gallagher, Habs knock off Sabres in Buffalo

Gallagher scores in first game back from injury, gives Habs 3-1 victory

JULIAN MCKENZIE, SPECIAL TO THE MONTREAL GAZETTE Updated: January 30, 2020

The Canadiens returned to the win column with a 3-1 victory over the Buffalo Sabres Thursday night. Ilya Kovalchuk, Brendan Gallagher, and Tomas Tatar scored for the Canadiens.

Jack Eichel scored Buffalo’s lone goal.

Three Stars

Brendan Gallagher 1G, GWG

Nick Suzuki, 2A

Tomas Tatar, 1G, 1A

Montreal Gazette LOADED: 01.31.2020 1173686 Montreal Canadiens

Canadiens game day: Wholesale changes as Gallagher returns vs. Sabres

While Claude Julien has a number of possibilities in forming his forward lines, it appears Jesperi Kotkaniemi will be a healthy scratch.

PAT HICKEY, MONTREAL GAZETTE Updated: January 30, 2020

BUFFALO — While Canadiens head coach Claude Julien will be taking the pulse — and temperature — of some of his players leading up to Thursday’s game against the Buffalo Sabres (7 p.m., TSN 2, RDS, TSN 690 Radio, 98.5 FM), Brendan Gallagher has the go-ahead to rejoin the lineup tonight.

Gallagher, who has played only one game since suffering a concussion in Carolina on New Year’s Eve, was in the “maybe” category for this game along with Artturi Lehkonen and Max Domi, who have missed two days of practice because of the flu.

“They’re all ready to go, but there’s a bit of a flu bug going around and we’ll be monitoring it and making some game-time decisions,” Julien said after the morning skate.

While Julien has a number of possibilities in forming his forward lines, it appears that Jesperi Kotkaniemi will be a healthy scratch. He spent some extra time on the ice after the morning skate, which is usually a sign that a player is going to sit. It was at this point last year that the 19-year-old Finn hit a wall and it appears that is happening again. He has struggled in his second NHL season and he has one goal and no assists in his last 12 games.

The other surprise is that Domi, the team’s leading scorer last season, drops to the third line. He’ll be back at centre between Ryan Poehling and Lehkonen.

Gallagher will be back at right wing on the top line with Tomas Tatar and Phil Danault. Julien noted that they have been together for the better part of two seasons and have developed good chemistry.

Ilya Kovalchuk, who has been filling in for Gallagher on the top line, will demonstrate his versatility as he moves to the left side on the second line. Nick Suzuki will be centre with Joel Armia on the right.

The fourth line has Nate Thompson between Nick Cousins and Dale Weise.

Defenceman Marco Scandella, who was traded from the Sabres to the Canadiens this month, has been nursing some minor aches but he is expected to be in the lineup.

Montreal Gazette LOADED: 01.31.2020 1173687 Montreal Canadiens

Canadiens trade bait: tweaks or a titanic deal? | HI/O Show

The trade deadline is coming up. What should do?

MONTREAL GAZETTE Updated: January 30, 2020

On this week’s show, our panelists — Montreal Gazette columnist Stu Cowan, Hockey Inside/Out live game blogger Julian McKenzie and comedian Joey Elias — along with host Adam Susser talk about Canadiens players who might be on the move ahead of the NHL trade deadline and the team returning to full strength.

They also weigh in on these topics:

The Canadiens’ most pressing on-ice needs.

The importance of the earning an AHL playoff berth.

Empty seats and loges at the Bell Centre.

Montreal Gazette LOADED: 01.31.2020 1173688 Montreal Canadiens

Canadiens at Buffalo Sabres: Five things you should know

Defenceman Marco Scandella will face Sabres for the first time since they traded him to the Canadiens on Jan. 2.

STU COWAN, MONTREAL GAZETTE Updated: January 30, 2020

Here are five things you should know about Thursday’s game between the Canadiens (22-22-7) and the Sabres (22-21-7) at Buffalo’s Keybank Center (7 p.m., TSN2, RDS, TSN 690 Radio, 98.5 FM).

Fading playoff hopes: The Canadiens and Sabres both have 51 points in the Atlantic Division standings, but Buffalo holds a game in hand. A victory over the Sabres would move the Canadiens ahead of one of the teams they are chasing for a playoff spot and into fifth place in the division. The Sabres beat the Canadiens 5-4 in overtime in their first meeting this season on Oct. 9 in Buffalo. Heading into Wednesday’s games, the Sabres had a 1.7 per cent chance of making the playoffs and the Canadiens were at 1.1 per cent, according to Sportsclubstats.com. The Sabres have missed the playoffs in each of the last eight seasons, while the Canadiens have missed the post-season the last two years.

Game-time decisions: Brendan Gallagher, Max Domi and Artturi Lehkonen could all be game-time decisions for the Canadiens. Gallagher has missed 10 of the last 11 games with a concussion, but has been cleared for contact and practised Wednesday on his regular line with Phillip Danault and Tomas Tatar. “Once he wakes up (Thursday) if everything is good with him, there’s a good chance we’ll see him,” head coach Claude Julien said. Domi and Lehkonen missed practice Tuesday and Wednesday because of the flu. Gallagher has 14 goals in 27 career games against the Sabres.

Ilya Kovalchuk: The 36-year-old Russian winger has 4-4-8 totals in nine games since signing with the Canadiens as a free agent and has had success against the Sabres during his career with 23-15-38 totals in 41 games. Kovalchuk had been taking Gallagher’s spot on the No. 1 line, but practised Wednesday with rookie Nick Suzuki and Joel Armia. Kovalchuk can become an unrestricted free agent on July 1 and is No. 3 on the TSN Trade Bait list ahead of the NHL’s Feb. 24 trade deadline.

Marco Scandella: This will be Scandella’s first game against the Sabres since they traded him to the Canadiens on Jan. 2 in exchange for a fourth-round pick at the 2020 NHL Draft. The Montreal native was in his third season with the Sabres. “It will be fun to play against Buffalo, my friends, but it’s just another game,” the defenceman said. “But it’s a big one for us. So we’ll have to pick up two points, that’s it. That’s what I’m thinking.” The 29-year-old is in the final season of a five-year, US$20- million contract and can become an unrestricted free agent on July 1. Scandella is No. 18 on the TSN Trade Bait list.

Jack Eichel: The 23-year-old centre is in the second season of an eight- year, US$80-million contract and leads the Sabres in scoring with 29-34- 63 totals, good for eighth place in the NHL scoring race heading into Wednesday’s games. The Sabres selected Eichel with the second overall pick at the 2015 NHL Draft after the Edmonton Oilers took Connor McDavid at No. 1.

Montreal Gazette LOADED: 01.31.2020 1173689 Montreal Canadiens With the narrative that Kovalchuk can no longer play put to rest, it’s probably time to stop worrying about Suzuki’s foot speed.

He’s not the fastest player, that much is clear, but due to his intelligence, Video Review: Nick Suzuki and Ilya Kovalchuk shine in the Canadiens’ he can adapt his trajectory the moment a defender makes the wrong win over the Sabres move.

For example, look at how quickly he takes advantage of Collin Miller’s step towards the inside of the ice and exploits the wing to drive the net. By Marc Dumont Jan 30, 2020 That, ladies and gentlemen, is the epitome of smart hockey, and more than compensates for his perceived lack of speed.

Suzuki’s smart neutral-zone play was also on display, as he consistently The Canadiens were in Buffalo to face the Sabres on Thursday night, broke up plays and blocked passing lanes. with both teams tied at 51 points, well outside the playoff picture. With the standings in mind, the decision to scratch Jesperi Kotkaniemi and 10 point five million dollars Cale Fleury raised more than a few eyebrows among fans and pundits. There’s no denying both players, particularly Koktaniemi, have had their Not that we needed any more evidence, but Jack Eichel’s accuracy rivals fair share of issues this season, but there’s also no denying the anyone else in the NHL. On that note, Carey Price has allowed more Canadiens have plenty of room for growing pains from here to the end of goals than usual on the short side, particularly between his blocker and the season. On that note, sitting out a game or two is not a huge deal in his pads. the grand scheme of things, as long as it’s not a recurring decision. That’s not to say Price had a bad game. Quite the contrary. He was very There was some good news, as Brendan Gallagher was back in the solid on his way to a 20-save win. lineup after a touch-and-go situation regarding his recovery from a nasty But despite his strong play, the Sabres almost took a 2-0 lead in the first concussion. period. Though the Canadiens are well known to roll four lines, it’s hard to I don’t want to harp on the negatives, because other than the first period, overstate Gallagher’s value to the team. His sheer volume of shots, as the Canadiens played a very solid game, but if there’s one constant well as high-danger chances, is the key to the Canadiens offence. His among defencemen this season, it’s that they have no idea how to return also pushed Ilya Kovalchuk to the second line, which spread the properly defend a two-on-one. talent to the top six rather than focusing it all on one line. Reunited and it feels so good The lineup shuffle ended up paying dividends for Claude Julien, as he received goals from Gallagher and Kovalchuk’s lines and secured a 3-1 This will shock you, but the first line was flat-out dominant against the win over the Sabres. Sabres. Also, I know you’re singing the chorus to Peaches & Herb’s “Reunited” in your head right now. Don’t deny it. How much wood could a Kovalchuk chuck if a Kovalchuk could chuck wood? They controlled 70 percent of the shots and 100 percent of the quality chances, and wouldn’t you know it, Gallagher scored the winning goal. Answer: more wood than he did in Los Angeles, that much we know. Tomas Tatar was also rewarded for his strong play with an empty-net It’s not his primary modus operandi, but once in a while, Kovalchuk goal to seal the victory for the Canadiens. reminds us that he’s among the stronger players in the league. Of But back to Gallagher for a moment. Despite playing 10 fewer games course, if you ask Brayden Schenn, he’ll tell you there’s no need for a than the second-place player, coming into the game against the Sabres, reminder. Gallagher still ranked first among Canadiens players in individual high- Kovalchuk, who played alongside Nick Suzuki, was yet again one of the danger scoring chances at five-on-five, with a 21-chance lead on Artturi best, if not the best, Canadiens on the ice. Not to mention, playing with Lehkonen. Oh, and he still ranked second overall in the NHL, with 71 Suzuki allowed me to combine both regular-scheduled praise sections I high-danger chances at five-on-five. reserve for each player. Is there anything he can’t do? Update: Make that a 22-chance lead. The first period wasn’t exactly exciting, as the Canadiens generated Update on the update: Make that a 23-chance lead. fewer than 10 shots on net, but Suzuki and Kovalchuk’s chemistry was evident from the get-go, which shouldn’t surprise us. Suzuki is an Final word incredibly cerebral player, and Kovalchuk is incredibly talented. A perfect match. If there was one thing to take from the win Thursday night, it’s the value of talent — or, rather, the dearth of talent — in the lineup. Speaking of cerebral, Suzuki’s ability to win key draws keeps improving, which is crucial for a rookie playing as a centre in the top six and goes a The moment Suzuki and Kovalchuk were placed together, their talent long way in terms of gaining trust from the coaching staff. Rookies shone brightly, and that’s a very encouraging result for two reasons. usually don’t hit 50 percent in their first season, but seeing as Suzuki is a If the Canadiens do decide to trade Kovalchuk at the deadline, his value quick learner, he’s already winning more than half his draws. should continue to increase despite no longer playing on the first line.

Their chemistry paid off early in the second when Kovalchuk scored his But if they decide to keep him, they may have found a short-term solution fifth goal for the Canadiens. to the talent disparity throughout the lineup. And I’m not just talking about There were a few noteworthy things that led to the goal. keeping him beyond the deadline. Despite his age, Kovalchuk is exactly what this team needs if it hopes to compete for a playoff spot next Firstly, Suzuki won yet another crucial faceoff, and he did it cleanly. season. There are also very good odds that he’ll provide more value to the Canadiens in one season than a fourth-round pick would in his entire Secondly, Joel Armia did a fantastic job creating time and space behind career. the net. At the very least, Kovalchuk is all the proof we need to explicitly state the Thirdly, and most importantly, Kovalchuk used his elite accuracy to Canadiens desperately need more pure shooting talent on the roster. score. It’s the type of shooting skill the Canadiens sorely lack. It’s not Paging Cole Caufield … hard to imagine most of the roster hitting the goaltender directly in the crest in that exact situation. Or double-clutching and missing the shot. Or The Athletic LOADED: 01.31.2020 tripping on nothing and somehow scoring in their own net due to a comical series of bounces and deflections that are all too familiar to Canadiens fans this season.

We tend to expect most Canadiens players to miss when it comes to quality scoring chances, but in just 10 games, we’ve come to expect Kovalchuk to score, which says a lot about the roster construction. 1173690 Montreal Canadiens “I’ve always had the same belief on that. It’s better to win,” Gallagher said. “Whatever you’ve got to do, sometimes that is the young kids, sometimes it’s the older guys. It’s the best players, whoever deserves it. Because as soon as you create that culture where you’re putting the Analyzing the choppiest trade deadline waters Marc Bergevin has ever most deserving player on the ice, it creates competition within the group had to navigate and that’s when you start to make improvements as a group and pushes everyone to get better. But it’s always about winning and creating a

winning culture. By Arpon Basu Jan 30, 2020 “Sometimes it is playing your young players, sometimes they are the most deserving, but every opportunity has to be earned. It can’t be handed out, it can’t be given, because otherwise you’re going to take it This will be the most complicated trade deadline of Marc Bergevin’s for granted and you’re not going to make the most of it.” tenure as general manager of the Canadiens. So that explains why Bergevin wants to remain competitive, even if it Prior to last season, the Canadiens were always a clear buyer or seller at hasn’t happened this season. But in order to be competitive next season the deadline under Bergevin. They were a bubble team a year ago and and beyond, there are obvious holes that need to be filled. Bergevin has Bergevin recognized it, refusing to invest valuable assets to improve the some valuable assets that could be used to fill those holes, but doesn’t team and choosing instead to nibble around the edges with the necessarily have the required depth to prevent creating another hole by inexpensive additions of Nate Thompson, Jordan Weal, Christian Folin doing so. and Dale Weise. It could be argued his lack of aggressiveness at the deadline might have cost the Canadiens a playoff spot, but Bergevin’s Addressing holes through trades might therefore require multiple trades, eyes were clearly focused on the long-term future of the organization. patching newly created holes along the way for Bergevin to wind up with a more completed puzzle at the end. But pulling off a multi-faceted plan But they were also focused on this season, the season Bergevin with many moving parts at the trade deadline, when you are only dealing expected to compete for a playoff spot, and he didn’t want to do anything with a handful of teams looking to acquire a particular player and most of rash that might put that in jeopardy either. The big deadline move, if it those teams don’t have much financial wiggle room, is complicated and, had to be made, would be made this season. frankly, suboptimal.

It hasn’t quite worked out that way. A coordinated plan of attack like that is far easier to execute effectively at the draft, when every team can get involved and every team has more The Canadiens are not even a bubble team this season. They need a money to spend. long-range telescope simply to see the bubble. But that’s what makes this year’s deadline that much more complicated than last year’s, But at the same time, when you have valuable assets with a year left on because the Canadiens should be clear sellers when the deadline hits on their contracts that teams are interested in acquiring at the trade Feb. 24, and in some ways they surely will be. deadline, teams that have their eyes on winning the Stanley Cup and believe that player is the missing piece and are therefore willing to If a team is looking to nibble around the edges like Bergevin did last year, overpay to get him for two playoff runs, that’s a favourable situation that that team should be calling the Canadiens. doesn’t come around every day. It is one a team would ideally take full But the complicating factor is not figuring out what to do with Nate advantage of when presented with the opportunity to do so. Thompson or Ilya Kovalchuk, it’s the other guys. The guys who will be So, it’s complicated. unrestricted free agents in the summer of 2021, the guys who could sign a contract extension as early as this July, the guys who would have This is an attempt to make sense of all the individual complications and massive value on the trade market should Bergevin choose to put their provide some context for the various factors that will weigh into names out there. Bergevin’s decisions on many of these players between now and Feb. 24. The rub is that those same guys have value to the Canadiens next season, when Bergevin will again expect his team to be in the playoffs, But first, let’s begin with the players where no decision will be necessary assuming, of course, that’s still his problem at that point. It is clear the and work our way down from there, finishing with the group most likely to Canadiens believe they are a better team than their record shows. be looking for a temporary residence in the next three weeks or so. Whether they actually are better is debatable, but their belief that they are better is not. Thanks for calling…*click*

It is difficult to know what the future holds for Bergevin as general Carey Price manager if – or rather when – the Canadiens don’t make the playoffs this Back on Jan. 14, The Athletic’s Pierre LeBrun spoke to Bergevin and was season. My own read of the situation is that once decided told in no uncertain terms that he would not even entertain the notion of at the end of the disastrous 2017-18 season to stick with him as GM, it trading Carey Price or . This should not have come as a was with the understanding that Bergevin would be given an appropriate huge surprise, particularly in Price’s case, but Bergevin felt the need to amount of time to fix the mess he had in large part created himself. say it publicly regardless. That says a lot. If Bergevin had been fired that year, would it be reasonable for Molson to At the time, Price was coming off two straight excellent starts in a 2-1 fire his replacement two years into the job? Would it be fair? No, it overtime win in Ottawa on Jan. 11 that snapped the Canadiens’ second wouldn’t. I believe Bergevin is probably benefiting from the same time his eight-game losing streak of the season and a 2-0 win at home against replacement would have received to fix the mess. Two years might not the Calgary Flames. Prior to those two games, Price had allowed at least be a reasonable amount of time to do it, but you would have to think three goals in seven of his previous nine starts, and the calls for Price to three years would be. somehow be traded were getting louder, despite the six years remaining So, assuming all that is true – which it might not be – making the playoffs on his contract at a $10.5 million annual cap hit and the $54 million in next year would not only still be Bergevin’s problem, it would be vital to real money left to pay out after this season. And, oh yeah, his iron-clad his very survival as GM. Therefore, stripping this team for parts – a team, no movement clause. again, that management believes is better than the results have shown But, as it turns out, Bergevin’s words were important. Prior to speaking to this season – is simply not in the cards. LeBrun, Bergevin spoke to Price and provided the same reassurance to But there are also the matters of asset management, long-term financial him personally. planning, infusing the roster with the expected development of prospects “It meant a lot,” Price said Wednesday. “When someone believes in your and making sure there is room for them when they are ready. Then you abilities, it can go a long way.” also need to take into account what kind of environment you want those young players to walk into, and Bergevin has been clear what his outlook But considering Price had full control of the situation with his no is on that question. It is one that is closely aligned with what Brendan movement clause, why did Bergevin deem it necessary to say that to Gallagher had to say when asked Monday if young players should be Price and why did Price need that reassurance? getting more ice time down the stretch this season. “Well, just because there was so much speculation,” he said. But Price always says he doesn’t consume any of the media, whether overpay at $3.5 million for three years when he signed, now looks like a that’s social or traditional, where that speculation would appear. When I bargain. pointed this out to him, he shot me a disappointed look that screamed ‘Don’t be naïve.’ Artturi Lehkonen

“You can’t avoid it,” he said. The Canadiens would have liked to lock him up for longer than two years but weren’t able to get it done. Lehkonen is on the ice for (slightly) more Bergevin has hitched his wagon to Price and needs him to be at his best, expected goals for per 60 at 5-on-5 than Brad Marchand, Leon Draisaitl because he can’t really trade him even if he wanted to, which he doesn’t. and Steven Stamkos. Considering what he does at both ends of the ice, It’s unreasonable to expect Price to still be the best goalie in the world, Lehkonen’s next contract is likely to keep him in Montreal for a long time. but expecting him to be consistently above average is perfectly reasonable. Price needs to prove he can still do that over a full season. Joel Armia Only then will the unavoidable speculation stop. Like Lehkonen, the Canadiens hoped to get something longer done with Shea Weber Armia. Unlike Lehkonen, Armia has busted out offensively this season, putting up the types of numbers that were expected of him when he was I wasn’t able to check with Weber if he had a similar conversation with the 16th overall pick in the 2011 draft. He’s a big, skilled forward on a Bergevin, but Weber doesn’t strike me as a guy who would need it. team lacking big, skilled forwards. The Canadiens love him.

His production has dried up of late with just two assists and no goals in Staring at the phone, waiting for it to ring 11 games in January, but Weber is still on pace to crack 50 points in a season for the first time in a Canadiens uniform. His underlying numbers Jordan Weal and Brett Kulak are equally solid and all you need to do is talk to any young player on the Both signed multi-year contracts after a good first experience in Montreal Canadiens to know what kind of value Weber adds off the ice. last season, neither has lived up to the contract they signed, and now the Bergevin has spoken openly about how much he admires Weber and combination of their underwhelming play and the additional years on how he wants him to shape the team culture for all the young players he those contracts make it unlikely they get moved by the deadline. anticipates arriving in the coming years, not to mention the ones that are Paul Byron already here. What was written for Weal and Kulak could apply to Byron as well, but This hasn’t changed and as long as Bergevin is GM, never will. Bergevin is more likely to give him the benefit of the doubt and an The future core opportunity to bounce back next season. Injuries have made it so his trade value is probably very minimal right now in any case. Jesperi Kotkaniemi, Nick Suzuki, Ryan Poehling Dale Weise None of these players are untouchable, but they’re pretty close. You can add Alexander Romanov and Cole Caufield to this group. If any of them This is the final year of Weise’s contract, so he is a rental, but he comes are included in a trade, you can be sure there will be an equivalent with a hefty cap hit and doesn’t particularly move the needle enough to prospect that is either in or very close to the NHL coming back. But be a very attractive trade commodity, even in a depth role. Bergevin is banking on this group of five players becoming a very They’re still young, but you never know important part of this team’s relatively short-term future. It would take a lot for him to part with any of them. Cale Fleury and Victor Mete

(Terence Leung/NHLI) The Canadiens would in no way be looking to trade either Fleury or Mete. Both are young and have potential to play on Montreal’s defence for The veterans who can carry the next wave of youth years, though Mete’s entry level contract is expiring this summer. But if Brendan Gallagher they were required to facilitate a trade for an upgrade to the top-4 on the blue line, and with the likelihood one of them might be lost in the Gallagher’s contract is up after next season and he will be due a massive expansion draft in any case, there is little doubt Bergevin would do it. Will raise, but similarly to Weber, he is a big part of the culture Bergevin is that happen by the deadline? Not very likely. hoping will take hold here. But that’s not it, because Gallagher remains one of the best 5-on-5 play-driving forwards in the NHL. “I am not trading these guys…but here’s my number just in case”

He will be 29 when his next contract kicks in, and considering the amount Ok, we’ve arrived at the juicy part that requires its own little introduction. of abuse he has absorbed over the course of his entire hockey-playing These are players Bergevin is not technically shopping but if a team career, it’s very possible he will start to break down physically over the calls, he’s not likely to hang up. They are the most valuable trade chips course of that contract. But that is unlikely to be a factor in him being he has at his disposal but, as mentioned earlier, are also important parts offered a contract from the Canadiens. of the team. They are players with a year left on their contracts, so not rentals and therefore there is a different market reality at work here. Trading him before his contract expires does not appear to be something the Canadiens are even remotely considering right now. We are talking, of course, about Jeff Petry and Tomas Tatar.

Phillip Danault A year ago Tuesday, the traded a first-round draft pick and prospects Sean Durzi and Carl Grundstrom to the Los Angeles Danault is also up for a new deal in 2021 and his next contract will also Kings for defenceman Jake Muzzin, who had a year left on his contract. come with a sizeable raise, but he is a high-end two-way centre and is In so doing, the Leafs set the market somewhat for the Canadiens here, seen as a big part of the Canadiens’ future. In fact, the team’s ascension but I have a sense the preference would be a first-round pick, maybe a to contender status could probably be gauged by how high in the lineup conditional one, and an A-prospect as opposed to the two B prospects he is playing. If Danault becomes the Canadiens’ third-line centre over the Kings received from Toronto. the course of his next contract, it will probably mean he will be playing well into the spring year after year. The first-round pick turned into defence prospect Tobias Bjornfot, who The Athletic’s Corey Pronman ranked as the Kings’ fourth-best prospect Jonathan Drouin in his preseason farm system rankings. Grundstrom was 10th and Durzi was 12th in that ranking. In order for the Canadiens to move one of Petry Bergevin is basically pot committed here, and with the way Drouin started or Tatar, I feel they would prefer to get someone that would immediately the season this is no time to trade him. His talent is undeniable and vault to near the top of their own list of top prospects, one that is closer to obvious. He’s 24. He’s under contract for three more seasons after this the NHL than any of the three guys the Kings received. I don’t know this one at a reasonable price, assuming the Drouin we saw this season is for a fact, but it makes sense simply because of the different stages the the new normal. Kings and Canadiens are at. The Kings are trying to build a team that will Ben Chiarot be competitive by the time someone like Bjornfot – who is playing for Ontario in the AHL – is ready to be a significant contributor in the NHL, With the way he’s played this season, there’s little chance the Canadiens probably in three to five years. The Canadiens wouldn’t want to wait that consider moving him any time soon. His contract, widely viewed as an long, I would think, to directly benefit from the return on any hypothetical team that trades for him, and right now we don’t how Kovalchuk would long-term rental deal. react. With healthy bodies returning for the Canadiens, we might be able to find out. And if Kovalchuk can maintain his effectiveness for a few Jeff Petry more weeks, getting a third-round pick for his services is not out of the Petry has a limited no trade clause where he can list 15 teams he refuses question. to be traded to. As far as I know, he has not been asked about his list. Marco Scandella Or, more specifically, he hasn’t been asked to remove one of those teams from it. This is hardly surprising because the Canadiens, until very There are 144 defencemen in the NHL averaging at least 17 minutes per recently, still appeared to believe in their playoff chances long after most game, or a little over four per team. Scandella is one of those everyone else had given up hope. The players still believe, but I think it defencemen. Does that alone make him an ideal top-4 defenceman? No. would be fair to assume management is making contingency plans at this But how many of those 144 defencemen will be available at the point. deadline? By my count, maybe seven: Mark Borowiecki, Dylan DeMelo, Cody Ceci, Alec Martinez, Rasmus Ristolainen, Petry and Scandella. So To be clear, Petry is not someone the Canadiens want to trade. First off, it’s not exactly a dry market, but minute-eating defencemen always have they would have no one to plug his hole on the right side in the top four lots of demand. Scandella cost the Canadiens a fourth-round pick. They next season, and really, as it stands right now, probably not the season should be able to at least get something similar to that back in return. after that as well. This is one reason why the Canadiens would not only not trade him but, depending on Petry’s demands, even consider re- Nate Thompson signing him to keep him beyond the 2020-21 season (but not too far beyond). Thompson wins 54.5 percent of his faceoffs. He kills penalties. He is a great teammate. Thompson is exactly the type of veteran depth centre But, and this is the rub, if Bergevin were to let it slip out that he’s taking teams generally look for at the deadline. calls on Petry seeking an offer that will absolutely blow his mind, those calls would start coming in. There is no doubt about it. Would they blow He came to Montreal from Los Angeles with a fifth-round pick in return for his mind? Maybe not. But maybe? Teams that could use Petry’s services a fourth-rounder. Essentially, the Canadiens moved down 19 spots in the to varying degrees include the Vegas Golden Knights, Carolina draft to get him. Something like a fourth or fifth-round pick with no Hurricanes, Tampa Bay Lightning and Toronto Maple Leafs, though the sweetener going the other way seems reasonable as a return, and there last two would need to pull off some cap acrobatics to make it happen. should be no shortage of teams interested at that price. The demand wouldn’t end there either, because there is not exactly an Nick Cousins overflowing supply of right-shot, puck-moving defencemen with size who can produce at 5-on-5 and play on the power play. Cousins is a restricted free agent at the end of the season and has surprisingly been a very important player for Julien this season, most If the demand begins to spike and GMs get crazy, Bergevin would most notably on the power play where he has been a curious fixture. Like definitely be answering his phone. Thompson, Cousins has certain intangible qualities teams seek this time Tomas Tatar of year and Bergevin might be tempted to get something for him now, if for no other reason than to get him off the power play. Since joining the Canadiens at the beginning of last season, Tatar is second among NHL forwards who have played at least 1,000 minutes at While we don’t know what Bergevin will do between now and Feb. 24, we 5-on-5 in both on-ice shot share and expected goal share. That’s second do know he will do something. His average deadline activity as GM is out of 318 eligible forwards. If traditional counting stats are more your roughly 4.3 trades per year, and last year was one of his least active with bag, Tatar has 42 goals and 102 points in a Canadiens uniform. just three trades. But the vast majority of those 30 deadline trades were Compare that to the consensus top forward available, Chris Kreider of rentals. The only two real hockey trades of note came in 2013, when he the New York Rangers, and you’ll see he has 45 goals and 84 points unloaded Erik Cole’s contract for Michael Ryder and in 2014 when he over the same span. acquired Weise for Raphael Diaz.

Kreider and Tatar find themselves in different branches of the trade It speaks to the difficulty in pulling off trades like the ones Bergevin might market, of course, but the argument could still be made that if Bergevin be considering for his 2021 UFAs in the coming weeks, especially with were to make Tatar available, he could be considered the top forward teams growing more reluctant to part with first round picks. available. That is an intriguing commodity to have. Teams looking for In all likelihood, the only players who will leave are the rentals listed at help at forward include the Pittsburgh Penguins, New York Islanders, the end. But if Bergevin so chooses, he could make himself the most Edmonton Oilers, St. Louis Blues and Tatar would draw interest from popular GM in the NHL for the next few weeks holding the best forward many others. and best defenceman available on the trade market.

Would the interest create a bidding war? Would that bidding war drive the The Athletic LOADED: 01.31.2020 price to a level that makes it worth it for Bergevin to break up what has been one of the most effective 5-on-5 lines in the NHL? Will Bergevin re- sign Tatar in 2021 when he will be 30? The answers to these questions will determine whether Tatar finishes the season in Montreal.

Max Domi

Much of what makes Tatar such an attractive trade piece applies to Domi as well. The difference, of course, is that Domi is four years younger than Tatar and is still under team control as a restricted free agent with arbitration rights. So that helps Domi’s trade value, but also puts the Canadiens under far less obligation to trade him. The worst-case scenario for the Canadiens on the contract front is that they take Domi to arbitration and not that he walks as a UFA in 2021 like Tatar. A trade in his case would fall under the category of a pure hockey trade, which is extremely difficult to pull off at the deadline.

Going to the highest bidder

Ilya Kovalchuk

This is found money for Bergevin. Over the coming weeks, it might be worthwhile for the Canadiens to show what Kovalchuk can do playing fewer minutes in a more limited role, because that’s the only question mark that remains for him. Sure, he’s highly motivated playing on the top line and getting heavy power play usage. Can he maintain that in a lesser role? Because that’s what he would most likely be asked to do for any 1173691 Nashville Predators

Predators' David Poile becomes winningest GM in NHL history

Paul Skrbina, Nashville Tennessean Published 11:41 p.m. CT Jan. 30, 2020

NEWARK, N.J. — David Poile making history repeated itself Thursday night, shortly before a brief round of applause and some cheers seeped from the Predators dressing room at Prudential Center.

The celebration originated from the team's 6-5, shootout victory against the Devils, but were more a testament to what it represented.

Predators general manager David Poile had just won his 1,507th game, putting him past Glen Sather into first place, all alone, for most postseason and regular-season victories combined by a GM in league history.

After emerging from the locker room, Poile, the only GM the Predators have had, accepted a few more congratulations before hopping the team charter back to Nashville.

There was no big celebration planned, save for a piece of chocolate or two on the flight back home.

The bigger gift, Poile said, was the team's second victory in two nights, one that pulled them to within two points of the second wild-card spot in the Western Conference.

Poile, who is in his 37th season as a general manager, first passed Sather, longtime GM of the Oilers, as the winningest GM in regular- season history in 2018 in Edmonton, of all places. A place where he spent part of his childhood when his father Bud held the same position with the Detroit Red Wings' farm team.

Poile was inducted into the U.S. last season.

"That's a great accomplishment," Predators coach John Hynes said.

Tennessean LOADED: 01.31.2020 1173692 Nashville Predators

Predators coach John Hynes didn't feel like stranger for long in old home

Paul Skrbina, Nashville Tennessean Published 6:43 p.m. CT Jan. 30, 2020 | Updated 10:17 p.m. CT Jan. 30, 2020

NEWARK, N.J. — John Hynes felt like a stranger in his old home Thursday morning.

Mostly because Hynes was exploring parts of his old home, Prudential Center, that he'd never seen.

The visitors' dressing room. The visitors' coaching room.

"I actually didn't know where I was going," the new Predators said before his team's 6-5, shootout victory. "It was good the other guys helped me through it."

It didn't take long for Hynes to feel at home after he entered the building he called home for four-plus seasons as the Devils' coach. The familiar faces of security guards he'd seen hundreds of times before, who helped guide him to unfamiliar territory. The familiar handshakes and "how you doings?" he shared with those who work behind the scenes.

Hynes' wife and three daughters still live in New Jersey, with husband and dad halfway across the country in his new job as the Predators' head coach.

Hynes was able to spend a few days with them last week when the Predators were on break. They took in a movie, shared some laughs and some meals.

This time, Hynes' first visit to Jersey as head coach of another team since the Devils fired him from his first NHL head coaching job Dec. 3, there was time for a quick lunch at the hotel with his wife. A quick hello and goodbye after the game.

He also was there coaching against one of his interim replacements — and one of his best friends — Alain Nasreddine. He and Nasreddine had coached together for 10 years.

“I’m trying not to think about it, to be honest,” Nasreddine said. “I’m trying to go about my day, but I’ll share my feelings when I see him across the bench there. But once the game starts I think he wants to win the game, we want to win the game and we’ll just try and leave it at that.

“But it’s going to be a special night.”

The two shared a lunch during the break that their wives had to break up after six-plus hours. They talked hockey. They talked life. They talked everything.

"We met at 1 (o'clock) and we got calls from our wives at 5:30 and wound up 8-8:30," Hynes said. "It was really the first time we had to talk."

When Hynes was considering the Predators job he couldn't help but take a peak at the schedule. That's when he saw it, Jan. 30 at New Jersey. Also the back end of a back-to-back, leaving him little time to stay back.

Former Predator P.K. Subban, who was traded to the Devils during the summer, recited his respect for Hynes, even though the two spent but a few months together.

"What he did for me ... it was one of the toughest training camps I've ever been in," Subban said. "It was probably the first time I've ever gone in training camp happy about training camp being as hard as it was. ... But it's a results-based business and if you don't win, whether it's on the coach or players, it doesn't matter.

Subban said he really likes Hynes as a coach, the way he operated every day.

Devils captain Andy Greene agreed.

"It's unfortunate the way it played out here," Greene said. "When I saw Peter Laviolette was let go there I had a hunch that he could be in there just because of how good a coach and person he is. He's as honest a coach as I've ever had."

Tennessean LOADED: 01.31.2020 1173693 Nashville Predators The New Direction Gospel Choir will perform the national anthem before the puck drop, and TSU's Aristocrat of Bands drum line will provide entertainment before and during the game.

Predators CEO Sean Henry says raising $1 million for Tennessee State To donate to the $1 Million in One Month campaign, visit is personal tnstate.edu/1million1month, text TSY1ML to 41444 or mail to TSU Foundation, 3500 John A. Merritt Blvd., Box 9542, Nashville, TN, 37209- 1561.

Mike Organ, Nashville Tennessean Published 2:09 p.m. CT Jan. 30, Tennessean LOADED: 01.31.2020 2020 | Updated 2:59 p.m. CT Jan. 30, 2020

Predators President and CEO Sean Henry could not say "yes" fast enough after being asked to help Tennessee State University raise money to assist need-based students with financial aid.

Why? Because it hit home with Henry.

Henry, one of six children in his family, had to pay his own way through college and came very close, he said, to dropping out at one point because he was short on finances.

"I'm here today because a couple of really good people said, 'We need to step in and help him,'" Henry said. "There were a lot of times where I was close to dropping out of school. One time the withdraw papers were written and it was over just a few hundred dollars."

That is why Henry and the Predators are teaming up with TSU in the "$1 Million in One Month" campaign, which is an effort to help fund 500 need- based and merit-based scholarships for students.

Henry said the one-month campaign, which begins Saturday, will be the first of many initiatives between the Predators and TSU.

To help get the campaign underway, Henry said the Predators will fund 10 scholarships for TSU students this year and 10 next year. Additionally, Henry will pay for two scholarships each year on his own.

The Predators also donated $100,000 of in-kind assets to help spread awareness of the initiative.

At a news conference on TSU's campus Thursday, Henry offered assurance the $1 million would be raised in February. In fact, Henry said he believes the goal can be reached within two weeks.

"A lot of people are going to work really hard to raise this million dollars," Henry said. "It's pretty easy when someone says a child's going to leave school over less than $2,000 and you can step in and make a difference."

Beyond the effort to raise money, Henry said the Predators will join TSU in a collaborative effort to help provide career opportunities for students.

"Money is the easy answer; money means nothing if we don't follow it up with opportunity," Henry said. "Money without opportunity will mean nothing for the program that we're trying to build. What we really want to do is engage with the students."

Henry said an effort will be made to get more TSU students involved in the Predators' internship program, also known as SE 101 (Smashville Education 101).

"We have a pretty robust internship program where we challenge students; they get school credit. They work with us. They're exposed to things they're not normally exposed to," Henry said. "It's not a normal internship. They actually work with us. They learn things. We learn about them, and what normally happens is we hire them."

Henry said the Predators have 300 full-time employees, and nearly half started in the internship program.

TSU President Glenda Glover said the partnership with the Predators made sense for the school because of the school's rich tradition in athletics.

"TSU has a long history of sports along with our academics, and so it's just a natural spinoff to be involved with hockey," Glover said. "And like Mr. Henry, I was one of those students too who almost dropped out if it had not been for someone to come to my rescue. The three most chilling words a president can hear from a student is, "I'm going home."

Along with the fundraising campaign, the initiative between the Predators and TSU will include TSU Night for Saturday's game against the Vegas Knights at Bridgestone Arena. 1173694 Nashville Predators

Hynes, Predators win 6-5 in shootout in return to New Jersey

Nashville Tennessean Published 6:00 a.m. CT Jan. 30, 2020 | Updated 10:18 p.m. CT Jan. 30, 2020

NEWARK, N.J. (AP) — Filip Forgsberg and Matt Duchene scored in a shootout, and the Nashville Predators gave coach John Hynes a win against his former team with a wild 6-5 victory over the New Jersey Devils on Thursday night.

Forsberg scored two goals in regulation and Pekka Rinne made saves on Jack Hughes and Kyle Palmieri on the Devils' final two shootout attempts as the Predators won their second game in two nights.

Mattias Ekholm, Nick Bonino and Duchene also scored for the Predators. Rinne had 27 saves for Nashville, which is 7-0-3 in its last 10 games against New Jersey.

Pavel Zacha scored twice and Nikita Gusev, Jesper Bratt and John Hayden once for the Devils. Mackenzie Blackwood stopped 25 shots, including seven in overtime.

Hynes was fired by the Devils on Dec. 3 after going 9-13-4 in the opening months of his fifth season in New Jersey. He led the team to the playoffs once. He was hired by the Predators this month and the team is 5-4 since he took over.

The goaltenders didn't get much help from their teammates and were also unlucky. At least four goals went into the net after being either tipped or deflected by a defending player.

The Predators took a 2-1 lead after the first period as Ekholm and Forsberg sandwiched goals around a short-handed tally by Zacha.

Power-play goals by Zacha and Gusev helped New Jersey take a 4-3 lead after 40 minutes.

Nashville twice tied the game in the third period with Duchene and Forsberg scoring around a rare goal from Hayden.

Tennessean LOADED: 01.31.2020 1173695 Nashville Predators

Mikael Granlund is heating up, but is it too late for him with the Predators?

By Adam Vingan Jan 30, 2020

WASHINGTON — Yannick Weber received credit for the deciding goal in the Predators’ dizzying 5-4 win against the Washington Capitals on Wednesday, but the hard work was done in front of the net.

As Weber fired the puck from the right point, Mikael Granlund tangled with Michal Kempny at the edge of the crease, creating enough havoc to help direct the shot past Braden Holtby with less than five minutes left in the game.

“He’s a horse,” Predators center Ryan Johansen said about Granlund. “He’s an absolute horse with a full skill set. I remember playing against him in Minnesota all the time. We always had wars. It was always tough to play against him. He always had his best, and nothing’s changed with him and his mindset and how hard he plays the game.”

Over the past few games, Granlund has started to resemble the version of himself that Johansen described and the Predators thought they were getting when they traded for him last February. Perhaps more than any player on the team, Granlund appears rejuvenated by the coaching change, but with the Feb. 24 trade deadline approaching, he could find himself on another team in less than four weeks.

“He’s a very smart player, very responsible player,” Predators coach John Hynes said. “He’s playing the game with more pace. I think he’s been extremely competitive in the hard areas of the game along the walls (and) at the net-front. We’ve expanded his role a bit on the penalty kill and given him more time on the power play. I think he’s thrived on that.”

Stylistically, Granlund was not a fit under previous coach Peter Laviolette; he totaled 19 points in 51 games, a far cry from the nearly 70- point player he was with the Minnesota Wild during the 2016-17 and 2017-18 seasons. Combine that with an expiring contract that pays him an average of $5.75 million, and it seemed all but certain that Granlund would not be back with the Predators.

Granlund’s representation has not had any significant contract discussions with the Predators, wanting to see how he responded to the coaching change before considering anything. In eight games under Hynes, Granlund has four goals, including three in the past four games. He has also started killing penalties, averaging 1:27 of shorthanded ice time per game. (Under Laviolette, he had 2:36 of total shorthanded ice time in 35 games this season.)

“I feel like I’m playing just way better,” Granlund said. “I’m playing PK and PP and getting chances out there. It’s been fun, and hopefully I can elevate my game.”

Unless contract negotiations suddenly take off, which seems unlikely, Granlund will be a pending free agent when the trade deadline arrives next month, which presents an interesting dilemma for the Predators, who are four points behind the Arizona Coyotes for the second wild-card spot in the Western Conference with three games in hand.

If they continue to stay in the playoff race and Granlund contributes, do they hold onto him as their own rental? Or do they realize that it will be difficult to re-sign him with their salary-cap situation and trade him in order to reap some sort of benefit regardless of where they are in the standings? (Colleague Aaron Portzline, who reports on the Columbus Blue Jackets, recently speculated that “two prospects and a conditional mid-round pick … seems reasonable” for Granlund, which would be an excellent return.)

Either way, if Granlund can sustain his recent play, it will help them, whether it’s by getting them back into a playoff spot or improving his trade value. The next couple of weeks will determine the Predators’ course of action, and he will have an influence on how they proceed.

“There’s been some production lately,” Granlund said. “I’m just trying to play hard every single night and do what it takes to help the team.”

The Athletic LOADED: 01.31.2020 1173696 New Jersey Devils

Devils fall to Predators in shootout following wild affair in John Hynes’ return

By Chris Ryan

In a race to six goals, the Nashville Predators narrowly edged the Devils — with the aid of a shootout.

Matt Duchene scored the decisive goal in the shootout, capping off a wild affair and a 6-5 Predators win on Thursday at Prudential Center in Newark, which marked John Hynes’ first return to The Rock since being fired by the Devils in December.

Filip Forsberg scored in the first round for the Predators, and Nikita Gusev responded with a goal of his own for the Devils. Duchene netted another goal in the second round, but Jack Hughes was denied for the Devils.

Mackenzie Blackwood made a save on Ryan Johansen, but Kyle Palmieri was denied for the Devils to end the game.

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In the first ever meeting between ex-Devils coach John Hynes and Devils interim head coach Alain Nasreddine, there was plenty of scoring from the get go. Neither team ever led by more than one goal, and the game featured five ties.

The Predators took a 1-0 lead just 42 seconds into the game when Nashville defenseman Mattias Ekholm’s shot from the point took a funky bounce off the stick of Devils forward , causing it to skip high into the net.

Pavel Zacha scored the first of two goals at 4:54 of the first period, taking a Nico Hischier pass in front of the net and scooping a shot past Predators goalie Pekka Rinne. It was a shorthanded goal that came seconds after a 4-on-4 shift ended.

The Predators took a 2-1 lead into the locker room behind a Forsberg goal at 8:17 of the first period. He popped in a rebound in front of the crease to beat Mackenzie Blackwood.

The Devils responded by scoring two straight power-play goals to open the second period. Zacha netted his second when a fluttering shot managed to sneak through traffic and into net at 8:44 of the middle frame.

Zacha nearly completed a hat trick two minutes later when a shot rang off the post, but the rebound found Nikita Gusev, who snapped the shot into net for his ninth goal of the season and a 3-2 lead.

Nick Bonino pulled the Predators even at 3-3 when he scored on a bounce off the end boards, finishing a shot at the left post. But Jesper Bratt scored off a Kyle Palmieri feed at 17:24 to give the Devils a 4-3 lead at the second intermission.

Matt Duchene pulled the Predators even again 33 seconds into the third period, snapping home a shot off the rush to make it a 4-4 game.

John Hayden put the Devils ahead 5-4 when he scored off a face-off, but Forsberg netted his second of the game to tie it 5-5 with 10:03 left in regulation.

Next up

The Devils will continue their three-game home stand when they host the Dallas Stars at 7 p.m. on Saturday. They will also celebrate the 20th anniversary of the team’s 2000 Stanley Cup win.

They will be at home again on Tuesday when they host the Montreal Canadiens.

Star Ledger LOADED: 01.31.2020 1173697 New Jersey Devils

What Devils interim coach Alain Nasreddine expects in 1st meeting against former coach John Hynes

By Chris Ryan

Alain Nasreddine has tried to avoid thinking about Thursday as much as possible.

But ever since former Devils coach John Hynes was hired by the Nashville Predators on Jan. 7, New Jersey’s interim head coach knew he’d eventually go head-to-head against the man who brought him into the coaching world.

“I’ve tried to go on about my day. I’m sure it will hit tonight when I see him across the bench there," Nasreddine said. "But once the game starts, he wants to win the game, we want to win the game, so we’ll just try to leave it at that. But it’s going to be a special night. A lot of emotions probably to start, but once the puck drops it should be OK.”

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Nasreddine, like everyone within the Devils’ organization, has spoken highly of Hynes since his dismissal on Dec. 3, and that hasn’t changed in the nearly two months since the coaching change.

Hynes and Nasreddine met up in New Jersey during their respective teams’ bye weeks, and what was expected to be a quick meal turned into hours of talking and reconnecting.

When Nasreddine started working under Hynes in 2010 as an AHL assistant coach, Nasreddine was immediately drawn to how Hynes handled his business. Hynes played a pivotal role in shaping Nasreddine as a coach just after his playing career ended.

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“Just with his presence, how he was able to command respect. Just running meetings, practices, you could tell guys, he earned guys’ respect right away in the way you treated players but also the way he carried himself," Nasreddine said. "I don’t think that’s something you teach. It’s just something he has in him, and that’s what was more impressive.

"I had a lot of coaches in my playing days, and watching him go on about his business and how he did things, day in and day out, to me, I could tell right away it was a good coach because I was just putting myself as a player, and he’s a kind of coach I would have loved to play for.”

Star Ledger LOADED: 01.31.2020 1173698 New Jersey Devils Nick Bonino (1G-1A), Mattias Ekholm (2A), Rocco Grimaldi (1G-1A), Dante Fabro (1G-1A) all lead Nashville in scoring against the Devils, tallying two points each. Pekka Rinne got the start for Nashville in the December contest, stopping 29 of 33 shots against. Rinne is a career 5- Devils’ lines, pairings vs. Predators (1/30/20) | P.K. Subban game-time 2-3 against New Jersey allowing 26 goals on 290 shots against (.910 decision after illness SV%).

Former Devils Head Coach, John Hynes makes his return to Prudential Center for the first time since being relieved of his duties on Dec. 3. By Chris Ryan Hynes started his NHL coaching career with New Jersey during the 2015-16 season. The Warwick, RI native went 150-159-45 (.487) with the club through 354 games in five seasons. Hynes made one playoff After missing practice for the past two days due to illness, defenseman appearance, where the Devils lost to the Lightning in the Eastern P.K. Subban will be a game-time decision when the Devils host the Conference Quarter Finals, 4-1. Nashville Predators at 7:30 p.m. on Thursday at Prudential Center in Newark. The Devils are 0-3-1 at Prudential Center and 3-4-1 overall against the Predators since the 2015-16 season. The clubs last win at The Rock was Devils interim coach Alain Nasreddine said Subban was dealing with on March 3, 2015 (3-1 W). dehydration over the two days following Monday’s 4-3 shootout win over the Ottawa Senators, keeping him off the ice. He skated on Thursday Get Devils Insider text messages from reporters: Cut through the clutter morning, so if Subban can make it through the rest of the day without any of social media and communicate directly with Devils beat writer Chris issues, he should play against his former team. Ryan. Plus, exclusive news and analysis every day. Sign up now.

Mackenzie Blackwood will make his second straight start in goal. Star Ledger LOADED: 01.31.2020 Nasreddine said the Devils plan to more evenly divide the goalie workload between Blackwood and Louis Domingue going forward, so Domingue could start on Saturday when the Devils host the Dallas Stars.

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Here’s how the Devils will line up against the Predators, if Subban does play.

FORWARDS

Jesper Bratt - Nico Hischier - Kyle Palmieri

Blake Coleman - Travis Zajac - Nikita Gusev

Pavel Zacha - Jack Hughes - Wayne Simmonds

Miles Wood - Kevin Rooney - John Hayden

DEFENSEMEN

Andy Greene - P.K. Subban (game-time decision)

Damon Severson - Sami Vatanen

Will Butcher - Mirco Mueller

GOALIES

Starter: Mackenzie Blackwood

Backup: Louis Domingue

SCRATCHES

D: Connor Carrick

On IR: F Ben Street (Upper body, practicing)

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Here are more game notes via the Devils:

Tonight’s contest marks the second and final contest between New Jersey and Nashville in the 2019-20 regular season series. The Devils fell to the Predators in the first matchup at Bridgestone Arena, Dec. 7, 6- 4, falling to 0-1-0 against Nashville in the season series.

New Jersey was 6-6 on the penalty kill, and 1-4 on the power play in the first contest. The Preds are outshooting the Devils, 37-33. New Jersey was 28-61 (46%) in face-offs in the early December matchup. The Devils look to improve their 2-5-2 (0-2-2 home) record against Central Division opponents this season.

Sami Vatanen leads the club in points and assists, tallying two helpers (2A) in one game played. Travis Zajac, Kyle Palmieri and Jesper Bratt all dented the net in the first game against Nashville.

Louis Domingue suited up for the first game against the Predators. Domingue allowed six goals on 37 shots against. Domingue is a career 3-2-1 against Nashville, allowing 16 goals posting a 2.62 GAA. 1173699 New Jersey Devils

NHL rumors: Will ex-Devil Ilya Kovalchuk be a trade chip for Canadiens?

By Chris Ryan

Ilya Kovalchuk’s NHL future was up in the air when the former Devils winger was released by the Los Angeles Kings in December, but a resurgence with the Montreal Canadiens has made him an intriguing trade candidate leading up to the NHL trade deadline on Feb. 24.

Since signing with the Canadiens for a one-year, $700,000 deal — the league minimum — in January, Kovalchuk has posted four goals and four assists in nine games while looking much like his former self. He failed to post those types of numbers during his 18 months with the Kings.

The Canadiens signed Kovalchuk primarily due to injury concerns. They needed help up front, and taking a gamble on Kovalchuk was worth the risk.

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The Canadiens are also 10 points out of a playoff spot in the Eastern Conference, so they could look to move him to a contending team, fetching more assets for their original investment.

Here’s what Pro Hockey Rumors said about Kovalchuk’s trade possibilities:

“Much of whether Kovalchuk will be traded at the trade deadline will be determined by what (Canadiens GM Marc Bergevin) decides to do with him. The Canadiens seem to be a better team with him in the lineup and if Bergevin can convince Kovalchuk to sign an extension before the trade deadline, then Montreal might be better off holding onto him. However, if the team cannot find a way to lock him up or if other teams are offering significant assets that Bergevin can’t pass up, then the team will likely be better off trading him away and just remembering they signed him for almost nothing. Because the worst thing that could happen to Montreal is not trading him and then watching him leave at the end of the season.”

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Star Ledger LOADED: 01.31.2020 1173700 New Jersey Devils

Devils are putting the puck on net more, so when will the goals come?

By Chris Ryan

When Alain Nasreddine took over as interim head coach of the Devils in December, one of the biggest things he wanted to fix was the team’s ability to generate offense.

Nasreddine saw a speedy and skilled group that wasn’t generating attempts and offensive pressure at a clip he would expect, and emphasizing that part of the Devils’ game has been one of his key talking points.

Over the past month, the results have started to show.

Since Dec. 23, the Devils have finished with 40-plus shots in five of 14 games after breaking that threshold just three times in their first 35 games. They’re averaging just 3.48 more shot attempts per 60 minutes in that 14-game stretch, and they’ve also averaged three more scoring chances and two more high-danger scoring chances.

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The numbers might not speak to a massive change, but the mentality of the group has also shifted in recent weeks.

“The biggest thing is guys are playing confidently and, even though maybe not getting rewarded all the time for it, everyone’s moving their feet,” forward Kyle Palmieri said. “The pace that we play with and how much stress it puts on other teams’ defensive systems, it’s hard to contain. We have a lot of skilled guys in this room and we’re generating chances at a good clip. Goals come in bunches like that, weird bounces and stuff like that, but I think we continue to do the things we’ve been doing on the offensive side of the puck and sure up some things defensively, it’s going to give us a good chance to win.”

The Devils’ 53-shot effort in a win over the Ottawa Senators on Monday gave them the franchise’s highest single-game shot total since 1999.

But in their past three games, the Devils have just five goals to show for their efforts. In those games, the Devils posted a combined expected goal total of 10.11.

So the next step for the Devils revolves around converting the chances they are generating.

“That’s a tough one. Guys want to score goals, so I don’t think there’s a magic recipe to go in and do this and do that," Nasreddine said. "You just have to be ready. I thought there have been some times where we could one-time pucks, as opposed to stopping it and then triggering. So that’s one area where we can maybe be better, be ready and just don’t have to stop the puck.”

Heading into the bye week, Nasreddine wasn’t too concerned about where the Devils stood offensively. At the rate they have been generating shots and attempts, he expected goals to come.

His challenge to his players is to maintain that offensive presence while cleaning up defensive breakdowns, which he said happened against the Senators.

“I thought (Monday) was strong. I know we gave three goals, but two of them came on our own power play," Nasreddine said. "But after watching the game and doing the scoring chances, we didn’t give them a whole lot. I thought you guys were committed, we blocked shots, we were stronger around our net, which was a huge point of emphasis.”

Star Ledger LOADED: 01.31.2020 1173701 New Jersey Devils makes it. But it’s just in him. It’s the passion for the game, he’s put in so much work and it just comes naturally.”

New Jersey Devils head coach John Hynes, left, facing camera, instructs Friends turned foes: Former NJ Devils coach John Hynes returns to face his players during the third period of an NHL hockey game against the Alain Nasreddine Montreal Canadiens, on Monday in Newark. The Canadiens won 4-3 in overtime.

It was that passion and presence that struck Nasreddine when he first Abbey Mastracco, NorthJersey.com Published 12:45 p.m. ET Jan. 30, met Hynes in Pennsylvania all of those years ago and the passion and 2020 | Updated 6:05 p.m. ET Jan. 30, 2020 presence he’ll see on the other bench Thursday night at the Rock.

The two have some differing coaching styles and Nasreddine is slowly forming his own identity, but when their paths converge it will feel like NEWARK — Alain Nasreddine first met John Hynes as he was coming they’re coming full circle after a decade of coaching and a decade of off his playing career a decade ago. A journeyman defenseman, Hynes friendship. was a budding young American Hockey League coach in his first season at the helm of the Wilkes-Barre/Scranton Penguins, an affiliate of the “I had numerous coaches in my playing days,” Nasreddine said. “But Pittsburgh Penguins. watching John go about his business and how did things day-in and day- out, to me I could tell he was a good coach. To me, he was a coach I And he was at the rink two hours earlier than Nasreddine. That’s when would have loved to play for.” he realized coaching required a little more preparation than playing. Bergen Record LOADED: 01.31.2020 “I thought showing up at the rink at 8 o’clock was early for my job,” Nasreddine said Thursday morning at Prudential Center, as the New Jersey Devils prepared to face the Nashville Predators for the first time since Hynes was named head coach on Jan. 7. “Little did I know that he was starting at his at 6.”

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Nasreddine coached alongside Hynes for 10 more years. When Hynes was awarded his first NHL job as coach of the Devils in 2015, he brought Nasreddine with him. But the duo was split up on Jan. 3 when Hynes was fired and his longtime right-hand man was promoted to interim coach. It didn’t take long for Hynes to land elsewhere. He was hired to coach the Predators only 36 days later.

Those two were getting ready to clash Thursday night at Prudential Center in an emotional meeting between the two coaches and friends.

“I’m trying not to think about it, to be honest,” Nasreddine said. “I’m trying to go about my day, but I’ll share my feelings when I see him across the bench there. But once the game starts I think he wants to win the game, we want to win the game and we’ll just try and leave it at that.

“But it’s going to be a special night.”

Alain Nasreddine, interim head coach of the New Jersey Devils, works the game against the Colorado Avalanche at Prudential Center on Jan. 4, 2020 in Newark, New Jersey.

Entering Thursday, the Preds were 4-4-0 under Hynes, winning their fourth Wednesday night in Washington in thrilling fashion with a third- period comeback against the league-leading Capitals. The Predators are fighting to make it to the postseason.

Nasreddine entered this one with a 9-11-3 record as a head coach. The Devils are well out of the playoff race but they are playing better than they did earlier this season.

The first few games without one another were strange.

“It was weird,” Hynes said Wednesday in Washington. “It was definitely weird and even weirder coming in and like in a situation like this, where it's It's a whole new staff, new players. Usually, when you get a job you bring someone you know or you interview a bunch of guys before you do it. And here you kind of just jump in and just start working together right away. But it's been fantastic.”

'Did this just happen?': Former Devils coach John Hynes reflects on the end, looks ahead

The state of the NJ Devils' roster: Who needs to prove themselves in the second half?

Hynes is not surprised Nasreddine has had some measure of success with the Devils. Nasreddine says he owes all of the success to Hynes. Not only did Hynes lay the foundation by creating the locker room culture in New Jersey, but he taught him everything he knows.

“Everything he does, he’s well-prepared,” Nasreddine said. “Nothing is left to luck. He’s just ready, he knows his next move before he even 1173702 New Jersey Devils

Devils fall to Predators and their former coach John Hynes

By Associated PressJanuary 30, 2020 | 11:28PM

Filip Forgsberg and Matt Duchene scored in a shootout, and the Nashville Predators gave coach John Hynes a win against his former team with a wild 6-5 victory over the New Jersey Devils on Thursday night at Prudential Center.

Forsberg scored two goals in regulation and Pekka Rinne made saves on Jack Hughes and Kyle Palmieri on the Devils’ final two shootout attempts as the Predators won their second game in two nights.

Mattias Ekholm, Nick Bonino and Duchene also scored for the Predators. Rinne had 27 saves for Nashville, which is 7-0-3 in its last 10 games against New Jersey.

Pavel Zacha scored twice and Nikita Gusev, Jesper Bratt and John Hayden once for the Devils. Mackenzie Blackwood stopped 25 shots, including seven in overtime.

Hynes was fired by the Devils on Dec. 3 after going 9-13-4 in the opening months of his fifth season in New Jersey. He led the team to the playoffs once. He was hired by the Predators this month and the team is 5-4 since he took over.

The goaltenders didn’t get much help from their teammates and were also unlucky. At least four goals went into the net after being either tipped or deflected by a defending player.

The Predators took a 2-1 lead after the first period as Ekholm and Forsberg sandwiched goals around a short-handed tally by Zacha.

Power-play goals by Zacha and Gusev helped New Jersey take a 4-3 lead after 40 minutes.

Nashville twice tied the game in the third period with Duchene and Forsberg scoring around a rare goal from Hayden.

New York Post LOADED: 01.31.2020 1173703 New Jersey Devils will be because Fitzgerald and Martin Brodeur are trying to cram months, and even years, of relationship building into a few weeks.

Are some teams going to negotiate differently with Fitzgerald than they Devils mailbag: Trade deadline outlook, goaltending options and the did with Shero? Will he or Brodeur have a connection somewhere that realistic path forward Shero didn’t that sparks a trade? We should expect the relationship with the Predators to still be strong (Shero was Davild Poile’s protege, but Fitzgerald was his first captain in Nashville).

By Corey Masisak Jan 30, 2020 The Devils aren’t likely to broadcast a long-term plan (think the Rangers’ letter to season-ticket holders) before the trade deadline because there is

a new management team in place. Trading, or not trading certain players, Welcome to the first of the The Athletic’s Devils mailbag. might do it for them. It’s also possible that nothing out of the ordinary happens before Feb. 24, and then the Devils name a new GM and the Please feel free to suggest a catchy name for it, but that’s what we’ll be plan changes again. calling it for now. Going forward, we’ll plan to do at least one of these per month in addition to the semi-regular live Q&As. Considering that the Devils have been drafting relatively high for 5 years and have graduated very few prospects to the big club, isn’t it reflective It’s a slightly different format and gives me more time to mull the of poor drafting and development to see the org. ranked 17 overall in responses. It’s also a good place for any big-picture questions that might Wheeler’s rankings? If anything deserved to get Shero fired the most, it fall outside the topic of the moment or any off-the-wall or quirky questions was this. about the Devils, the NHL or life around the team and on the road. Reading Scott Wheeler’s review, it seems like the Devils have a lot solid There were a lot of questions this time around, about as many as a bottom-6/bottom-paring type prospects, but not a lot of higher impact typical live Q&A. I’m going to group some of them together to try to hit on players which is what they seem to need. Is there anything they can do to what’s on everyone’s minds right now. get better development out of current prospects, or are they going to have to address those top-level players with trades and more drafting? Let’s get to it. With the firing of Hynes and Shero, do you feel the Devils are going to re- I imagine with the (Ray) Shero firing, it’s been tough to get a read, but asses how they develop talent in the organization? Shero and (Paul) any inkling on the Devils’ deadline plans? I guess specifically in regards Castron seemed to have a great eye for a player’s potential but struggled to Vatanen, Palmieri, and Coleman? Hearing that last name out there in to get players to take the next step in their game. (*cough Pavel Zacha particular is kind of scary. cough*) The Shero era seemed to coincide with a plan — the team stripped itself First, here is Scott Wheeler’s in-depth look at the top 20 prospects in the of tradable assets, and brought in picks, prospects, and players under Devils’ system. He rates it as the 17th-best in the league, which is a little 25. Do you get the sense that there’s an actual plan in place? I know higher than I expected, to be honest. His overview of the system, which that’s a tough question with an interim GM, but much of the anxiety from is pretty similar to what Corey Pronman thinks, is that beyond Ty Smith, the fanbase is likely due to being unsure of whether the team is headed it’s hard to see any of them developing into true impact guys. in a specific direction (rebuild, retool, etc.). If the Devils were already a contender, it would be great to have We know that teams are calling and asking about various New Jersey abundant options to help fill roster holes. But New Jersey needs more players. That’s going to happen when the team in 30th place and trades top-end players to put around Nico Hischier and Jack Hughes. a recent league MVP — other clubs are going to see that as a reason to make some calls to see who else might be available. It might be worth So, is it drafting or developing? Or was the process strong and the noting that Travis Zajac didn’t say he shot down a specific trade proposal results will come? That’s an important question this management staff when I talked to him for this story about him and Andy Greene. needs to unpack, or it will be one of the big ones for the next group. There are many layers to it. Zajac winced when I said it was reported that Fitzgerald presented him with a trade opportunity. He said “No,” and then, “I know there’s Yes, the Devils missed out on an impact player in the first round in 2015 obviously teams calling …” His meeting might have been more like and 2016. That’s tough for any franchise, but especially a rebuilding one Greene’s — nothing specific, just a preliminary discussion — than was that is trying to move past years of poor drafting by the previous regime. previously reported. That said, the Devils’ drafts have garnered better reviews on draft day since Shero put Castron in charge leading into the 2016 cycle. Zajac could change his mind about waving the no-trade clause, but that doesn’t seem likely. It appears Greene will wait until closer to the There was some dissent about their picks after Hughes this past deadline, but doesn’t want to leave. The Devils could try to sign Sami summer, but that class is not a big factor in any discussion about Shero’s Vatanen or Wayne Simmonds, but they’ll almost certainly be traded if drafting. So what if it’s a development problem? If Fitzgerald or a new not. GM leans that way, it could lead to more changes throughout the organization. The Devils have built a development staff in recent years, If the deadline passes and the Devils only trade Vatanen, Simmonds and but they could pour more resources into it. maybe Greene, there will still be some questions to ask about “the plan.” If Fitzgerald moves Kyle Palmieri, Blake Coleman or Nikita Gusev — who Some of those picks from 2016 and ’17 in particular might still pan out all have one year left after this one on their contracts — that should well, and Shero will get some credit after the fact if Reilly Walsh, Fabian signal a rebuild situation rather than a reload where they try to win Zetterlund or Aarne Talvitie do blossom. That happened to him in immediately. Pittsburgh: He drafted Jake Guentzel and Matt Murray (and Tristian Jarry), but wasn’t around to reap the rewards. The simple answer is yes, it is tough to read what is about to happen with the Devils. Tom Fitzgerald, like Alain Nasreddine, has been asked to Part of the problem for Shero and the Devils might have been the replace his mentor. Both have said they can and will be different. circumstances. Shero and his staff spent many draft picks on players Fitzgerald has long been well-liked and well-respected around the league who needed patience — NCAA guys, Russian guys, even Jesper Boqvist by other executives, media members, former teammates and the players ended up needing a year longer in Sweden than nearly all second-round on the teams he helped build. Like Nasreddine, he’s affable and has an picks. If they knew there was a deadline for showing more improvement, honest, direct demeanor. Both have slid over (or up) one chair, and so would they have taken different players? Would they have made different the responsibilities and relationships are going to be different for them decisions about development paths? with the players and for Fitzgerald with other executives around the league. As for where they are going to get those impact players, it’s almost certainly going to be in the draft. Swing a trade like the ones for Kyle It’s also a tight window for Fitzgerald to put his imprint on the roster and Palmieri and Marcus Johansson in the next few months would help. the franchise. What he and the Devils do between now and Feb. 24 could tell us a lot about what the plan moving forward is, both for next season Do the NJ owners have direct interaction with groups (like analytics) that and the long-term future. And it’s been hard to get a handle on what that regularly occur outside of the GM function? I get the sense that this ownership group is willing to pit groups against one another (i.e. analytics vs. scouts) more aggressively than most NHL organizations. Not sure be Hischier to maintain Zajac’s defensive prowess. Then the Devils could whether that will be good or bad, but certainly a change of pace from the put Hughes on the line with Palmieri and Jesper Bratt or Boqvist. golden age under Mr. (Lou) Lamoriello. I know I should just be patient and let Jack Hughes grow into the game. Even if Fitzgerald is promoted to GM after the season is over, will he He has shown flashes of brilliance, but at some point, production matters. really have full autonomy over roster decisions, or will he just be another Should we have any concern that Hughes is on pace to have the lowest voice in a room full of decision-makers? points per game for a No. 1 pick forward since Patrik Stefan?

I’ve never heard anything about pitting departments against each other. I didn’t believe that bit about Stefan at first glance, but it is currently true. There has been reporting since Shero was fired about how the managing Here’s a list of all the first forwards drafted who played that year in the partners want a more inclusive approach to running the organization. NHL from 1997-2014:

There has also been misleading, reporting. The analytics department did Jack Hughes, 2019: 41 GP, 6 goals, 17 points not get Shero fired. If someone had told me the day the Devils hired Tyler Dellow as the vice president of analytics that Shero would be let go and Joe Thornton, 1997: 55 GP, 3 goals, 7 points he was not, I would have told that someone there would be people Vincent Lecavalier, 1998: 82GP, 13 goals, 28 points blaming the analytics department for it. Patrik Stefan, 1999: 72 GP, 5 goals, 25 points If Josh Harris and David Blitzer want the organization to run a certain way — maybe more like the 76ers, maybe more like a lot of pro teams in Ilya Kovalchuk, 2001: 65 GP, 29 goals, 51 points all of the major sports in 2020 — that doesn’t just mean “they care more Rick Nash, 2002: 74 GP, 17 goals, 39 points about analytics.” There are other departments that are part of a holistic, collaboration-friendly approach. , 2003: 81 GP, 11 goals, 31 points

I don’t pretend to know how the Islanders are being run on a day-to-day Sidney Crosby, 2005: 81 GP, 39 goals, 102 points basis, and Lou is likely still doing all he can to make sure no one in the media does, but I’d bet it’s not exactly the same as it was for him in New Jordan Staal, 2006: 82 GP, 29 goals, 42 points Jersey. Patrik Kane, 2007: 82 GP, 21 goals, 72 points Goaltending has hurt the Devils for a couple of seasons now. What do Steven Stamkos, 2008: 79 GP, 23 goals, 46 points you think is the best course of action the Devils should take to stabilize that vital position? Do you see any viable options via trade or free agency John Tavares, 2009: 82 GP, 24 goals, 54 points this offseason? Taylor Hall, 2010: 65 GP, 22 goals, 42 points What is the long-term solution to the goaltending issue? Is it really viable to get Cory Schneider back to something approaching a playable level as Ryan Nugent-Hopkins, 2011: 62 GP, 18 goals, 52 points backup to (Mackenzie) Blackwood, or is something more drastic needed? Nail Yakupov, 2012: 48 GP, 17 goals, 31 points Here’s the rub with everything Devils-related, short-and long-term, micro Nathan MacKinnon, 2013: 82 GP, 24 goals, 63 points and macro analysis — drop a top-15 goalie on this roster and everything changes. They’re more competitive immediately. Some of the players Sam Reinhart, 2014: 9 GP, 0 goals, 1 point who look like they’ve stagnated in their development will immediately play better. Some might play better knowing that goaltender is back Thornton, Lecavalier and Eric Staal all became great players. Hughes is there. the first player to come from the USHL (and the USA NTDP) to the NHL, so he had a bigger jump than any of the others on this list. There are also Now, who is he for the Devils? Blackwood has looked like an above- more than 30 games left in the season, and one good stretch like he had average goalie in many of his games this season, but can they trust him earlier in the year will push him closer on a per-game level to players like to be a top-15 goalie for 55 games next season? Or the one after that? Hall and Jordan Staal. He looks like he has the potential to be that type of goalie, but that might take two more years. Even as well as he’s played at times this year, You shouldn’t dismiss his production entirely, but it’s also not time to Blackwood is currently 35th in save percentage among goalies with at panic. If he doesn’t have a late-season surge this year, it will place more least 15 games played. He’s at .906, and the goaltenders who are tied for pressure on him to take a big leap next season. An improved roster and 15th are at .917. larger role could help with that, and don’t be surprised if he needs another year or two to start filling out and adding more lower-body/core While that might be the easiest path back to playoff contention next strength like Hischier did. season, that doesn’t mean the Devils should rush to sign Braden Holtby or Jacob Markstrom to a massive contract on July 1. Both of those Who in the Bing do you think might be in line for a call-up? Personally, I players are going to be 31 next year. It also might be time for Robin think (Joey) Anderson and (Nick) Merkley have earned a call-up, but Lehner to get paid after back-to-back great seasons. maybe the Devils want to leave them there the rest of the year and not mess with their development? If Schneider does not return to the Devils and put together a string of strong performances, it seems like a buyout this offseason is likely. If that What are some takeaways from the improved play of the Binghamton happens, the best option for the Devils might be to try to find their version Devils that could eventually help in New Jersey? Is Joey Anderson close of Lehner — someone who settles for a shorter-term contract and could to earning another shot in the NHL and how has he been playing work with Blackwood the next couple of years. differently in his recent hot streak?

Thomas Greiss and Jaroslav Halak are both UFAs, but are also several Side note: I started calling it Bingo from Day One on this job, mostly years older than Lehner. Pavel Francouz should garner some interest as because I’d seen or heard other people in my life do the same. I had no a 1B-type with how he’s played in Colorado. It is OK for the Devils to like idea that no one from there calls it that. I kind of like The Bing, though. and believe in Blackwood and still consider trading for a frontline goalie, Anyway, players who could earn promotions — Anderson, Merkley, or a young one with a higher ceiling. Michael McLeod — should be back at some point. Maybe Colton White, At some point in the second half, do you think they’ll move Hughes up in too. Another forward like Brett Seney or Nathan Bastian could get called the lineup and perhaps slide him in in place of Zajac on his line? Not up after a trade or injury. If the B-Devils keep winning, they might all stay knocking Zajac, but obviously, Hughes is the future and I’d like to see to make a push for a playoff berth. what he can do with more skilled linemates in Coleman and Gusev for Something interesting I learned during my last trip to The Bing (OK, that more than a game here or there. wore off quickly) to meet Merkley and Nathan Schnarr is one of the other I think it’s possible Hughes will get some time on one of the top two lines, players told me that Binghamton changed how it was playing in the but I don’t think it will be that one. Maybe it would be a good test of neutral zone and the defensive zone (in part because they had been so Gusev’s potential defensive improvement to put him and Hughes bad in those zones). That happened just before this surge, and the two together again for a couple games. But to me, the natural fit there would kids arrived from Tuscon to give them added depth a few games after that. While many NHL teams like their AHL clubs to sync up their systems, it Does NJ go after one of the recently fired coaches so no one else can doesn’t have to match perfectly. I think Anderson was always likely to get get them or do they wait until a GM is hired to begin the coaching another chance with New Jersey this season, but Merkley has produced search? more since the trade, which could make him a stronger candidate for a promotion. I don’t think the Devils are interested in hiring a new coach until they have a permanent general manager. I don’t believe the managing Who are you looking at with the Arizona pick? partners are going to make a decision on the GM anytime soon. They might not wait until the offseason, but I’d be surprised if anything We don’t even know which draft it’s going to be in yet, let alone which happens (even interviews of other candidates) before the trade deadline. pick. If the season ended today, it would be No. 16 overall, assuming the The Devils will need to get permission to interview any assistant GMs on Coyotes were knocked out in the first two rounds. other clubs they might be interested in — here is a great look at some Here is Corey Pronman’s midseason list for the 2020 draft. I did have the candidates from Craig Custance. Devils drafting Rodion Amirov in the first round a while back, and he’s Also, I don’t think I’ve ever heard of a secret agreement on a coach like No. 21 on Pronman’s list. The Devils should be taking the best available that. My best bet at this point is Alain Nasreddine is the coach through player with any first-round pick they have and worry about positional the rest of the season, at a minimum. need or fit later on. Are you optimistic that the Shero firing will help the team get closer to Assuming the Devils are picking in the top 5 of the draft, it looks like we long-term success or do you feel that this move is more of a detriment to will be able to get a very talented winger. While the top 9 will still need the team now that Shero can’t execute his vision of the rebuild? some work after that, I believe our attention (and our wallet) needs to be focused on defense and in goal. Who do you think would be ideal UFA How do you feel about the Devils’ short-near term legit Cup chances? My targets for this summer? I personally like the idea of going for Lehner and fear is that we don’t have enough high-end prospects (we have a lot of (Alex) Pietrangelo. good/decent ones) to truly contend, rather we’ll be a ~6 seed type team.

Touched on Lehner earlier, but if for some reason he doesn’t get a 5-7 Let’s end with some light-hearted, low-calorie … oh. year contract, he could be someone worth pursuing. I’m definitely in the “goalies are voodoo” camp, but Lehner having excellent, similar numbers Both of these are tough to answer without knowing who the next GM is for two different teams would give me a little more confidence that he can going to be. Do I think the Devils are going to be a legitimate Stanley Cup sustain it moving forward. And if the Devils are desperate to win next contender in the next season or two given their current roster, prospect season, spending $7 million on him and $2 million on a buyout for pool and trajectory? No, not really. Schneider shouldn’t be an issue. They made moves to get closer this past summer, and they were going I’d be very surprised if Pietrangelo leaves St. Louis. The Blues can easily to need another similar summer to fully be out of rebuild mode. On Sept. create enough cap space this summer to play him (even if it’s like $10 1, it seemed plausible. On Feb. 1, there are too many questions and million a year). And if he does get to the market, I’m not sure the Devils holes to fill and some of the younger players haven’t done enough to would be interested in the seven-year, $70 million-plus deal it might take prove they’re ready for a 100-plus point season and deep postseason to land a player who will be 31 next year. run.

There are many intriguing UFA defensemen — Pietrangelo, Tyson The timing of Shero’s dismissal was bizarre, but if the managing partners Barrie, Jake Muzzin, Justin Schultz, Torey Krug, Vatanen, TJ Brodie, believed the Devils weren’t going to be ready to contend next year or the Travis Hamonic, Christopher Tanev — who could reach July 1 this year. year after, how long is long enough for one GM? There’s no easy answer They’re all going to be 29 or older next year. Muzzin and Brodie are the to that question. only lefties in that group, and both could be reasonable for the Devils if Now, if Shero wanted to reset or do a mini-rebuild, and the partners the bidding doesn’t become unreasonable. Not sure the Devils are going agreed, then it might have worked out. And the Devils might have been to invest heavily in another older right-handed defenseman when they ready to contend. I think they can get back into playoff contention next have P.K. Subban and Damon Severson under contract for at least two year if Fitzgerald or the new GM threads the needle this offseason, but it more years each. won’t be easy. I’m not sure they’d be more than a 6-seed type of team in Which leads to … two years. But, given the parity in the league right now, a 6-seed might be just a couple of points behind the 3/4/5 seeds and they’d look capable Are there any young stud D-men the Devs could target in a trade with of winning a round or two. their assets. Goal to get younger and better D? Maybe the optimistic outlook is the Devils get back to playoff contention If the Devils trade Vatanen/Simmonds/Greene/etc next month, they over the next two seasons while resetting the roster with a couple of deft would have more asset ammo to make moves like they did last summer. trades, and two years from now Subban/Schneider (if they don’t buy him If they want to improve dramatically next season, that might be the best out) are off the books. Then they go into the summer of 2022 with a good way to do it. Yes, they made two big trades this past summer and the team and cap space to make the final leap to a great team. But a lot has team still stinks. But those trades, if the goal was to win now, were both to go right between now and then. smart process transactions (argue they shouldn’t have targeted Subban, sure, but any undervalued, recently great defenseman for two picks and The Athletic LOADED: 01.31.2020 a mid-level prospect is good value).

So, who are some young defensemen worth targeting? There has been smoke about the Wild trading , who is right-handed but also has a reasonable contract (three more years, $6 million per). Another Minnesota player who could be available (because it seems like almost everyone there is) is lefty Jonas Brodin, who has only one more left on his contract. Another could be Edmonton’s Darnell Nurse, but the Oilers are going to want an NHL player(s) back for him (if they decided to use him to try to tweak their roster).

This year seems to be unprecedented in terms of the # of top level coaches being fired … and then quickly hired again (I know that Hynes was highly regarded around the league, but still shocking to see him hired by Nashville). While I am a fan of Nas, it seems slightly crazy for the Devils not to pounce on Gerard Gallant. Of course, he might not want to be pounced on by the Devils, but my question is twofold: Does Fitzgerald have the authority to make a coaching change? Do teams ever make quiet agreements with someone like Gallant where they agree to ride out the season with the interim so as to not shake up the players again? 1173704 New York Islanders

Islanders look to shake the rust after their long break

By Andrew Gross

The in-season vacation was welcome, even necessary. The Islanders readily admitted to physical and mental exhaustion when they headed into their 10-day All-Star Game/bye week break.

Some players went to Arizona. Some traveled to the Caribbean. One went to Iceland. Mathew Barzal was in St. Louis for his second straight All-Star Game.

But well-rested can’t become overly-rusted as the Islanders battle to maintain a playoff spot.

The Islanders resumed practice on Thursday in East Meadow after two days of optional skates that were not supervised by the coaching staff. They will resume their season on Saturday afternoon against the Canucks at Barclays Center, the start of a condensed schedule of 33 games in 64 days through the season finale on April 4. They will have consecutive days off only three times.

“The biggest thing coming off the bye week is trying to get the rust off as soon as possible,” coach Barry Trotz said.

“You probably don’t want to look at the standings every day with how tight they are,” said. “You can’t look past anything and every game is going to be crucial down the stretch from Saturday.”

The Islanders are in third place in the but are one point ahead of the fourth-place Blue Jackets and two points ahead of the Maple Leafs, their closest pursuer in the Eastern Conference that is not in a playoff spot.

“The race is so tight,” said Barzal, who won the NHL’s fastest skater competition in St. Louis. “You see teams like Philly and Toronto out of a playoff spot right now, you know they’re going to make a push. We can’t get complacent at all. Every point from here on out is huge.”

The Islanders were 2-3-2 in a grueling 11 days going into the break. They were just 6-6-2 since the NHL’s three-day holiday break in December.

The exhaustion showed in a 4-2 win over the Rangers at Madison Square Garden on Jan. 21. Trotz benched Barzal in the third period after a near-disastrous second-period turnover and was furious after the game after two late penalties and the team’s inability to connect for an empty- net goal.

“We were doing tired things, things that were out of character,” Trotz said.

As a result, the cushion in the standings built during a franchise-record 17-game point streak (15-0-2) from Oct. 12 to Nov. 23 is gone.

“You have a run like that and then you lose some games, it’s weird,” defenseman Scott Mayfield said. “It’s like, ‘Oh, no, what’s going on?’ There’s some panic and we’re just bouncing around .500. Yeah, the break came at a good time.”

Notes & quotes: Cal Clutterbuck, out indefinitely after having his left wrist slashed by a skate blade on Dec. 19, has resumed skating on his own. “He’s not shooting any pucks or anything,” Trotz said. “He’s weeks away.” . . . Defenseman Sebastian Aho was recalled from Bridgeport after participating in the AHL All-Star Game . . . Faceoff against the Red Wings on Feb. 21 at the Coliseum was pushed back to 8 p.m. to accommodate John Tonelli’s jersey retirement ceremony that precedes the game.

Newsday LOADED: LOADED: 01.31.2020 1173705 New York Islanders

Islanders player poll: Who has the worst taste in music?

By Arthur Staple Jan 30, 2020

In our quest to bring you as close to the players as possible, The Athletic conducted our annual NHL player poll. The aggregate results and anonymous answers to 10 questions were released last week.

Here on the Islanders beat, we added five team-specific questions that were a bit more lighthearted. Still anonymous so as to guarantee the most honest answers, we asked 22 Islanders players to pick a teammate who best fits each question and we’ve turned the answers into short stories complete with supporting quotes from various teammates and the winners themselves.

Today’s question: Who has the worst taste in music?

The results:

Leo Komarov — 9 votes

Johnny Boychuk — 9

Derick Brassard — 2

“Anyone who likes country music” — 1

This one caused some ruffled feathers. Perhaps it’s the age gap — the tie atop the leaderboard is between two of the three oldest players on the team and Brassard, another 30-something, got a couple of mentions.

“There’s too many young guys,” Boychuk said when informed of the tally. “It’s electronic music and rap. And not the good rap either.”

“Yeah, these guys don’t know what’s good,” Komarov said. “You gotta have good music to get you going in the room.”

It’s the way life is: Everyone thinks they have great taste in music and a great sense of humor. Each of the Islanders has contributed a track to the pregame warmup mix, so the players know what each other’s tastes are.

For Komarov, it’s European club music. When his song plays just before the Isles take the ice, there’s occasionally some dancing in the tunnel.

“It kind of feels like he plays those songs as a bit of a goof, that’s just the way he is,” one Islander said.

“It has ‘A Night At the Roxbury’ feel,” said another.

When it comes to Boychuk, his tastes run toward the more conventional for a guy in his mid-30s who wants to get the blood flowing before a workout or a game.

“It’s like … Dad metal,” one Islander said.

“He gets so into it,” another said.

The one Islander who hates country shall remain nameless, but that was a bold stance. “I hear it a lot,” he said, “and I cannot stand it. Just the worst. I don’t even know who listens to it in here, but it’s awful.”

Komarov let his teammates’ opinions slide off, as he does most things. Boychuk was less willing to let it go. “No one in here likes rock, that’s the problem,” he said. “What’s better to get you going than a great rock song?”

Seeing as it was a dead heat, we’ve decided to put it to you, Islanders fans. Komarov and Boychuk gave us short playlists from their game day selections that are linked below.

Leave your vote in the comments. Then we can know for sure which Islander has the worst taste in music.

The Athletic LOADED: 01.31.2020 1173706 New York Rangers

Henrik Lundqvist felt strong Kobe Bryant connection: ‘Competitor’

By Larry Brooks January 31, 2020 | 12:31am

Henrik Lundqvist never met Kobe Bryant, but the 37-year-old Swedish netminder told The Post he was still feeling the effects on Thursday of the 41-year-old Lakers legend’s death in Sunday’s helicopter crash in Los Angeles that claimed nine lives.

“I can’t tell you exactly why. I was trying to figure that out myself when I was talking to a friend of mine about that this morning,” said Lundqvist, who posted a tweet in Bryant’s honor shortly after the news broke on Sunday. “I think the answer is that I see the qualities in him as a competitor and his work ethic that I identify with, and I think a lot of professional athletes feel that way.”

“I can count on one hand the players in other sports I’ve made a point to watch from afar over the last 10 or 15 years, and Kobe is one of them. It was him as a competitor, the way he carried himself and obviously what he accomplished. I admired that.

“I’m not a huge basketball fan, but he had so much impact away from the court in so many different areas. You can see how much he meant to so many people and how much this has affected people. He was special.”

Lundqvist, meanwhile, will start Saturday’s game in Detroit after Igor Shesterkin gets the call for Friday’s Garden opener of the home-and- home against the Red Wings. It will mark the Swede’s first start since Jan. 11 and second since Jan. 2. Shesterkin played a pair of games for the AHL Wolf Pack last weekend while the Blueshirts were on their extended hiatus. Alex Georgiev won’t dress Friday and will likely be the backup on Saturday.

“With the break and sitting out a few [before that], of course I’m looking forward to this,” Lundqvist said. “You miss the action. You miss being out there. I’m going to try to be at the top of my game.”

There is still no grand design as how the Rangers are going to approach this three-goaltender monte leading up to the Feb. 24 trade deadline (if not beyond). But coach David Quinn, who said he’s going with this opening rotation because “I could go with the goalie who played two games or the goalie who was on the beach for nine days,” talked about the “constant open dialogue” with the netminding trio.

“Obviously it’s not an ideal situation for the goalies, the coach or anybody, really, but I think they’ve all done a great job handling it. They all want to play, I want them all to want to play, I want them to be pissed off when they’re not in there, but they don’t let it get in the way of their work ethic and they don’t let it get in the way of what goes on in that locker room.”

Lundqvist said that the three goaltenders have been “supportive of one another.”

“We’re making the best out of it,” said the King. “It’s day by day. The big picture, we’ll see what happens.”

Artemi Panarin, who missed the final game before the break tending to an upper-body issue, was unencumbered at practice and will be in the lineup against the Wings.

“You never know, but we were confident that he was going to come back 100 percent,” Quinn said.

Ryan Strome, Panarin’s center, left midway through practice with an apparent touch of the flu but is expected to play Friday, according to Quinn.

Pavel Buchnevich skated on the right with Mika Zibanejad and Chris Kreider, who said the speed-skating event in the All-Star skills competition in which he placed third, “was daunting.”

Jesper Fast was on the right with Panarin and Strome, while Filip Chytil skated between Brendan Lemieux and Kaapo Kakko, and Brett Howden joined the fourth line with Greg McKegg and Brendan Smith.

New York Post LOADED: 01.31.2020 1173707 New York Rangers “The thing I’ve really liked about Lindgren, which I think has surprised all of us, is his ability with the puck and how he’s been able to get us out of our end,” said the coach. “I think Troubs, when he’s on his game, he does that, as well. David Quinn challenges Ryan Lindgren with Rangers defensive shakeup “It’s just a gut feeling. We want to see how it looks. They both play with a little bit of a snarl — maybe they can give us that more consistent shutdown D pairing that we’re looking for. We’ll see how it goes.” By Larry Brooks January 30, 2020 | 9:04pm | Updated Short term and potentially long term.

New York Post LOADED: 01.31.2020 David Quinn is making a pretty significant change when the Rangers’ Drive to the Deadline commences Friday night at the Garden with the opener of a home-and-home against the 31st-overall Red Wings.

And maybe, just maybe, the Feb. 24 trade deadline does indeed have something to do with this.

The coach is switching his top defense pair, elevating Ryan Lindgren onto the shutdown pair with Jacob Trouba on the right while Brady Skjei moves down to skate with Adam Fox. This represents a notable shift from Quinn and the staff after months of stability. (At least regarding the combinations, that is.)

Skjei and Trouba had partnered for the past 28 games. Beyond that, Lindgren has been paired with Fox (with whom he had been previously paired in a pair of World Junior Tournaments for Team USA) for every one of his 38 games since his Oct. 28 promotion from the AHL Wolf Pack. Every one. The Lindgren-Fox pair has been extremely impressive, the rookies bringing out the best in each other.

Still, it was time for a change. The Skjei-Trouba pairing seemed increasingly vulnerable, especially against the rush. Neither player is at his best, both inconsistent, probably both pressing, so if it was becoming problematic, that one could help the other. In fact, Quinn said he had been contemplating this move before the break that ended with consecutive defeats to the Blue Jackets and Islanders in pretty blah performances.

“I just haven’t loved a couple of the pairings, and we’ve been talking about switching the last three or four games,” said the coach, who is leaving the Marc Staal-Tony DeAngelo unit intact. “I want to see what these pairings look like, if we can get better production.”

The coach presumably was not referring to offensive production, but rather 200×85 effectiveness. Most importantly, there is a hope that elevating the confidence, menace and simple yet hard game Lindgren brings to the table will help Trouba, who has been willing but erratic in his adjustment to New York and top-pair status.

Quinn said “yes” when asked if the move could be considered an endorsement of No. 55. “I think Lindgren and Fox have really been good, so we were hesitant to break them up. But we’ve been toying with this for awhile, and it just seems that this is the right time to see how it looks.”

(My interpretation: If Lindgren can play top-pair minutes, perhaps management feels more comfortable trading Skjei?)

This is, no mistake, a step up and a challenge for Lindgren. Trouba’s inconsistencies aside, he does eat up an average of 18:12 per night at even-strength, a majority of it against the opposition’s top guns. That is not nothing, just as it was not nothing when Neal Pionk handled a load of 16:48 per night at even-strength last year. Lindgren, on the other hand, averages 13:18 at even strength per night, seventh among club defensemen, if you include Libor Hajek.

But the challenge, of course, has been embraced by Lindgren, who is in his second pro season.

Charles Wenzelberg/New York Post

“No question that the coaches are [showing faith in me],” said the 21- year-old acquired from Boston as what has become the most significant piece of the return in the 2018 deadline deal for Rick Nash. “I like where my game is at. I think I’m playing well. I think it will be a good thing, You have the chance to play with Jacob Trouba, I’m excited about that.

“I’m going to play my game regardless of my partner. Foxy is so dynamic offensively I knew he was going to jump and Troubs can go, too, so if I’m playing D, I like to play it.”

Lindgren was renowned for his character, leadership qualities, toughness and stay-at-home ability. Quinn, though, has seen more than that. 1173708 New York Rangers

Listen to Episode 9 of ‘Up In The Blue Seats’: What It Was Like to Face Gretzky feat. Chris Kotsopoulos

By Jake BrownJanuary 30, 2020 | 1:52PM

It’s Thursday, which means a brand-new episode of the “Up In The Blue Seats” podcast with Rangers great Ron Duguay. Ron and I open the show honoring Kobe and Gianna Bryant and all the lives lost in the tragic helicopter accident. Doogie tells his story about the time he met Kobe in 1997, when they were both judges for the Miss Teen USA pageant. He talks about the humble man Kobe was and the legacy he leaves behind.

Duguay compares one of the best NBA players ever in Kobe to the best player in NHL history, Wayne Gretzky. Ron tells a funny story of going up against Gretzky, and discusses how great Gretzky was and being the only player to go up against all three of the Gretzky brothers. He also addresses whether Alexander Ovechkin can break Gretzky’s all-time goals scored record of 894.

New York Post Rangers beat writer Larry Brooks then joins the pod in his weekly spot. Brooks addresses the Lias Andersson situation and what the Rangers might get in a trade for him. Brooks also discusses All-Star weekend and why it has lost its luster. Duguay and Brooks share their memories from Gretzky’s days playing for the Rangers and break down whether Ovechkin can catch his record.

Former NHL defenseman Chris Kotsopoulos, Ron’s former teammate with the Rangers, then joins the show. Kotsie talks about making it to the NHL, how special it was to play at MSG for the Rangers, the All-Star weekend being lame, how difficult it was playing against “The Great One,” why nobody should compare Ovechkin to Gretzky and his thoughts on the current Rangers rebuild.

New York Post LOADED: 01.31.2020 1173709 New York Rangers

Rangers goaltender Igor Shesterkin will start first game after All-Star break

By Colin Stephenson

GREENBURGH, N.Y. — Igor Shesterkin, whose stellar play in the minor leagues earned him a promotion to the NHL in early January, will get the first start in net for the Rangers after the All-Star break when the Blueshirts play the Detroit Red Wings on Friday in the front end of a home-and-home.

Why?

“Well, I had the choice to play a goalie who’s been playing, and played two [AHL] games, or play a goalie who’s been on the beach for nine days,’’ coach David Quinn said after the Rangers returned to practice Thursday for the first time since Jan. 21. “So I chose to play the goalie who’s played two games and had been playing hockey.’’

That goalie was Shesterkin, who had been assigned to AHL Hartford during the break and who started and won Hartford’s games Friday and Saturday, allowing three goals on 62 shots. Henrik Lundqvist, the franchise icon whose playing time has been dramatically reduced since the Rangers began carrying three goaltenders, will start Saturday night in Detroit.

“It’s been a while with the break here and sitting out a few games,’’ Lundqvist said when asked how anxious he is to play again. “So yeah, of course I look forward to it. It’s a good challenge to me to try to play on top of my game, even though I haven’t seen a lot of action over the last few weeks.’’

Lundqvist’s last game was Jan. 11, when he was the starter in the Rangers’ 5-2 loss in St. Louis. That game was the only appearance he has made since Shesterkin initially was called up Jan. 6. Shesterkin started three of the Rangers’ next seven games and Alexandar Georgiev, who owned stellar numbers against the Islanders, started the three games the Rangers played against the Isles in a nine-day span.

“Obviously, it’s not an ideal situation for the goalies or the coach or anybody, really,’’ Quinn said of having three goalies. “But I think they’ve all done a great job handling it. They all want to play. I want ’em [to want] to play; I want ’em to be [ticked] off when they’re not in there. But they don’t let it get in the way of their work ethic and they don’t let it get in the way of what goes on in that locker room.’’

“We’re three guys who want to play,’’ Lundqvist said. “So we support each other and try to make the best of it right now.’’

The Rangers (23-21-4, 50 points) are 11 points out of a playoff spot with 34 games remaining.

“Our approach is to put ourselves in the best position to win a hockey game tomorrow night,’’ Quinn said. “It really is that simple, and we are that short-sighted. That’s really all it comes down to.’’

Notes & quotes: C Ryan Strome left midway through practice. Quinn said he was suffering from the flu but expects him to play Friday . . . Quinn changed up his defense pairs, elevating rookie Ryan Lindgren to the top pair next to Jacob Trouba. Rookie Adam Fox now will play with Brady Skjei. Marc Staal and Tony DeAngelo remain together . . . Artemi Panarin, who missed the last game with an upper-body injury, practiced and is “100 percent’’ healthy, Quinn said.

Newsday LOADED: LOADED: 01.31.2020 1173710 NHL We’ll be doing another installment of our NHL Seattle and hockey mailbag this coming Thursday. So, send in your questions now on Twitter and hopefully it will be as good as it went the first time around. Remember. they don’t all have to be NHL related. #NHL #NHLSeattle NHL Seattle mailbag: Coaching candidates, farm team and potential to host draft and All-Star Game View image on Twitter

bryce mcqueen

By Geoff Baker @brycetacoma

I’m curious about the structure of NHL teams go as far as players. Is it like the nba where you have one minor league team. Like baseball with Not much happening with the Seattle their 25/40 man roster splits. Football with a practice squad. How do they Kraken/Sockeyes/Totems/Sasquatch/Orcas/Evergreens, is there? OK, do it? maybe there is. But there’s more to hockey than a team name, so let’s answer some questions. 11:50 PM - Jan 27, 2020

Geoff Baker Twitter Ads info and privacy

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@GeoffBakerTIMES A: That’s a great question even longtime hockey fans struggle with. They’re allowed 23 active players apiece and 20 must dress for games · Jan 28, 2020 — including two goalies minimum. Players on injured reserve don’t count but must be replaced with “active roster” guys. NHL Seattle and general hockey mailbag is coming out on Thursday. I’ll be doing some work on it today, so send me questions right here on Teams can control up to 80 players — a maximum 50 professionals, Twitter and I will attempt to answer them. #NHL #NHLSeattle along with signed junior prospects and unsigned draft picks.

View image on Twitter The NHL’s farm system is more established than the NBA’s but less extensive than in MLB. Ozzie Teams have Triple-A-like American Hockey League (AHL) affiliates and @OzzieTellsAll all but six — San Jose, Anaheim, Columbus, Florida, Los Angeles and Who are some Coaching Canidates? When do you think they might start Montreal — also align with ECHL squads. NHL Seattle hasn’t yet interviewing potential coaching Candidates? extended beyond their Palm Springs AHL franchise, given uncertainty about initially having spare players to give an ECHL team. 10:57 AM - Jan 28, 2020 AHL is considered a higher level than ECHL, but slight talent differences Twitter Ads info and privacy between players are often more about their mental game than physical.

See Ozzie's other Tweets There are 31 AHL teams and 26 in the ECHL. Some NHL teams, like Seattle, own their AHL affiliate while others partner with them. ECHL Answer: Put it this way: I didn’t write last week about Gerard Gallant franchises are privately owned and typically more about winning and being the front-runner just to throw another fired coach on Seattle’s profits than developing players. They’re stocked more with free agents candidate pile. NHL Seattle officials had privately suggested they wanted than draft picks, though affiliated NHL teams supply some prospects. somebody like Gallant. Well, now they can have the actual guy if they work out a deal with Vegas on the remaining season on his contract. Players ages 18 and 19 drafted from major junior hockey must be returned if they don’t make the NHL after 11 games, like Philadelphia Gallant is known for relating to and inspiring players, especially castoffs Flyers draftee Wyatt Wylie with Everett. They can’t be recalled unless for who land with expansion teams. He wasn’t a superstar player and an emergency player shortage. understands pro hockey’s ups and downs. It’s been suggested he may not have always seen eye to eye with management. But come on, he For age 20 players — or those with four completed major junior seasons was always a fiery player that didn’t back down from a fight. Personally, I — the NHL team chooses whether to send them to junior or the minors. wouldn’t want a “yes man” as my coach. When push comes to shove — as it often does on a hockey rink — your leader can shove back once in a Geoff Baker while. ✔ With that in mind, they won’t employ a first-timer. There’s too much @GeoffBakerTIMES money invested to risk a learning curve. Especially with a capable Peter Laviolette available and having coached three teams to the Stanley Cup · Jan 28, 2020 Final. He also coached Francis. NHL Seattle and general hockey mailbag is coming out on Thursday. I’ll Some suggest onetime AHL coach Mike Vellucci, be doing some work on it today, so send me questions right here on now leading Pittsburgh’s farm equivalent, could reunite with his former Twitter and I will attempt to answer them. #NHL #NHLSeattle Hurricanes parent club GM Francis here. But Vellucci was always more attached to former Carolina and current Penguins GM Jim Rutherford View image on Twitter and again, lacks NHL head-coaching experience. I could see an AHL Jose Moreno hire, if, say, San Diego Gulls coach Kevin Dineen is released from his deal. Mind you, his parent Anaheim Ducks club could have another head- @JMoSeattle coaching vacancy by next winter. • When will Seattle host an NHL All-Star Game, as well as the draft? Dineen teamed with Francis as a player and as coach of Canada’s Spengler Cup team last year, has NHL head-coaching experience with • As hockey continues to grow here in the NW, how important is it going Florida and was an assistant with Chicago’s last title winner. Dineen will to be to make the sport affordable and accessible to the impoverished be back in the NHL soon, but I’d say NHL Seattle first goes after Gallant communities? this summer. • How important is it for Seattle to win right away

Geoff Baker 1:30 PM - Jan 28, 2020

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@GeoffBakerTIMES See Jose Moreno's other Tweets · Jan 27, 2020 A: Lots to tackle here. The draft depends on KeyArena reopening by June 2021. There will be regular and expansion drafts and the NHL is interested in Seattle hosting. Oak View Group construction executive Ken Johnsen told me he’ll pinpoint a completion date this April or May. If NHL Seattle guarantees by June the arena will reopen in a year, the draft comes here. If successful, we could hear by January 2022 that the 2023 All-Star Game is coming, too.

The team won’t have to make the Stanley Cup Final like Vegas but anything less than playoff contention would disappoint everyone. Big money is being spent by fans, sponsors and ownership and nobody will be happy if this isn’t a playoff team within two or three years.

And speaking of prices, yes, the team must ensure fans everywhere have a chance to see it. Otherwise, it’s a waste having community ambassador liaisons like Eric Pettigrew and Kyle Boyd trying to grow the sport locally. You won’t see $10 bleacher tickets, but I’d be surprised if there isn’t a section of lower-cost seats blocked off for community usage or daily general admission-type seating. Also, the new training facility at Northgate Mall offers an opportunity for fans to see players up close. That could mean letting them in to see practices for free.

Seattle Times LOADED: 01.31.2020

1173711 Ottawa Senators The Senators have a huge task ahead of them Friday by trying to shut down Alex Ovechkin and the Washington Capitals.

He scored his 693rd NHL goal Wednesday night to move into ninth place SNAPSHOTS: Christian Wolanin takes a step in the right direction all-time, moving one ahead of hall-of-famer Steve Yzerman. Ovechkin’s toward return from injury next goal will move him into an eighth-place tie with the legendary Mark Messier.

It’s fair to say the Senators have their work cut out for them. Bruce Garrioch How do you shut down Ovechkin? January 30, 2020 6:40 PM EST “I don’t know if anyone’s ever done it,” Ottawa coach D.J. Smith said. “You can do it for a game or you can do it for a period. He’s proven through the test of time that he continues to score and if you give him The Ottawa Senators' Christian Wolanin, who has been out since shots or space then he scores. September following shoulder surgery, has been cleared for contact. “Even if he doesn’t have space and he gets a shot off he can score from Christian Wolanin took another step on the road to recovery Thursday. a distance. There’s a reason he’s one of the greatest goal scorers of all This one was small, but significant just the same. time.”

The Ottawa Senators defenceman, who had shoulder surgery in The best bet for the Senators is to try to limit the opportunities. September after getting injured just before training camp, wore a white “He’s probably going to go down as the best goal scorer of all time and jersey for the club’s skate at the Canadian Tire Centre as the club he’s got a lethal shot. You’ve got to be aware every time he’s on the ice,” prepared to face the Washington Capitals on Friday night, and that’s defenceman Dylan DeMelo said. “For us, it’s going to be knowing where significant because it means he’s been cleared for physical contact. he is at all times and it’s going to be a five-man effort by whoever’s out He’ll spend the next week skating in Ottawa and then head to Belleville there. on Feb. 5 to make his debut with the club’s AHL affiliate midway through “You can maybe force him to take a bad shot, and I don’t know if you can the month. do that because he’s Alex Ovechkin, but at the same time he’s going to “I was having fun with the green (jersey) for a little but I was happy to let get some looks and we’re just going to try to limit those and make it as it go,” the University of North Dakota alumnus said. “It was a new feeling hard as possible for him. We can’t give him any freebies, we have to I haven’t felt in a while, but it felt good. make him work for everything he gets.”

“I’m close, I’m really close. I’m going to be Belleville first, which is fine so I can get used to playing again and game speed. I’ll practise for a week Ottawa Sun LOADED: 01.31.2020 and see how things go. I’m still not going to rush. If something were to happen in the next week or so, I’m not going to be stupid or crazy. I’ll just take it a day at a time and see how it goes.”

Action in the AHL will be helpful.

“I’ve never said a bad thing about being in the American league. I love coach (Troy) Mann and the system they run down there,” he said. “Last year, I went down with the right attitude and I thought I got better. I’m hoping to do the same thing and just add to what they’ve got going by helping them to get better.”

Being injured isn’t easy for any player and it’s even more difficult for a guy like Wolanin who has yet to make his mark in the NHL.

Drafted No. 107 overall in the fourth round in 2015, he was no sure thing to make the league when the Senators made the selection. He left North Dakota in the spring of 2017 and, generally speaking, the thinking was he would establish himself as a full-time NHLer this season.

However, the injury happened and since then the days haven’t always been easy.

“It’s been really hard, but I also think it’s been a blessing in disguise because I’ve learned a lot about myself,” Wolanin said. “I’ve tried to better myself as a person and there’s a lot of things you don’t think of when it first happens that you have to go through, and I’m just thankful that I’ve had good people around to help me with that.”

Some days being injured can almost make a player feel like they’re forgotten.

“There are parts where it’s the dark days and super hard to get out of bed and you’ve just got to grind,” Wolanin said. “There’s also the other factors of not really having the chance to protect your job or do things to keep your status on the team. There’s a lot of things you’ve got to go through, but in the end you hope you come out of it a better person and a better player.”

He was skating this week with winger Bobby Ryan, who is still waiting to be cleared by the NHL’s Player Assistance Program, and Wolanin was able to have light contact in the drills they did before getting the green light Wednesday.

“I would say I’m ahead (of schedule),” Wolanin said. “That has everything to do with the people who I’ve been working done with and I’m thankful for that.” 1173712 Ottawa Senators

GAME DAY: Washington Capitals at Ottawa Senators

Bruce Garrioch

January 30, 2020 6:26 PM EST

THE BIG MATCHUP

Nikita Zaitsev vs. Alex Ovechkin

The Senators have had Zaitsev in a shutdown role all season and that will never be more important than in this game against the Capitals. Zaitsev has done a good job in playing key minutes for this team and he’s got a big challenge ahead of him here. Ovechkin has 29 goals and 20 assists for 49 points in 47 career games against the Senators. He had two goals and was plus-3 in the Washington’s 6-1 victory over Ottawa on Jan. 7 on the road.

FIVE KEYS TO THE GAME

1. Tough night ahead

The Senators are coming off a 5-2 victory over the Sabres — two goals were scored into an empty net — but this is going to be a much more difficult test. The club didn’t match up well against the Caps because, beyond Alex Ovechkin, the club has a lot of offensive talent. This will be a huge test, but coach D.J. Smith has the last change, which may help with matchups.

2. Power up the power play

In Buffalo on Tuesday, the Senators had three goals with the man advantage for the first time this season. The club finally climbed out of 31st place on the power play. That’s a small bug significant step. The Senators need some confidence and they’ve had some on the power play lately. That’s a trend that needs to continue.

3. Chip in offensively

Centre Colin White hasn’t had the kind of season anybody expected and, like a lot of players, he’s trying to find consistency. White needs to put less pressure on himself to live up to the contract extension he signed in the summer, and the key for him is to shoot the puck more. He’s got a good shot and he needs to use it.

4. Work hard defensively

The Senators did a good job shutting down the Sabres, but allowed the New Jersey Devils to get up off the mat in a 4-3 loss Monday night at home. Mistakes defensively were costly and that’s an area the Senators will need to clean up against the Caps because they’ll be firing pucks from everywhere.

5. Back to Marcus Hogberg

He made 50 stops, including some huge saves, in the club’s 4-3 shootout loss to the Devils on Monday, but he also gave up a couple of bad goals, and that can’t happen in this one. He was pretty good when he took over for Craig Anderson in Washington on Jan. 7 so it would make sense to give Hogberg the start here.

Ottawa Sun LOADED: 01.31.2020 1173713 Ottawa Senators Ideally, he’d like to get something done with the Senators but the reality is he’ll be a valuable trade chip with the asking price of first-round pick and a prospect in return.

Some Senators trying not get caught up in deadline distraction, but it's “It’s the team that gave me my first chance in the NHL and always tough believed in my abilities to to help this team to win,” said Pageau. “We’ll see in the next month. It’s going to be interesting and I’ll try like I have in the last month by trying to leave the distraction off the ice.”

Bruce Garrioch Listening to Borowiecki it seems his first choice is to stay here and for what it’s worth league executives around the league believe he’ll never January 30, 2020 5:16 PM EST make it to the market because he’ll end up with a two-year deal that keeps him in Ottawa.

All eyes will be on what sets of eyes are in the press box Friday night to “I feel a very strong sense of loyalty to this city,” he said. “This city gave see the Ottawa Senators take on the Washington Capitals at the me a chance to grow up in safe environment, it’s given me a ton of Canadian Tire Centre. opportunity to blossom as a person and would you like to see it resolved sooner? Sure, but again you understand there’s a business side to this And, there will be a similar exercise Saturday night at Scotiabank Arena and I think you get too attached and too sentimental that’s when you in Toronto. struggle.”

With the clock now ticking loudly towards the Feb. 24 NHL trade The good news is with the calendar turning to February Saturday the deadline, there was no shortage of attention on the fact there were 25 club’s free agents won’t have to wait much longer to find out what the scouts from 20 teams watching the Senators score a 5-2 victory over the future holds. Buffalo Sabres Tuesday at KeyBank Center and for those keeping score at home there were nine representatives from six team Monday night in Ottawa. Ottawa Sun LOADED: 01.31.2020 Yes, the Senators and Sabres were the only game on the schedule Tuesday so that accounts in large part for the volume, but the reality is Ottawa has 10 unrestricted free agents on its roster and sooner or later general manager Pierre Dorion will be putting some of these players to market to see what the organization can fetch in return for its rebuild.

Of course, the Sabres are also going to be sellers, but the concern here is the Senators.

Centre Jean-Gabriel Pageau along with defencemen Mark Borowiecki, Dylan DeMelo and Ron Hainsey will be among the most coveted players on the roster, but the expectation is the Senators will sit down with that group soon to see what their contract expectations are and if they’re going to fit down the road.

That isn’t easy for anyone, especially Pageau and Borowiecki because they grew up in the area.

“It’s important to have a bit of a growth mindset. It’s a chance to grow as a human being and learn to play through a little bit of distraction — and not just play but learn to live through a little bit of uncertainty and teach yourself to embrace that uncertainty,” Borowiecki said Thursday.

“In the past, I’ve usually been a risk-adverse guy and, in this situation, if they’re going to make you wait then you’ve got to believe in yourself. That’s the key thing in all of this and if you can look at it as an opportunity to grow you come out on the other side better.”

Borowiecki’s situation is a different than most of the players because his wife Tara is close to giving birth to the couple’s first child this month. While trying to make sure he’s a consistent contributor and hopeful he can get his contract situation worked out, his top priority is making sure everything is okay at home.

“It’s whatever is best for her,” Borowiecki said.

Dorion will return from a lengthy scouting trip overseas in time to attend the game against the Caps and the expectation is he’ll get down to business with all of the agents in short order.

“I feel a lot of loyalty and this city and I feel a lot of loyalty to this coaching staff and the relationships I’ve formed with them here,” Borowiecki added. “I think my eyes have been opened a little bit in terms of having a child soon and taking care of my family.

“I know I’m in the back-half of my career and my No. 1 priority is taking care of my wife and my kid and wherever that takes me then so be it. I love playing here, being here and I love this room and I do love these coaches and what we’ve got going here but organizations are going to treat it as a business and realistically as a player you’re doing yourself a disservice if you don’t make a business decision too.”

Pageau is riding the rollercoaster to see what happens.

“Nothing yet,” said Pageau when asked if there’d been any talks? “We’ll see in the near future. I’m trying to control what I can right now and that’s my game, there’s nothing right now.” 1173714 Ottawa Senators

Jean-Gabriel Pageau focused on having a strong season with Senators

Bruce Garrioch

January 30, 2020 4:55 PM EST

The trade talk doesn’t appear to be bothering Jean-Gabriel Pageau on the ice.

Sure, he’s wondering what the future holds with the NHL trade deadline set for Feb. 24 at the 3 p.m. EST, but he’s already achieved a career- high in goals with 20 this season and he’s focused on help the Ottawa Senators have success as long as he’s here to pull on the No. 44 jersey.

“I’m always trying to improve my game and since my (achilles) injury last year it’s something that I really wanted to work and I’ve really tried to work on my consistency,” Pageau said Thursday as the club prepared to face Washington. “It’s something that I’ve improved a lot. My confidence is high and I want to keep pushing and keep working to be better every day.

“We have a good group of guys here and we go through this every year (with the trade deadline) and we go through this same period. It’s something I’m used too and (in the past) my name wasn’t circling as much but it’s something I’ll just try to keep out of my head.”

Ottawa Sun LOADED: 01.31.2020 1173715 Ottawa Senators

The Sens Panel | Young players and the future in Ottawa

Staff Reporter

January 30, 2020 1:29 PM EST

Bruce Garrioch and Ken Warren weekly hockey talk show about the Ottawa Senators.

This week our hosts talk about the spirit of Brady Tkachuk and the young players hitting the ice, Colin White’s struggles since signing a new contract, the future of Borowiecki and Pageau; The Battle of Ontario, can it ever be like the Battle of Alberta again?

Ottawa Sun LOADED: 01.31.2020 1173716 Ottawa Senators father for me now to reciprocate that, and that’s what’s made (the deadline) a little trickier.”

It’s clear how close the couple is. Partners in what has become a difficult, More than an asset: Inside a player’s life on the block at the NHL trade yet exciting time in their lives. deadline Their current mindset came after a long – and somewhat overdue – conversation two weeks ago about what could happen to their family come February. By Hailey Salvian “We were putting it off and sweeping it under the rug a little bit,” Mark Jan 30, 2020 says. “But finally, we were out walking the dogs and were like ‘OK, we’ve got to talk about this.’”

“And we laid out all potential situations,” Tara adds. “Like how could this Mark Borowiecki doesn’t know where he’ll be in the days after his son is play out in many different ways? Because right now, we have no idea.” born. The scenarios are plentiful. The Senators’ defenceman and his wife, Tara, are expecting their first child after years of struggling to start a family. Their due date is two Mark could get a contract extension and they stay in Ottawa. He could weeks before the NHL’s Feb. 24 trade deadline and Borowiecki, a get walked to free agency and spend the summer working with his agent pending UFA, has been rumoured to be on the block. The stress of the to sign a contract with a new team. Or he could be traded before the Feb. situation came to a head after the holiday break. 24 deadline — a development that would come with an overwhelming number of questions. Borowiecki got the flu and missed two games. “If he ends up getting a contract offer and we stay in Ottawa, that’s easy. “I had a week where it was tough for me. And I think it all culminated in So, we almost don’t think about that as much because that doesn’t me getting very sick, which I think is natural in life with stress,” he says in require any thinking,” Tara says. “It’s all the other potential things that we an interview with The Athletic. “I think it was a slip mentally for me. A need to plan for if this happens, or this happens, if we end up here, or brief period of mental weakness where I let the stress get to me.” what if it happens at this time?” Borowiecki’s situation would be stressful for anyone. On the ice, he is What city is he going to? Will Mark go alone? Will Tara and the baby join approaching a period of massive uncertainty. Off it, he’s facing a major him when they are able? turning point in his life. “It depends on where, and how far away it is,” Tara says. “I know with the On July 1, Borowiecki, 30, will be an unrestricted free agent for the first baby, he is expected to be born in the next three weeks, so I know you time in his career. As of Wednesday, there have been no talks of an have a certain amount of time to get their shots and their paperwork, you extension with his hometown Senators, the team that drafted him in have to get their birth certificate. There are some logistical things we 2008. have to figure out. … And we have our three dogs too.” In the NHL, the spectre of being traded is not a unique experience. “So maybe the correct thing to do is to be in a hotel, focus on hockey, get Especially for UFAs at the trade deadline. Look at any sports media our family time when we can,” Mark says. “And then just reassess in the website, hockey blog or fan message board this time of year and you’ll summer.” find lists of potential deals. Buyers and sellers. Cap considerations. Hypothetical line combinations. Dreams of championships. If Mark is traded before or after the birth, he will likely miss some of the first weeks, if not months, of his son’s life. Borowiecki – in the middle of his best year in the NHL – finds himself on those lists. It’s not such an uncommon predicament in hockey, or professional sports. Chris Kunitz was traded while his wife was eight months In the next month, for the first time since he was a rookie, he could be pregnant. Tie Domi was traded to Toronto just weeks after son Max was walking into a new dressing room filled with new teammates. He could be born in Winnipeg. Eddie Olczyk and Mikael Granlund both got trade calls on the hunt for a new place to live. He might be forced to leave behind while in the delivery room. the only team he’s ever known. His hometown, his friends, coaches and his family. His wife. A newborn baby. It’s part of the business. But the thought of being apart at such an important time would be difficult for any couple. This is the other side of the trade deadline. The part that gets lost in stat lines and salary cap crunching. “We have done the long distance when he was in Binghamton (AHL), but things have changed now. There are three dogs at home. And (there will Over the bye week, while preparing for parenthood, Mark and Tara sat be) a new baby,” Tara says, holding back tears. “I think it’s more … I’m down with The Athletic in an Ottawa coffee shop and offered a rare not stressed for me, I’m more stressed for him to be away from a baby.” glimpse inside the mind of a player on the trade block. And a view into how families deal with the uncertainty. “Yeah, that would suck. That would be tough,” Mark says, getting emotional himself. Mark and Tara Borowiecki have been together for almost 10 years. They laugh now about how they were “connected their entire lives” but had no “I am lucky I have my family here, so I’m not worried about me,” Tara idea until their best friends introduced them. They grew up in the same says, wiping tears from her eyes. “I have all the support I need.” neighbourhood in Kanata, Ont., went to high school near one another, but never met until Mark returned home from Clarkson University. Mark shakes his head: “Nope. You’re not allowed to see me get They’ve been together ever since. emotional. I have street cred.”

The couple have been trying to start a family for five years, but there “I have pregnancy hormones, so I’m allowed to cry,” Tara says. were fertility issues. In May, they tried in vitro fertilization (IVF). Tara “I’m getting them through osmosis,” Mark says with a laugh, before became pregnant on their first try. becoming serious. Tara and Mark with their three dogs at Canadian Tire Centre. “Hockey is part of our life, but it’s not our whole identity,” he says. “The “The process feels very, not personal,” Tara says of the IVF experience. most important thing in my life is being a good husband and being a good “It’s just not exactly like you imagined.” dad in the future. When I’m on the ice all bets are off. I’m a competitive guy and I would do anything to win and help out my team, but … I The journey has added to the trade deadline anxiety for Mark. realized that the priorities are being what I need to be for Tara and our son. And the idea of a trade makes this a little difficult.” “I’ve witnessed what she’s done for this family. And the sacrifices she’s made and how hard that was for her, and pardon my language, but how Rick Dudley knows what Borowiecki is going through. much of a fucking champ she has been through the whole thing,” he says. “And, you know, I feel responsibility and duty as a husband and a The Carolina Hurricanes senior vice-president of hockey operations has viewed the trade deadline from all angles. First as a player, then as a coach, a general manager, and now from a hockey operations viewpoint. “I want you to play. I want you to be valuable to this team,” Borowiecki After hearing about Borowiecki’s situation, he says he feels for the family. recalls his coach telling him. “I like your game and what you can bring aside from fighting.” “It’s very difficult because you’ve got a general manager, and his master has to be the good of the organization, and if he is offered a trade that is In the past, Borowiecki’s role was to report to training camp as big and a significant uptick in the team’s benefit, then he at least has to act on strong as possible to hang with the heavyweights in the league. His job that,” he says. “At the same time, you are talking about a player was to throw hits, kill penalties and fight. And that’s what he did. expecting their first child and that’s really tough.” “I would always try to come into camp at 220 (pounds), and I would do No general manager would nix a good hockey deal because of a players’ anything to get there. One year, I hit 225, and that was a battle,” he says. personal situation. It’s part of the business. But Dudley says he has seen “I was drinking at least one bag of whole milk every day. I would make the dynamic between players and front office change considerably since homemade pancakes every night before bed and eat 10 of them. I was he turned pro in 1969. just pounding food, and I got to 227.

When he played, “you were much more of an item than a human being.” “I would go on the ice and feel like I had a weight vest on. But that was If you could help an organization, you were treated well. If not, then you’d my role. Play 14 minutes, fight and hit.” “get something else.” This summer, after his call with Smith, he started running in an effort to The business side of keeping assets and trading pieces you don’t think slim down and improve his aerobic fitness as he prepared to play more will be part of future success holds steady, but the game has become minutes. He says he’s never felt better. And he is playing the best hockey much more personal, he says. of his career.

“When I started playing pro you barely ever talked to your coach, and he Through 48 games, Borowiecki has already doubled his career-high in didn’t really give a damn what your personal situation was, but he did goals (6), set a career-high in points (17) and has tied his current high in care how you played on the ice,” Dudley says. “I think over the long assists (11). period of time, probably with the advent of sports psychologists and others, they’ve discovered that the off-ice does affect the on-ice in a Borowiecki has looked confident. He is holding on to the puck and great way and, to understand what somebody is living is very important. making plays instead of dumping it in. He’s shooting the puck more, and That would extend all the way to understanding the attitude that a player his goals have mostly gone top corner. He credits that to his best friend would come into the organization with.” and training partner Ben Sexton, who he says always makes him shoot hundreds of pucks after their workouts — even though Borowiecki claims As a player, Dudley was a member of the Cincinnati Stingers in the he hates it. WHA. When the team failed to join the NHL, Dudley was sold back to the Buffalo Sabres. He was happy to return but remembered the experience “We would shoot like 150 to 200 pucks every single day, and we’ve done as being an emotional one. it for a couple years and I had a good year offensively a couple years ago, I think I was like three and eight with 11 points and I was happy,” he “I can only feel sorry for somebody who thinks they may be traded says. “But my offensive game kind of tailed off the year after and I was a because I do know what it’s like,” he says. “It was nerve wracking for me, little upset. but nothing like (Borowiecki’s situation).” “I always set a goal for myself and it’s always just double-digit points, I Tara and Mark Borowiecki. haven’t met it very many times, but this year I am seeing the rewards of that. I just feel confident, and I’m shooting the puck much harder this Do general managers think twice when trading, or trading for, players year. And I’m just shooting it better.” going through something personal – like a first child, or family health issues? The confidence to shoot, has come from the faith Smith has in him.

“I don’t think so,” Dudley says, noting that it’s crucial the team making the Since Smith got to Ottawa, Borowiecki says Smith has “gone out of his trade needs to be transparent about the players’ situation. In this case, way” to connect with him and make him feel supported. In December, according to Dudley, any team looking to “buy” Borowiecki needs to be before a heated rematch between the Senators and Flyers, the media made aware that he might need to miss time to be at the birth of his child. reported stories about the Flyers wanting redemption for a Borowiecki hit that resulted in a concussion for Travis Konecny. There was no call on “The dialogue between the two teams has to be really good. I don’t the play, and the hit appeared to be clean, if perhaps a second late. remember any time and in all the trades that I made as a general manager in four different places, I don’t remember having that type of Smith, who was a fighter during his professional career, called situation,” he says. “I don’t think I was ever forced to make a decision like Borowiecki before his pre-game nap to help clear his mind and reassure that.” him that he did not have to answer any bell. It left an impression.

As for the looming decisions in Ottawa, Borowiecki says there have been “I think that coincides with how I’m playing. I feel comfortable with (D.J. no contract talks. But general manager Pierre Dorion has checked in on and the coaches), I trust them, they trust me in a lot of different how Tara and the baby are doing, and on Mark’s mental well-being about situations,” he says. “They have been using me more and I think in turn it the situation. just builds your confidence and, in this league, I think that’s everything. Even at the age of 30, you can grow your confidence and your play is “Him reaching out to me like that I do truly appreciate that,” Mark says. going to be better and I attribute a big part of that to him.” “That was, I think, the human level thing for him to do.” Borowiecki adds the loyalty he feels toward Smith and the rest of the Dorion and the Senators have not shown their hand in regards to any of coaches and staff makes the deadline even harder for him. the team’s 10 unrestricted free agents. He recently told The Athletic’s Pierre LeBrun that he wants to avoid the “media circus” from last year. “I really would put my face in front of a slap shot for D.J., that’s how much I respect him,” he says. “In a contract year, with nothing set in stone for That silence, though, has added to the anxiety of the situation and has next year, I will get in front of slappers for him, all game, and put my body made Mark at times convince himself that he is going to be traded. In on the line for him and this team.” those moments now, he draws on his talk with Tara. He remembers the good times on the ice, and everything he has done in the community with Since returning from the bye week Borowiecki has taken two slashes to Tara by his side. the head. Gotten stitches. Blocked numerous shots, and given Tara a number of scares. But he does it for the coach who gave him a real “I’m just hoping that they can be appreciative of everything that I’ve given chance to play. this organization, some of the situations I’ve been put in by this organization. I’ve tried to just put my head down and kind of give my The trade deadline is now 25 days away, and Tara will give birth no later heart and soul to this team and this city,” he says. “At the end of the day, than 11 days from now (for medical reasons she will be induced to not go we try to live our lives a certain way and treat everyone we come across past her due date). Things are getting close, and very real. Still, they with respect and we just want that to be reciprocated.” realize everything has to be put into perspective.

Shortly after being named head coach of the Senators, D.J. Smith called “We aren’t feeling sorry for ourselves and trying to make this a sob story Borowiecki with an important message. or anything. We are so blessed with our situation,” Mark says. “People have gone through a lot worse and survived when it comes to having a kid and starting a family.”

“Even in our very privileged world that we are living in, there are families going through much more difficult times,” adds Tara. “It’s out of our control right now. That’s the thing people from the outside looking in don’t fully realize is, this has nothing to do with us wanting to stay or wanting to leave. If we had our first choice, we wouldn’t be having this conversation right now. But that is the reality of this situation.”

The Athletic LOADED: 01.31.2020 1173717 Philadelphia Flyers Inside the schedule: Have eight back-to-backs and a trip out west, and their final five games are against teams in playoff spots. Play in Philadelphia on Feb. 18 and host the Flyers two days later.

Analyzing the remaining schedules of the Flyers and their playoff Biggest problem: Regaining momentum. The Blue Jackets won six in a competitors | On the Fly row entering the break and are 16-2-4 since early December. Their game Saturday in Buffalo will be their first in 10 days.

Carolina by Ed Barkowitz Current position: 61 points. Clinging to the final wild-card spot on a tiebreaker with the Maple Leafs, and are one point ahead of the Flyers.

The Flyers went into their All-Star/bye-week break in ninth place in the Games remaining: 32. At home: 15. On road: 17. Eastern Conference. Without playing a game, they slipped to 10th. That’s how tight the conference is. Inside the schedule: Have a four-game road trip starting in St. Louis two days after the Super Bowl, and a season-high six-gamer beginning Feb. The Maple Leafs won again Wednesday night to move ahead of the 29. Remaining schedule has two games each against the Blues and Flyers by a point in a playoff charge that likely will resemble the Schuylkill Bruins and four against the Penguins. at 9 o’clock at night. Everybody’s doing 70 and changing lanes like it’s NASCAR. Just watch out for a losing streak, which can be as Biggest problem: All six games on the back end of their remaining back- treacherous as the Conshohocken curve during sleet. to-backs are on the road. Justin Williams has given them a jolt since the Dougie Hamilton injury, but how many of those B2Bs will the 38-year-old Seven teams in the East are separated by three points. Barring a Williams play? scorching run, the Flyers could finish anywhere from second in the division to out of the playoffs. They don’t have much cap space, so don’t Toronto expect a rental player at the trade deadline. Current position: 61 points, jumped into ninth place ahead of the Flyers Flyers with two clutch road wins this week.

Current position: 60 points. Tenth place in the conference, one point out Games remaining: 31. At home: 16. On road: 15. of the final playoff spot. Inside the schedule: Have just four back-to-backs and a home game with Games remaining: 32. At home: 16. On road: 16. Tampa after an early March road trip out west. Key stretch is the last week of March when they play four road games (Tampa, Carolina, Inside the schedule: The seven remaining back-to-backs aren’t too Ottawa, Washington). onerous, with March 20-21 the only set with both on the road (at Dallas, at Nashville). … Nine-day stretch beginning March 4 includes games at Biggest problem: Ignoring their own crowd. Since Christmas, Toronto is Washington and at Tampa and home games vs. Carolina and Boston. 1-3-2 at Scotiabank Arena, where the pressure can be immense. If they can get it together at home, the Leafs will be another team taking up a Biggest problem: Besides being the only team in the East playoff chase seat during the musical-chairs playoff chase. with a losing record on the road, the Flyers have just 18 wins in regulation. That’s the first tiebreaker and the fewest among teams in the This image pretty much sums up the Eastern Conference playoff race hunt. heading into the final three months.

Pittsburgh This image pretty much sums up the Eastern Conference playoff race heading into the final three months. Current position: 67 points. Six points back of Washington in both the Metropolitan Division and the Eastern Conference. Things to know

Games remaining: 32. At home: 15. On road: 17. Sam Carchidi takes an even deeper dive into what the Flyers need to do — and who needs to step up — to reach the playoffs Inside the schedule: Still have a West Coast trip, though it’s against the three worst teams in that conference (L.A., Anaheim, San Jose). Close It took a trip to Alberta, but two Gloucester Catholic kids are united again. the season with three teams — New Jersey, N.Y. Rangers and Ottawa 'Disney on Ice’ doing the Flyers no favors, but will anything change? The — that could be in tank mode. team meets with the league to discuss ways to ease the schedule. Biggest problem: Hit the ground running immediately after the break. John LeClair is next on the Flyers’ list as Ivan Provorov (and Claude Host the Flyers, which just shut them out, then go on a three-game road Giroux) close in on 300 consecutive games played. trip to Washington, Tampa and Florida before hosting the Lightning on Feb. 11. Catching up with Morgan Frost since his demotion: “I’m getting my confidence back.” N.Y. Islanders Bernie Parent gives his take on the Carter Hart home/road disparity. Current position: 63 points. Third place in the Metro. Four points back of second place, three points away from missing the playoffs. From the archives: Bullies not above ‘load management’

Games remaining: 33. At home: 16. On road: 17. Next time Grandma and Grandpa bring up that players from their generation played though the nastiest injuries and considered it a stain Inside the schedule: Have just four back-to-backs, but also must make on the honor of the sport to voluntarily sit out, bring up this clip. two trips out west. Have four road games in six days starting March 10: at Vancouver, Calgary, Edmonton and Pittsburgh. This was in the Daily News on April 6, 1974. Fred Shero decided to give a night off to star player Bobby Clarke, who had played in 276 Biggest problem: Might be a minor issue, but Isles coach Barry Trotz consecutive games at that point. The Flyers, it should be noted, lost that benched All-Star Matthew Barzal for all but 40 seconds of the third period game at Pittsburgh, 6-1. in the final game before the break. Brazal, 22 and a pending restricted free agent, accepted the blame for playing outside of the Islanders’ It’s also worth pointing out that six weeks later, they won their first system. Stanley Cup.

Columbus One other thing that jumps out from the clip below: 30,000 postcards? That’s one you might wanna ask Grandma and Grandpa about. Current position: 62 points. Leading the wild-card race by one point. Also one point back of the third place in the Metro. From the mailbag

Games remaining: 31. At home: 14. On road: 17. Question: When will we see Carter Hart back in the net? — @barrysacks1 Answer: Hart had been expected back at Thursday’s practice, which would have put him in line to start either Friday’s road game or Saturday’s home game. But GM Chuck Fletcher said Thursday morning that Hart would be out for at least another week.

Hart hasn’t played since a Jan. 13 win against Boston. He strained his abdomen in practice the following day.

Philadelphia Inquirer / Daily News LOADED: 01.31.2020 1173718 Philadelphia Flyers “Everyone knows the importance of divisional games in the sense those have a direct impact," van Riemsdyk said. "They’re four-point swings, In that sense, you’re taking care of business there.”

Little margin for error as Flyers, in a ‘great position,’ get ready for The Flyers will play 23 of their remaining 32 games against the Eastern fascinating stretch run Conference. That’s a positive, because the Flyers have a league-best 19- 6-3 record against the East; they are just 8-11-2 against the West.

Heading into their break, the Flyers built momentum by winning five of by Sam Carchidi their last seven games, including victories over heavyweights Washington, Boston, St. Louis, and Pittsburgh.

Will the layoff kill their momentum? At the All-Star break, before some NHL teams resumed play Monday, the Flyers, with 60 points, would have been in first place if they played in the It did the last time they had a break. They went into Christmas with a Pacific Division, in third place in the Central, and fourth in the Atlantic. four-game winning streak but came out of their holiday break by going 1- 4-1 on a six-game road trip in which they were outscored, 28-16. Ah, but they have the misfortune of being in the NHL’s best division this season, so they were only sixth in the eight-team Metropolitan. They The Eastern Conference is so tight that another skid would make it an were also (barely) out of a wild-card spot, because two Metro teams, uphill climb the rest of the way. The Flyers will come out of their latest Columbus (Columbus!) and Carolina, were slightly ahead of them. break with back-to-back games against two tough opponents, Pittsburgh on Friday and Colorado on Saturday. That means they don’t have much margin for error in the stretch run, which has 32 games to the finish line, starting Friday in Pittsburgh. More The Flyers have the ingredients for a playoff team. They have a coach, specifically, they must improve on the road if they are going to climb into Vigneault, who pushes most of the right buttons. They have a nice mix of a playoff spot. proven veterans and young players on the rise, and their schedule is favorable. The Flyers are 17-4-4 at home, but just 10-13-2 on the road. Of the 16 teams in playoff spots at the All-Star break, 15 had winning records on The head-to-head matchups in the Metro could be the deciding factor. the road. As for their opponents, Carolina could slip because of All-Star The good news: The Flyers have a very favorable schedule the rest of defenseman Dougie Hamilton’s broken left leg, and Columbus, which has the way. The traveling won’t be nearly as difficult as in the first three-plus played over its head, could hit a wall. The Flyers can’t count on that months, and they’ll play only two games (Dallas, Nashville) out of the happening, however. Eastern time zone. In essence, the Flyers — and all the on-the-bubble teams in the Eastern “We’re in a great position,” coach Alain Vigneault said before the All-Star Conference — are in playoff mode. Every period matters. Every shift will break/bye week. “… We’re right where we want to be. It’s going to be need playoff desperation. tough. It’s going to be fun. It’s an opportunity for our leadership group and our young players, who are all getting better, to go out there and As the late, great Gene Hart was fond of saying: Hold onto your seat prove we’re a good team.” belts.

What is needed This is going to be a bumpy but exhilarating ride to the finish line.

Strong finishes by veterans Claude Giroux — who is on pace for just 57 points, which would be his lowest full-season total since 2009-10, his first Philadelphia Inquirer / Daily News LOADED: 01.31.2020 full season in the NHL — James van Riemsdyk, and Shayne Gostisbehere would help. So would better road play from 21-year-old goalie Carter Hart. Oh, and more consistency from the power play.

In their first 50 games, the Flyers had 10 sets of back-to-back contests, and the traveling could be summarized in one word: brutal. To their credit, they didn’t make excuses and put together a solid 27-17-6 record.

After playing an exhibition game in Switzerland, they began the regular season in the Czech Republic, came home for a game, and then went to Western Canada for three games.

The hectic schedule rarely let up, and the Flyers, as far as back-to-backs and having three games in four nights, will play more games against rested opponents than any other team in the league this season.

“The schedule has been the toughest one in the four years I’ve been here,” said defenseman Ivan Provorov, adding he was “not making excuses” for any portion of the season. “It’s felt like we’ve always been on the move and never had any time to relax and recover. It‘s felt like the season’s been 100 mph.”

That’s why Provorov and his teammates welcomed this break. When they face the Penguins, they will have had nine days between games.

A time to ‘recharge’

“It’s good for everyone to recharge and for some guys to heal,” said Provorov, mindful that Hart (abdominal strain) and Gostisbehere (arthroscopic knee surgery) are among the players close to returning from injuries. “We’ll come back with a ton of energy and continue to get better.”

Both Eastern Conference wild-card teams could come of out of the Metropolitan Division, though Florida or Toronto, each from the Atlantic, could grab a wild-card spot.

The Flyers are an impressive 9-2-3 against Metro teams, and they have 14 games left against their division rivals. 1173719 Philadelphia Flyers reliable player who plays a lot of minutes in a lot of situations. He’s a guy we rely on a lot.”

Provorov’s development is far from complete. He’s better this season Flyers defenseman Ivan Provorov closing in on 300 consecutive games than last, but he’s not infallible. At his position, especially, one mistake can change games quickly.

But his ceiling has yet to be established, too. During a recent murderous by Ed Barkowitz stretch of games against Washington, Tampa Bay, Boston, St. Louis and Pittsburgh, Provorov averaged more than 26 minutes and was a

cumulative plus-3. Then there’s that goal he scored in overtime at Ivan Provorov cried at the end of his only NHL playoff series. It was in Montreal in November. Joe Watson told Inquirer sports writer Sam 2018, and the Flyers had just been ousted by the Penguins in six games. Carchidi that he never saw Bobby Orr make such a move. Watson had played with and against Orr. It was later reported that Provorov had played the final game with a Grade 3 separated shoulder, sustained when he crashed into the boards Arizona coach Rick Tocchet called Provorov “one of the best young late in Game 5. Had it been the regular season, Provorov might have defensemen in the league.” missed two months. “He plays with an edge in the sense that he doesn’t play safe. He’s up "As long as my arm was attached to me,” he said, “I was playing.” the ice. He’s not scared the way he plays,” Tocchet said. “He’s trying to win the game. As a young guy, he wants to be in those spots. When I It can be debated whether Provorov’s heroism actually was detrimental to watch him, he wants the puck. I love kids like that. They’re not scared.” the Flyers that particular night, but there is no question that being out there every game and in all situations is important to the 23-year-old According to his own coach, there’s still room for Provorov to grow. defenseman. And to the Flyers. “He can be more consistent,” said Alain Vigneault, who was a “It means a lot. I want to be there,” said Provorov, who is 6-foot-1 and defenseman for his 42-game NHL career with St. Louis in the early 201 pounds. “I want to make a difference, and I want to help the team 1980s. “I think offensively, knowing when to jump up and when to use his win in any way possible: PK [penalty kill], power play, even-strength. It good shot: Those are elements of his game that as he gets more means a lot.” experience, he’s going to improve.”

Provorov has led the Flyers in ice time in each of his four seasons. He is Most consecutive games/Flyers history eighth in the NHL this season at the break at a shade less than 25 Started Ended Reason Games minutes per game, and his six power-play goals lead all defensemen. 1. Rod Brind’Amour Feb. 24, 1993 April 18, 1999 Broken Here are the NHL leaders in ice time. All are defensemen. foot 484 Age Minutes Avg. Plus/minus 2. John LeClair April 22, 1995 March 9, 1999 Bruised 1. Thomas Chabot, Ott. 23 1270 26:27 -18 hip 317

2. Drew Doughty, L.A. 30 1303 26:03 -11 t3. Ivan Provorov Oct. 14, 2016 Active -- 296

3. Roman Josi, Nash. 29 1218 25:54 +23 t3. Claude Giroux Oct. 14, 2016 Active -- 296

4. Kris Letang, Pit. 32 1080 25:43 +8 5. Rick MacLeish Oct. 7, 1972 Feb. 5, 1976 Knee injury 287 5. Oscar Klefbom, Edm. 26 1258 25:41 -14 t6. Jake Voracek March 13, 2012 Feb. 25, 2016 Foot 6. Seth Jones, CBJ 25 1294 25:22 +9 injury 286

7. Ryan Suter, Min. 35 1247 24:56 -10 t6. Jeff Carter Dec. 19, 2006 March 21, 2010 Broken foot 286 8. Ivan Provorov, Flyers 23 1245 24:54 +1 8. Ross Lonsberry Oct. 17, 1973 Jan. 27, 1977 Eye 9. John Carlson, Wash. 30 1213 24:45 +17 injury 284 10. Brent Burns, SJ 34 1236 24:43 -23 9. Bobby Clarke Jan. 2, 1971 April 4, 1974 Rest for Other Flyers defensemen postseason 276

57. Matt Niskanen 33 1069 21:49 -4 10. Brian Propp Jan. 31, 1981 Feb. 23, 1984 Grandmother’s funeral 250 108. Travis Sanheim 23 1007 20:09 -2 It’s been 20 years since a Flyers defenseman was named to one of the 200. Shayne Gostisbehere 26 734 18:21 -2 two postseason all-star teams selected by the Professional Hockey 252. Justin Braun 32 771 17:31 -9 Writers Association. That was Eric Desjardins. In the 1980s, Mark Howe was selected first-team All-NHL three times. Barry Ashbee made the 301. Phil Myers 23 536 16:45 +16 second team in 1974. That’s it. Those are the only Flyers defensemen to make those teams, which are the equivalent of being named NFL All-Pro. 391. Robert Hagg 24 482 15:34 +5 It already can be argued that Provorov is the best defenseman the Flyers Provorov, the No. 7 overall draft pick in 2015, has never missed an NHL have drafted since Jimmy Watson — especially since Shayne game. He is at 296 consecutive regular-season contests at the break, the Gostisbehere’s play has slipped since he finished second in rookie of the most ever for a Flyers defenseman and the most for any Flyer to start his year voting in 2016. Stud Flyers defensemen Howe, Desjardins and career. Kimmo Timonen started elsewhere.

“I think I get it from my dad,” Provorov said with a laugh. “I don’t Joni Pitkanen (No. 4 in 2002) and Behn Wilson (No. 6 in 1978) were the remember the last time my dad got sick. It definitely comes from him.” only defensemen drafted higher by the Flyers than Provorov.

The Flyers’ record for consecutive games is 484, set by Rod Brind’Amour “You expect to have some growing pains, especially playing D,” said from 1993 to ’99. That mark is safe until at least March 2022. But John Flyers veteran forward James van Riemsdyk, the No. 2 overall pick in LeClair, who is second at 317, is in line to be passed this March — 2007. “That’s a tough position to come in and play at 19 years old. He’s March 15, to be precise. rock-solid back there. I think he takes a lot of pride in the toughness and “He’s been great since the first game he played for us,” said Claude the grind of playing big minutes and being someone the team can rely Giroux, who also is on a run of 296 consecutive games played. “He’s a upon. It’s definitely an impressive streak.” Provorov is the only player whose career started in 2016-17 who has never missed a game. Among Flyers with consecutive-games streaks, he’s the only defenseman in the top 10.

“He’s a force for us. He plays big minutes against the other team’s top lines," Vigneault said. "He plays on our power play. He kills penalties. I still think he hasn’t peaked yet. There’s a lot more there. He’s an excellent player right now with still some upside to go.”

Philadelphia Inquirer / Daily News LOADED: 01.31.2020 1173720 Philadelphia Flyers Hayes was 18 when Bryant and the Lakers beat the Celtics in 2010 for the final NBA championship of his storied career.

“The ‘Mamba Mentality’ is something every athlete wants,” Hayes Carter Hart still sidelined as Flyers head back to work continued. “As a sports fan, it’s devastating. But it goes beyond that. My teammates, our coaches, myself, the fans -- we all want to win every night. But there are bigger things in life. by Ed Barkowitz "For his family, his friends, his daughters, his wife, it’s devastating. I don’t know how I would be able to deal with it. It’s horrible. Like I said, I never

met him, but he had a lasting impact on me and a lot of people around The Flyers put down their martinis and their sunblock and got back on this game.” the ice Thursday for the first time in more than a week as the stretch drive officially commenced. Philadelphia Inquirer / Daily News LOADED: 01.31.2020 Not everyone is ready for the season to resume, however. Goaltender Carter Hart needs another week to recover from his abdominal strain.

While Hart is feeling “significantly better,” general manager Chuck Fletcher said, “he will not return to play for a minimum of seven days.”

Hart, who was injured in practice Jan. 14, skated earlier Thursday before the team’s first practice since beating the Penguins on Jan. 21. Brian Elliott will start Friday in Pittsburgh with AHL call-up Alex Lyon getting the nod Saturday against Colorado. It will be the second start of the season for Lyon, who played well in a Jan. 16 loss to Montreal.

Many of the Flyers bolted the area for warmer climates during the break, in which the team actually dropped a spot in the standings from ninth in the Eastern Conference to 10th without playing a game.

Forward Michael Raffl will be in the lineup Friday. He was put back on a line with Sean Couturier and Jake Voracek.

Raffl was clobbered on a hit by Dustin Brown on Jan. 18 against Los Angeles. He briefly remained in the game, which he regretted later.

“It was nice to have the medical staff take me out of that game,” Raffl said. “I wasn’t myself. I was battling headaches a few days after.”

Raffl’s return bumps rookie Joel Farabee back to Kevin Hayes’ line alongside Scott Laughton.

Defenseman Shayne Gostisbehere practiced, but is still a few days away from playing. It was just the third time he skated since having arthroscopic knee surgery a few weeks ago. After an inconsistent start to the season, Gostisbehere had been playing well when he was injured.

“The timing was a little tough, [but] it was something I had to get done,” Gostisbehere said. “I couldn’t put it off anymore.”

Coach Alain Vigneault, who jokingly said he was going to enjoy some martinis on a pontoon boat during the break, indicated that Gostisbehere would be reinserted into the lineup when his conditioning is ready. The Flyers play at Detroit on Monday.

“Let’s get through [Friday against Pittburgh], and if we have decisions to make we’ll make them a game at a time,” Vigneault said.

The Flyers are 12 points ahead of where they were a year ago with a burst of three games in four nights awaiting them beginning Friday. At 60 points, they are on pace for 98, which is exactly the number Columbus got in with last season for the final spot in the conference.

“It might take a few more points [to reach the playoffs] than I originally thought, but that’s how competitive the Eastern Conference is,” Vigneault said. “As a player, as a coach, that’s why you’re in this business.”

Ice cubes

The Penguins also haven’t played a game since Jan. 21. Veteran defenseman Justin Schultz (lower body) practiced Thursday and is expected to play for the first time since Dec. 17. ... The Flyers will host a watch party for Friday’s game at the Blue Cross River Rink on Columbus Boulevard, starting at 6 p.m.

The last word

Kevin Hayes, who grew up a Celtics fan, was flying home from Miami on Sunday when he heard about the Kobe Bryant tragedy.

“It’s devastating. It brought tears to my eyes, honestly” said Hayes, a Boston-area native. “I never met him, but he was one of my favorite athletes growing up.” 1173721 Philadelphia Flyers Michael Raffl says he'll be ready to go when called upon for second-line, left-wing duty Friday night in Pittsburgh. He's coming off what had been reported as an upper-body injury that he admitted Thursday was a concussion. It stemmed from a hit he suffered Jan. 18 against the Los Stretch drive demands Flyers to step up their competitive pace Angeles Kings.

"I'm fine. The break was very good and very much needed. But I'm back at 100 percent," Raffl said. He had tried to shake off the effects of the hit By Rob Parent [email protected] @ReluctantSE in that game and just keep playing, but is now thanking Flyers athletic trainers for making him take a bench seat.

VOORHEES, N.J. — Ten days after gaining a measure full of confidence "It was nice to have the medical staff step in and take me out of that with a win over the Pittsburgh Penguins, the Flyers can truly measure game, realizing I wasn't being myself," Raffl said. "I was battling their stretch drive value Friday night in Pittsburgh as both teams try to headaches for a few days after." shake the rust of a long break when they meet for a rematch at PPG Lone Flyers All-Star Travis Konecny was back from his abbreviated Paints Arena. break early, and took part in practice as usual Thursday. He said he did For the Flyers, it is the beginning of a 32-game season stretch drive that that because of the vibe he feels about the challenging stretch drive starts with them in a good place from a points perspective, but not so ahead. much from a standings point of view. They had 60 points through their He also said he enjoyed his first All-Star experience. first 50 games, but nevertheless they were only in the No. 10 spot Thursday out of the Eastern Conference's 16 teams. "My first time, so I was just soaking it all in," Konecny said. "I tried to enjoy the experience. It was a lot of fun out there. There's some In case you aren't a math expert, that would be outside of NHL playoff characters and personalities to the names, getting to know some of those positioning. guys. But again I was just trying to enjoy it and soak it up. I didn't really "I think I saw where we're on pace for 98 points or something like that, talk or go around the room getting to know everybody. I was just kind of a and that usually is good enough to get you into the playoffs," James van fly on the wall." Riemsdyk said Thursday. "But obviously, there's still lots of games left, Imagine. Trash talkin' Travis just keeping it quiet like a fly on the wall. and we're playing a lot of those teams within that pocket that are fighting for those same spots. So it makes it fun. Those are the games that you OK. want to play. Those are the games that make it exciting for everyone and we're looking forward to all of them."

For now, coming off the break, they can look forward to three games in Delaware County Times LOADED: 01.31.2020 four days. This because the NHL has to make accommodations for a players union-mandated week-long break during the season. Both the Flyers and Penguins had that tacked on to All-Star weekend, which made it essentially a 10-day break for both.

Uh, that makes sense. Doesn't it?

"Breaks are great for teams," Kevin Hayes said. "I think if a guy or a team says a break's not good, they're lying to you. It's a tough season and everyone goes through bumps and bruises and if a break is given to you, you take it. Eight days away from the game, you relax, rejuvenate and come back. I think everyone was excited in practice today and with 32 games, it's a playoff push right now."

"You look around the league and how it's gone the last couple of years, it's one of those things where if you get in the playoffs, it's anyone's game," van Riemsdyk said. "So obviously you have a few teams every year that kind of separate themselves that you would consider heavy favorites. But after that there's maybe a few teams that don't make the playoffs that you could argue could have made a run if they were in there. So you have to try to get in there and let the chips fall where they may."

For the Flyers, they will likely fall short without a memorable stretch drive. Then again, they might be sixth in the Metropolitan Division and 10th in the East, but they're only three points out of the third-place Metro Division playoff spot.

"I feel today almost like the first day of training camp," excitable coaching boy Alain Vigneault said. "Everyone's excited; it's a new season, a new opportunity. I look at our situation right now, we're in a good spot. We're coming back off the break, everyone's fresh, everybody had good energy today. We've got a real good challenge ahead of us and I think we've prepared ourselves to face the opportunity head on.

"You look at the teams in our division and look at the teams in our conference, obviously teams we see more often, competitive teams, teams that work hard and are skilled, and we're in a good spot," Vigneault added. "We're exactly where I'd thought we'd be ... (among) seven or eight teams fighting for those two or three last playoff spots. That's exactly where we are."

OK, so where does he think they will end up?

"I've said all along and I'm still saying today that we're going to get into the playoffs," Vigneault said. "We've got the talent, we've got the veteran group, we've got good young players. We're going to get in. And we're exactly where I thought we'd be." 1173722 Philadelphia Flyers

Ed Snider Hockey gives $500,000 for Neumann scholarships

Staff Report

ASTON — Ice, ice, baby!

The Ed Snider Youth Hockey Foundation and the Goals & Assists Scholarship Fund Thursday presented a grant of $500,000 to Neumann University to support 100 scholarship years – including tuition, room and board – for freshman or transfer students who participated in Snider Hockey programming as youngsters.

Snider Hockey President and CEO Scott Tharp presented the $500,000 check to Dr. Chris Domes, Neumann University president. Members of the foundation and university boards attended the presentation as did three Neumann ice hockey players who participated in the Snider Hockey program.

“This generous gift from Snider Hockey will ensure that dozens of young women and men have the opportunity to earn Neumann University degrees and launch their careers without student loan debt,” said Dr. Domes.

“Neumann’s Franciscan values – integrity, respect and excellence – also provide continuity with the ideals instilled by Snider Hockey.”

He added that Neumann is the fifth university, and the first Catholic college, to collaborate with the Snider Hockey scholarship program.

According to Scott Tharp, “Snider Hockey is pleased to have a partner like Neumann University, which is committed to transforming lives of students in the region.”

The essentially debt-free education is supported by the $500,000 scholarship gift, by Neumann University, and by applicable federal and state grants. All students must meet the university’s admission criteria to be eligible. The scholarships apply for a maximum of four years per student and only to the pursuit of an undergraduate degree.

The partnership will begin with eligible freshman and transfer students who are admitted for fall 2020.

Snider Hockey was created by the late Philadelphia Flyers Chairman Ed Snider in 2005 as his personal commitment to teach children important life lessons. Using the sport of hockey, the mission of Snider Hockey is to build lives and unite communities, helping educate young people to succeed in the game of life.

Snider Hockey programs are provided at no cost and are focused on underserved boys and girls who otherwise would not have the opportunity to play, with an emphasis on character development, life skills, fitness, nutrition, and academics.

Both Snider Hockey and Give Back (a nonprofit created in 1999) are dedicated to help motivate young people to excel, despite financial and social challenges. Through a joint venture between these two organizations, the Goals & Assists Scholarship Fund was created to provide Snider Hockey participants with the opportunity to attend college.

Delaware County Times LOADED: 01.31.2020 1173723 Philadelphia Flyers

Flyers injury update: Key players return to practice after NHL All-Star break

By Jordan Hall

January 30, 2020 12:11 PM

Updated: 3:36 p.m.

As expected, the Flyers are getting healthier just in time for the start of their post-NHL All-Star break playoff push.

Shayne Gostisbehere (knee) and Michael Raffl (upper body) practiced Thursday ahead of Friday’s game against the Penguins in Pittsburgh (7 p.m. ET/NBCSP).

Gostisbehere underwent arthroscopic surgery on his left knee Jan. 14. The defenseman’s return would give the Flyers seven healthy blueliners, which may push Robert Hagg out of the lineup. Head coach Alain Vigneault could also go with a matchup-based approach on which defenseman sits moving forward.

It turns out, though, Gostisbehere is not quite ready for Friday. He'll travel to Pittsburgh but won't play. A return Saturday against the Avalanche at the Wells Fargo Center is possible (7 p.m. ET/NBCSP+).

“It was something that I had to get done, I couldn’t put it off anymore.

“It was just tweaking, I think [the final play] finished it off. It was just time.”

Raffl missed the Flyers’ 3-0 win over the Penguins with his injury. His return helps the Flyers’ bottom six and penalty kill.

Carter Hart (abdominal strain) has improved but will miss a minimum of seven more days. The news is not alarming. The Flyers announced on Jan. 15 that the goalie would be out two to three weeks, so this is still on line with what the team expected. The Flyers will play it ultra safe with Hart’s injury as he is vital to the team’s postseason chances and, of course, its future.

“Carter’s going to be a few more days, a couple more practices," Vigneault said Thursday. "Carter skated before practice today, felt real good, so slowly but surely, we’re getting a couple of bodies back and we’re on the right track.”

The Flyers called up Alex Lyon and Connor Bunnaman from AHL affiliate Lehigh Valley. The two were sent down to simply stay fresh and play games during the Flyers’ NHL-mandated bye week from Jan. 22-30.

According to Hockey-Reference.com, the Flyers have a 47.3 percent chance to make the playoffs. They are three points out of third place in a deep Metropolitan Division and one point out of a wild-card spot.

Comcast SportsNet.com LOADED: 01.31.2020 1173724 Philadelphia Flyers “We’ve got a real good challenge ahead of us,” Vigneault said. “I think we’ve prepared ourselves to face the opportunity head-on. We’ve got 32 games left. It’s almost the same as everybody else in the same amount of time. I’m looking forward to the challenge. I think the coaches have to Trade rumor target Shayne Gostisbehere nearing return for Flyers step up. Obviously our veteran leadership needs to step up and the young players we have that are getting their first taste, first, second or

third taste very early in their career to have an opportunity to make the Dave Isaac, NHL writer playoffs and compete for the Stanley Cup, I think it’s an exciting time for everybody.” Published 4:12 p.m. ET Jan. 30, 2020 It sure beats the feeling around these parts last year.

“It’s nice. You’re in the mix,” Raffl said. “You’re battling for each other. VOORHEES — Michael Raffl and Wayne Simmonds sat on a couch at You’re competing for a playoff spot and once you’re in, anything is the Flyers’ practice facility last year, watching trade deadline coverage on possible. The ultimate goal for everybody here is to win and in order to television knowing full well that one, if not both, would be on their way out win, you have to make the playoffs. So these 32 games coming up now of Philadelphia where thoughts of the postseason had already escaped are huge for us and I think everybody is really excited.” the realm of reality.

Simmonds was moved to Nashville and Raffl stayed and signed a two- year, $3.2 million extension. Courier-Post LOADED: 01.31.2020

This year it could all be different with the deadline less than four weeks away and the Flyers in a more enviable spot.

“Honestly I try to not remember too much of last year,” Raffl said. “That was not a nice feeling to be out this early, pretty much play…people say you play for pride and everything but it made the last 30 games feel like 580.”

After retuning from the bye week with a practice on Thursday, the Flyers have 32 games left and it probably feels like fewer. They’re one of 10 teams vying for eight spots in the Eastern Conference and the most notable name in trade rumors is Shayne Gostisbehere and he’s been hearing it for more than a year already.

Gostisbehere skated with the team Thursday after having arthroscopic surgery on his left knee on Jan. 14. He last played Jan. 7 against the Carolina Hurricanes. He went to pivot skating backward to forward and his knee locked on him, but he said it was “tweaking” before that.

“That (pivot) finished it off,” Gostisbehere said Thursday. “It was just time. It is what it is. It’s over now.

“I couldn’t put it off anymore. It’s good that it wasn’t a lot worse than we thought. I think it was a blessing in disguise.”

He won’t play Friday night in Pittsburgh, and said he wasn’t sure about Saturday’s home game against the Colorado Avalanche. Flyers coach Alain Vigneault seemed to think it wouldn’t take too much longer and that he'll go back into the lineup when ready.

The surgery came at a bad time personally for Gostisbehere, who had struggled earlier in the season but was really seeing his play come around.

“I definitely had a better mindset mentally,” he said. “I was feeling good and I think we realize on this team that we’re doing the little things. Every guy has a small role. No matter what your role is, just roll with the punches and you might not get all the glam ant glitz and people might be mad because they’re not doing too well but you know you’re helping the team get wins.”

That’s what makes all of this easier: the Flyers are in a much better position than a year ago and everyone has bought into what needs to happen to get them back to the playoffs.

Even a player whose name is in trade rumors — Gostisbehere’s $4.5 million salary cap hit is the easiest for the Flyers to move and they need help at center — is focused on the task at hand.

“I think those are things now in today’s game that some players on each team hear it a lot,” Vigneault said. “They’ve got to focus on their game, focus on their job, on hockey. I think Shayne’s done a good job of that. Even before me getting here, his name was out there. Other than one time (their first meeting upon Vigneault’s hiring) I brought it up with him, it’s been game-to-game, day-to-day and he’s been fine with it.”

Vigneault said that Thursday’s practice felt a little like the first one of the season. The bye week allowed players and coaches alike to get away and think about something else. (Vigneault joked he enjoyed so many martinis on his pontoon in Florida that he had to pass off his captain’s hat one day.)

The result of the time off is everyone coming back with energy. 1173725 Philadelphia Flyers At the draft, you must have been disappointed to fall out of the first round, but what was it like when the Flyers took you after trading up?

It was a long first day … but you kind of forget all about that when you’re Flyers Q&As: Checking in with Bobby Brink, Cam York and Yegor drafted. It is just pure excitement that goes through you when you hear Zamula as they keep their eyes on the big club your name called. It was pretty cool seeing that they moved up to get me.

The Flyers are one of the younger teams in the NHL, and your ex- teammate Joel Farabee is making an impact. How closely are you By Alexander Appleyard following it?

Jan 30, 2020 I’ve been following Joel. I know him from playing with him a little bit (in the U.S. National Team Development Program). It’s been really cool

watching him and what he’s done, and (trying) to follow what he’s been On the heels of Flyers Prospect Week, which featured The Athletic doing. Maybe I can do that one day. He’s been playing really well. Philadelphia’s latest top 20 ranking, honorable mentions and assistant Cam York — No. 2 general manager Brent Flahr’s insights on the organization’s top young talent (forwards, defensemen/goalies), we emptied our notebooks. Here You grew up in California. How did you get into hockey out there? are our conversations with three of the club’s most promising prospects from the World Junior Championship in the Czech Republic. The I started with roller hockey. That was a big thing for me. I have a roller conversations have been edited for clarity. rink in my backyard, and I’d be out there all of the time as a kid. In Cali, baseball and football are very popular, and I just wanted to do something Bobby Brink — No. 3-ranked prospect different … and hockey was that for me.

You’re from the State of Hockey and your dad (Andy Brink) played at the Who was your favorite player growing up, and was there anyone whom University of Minnesota — hockey is in your blood. When did you start you tried to model your game on? playing? It was Scott Niedermayer. I watched him raise the Cup in ’07 (with the I think I started playing hockey around the age of 3 or 4. Right away, as Anaheim Ducks) … and that was a pretty special moment for me, and soon as I could walk, my dad got me in skates. then currently probably Cam Fowler is someone I like to watch.

Was it a difficult decision to go from Minnetonka (Minn.) to Sioux City You moved to Minnesota, to the Shattuck-St. Mary’s School, at 14. How (Iowa) in the USHL? difficult was the move?

It was a really hard decision … because high school hockey is so big It was super hard. Especially when you are that young, leaving your there, and it is so special playing for your community when you are from parents is really hard, and obviously the weather is a lot different! So that Minnesota. But I just felt like it was the right move for me with my was an adjustment. But in the end, I felt like it was the right decision for development. me.

Did winning the high school state title with Minnetonka the previous year What were your biggest reasons for going to Michigan? Coach Mel (2017-18) make it easier? Pearson or familiarity with the area and being so close to the USNTDP?

I don’t know … you always want to win another! But that was one of the I would say a bit of both. … The coaching staff there is really good … but cooler moments of my career. I was in the (USNTDP) program (in nearby Ann Arbor) for two years before that — so like you said — I was familiar with the area, and was What made you decide on Denver over Minnesota? And what did your able to go to a few (Michigan) games and enjoyed it. And the facilities are dad say when you made the decision? some of the best in college hockey. There were multiple reasons for that I just liked the culture and kind of just how they ran their team there. I decision. liked the way they played and the systems they ran, how they carried This is the first tournament for the U.S. in which you have not been a top- themselves. My dad was happy for me. He supported me and thought it four lock, a go-to player. Has that been difficult in terms of not getting was really cool. … He loved how they ran their team, so he thought it regular shifts? was awesome. (Editor’s note: Read more on Brink’s start at Denver here.) Yeah, it has been a little bit different for me. I have never been in a situation like that before. It’s definitely been an adjustment … but I have Growing up, which players did you look to model your game on? just been trying to help the team in whatever way I possibly can. When Yeah, I always liked to watch (Johnny) Gaudreau and (Brad) Marchand. my number is called, I’m trying to be the best player on the ice. They are both smaller players but have always produced offensively, so I Even though you’ve had a really good start to your NCAA career, you’ve try and play kind of like them. also had a few nagging injuries. Has that been a factor coming into the Many believe the only reason you didn’t go top 15 in the 2019 draft was tournament? the combination of your size and skating. But this season it seems that I haven’t been 100 percent, which kind of sucks. I had a high-ankle your skating is a lot better. Was it something you focused on? sprain in the first game of the year, and then a shoulder injury a little bit Yeah, it was a specific part of my summer … it was the main focus. I after that. … But in a tournament like this, you play through it, and just do knew that I needed to improve it. I think that it has got a lot better with all everything you possibly can. the work I put in. It was lots of work at the rink. I skated a little bit with What would you consider your best attributes, and which areas do you (power skating coach) Kathleen Gazich … but it was a lot to do with want to work on the most? constantly working on it every day. Offensively, I feel like I’m dynamic and can make plays happen. What would you consider your best attributes, and what do you want to Defensively, I feel like I’m solid. But I feel that my all-around game is work on most going forward? what separates me. I would say I want to improve probably defensively I think my playmaking, and my hockey IQ and vision. … I can make a lot … trying to become a bit more physical, trying to get stronger. of plays with my vision. I just keep improving my strength and my skating One marked aspect of your defensive game is that you are quite … as that keeps improving, it will just help me even more. aggressive at the blue line, denying zone entries. Is that something you Your dad played in the world juniors here in Ostrava in 1994. Has he really work on? spoken with you much about that experience? That is one area, but defensively you can improve in many areas … He has talked to me a lot about it. He has been through all of this. He told defending the blue line is one, and obviously in the corners, trying to me to play with confidence, try to play your game. He said that you’re break the play up as quickly as possible and get it to our forwards is good enough to be a difference-maker. Be confident. another one. You’ve played a lot with Farabee. Do you stay in touch now that he’s in Philly?

A little bit. I mean, when he scored his first goal, I congratulated him on that. I know he was super excited. Recently, I haven’t spoken to him, but every now and again we get in touch and talk about how everything is going.

The Flyers have one of the youngest teams, a real youth movement. Is that something you’ve kept tabs on and are excited about?

When I first got drafted, I didn’t realize how young that team was … and now that I have become familiar with the group, it’s pretty crazy to see how young they are. It’s super exciting … there is a lot to look forward to.

Yegor Zamula — No. 4

(Editor’s note: Some of Zamula’s answers were in English, others were relayed by a translator.)

How old were you when you started playing hockey?

I was 2 years and nine months old the first time I played.

Who was your favorite player growing up?

Victor Hedman.

You are such an offensive defenseman. Did you always play defense?

I played both offense and defense.

What were the reasons to go to Regina (WHL) instead of staying in the system with Magnitogorsk (KHL) in Russia?

I wanted to play in the Canadian league, (and) it was a good chance for me.

Was it a surprise when you went undrafted after a really good under-18 world juniors in 2017-18?

No. My agent just called me and said, “Keep working hard. Keep going up.”

What was the Calgary Flames development camp like? Did playing there help build your confidence?

No … basically there is no big difference if you are drafted or not. Probably most of (the drafted players) are a little bit more talented than (undrafted players) — they move the puck better — but you just have to work hard to try to get to that level as well.

Your offensive game has exploded over the last two years in the WHL — with 84 points in your last 89 games (at the time of the interview). Was that just getting bigger, stronger and faster — or working hard on skills?

There are a lot of things that go into those points. The coaches were very patient with me, and they gave me a lot of ice time. … They gave me space to improve. But it was really good for me that I worked hard during the summer on my offensive skills. I worked with Yevgeni Kuznetsov and Evgenii Dadonov … playing with them, and winning battles against them in the corners. It was a big season for me.

What skills are you focused on going forward in order to get to the next level?

Play faster, I think … and more aggressively, more physical.

You are a very passionate player — always talking, always speaking to teammates, encouraging them, and very energetic. But you’re also quite disciplined. You don’t take too many penalties with Calgary. How do you balance that?

Though I am not an assistant captain and not the team captain (with Calgary) — I refused this post because I didn’t want to have this big responsibility — I know that I am a leader on my team, and the coaches know it. We talk a lot with them. I give bits of advice to my partners and they advise me. We respect each other. I am not such a tough defender. I have good stick-handling and a good sense of my body, and this helps me to move well and make the right moves.

The Athletic LOADED: 01.31.2020 1173726 Pittsburgh Penguins

Recharged Penguins gear down for grueling stretch

CHRIS ADAMSKI

Thursday, January 30, 2020 7:33 p.m.

With the possible exception of Anthony Angelo on the day of his first call- up to the NHL, introductions between Pittsburgh Penguins players weren’t necessary Thursday. But that didn’t mean UPMC Lemieux Sports Complex didn’t carry something of long-lost-friends-meet-again vibe.

“It was probably the most excitement I’ve seen in the room in a while,” winger Bryan Rust said. “I think everybody’s excited to see each other again and get back to the rink and get ready to go for the last 32 games.”

The Penguins reconvened for practice Thursday after an nine-day break in conjunction with the NHL All-star game and their scheduled annual bye week. While the prior week was a time for rest and relaxation for many Penguins players — Rust, for example, visited his parents’ new place in Naples, Fla. — Friday will begin a stretch of 14 games in 30 days.

It opens at home against the Philadelphia Flyers at 7:05 p.m. on Friday and includes two games each against Eastern Conference contenders Washington, Tampa Bay and Toronto.

“You’ve got take that as an opportunity to see where your team is at,” Rust said.

February will begin hours after the result against the Flyers is settled. It will end with the Penguins aboard a cross-country flight home from a California road trip.

What happens between now and then will have a profound effect on how the season will proceed.

And in stark contrast to their most recent game against the Flyers, the Penguins enter the back end of this long home-and-home well rested. A 3-0 loss to Philadelphia on Jan. 21 was the capper to an 11-games-in-20- days stretch.

“It was a big chunk of days off,” captain Sidney Crosby said. “So I think it was good to get away little bit and rest and recharge and get ready for big stretch of games the rest of the year.”

Several players balked at the suggestion the midseason sabbatical could have allowed rust to accumulate or slow their momentum. Though they went 17-5-1 in the quarter-season preceding the time off, the Penguins turned in one of their worst efforts of the season the final time they played before the break.

“We didn’t feel good about that last game there in Philly, but prior to that I think we played some pretty good hockey,” Crosby said. “So I think rebound from that and carry on the way we played up to this point.”

At 31-14-5, the Penguins have the fourth-most points in the league and trail only Washington and Boston in the Eastern Conference. The Penguins are six points behind the Capitals in the Metropolitan Division race. The teams have not met yet this season but play Sunday in Washington and three more times in March over the season’s final four weeks.

They have combined to win three of the past four Stanley Cup titles, but both lost in the first round last season. The Penguins have made their sweep at the hands of the New York Islanders last season seem like ancient history with their first 50 games of this season.

It hasn’t gone unnoticed by their veterans.

“When you come back (from a break), you appreciate what you’ve got in here and you appreciate the opportunity you have in front of you,” winger Patric Hornqvist said. “We have a good team, and you don’t have many chances to make something special — and this group is good.

“We still have a long way to go, but I think with where we are right now, if we keep getting better every day, I like our chances.”

Tribune Review LOADED: 01.31.2020 1173727 Pittsburgh Penguins “I’ve just been shooting the puck. I’ve been playing free. I haven’t been overthinking it. Just been playing hockey. As simple as that sounds, that’s the style that I need to play and it’s been working out.”

Penguins defenseman Justin Schultz closing in on return • The Penguins’ lines during practice were:

Jared McCann – Sidney Crosby – Dominik Simon

SETH RORABAUGH Bryan Rust – Evgeni Malkin – Patric Hornqvist

Thursday, January 30, 2020 6:37 p.m. Zach Aston-Reese – Teddy Blueger – Brandon Tanev

Alex Galchenyuk – Andrew Agozzino – Anthony Angello

Penguins defenseman Justin Schultz appears to be on the verge of • The top power-play unit included Crosby, Hornqvist, Letang, Malkin and returning to the Penguins’ lineup for Friday’s game against the rival Rust. The second power-play squad was composed of Galchenyuk, Philadelphia Flyers at PPG Paints Arena. Marino, McCann, Schultz and Simon.

Schultz, who was activated from injured reserve last week, was a full participant in practice in Cranberry on Thursday. Tribune Review LOADED: 01.31.2020 Sidelined since suffering an undisclosed injury on Dec. 17, Schultz didn’t shed much light on his status for Friday’s contest. He labeled himself as a “game-time” decision and said his status “hasn’t changed.”

Injuries have limited Schultz to 27 games and eight points (two goals, eight assists) this season.

Schultz appeared close to returning to the lineup for the Penguins’ last game on Jan.. 21. With the team enjoying a nine-day respite due to the combination of the league’s break for the All-Star Game event as well as the Penguins’ own bye in the schedule, Schultz saw benefit in the extra down time.

“No point in rushing it obviously,” Schultz said. “Still early enough where you want to make sure you’re 100 percent healthy and ready to go when I go in.”

Where Schultz slots into the lineup remains to be seen as all of the Penguins’ able-bodied defensemen rotated in pairings during practice.

“We thought he had a strong practice today,” Sullivan said. “He obviously skated in a full capacity. We’ll see how he responds. We’ll make a decision on the lineup tomorrow but it certainly looked encouraging based on what we saw out there today. When Justin does go back in the lineup, we’ll try to put him positions to be successful.”

Notes:

• Injured forwards Nick Bjugstad (core muscle), Dominik Kahun (concussion) and defenseman Brian Dumoulin (left ankle) did not participate in practice.

Kahun has missed one game after being injured Jan. 19.

“They’re all making progress,” Sullivan said. “Dom Kahun skated with (skills coach Ty Hennes) this afternoon at 1 o’clock. He’s still going through the concussion protocol but that’s part of it. We’ll see how he responds. But the fact that he’s back on the ice suggests progress.”

Bjugstad has missed the past 31 games as a result of the injury he suffered on Nov. 15 while Dumoulin, sidelined for 23 games, has not played since Nov. 30.

“Nick did not skate today,” Sullivan said. “Nor did (Dumoulin). Those guys are still participating in the off-ice aspect of their rehab. … I can’t be real specific. Other than that, they’re making progress.”

• Earlier in the day, the team recalled forwards Andrew Agozzino and Anthony Angello from Wilkes-Barre/Scranton of the American Hockey League.

Angello, 23, has 25 points in 45 AHL Games this season, including a team-leading 16 goals. A fifth-round pick of the Penguins in 2014, Angello (6-foot-5, 210 pounds) is in his third professional season. This is his first recall to the NHL level.

He’s enjoyed something of a breakout this season by tying his career- high in goals he established in 65 games during 2018-19.

“I just played simple hockey,” Angello said. “I moved my feet, I was hard on pucks, I played a physical game, I was hard to play against. That’s the recipe that got me here and that’s the recipe I need to play here. I’m going to come out here, I’m not going to (overthink), I’m going to play my game and let the rest take care of itself. 1173728 Pittsburgh Penguins

Penguins’ Sidney Crosby: Kobe Bryant ‘inspired so many people’

CHRIS ADAMSKI

Thursday, January 30, 2020 6:02 p.m.

When Sidney Crosby first heard the news of the helicopter crash that claimed the life of Kobe Bryant, he didn’t believe it.

“I spent a lot of time just trying to search and find out … if it was true,” Crosby said Thursday, four days after Bryant and eight others died in the tragic incident.

As a hockey figure that arguably means as much to the global reach of his sport as Bryant did to basketball around the world, Crosby’s thoughts on Bryant are relevant, even if the two never had met.

With the Pittsburgh Penguins on an eight-day sabbatical over the All-Star break, after practice Thursday was the first time Crosby was available to the media since the Sunday accident that claimed Bryant, 41, and his 13- year-old daughter.

Crosby said he was “shocked” when he heard the news.

“It just heartbreaking for his family (and) for all the families involved,” said Crosby, who, like Bryant, was drafted when he was 17 years old, made his big league debut at 18 and became a transcendent star thereafter. “He inspired so many people, and he’s a legend. And you see the reaction of what he meant to people around the world you’ve seen that over the last few days. It’s just I feel for his family and all the families. It’s heartbreaking.”

Tribune Review LOADED: 01.31.2020 1173729 Pittsburgh Penguins

Penguins recall forwards Andrew Agozzino, Anthony Angello

SETH RORABAUGH

Thursday, January 30, 2020 10:48 a.m.

The Penguins have recalled forward Andrew Agozzino and Anthony Angello from Wilkes-Barre/Scranton of the American Hockey League.

Agozzino, 29, has appeared in nine NHL games this season and has one assist. A selection for this season’s AHL’ All-Star Classic, Agozzino (5- foot-10, 187 pounds) is the Wilkes-Barre/Scranton Penguins’ leading scorer with 33 points (14 goals, 19 assists) in 37 games.

This is his third recall this season.

Angello, 23, has 25 points in 45 AHL Games this season, including a team-leading 16 goals. A fifth-round pick of the Penguins in 2014, Angello (6-foot-5, 210 pounds) is in his third professional season. This is his first recall to the NHL level.

Notes:

-Defenseman Justin Schultz was activated from injured reserve on Jan. 23. He has missed the past 16 games due to an undisclosed injury.

-The team is scheduled to return from its bye in the schedule on Thursday with a practice in Cranberry, 4 p.m.

Tribune Review LOADED: 01.31.2020 1173730 Pittsburgh Penguins The Patriots said it was part of a docuseries. The Bengals feared it was another attempt by the team to steal signals.

No punishment, or determination of guilt, has been handed down by the First Call: Terry Bradshaw’s new reality show, Myles Garrett update, league as of yet. Penguins trade talk On Wednesday, Commissioner Roger Goodell still didn’t have a timetable as to when the matter may be resolved when he spoke to reporters covering the Super Bowl. TIM BENZ “From our standpoint, we want to make sure we’re being thorough,” Thursday, January 30, 2020 9:10 a.m. Goodell said. “Our team has been on it. We have been focused on this. I think it has not been that lengthy of time. We have obviously put the

focus on it, but we’re going to get it right. When we come to a conclusion, Thursday’s “First Call” features a new venture for Terry Bradshaw, we’ll certainly make sure people are aware of it.” updates on the Myles Garrett and the New England Patriots video-taping The incident occurred back on Dec. 8. controversies, and trade talk surrounding the Penguins. One would think that a decision would have to occur before the start of Here’s some irony free agency, or at least the draft, if the team is going to be fined Over the last few decades, I think many Steelers fans have questioned substantially or lose picks as a result. Terry Bradshaw’s views on reality. Former All-Pro cornerback Deion Sanders is already in the Hall. And he Now, in an interesting twist, the Hall of Fame quarterback and Fox studio wants to see fewer people get that same honor. host is getting his own reality TV show. On the Dan Patrick Show, Sanders said, “It’s so skewed now. Once upon Bradshaw and his family are slated to appear in a brand-new E! comedy a time, a Hall of Famer was a player who changed the darn game, who docuseries. made you want to reach in your pocket and pay your admission to see that guy play. That’s not a Hall of Famer anymore. Every Tom, Dick and For now, it’s being called “The Bradshaw Bunch.” It will debut this Harry, you’re a Hall of Famer, you’re a Hall of Famer, you’re a Hall of summer. Famer. They let everybody in this thing. It’s not exclusive anymore. And I don’t like it.” According to EOnline.com, the series “aims to give viewers a peek into Bradshaw’s day-to-day, with his home in rural Oklahoma as its primary Sanders’ gripe is that he doesn’t think there should be a minimum backdrop. Starring alongside the four-time Super Bowl champion will be number for each new class. At least six new members have been his wife Tammy — who appreciates a good prank as much as her enshrined every year since 2006. Sanders’ claim is that too many are husband does — daughters Rachel, Lacey and Erin, as well as their inducted. grandchildren.” He had nothing to say about Faneca or Polamalu specifically. But when When Bradshaw and his daughters came to Heinz Field back in 2002, it Patrick asked him about the prospect of Eli Manning getting in, Sanders appeared that Bradshaw’s occasionally rocky relationship with the city replied, “You get the point.” had been mended. Thanks, but no thanks But after he made some critical comments about Ben Roethlisberger and Mike Tomlin in the years since, it’s been bumpy again. Craig Custance of The Athletic posts an annual bit where he solicits mock trade ideas from fans. Who wants to bet there is some sort of hokey, forced return to Pittsburgh for the cameras again? Then he presents those ideas to anonymous league executives and asks them if they’d make that hypothetical trade. Gee, maybe while “Hard Knocks” is filming at Saint Vincent College? Custance got one from a fan wondering if the Minnesota Wild would give When is Cleveland Browns pass rusher Myles Garrett getting back in the winger Jason Zucker to the Penguins for Nick Bjugstad, a 2020 first- NFL? round pick and Casey DeSmith.

According to Cleveland.com, “commissioner Roger Goodell and Garrett The anonymous league executive replied, “Minnesota says no. If they will meet within the next 60 days about reinstatement from his indefinite want to trade Zucker, they can get a first for him without eating suspension.” Bjugstad’s cap hit.”

Garrett swung his helmet at Steelers quarterback Mason Rudolph during At first, from a Pittsburgh perspective, I gave this one a thumbs up. Now I a scrum late in his team’s victory over the Steelers in Cleveland last changed my mind. I’m not sure that’s a good deal from either side. November. I agree that the Wild can probably get good return for Zucker without The Pro Bowler was suspended indefinitely shortly after the game. He taking on a dead-weight contract ($4.1 million through 2021) for a player tried to defend himself by claiming — without any evidence to support the such as Bjugstad, who has been injured and unproductive (one goal in charge — that Rudolph used a racial slur. 10 games this year).

My guess is Goodell will make Garrett twist and feel uncomfortable for a But upon further reflection, I’m not sure Zucker (14 goals in 40 games) is few more weeks but will then reinstate him to start 2020. worth a first-rounder either. He’s a decent player. But is this more a case of the Penguins still trying to land the guy they wanted for Phil Kessel this My hope is that whatever statement Garrett makes upon his return off season, than the guy they are trading for right now? should be forced to include an apology about making up the racial slur allegation.

Which is obviously what happened. Tribune Review LOADED: 01.31.2020 But I assume that won’t be part of the deal.

Speaking of the NFL dragging its feet.

We still have yet to hear from the league about the latest allegations against the New England Patriots.

The Cincinnati Bengals accused the team of using an advanced scout to illegally tape their sideline from the press box in Cleveland the week prior to their game. 1173731 Pittsburgh Penguins to play in a little bit of a different environment where the pressure isn’t quite as high.”

Schultz likely to play Dominik Kahun still sidelined by a concussion; Justin Schultz likely to Justin Schultz said he hopes to play Friday against the Flyers after he return Friday remained in Pittsburgh during the All-Star break to continue rehabbing his injury.

MATT VENSEL Schultz suffered a lower-body injury in the Dec. 17 win in Calgary. He first stepped back on the ice more than three weeks ago and had a full- Pittsburgh Post-Gazette contact practice with the Penguins on Jan. 20. The Penguins considered dressing Schultz a day later in their last game before the All-Star break JAN 31, 2020 12:09 AM but decided to hold him out.

“There’s no point in rushing it, obviously,” he said. “It’s still early enough Dominik Kahun, who remains in the NHL’s concussion protocol, is where you want to make sure you’re 100% healthy and ready to go when expected to sit out Friday’s game against the Philadelphia Flyers at PPG I go in.” Paints Arena. If he goes in Friday, Juuso Riikola or Chad Ruhwedel will be a healthy The Penguins winger suffered his concussion in the Jan. 19 win over the scratch. Boston Bruins, leaving that game in the second period. He did not play Status quo for ‘Dumo’ against the Flyers on Jan. 21, their final game before the NHL’s All-Star break. Sullivan gave a puzzled look when asked for an injury update on “Brian.”

Kahun was still not cleared to practice with the team in Cranberry on “Brian Dumoulin,” he said after thinking about the question for a few Thursday, the first after eight days off for the players. But coach Mike seconds. “I usually don’t call him Brian. We call him ‘Dumo.’ So you Sullivan said Kahun skated earlier in the day with skills development stumped me there.” coach Ty Hennes. Sullivan indicated that “Dumo,” who has been sidelined since Nov. 30, “He’s still going through the concussion protocol,” he said. “That’s part of has yet to start skating. Friday marks exactly two months since the it. We’ll see how he responds. But the fact that he’s back on the ice defenseman had surgery to repair lacerated tendons in his left ankle at suggests progress.” UPMC Presbyterian. The Penguins said the day of the surgery that he would miss at least eight weeks. Penguins defenseman Stefan Elliott chases Anthony Angello at 2018 Penguins training camp in Cranberry. Sullivan said Dumoulin, who had a team-best plus-17 rating when he got hurt, is “still participating in the off-ice aspect” of his rehab but is making Kahun was skating on Evgeni Malkin’s left wing at the time of his progress. concussion. In 48 games, the 24-year-old has 10 goals, 17 assists and a plus-9 rating. The captain on Kobe

“It’s just another challenge that this team has been faced with,” Sullivan Crosby was asked Thursday about the death of Los Angeles Lakers said of Kahun’s injury. “Dom’s played some real good games for us. He’s legend Kobe Bryant. The retired NBA star and his 13-year-old daughter, a real good player. He’s got good offensive instincts. He’s scored some Gigi, were killed, along with seven others, in a helicopter crash outside big goals for us. So when a guy like that goes out of the lineup, someone L.A. on Sunday. else has to fill the void.” “I didn’t have the chance to meet him,” Crosby said. “I was shocked. I With Kahun not practicing Thursday, Bryan Rust and Patric Hornqvist didn’t believe it when I first heard it. ... It’s just heartbreaking, for his were the wingers on Malkin’s line. Rust, who leads the team with 21 family and all the families involved. He inspired so many people. He’s a goals, moved over to the left wing after thriving on the right side the past legend, and I think you see the reaction and what he meant to people couple of months. around the world.”

Jared McCann and Dominik Simon skated with Sidney Crosby on Thursday. Post Gazette LOADED: 01.31.2020 Lafferty lingers in AHL

With Kahun out and Nick Bjugstad still not ready to return, the Penguins on Thursday recalled on an emergency basis forwards Anthony Angello and Andrew Agozzino from Wilkes-Barre/Scranton of the American Hockey League.

Angello currently leads the AHL club with 16 goals, three of them game- winners. Agozzino has one point in nine games with the Penguins this season. The 29-year-old leads Wilkes-Barre/Scranton with 33 points and was named to the AHL’s All-Star game, though he did not play in that game this week.

The Penguins signed defenseman Marcus Pettersson to a long-term contract extension Tuesday.

It’s noteworthy that the Penguins picked those two over fellow forward Sam Lafferty, who was reassigned to Wilkes-Barre/Scranton last week. Sullivan said they wanted to find more playing time for the Hollidaysburg native.

The 24-year-old suited up for only five of Pittsburgh’s 11 games in January and averaged just under eight minutes of ice time per game in his last 15 games with the Penguins. Lafferty did not tally a point in any of those games.

“We have a responsibility to help the young players to continue to grow,” Sullivan said. “We just felt that at this point it would be best for Sam if he just goes down and he plays a lot of minutes, just give him an opportunity 1173732 Pittsburgh Penguins As the Penguins reconvened at the UPMC Lemieux Sports Complex on Thursday for the first practice since the All-Star break, Angello played right wing on a fourth line that also included left wing Alex Galchenyuk and Agozzino at center. Anthony Angello ready to 'take it all in' during possible NHL debut with Penguins Agozzino and Angello have some familiarity from playing together in the AHL. They were on the same line together for a significant chunk of December.

MIKE DEFABO “He’s a big body,” Agozzino said of Angello. “He protects the puck well, too. And he’s got a real good shot. When we got in scoring areas, we Pittsburgh Post-Gazette were able to find one another… We definitely had a little bit of chemistry JAN 31, 2020 12:37 AM down there, for sure.”

Angello anticipates his parents, sisters and some family friends will make the trip to PPG Paints Arena on Friday night, when the Penguins host the Soon after Anthony Angello got the word that he’d been promoted to the Philadelphia Flyers. Should Angello get the nod for his first NHL game Penguins for his first career NHL stint, it was his turn to break the news. action, he said the plan is to stick to what got him here.

He dialed his mom, Pamela, and his dad, David, on a conference call. “I just played simple hockey,” Angello said. “Moved my feet. I was hard His father couldn’t help but get a little bit emotional, knowing that his son on pucks. I played a physical game. I was hard to play against. That’s the is now on the cusp of achieving a childhood dream. But, as he choked recipe that got me here. That’s the recipe I have to play here.” back tears, David quickly shifted back into dad-mode to deliver some fatherly wisdom. “I’ve worked really hard to get here. I’m going to work really hard to stay here.” “He’s given me a lot of words of advice,” Angello said. “One of the things that’s stuck around, especially after Kobe Bryant’s death, is [not to take anything] for granted. He said when you’re out there taking your warmup Post Gazette LOADED: 01.31.2020 lap by yourself, just take a minute to look around and take it all in. I will absolutely be doing that.”

Angello, 23, was selected by the Penguins in the fifth round of the 2014 draft. After three years at Cornell, the 6-foot-5, 210-pound forward played his first full season with the Penguins AHL affiliate in Wilkes- Barre/Scranton last year, where he tallied 29 points (16 goals, 13 assists) in 65 games.

Penguins center Dominik Kahun battles for position with Sharks defenseman Marc-Edouard Vlasic, Thursday, Jan. 2, 2020, at the PPG Paints Arena in Uptown.

The production was solid. But the Penguins felt there was still more there. Before this season, first-year Wilkes-Barre/Scranton coach Mike Vellucci challenged Angello to use that big frame to his advantage more often.

“I definitely think I have been,” Angello said. “I’ve been playing to hit people and get the puck. I’ve been going through hands. That’s led to way more offense.”

Partially as a result of the more physical approach and partially because he’s become more comfortable in this second season as a pro, Angello has consistently been one of the Penguins’ most-productive prospects. He has tallied 25 points in 45 games, including a team-high 16 goals.

“I haven’t been over-thinking it,” Angello said. “Just been playing hockey. As simple as that sounds, that’s the style I need to play. It’s been working out.”

Angello has been making a case for some time that he deserves a look at the NHL level. However, during a season filled with injury, the Penguins have given opportunities to a number of different forwards instead, including Sam Lafferty, Joseph Blandisi, Andrew Agozzino, Adam Johnson and Stefan Noesen.

Now, with shifty winger Dominik Kahun still working his way back from a concussion and Nick Bjugstad still not ready to return from core muscle surgery, the Penguins opted to keep Lafferty in the AHL to get some more game experience. They also decided to keep Blandisi in Wilkes- Barre/Scranton for now, promoting Agozzino to play center instead.

It’s opened to the door for Angello to get his shot.

Penguins goaltender Matt Murray makes save on Bruins center Danton Heinen, Sunday, Jan. 19, 2020, at the PPG Paints Arena Uptown.

Matt Vensel

“He’s been one of their best players for quite some time now,” Penguins coach Mike Sullivan said. “When we needed this recall, as we always do, we have that discussion with Mike Vellucci and his staff down there and some of our scouting staff that watches Wilkes-Barre closely. It was fairly unanimous that he’s played extremely well and is deserving of it.” 1173733 Pittsburgh Penguins save percentage. Samsonov is right behind him at .927, tied with the Dallas duo of Ben Bishop and Anton Khudobin. It’s not yet clear which matchup we’ll see between the pipes Sunday, but it should be intriguing either way. Five things to know about the Flyers and Capitals, the Penguins' opponents this week

Post Gazette LOADED: 01.31.2020

ADAM BITTNER

Pittsburgh Post-Gazette

JAN 30, 2020 11:00 AM

The Penguins begin the unofficial second half of their season this weekend when they face the Philadelphia Flyers (Friday) and the Washington Capitals (Sunday.) Here are five things to know about those opponents.

1. The Flyers are hot — Their 3-0 win against the Penguins in the game before the All-Star break Jan. 21 was part of a larger winning trend. Philadelphia has won four of its past five and five of its past seven to draw within a point of a playoff spot. That streak includes some impressive wins, too — a 6-5 shootout win against the division-leading Boston Bruins on Jan. 13 and a 4-3 overtime triumph over the defending Stanley Cup champion St. Louis Blues two days later. The win against Boston included this memorable goof by the Bruins’ Brad Marchand

So perhaps there’s a bit of luck involved in the positive results of late. But mostly, this is a team that’s found something that works early in 2020.

2. And solid on the penalty kill — One of the big questions facing the Penguins in the second half is whether their power play can get going with captain Sidney Crosby back and healthy. The Flyers will provide a nice early test. They are eighth in penalty killing percentage at 82.2%, and not because they’re particularly disciplined. Only 12 teams have allowed more power plays. Still, opponents have scored just 27 goals with the man advantage. That puts the Flyers just three goals worse than the Penguins’ acclaimed penalty-killing unit and six goals worse than San Jose’s league-leading total of 21.

Penguins goaltender Matt Murray makes save on Bruins center Danton Heinen, Sunday, Jan. 19, 2020, at the PPG Paints Arena Uptown.

Matt Vensel

3. Alex Ovechkin isn’t slowing down — If you can believe it, the meeting Sunday will be the first of the season for the Penguins and Capitals. That means it’s also the Penguins’ first look at the 34-year-old superstar, and unfortunately for them, he still looks immortal out there. He sits third in the NHL in goals with 34 as the second half begins, trailing only Boston’s David Pastrnak (37) and Toronto’s Auston Matthews (35.) That production has helped him continue his climb toward the top of the NHL’s all-time scoring list. On Jan. 18, he passed Penguins owner and legend for 10th all-time in goals.

WHAT. A. GOAL.

With 692 tallies, he’s now tied with Detroit’s Steve Yzerman for ninth. So yeah. He’s still going to be a problem.

4. John Carlson is having a career year — And at the ripe old age of 30. The defenseman entered the All-Star break with 13 goals and and 47 assists for a total of 60 points in just 50 games. He seems almost certain to shatter his career-high point total of 70 with 32 games to go. He’s even on pace to become just the sixth blue liner in NHL history to put up a 100-point season, and the list he’s trying to join includes some huge names — Bobby Orr, Paul Coffey, Brian Leetch. Talk about a playmaker. Carlson has attracted a lot of attention defensively this season, which has opened up ice for teammates, so it will be interesting to see how the Penguins deal with him in anticipation of yet another possible playoff series between these two teams come the spring.

5. Washington’s goalie situation mirrors the Penguins’ — It’s actually pretty eerie. Like Penguins counterpart Matt Murray, the Capitals’ Braden Holtby has struggled to find his Stanley Cup-winning form of a couple of years ago. His .899 save percentage actually puts him just a smidge behind Murray’s .900. The two are 43rd and 44th in that category, respectively. And like Murray, Holtby has been pushed by a a stellar younger counterpart. Ilya Samsonov, 22, has been almost as good as the Penguins’ Tristan Jarry. The latter is tied for first in the NHL with a .929 1173734 Pittsburgh Penguins Notice that this play sees the Penguins go low to high quickly. The cycle works down low, Marcus Pettersson takes a shot from the point, and chaos ensues down low at the net front. The low-to-high technique has been a hallmark of the Penguins offense this year. They draw defenders Marshall: Analyzing the Penguins’ best scoring chances from the first half up near the point with their puck movement, and that inherently opens space for the forwards to do work down low.

6. November 27, 2019 | Zach Aston-Reese | Expected Goal Value: .353 | By Jesse Marshall Result: SAVE Jan 30, 2020 Now, it’s worth mentioning right out of the gate that Aston-Reese scores a redemption goal off of this chance about 30 seconds after the clip ends. It’s difficult to really give him a hard time on this one given the fact that he The great thing about expected goal data in hockey is the context it buried his second chance later in the sequence. provides to the game where it otherwise didn’t exist. Again, this chance comes right off of a low-to-high cycle that saw John Not all scoring chances are created equal. Think of how we look at raw Marino throw a puck on net and Aston-Reese there to kill it in front and scoring chances in hockey these days; we have a tendency to place turn it into a prime scoring chance. Thatcher Demko comes across the them in buckets of high-, medium- and low-danger chances. While that’s crease with his pad firm to the ice to prevent this from turning into a goal. all well and good, it gives us a smaller sample size for each bucket and If you notice Aston-Reese’s shooting motion here, he chops at this puck doesn’t really contextualize anything beyond that. in tight. If he’d taken a moment to give the puck some lift, there’s a good chance Demko doesn’t make the save here. If this piece is your first foray into looking at expected goals in hockey, have no fear, we have you covered. When it comes to expected goals, Also, if you’re noticing a theme here, it’s going to the front of the net if the function is providing a weight to each shot-attempt — an additional you want to score goals. That’s not some old hockey trope. The crease is layer of context that tells us more about the probability of that shot going where all the action is, and you can take advantage of some serious into the net. There is quite a bit that goes into these models: shot location chaos by positioning yourself where the puck is most likely to end up. and shot distance are two big ones. Expected goal models also consider the nature of the shot, discerning if it was a one-timer, a rebound or a 5. December 30, 2019 | Patric Hornqvist/Dominik Simon/Jack Johnson | shot off of the rush, assigning different probabilities to each one. If I take Expected Goal Value: .360 | Result: MISS a wrist shot from center ice, it’s going to have a significantly lower Alright, we’re officially into the top five scoring chances from the first half probability of going in than a cross-crease one-timer. of the year. This one comes down as a miss, and it’s on a flurry of The limitation with looking at raw scoring chances is that we don’t get this chances off of a faceoff late in the period against the Ottawa Senators. level of context. The full extent of our knowledge of the situation is being The initial chance here is actually Hornqvist’s shot off the side of the able to categorize chances by danger areas, but once they’re in those cage, then you have another prime chance, the greatest of the group, buckets, we lack the context to pick out the best ones. coming via Simon’s chance in front off of the rebound. From there, the With each shot having its own probability of becoming a goal, we can go puck kicks out to the slot, and Jack Johnson can’t finish from in tight. back through the first half of the season and discern the best even- This is a pretty good group of chances that come via a no-look strength scoring chances the Penguins’ had, according to Evolving- backhander that kicks out off of the side of the cage. They don’t always Hockey’s expected goal model, and whether or not they turned into have to be fancy. goals. You can read about the method behind their model and the approach they took to publishing it here. The idea behind this piece 4. October 26, 2019 | Sam Lafferty | Expected Goal Value: .386 | Result: comes from the work of Alison Lukan of The Athletic Columbus. As we MISS (But still scored) look through this list, the higher the expected-goal value for the shot, the higher the probability the chance had of resulting in a goal. If you find yourself in the camp of people who firmly believe goaltenders should never leave the net under any circumstances, you’ll find this next As a whole, the Penguins rank 14th in the league with their ability to instance particularly appealing. Here, Ben Bishop whiffs on a puck generate expected-goals per 60 minutes of even-strength hockey. That’s behind the net, and Sam Lafferty has a prime one-time chance on a pass not a daunting position to be in, but it’s respectable given the offensive from behind the net. He’s a little too handcuffed to finish it, and the puck firepower they lacked through injury for the majority of the first half. Let’s squirts wide. dive into that total and pick out some of the best chances and highest- weighted scoring opportunities from the first half of the season. Dominik Kahun ends up finding the back of the net here, but interestingly enough, his goal wasn’t the highest-weighted shot of this sequence. It 8. October 13, 2019 | Zach-Aston Reese | Expected Goal Value: .347 | was Lafferty’s chance in front that was graded the highest opportunity of Result: GOAL the bunch. A bit irrelevant given the goal was ultimately scored, but an interesting note to consider with regards to how these models work and Our eighth-best chance of the year is the first of many instances we’ll see where the probabilities come from. Kahun’s chance wasn’t weighted as of the Blueger line grinding pucks off of the wall for scoring chances. In highly given he was behind the net when the shot was taken, but this clip, some commotion in front sees a Brandon Tanev rebound kick considering the position of the goaltender laying face-up on the ice, it out as if it were a pass over to a wide-open Zach Aston-Reese, who didn’t matter much. backhands the puck into the net as he falls to the ice. 3. January 7, 2020 | Bryan Rust | Expected Goal Value: .441 | Result: It’s tough to miss a chance like this, and shout-out to Justin Schultz for MISS (But still scored) pinching into the play early and keeping this puck alive off of the wall. We know that active defense is a major tactic the Penguins use to extend In this clip, we’re looking at a similar situation to what we saw above. their zone time on offense. Between these three forwards, Mike Sullivan Evgeni Malkin scores a goal here off a shot that’s not weighted the most has a real shutdown tool at his disposal. The secondary scoring is just a dangerous out of the sequence. bonus. The initial shot comes right off of Marc-Andre Fleury and lands in the lap 7. October 13, 2019 | Dominik Simon | Expected Goal Value: .352 | of Bryan Rust. The puck hits him high, and he can’t control it. That’s the Result: GOAL chance that carries the highest probability here. Again, because Malkin scored immediately afterward, this one stings a little bit less. One of the Coincidentally enough, the seventh-best scoring chance of the year things buoying Rust’s strong year is his ability to drive to the net with comes from the exact same game. My apologies to the people of speed and create trouble in critical areas of the ice. This clip is another Winnipeg. great example of that. In this clip, we get a little Sidney Crosby magic to cue up Dominik Simon This entire sequence matriculated off of the back of a forced turnover in on the backhand at the edge of the crease. This puck is tipped in front by the neutral zone, another hallmark of the Penguins’ offensive scheme. So Patrick Laine and Crosby, while falling to the ice, kicks the puck over to much of what they accomplished in the first half of the year came via Simon, setting him up on the backhand right in front of the net for a their ability to generate turnovers in the middle of the ice. quality scoring chance. 2. October 26, 2019 | Patric Hornqvist | Expected Goal Value: .452 | Result: GOAL

Our runner-up for the list comes via a wraparound deflection that goes in off of the skate of a defenseman.

It’s a weird sequence, but when you think about it, the puck kicks toward the net right in front of the crease. My assumption would be that the event is treated as if Rust took the shot from the side of the net. I was intrigued to see this make the list, but in a way, I am not surprised to see it given the angle Rust takes on this and the deflection of the puck directly in front of the crease.

Again, a shot from the point sets this entire sequence up. As we enter the second half of the year, keep an eye on how the Penguins utilize the point to create scoring chances in the front of the net.

1. December 20, 2019 | Jared McCann | Expected Goal Value: .526 | Result: GOAL

And the event with the highest probability of becoming a goal turned into just that. Jared McCann gets a solo look in on net and pulls off a beautiful forehand-to-backhand move to slide the puck into the net.

This clip also includes a hallmark of the Penguins’ approach to the game this year: limit time and space for the opponent and press them at every opportunity. McCann’s presence at the top of the ice creates a level of nervousness on the point. If you look closely when McCann makes a beeline for the point, the defenseman is watching him instead of the puck. As a result, he flubs the receipt of the pass, and McCann is off to the races on a breakaway.

As the year progresses, let’s check back in with this list and see how many other opportunities join the list, and more importantly, whether the Penguins can convert on them.

The Athletic LOADED: 01.31.2020 1173735 San Jose Sharks “But I do think what people gather from this, and their experiences. they’ll see Logan working his butt off. They’ll see Tomas working his butt off. That’s the stuff that starts getting you going for next year. The younger players can watch and learn from that, so that’s what we have to take out Sharks’ Tomas Hertl has torn ACL and MCL, will miss remainder of it. This is not a feel sorry for each other business. You can’t go woe is season me. Crap comes your way, and I’ve always found in life, it usually brings out the best in people.”

Hertl, 26, had been plagued by injuries to his right knee earlier in his NHL By MICHAEL NOWELS | [email protected] and career. CURTIS PASHELKA | [email protected] | Bay Area News Group In December 2013 in his rookie season, Hertl was injured in a knee-on- knee collision with Los Angeles Kings forward Dustin Brown. He returned PUBLISHED: January 30, 2020 at 11:59 am | UPDATED: January 30, in April 2014 to play the Sharks’ final two regular season games and their 2020 at 6:23 PM first round series with the Kings, which San Jose lost in seven games.

In 2016 during Game 2 of the Stanley Cup Final with the Pittsburgh SAN JOSE — Sharks center Tomas Hertl has torn anterior cruciate and Penguins, Hertl suffered another injury to his right knee, this time after a medial collateral ligaments in his left knee and will miss the rest of the collision with Patric Hornqvist. He missed the rest of the final, which the season, general manager Doug Wilson said Thursday, dealing yet Sharks lost in six games, but did not require surgery for that injury and another blow to a team that was already enduring one of its worst years returned to play at the start of the following this season. in recent memory. On Nov. 19 of this season, Hertl suffered a lower body injury in a game Wilson said results of an MRI came back Thursday morning and revealed with the Edmonton Oilers. Hertl missed the next four games and returned the full extent of Hertl’s injury, which occurred in the first period of to play Nov. 29 against the Los Angeles Kings. Wednesday’s Sharks game with the Vancouver Canucks and typically Hertl is in the second season of a four-year, $22.5 million contract he takes at least six months to rehabilitate. signed in July 2018. His deal carries and average annual value of $5.625 Wilson said surgery has not yet been scheduled, but the expectation is million. Hertl will be able to participate in training camp in September.

Wilson said he spoke with Hertl, who was understandably devastated San Jose Mercury News: LOADED: 01.31.2020 after the diagnosis.

“He’s a special guy,” Wilson said of Hertl. “He’ll rehab it. … We expect him back by training camp. He’s been through this before, but that’s what the expectations are. We’ll know more after he has the procedure.”

In Wednesday’s game, Hertl has just taken a backhand shot on net when Canucks defenseman Christopher Tanev, who had gone to the ice to block the shot, slid into him. Hertl was pinned against the end boards and fell to the ice.

Hertl later came out to test the injury during a television time out, but again went back to the Sharks’ room. Shortly before the end of the first period, the Sharks announced that Hertl would not return to Wednesday’s game.

The Sharks fell to 22-26-4 this season with their 5-2 loss to the Canucks, and entered Thursday in 13th place in the Western Conference. Their next game is Saturday at home with the Tampa Bay Lightning.

Hertl was the Sharks’ only representative at last weekend’s NHL All-Star game, replacing injured captain Logan Couture, who is on the mend from a broken bone in his ankle. Couture suffered the injury Jan. 7 and was expected to miss roughly six weeks at that time.

Hertl, 26, finishes the season with 16 goals and 36 points in 48 games. He scored earlier in the first period of Wednesday’s game to give the Sharks a 1-0 lead.

“Sometimes people tell you, have all of these things happen the same year. Get them out of the way,” Wilson said. “Doesn’t make it any easier. Doesn’t make it (less) trying. It’s like Logan’s thing. We were starting to play really well. I really liked how we were playing, and then he goes down in St. Louis. It’s like, ‘You’ve got to be kidding me.’

“But with that comes opportunity for other people,” Wilson said. “You lose (Couture), the guys still battle hard. And then you lose Tomas, it’s another pretty good kick.”

In practice Thursday, Barclay Goodrow took Hertl’s spot as he skated as the Sharks’ top line center with wingers Timo Meier and Evander Kane. The Sharks’ second line featured Joe Thornton at center with Patrick Marleau and Kevin Labanc on the wings.

Joel Kellman centered the third line with Melker Karlsson and Stefan Noesen, and the fourth line had Antti Suomela, Marcus Sorensen and Dylan Gambrell. As of early Thursday afternoon, the Sharks had not yet announced a recall from the Barracuda.

“Other guys are going to get opportunities, the younger guys are going to come up,” Wilson said. “So it’s just a reality of this business. We’re not the first team that’s had to go through this. We won’t be the last team. 1173736 San Jose Sharks “We didn’t give him a lot of work in the first couple periods. Probably needed a save in the third,” Boughner said. “But again, I don’t put it on one guy or two guys. We lose as a team, win as a team.”

Canucks 5, Sharks 2: Another injury, more faceoff woes, and what to do 2. Special teams woes: The Sharks had two power play chances in the with Martin Jones second period after Brent Burns scored at the 5:57 mark for a 2-1 San Jose lead.

The Sharks, though, had just two shots on goal in the four minutes they By CURTIS PASHELKA | [email protected] | Bay had with the man advantage. Area News Group Losing Couture for the last seven games and Hertl for the final 53 PUBLISHED: January 30, 2020 at 5:02 am | UPDATED: January 30, minutes Wednesday has obviously hurt the Sharks’ special teams. They 2020 at 5:08 am have now allowed a power play goal in five of their last six games. With Couture out, the Sharks are now 2 for 14 with the man advantage,

including 0-for-6 in their last four games. SAN JOSE — In their worst season to date in over 20 years, the Sharks “It was a tough one, because I thought we played well enough to win and may be facing yet another massive dose of adversity. I thought we did some really good things,” Biughner said. “Maybe getting Sharks center Tomas Hertl was injured in the first period of Wednesday’s that next one after a 2-1 game, we had a couple power plays there back game with the Vancouver Canucks and did not return in what became a to back. It would have been nice to get that third one.” 5-2 loss at SAP Center. 3. Faceoff struggles continue: The Sharks lost 38 of 58 draws Sharks interim coach Bob Boughner did not have a health update on Wednesday, and have a 46.7 faceoff win percentage in 11 games this Hertl immediately after the game, saying he would be able to provide a month. Dylan Gambrell on Wednesday won just two of 12 faceoffs, clearer assessment Thursday when the team returns for practice. Patrick Marleau won one of five and Goodrow won four of 11.

The Sharks are already without captain and No. 1 center Logan Couture, Of the players who have taken more than 20 draws in January, nobody is who has been out since he suffered a fractured bone in his ankle Jan. 7 above 50 percent, with Hertl at the top at 48.1 percent. Joe Thornton, in a game against the St. Louis Blues. He is not expected back for Goodrow and Joel Kellman are at 43.8, 43.7 and 43.3 respectively. another three or four weeks. “It’s something we’ve struggled with most of the year,” Boughner said. Not that they would, but there’s no reason for the Sharks to rush Couture “You lose a guy in (Couture), who was dealing with an upper body injury back at this point. Or Hertl, for that matter, if he had to miss a significant before that, so he wasn’t taking a lot of draws. Tommy Hertl, early in the amount of time. Not with the Sharks now 22-26-4 and still nine points out season, he was dealing with an injury. He wasn’t taking a lot of draws. of a playoff spot with 30 games to go. “You get some young guys who are playing against some pretty good For complete Sharks coverage players here, the (Bo) Horvat’s of the world and guys like that. It’s something that we’ve got to get better at. We haven’t had a right handed “Obviously (Hertl) a huge part of this team, but we’ve dealt with that all centerman most of the year. year,” said forward Barclay Goodrow, who mainly skated on the Sharks’ top line with Timo Meier and Evander Kane after Hertl left the game with “It’s a situation where if you’re not good in the faceoff circle, or if you’re 13:43 left in the first period. not close to 50 (percent), then you’re starting every shift chasing the puck. It wears on you.” “One guy goes down, the next guy has to step up. The game was there for us. Just didn’t get it done.”

Takeaways from Wednesday night. San Jose Mercury News: LOADED: 01.31.2020

1. Martin Jones’ inconsistency continues: Boughner liked the way his team was playing at even strength, particularly in the first two periods when they led 2-1 and held a 26-12 lead in shots at 5-on-5.

Jones had a hand in that lead, too, as he stopped two breakaway chances Elias Pettersson in the second period.

It all unraveled in the third period, as Tyler Myers, Jake Virtanen and Brandon Sutter all scored in a span of 5 minutes and 36 seconds to give the Canucks the lead for good.

“I felt good,” Jones said about the first two periods. “Felt good all game. Just need to find (a save) in the third.”

Myers’ goal, and the one by Quinn Hughes in the first period, came on shots from just inside the blue line, as the Canucks scored their first four goals on 20 shots.

Asked if he was screened on the long shots, Jones said, “I just got to find a way to find it. That’s all.”

Virtanen’s go-ahead goal at the 7:00 mark of the third period came on the power play, as Marc-Edouard Vlasic was assessed a double-minor for high-sticking Oscar Fantenberg at the 4:47 mark.

In some ways, Jones’ game Wednesday mirrored that of his last start Jan. 16 in Denver against the Colorado Avalanche. He made 34 saves in that game, but was undone by goals against at inopportune times, namely one by Cale Makar from just inside the blue line with 2.8 seconds left in the first period that gave the Avs a 2-0 lead. The Sharks lost 4-0.

Jones now has just one win in his last 11 games dating back to the start of December. Whatever happens from here on out, the Sharks have to find a way to help Jones get his game back in order. They can’t be hesitant to stick him back in there, because he, and the team, can’t afford to go into the offseason not knowing what to do next. 1173737 San Jose Sharks

Sharks forward Tomas Hertl out for season with knee injury

Staff Report

Updated 1:53 pm PST, Thursday, January 30, 2020

SAN JOSE, Calif. (AP) — Tomas Hertl will miss the rest of the season for the San Jose Sharks with a serious knee injury.

The Sharks said Thursday that Hertl tore the ACL and MCL in his left knee during the first period of a loss the previous night against the Vancouver Canucks.

Hertl is the second significant Sharks player to be sidelined with a significant injury. Captain Logan Couture has a broken ankle.

The Sharks entered the day with 48 points and are nine points out of a playoff spot. San Jose has missed the postseason only once since the start of the 2003-04 season.

Hertl is second on the team with 36 points this season. He has 16 goals and 20 assists.

San Francisco Chronicle LOADED: 01.31.2020 1173738 San Jose Sharks

Sharks All-Star Tomas Hertl out for season after tearing ACL, MCL

By Marcus White

January 30, 2020 12:16 PM

Tomas Hertl's season is over after tearing his ACL and MCL, the Sharks announced Thursday.

The San Jose forward awkwardly crashed into the boards in Wednesday's loss to the Vancouver Canucks, skating just three shifts in the first period and ultimately not returning to the game.

Hertl was a bright spot in an otherwise dim season for the Sharks, who entered Wednesday nine points behind the Western Conference's second wild-card spot. The 26-year-old Czech forward appeared in his first career NHL All-Star Game this season as an injury replacement for Sharks forward Logan Couture, scoring 36 points (16 goals, 20 assists) in 48 games after scoring a career-high 74 (35 goals, 39 assists) in 77 contests last season.

Three of Hertl's seven NHL seasons now have been shortened by knee injuries. He had right-knee surgery as a rookie, playing 37 regular- season games before returning for the postseason in 2013-14. Hertl played in 49 games in the 2016-17 season, returning later in the year after undergoing surgery on his sprained right knee in Nov. 2016. He had previously undergone imaging on his right knee after a minor injury earlier this season.

Hertl's left knee appeared to buckle following Wednesday's collision into the boards.

With Couture also on the shelf, the Sharks are now without their top two centers. San Jose (22-26-4) currently is in sixth place in the eight-team Pacific Division with 48 points, and the Sharks' first-round pick this season belongs to the Ottawa Senators as part of the Erik Karlsson trade.

Comcast SportsNet.com LOADED: 01.31.2020 1173739 San Jose Sharks

How Sharks' third-period struggles have sunk team's NHL playoffs hopes

By Brian Witt

January 29, 2020 11:26 PM

SAN JOSE -- The Sharks keep finding new ways to lose.

Of their 25 regulation losses this season entering Wednesday night's game against the visiting Vancouver Canucks at SAP Center, precisely zero of them came in games in which San Jose held a lead going into the third period. 19 times had the Sharks taken an advantage into the second intermission, and they were 17-0-2 in those contests.

So much for that.

Where there was once a zero, there is now a one. San Jose never trailed through the first two periods Wednesday night and took a 2-1 lead into the third period behind goals from Tomas Hertl and Brent Burns. A winning recipe, right?

Wrong.

Within the first three minutes of the third period, Vancouver tied it up. Within the first seven minutes, the Canucks turned a one-goal deficit into a one-goal lead. Less than a minute after that, Vancouver scored the back-breaker, and the rout was on. An empty-net goal later, and the Canucks departed San Jose with a 5-2 victory.

Getting outscored in the third period is nothing new to the Sharks this season, as they've now been outscored 94-56 in the third after Wednesday's debacle. A considerable portion of that negative margin has been accrued in blowouts, though, as San Jose actually has won more than half of its games that have been decided by a single goal and two-thirds of its games that have been decided by two goals. When it comes to games decided by three-or-more goals, though -- like Wednesday night -- the Sharks have prevailed in less than one-fifth of those contests. They've also now given up 12 empty-net goals.

So, yes, the third-period numbers might be a bit inflated. Even so, that doesn't change the fact that San Jose clearly has struggled to finish games. Only twice had it come back to bite the team when leading entering the third period, and at least in each of those two hiccups, the Sharks managed to come away with a point. That wasn't the case against the Canucks, and Team Teal knew it missed a golden opportunity to gain much-needed ground in the standings.

"We didn't give them a lot 5-on-5 at all," Sharks interim coach Bob Boughner said after the loss. "We played a very good defensive game. A couple long shots go in and you find yourself in a hole a little bit. I know we produced a fair number of chances and we had some good zone time and we had some good rush play -- there's a lot of good about it. But, yeah, they found a way to go into the third, and that's where we're sitting right now."

"It was a tough one because I thought we played well enough to win," Boughner added. "I thought we did some really good things."

Sharks forward Barclay Goodrow's disappointment was both readily evident and simultaneously concise.

"It's something we'll have to get fixed soon," Goodrow said of the team's third-period issues.

The Canucks are in first place and for good reason, but on home ice with a lead entering the third period and an obvious need for points, that's a game the Sharks had to have. They blew it, and even if they do fix their third-period problems soon, it might already be too late.

Comcast SportsNet.com LOADED: 01.31.2020 1173740 San Jose Sharks And now, there are sure to be more players departing, too, as Wilson will undoubtedly start selling off some assets for future picks and/or prospects ahead of the NHL trade deadline on Feb. 24.

Tomas Hertl injury is the latest blow to Sharks; Doug Wilson knows club “The results dictate what we do. Our record is our record,” Wilson said. ‘has lots of work to do … on several fronts’ “You always explore things that are the right things for the team both now and for next year. Not prepared to surrender this year or anything like that but my job also is to make decisions that get us back to where I know we’re going to get in September. If opportunities are there, we will By Kevin Kurz explore.” Jan 30, 2020 Wilson continued: “The good thing is, and this is an indicator, is that we have players that people like. You learn from listening. People will call and ask about a lot of our players, and that tells you something. But you In his nearly 17 years as the general manager of the Sharks, it’s safe to also want to keep certain players and keep your core in place. So (it’s) say that Doug Wilson has never had as season quite as hellish as this finding the balance — when there’s guys that are (unrestricted free one. agents) and there could be a value in return for them, you have to make those decisions. Training camp was disjointed, leading to an 0-4 start. Wilson’s first-ever midseason coaching change in December failed to generate any sort of “The reality is we are where we are. The opportunities for some of our spark. Team chemistry seems off after former captain Joe Pavelski’s younger guys to come in will be explored. … If we add assets it will offseason departure. Erik Karlsson, made the highest-paid defenseman probably be a player maybe going the other way. That’s the reality of it.” in the league over the summer, hasn’t lived up to expectations. Franchise goalie Martin Jones looks broken. Captain Logan Couture fractured his The Sharks current crop of unrestricted free agents includes Thornton, ankle in early January. The Sharks’ likely top-five pick in the 2020 draft Patrick Marleau, Brenden Dillon, Melker Karlsson, Tim Heed, Stefan already belongs to Ottawa. Noesen, Aaron Dell and Radim Simek, all of whom could be dealt, although they likely would want to keep Simek around as a replacement And now, this — Tomas Hertl, the beloved center who took part in his for Dillon, who might as well have his bags packed at this point. first career All-Star Game over the weekend and may now be the Sharks’ most popular player among the fan base, is out for the remainder of the What about the rest of the group, though? Currently, the Sharks have season with a torn ACL and MCL in his left knee that will require surgery. nearly $63 million committed to just 12 players for next season. Can Hertl suffered the injury in the first period of the Sharks’ 5-2 loss to Wilson really build a competitive 2020-21 team without unloading at least Vancouver on Wednesday night at SAP Center when a sliding Chris one or two of those high-salaried players? Tanev drove his leg into the end wall. “The bones of the team, there are some really good players in key “Sometimes people tell you, have all these things happen in the same positions,” Wilson said. “It’s pretty obvious. While we’re disappointed in year. Get them out of the way,” Wilson said on Thursday, sitting in his this season, where we’re at, and I take full responsibility for that, we do office at the Sharks’ training facility. “But it doesn’t make it any easier. It think that if we use this time, continue to re-establish our identity, play the doesn’t make it (any less) trying.” right way, that we can bounce back. Those guys are important guys. … We’ve got players that we know are very good players. Even the most optimistic of supporters can now surely admit that any chance the Sharks had of climbing back into the playoff race is kaput. “I feel very strongly that we will be in a good place. But we’ve got a lot of Couture is still at least three or four weeks away from returning, so the work to do, make no mistake about it, on several fronts.” Sharks will be without their top two centers while they sit in 13th place in One of those is goaltending. Jones has four seasons remaining on his the Western Conference. The Sharks’ minus-38 goal-differential is the contract at a $5.75 million salary-cap hit, but looks like a shell of his worst in the conference. former self from when he first arrived as the new No. 1 goalie in San If there is any good news, it’s that Hertl’s injury is not to the same knee Jose in 2015. that he’s had trouble with in the past. In his rookie season, Hertl tore After allowing four goals in Wednesday’s loss, Jones now has a 13-17-2 ligaments in his right knee in a collision with the Kings’ Dustin Brown on record with a 3.25 goals-against average and .889 save percentage in 33 Dec. 19, missing the next 45 games. In the Stanley Cup Final in 2016, he games. Since the start of the 2018-19 season, Jones’ .894 save injured the knee again while receiving a check from the Penguins’ Patric percentage is 45th out of 46 goalies who have played at least 50 games Hornqvist. (only former teammate Jonathan Quick in Los Angeles is worse). Wilson said that he expects Hertl back for training camp next season, but “He’s got some things to work on,” Wilson said of Jones. “Extremely admitted he won’t know for sure until the 26-year-old goes under the fortunate to have (goalie coach Evgeni Nabokov) here. … Sometimes is knife, which should happen “sooner than later.” it how we played? I think there’s an impact there, too. But there’s some “He’s been through this before,” Wilson said. “You never know with that work to be done. (We have) time to use to see if we can get all our (injury), but that’s what the expectations are. We’ll know more after he players (going), not specifically to Martin, but it’s an important position. has the procedure.” Yes, we’ve got to address it.”

Wilson spoke with Hertl just moments before sitting down with local Is a buyout for Jones on the table? reporters on Thursday. When asked how Hertl was dealing with the awful “Right now we’re focused on helping all our players get on top of their news after the Sharks got the results back from an MRI on Tuesday game and playing the right way, so I’ll stop there,” Wilson said. morning, a visibly dejected Wilson said: “As expected. He’s a special guy. He’ll rehab it and all that, but he’s just a special, special guy.” Wilson didn’t want to divulge too much about the futures of Thornton and Marleau, who could be attractive targets for a playoff team looking for In 48 games this season, Hertl posted 16 goals and 20 assists for 36 more depth up front. points and a minus-18 rating — currently tied for second on the team in scoring with Couture, one point behind Karlsson. “They’ve both answered that they’re focused on winning the next hockey game,” he said. “That’s how you stay in the moment. People should truly Already a thin group up front, the Sharks’ top four centers for their game appreciate what they’ve accomplished and what they’ve done.” on Saturday against the red-hot Tampa Bay Lightning will likely be Joe Thornton, Barclay Goodrow, Dylan Gambrell and Joel Kellman. Those What about other key pieces with trade protection, though? Karlsson and four centermen have combined for 13 goals in 152 games this season, Marc-Edouard Vlasic have full no-movement clauses, while Couture, eight by Goodrow. Thornton, Jones, Brent Burns and Evander Kane have limited no-trade clauses, according to CapFriendly.com. Pickings are slim with the Barracuda, too, with players like Gambrell and Antti Suomela already on the roster. Joachim Blichfeld could be recalled “There’s not as many limitations as you think,” Wilson said. “A player after he took part in the AHL All-Star Game on Monday, but the would have to come to me if he has a full no-move. Again, those Barracuda currently sit in last place in their division, 10 points behind the conversations stay in confidence. But again, I’ve shared with you, the next closest club. There is no cavalry coming. core of our group is something we’re counting on to get us back to where we want to get to. I remember back in ’14-’15, and you guys probably do too, the doom and gloom — this team’s window is closed, or this can’t happen. And I get it, I fully respect it. But we came back and had a pretty good year the following year.

“To win in this league you have to have a bit deeper of a core. I don’t think you can be carried by just one or two players. When you take a look at the positions those guys play, center and defense, and power wingers, it allows you to bring in people around them. I think how we’ve dedicated our dollars is to the proper positions. And I think we’ll have some opportunities to grow this team, but I don’t think I look at it as big as an issue as (others) would.”

As much as the current season can now be written off after Hertl’s devastating injury, it’s still a critical time for the franchise, and for Wilson, who received a vote of confidence from owner Hasso Plattner last week. Wilson fully expects the team to make the playoffs next season.

“We’re not the first team that’s had to go through this, we won’t be the last team,” he said. “Crap comes your way, and I’ve always found in life it usually brings out the best in people.”

The Athletic LOADED: 01.31.2020 1173741 St Louis Blues hard. That’ll be important tomorrow obviously with some of their high-end players and very good on the rush.”

The Blues have agreed on two-year contract extensions with goalie Ville Blues notebook: Calahoo gang comes to watch its favorite son coach his Husso and defenseman Niko Mikkola, keeping both players under hockey team contract through the 2021-22 season. They are one-way deals, meaning the players get paid the same whether they’re in the NHL or the AHL.

Mikkola’s extension is worth $787,500 per season; Husso’s is for Jim Thomas $750,000 a year.

At one time ahead of Jordan Binnington on the Blues’ goalie depth chart, Husso has yet to play a regular-season game in the NHL. He has played EDMONTON, Alberta — Games in Edmonton are always a homecoming to mixed reviews this season in San Antonio, although he’s not getting a for Blues coach Craig Berube. His hometown of Calahoo (pop. 82) is a ton of defensive support. 45-minute drive from downtown Edmonton. A fourth-round pick in 2014 from Helsinki, Finland, Husso is 10-12-8 in 30 At least two dozen members of the Calahoo gang were on hand to watch games with a 2.93 goals-against average and a save percentage of .898 the Blues practice Thursday at Rogers Place — home of the Oilers — for the Rampage. He has yet to play in a regular-season game for the including Berube’s sister April and his lifelong friend Bruce Patrick. Blues. “There was quite a few that came to watch practice,” Berube said. “They Mikkola, who’s from Kiiminki, Finland, was a fifth-round pick by the Blues don’t get to do that too often, so it was good.” in 2015. Currently playing in San Antonio, Mikkola was impressive in a Berube still talks to Patrick frequently; he has known him since second five-game stint with the Blues earlier in January while grade. Whenever Berube visits Calahoo in the offseason, it’s Patrick who was out with an upper-body injury. Mikkola had one assist and was plus- picks him up at the airport in Edmonton. 3 during that span.

“He came out already to St. Louis this year, him and his wife, and BLUES LINES/PAIRINGS watched a couple games,” Berube said. Forwards In fact, Patrick was there for the Stanley Cup banner-raising on opening Schwartz-Schenn-Kyrou night against the Washington Capitals. Sanford-0’Reilly-Perron “It was too crazy,” Patrick said. Steen-Thomas-Bozak Berube went back to the family farm Wednesday evening in Calahoo to visit with friends and family, and reports that his father Roger remains Blais-de la Rose-Barbashev retired as a hockey player. (MacEachern rotated in on the fourth line.) “He tried but his knee was bad, so that was enough,” Berube said. “He told me last night it was 65 years he played.” Defensemen

Which is a pretty good run. Pietrangelo-Faulk

“It was. That’s a long time,” Berube said. Bouwmeester-Parayko

Roger Berube, 81, quit playing hockey at age 80. Dunn-Gunnarsson/Bortuzzo

Troy Brouwer, recalled from San Antonio on Wednesday, practiced with (Gunnarsson and Bortuzzo rotated on the third pairing.) the team Thursday. Assigned to San Antonio on Monday after he cleared BLUE NOTES waivers, Brouwer never actually made it to the Rampage; the 34-year-old veteran had been given a week to sort through his options. With two assists against Calgary, has 334 in his career, moving past Brian Sutter (333) into third place on the Blues’ career list. “He looked good,” Berube said. “He’s a great depth guy for us. Like I He’s got a ways to go to catch second-place Brett Hull (409) and may said, we like him. We love his attitude, his leadership. He’s won Cups. He need another career to catch first-place Bernie Federko (721). knows how to win, and he knows what it takes to win, so we really like him around.” • has 12 points (six goals, six assists) over his last nine games: Steen has nine points (five goals, four assists) over his last nine Alexander Steen also practiced Thursday, saying the lower-body issue games; Zach Sanford has seven points (three goals four assists) over his that prevented him from playing past the second period Tuesday in last six games. Calgary was more a scare than anything else. • Steen’s first-period goal against the Flames gave him 494 points as a “Yeah, I think so,” Berube said. “I really didn’t see what happened or Blue, moving him past Pavol Demitra for fifth place on the team’s career anything, but he felt something. But he feels good. ... He had a good points list. practice. So that’s good news, and he looks ready to go.” • When Bortuzzo was a healthy scratch against Calgary, it marked his Mackenzie MacEachern, who has missed the past two games with a first game missed since Dec. 12 against Vegas. lower-body injury that occurred in the Blues’ Jan. 18 game in Colorado, got a full practice in Thursday.

“I think Mac’s probably good to go, but it’s just a confidence thing until he St Louis Post Dispatch LOADED: 01.31.2020 feels like he’s probably 100 percent,” Berube said. “He doesn’t want to reinjure it.”

The Blues had a high-tempo, high-energy practice Thursday in preparation for Friday’s game against the Edmonton Oilers.

“Our guys were dialed in,” Berube said. “We had a good practice, good pace, execution was good, so it was good to see.”

Among other things Thursday, the team worked on its offense-to-defense transition, staying tight on defense and closing gaps out.

“And on the other side of it, guys getting pucks down deep and going to work,” Berube said. “Just stuff like that. Making sure we’re tracking back 1173742 St Louis Blues Berube thought the Blues did a much better job getting traffic in front of Calgary goalie Cam Talbot than they did in Monday’s loss to Vancouver.

“It’s something that we gotta keep harping on because when you have Berube on Blues' win at Calgary: 'I can't stand that hockey' the puck a lot in the offensive zone, you tend to want to get to the outside and keep the puck,” Berube said. “But at some point, it’s gotta go to the net and you gotta have people at the net.”

Jim Thomas

St Louis Post Dispatch LOADED: 01.31.2020 EDMONTON, Alberta — Strange, but true. Craig Berube was more unhappy after a thrilling 5-4 shootout win Tuesday in Calgary than he was after a 3-1 loss Monday in Vancouver.

It wasn’t even close. And it didn’t take much to get him going on that topic Wednesday.

“I can’t stand that hockey last night,” Berube said. “I mean, I know a lot of people like it, but I can’t stand it. So I’m not gonna sit here and try to tell you that I like that type of hockey. I don’t. It’s not our game.”

Here’s why.

“It was kind of like a back-and-forth game with way too much open ice for their team,” he said. “Like giving up odd-man rushes and breakaways. That’s just not our game.

“Fortunately we got out of it and we did a good job in the third period, I thought, of tightening it up and playing our game. And got a big goal by (Zach) Sanford.

“We just gotta be better there. We can’t be giving up the odd-man rushes like we did last night.”

Sanford’s goal 51 seconds into the third period tied the game at 4-4, and that’s where it stayed until Ryan O’Reilly’s shootout winner.

The style of play Tuesday was unsettling because defense and goaltending are the foundation of the Blues’ game — not fast-break hockey.

“But it’s not just defense,” Berube said. “It’s managing the puck and hanging onto the puck in the offensive zone. Making it difficult for the other team and getting the other team impatient, and we didn’t do that.”

When it was jokingly suggested that better defense was played in the NHL All-Star game Saturday at Enterprise Center, Berube replied: “I don’t think there was any defense in that game, either. But that game didn’t really matter that much.”

Speaking of goaltending

The Calgary game marked the fifth time over his last nine games that Jordan Binnington has allowed four or more goals. The Blues are 6-2-1 in those games, but Binnington’s numbers aren’t pretty over that stretch: a 3.33 goals-against average with a save percentage of .876.

Berube said he was not concerned about Binnington’s recent play.

“No, it’s like our whole team,” Berube said. “I think, it’s a little inconsistent. But I thought he rebounded really well in that second half of the game. He’s probably the reason we got two points. We gave up breakaways and odd-man rushes and he stopped 'em.”

Binnington stopped a pair of Johnny Gaudreau breakaways, and made several other highlight-reel stops. After Mark Jankowski’s goal gave Calgary a 4-3 lead midway through the second period, Binnington stopped the final 16 shots he faced in regulation and overtime. Calgary then missed its two shootout attempts, although the first of those two — by Sean Monahan — hit the post.

Blais’ return

In his first game in more than two months, Sammy Blais played 11 minutes 1 second against Calgary. He had no shot attempts but was back to his physical style of play, registering four hits.

“He was out a long time,” Berube said, referring to Blais’ Nov. 19 wrist injury against Tampa Bay that required surgery. “He was trying, he worked hard, he was physical. But it takes time. It’s gonna take time. His timing’s off. You can practice all you want but you get in a game and it’s different on your body. The wind and everything. . . .He’s got a ways to go.’

Better at the net 1173743 St Louis Blues MacEachern got a lot of work in Wednesday afternoon during an optional skate at the Scotiabank Saddledome in Calgary before the Blues headed out later in the day for Edmonton.

Blues still not immune to injury bug as Sundqvist heads to IR Besides MacEachern, goalies Jake Allen and Jordan Binnington, defenseman Robert Bortuzzo and Blais were the only Blues participating in the skate, with the light attendance totally expected given the fact the team had played on back-to-back nights. Jim Thomas “Got a good skate today,” MacEachern said. “We got two more skates till 13 hrs ago the (Edmonton) game, so it’ll give me two more opportunities to kind of get more comfortable and get a better idea of where I’m at. I think we’re getting close for sure.” EDMONTON, Alberta — Perhaps sometime later this season, coach Craig Berube will look back fondly on that time when the Blues were the Although he has only one assist over his past 13 games, MacEachern picture of health coming out of the all-star break. has proven to be a solid fourth-liner with six goals and three assists for the season. He’s a good skater, plays physical and is sound defensively. You know, the time Colton Parayko (upper-body) came off injured reserve, Sammy Blais returned from wrist surgery, and Mackenzie And he’s itching to get back in the lineup. MacEachern (lower-body) needed just another skate or two to resume “Yeah, especially after the break,” MacEachern said. “You sit there for — game action. what? — eight or nine days. And obviously not playing the past couple The Blues were oh-so-close to having everyone back except for, of days. So definitely excited.” course, Vladimir Tarasenko. He’ll be on the mend for another couple of When asked about MacEachern’s status, Berube said: “He’s a possible months following shoulder surgery. Friday.” But then, Oskar Sundqvist suffered a lower-body injury in the third period But with Sundqvist on IR and MacEachern and Steen not certainties for Monday in Vancouver. On Tuesday in Calgary, Alexander Steen couldn’t Friday, the Blues needed at least another body. So just two days after come out for the third period, or overtime or the shootout, because of a being assigned to San Antonio, Brouwer is back with the Blues. Faced lower-body injury of his own. with the prospect of going back to the minors at age 34, Brouwer was “I know,” Berube said. “Injuries happen in this game. We’ve had a lot of given a week to consider his options by general manager Doug them. But luckily we have good depth and guys have stepped in and Armstrong. filled roles — done a good job.” A couple of injuries later, it looks like there are no options to consider. Blais replaced Sundqvist in the lineup against Calgary, in his first game Brouwer’s back with the Blues. back in 10 weeks. The Blues finished out the 5-4 shootout win over the

Flames with only 11 forwards after the Steen injury, with Ivan Barbashev replacing him on the Robert Thomas-Tyler Bozak line. St Louis Post Dispatch LOADED: 01.31.2020 There was good news, and not-so-good news on the injury front Wednesday. Sundqvist was placed on injured reserve — the second time he’s been on the IR list this season, with Troy Brouwer recalled from San Antonio to take his spot.

Asked for a timetable on Sundqvist’s return, Berube said: “I’d say 10 days or so, something like that.”

If that’s the case, Sundqvist would miss at least five more games. The Blues are about to hit their busiest month of the season with 15 games in 29 days in February.

But the outlook was better for Steen, potentially much better.

“I think he’ll be fine,” Berube said.

“Fine,” as in good enough to play against Edmonton?

“Yes, a very good chance,” Berube said.

The Blues play Friday in Edmonton, the third stop on this four-game swing through western Canada.

If that’s the case, that will make Steen’s family and friends very happy Saturday in Winnipeg. The Blues close out the trip there against the Jets and it would be Steen’s 1,000th NHL game — assuming he makes it back for the Edmonton contest as well. Winnipeg is his hometown.

Steen, who missed 16 games in November and December with a high- ankle sprain, has been playing some of his best hockey lately. He scored the Blues’ first goal against Calgary, and has five goals and five assists over his last 11 games.

MacEachern’s injury has flown under the radar to a degree, mainly because it came during the team’s final game before the bye week and all-star break — on Jan. 18 at Colorado.

“Someone just fell on me, it was kind of weird,” MacEachern said. “Weird play, weird scenario. It was kind of awkward.”

He missed both the Vancouver and Calgary contests, the first games he’s missed since he was a healthy scratch against Montreal on Oct. 19.

“I thought I cemented a role there,” MacEachern said. “So try and get back to where I was and kind of build off that.” 1173744 St Louis Blues skated at all in his one game, while Walman and Mikkola sat between 12 and 14 minutes of 5v5 ice time when inserted into the lineup.

Of this group of youngsters and call-ups, only Kyrou has seemed to earn A look at the rooks: Evaluating the performances of the Blues’ call-ups enough trust from the Blues’ coaching staff to play regular minutes each this season night.

Let’s dig deeper.

By Sean Tierney This chart shows a player’s share of quality shots when they’re on the ice. If a player is above the black line at 0.5, we know that the player was Jan 30, 2020 on-ice for more quality shots for the Blues than for their opponents (i.e. above 0.5 or 50 percent). The dotted line shows the player’s season

average expected goals-for percentage (xGF%). Again, if this is above This season, the average NHL roster has an average player age of 27.8 50 percent, it means that, on average, that player is on the ice for more years old. quality chances for than against. The colored and labeled line shows each player’s individual trend. The Columbus Blue Jackets are the NHL’s youngest group, with an average player age of 26.1. Conversely, the San Jose Sharks are the For Kyrou, we can see that his first handful of games went very well, with NHL’s oldest group at 29.5. xGF% numbers above 60 percent. For context, 60 percent over the course of a full season of games would rank with the NHL’s elite. The While that top-to-bottom gap in average age might not sound like much, it best xGF% for any skater with more than 500 minutes at 5v5 so far this is significant. Players can’t even enter the NHL until they’re 18 and the season is Evgeni Malkin at 61.77 percent (data via evolving- vast majority of NHLers don’t last in the league past their early 30s. In hockey.com). fact, only 43 skaters entered this week of play at 34 years old or older. As such, the gap in age from the league’s youngest to oldest is relatively Kyrou didn’t maintain that level of on-ice excellence, though, and the narrow. coaching staff seemed to recognize it immediately. Kyrou’s playing time has fallen in lock-step with his falling expected goal share so far. In this way, teams can signal a lot about their self-view and team Ultimately, there’s enough here over a 13-game sample to warrant a long philosophy with their roster’s age composition. An older group might look at the promising youngster in the back half of the season. identify as a mature, responsible veteran group. A younger roster might lean into offensive upside and speed and the volatile, exciting potential of Walker managed to stick around for five games in early December and less-experienced players. acquitted himself well in limited minutes. As a 25-year-old skater with a limited ceiling, he appears to be the sort of fourth-line depth option the For the St. Louis Blues, it’s more of the former than the latter. Blues can turn to in case of injuries down the stretch. With only 17 career NHL games under his belt, it still isn’t clear if Walker can consistently The Blues have the NHL’s 11th-highest average age at 28.3 years old, maintain an xGF% above 50 percent, but he’s worth a look as the season sandwiched in between the Detroit Red Wings (10th-highest at 28.5 goes on. years old, on average) and the Florida Panthers (12th, 28.1). Despite this, heading up to the trade deadline, GM Doug Armstrong has Kostin skated in four games in late November and was a positive suggested that the team’s needs may be met with internal depth. influence during his limited minutes, establishing an average xGF% of almost 60 percent. As a well-regarded prospect and former first-round Here, we’ll take a look at some of the younger lineup options that have pick, the 20-year-old has managed 19 points in 32 AHL games this yet to find a regular, contributing role, assess their performance and look season and has earned some extra looks with regular minutes at the ahead to see which rookies (and newcomers to the team) might provide NHL level, too. key depth for the lineup as Armstrong weighs trade-deadline options over the next couple of weeks. I’ve included all of the skaters under review in this chart for comparison. While Kyrou, Walker and Kostin have enough sample size and success Let’s dig in. to suggest they are capable of filling depth roles at the NHL level going Kyrou and the kids forward, there isn’t enough data yet on defenders Walman or Mikkola to conclusively suggest the same. Pouliot and Poganski had very brief NHL Of course, 20-year-old Robert Thomas has cemented a clear position looks and didn’t do much to inspire confidence going forward. with the Blues this season. So, too, has 23 year-old defenseman Vince Dunn. Even 23-year-old forward Sammy Blais and 24-year-olds Jacob Finally, let’s take a look at overall contributions for the players considered De La Rose and Ivan Barbashev have defined regular roles in the Blues’ in this piece: NHL lineup. Still, with Vladimir Tarasenko recovering from shoulder Goals above replacement (GAR) is a statistic created at evolving- surgery and Colton Parayko’s recent injury issue, coach Craig Berube hockey.com, which is very similar to WAR in baseball. In essence, a has been forced to turn to some younger skaters at different points to fill player’s contributions are isolated and broken into categories; even- in both at forward and on defense. strength offense (EVO_GAR), even-strength defense (EVD_GAR), Let’s take a bird’s eye look at the younger skaters that have stepped up power-play offense (PPO_GAR), short-handed defense (SHD_GAR), at times to fill roles for the Blues this season: drawing penalties (Draw_GAR) and avoiding taking penalties (Take_GAR). Those contributions are compared to the replacement-level F Klim Kostin: 20 years old, 4 games played, 1 goal, 1 point player, that is, an AHL call-up, minimum-salary player that is theoretically F Jordan Kyrou: 21 years old, 14 games, 2 goals, 2 assists, 4 points available to be called up by any team.

D Jake Walman: 23 years old, 1 game For the Blues, the GAR for forwards breaks down as you might guess: Jaden Schwartz leads the group with strong overall contributions, Ryan F Austin Poganski: 23 years old, 1 game O’Reilly has been excellent, Tyler Bozak has enjoyed a strong second campaign with the Blues, and Thomas has established himself as a key D Niko Mikkola: 23 years old, 5 games, 1 assist, 1 point piece of the core going forward.

F Nathan Walker: 25 years old, 5 games, 1 goal, 1 assist, 2 points For our purposes here, Kyrou has done great work in a short time. He D Derrick Pouliot: 26 years, 2 games owns the ninth-best GAR value among Blues forwards, including a notably strong mark in even-strength offense, and has no negative Counting stats are a touch point to begin analysis, but we want to dig contributions, which is encouraging for a young skater. He certainly has deeper. How did Berube use these players in their starts? earned a top-nine role with the team going forward. Walker is a negative overall player (despite his postive xGF% from above), which suggests Kyrou has enjoyed the most consistent opportunity, playing in 13 games that he may have benefited by strong play from his linemates. His major and settling in around 11 minutes of 5v5 ice time per game. Kostin negative is even-strength defense, which ultimately pokes a potentially played in four games but saw his ice time drop to just more than 8 crippling hole in the idea that he could provide quiet, fourth-line minutes minutes before leaving the lineup at the end of November. Pouliot failed for Berube’s squad. to impress or earn Berube’s trust in his couple of games, Poganski hardly Kostin isn’t included here because his ice-time numbers remain too low.

On defense, captain Alex Pietrangelo is having a Norris Trophy-caliber season, and he has skyrocketed to third overall in GAR in the NHL among all skaters, trailing only Predators defenseman Ryan Ellis and Rangers forward Artemi Panarin. So that gives some context here for the others.

Mikkola has shown out well in his limited minutes, posting a handful of slightly positive contributions, enough to project as a good fit in the Blues’ top-six, particularly if paired with a responsible partner. Again, through the lens of GM Armstrong acquiring a depth defender at the trade deadline in exchange for a mid-round draft pick, Mikkola deserves the opportunity to show that he’s capable of providing that depth before a Ron Hainsey-type of player is acquired. The early results are encouraging.

Walman has yet to amass enough minutes to be included here.

As the Blues approach the trade deadline, they’ll be faced with decisions about roster adds to bolster the team’s depth for another Stanley Cup run. Tarasenko’s return (hopefully prior to the playoffs?) will be an enormous addition to the team’s top-six. That means Armstrong will likely be looking for depth pieces to add around the edges of the roster, perhaps a depth forward or a defender capable of handling bottom-pair minutes.

In Jordan Kyrou and Niko Mikkola, the Blues may already have these players. The two youngsters have produced positive results in the minutes they’ve played this season. Both are worth a longer look in the stretch run, and if either or both prove capable of providing the Blues’ lineup with depth, it may change the deadline calculus (for the better!) for Armstrong and looking ahead to the playoffs.

The Athletic LOADED: 01.31.2020 1173745 Tampa Bay Lightning Tampa Bay Times LOADED: 01.31.2020

How the Lightning executed a nearly-perfect power play against the Kings

By Diana C. Nearhos

Published Yesterday

Updated Earlier today

LOS ANGELES — For two minutes in the second period Wednesday night, Steven Stamkos, Brayden Point, Nikita Kucherov, Alex Killorn and Victor Hedman fired shot after shot on and at the Kings’ net.

For two minutes, the Kings’ penalty kill withstood all 10 Lightning attempts. But the barrage continued for 13 seconds after the penalty expired, and the Lightning finally got one through. Stamkos scored on a shot that didn’t look any different from the rest to tie the score at 2.

Officially it wasn’t a power-play goal, but in effect, it was. And the Lightning needed it.

“Those are ones where you probably lose some sleep if you don’t score on those,” Stamkos said after the 4-2 win. “It was big. Our power play has been struggling. Just to have a power play like that, I know it didn’t count as a power-play goal, but it gave us a lot of confidence as a group.”

Overall, the Lightning were fourth in the league in power-play goals scored entering Thursday, but the past 10 games tell a different story.

They have scored on only three of their past 28 opportunities entering tonight’s game against the Ducks in Anaheim. Even if the statistics were fudged to make Wednesday’s Stamkos goal a power play score, the resulting 14.3 percent success rate would put the Lightning 24th in the league.

They were 0-for-4 Monday against the Stars and officially 0-for-2 against the Kings. After Monday’s game, coach Jon Cooper said that overpassing was the “name of the game,” a recurring issue for the Lightning.

Of Wednesday’s goal-generating power play, Cooper said, “They moved (the puck). They shot it and moved the puck. We retrieved, and that’s what good power plays do.”

Moving the puck and passing the puck are the same. Stamkos described the principle as not forcing anything but taking what the Kings gave them.

Against the Kings, the Lightning didn’t attempt passes through the middle, which can result in a clear or a turnover, which eats up power- play time as they track down the puck and start over.

The Lightning also passed up chances to send the puck to a teammate in search of the perfect shot. They took the shots they had and passed when they didn’t have openings: Stamkos once passed to Hedman when Alec Martinez and Alex Iafallo were in his lane. Hedman passed to Kucherov when four players were in the slot in front of him.

In the whole 2:13 shift leading to Stamkos’ goal, the Lightning attempted 13 shots, most of which came from Stamkos and Kucherov in the two circles and Hedman from the high slot. The Kings blocked six shots — Martinez blocked three Stamkos one-timers — and Jonathan Quick

It was an impressive kill. But what made this Lightning power play successful in the sense that it set up a goal wasn’t just the instinct to shoot. The unit could take so many shot attempts because it kept the puck in the Kings’ zone.

The Lightning were quick on puck retrieval, along the boards and at the blue line. A Kucherov shot rebounded into the corner; he went and got it and resumed the cycle.

The only time the Kings managed to clear the zone was about five seconds in. Hedman knocked the puck down at center ice, then Killorn played Iafallo tight to knock him off the puck. Hedman picked up the loose puck and carried it back into the zone. With that, the Lightning settled in.

“That’s the way our power play needs to look every game,” Hedman said. 1173746 Toronto Maple Leafs But I also remember, even as a kid, thinking that it didn’t seem right that the vaunted Maple Leafs were celebrating their first 50-goal scorer while that dude named Gretzky was en route to scoring 92 goals in the same season. Don’t get it wrong. In the year Vaive got 54, he finished fifth in Auston Matthews can give the Leafs something rare — the Rocket the league. He was excellent. But the Leafs missed the playoffs in an era Richard glare in which 16 of 21 teams made it. Mike Bossy of the Cup champion New York Islanders scored 64 goals in the regular season.

Fifty-four goals is a big number, sure. But there have been 74 individual By Dave Feschuk Sports Columnist seasons in NHL history of 55 goals or more. Thu., Jan. 30, 2020 Which is to say, Matthews beating Vaive’s record would be big, considering how much harder it is to score goals today than it was in the early 1980s. But leading the league would be way bigger. A Maple Leaf Whether or not Sheldon Keefe turns out to be a coaching sage — and so hasn’t led the league in goals in the post-1967 era. Heck, history tells us far he’s making a compelling case he has a bit of a gift — it clearly didn’t it’s been eons since a Leaf led the league in anything of significance if take a hockey genius to unspool one of his best moves. you don’t count assistant GM Brandon Pridham inventing salary-cap loopholes. Ever since the Maple Leafs coach tossed together Auston Matthews and Mitch Marner in the third period of a Dec. 21 win against the Red Wings, the results have been exactly what you’d expect — nothing short of electric. Matthews has 15 goals in 15 games. He and Marner have 22 Toronto Star LOADED: 01.31.2020 points apiece. And contrary to Mike Babcock’s doomsaying concerns about the defensive ceiling caving in on the duo, Toronto has dominated puck possession when Matthews and Marner have been on the ice together. The team boasts a plus-10 goal differential over the span. They’re 9-3-3 in the standings, a 117-point pace. And as for Babcock’s salient fear about stacking his two best offensive players on one line — that thing about maintaining depth through the lineup — the resultant duo of John Tavares and William Nylander has combined for 35 points over those 15 games. Which is to say, Kyle Dubas devoted 50% of the salary cap to those particular four guys for a reason. It’s the coach’s job to maximize them. So pick your poison, opponents.

Now, let’s not get too excited. The new-car smell is overpowering here. Maybe some of the early Matthews-Marner jump comes from two stars overjoyed to be rid of a coach they clearly considered a hindrance. And no doubt Babcock could enjoy the last laugh if the immature version of the Leafs — the one Keefe called out before the all-star break after blowout losses to the Panthers and Blackhawks — should re-emerge at a make-or-break moment in the coming 31-game push toward the playoffs.

But let’s just consider the significance of Toronto’s potent offence finally, truly being unleashed — and specifically, what it means to have its two best talents creating together alongside the tireless Zach Hyman without the constant worry that Babcock would break them apart at the first hint of a questionable on-ice decision.

It has conjured something we haven’t seen enough during years and years of relatively low-scoring hockey in Toronto and beyond: a bona fide run at a significant franchise record. Rick Vaive’s 54-goal run in 1981-82 still stands as the greatest goal-scoring season in the century-plus history of the club. But it might not stand for long. Matthews, heading into Saturday’s home game against the Senators, has 36 goals in 51 games, on pace for 58 goals. His drive for 55, the strive to top Vaive, will be fun. And who’d bet against him doing it?

But here’s the thing: The way this season is going — the way the goals have been coming since Keefe took over — the franchise record ought to be a secondary matter to the prize Matthews is surely eyeing.

Matthews has found himself in the race for the Rocket Richard Trophy. Boston’s David Pastrnak is currently leading the Rocket charge with 37 goals. Washington’s Alex Ovechkin sits a goal behind Matthews in third place with 35. And, yes, given Ovechkin’s status as an eight-time winner of the award, including six of the previous seven, Pastrnak and Matthews are considerable underdogs. Still, it’d be a seismic moment in Toronto franchise history if Matthews could pull it off.

That’s not to say breaking the franchise record wouldn’t be stellar and that ripping off the rare double, leading the league while reigning over the franchise record book, wouldn’t be the obviously superior scenario.

But as much as the Leafs love fluffing up their status as a heritage institution with a storied lineage of bronze-statue-worthy stars, this particular franchise record needs to be put into perspective.

Rick Vaive’s career resumé is immense. He’s one of 20 men who can lay claim to three career 50-goal seasons. And his watershed 54-goal season saw him become the first Leaf to breach the 50-goal barrier. I was at Maple Leaf Gardens the night he got his 50th. I remember the roar. I got caught up in the excitement. 1173747 Toronto Maple Leafs “I think it can really springboard his second half.” Given the way the Leafs play, often trading chances with their opponents,

they’ll need a big finish from Andersen. Leafs goaltender Frederik Andersen answers the (Golden) Bell and gets While Andersen may be a better goalie than golfer, he says there is one his game back on track thing practitioners of the two have in common.

“Have a short memory,” he said. By Kevin McGran Sports Reporter

Thu., Jan. 30, 2020 Toronto Star LOADED: 01.31.2020

Maple Leafs goalie Frederik Andersen has had the post-bye-week start he’d hoped for.

Two games. Two wins. Sixty-five saves of 70 shots, for a tidy .929 save percentage. Compare those to his numbers before the break: Four games, one win and 92 stops of 107 shots for an .860 save percentage.

“It’s always fun to win,” Andersen said after the Leafs’ 5-3 win over Dallas on Wednesday. “We’ve been doing a lot of good things. So let’s continue to keep working and build on that.”

Yes, the break appears to have served Andersen well.

“I thought it was good to get away for a little bit,” he said. “Sometimes the season gets long and a little break was probably good to just kind of remember we had some good parts, and what we do well, and (find ways to) do more of that.”

It’s not like Andersen just put his feet up.

He joined teammates Jake Muzzin, William Nylander and Kasperi Kapanen in Augusta, Ga., where they played Augusta National Golf Club, home of the Masters. It was a trip organized by Nylander, who oddly enough had no idea how exclusive Augusta is and how rare it is for non- members to get to play there.

“I didn’t realize how special it was to go play there (until) I started talking to the boys, but I found out once we got on there real quick,” Nylander said. “It was a surreal experience, it was lots of fun to go there and to see it in person.”

The four golf together frequently, with Muzzin the best of the group. Kapanen had three birdies at Augusta, and Andersen birdied No. 12, the par-three Golden Bell — the shortest hole on the course but one that frequently flummoxes the best golfers in the world with water and sand hazards protecting a small green.

“The birdie on 12 was probably my highlight,” Andersen said. “I think the group that went will probably be pretty obnoxious to watch the Masters with. Those are definitely some fun memories. Just the whole experience. Seeing how pristine the whole course is. At this time of year even, that was pretty, pretty amazing.”

After Augusta, Andersen was off to St. Louis to represent the Leafs with Auston Matthews and Mitch Marner. It was Andersen’s first all-star performance.

“Most of the time we were just hanging around the guys and spending time in between the different events,” he said. “Just a chatting a little bit, getting to know guys that we haven’t spent much time with before or met before ... I think that those are all cool experiences to look back to.”

The Friday skills contest and the Saturday 3-on-3 tournament might have been beneficial, keeping Andersen active and ready for Monday’s return against Nashville.

“I think it was good,” he said. “I took it for what it was worth. The all-star game is not really too friendly for goalies and I just tried to come in with the mindset of trying to make saves and battle. The second game, I started to feel more comfortable and was just enjoying being out there against some of the best guys in the league.”

Leafs veteran Jason Spezza thinks the all-star appearance was good for Andersen in another way.

“I think it’s great for a player to be amongst the elite of the league,” Spezza said. “It can only give you confidence. It sometimes can be a tiring weekend in the sense that they make you do a lot, but I think the energy you get from being around the best and knowing that you’re in that same category can go a long way ... 1173748 Toronto Maple Leafs LENNY AND THE LEAFS There was a special guest outside the Leafs room on Wednesday

exchanging greetings with the players — former Streetsville Can the Maple Leafs bring road magic home? Derbys/NCAA sniper Lenny Pereira. The 48-year-old Toronto-born owner of a Houston valve company is stricken with ALS and wanted to see his favourite team. The morning meeting was set up through former Buffalo Bandits lacrosse player Neil Doddridge, who once played with Leafs Lance Hornby president Brendan Shanahan’s brother Brian. Perreira and several family January 30, 2020 5:33 PM EST members in Leafs sweaters spoke to Marner and other players.

LOOSE LEAFS

DALLAS — Leading the NHL in road goals, perhaps the Maple Leafs Hyman on Nylander’s success: “He’s scoring, but he’s scoring dirty, in thought another night out of town would mean sweet dreams of front of the net. That’s why he has (24)” … Complimented on kicking the sustaining that scoring at home. puck on to his stick to beat Ben Bishop in the Dallas game, Nylander credited his prowess in the team’s two-touch soccer ball warmup … Actually, the rare decision to extend their stay here after a win over the That was about the most satisfying empty-netter Johnsson will get, his Stars on Wednesday night was made in part by the team’s sports first goal since Nov. 27 before breaking his foot and struggling upon his science experts to ease back to Eastern time after four days in the return. His first assist since Nov. 30 came from hitting the post and the Central and take advantage of no practice on Friday. With the Dallas puck going right back to Tyson Barrie. “I feel like I’ve been creating a lot result getting them to 100 goals in 26 out-of-town games — and a team lately, but the points haven’t come my way,” Johnsson said. “Stay patient record four or more in eight straight road contests — now it’s incumbent and now there’s some lucky bounces” … After a week of practising with on the Leafs to keep it rolling at Scotiabank Arena where they’re a game the Leafs, forward Tyler Gaudet has been returned to the Marlies who below .500 ahead of five of the next seven wearing dark blue. start a long homestand Friday night against Charlotte.

“You just keep building,” said winger Zach Hyman. “You come off the all- star break with two wins (after one in their previous six), now you have to bring the momentum home.” Toronto Sun LOADED: 01.31.2020

Auston Matthews noted that the Leafs did show their grind side this week in Nashville and Dallas, surviving a late penalty on Wednesday and three own-zone draws with the Stars net empty.

“I guess it’s practice,” Matthews said. “There have been times this season, and in my four years here, that we haven’t been good closing out games and have given up leads. But these last two, in tough buildings and tough atmospheres, we’ve been able to pull it out. Heading to the third with a lead, you want to play smart.”

Matthews said that while the Leafs don’t have a dual personality while in travel mode, they hve saved many of their clunkers for Bay St., where they have just two wins in seven games since Christmas. February’s list starts with the seventh-place Ottawa Senators and a few like-minded teams in wild-card position or just outside the pack.

“All of these games matter, Western Conference or our division, the points add up,” he said.

ZACH ATTACK

Though Matthews reached 36 goals on Wednesday, William Nylander struck for the fifth straight game and Mitch Marner led all forwards with 21:51 of ice time and two slick assists, coach Sheldon Keefe singled out the goal and grunt work of Hyman.

“We’ve come to expect that from him,” he said. “But when the game was on the line, he was battling, pressuring the puck, creating turnovers, taking away any sort of time they might have to create anything.”

John Tavares also won two of those late-game nail-biter draws.

“I was tempted to leave him out there,” Keefe said of switching him with Matthews for the last faceoff with 9.5 seconds to go. “But I just thought we could get an advantage with fresh legs, given they were riding the same guys.”

“I know I didn’t win mine,” laughed Matthews. “But (Andreas Johnsson) got a really good jump off the draw (for an empty netter).”

BACK TO THE FUTURE

Stars’ interim boss Rick Bowness is in an exclusive group of NHL coaches who’ve worked in five different decades. He was asked in jest where analytics fit in during his first head-coaching stint in 1988-89 with the original Winnipeg Jets.

“We probably didn’t even have video then,” the 64-year-old said. “No one to tell us what a bad job we were doing, it was all based on the end result. Now, you can win a game and still be criticized because your analytics aren’t right. But that’s all right, that’s coaching in this era.

“There’s a lot more involved now, a lot more video. You have to spend a lot more time with your players one-on-one. But I’ve always enjoyed that.” 1173749 Toronto Maple Leafs two goals, but the Leafs gave Ceci the game MVP basketball for his wider body of defensive work.

“Getting wins like this on the road, a late penalty kill (Jason Spezza Maple Leafs set team goal-scoring road record in win over Stars sweating the minor) their goalie’s out for a long period of time, those are tough, tough sequences,” Keefe said. “You’re relying on a small number of guys to get that done. The guys just found a way.”

Lance Hornby Frederik Andersen made 31 saves, while John Tavares won two of his eight draws in the final minute with Ben Bishop on the Stars bench. January 29, 2020 11:48 PM EST Toronto, a game below .500 at SBA, stayed over in Dallas on the advice

of their sports science team to have a better sleep pattern before taking DALLAS — The four-score Maple Leafs love being on the road again Friday off ahead of facing Ottawa at home Saturday. more than Willie Nelson.

With the kind of offensive fireworks that contravene traditional caution in Toronto Sun LOADED: 01.31.2020 away games, they’ve now set a club record with eight straight road contests with at least four goals, excluding shootouts. They beat the Dallas, the NHL’s stingiest goals-against team to break it on Wednesday, 5-3, to sweep a two-game southern swing.

The 2016-17 Chicago Blackhawks were the last club to get the 4/8 split while the ’86-87 Edmonton Oilers have the league mark of 13 victories with four-plus goals according to NHL Stats.

“We’ve definitely been starting strong on the road, you score the first, you more often than not win,” said Zach Hyman. “I don’t think you change home or road, you have to play consistent, play your style. We’re an up- tempo, high paced team so we have to stick to our strengths. Make sure while we’re doing that, we’re picking our spots.”

The two hottest Leafs scored, Auston Matthews with his 36th as he battles David Boston’s Pastrnak among others for the league lead, while William Nylander made it five games in a row with a goal, one off Matthews’ team high of last season.

But it was a 200-foot tic-tac-toe tally that defined the evening for Toronto at American Airlines Center.

In the second period from behind his own net, defenceman Travis Dermott surveyed the landscape and spotted Matthews hanging around centre. Matthews knocked down the stretch pass with an eye to Mitch Marner coming through neutral ice, Marner delivering a blind backhand pass to an open Hyman.

“Just a beautiful hockey goal,” said Nylander of his prime view on the bench. “We were all just smiling watching that.

“We need to keep doing that on the road. We’re chasing in the standings, pushing for a playoff spot (still not there after their pre-break slump), so we have to be sharp every game.”

Hyman said he was “screaming” for the puck, not sure if Marner would hear him.

“I had speed and saw their D was a little further back on me,” Marner said. “Mats got his chip to me and I saw Hymie busting in with gap on whoever was on his back. Great goal.”

Marner also set up Matthews’ game opener, but the Leafs still needed Tyson Barrie to keep them up by two midway through, a goal where Andreas Johnsson and Kasperi Kapanen collected some badly needed points. Johnsson had been quiet since an assist Nov. 30, prior to breaking his foot. He added an empty netter, while Barrie now has a four- game points streak.

Johnsson and Kapanen are seen as potential trade bait to get help on defence or goaltending depth. As the Leafs finished January with a record of 5-3-2 and the Feb. 24 trade deadline loomed, a league exec told Sportsnet’s Elliotte Friedman the Leafs are actively pursuing a right handed defenceman on many fronts. One name being heard around the league, with the Minnesota Wild possibly dropping out of the playoff race, is Mathew Dumba, despite having a full three years’ salary still on the books.

Despite the Stars holding the hot Tampa Bay Lighting to two goals on Monday, the Leafs managed to thwart them a couple of times by cutting off breakouts and out-numbering them in their own end. Yet coach Sheldon Keefe didn’t see enough cycle time behind the Dallas defence for his liking and there were coverage problems that resulted in Denis Gurianov and Alexander Radulov open for goals. Rasmus Sandin was out-hustled to a puck and Cody Ceci lost Radulov on one of the latter’s 1173750 Toronto Maple Leafs “He’s salt of the earth, cares abut his teammates, loves the game, shoulders a lot of the load and pressure here,” Spezza said of Benn. “We had a nice bond from day one. We talk on the phone, but it’s not the same when you can sit down and enjoy a few laughs. This was one of Maple Leafs Snapshots: Ring's the thing for Rick Bowness those time you don’t want dinner to end.

“Winning playoff rounds bonds your team and we had a year (2015-16) where we led the Western Conference in wins and were scoring lots of Lance Hornby goals. That was a fun year. Seeing Benny win the scoring race was January 29, 2020 8:54 PM EST pretty cool, the year we were out of the playoffs (but) it gave us something to motivate us.”

RAZZ UP DALLAS — Rick Bowness began his morning media briefing with a trivia question — who was the last Maple Leaf to lead the NHL in scoring The last time Rasmus Sandin had his name announced at AAC was a points? year and half ago, called to the podium as the Leafs’ late first-round draft pick. When a visiting scribe correctly named Gordie Drillon, the Stars interim coach then showed off Drillon’s 1938 NHL all-star team gold ring he “That was an unreal experience, the first step to the NHL,” Sandin planned to wear behind the bench Wednesday night. It had been given to remembered. “I couldn’t be happier Toronto took me. I wanted to get to Bowness’ late father, Bob, by Drillon to mark their friendship as players the NHL as soon as possible and now, I want to try and get better.” back in their home province of New Brunswick, Bob for a Canadiens’ Sandin recalled his more humble entrance to AAC last time, through a organization so stacked at the top level he never played an NHL game. spectator gate with his parents and not on a VIP bus. He’s just getting “I don’t wear it very often,” the Moncton-born Bowness said as he took it around to answering the flood of texts and e-mails about his first NHL off to display for cameras. “We always spent a lot of time with Gordie goal on Monday. Among the most touching, a congratulatory message when I was a kid.” from a couple of his old grade school teachers in Sweden. The puck itself is headed to “someplace nice” in his home back there. Drillon’s feat goes so far back that the had not yet been named and cast for the league’s top scorer. Drillon had 26 goals and 52 LOOSE LEAFS points that year and was a two-time all-star right winger. Polak sounded sad that old coach Mike Babcock had been fired in The chances of a Leaf winning the Ross are greatly increased with Toronto, saying they had a great relationship. “Of course you have Auston Matthews and Mitch Marner around. Before Wednesday’s game problems, but you have problems with every other coach. I had (give and Toronto had put together an impressive streak of seven consecutive road take) with him. Maybe that’s what he needed sometimes – feedback” … games with at least four goals, its longest since 1983. The Leafs were Sandin’s season won’t necessarily be over if the Leafs don’t make the about to run right into the buzzsaw of the league’s lowest goals against playoffs or get eliminated early. As long as his name is included on the team, with 122, so the fan in Bowness was excited. Marlies eligible list at the NHL trade deadline, he can go back for any AHL playoff action … Kasperi Kapanen returned after hurting his elbow “Man, I love (the Leafs’) creativity. They’re great on the rush and you can and leaving the game in Nashville. see they’re making an effort to play a more structured game defensively.

“We have great goaltending and when we’re on our game, we don’t give up a lot of chances. Whatever you get from us, you’ll have to earn.” Toronto Sun LOADED: 01.31.2020

ROMAN SOLDIER

Roman Polak forewarned the Leafs he was “going to hit everyone” on his old team and despite the twinkle in his eye delivering the line to reporters, no one doubted him.

“It’s one of those scenarios, you’d love him on your team, but he’s not too fun to play against,” said Matthews. “He’s physical and doesn’t mind giving you a couple of cross checks. I sat next to him in the stalls at the practice rink for a couple of years and got to know him well.”

Approaching age 34, Polak looks as brawny as ever.

“With me, you know what you’re going to get. You’re not signing me to score 10 goals or put up 40 assists. They still like it here, if they didn’t, I’d be gone.

“I’m not getting any younger, but I don’t change much. I train with (younger Czech NHLers) Radek Faska and Ondrej Palat. They push me forward.”

Bowness is certainly grateful to add him to the Stars’ mix, which is mostly defence by counter-attacking speed.

“Roman competes as hard as anyone in the league. You’re going to get banged and hacked and whacked. You’re going to pay a price against him. He’s experienced enough to know when to give a little room and when to take it away.”

A SPEZZA-PALOOZA

It’s a good thing the Leafs came to Dallas a full day early, then planned to stay Wednesday and fly home next morning. It gave Jason Spezza more time to meet a long receiving line of friends and well wishers from his five years as a Star. The team was to show a first-period tribute video.

Spezza and his wife were raising four daughters here and he caught up Tuesday for dinner with close teammate and Dallas captain Jamie Benn. 1173751 Toronto Maple Leafs Coach Sheldon Keefe forecasted no lineup changes for the game after Kasperi Kapanen returned to practice from hurting his elbow in Monday’s win in Nashville. Bowness had to scratch forward Roope Hintz after an injury against the Bolts, replacing him with Justin Dowling, while forward Stars interim coach Rick Bowness hopes lucky ring can help beat Maple Andrew Cogliano is a game-time decision. Leafs

Toronto Sun LOADED: 01.31.2020 Lance Hornby

January 29, 2020 1:30 PM EST

DALLAS — Rick Bowness brought out some old Toronto bling for some reverse luck against the high-scoring Maple Leafs.

The interim coach of the Dallas Stars showed off the 1938 gold NHL all- star ring that belonged to Gordie Drillon, the Leafs’ last scoring champion in 1937-38, a gift to Bowness’s father Bob from when the latter and Drillon were pro hockey pals in Saint John, New Brunswick.

“I don’t wear it very often,” the Moncton-born Bowness said of having it on tonight at American Airlines Center. “We always spent a lot of time with Gordie when I was a kid.”

Drillon’s feat is so far back that the Art Ross Trophy had not yet been cast to give the league’s top scorer. He had 26 goals and 52 points that year and was a two-time all-star right winger.

The chances of a Leaf winning a Ross are greatly increased with Auston Matthews and Mitch Marner around. Toronto has also put together an impressive streak of seven consecutive road games with at least four goals, its longest since 1983. But they’ll run right into the buzzsaw of the league’s best team in terms of goals against, Dallas a league low 122.

“Man, I love (the Leafs’) creativity,” Bowness said. “They’re great on the rush and you can see they’re making an effort to play a more structured game defensively.”

Bowness sees his team applying the same game plan as it did Monday in edging the streaking Tampa Bay Lightning 3-2, which is to think shutdown and get offence from defence.

“We have great goaltending (Ben Bishop plays Wednesday) and when we’re on our game, we don’t give up a lot of chances,” Bowness added. “Whatever you get from us, you’ll have to earn.”

The Stars like to use their speed as a weapon on defence, but employ at least one old-school blueliner in former Leaf Roman Polak.

“Roman competes as hard as anyone in the league,” said Bowness. “You’re going to get banged and hacked and whacked. You’re going to pay a price against him. He’s experienced enough to know when to give a little room and when to take it away.”

This will be an emotional evening for Leafs forward Jason Spezza, his first game back here since signing with his hometown team. Spezza spent five seasons in Dallas where he and his wife were raising four daughters. He dined with close teammate Jamie Benn Tuesday evening and the club had a video tribute planned in the first period.

“Winning playoff rounds bonds you and we had a year (2015-16) where we led the Western Conference in wins and were scoring lots of goals,” Spezza said. “That was a fun year. Seeing Benny win the scoring race was pretty cool, the year we were out of the playoffs at the end (but) it gave us something to motivate us.”

Spezza looked forward to the video.

“It never hurts seeing yourself score goals when you’re playing a game,” he quipped.

Rookie defenceman Rasmus Sandin comes back to the AAC a year and a half after being called to the podium as the Leafs’ late first-round draft pick. On Monday in Nashville he scored his first NHL goal. He recalled taking the pedestrian entrance to the AAC with his family, not the VIP gate.

“That was an unreal experience, the first step to the NHL,” Sandin remembered of the draft. “I couldn’t be happier Toronto took me. I wanted to get to the NHL as soon as possible and now, try and get better.” 1173752 Toronto Maple Leafs but I would make the argument that more should go into player evaluation, especially when we’re assessing defencemen.

What’s interesting is that since Keefe took over behind the bench, Tyson Barrie has flaws, but here’s a blueprint for how the Maple Leafs Barrie’s numbers have been excellent at 5-on-5. The Leafs have can maximize his talents and their blue line dominated the run of play when he’s on the ice, controlling 53 percent of the shots, 54 percent of the scoring chances, and 64 percent of the goals at even strength. Any measurement you use tells the same story: he’s been crushing it since Nov. 20. By Ian Tulloch So why does my “eye-test” hate him so much? Jan 30, 2020 85 Whenever my eyes strongly disagree with the numbers on a player, it

forces me to take a step back and ask some questions. What could my There aren’t too many players in the NHL more confounding than Tyson eyes be missing? Am I biased in the way I’m evaluating things? What’s Barrie. When the Leafs acquired him this past summer, I took a deep the context of those numbers, and what could they be missing? dive into his play over the past few seasons. Unsurprisingly, it was a Each of those are valid questions. So let’s address some of them. mixed bag. He’s always been a player whose game-breaking talent is obvious when you see him handle the puck, but his shortcomings Barrie has been playing most of his minutes on more of a sheltered defensively make you wonder how much value he’s actually providing to second pairing, with Justin Holl assuming the more difficult minutes at his team when he’s on the ice. even strength. It’s clear that NHL head coaches don’t trust Barrie to take tougher assignments, especially late in games when the team is We’ll try our best to tackle the latter topic today. But let’s start with the protecting a lead. When you watch him fail to take away a passing lane elephant in the room. off the rush or get lost in defensive zone coverage, it’s easy to Things did not work under Mike Babcock understand why. He’s flat-out bad defensively.

Barrie’s first month and a half as a Maple Leaf was an unmitigated With this in mind, I think it’s important to remember that Barrie is being disaster. He started off strong in his first game, making that spin-o-rama sheltered at even strength in a way that I don’t think we’ve figured out play in the offensive zone before setting up Ilya Mikheyev with a beautiful how to fully account for mathematically. We have these awesome assist. But things went downhill pretty quickly from there. Over the next regression models from brilliant minds such as the EvolvingWild twins or few weeks, it was noticeable just how little he was involved with the play Micah Blake McCurdy that do a great job of adjusting for context using when the Leafs had the puck, which is the opposite of what most fans the publicly available data. But I still think we’re falling a bit short when it expected. In Colorado, he was essentially a fourth forward, playing as a comes to measuring the difficulty of tough usage. “rover” who would jump up in the play at every opportunity. This is something I’m starting to realize the more I watch Travis Dermott Babcock clearly wanted him to play a different style, telling Barrie he struggle with higher leverage minutes at the NHL level. It’s a lot different needed to reinvent himself as a player. Shockingly, the 28-year-old NHL going out there against first and second-line forwards than it is against player that always struggled defensively… continued to struggle bottom-six grinders. Keefe has done a good job keeping Barrie away defensively. What made this problematic was the fact that Barrie was from the opposition’s best players at even strength, while playing him now sitting back most of the time, neutralizing his dynamic offensive with Toronto’s top-six talent. Frankly, I think it’s the right way to use him. ability. He was actually Toronto’s least productive defenceman at even You can’t trust Barrie to defend high-end talent off the rush, but if you can strength through the team’s first 23 games under Babcock, ranking dead get him into some more offensive situations with the Auston Matthews or last on the team in points per 60 minutes. John Tavares line, that’s how you get the most out of him.

When you’re playing terrible defence, and generating next to nothing I’d make the argument that this has inflated Barrie’s on-ice numbers. offensively, you’re not helping your team very much. It helps explain why When you’re playing alongside elite talent while facing easier most metrics had Barrie ranked as a below replacement level player. competition, we expect you to outplay the opposition. It’s part of the Frankly, that matched the eye test, too. He was terrible to start the reason a lot of the catch-all metrics such as Expected WAR (xWAR) or season. Isolated Threat still don’t see him as a net positive at even strength this season. But Barrie has been producing under Sheldon Keefe The frustrating part with Barrie is that his decision-making can drive us a We’re going to address some of the frustrating components of Barrie’s bit nuts at times. It feels like he can’t get a point shot through traffic these game, but it’s an indisputable fact that he has been producing offensively days, especially on the power play. But when you compare him to other since the coaching change. With Keefe’s system emphasizing the defencemen around the league, his “shots through” numbers actually importance of defencemen activating in the play, Barrie has been getting aren’t that bad. This makes me wonder if maybe it’s the timing of his significantly more touches, especially lower in the offensive zone where blocked shots that bother us more than anything. After all, there’s a he can create more dangerous chances. The end result is what we were difference between firing a bomb into an opponent’s shin-pad vs. getting hoping for when the Leafs traded for him: elite offensive production. the puck through and having it hit a body at the last moment in front of the crease. After watching Rasmus Sandin calmly walk the line and make Now, I’ve never loved using points to evaluate defenceman. With rovers composed decisions with the puck, it’s something most Leafs fans would like Barrie, I find that their high point totals is often a product of being love to see Barrie do more often. more involved in the offence, even if that involvement isn’t improving the team’s overall offensive play. It’s part of the reason why I’ve always With that being said, it’s hard to complain too much about a power play preferred looking at the shot differential and scoring chance differential that’s ranked first in the NHL by a country mile since Keefe put Barrie on when a defenceman is on the ice. If they’re making the right plays the top unit. throughout the course of a game, they should be tilting the ice in their team’s favour. Historically throughout his career, Barrie hasn’t Now, much like the on-ice numbers at even strength, we have to ask accomplished that, which is why I’ve always been skeptical of his elite ourselves how much of this success is because of Barrie compared to point production. the elite talents on the ice with him. Most of it comes down to having four incredibly skilled forwards zipping the puck around, but we have to give The other side of the argument is that we stats nerds have gone too far Barrie some credit for being a part of the best power play in the NHL over the other way with this “points don’t matter” nonsense. Dom Luszczyszyn the past two months. His point shots might drive us insane, especially had a great section in his 16 Stats column that looked into this. He found when they don’t get through traffic, but he’s a much more dangerous that when you compare players with similar on-ice value in a metric like threat from there than Rielly, who the Bruins essentially ignored on the Wins Above Replacement (WAR), the guys who produced more points point in each of Toronto’s last two playoff rounds. tended to provide more value in the future. When you have a shot with this kind of power, teams aren’t going to This suggests that point production can be a good indicator of talent, leave you wide open from distance. even if it’s a bit noisy from year-to-year due to drastic swings in shooting percentage – just look at Morgan Rielly’s 20 goal season in 2018-19. There’s a spacing element to Barrie’s game that we have to take into That doesn’t mean points are necessarily a bad way to measure offence, account, and it definitely matters. He’s a player opposing teams need to account for in the offensive zone, which is what makes the Leafs so difficult to defend when he jumps up in the play.

There’s obviously a risk-reward element to this style of play. When your team needs a goal, he’s exactly the kind of player you want on the ice. Whether or not he’s someone you trust with the game on the line is another question. But if the Leafs keep getting positive results with him on the ice, it’s going to be hard to keep complaining about Barrie’s play, right?

Where does that leave us?

Barrie is a dynamic offensive talent that you can’t really trust to defend, at all. If you’re going to get the most out of him, you need to shelter him from the opponent’s top line, play him alongside some talented linemates, and encourage him to jump up in the play as much as possible.

The difficult part with that assessment is that it also describes Rielly. Personally, I’ve never loved the Rielly-Barrie combination because of how similar both players are. Despite being such strong skaters, neither play a tight gap in transition, which results in them giving up a lot of quality chances off the rush. If those two got caught on the ice against a Marchand-Bergeron-Pastrnak line or Nikita Kucherov and co., I can’t imagine it going very well over the course of a best-of-seven playoff series, especially on the road when you can’t control the matchups as well.

In a perfect world, the Leafs would be able to play their offensive defencemen on separate pairings. The tricky part is that Rielly doesn’t want to play on his off-side and nobody trusts Barrie against tough competition. So what do you do? The solution might have to be a trade. If the Leafs can acquire the right-handed defenceman they’ve been looking for to help solidify things defensively beside Rielly in the top four, it would allow the team to run pairings that look something like this:

Muzzin-Holl

Rielly-newly acquired RD

Sandin/Dermott-Barrie

The hard part is if you’re adding a legitimate piece to Toronto’s blue line, somebody is going to be the odd-man-out, whether it’s Rasmus Sandin, Travis Dermott, or the big-name Toronto got back in the Nazem Kadri trade. With that in mind, if the Leafs are going to make a move on the back-end, it probably needs to be a significant one. They aren’t interested in giving up another first-round pick or one of their top-end prospects, so that would mean Kasperi Kapanen or Andreas Johnsson would have to be the main piece in the deal.

We’ve heard rumours around names such as Matt Dumba, and Josh Manson, not to mention some underrated defenders such as Brendan Dillon and Dylan Demelo. Personally, those last two don’t move the needle enough for me, while the concerns around Dumba’s game are eerily similar to Barrie’s. If the Leafs are going to make a splash similar to what they did last year in acquiring Muzzin, I’d make the argument that Manson should be at the top of their list. He plays a heavy game, shuts things down against the rush and the cycle, not to mention the fact that he’s on a great contract ($4.1 million) until 2021-22.

There are a bunch of different scenarios we could create to make this work for Toronto, including Leafs Twitter’s fantasy of pulling the plug on the Tyson Barrie experiment by recouping assets by flipping him at the deadline and using those to supplement a trade package for a quality right-handed defenceman with term. In reality, I think the most likely scenario is that Barrie plays out the rest of the season in Toronto with PP1 duties and sheltered offensive minutes before letting him walk in free agency.

As we discussed, that’s how you get the most out of him. He’s perfectly adept in that role. The question is whether or not the team can find someone to take on a tougher role than Barrie at even strength, with a stronger 200-foot impact on the game.

Frankly, I think it’s a fair question.

The Athletic LOADED: 01.31.2020 1173753 Vegas Golden Knights “The back half of the year, last 30 games, it goes by quick,” center Paul Stastny said. “You can’t lay an egg on any game. Every team you’re playing is basically on the bubble or playing for a playoff spot, whether it’s in one conference or the other. And if they’re not, then you’re playing Class in session as Golden Knights return from bye teams that have nothing to lose and they’re sometimes harder to play, too.”

By Ben Gotz Las Vegas Review-Journal LAS VEGAS REVIEW JOURNAL LOADED: 01.31.2020 January 30, 2020 - 8:18 PM

Updated January 30, 2020 - 8:29 PM

RALEIGH, N.C. — The Golden Knights, like so many surprised students throughout the years, returned from break to find a pile of homework waiting for them.

The Knights weren’t leisurely put through the motions in their first practice back from their bye week. Instead, they were put to the test Thursday at PNC Arena.

The longer-than-usual practice featured plenty of whiteboard time, as coach Peter DeBoer continued to impart his systems and philosophies to his rested pupils. There was a lot of instructing, learning and questioning as the Knights make changes on the fly to rescue a season that has been a disappointment.

There’s urgency to make them stick quickly. The team knows it already has dug a hole, and it’s not eager to fall further behind during its four- game trip, which starts Friday against the Carolina Hurricanes.

“It’s a sprint to the finish,” defenseman Nate Schmidt said. “We’re all-in here until the end of the year because teams are around us (in the standings). They’re playing, they’re winning, and you got to keep pace and you got to try and separate yourself by stringing together some games.”

Thursday’s practice emphasized several things the Knights want to clean up in their final 30 games.

Breakouts were rehearsed. Special teams were harped on. And the team even worked on how each skater should position himself in the defensive zone to create the structure DeBoer is seeking.

The coach laid the foundation for how he wants the Knights to play in his brief prebye practice time, but he wasn’t sure how much the players retained after being dismissed following a Jan. 21 game against the Boston Bruins. So it was back to the whiteboard Thursday.

The team gathered to hear DeBoer or new assistant Steve Spott speak there seven times during practice.

“We actually did a lot of teaching prior to the break, but you give these guys a day off and they start to forget,” DeBoer said. “You give them 10 days off, and I’m not sure they remember who I am. So we had to start over again.”

DeBoer admitted there’s a “fine line” he’s trying to walk regarding system changes. He wants to make tweaks he thinks will help while also not overloading his players with information.

That balance is even more complicated because of the Knights’ predicament. Their time for growing pains is long past. The team is five points out of first in the Pacific Division and clinging to a wild-card spot entering play Thursday.

The Winnipeg Jets, Chicago Blackhawks, Nashville Predators and Minnesota Wild are on the Knights’ heels. Any slip-up while reforging their identity could cause a fall from the playoff picture.

But DeBoer also knows he wasn’t hired to keep things static.

“The reality is, through 50 games, our game isn’t good enough,” DeBoer said. “We’re a bubble team. So we’ve got to change some things and add some things.”

Thursday was a step toward that, and the Knights will continue learning under DeBoer’s direction. Their hope is it leads to more victories as they aim for their third playoff berth in three seasons.

It won’t be easy. The remaining schedule is the ninth hardest in the NHL by points percentage, according to NHL.com. 1173754 Vegas Golden Knights

Golden Knights’ William Karlsson, Cody Glass still sidelined

By Ben Gotz Las Vegas Review-Journal

January 30, 2020 - 6:43 PM

Updated January 30, 2020 - 6:49 PM

RALEIGH, N.C. — The Golden Knights will begin their sprint to the end of the regular season short-handed.

Center William Karlsson and center/right wing Cody Glass are still not ready to play coming out of the team’s bye week, but coach Peter DeBoer said both are “progressing.”

DeBoer said Karlsson, who has missed the past three games with an upper-body injury, and Glass, who has been out since Jan. 4 with a lower-body injury, are more “day to day, game to game than week to week.”

“Looks like they’re closer,” DeBoer said. “That’s a good thing.”

The two were not with the rest of the team practicing Thursday at PNC Arena, but DeBoer said both will join the Knights’ four-game trip “at some point.”

Karlsson is the team’s fourth-leading scorer with 34 points (10 goals, 24 assists). Glass has 12 points (five goals, seven assists) in his rookie season.

Spott suits up

Thursday was the first practice for new Knights assistant coach Steve Spott.

Spott, who has been with DeBoer at multiple stops, gave a lot of instruction on special teams and spent time with the defensemen by a whiteboard as practice wound down.

“He knows what I want, how to teach what I want seamlessly without me waiting to instruct him,” DeBoer said. “It’s another voice to get to the players. In the situation we’re in, coming in the middle of the season like this, it’s great to have another voice like that that’s out there working with guys.”

Roy, Dansk called up

The Knights recalled center Nicolas Roy and goaltender Oscar Dansk from the American Hockey League after Thursday’s practice.

Roy has five points (two goals, three assists) in 14 games as a rookie. He played in the team’s final three games before the bye.

Dansk has appeared in one game this season: The Knights’ 6-2 road loss to the Philadelphia Flyers on Oct. 21. His addition gives the team a second goaltender for Friday’s game against the Carolina Hurricanes.

Starter Marc-Andre Fleury will serve his one-game suspension for missing the All-Star Game.

Thursday was the Hurricanes’ first practice after their bye, too. Afterward, coach Rod Brind’Amour shared his thoughts on former Los Angeles Lakers superstar Kobe Bryant, who died Sunday in a helicopter crash.

“We got to take every day, make every day count,” Brind’Amour said. “You just don’t know. None of us do. That puts that home. It’s obviously a tragedy. I think a lot of people have talked about they’re now looking at their lives differently maybe because it can happen to him or his family. It can happen to any of us. Make sure you tell people around you that you love them. That seems to be the common theme on that.”

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Ex-Golden Knights coach Gerard Gallant subject of Twitter hoax

By David Schoen Las Vegas Review-Journal

January 30, 2020 - 5:26 PM

Gerard Gallant was the subject of a Twitter hoax Thursday that falsely reported the former Golden Knights coach was hired for the head position in New Jersey.

His agent, Neil Glasberg, released a statement on social media that extinguished the report, which came from a fake account and not the Devils’ official Twitter handle.

Gallant could not be reached through Glasberg on Thursday, though he granted an interview to The Athletic and briefly returned to Las Vegas to take care of personal business.

Gallant told the website he’s looking forward to coaching again and received an outpouring of support after he was fired by the Knights on Jan. 15 after 2½ seasons.

“I thought we were having a pretty good year and then had a four-game losing streak and I was caught off guard,” Gallant told The Athletic. “I understand the business. We want to win, we have a good team. But I just thought it was a little early. That’s all. But the players sent some really positive comments for me. They felt bad.’’

Gallant remains under contract with the Knights through next season and said he spent most of the past two weeks with his grandchildren in Moncton, New Brunswick.

He was selected to coach the Pacific Division team at the All-Star Game, but said he didn’t feel comfortable and decided against attending the event in St. Louis last week.

Gallant also noted that he and DeBoer spoke about their postseason war of words, which peaked when Gallant called the former San Jose coach a “clown.” DeBoer said during his introductory news conference with the Knights that he and Gallant spoke at the start of the regular season, when the rivals opened with a home-and-home.

“We haven’t talked (since DeBoer was hired), but you know what, over that whole clown incident and all that in the playoffs. He’s a competitive guy, I’m a competitive guy,” Gallant told The Athletic. “We talked after one of the games about that. We both apologized and said, ‘Let’s move on.’ He’s a solid guy, good person. I wish him nothing but the best.’’

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Theodore, Holden turning into Golden Knights best defensive pair

By Justin Emerson

Thursday, Jan. 30, 2020 | 2 a.m.

A change to the Golden Knights player rotation last month has produced immediate results.

In the 11 games since Shea Theodore and Nick Holden have been paired together, the two have statistically become one of the best defensive pairs in the NHL.

In 191 minutes of 5-on-5 ice time together, Theodore and Holden control 59.1% of the shot attempts (Corsi), the best of any Golden Knights pair and third-best in the league. They also have a 60.4 expected-goals percentage, 13th-best in the NHL. They only played together 12% of the time last season, but clearly didn’t lack chemistry with each other.

“I definitely notice how well we play,” Theodore said. “I feel like we’re pretty good at our D-zone exits and we do play in the offensive zone I feel a lot more. I guess to hear some stats like that really backs it up.”

Theodore, 24, has been the driving force on the blue line all season. Of the Golden Knights nine combinations of defensemen that have spent at least 100 minutes together, Theodore is part of three of the top four pairs by expected goals and four of the top five in Corsi percentage.

He has 19 points in 18 games since Dec. 13, putting him on a 49-point pace for the season that would beat his previous career-best by 11 points. He already has a trio of three-point games this season, something he had only done twice in his previous four seasons combined.

“He’s one of those guys where you don’t appreciate how good he is until you get behind the bench and watch him play every night,” Vegas coach Peter DeBoer said. “He’s an elite-level defenseman. You always knew he was good, but he’s very good.”

But let’s not forget about Holden. The 32-year-old had a disappointing first season with the Golden Knights last year, starting slow and never finding a groove where he was comfortable. He was healthy-scratched in the final six games of the playoff series with San Jose.

He started the season well and has seen his possession numbers skyrocket since playing on Theodore’s left. They appear to have good rhythm, with Holden taking extra care to cover the point when Theodore joins the rush.

Although Holden doesn’t have a point since he was paired with Theodore, that’s not what he’s going for.

“We’ve been able to talk to each other and start reading off each right away and been able to generate some offense,” Holden said. “As soon as we started pairing together we wanted to make sure that we were being aggressive and supporting each other, so if he’s pinching I’m right behind him getting pucks that are being chipped out or vice-versa. Our style complements each other, I guess. I don’t know what it is.”

DeBoer favors a system where he leans on his defensemen. After averaging 21:47 of ice time in the first 49 games of the year, Theodore is up to 24:33 in three games under DeBoer, including a career-high 28:43 on Jan. 18 in Montreal. Ditto for Nick Holden, who has jumped from 19:00 to 21:15 in the last three games.

“I thought those guys have played really well,” DeBoer said. “Good pair.”

LAS VEGAS SUN LOADED: 01.31.2020 1173757 Vegas Golden Knights Before the league named Arizona’s Rick Tocchet as his replacement as Pacific Division All-Star coach, there was a brief moment when Gallant wondered why not still go and coach, despite the firing? Which, by the way, would have been tremendous. LeBrun: Gerard Gallant on shock of being fired, biggest change in the league and why he’s in no rush to coach “I wasn’t good enough as a player to go to the All-Star Game and this would have been my third one as a coach and I was really looking forward to it,” Gallant said. “I’m proud to be with the best players and the best people at the All-Star Game. Did I want to go? Yes, I did. But in the By Pierre LeBrun end, I didn’t feel comfortable going. It was tough. But trust me, I wanted Jan 30, 2020 to go. I talked to someone at the league, we thought about it for a few hours, and I called him back and said, `You know what? I think the best thing is for me not to be there.’’’

Gerard Gallant stepped off the plane late on Wednesday night in Las In the meantime, much has been made of Gallant’s replacement in Vegas as recent memories filled with emotion washed over him again. Vegas, given the emotional playoff series with San Jose last spring and the heated exchange during that round between both coaches. Gallant It’s been just over two weeks since the league’s most shocking coaching said he hasn’t heard from DeBoer since the coaching change but that dismissal of the year, which hit Gallant like a Ram truck. he’s good with it. “The last four to five days have been a lot better,” Gallant told The “We haven’t talked but you know what, over that whole clown incident Athletic over the phone on Thursday. “I’m looking forward. It was and all that in the playoffs. He’s a competitive guy, I’m a competitive obviously a tough day when that happened. But I’m looking to move on guy,” Gallant said. “We talked after one of the games about that. We both and see what the next thing is. Hopefully, there’s something else down apologized and said `let’s move on.’ He’s a solid guy, good person. I wish the road here. Whenever that is, I don’t know.’’ him nothing but the best.’’ We will address what’s next for Gallant in more detail soon, but I should So what’s next? Gallant has no idea at this point. stress that there shouldn’t be a shortage of options for one of the NHL’s most respected coaches. From my perspective, there are some obvious possibilities:

Gallant is back in Las Vegas to tie up some loose ends. And wouldn’t you Seattle expansion know it, he ran into a Golden Knights player at the airport, Jonathan Marchessault. I mean, too perfect, right? The only problem is that the league’s 32nd team doesn’t drop the puck for another year and a half. But then again, Gallant’s phone, no surprise, was deluged with messages from his now- Gallant is under contract for that length of time. If I were Seattle and I former players after the firing Jan. 16. decided I wanted Gallant, I would approach Vegas this summer about maybe splitting the cost for the rest of that contract. “Most guys sent texts and a few guys called. It was tough,” Gallant said. “They had a lot of good things to say. I’m a players’ coach. I had a great Detroit Red Wings relationship with my players for over two and a half years. I think they were as surprised as I was surprised that day. They felt bad. `Sorry Turk That was the team most people jumped on right away because of we didn’t do enough for you,’ that type of stuff. I thought we were having Gallant’s history with the Wings and his relationship with former a pretty good year and then had a four-game losing streak and I was teammate Steve Yzerman. Current Wings coach Jeff Blashill (who I think caught off guard. I understand the business. We want to win, we have a is a really good coach) has a team option on his contract after this good team. But I just thought it was a little early. That’s all. But the season. players sent some really positive comments for me. They felt bad.’’ Dallas Stars Gallant is still under contract through next season with Vegas, which Speaking of former teammates, Stars GM Jim Nill was rumored to have affords him time to wait carefully for the next opportunity. almost hired Gallant three years ago before Ken Hitchcock got the job. “I’ve had some great time spent with my grandkids in Moncton, New Rick Bowness is the interim coach for the rest of the season in Dallas. If Brunswick, the last two weeks and it was awesome,” the native of the Stars have a playoff run, maybe it becomes a permanent gig for Summerside, P.E.I. said.“I feel pretty good about myself right now. I feel Bowness, but the situation in Dallas remains in flux. positive and I’m trying to move forward.’’ Calgary Flames And he knows he’s not alone. Imagine a season in which highly regarded Geoff Ward has done a bang-up job since taking over for Bill Peters. But veteran coaches such as himself, Peter Laviolette, Peter DeBoer and he is currently the interim coach in title. Could Ward get the full-time gig? Mike Babcock all get handed a pink slip. That’s just crazy. It’s a tough It’s certainly possible. But for now, that’s another team you would have to environment these days for NHL coaches. monitor coaching-wise. “It’s too bad, it’s the way the business is right now,” Gallant said. “You And for a coach as respected as Gallant is around the league, more come in there as a coach and you put your heart and soul into a team. opportunities will surely present themselves. Like they say, they can’t fire 23 players so a lot of times it’s the coach. I guess we shouldn’t take it personally because it happens every day in But Gallant hates talking about any of that. He says it’s not fair to the our business. And there are seven pretty good coaches that got fired this coaches still in those jobs. He doesn’t like it when those rumors start and year. But the league is so competitive, from the worst team to the best coaches are still in place. team, anybody can beat anybody any given night. That’s the biggest thing that’s changed with our league, you know? It’s no excuse for “Pierre, to be totally, totally honest with you, I just haven’t thought about anybody but there are very few teams who don’t have a chance to make anything like that yet,” Gallant said of his next gig. “You know, it’s been the playoffs. Very few. It’s a battle every night.’’ two weeks, and I haven’t heard from anybody. Any team would have to go through Vegas first with me still being under contract. But I haven’t It’s exactly what I talked about with Laviolette after his firing in Nashville, heard a word. And really, for two weeks, I’m glad I didn’t hear anything. I the parity of the NHL and the expectations and the increased pressure on was upset, I was disappointed. I wouldn’t have been ready to coach a coaches to deliver. team in those two weeks, to be honest, the way I was. I wasn’t in the right frame of mind.’’ “Two weeks ago, we were two points out of the playoffs, two games before that we were in first place and I was picked as the coach to go to And besides, “There’s no rush.’’ the All-Star Game,” Gallant said with a chuckle. “That’s how close our league is. Everybody has pressure, everybody tries to do their job as well He’s taking the time to decompress which is extremely smart. I wish as they can. I had two and a half outstanding years in Vegas. It’s too bad every coach would do that after getting fired. It’s good for your mental it had to end like this, but it’s the way it is. You move on, hopefully health. something better will come.’’ Once the offseason rolls around, he will top many a list. I’d love to see him in Seattle for all kinds of obvious reasons. If you’re Seattle, how could you beat naming the coach who brought the last expansion team to the Stanley Cup final in its first year?

Either way, he won’t be out of a job for too long.

The Athletic LOADED: 01.31.2020 1173758 Washington Capitals them as an example of when things go right players will see more time on the ice.

Conversely, Reirden also hasn’t shied away from sitting players for Capitals Coach Todd Reirden continuing to find ways to push players as extended periods. The most noticeable example was during the Capitals’ competition ramps up game against the Flyers on Jan. 8, when Reirden benched defenseman Nick Jensen after he failed to clear the puck and it resulted in Philadelphia’s first score.

By Samantha Pell As a result of the turnover, Reirden sat Jensen for the remainder of the first period, leaving the Capitals with five defensemen at the coaching January 30, 2020 at 4:44 PM EST staff’s disposal. He finished with 13:04 of ice time. Reirden also has sat players for a couple of shifts after they have taken unnecessary minor penalties; as of Thursday morning, the Capitals led the league in minor Washington Capitals Coach Todd Reirden speaks often about his desire penalties with 193. Next closest were the Carolina Hurricanes with 185. to get the most out of his players. In his second year at the helm, Reirden is known as a planner who, along with his coaching staff, makes sure the “I think it’s challenging,” Dowd said of how the coaching staff continues to league-leading Capitals are always prepared — sometimes maybe even find ways to push players. “I think with some guys, what feels good isn’t overly so. necessarily the right motivation. Sometimes you don’t know exactly what gets you going, and that is the coach’s job, to figure it out.” A part of planning for games is making sure players are — in coach- speak — put in the best spot to be successful. At this point, it is less about making sure players know the ins and outs of the system; that Washington Post LOADED: 01.31.2020 should be established. Now, it’s about keeping the motivation high through the final 31 games of the regular season when the team leads the league in points and sits atop the Metropolitan Division.

For Reirden, this means continuing to learn how to challenge players up and down the lineup. Some still haven’t reached the apex of their abilities, and Reirden is still learning new ways to unlock their potential.

One of Reirden’s favorite parts of All-Star Weekend — other than having wife Shelby and son Travis with him — was getting to talk and mingle with current and former players and coaches to learn new ways to motivate on an individual basis.

Reirden spoke with the three other all-star coaches: Bruce Cassidy of the Boston Bruins, Craig Berube of the St. Louis Blues and Rick Tocchet of the Arizona Coyotes. He also had a chance to interact with Al MacInnis, and Wayne Gretzky.

“Just picked their brains,” Reirden said. “[How to] deal with certain players, more on an individual player basis, how to get more out of certain guys; this is a strategy you used, or this is something that you’ve gone through. And I think it was kind of an open forum for everyone. I sat back, relaxed and enjoyed it, and it was quite a hot stove in the St. Louis Blues’ coaching office.

“[It was] valuable for me as a young coach to continue to grow. And obviously talking to players as well is a good way to learn and try to get some insight to continue to motivate and push players to be as good as they can be."

Reirden has demonstrated a multitude of ways to push some of the newer Capitals. Defenseman Michal Kempny pointed out that Reirden tends to have a good gauge on the mood of the room, changing drills or varying practice to get out of a mundane routine on tough days.

Forward Garnet Hathaway echoed Kempny and said he felt that with Reirden at the helm, along with the other members of the coaching staff, the players feel so well prepared that it serves as motivation to execute their roles. With an understanding of everyone’s responsibility, Hathaway said, the team is “built on motivating each other, and you want to do your part and do it well.” And when the coaching staff does get involved, players know their intentions.

“It’s not a personal attack ever. … It’s always focused on, ‘We need this from you to be the best team,’ and that in itself is a motivation that you get from him and you get from the leaders,” Hathaway said.

Winger Brendan Leipsic said that while each player responds to different techniques, Reirden has been good about using motivators via practice, video and off-ice interactions. Leipsic said veteran players tend to motivate themselves and he tends to Watch video of his shifts on flights with laptops the coaching staff makes available to players.

“Each guy is different,” Leipsic said. “Some guys might need more of a kick in the butt more than others during different points in the season because it is a long season and there are days that you just might not have it and days that you do.”

Center Nic Dowd said Reirden has given the fourth line (which consists of Dowd, Leipsic and Hathaway) more responsibility as the season has gone on, which gives Dowd an extra bit of motivation. Reirden has used 1173759 Washington Capitals

Capitals, Monumental sponsor second future service dog, Scout

By Adam Zielonka - The Washington Times

Thursday, January 30, 2020

Washington Capitals fans by now are familiar with the team’s service- dog-in-training, Captain. Now there’s another new pup to fall head over heels for.

Monumental Sports and Entertainment have taken in a second dog, Scout, who will spend the next 14-16 months around the Capitals, Wizards, Mystics and Monumental staff before it trains to become a service dog.

Teams around the NHL increasingly are sponsoring puppies that will grow up to become guide dogs or service dogs after spending a year or so with the team. The New York Islanders, along with the Capitals, are already working with their second dog.

Like Captain, Scout frequently will attend the Capitals‘ practices and games, but will also be seen at Wizards and Mystics games and practices. Spending time in the often noisy environments and becoming friendly with humans is important for the dogs’ socialization and training.

Monumental is partnered with the nonprofit America’s VetDogs, which provides service dogs to first responders and veterans with disabilities. Monumental CEO and wife Lynn Leonsis donated $50,000 to cover the cost of sponsoring Scout.

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Who are the Capitals at-risk of losing in the Seattle expansion draft?

By J.J. Regan

January 30, 2020 12:56 PM

Expansion drafts don’t happen all that often and that makes them very fun to talk about. We are still over a year away from the Seattle expansion draft in June 2021, but on Tuesday The Athletic published its third mock expansion draft with projections for who each team will protect, who will be left exposed and who ultimately will be selected. Personally, I love the expansion draft and all the intrigue that comes with it so this mock draft is an easy excuse to talk about what the Capitals may do.

Here’s a look at The Athletic’s projection for the Caps:

Protected forwards (7): Alex Ovechkin, Evgeny Kuznetsov, Nicklas Backstrom, , Jakub Vrana, T.J. Oshie, Lars Eller

Protected defensemen (3): John Carlson, Dmitry Orlov, Michal Kempny

Protected goalie (1): Ilya Samsonov

Seattle selects: Braden Holtby

This is all hypothetical so I’m not going to come out and just declare things about this projection as either right or wrong, but there are parts to this that I do not expect to play out as they predict.

First, evidently they are working under the assumption that Washington will re-sign Holtby who is on the last year of his contract. I highly doubt that will happen. I don’t know why the Caps would re-sign Holtby just to lose him for nothing at the expansion draft and I don’t know why Holtby would want to come back to a situation in which he would almost certainly be the No. 2 to Samsonov and just be dangled as expansion draft bait one year later. I just don’t think it makes sense for either side.

As for the protected list, Samsonov is the right (and the only) answer for which goalie to protect. The forward list looks about right, but there is one name to consider: Oshie.

At the time of the expansion draft, Oshie will be 34, and still have another four years left on his deal with a cap hit of $5.75 million. The protected list for forwards as presented in this mock draft makes sense just because, as of now, there is no one else really worth protecting. But if there is another forward the team is deadset on keeping, I don’t think it would be the worst idea in the world to leave Oshie exposed to see if Seattle may possibly try to take that contract.

Defense is the big question mark. Carlson is a given for the protection list. I also would be shocked if Jonas Siegenthaler is not protected. He is already the team leader in shorthanded ice time for a penalty kill that ranks second in the NHL and will be 24 at the time of the expansion draft. I would think he is worth protecting.

That leaves the team with the difficult choice between Orlov and Kempny for the final defenseman to protect. I am not sure who the team would pick in that situation.

Luckily general manager Brian MacLellan still has over a year to decide.

Comcast SportsNet.com LOADED: 01.31.2020 1173761 Washington Capitals One of the goals in the final part of the season can and should be getting Holtby back into form, but a decision also needs to be made over who gives the team the best chance to win on any given night going into the playoffs and, right now, that player certainly appears to be Samsonov. Who will start in goal for the Caps Sunday? Here's why it matters With that in mind, Sunday’s game could be very telling.

With division implications on the line against archrival Pittsburgh and with the postseason starting to draw near, Reirden needs to decide who his By J.J. Regan No. 1 goalie is for when the games really matter. With that in mind, January 30, 2020 10:55 AM whoever starts Sunday’s game against the Penguins will likely indicate just who Reirden views as his No. 1...for now.

ARLINGTON, Va. -- Ilya Samsonov has had a dazzling rookie season thus far with a 15-2-1 record, a .927 save percentage and 2.07 GAA. Comcast SportsNet.com LOADED: 01.31.2020 Between the Capitals’ two goalies, it is inarguable that Samsonov has outplayed incumbent starter Braden Holtby thus far who, after last night’s loss, now has a 19-10-4 record with a .896 save percentage and 3.11 GAA.

Yet, coming out of the all-star break, Todd Reirden immediately went back to Holtby, giving him each of the first two starts suggesting that Holtby remains the team’s No. 1...for now.

Said Reirden after practice on Tuesday, it’s all part of the plan.

“I plan on Braden playing against Nashville and I plan on Samsonov playing against Ottawa,” Reirden said. “That's the plan right now.”

The fact that Samsonov will get the start Friday against the Ottawa Senators will look like a reaction to Holtby’s poor showing in Wednesday’s 5-4 loss, but it actually was what Reirden had planned going into the week.

Despite his stellar play, Samsonov has started only 16 of the Caps’ 51 games. Holtby has started 35. That ratio, however, will almost certainly be much closer down the final stretch of the season.

When asked if Samsonov had earned more starts with his play prior to the all-star break, Reirden said, “That's where I would say things are headed in that direction for sure.”

And that brings us to Sunday.

On Sunday, the Caps will host their archrivals, the Pittsburgh Penguins, in the first matchup between these two teams this season.

Washington currently leads the Metropolitan Division with 73 points. Pittsburgh sits in second with 67. The division will very likely come down to these two teams making Sunday’s game the most important game perhaps of the season thus far.

So who will get the start?

It has been clear since the start of the season that the team has tried to ease Samsonov into the NHL as much as possible and that makes sense. He is only 22 and the most games he has played in a single season is 37. Even with Holtby’s struggles this season, the Caps still sit in first place in the standings so there has not been any real pressure to force Samsonov into more games.

But Sunday’s game matters.

Starting Holtby after the all-star break seemed like a clear indication that Holtby remains the team’s No. 1, but Reirden also said his plan for the goalies is determined on a game-by-game basis.

“Take each day, that's definitely how I do it,” he said, “And we do it as a staff is coming up with what we feel is the right plan and you have a plan going into the week, but we make adjustments given the prior game.”

Holtby had a good game on Monday against Montreal. Wednesday, however, was a poor showing as he gave up five goals on 24 shots. The turning point of the game was an errant pass by Holtby that turned into the shorthanded, game-tying goal from Ryan Johansen.

So what happens if Samsonov is lights out on Friday?

In the first half of the season, the Caps could afford to be patient with Samsonov. There was no reason to force him into more games and it made perfect sense to ease him in. With just 31 games remaining in the regular season, however, and with four games against Pittsburgh on the horizon, we have reached the point in the season where games really start to matter and where a team like Washington, secure in its playoff position, can start thinking about the postseason. 1173762 Washington Capitals Leading 4-3 on a power play in the third period, Washington had a chance to close it out, but after Nashville gifted the Caps two goals, Holtby returned the favor. Off a clear by the Predators, Holtby came out of the net and tried to fire the puck up ice to catch the penalty kill off Braden's blunder, Ovechkin's gimme and two goals for Panik guard. The outcome of the play was certainly a surprise because he passed the puck directly to Nashville forward Ryan Johansen. Johansen

took the puck on net and fired a wrister to beat Holtby blocker-side for the By J.J. Regan game-tying goal.

January 29, 2020 10:54 PM “I just didn’t see him there," Holtby said. "It was just bad awareness there. I was trying to do too much, I guess, trying to get in the play somehow and it’s just a play that can’t happen. It killed us.”

With a third period lead, a big turnover by Braden Holtby proved to be the Play of the game turning point in a 5-4 loss to the Nashville Predators. The Capitals have now lost eight straight against Nashville, who swept the season series for That's 693 goals and counting for Ovechkin! the fourth year in a row. The goal moved Ovechkin past Steve Yzerman and into sole possession Check out a recap of the game here. of ninth place all-time.

Observations from the loss Stat of the game

This one hurts The stat of the game comes from yours truly and has to do with the power play, which continues to look awful. Despite how bad it looks, it When you get two goals handed to you on a silver platter the way the has actually produced a few goals lately...but not enough to make up for Caps did on Wednesday, especially against a bad team, that's one you the ones it is giving up. need to win. Juuse Saros pretty much put the puck on Alex Ovechkin's stick from behind the net, giving one of the greatest goal-scorers of all- Quote of the game time an empty net to shoot on. Then Nick Bonino tried to pass from Todd Reirden was clearly displeased with Holtby's turnover to Johansen. behind the net and hit it right off of Saros for the own goal. He was asked about it and paused for several seconds before And still the Caps lost. answering.

This is a frustrating loss because Nashville tried to give it away and Goalie playing the puck up on a power play is not part of our system, it's Washington could not take advantage. not part of our design of how we break pucks out. That's an unforced error. So that's one of many that we had in the game. I'm sure he'll be the 3-on-2s first one to tell you that he'd like to have that play back. That's the way it goes, he made some good saves after, but it's pretty easy to see that On Monday, Jeff Petry scored for the Montreal Canadiens off a error right there. misplayed 3-on-2 defense. The two defenders, Dmitry Orlov and T.J. Oshie who was back on defense covering for a pinching Nick Jensen, got too close together in the middle and Petry skated around and behind them on the wing leaving him open for the pass alone in front of the net Comcast SportsNet.com LOADED: 01.31.2020 and the goal.

The exact same thing happened Wednesday against Nashville. The exact same play.

Roman Josi carried the puck up the middle on a 3-on-2 opportunity. Both Michal Kempny and John Carlson bunched to the middle leaving Rocco Grimaldi to skate down the wing and cut in behind the defense. Josi found him with the pass and he was in alone on net for the goal.

Were these just two misplays from the defense or have teams scouted Washington's defense on the rush and found a weakness in the way they play? That's something they have to address. You can't leave forwards alone on net behind the defense.

Remain calm, don't Panik

Richard Panik scored two goals on Wednesday, statistically his best game as a Capital. Granted, Saros should have stopped Panik's first goal as it was not deflected or off a screen. A goalie has to save that. The second goal was also an own-goal by Bonino that Panik just happened to touch last. Still, with his struggles to start the season, it probably felt great to get into the goal column twice in one game.

Who starts Sunday?

Reirden already said on Tuesday that he planned for Holtby to start against Nashville and Ilya Samsonov to start Friday against the Ottawa Senators. My question now is who starts Sunday against the Pittsburgh Penguins?

This was not a good game for Holtby who stopped only 19 of the 24 shots he faced and who made some pretty glaring errors. I assumed going into this week that Holtby would start Sunday's game against the Penguins, but what if Samsonov has a good performance against Ottawa?

Sunday's game is against the second-place team in the division and a hated rival. That's a game that matters, so it's one you would look to have your No. 1 in net. Who is the No. 1 in Reirden's mind? I think who he starts on Sunday will be very telling of where the goalies stand.

Turning point 1173763 Washington Capitals

Capitals drop 8th straight to Nashville in sloppy, back-and-forth loss

By J.J. Regan January

29, 2020 10:16 PM

WASHINGTON -- The Nashville Predators handed the Capitals two goals on Wednesday, and Washington handed one back in the third period in a sloppy, giveaway-filled 5-4 loss for the Caps. Alex Ovechkin scored his 693rd goal off a bad giveaway and Nashville scored an own-goal, but Braden Holtby returned the favor in the game-tying goal.

Here is how the Caps lost.

A quick response

Richard Panik put the Caps on the board midway through the first, but it didn't take long for Nashville to respond. Jarred Tinordi scored his first NHL goal just 47 seconds after Panik's opening tally to erase whatever momentum Washington had hoped to build on.

Braden Holtby looked like he may have been dealing with a little bit of a screen from Garnet Hathaway and could not squeeze the arm to his body fast enough to keep the puck from sneaking through. It's one Holtby needed to have.

Granlund on the back door

With the Predators on the power play, they moved the puck along the left side of the offensive zone. Granlund was set up at the top of the circle on the right, but cheated his way up to the back door of the net and was wide open when Filip Forsberg was able to send the puck through the PK. Granlund roofed the puck over the outstretched Holtby.

Another misplayed 3-on-2

On Monday, Jeff Petry scored off a misplayed 3-on-2 defense. The two defenders got too close together in the middle and Petry skated around them on the wing and was behind them for the pass and goal. The exact same thing happened on Wednesday against Nashville.

Roman Josi carried the puck up the middle on a 3-on-2 opportunity. Both Michal Kempny and John Carlson bunched to the middle and Rocco Grimaldi skated down the wing and cut in behind the defense. Josi found him with the pass and he was in alone on net for the goal.

A giveaway by Holtby

Nashville handed the Caps two goals as Juuse Saros tipped the puck right to Alex Ovechkin while trying to retrieve the puck behind the net for the easy goal. Nick Bonino later passed the puck right off of Saros and into his own net. Holtby returned the favor in the third period.

With the Caps on the power play, Holtby tried to get the puck back up ice quickly to catch the penalty kill off guard, Instead, his pass went right to Ryan Johansen who beat Holtby blocker-side with the wrister. That goal tied the game at 4.

Granlund on the doorstep

The game-winner came off the stick of Yannick Weber, but it was Granlund who made it possible with his physical play in front of the net. He planted himself in front of Holtby and was locked in a battle for space with Kempny. Weber fired a shot that deflected off the Caps' defenseman and past Holtby for the game-winning goal.

Comcast SportsNet.com LOADED: 01.31.2020 1173764 Washington Capitals Murphy estimates he spent more than $3,000 on the 20 jerseys in the photo, with the price of each jersey ranging from $100 to $180.

As for his whole collection? Murphy joked that he doesn’t even want to How a Capitals fan collected a jersey for every player on the Cup-winning estimate how much he’s spent on the 60-plus sweaters hanging in the team closet of his man cave.

“More than I would be willing to for my wife to see in print,” he joked.

By Tarik El-Bashir Speaking of the closet, it’s both a point of pride and shame, depending on who’s visiting. Jan 30, 2020 “It’s like my secret shame,” he cracked. “When my boys come over, I show them. When my in-laws are over, I keep it closed so it’s not as embarrassing.” ARLINGTON, Va. – Tom Wilson was thumbing through his Twitter timeline Tuesday evening when a photo caught his eye. The jerseys are more than just a collection of sports memorabilia to Murphy and his dad, Rich. The Capitals winger stopped scrolling, raised his phone and took a closer look. “For me, the jerseys are part of a larger hockey thing for us,” Murphy said. “Me and my dad bond over this. We talk about it a lot. I kinda want The photo was exactly what he thought: The jersey of each player who to have that with my son. It’s kinda starting to get him going. Some of the suited up for the Caps on June 7, 2018, the night they hoisted the jerseys I have in my collection are guys I never really got to watch, like Stanley Cup in Las Vegas. Hunter and Langway. But my dad saw them. So I’m like, I’ll get my son But it wasn’t just a bunch of jerseys. The jerseys were sorted by that an Ovi jersey. He probably won’t remember seeing him play but it’ll be night’s forward lines and defense pairs. The starting and backup goalies something he holds on to.” were arranged properly, too. Murphy added: “We used a mini Ovechkin jersey in our baby Snapshots from the best night of Wilson’s professional career began announcement.” flashing in Wilson’s mind. “I think it’s awesome,” Oshie said. “Just seeing that lineup together is “When you see those names together,” Wilson said, “you stop and take a kinda cool. It brings back some good memories. The fact that the lineup second look at it because it brings back some really good memories. is from jerseys makes it a little better than just seeing it on a sheet of paper. It’s really cool that someone has that level of interest in the Caps “I think it’s cool. Any memory from that time is a good one. So it’s cool to and is that supportive of us, and they are that committed to what we’re see those names all together. We had a special bond. It’s pretty crazy trying to do here and what we’ve already done.” that someone went through the trouble to get all those jerseys. It’s great to have that kind of support from them.” Wilson added that he also likes the fact that the jerseys aren’t just one type. Indeed, there are home and away sweaters, plus a few from the That someone is Fairfax-native Pat Murphy, a 32-year-old middle school Winter Classic and Stadium Series games. teacher who’s been a Caps fan ever since he can remember. He started getting serious about collecting jerseys 12 years ago and said he now “I don’t know how they decide which one they’ll wear on a given night,” owns about 60 in all. Wilson said.

What Murphy’s most proud of, though, is completing his quest to collect a Funny Wilson should ask. Murphy does, in fact, have a system. jersey from each Capital who played in the Cup-clinching contest. The “When I watch at home, I’m like, ‘What do we need tonight?’ If we need a idea came to him shortly after the championship. little energy or fight, I put a Wilson on. If we need a little finesse, I’m “I had just gotten a (Philipp) Grubauer jersey from the World Cup of putting my Ovi on,” Murphy explained. Hockey,” Murphy told The Athletic. “I was like, ‘I should just try and When Murphy is attending a game live, his mood can influence his complete the set. Wouldn’t that be cool?'” decision. It wasn’t as easy as it seemed. In addition to being costly, some of the “When I come to games, I know if I’m wearing a lesser-known guy people jerseys needed to be custom made. are going to want to come up and talk,” he said. ” And if I don’t really “I was missing (Chandler) Stephenson, (Michal) Kempny, (Matt) want to be bothered, I’ll just wear an Ovi jersey.” Niskanen, (Brett) Connolly, (Christian) Djoos and DSP (Devante Smith- What else would you expect from a guy who owns five dozen Capitals Pelly),” Murphy said. “So I started to keep an eye out for those jerseys. jerseys? The Connolly jersey just fell in my lap. I saw it on ebay and it’s signed. I was like, ‘This won’t be cheap.’ But I just put in a bid for like 100 bucks and was like, ‘Oh my God.’ So I got that. The Athletic LOADED: 01.31.2020 “It was more fun to get the lesser-known guys. That was more of a journey. It took me a while. I wanted to spread it out. I had a baby in June and that was a big like, ‘I should slow down a little bit moment.'”

The journey included placing online orders for the Kempny, Smith-Pelly, Djoos and Stephenson jerseys. Further complicating matters – and adding to the cost – was the fact that Murphy doesn’t do knockoff jerseys; his entire collection features authentic sweaters.

Around Christmas, Murphy was able to put the finishing touch on his project when the Kempny jersey arrived.

After a year and a half, the collection was finally complete. But what good is a collection if you don’t show it off, he thought to himself? So earlier this week, Murphy laid out all 20 jerseys and took a picture that he shared on Twitter. To his surprise, the post quickly earned over 1,000 likes.

Murphy has 90 followers.

“My wife was like, ‘the jersey thing?'” he said with a chuckle. “She’s been awesome about the whole thing.” 1173765 Winnipeg Jets

Beaulieu absorbs tough breaks

By: Jason Bell

Posted: 01/30/2020 11:47 PM

If there’s a guy who could use a shot in the arm, it’s Nathan Beaulieu.

We’re talking metaphorically here. The last thing the Winnipeg Jets defenceman needs is to get pelted by a frozen, vulcanized rubber disc streaking in at 160 km/h.

Been there, done that. Bought the yellow non-contact jersey.

Beaulieu has played just 21 games during the 2019-20 NHL season, relegated to the injury list three times for extended periods. Two of three injuries were the result of shot blocks.

He’s missed the last 11 contests after getting blasted in the back of his leg on New Year’s Eve in Denver. But he rejoined his teammates Thursday for a one-hour practice at the downtown rink and could be plugged into the lineup as early as Saturday night when the defending Stanley Cup-champion St. Louis Blues hit town.

"Close... getting there," he said. "It’s been a long road, pretty frustrating, with the injuries this year but (you) can’t control that. Just looking forward to getting back into the lineup, whenever that is.

"Just trying to stay out of my own head. Going into the season you want to play as many games as you can. But you break three bones in a season, it’s hard to do that. It’s been difficult. But I’m excited to be back with my teammates. It’s a big time of year, and there’s a big playoff push. So this is the time of year you want to be playing hockey anyway."

After missing the entire month of October with an upper-body injury sustained in Winnipeg’s final pre-season game, Beaulieu returned Nov. 5 and suited up for nine games but was sidelined again when he was struck in the hand by a shot against Columbus on Nov. 23.

It’s a hazard of the job, he said, adding there’s no worry of shell shock setting in.

"You’ve gotta keep doing it. I’m not going to shy away from it. It’s pretty fluky. You block 50 shots, one will really hurt. But it seems like they don’t hit me in the right spot, unfortunately," said Beaulieu, whose return should bolster the Jets inconsistent penalty kill, not to mention add some grit on the back end. "It’s not going to change my game. You’ve got to keep playing the same way."

Hellebuyck promotes mental health

Winnipeg’s top centre Mark Scheifele took advantage of the extra day off given to NHL all-star weekend participants and missed Thursday practice, however, Connor Hellebuyck was between the pipes at Bell MTS Place facing a barrage of drives from his teammates.

The club’s No.1 netminder showed off a new mask design, a visual shoutout to breaking the silence around mental illness and supporting those affected by it. It features the words, ‘Breaking the Ice on Mental Health.’

"Some kids developed this for me and it’s about mental health. ‘Break the ice’, the stigma around it. Don’t hold back your thoughts, there’s help out there. It’s really good to bring mental health to light and how we’re trying to fix it, and how we don’t want it hidden in this world anymore," said Hellebuyck.

Winnipeg Free Press LOADED 01.31.2020 1173766 Winnipeg Jets heavy games, tight one-goal games, so the guys are looking forward to it," said Sbisa.

Jets head coach Paul Maurice offered up an interesting response when Sun-soaked Jets hoping to get around to winning ways asked whether an immediate string of victories might compel his boss, general manager Kevin Cheveldayoff, to make a trade to strengthen the Team looks to snap four-game losing streak team for a championship push.

"The core of this team is right, and young and going to get better. So, if there’s something there that gives us a boost right now, all for it. I still By: Jason Bell think we’re looking more long-term on the things we would do." said Posted: 01/30/2020 11:44 PM Maurice. "But paying a high price for a rental I don’t think makes a whole lot of sense for us."

The beach boys are back, and wouldn’t it be nice for Winnipeg Jets supporters if the NHL club started generating some good vibrations Winnipeg Free Press LOADED 01.31.2020 tonight at Bell MTS Place?

Back from a much-needed, seven-day respite in places such as Cabo San Lucas, the Bahamas and Florida, the Jets have punched the clock for what will surely be a hectic 10-week stretch of work.

The Central Division squad, playing a ho-hum brand of hockey since the middle of December, really hit the skids prior to the All-Star weekend and league-mandated players bye week, losing four games in a row and six of its last seven.

The timing of the break couldn’t have been better.

"It helps a lot. You love the game and you love playing hockey. But when you’re on a program like we are, getting a break like this and being able to just get away and not think about hockey and just relax, it does a lot," said winger Nikolaj Ehlers, who spent six nights in the Caribbean.

"Everyone knows the position we’re in as a team, so we’re ready to get back into it now. The break’s over, so we’re excited. No one here’s going to lay back and just see what happens. We’re ready to go for it."

Winnipeg (25-22-4) is three points below the playoff line in the tightly woven Western Conference, and six points behind the third-place Dallas Stars in the division.

The rush to become relevant starts in earnest. It comes with a high degree of difficulty, as one of the NHL’s most menacing pieces of machinery — the Boston Bruins — rolls into town. Game time is 7 p.m.

It’s the opener of a critical back-to-back for the Jets, who get one night’s rest to prepare for none other than the defending Stanley Cup-champion St. Louis Blues, 6 p.m. Saturday in downtown Winnipeg. After that, it’s a visit by the Nashville Predators on Tuesday and then a one off Thursday in St. Louis before hosting six consecutive contests in 11 days.

Winnipeg could need to secure as many as 40 of a possible 62 points to book a spot in the post-season, a tall order for a team that has struggled lately to score goals, still lacks high-end talent on the blue line and has received less-than-stellar goaltending since the turn of the calendar.

Winnipeg backup goalie Laurent Brossoit will guard the net against Boston (29-10-12), which sits comfortably atop the Atlantic Division and is only three points back of the Eastern Conference-leading Washington Capitals.

The Jets are still missing some key pieces to injuries, such as centre Adam Lowry (upper body) and Bryan Little (head) along with defenceman Tucker Poolman (lower body). However, there’s simply no time left for excuses.

Ehlers, who has 18 goals but just a pair this month and is riding a seven- game drought, believes he and his teammates will show they have much more to give as the pressure builds.

"You go out and try to give everything you can and you always work 100 per cent, but sometimes your hands aren’t there and you have to find different ways to help the team," said Ehlers. "For me, personally, the last week-and-a-half wasn’t going my way. I want to get on track, too. I want to help this team win."

Veteran blue-liner Luca Sbisa, who escaped to Mexico, admitting his mind rarely drifted back to the rink. But it’s relatively simple to flip the ‘game-on’ switch with such a significant block of games coming up.

"Getting toward that final stretch, you feel like every point matters even more. It’s going to be fun. We’re coming out of the break and there’s still a lot of games left. Every team’s going to start to play playoff hockey, 1173767 Winnipeg Jets The Mackenzie Tour—PGA Tour Canada also announced a partnership with the True North Youth Foundation, which supports Camp Manitou, Project Eleven, and the Winnipeg Jets Hockey Academy. The golf tournament raises about $100,000 every year for its charitable partner, Jets' Morrissey ready to tee it up tour vice-president Scott Pritchard.

By: Jason Bell Winnipeg Free Press LOADED 01.31.2020 Posted: 01/30/2020 2:01 PM

Next on the tee: Josh Morrissey.

The 24-year-old defenceman is the latest member of the Winnipeg Jets to be chosen to play in the province's premier professional golf tournament. He receives a sponsors exemption for the annual Winnipeg stop on the Mackenzie Tour—PGA Tour Canada, set for mid-August at Southwood Golf & Country Club.

And the event gets a new name, or an old one, depending on one's point of view. Morrissey will play in the Manitoba Open, formerly the Players Cup.

It's the third consecutive year a Jets skater will play in the event. Mark Scheifele participated in 2018 and Kyle Connor played a year ago.

"It's an honour," Morrissey said Thursday. "Golf's such a different mental game, and I'm excited to talk to the (pros) and hear their stories and approach, see what that's like. Not a whole lot riding on it, but you don't have teammates to pick you up."

The Calgary product first picked up clubs as a youngster but really didn't put much time into the game until he was about 16. Eight years later, his handicap is just shy of a seven.

But he's well aware playing alongside the stars of the tour, with hushed crowds at the tees and greens, will be a far more tense experience than teeing it up with his friends back home. He's already spoken with Scheifele and Connor about what to expect.

"They said the first tee shot's pretty nerve-wracking and those two- or three-foot putts seem a lot harder to make than when you're playing with your buddies," he said. "They said it was an unbelievable experience, something that's such a rarity to have the opportunity. Interacting with the players, learning about what every day looks like as a golfer, the grind and the difficulty of the schedule these players deal with.

"(Scheifele and Connor) said it was an overall amazing experience. I definitely know what their scores were and I'm going to try to do better than them."

Scheifele fired rounds of 87 and 86 at the par-72 track in St. Norbert, while Connor finished 94-90.

The Jets are four points below the NHL playoff line and need a strong push over the final 31 games — between Friday's contest with the visiting Boston Bruins and the first week of April — to qualify for the postseason.

Morrissey is hoping a prolonged hockey season cuts deep into his Open preparation.

"This summer, hopefully going into this stretch (of the NHL season), I'm not playing too much golf before the tournament."

The 72-hole championship carried the provincial name for seven decades until 1997. It then went through a couple of incarnations but now returns to its roots.

"Several name changes... but if you ask a lot of people that are heavily involved in the event, they still refer to it as the Manitoba Open. It really hits home for people to have Manitoba in the name, and I think that was really missing the last few years," said tournament director Adam Boge. "The (other names) don't resonate with the average Manitoban that loves golf."

Past winners of the Open include legendary Canadian players George Knudson, Moe Norman and Dan Halldorson, while Winnipegger Rob McMillan prevailed in 1996.

"Word leaked out already and people have texted saying, 'We love bringing Manitoba back to the event'. We've raised some excitement already," Boge said. 1173768 Winnipeg Jets push going forward. Without contact, he’s able to skate full. What it will do in the end is shorten the timeline on the end when he gets clearance and he feels good the conditioning won’t be that big of an issue.”

JETS NOTEBOOK: No excuses for Jets against Bruins – Adam Lowry (upper body): “When I said it was at least four weeks, that hasn’t changed.”

Winnipeg goaltender Connor Hellebuyck will wear a special mask for Scott Billeck Friday’s Hockey Talks night at Bell MTS Place.

January 30, 2020 8:24 PM CST SPECIAL MASK

January is Hockey Talks month in the NHL, a time to spread public awareness and encourage conversations about mental health. When it comes to effort on Friday against the bruising Boston Bruins or Saturday versus the defending Stanley Cup champion St. Louis Blues, Friday’s game in Winnipeg will be Hockey Talks night at Bell MTS Place there will be no excuses for the Winnipeg Jets. and Connor Hellebuyck, although he’ll be the backup for the game, commissioned a new mask for the occasion. “If there’s an excuse then that’s bulls—t,” Andrew Copp said fresh off a good hour or so on the practice ice at Bell MTS Place on Thursday. “Some kids developed this for me and it’s about mental health,” Hellebuyck said Thursday. “‘Break the ice’, the stigma around it. Don’t With the past week off, including the NHL’s break for the all-Star game, hold back your thoughts, there’s help out there. I get to meet the kids the Jets — a floundering team leading into the much-needed time off — today. It’s really good to bring mental health to light and how we’re trying are well aware that slow starts and no-show periods need to be a thing of to fix it, and how we don’t want it hidden in this world anymore. the past. “I think we’re doing a great job getting our voices heard, and when Sitting three-points adrift of a wild-card spot in the Western Conference, people need help know that there is help out there. I hope they can see the Jets can ill-afford to be dropping points at the worst of times, that we go through it, too, and we’re all in this together. Us being maybe nevermind having seven days to rest and recharge before a game. who they look up to makes it easy to come out and bring it to light.” “We feel we have the capability of winning night-in and night-out,” Copp said. “We feel it’s up to us. We don’t have to rely on a team to play a bad game against us, or we need teams to lose. That’s a ways away. We feel Winnipeg Sun LOADED 01.31.2020 like if we play our game, we should win more nights than not.”

They’ll have to do all of that, at least, if they’re going to clinch a playoff spot this season.

With Friday’s game included, the Jets have 31 games remaining, a total of 62 points up for grabs. Some projections are showing the postseason cut-off line somewhere in the early- to mid-90s.

For the Jets to do that with the 54 they’ve already accumulated, they’d need to win roughly 20 games, or win a couple less and have some of their losses include a pity point for making it to overtime.

“All the things we’re going to need to do to get into the playoffs are really hard playoff things,” Jets head coach Paul Maurice said.

Maurice said the stretch run is an opportunity for a young team to make itself harder, better and more competitive, and valuing all of it.

“Because that’s where you’re trying to get to, you’re trying to get to that point,” he said. “And it’s true of all of these teams that finally get to that point of pure contender status, it’s the hardness in their game, not necessarily the talent.”

Maurice said there’s already a benefit to playing in the playoffs, and given the injury adversity the Jets have faced this season, there’s a better “carrot there.”

Playoffs or not, over the next two games, Maurice is sure of one thing.

“We’re going to have to spend more energy in the next two games than our opponents, that’s a fact,” Maurice said. “But there’s no reason why we can’t.”

WALKING WOUNDED

Nathan Beaulieu was a surprise inclusion in Thursday’s practice at Bell MTS Place.

He skated in a regular jersey for the first time since he blocked a shot on Jan. 2. His initial time frame was to be out for a month and that looks to be the case. Maurice said Beaulieu won’t play on Friday, but could be an option as early as Saturday’s game.

MAURICE ON THE OTHERS

– Tucker Poolman (lower body): “(He) skated but he’s still every second day on the ice. That’s as close as I can give to you on that one.”

– Bryan Little (upper body): “I think in the next week or two, we’ll start looking at some markers for testing on where we can test him. Clearly, he’s been tested over the course of his injury so they needed to leave a certain amount of time between tests. So in the next couple of weeks, we’ll get him tested and that will tell us where we’re at and how hard we 1173769 Winnipeg Jets

GAME DAY: Boston Bruins at Winnipeg Jets

Scott Billeck

January 30, 2020 5:59 PM CST

WHAT’S IN STORE?

The Jets are fresh out of excuses coming off a week’s worth of rest and, even if they had any left in the bank, it doesn’t matter at this point. The Jets begin a four-game stretch on Friday where they’ll face the top team in the Atlantic Division in the Boston Bruins and the top team in the Central. Twice. Throw into that mix the Nashville Predators, who are hot on the heels of the Jets. The Jets run-in to the all-star break included a stretch of four straight losses and just five wins in their previous 16 outings. The Jets can’t afford to no-show periods anymore. They can’t afford to allow premium scoring chances repeatedly every night. Will we see a changed team? Or has the week-long stretch only delayed the landslide?

Five keys to the game

BROSSOIT’S TURN

The biggest game of backup Laurent Brossoit’s season comes Friday, when he takes the crease against the Bruins. Brossoit’s season looks nothing like last year, when some were clamouring for him to take over the No. 1 spot. In 15 appearances, Brossoit has compiled a 4-6-0 record with a .883 save percentage. He has had some good games and he has been let down by the men in front of him, too. The Jets need a masterclass from him on Friday.

TIME TO FIGURE IT OUT AT HOME

February is going to be a busy month at Bell MTS Place. Counting Friday’s game on Jan. 31, the Jets play nine of their next 10 at home — and home hasn’t exactly been where the heart is. On the season, Winnipeg owns a 11-11-2 record in its own building, far from ideal. Even worse, its current run of form at home has it with just a single win in its past eight home games (1-6-1). If this team wants to make the playoffs, it’s going to begin on home ice.

BETTER FIRST 20

First periods have been an Achilles’ heel for the Jets this season, managing just 36 goals and allowed 46 — nearly one per first-period played. Compare that to the Bruins, who top the Atlantic and are second overall in the Eastern Conference. The Bruins have scored 54 in the first and allowed just 34 this season.

CONNOR’S PACE

The Jets have had exactly one player score 40 goals since they relocated to Winnipeg in 2011. That was Patrik Laine two seasons ago, when he potted 44 in his sophomore campaign. Laine would be the obvious candidate to crack that mark coming into any given season, but it’s Kyle Connor who is on pace for that mark thus far. Connor’s 25 goals have him in line to hit 40 on the nose this year.

BRUINS’ BEST

The Jets can’t allow David Pastrnak to decimate them, as he did in his hat-trick performance earlier this month at TD Garden in Boston. The NHL’s leading goal-scorer with 37 goals, Pastrnak was allowed to stand freely in the slot at times in that game and he took advantage of every opportunity. And if he doesn’t manage to, Patrice Bergeron or Brad Marchand will. That line — Boston’s top trio — has a combined 79 goals and 176 points.

Winnipeg Sun LOADED 01.31.2020 1173770 Winnipeg Jets director at TNYF. “To support the True North Youth Foundation with a premier event like the Manitoba Open and its significant history of giving back will increase support to youth across our province.”

Jets' Morrissey set to play in province's re-branded PGA Tour Canada tourney Winnipeg Sun LOADED 01.31.2020

Scott Billeck

January 30, 2020 9:28 PM CST

For decades, the province’s premier golf tournament was simply known as the Manitoba Open.

It kept the location of the PGA Tour Canada’s stop in the province front and centre, and after celebrating its 100th-anniversary last year, the next century will begin in the same way the first did.

After seven years, the Players Cup is begin rebranded to the Manitoba Open, harkening back to a 78-year period between 1919 and 1997 when it was known as such.

“It really hits home for people to have ‘Manitoba’ in the event, and I think that was missing even in the past few years,” said tournament director Adam Boge, who helped unveil the changes at an event at Hargrave Market on Thursday. “Bringing Manitoba name back into the event, I think it’s really going to excite the community get them to really rally behind the event and ignite the event a little bit more.”

Part of attracting fans in recent years has been the inclusion of a sponsor exemption at its new home at the Southwood Golf & Country Club.

Since 2018 when the tournament moved there, one has been handed to a Winnipeg Jets player and this year’s lucky recipient is defencemen and Jets alternate captain Josh Morrissey, joining a list that includes Mark Scheifele (2018) and Kyle Connor (2019).

“It’s an opportunity that doesn’t come around very often. It’s a huge honour,” Morrissey said.

Morrissey, who’s rolling with a handicap just shy of seven, said the strengths of his golf game depends on the day.

“Some days it’s off the tee, some days it’s the irons — it’s not a great strategy to have,” Morrissey said. “On the flip side of things, what could use the most work would probably be putting, so I’m going to have to try to figure that out.”

Morrissey said he hit the links quite a bit last summer, shooting a personal low 2-over 72 at a course in California alongside Manitoba Moose netminder Eric Comrie.

“That was my low by quite a bit,” Morrissey said. “That was pretty special. It just seemed like everything was working and to do it alongside Eric Comrie and his dad, who are good friends of mine, that would be my highlight round to this point in my life.”

There’ll probably be some money on the board, as well.

If Morrissey can shoot anywhere close to his personal low, he’ll earn himself bragging rights in the Jets dressing room.

Connor shot a 40-over 184 (1st RD – 94, 2nd RD – 90) over his two days last year, missing the cut. The year before, Scheifele shot 29-over 173 (1st RD – 87, 2nd RD – 86) and also missed the cut.

“I don’t have super high expectations coming in,” Morrissey said. “Talking to Mark and Kyle, it’s something that, once you get out there, it’s not like playing at your local country club. The tees are a little further back than normal. I’m just going to try and go out there and have fun. For sure, we’re competitive people. We want to try and beat your friends and what they’ve shot in a tournament. I think they had some questionable weather, so I’m hoping for no wind and sunny skies.”

The newly-minted Manitoba Open name also has a newly-minted official charity partner with the True North Youth Foundation coming aboard.

Since 2013, the tournament has raised over $600,000 for local charitable initiatives.

“We are humbled to have been approached and selected as the Manitoba Open’s Charity of Choice,” said Dwayne Green, executive 1173771 Winnipeg Jets Wheeler’s contract carries a full no-movement clause but that’s strictly a clerical issue: he is a Jet to stay. This team in this window is not going to trade its captain and wouldn’t pursue it even if they could. The only change coming Wheeler’s job this season will be a return to right wing — Jets trade tiers: Who’s tradable? Who’s untouchable? Who could and that’s only if the rest of Winnipeg’s centres can get healthy at the realistically move ahead of the deadline? same time.

Patrik Laine ($6,750,000 – RFA 2021-22)

By Murat Ates Nik Ehlers ($6,000,000 – UFA 2025-26)

Jan 30, 2020 Kyle Connor ($7,142,857 – UFA 2026-27)

There may yet come a day when Winnipeg trades a high-end scoring winger like Patrik Laine, Nik Ehlers or Kyle Connor for defensive help. In The Winnipeg Jets are not going to be sellers this year. Ehlers’ case, there were already been rumours to that effect at the end I know. I know. of last season (colleague Ken Wiebe asked him about those rumours here.) I don’t think that day is coming soon. I advocated for a retool mere days ago — and still do. Thankfully for you, the Jets don’t listen to me — I am but a writer of words. The Jets have I can understand the argument to trade one of these players — all three their own stakeholders to take care of and, as far as it’s been reported, of them are offence-first, expensive and could theoretically yield a top the flight path on that front includes airlifting in some help. defender in a trade — but Winnipeg won’t make that trade this season. There are other talented offensive players the Jets can go shopping with In a way, it’s about time. The Jets have lumbered their way through outside of this top-end trio. Dustin Byfuglien’s extended absence and the cap consciousness that comes with it by making waiver acquisitions and looking within. At this If the Jets do trade one of Connor, Laine or Ehlers, I think they’ll do it in point of the season, his cap hit has likely been off the books for enough the offseason or perhaps as a response to Laine’s next contract. time such that Winnipeg can now make meaningful additions. Connor Hellebuyck ($6,166,666 – UFA 2023-24) But cap space is not a fait accompli — Byfuglien’s arbitration date is not Connor Hellebuyck is the Jets MVP this season and a strong Vezina yet set and his rehabilitation is ongoing. Trophy candidate. If he rebounds to early season form and the Jets make Nothing seems to come easy for these Jets, from their preseason issues the playoffs, Hellebuyck will be a Hart Trophy candidate. There is no ranging from car accidents to awkward comments in foreign newspapers world in which Hellebuyck is moved. to Byfuglien’s absence and all of the injuries that have followed it. On the Josh Morrissey ($3,150,000 this season, then $6,250,000 – UFA 2028- ice, 5-on-5 issues have plagued the team all year — the Jets are bottom- 29) 10 in their share of shots, shot attempts and actual goals scored. They are the NHL’s 31st-ranked team in expected goals percentage. I feel certain that there is concern among portions of the Jets fan base about Josh Morrissey’s contract extension. Separated from his longtime Those are the symptoms. The causes have been multi-tiered. On partner Jacob Trouba, Morrissey has not produced the high-end defence, they range from Byfuglien’s absence to the team’s dependence defensive results we’re used to seeing. He is enjoying a surge in offence on a top four that was at least one man short even before his exit. The — 25 points in 49 games leave Morrissey just six points away from tying injuries have piled up. The goaltending was all-world until it grew last season’s career high — but Morrissey simply hasn’t been the top exhausted — or so it seems to me. Up front, Winnipeg has not gotten to defender we’ve become accustomed to seeing. the middle of the ice with the regularity of previous Jets teams and are no longer one of the league’s top offensive teams. I think it’s fair to attribute None of that matters. Morrissey is the cornerstone of Winnipeg’s defence some of this to coaching, where a clear priority has been for Winnipeg’s and it would take something catastrophic to change that. top forward to peel off and offer puck support at the Jets’ own line. Whether that’s a losing gambit by design or only because the quality of He owns the team’s longest contract for a reason: He is entrenched as a defence has dropped as far as it has since last season, I cannot say. respected voice in the Jets dressing room and Winnipeg’s community while still showing flashes of top-pairing ability at 5-on-5. Morrissey is a Despite this — all of this — the Jets find themselves just three points out keeper for any franchise in any city but especially this one in Winnipeg. of a wild card spot with one game in hand on each of Vegas and Arizona heading into Thursday’s games. The process is worthy of criticism and Neal Pionk ($3,000,000 – RFA 2021-22) the trend has been downward since December but the raw, frozen-in- It’s awfully early — far too early to go from “I was wrong about Neal time reality is that Winnipeg is still in striking distance. If the Jets can stay Pionk” to “Neal Pionk is a surefire top defenceman.” Still, Winnipeg is in that chase over the next three weeks, Kevin Cheveldayoff will likely heavily invested in Pionk and the early returns are positive. The Jets reward them. Win and help is on the way. Keep losing and the case for needed him to succeed in their top four prior to Dustin Byfuglien’s additions becomes harder to rationalize. absence and completely depend on him now. In a way, that makes things easy to frame. Winnipeg has a certain group Ville Heinola ($925,000 – UFA 2024-25) of core players who simply will not be traded. There is a group of players who could be traded if the Jets were in position to make a deal which If the Jets go shopping for a top-four defenceman as they are rumoured addressed the present and future and there is a group of players who to be doing, I doubt their rivals even speak Ville Heinola’s name. He is could be dealt if the playoffs fall well out of reach. simply too important.

With all of the necessary “anything could happen” caveats, the groups Including him here is my way of reminding you two things: below are ranked by the likelihood of each scenario playing out. The future is still bright; 1. Not going anywhere Despite how often I harp about Winnipeg’s defence and its 5-on-5 play, I Mark Scheifele ($6,125,000 – UFA 2024-25) still value your happiness as a fan of Winnipeg hockey.

No criticism of Scheifele’s defence can diminish his offensive gifts or his 2. Could move in only extreme circumstances stature within the organization. Blake Wheeler is the franchise leader in points and its heartbeat Scheifele is the heir to both of those titles and Andrew Copp ($2,280,000 – RFA 2021-22) already the superior offensive player. There would be riots if a player of If you read Eric Duhatschek’s latest work on the Seattle expansion draft, his calibre and contract were cast aside. Could you even imagine that? you saw that Winnipeg could have a difficult time protecting both of (Don’t imagine that. It can only take you to a dark place.) Scheifele is Andrew Copp and Adam Lowry from the Kraken (or whatever, not-as- Winnipeg’s franchise centre and the player to build this team around. good-as-Kraken name Seattle comes up with.) I don’t think that means Blake Wheeler ($8,250,000 – UFA 2024-25) Winnipeg will trade Copp. If you read Craig Custance’s summertime story about the odds of a player being traded after making it to arbitration, you saw that players like Copp tend to be a bit vulnerable in the years following their hearing. I unhappiness with the organization. (Roslovic’s 5-on-5 ice time has don’t think that means Winnipeg will trade Copp, either. increased from 8:57 per game last season to 13:06 now, perhaps assuaging past frustration.) On a team rich with offensive talent, Copp’s defensive prowess is a distinct rarity. No matter what the big picture stories are regarding I’m not saying Roslovic will be traded. It’s just easy to make the argument arbitration or expansion, injuries to Lowry and Bryan Little mean for him as a front-runner — he’s good enough to be asked about, cheap Winnipeg needs Copp’s skill set now more than ever. enough to build a trade around and valuable enough to yield a good return. If Winnipeg makes that swing, a top-four defenceman with Adam Lowry ($2,916,666 – UFA 2021-22) multiple years of team control should be the target.

Injury issues in alternating seasons have chipped away at Lowry’s impact Sami Niku ($775,000 – RFA 2020-21) but he remains a big piece of Winnipeg’s plans. The Jets would love to see a healthy Lowry anchor a tough minutes line for years to come, Starting at the beginning of next season, Sami Niku will no longer be particularly if Paul Maurice or a similarly traditional coach is at the helm. waivers-exempt. As such, the Jets will either need to keep him on their He’s not being traded, especially while hurt. I’ll be interested to learn NHL roster or risk losing him to waivers if they assign him to the Moose. what he gets priced at next season or if — and this strikes me as a long shot — Winnipeg would let him go to Seattle. What that should mean: Winnipeg spends the rest of this season giving Niku minutes that are consistent enough to evaluate him. So far, so good Tucker Poolman ($775,000 – UFA 2021-22) on that front — he was practising with Dmitry Kulikov again on Thursday and stands to keep playing. I was tempted to push Tucker Poolman further down this list but he’s in a unique position on the Jets right now. Recall that, prior to his injury, What I think it means: Niku is caught in a bit of a tweener position right Poolman had claimed the top pairing job beside Morrissey. He’s played now. I don’t think the organization values him so highly that he’s the fourth most 5-on-5 minutes per game among Jets defenders (16:29) automatically untradable but I do think they value him. As a result, I think and has stayed in the top four whenever he’s been healthy enough to his most likely outcome is a continued audition now and either an play. He also has a team-friendly contract through the end of next season offseason trade or a September job with the Jets. and I get the sense Winnipeg believes he can grow into his top-four role, perhaps even on a healthy or supplemented blue line. I don’t expect the Jets to sell low but Niku’s heretofore failure to launch combined with his obvious offensive ability might mean he gets traded. 2020 first-round pick Kristian Vesalainen ($894,167– RFA 2022-23) As far as I understand it, Winnipeg is loath to trade this season’s first- round pick. No, dear reader, I am not trying to purge the Jets of their Finns. (In fact, more of them please! Bring back Joona Luoto! Trade for Rasmus 3. A trio of asterisks, each with their own story Ristolainen! Pay Teemu Selanne a gajillion Euros per week to come back in some form of ambassadorial role!) That said, Kristian Vesalainen has Bryan Little ($5,291,666 – UFA 2024-25) had an underwhelming start to his AHL career. Teams might ask about Little is in the final year of the full no-movement portion of his contract. I him and, if the Jets’ patience fails them, Winnipeg might answer. don’t think there is any risk of Winnipeg asking him to waive his NMC; the I don’t think it happens. Jets are a loyal organization and would not attempt to trade a player who has gone through what Little has this year. Look for cap savings Mason Appleton ($741,667 – RFA 2020-21) elsewhere. Meanwhile, Little is skating on consecutive days and can practise “fully” now (full effort but without contact.) A homegrown draft pick home run, the odds of Mason Appleton being traded are low. Still, he is an NHL-ready player who wouldn’t be essential Dustin Byfuglien ($7,600,000 – UFA 2021-22) to Winnipeg’s playoff run. If Joel Armia can be parted with in the right circumstances (bring him back too!) so can Appleton. We dedicated a full article to the exploration of Byfuglien trade possibilities earlier this week and, given that his arbitration hearing hasn’t 2021 first-round pick been scheduled and his ankle rehabilitation is ongoing, it was tough to drum up interest. The best scenario in Byfuglien’s case continues to be a If the Jets value the 2020 draft class as much as I believe they do, their healthy, happy return to the Jets. Time will tell if that’s realistic. first-round pick in 2021 may be easier to part with. If they do trade this summer’s pick, one expects something more than a rental is on its way If there is a trade scenario available, I suspect the Jets have more back. success with it this summer. Finally, it should be noted that Byfuglien has a 14-team no-trade clause, via CapFriendly. Assorted other draft picks

Mark Letestu ($700,000 – UFA 2020-21) The Jets have five picks in the 2020 draft — their own first-, second-, third-, fifth- and sixth-round picks. In 2021, they own their pick in the first The season that was supposed to rejuvenate Mark Letestu’s NHL career six rounds. has been a tribulation for the forward, currently sorting his way through the myocarditis that has sidelined him from the team. There is no trade Maybe that makes 2021 draft picks easier to part with; maybe that’s value here, nor is there decency in pursuing it. overthinking it. Either way, any moves the Jets make will be framed against their progressively emptying prospect pool and would ideally be 4. Could move if the Jets decide they are buyers for a player who can help beyond just this season.

Jack Roslovic ($894,166 – RFA 2020-21) 5. Could move if the Jets decide they are sellers

This is where things truly get interesting. Dmitry Kulikov ($4,333,333 – UFA 2020-21)

Jack Roslovic would typically be a non-starter in trade negotiations. In It’s awkward because I genuinely like Dmitry Kulikov but I’ve wondered this particular season, with the Jets reportedly in the market for a top-four about his expendability — particularly at that cap hit — for a long time defenceman — and ideally one who can help beyond just this year — now. At one point, I believed a Kulikov buyout to be Winnipeg’s backup Roslovic checks off a lot of valuable boxes. plan if they were able to re-sign Ben Chiarot, although my conviction on that front has certainly faded. He’s young, having only just turned 23 this week. He is affordable, given his sub-$1-million price tag. I don’t think Winnipeg will trade him at the deadline although, if they’re out of the playoff picture, I think they should. There’s no such thing as He’s also a realistic bet to carve out a career as a top-six winger without having too many defencemen come playoff time and there is a draft pick ever eclipsing Laine, Ehlers or Connor in front of him. (Whether or not he out there somewhere with Winnipeg’s name on it. surpasses Wheeler may depend at least as much on Wheeler’s ability to fight off Father Time as it does Roslovic’s own progression.) I think they keep him for their own push and I also think they look at re- signing him for less than his current price if the summer allows. There’s also that business about Roslovic’s frustration with his role. Roslovic’s former agent, Ken Robinson, has confirmed he was unhappy Mathieu Perreault ($4,125,000 – UFA 2021-22) with his fourth line minutes last season to the point of sharing that Mathieu Perreault has been a great fit in Winnipeg for a long time and David Gustafsson is nearly untouchable as far as forward prospects go. was an astute UFA signing by the Jets. I expect that the cap increases Could someone like Michael Spacek shake free? Sure, but I’m not sure enough this summer to retain his services but I also believe Perreault to how much that gets them. be one of the team’s “safety valves” so to speak if ever faced with a cap crunch. That said, I don’t think he carries a tremendous amount of trade Eric Comrie ($700,000 – RFA 2021-22) value. Trading him is only productive if another shoe drops soon The cat(-like goaltender) came back and this time, I think they’re going to afterward. keep him.

Nicholas Shore ($750,000 – UFA 2020-21)

Gabriel Bourque ($700,000 – UFA 2020-21) The Athletic LOADED: 01.31.2020 Logan Shaw ($700,000 – UFA 2020-21)

Winnipeg acquired all of Nick Shore, Gabriel Bourque and Logan Shaw for “free” — Shore was a waiver claim, Shaw was a midseason signing last year and Bourque was a summertime UFA. If Winnipeg’s season continues to head south between now and the trade deadline, these are the sorts of players who could yield late-round draft picks.

That’s not a ton of value but every dart you give the Jets’ scouts on draft day comes with a non-zero chance of payoff.

More realistically? Shore has filled a need since his arrival and Bourque is a tremendously popular teammate who is willing to kill penalties. I’m not sure what the future holds for either of them but it’s not out of the question that they get re-signed.

Laurent Brossoit ($1,125,000 – UFA 2020-21)

On The Boarding Pass podcast this week, Ken wondered if Laurent Brossoit’s bet last summer was that he could play so well as a backup this year that he’d earn a starting job elsewhere next season. It hasn’t quite worked out that way and now I wonder if the Jets can re-sign him for a similarly cost-effective price as a UFA.

Still, if Winnipeg is right out of it on deadline day, I imagine someone would pay a depth pick for the possibility Brossoit helps them in goal.

Nathan Beaulieu ($1,000,000 – UFA 2020-21)

Luca Sbisa ($750,000 – UFA 2020-21)

Anthony Bitetto ($700,000 – UFA 2020-21)

Winnipeg acquired Nathan Beaulieu for a sixth-round pick at last season’s trade deadline, signed Anthony Bitetto as a free agent and plucked Luca Sbisa off the waiver wire. To me, this suggests that depth defencemen are an abundant resource in the NHL and that the Jets could easily survive shipping all three of them for late picks.

That said, Winnipeg is in the business of trying to win games while dealing with all sorts of injuries and needs someone to suit up down the stretch. Less cynically, the Jets are also fond of these men. I wouldn’t be shocked to see them retained through the deadline and perhaps at least one of Sbisa and Bitetto being re-signed this summer.

Still, there simply isn’t room for everyone, particularly if Winnipeg lands top-four help.

6. Most likely to be dealt

Whether it’s this season or in the future, I keep circling back to Roslovic. He is too good not to be asked about, not good enough to supplant Ehlers/Laine/Wheeler/Connor and valuable enough to bring back meaningful assets.

7. Other miscellaneous trade chips

Carl Dahlström ($850,000 – UFA 2021-22)

Carl Dahlström is unique because, although he appears to be behind Sbisa, Bitetto and Beaulieu on the depth chart, he’s not a UFA this summer. It would be very easy for the Jets to address their need for depth simply by letting those men walk and retaining Dahlström for next year. The sheer internal popularity of a player like Bitetto, however, combined with Winnipeg’s willingness to fill out its roster with “room guys” as it’s shown, makes me wonder.

Other prospects

Winnipeg might attempt to address its future by trading one of its many quality defensive prospects. I don’t think Ville Heionla or Dylan Samberg are in that mix, nor do I think the team has given up on Logan Stanley quite yet, but those players plus Leon Gawanke, Jonathan Kovacevic and Declan Chisholm give Winnipeg an area of strength. I also think that 1173772 Vancouver Canucks

Canucks: Motte heads to injured reserve; MacEwen, Bailey called up

PATRICK JOHNSTON

January 30, 2020 6:46 PM PST

Just reading the tea leaves, Tyler Motte appears likely to be out for a while.

Tyler Motte has been placed on injured reserve, the Vancouver Canucks confirmed Thursday.

The grinding winger was taken into the end boards by the Sharks’ Erik Karlsson during Wednesday’s game between the Canucks and Sharks at the SAP Center in San Jose.

Karlsson was not penalized on the play and it does not appear the NHL’s department of player safety is considering imposing a suspension, despite the callousness and apparent lack of care shown by Karlsson’s play.

The team only said post-game that Motte was dealing with an upper- body injury, but he appeared to be favouring his right shoulder as he left the ice.

It is also, possible, of course, that he could have sustained a head injury but as of yet, the Canucks have not made any indication that this might be the case.

And the decision to place him immediately on injured reserve suggests an injury of some seriousness, as a player has to be out — or is expected to be out — for a minimum of seven days in order to placed on IR.

To fill the gap, the Canucks recalled a pair of big forwards from the AHL’s Utica Comets: Zack MacEwen, who has been shuttled back and forth between the NHL and the AHL five times already this season, and Justin Bailey, who would make his Canucks debut were he to dress in a game.

Tim Schaller has been a healthy scratch of late and so seems the obvious candidate to slot back in for Motte on Jay Beagle’s left wing but given the speed Bailey brings alongside his size, he present an intriguing alternative.

MacEwen has skated in eight games this season for the Canucks and has a goal and an assist. He’s also played 20 games for the Comets this season, scoring five goals and adding six assists.

Bailey has 24 goals and 16 assists in 45 games with the high-powered Comets this season. He scored three hat tricks between Jan. 10 and Jan. 17, earning himself AHL player of the week honours.

He has scored 5 times in 64 career NHL games, all with the Buffalo Sabres, who drafted him in 2013.

Hertl’s season over

In an unrelated play during Wednesday’s game, Tomas Hertl got tangled up with Canucks defenceman Chris Tanev.

Tanev slid into Hertl as the Canuck tried to cut off Hertl’s angle towards the Canucks net. The then hit the end boards, Tanev on his knees, Hertl still standing.

But the damage from the collision has turned out to be serious: he’s torn both the anterior collateral ligament and the medial collateral ligament in one of his knees.

His season is over and he’ll surely be heading for surgery.

Vancouver Province: LOADED: 01.31.2020 1173773 Vancouver Canucks “The goaltenders were ready to practice against him. They wanted and he wanted their best, because he wanted to be able to know that when he scores goals, it’s a frickin’ goal.”

Canucks at 50: Bure's bitter breakaway from Vancouver netted blue-chip Bure had hired super agent Mike Gillis in September 1997 with one talent in deal obvious purpose — get him out of Vancouver. Bure played hard in his final season in Vancouver, scoring 51 goals.

Tony Gallagher, former sports columnist for The Province, said Gillis had PATRICK JOHNSTON initially played it cool with Quinn in the hopes of finding a way out for Bure, but then Quinn was fired two months later. January 30, 2020 5:47 PM PST “It was Geoff Courtnall who suggested Pavel switch to Gillis. Geoff said

‘why don’t you switch to my guy, he’ll get you out of here,’” he recalled. The Jan. 18, 1999 trade that saw Pavel Bure traded to the Florida After his trade, the Russian Rocket told Gallagher that his issue had Panthers was the final nail in the coffin of the squad that Pat Quinn had never been with Canucks’ fans, but rather with Canucks’ management. assembled and nearly reached Stanley Cup glory in 1994. He was miffed over how long they’d taken to visit him in California when It also could be seen as the opening of the door in the Brian Burke-built he first left Russia in the fall of 1991. He was annoyed at the Canucks West Coast Express Canucks era, given who Bure brought back in return presenting him a new contract in the fall of 1993 with the figures — powerhouse defenceman Ed Jovanovski, who would be a rock on the suddenly in Canadian dollars, not American. He felt that former GM Canucks’ blue-line until 2006. Quinn hadn’t moved quickly enough to deny fictitious rumours that Bure “It made me feel important,” Jovanovski admitted Wednesday over the had threatened to hold out during the 1994 playoffs. phone from South Florida. GM Burke told “Jovo” the trade wouldn’t have Bure said that assistant GM George McPhee had denigrated his scoring happened without him being included. talents and he was upset that he hadn’t been paid during the 1994-95 “I was coming from all I’d ever known in Florida. It was my first team. I lockout even though he believed his contract, signed the summer before, was moving, my daughter was six-months-old at the time. It was a lot for had called for him to be paid whether there was a lockout or not. a younger player. It was a big trade. But I think at the end of the day, it “Quinn and McPhee refused to believe the market was rising,” Gallagher was a great move for me.” wrote. “Pavel had said when he signed that deal in ’94, ‘I don’t want to Ed Jovanovski and Calgary Flames Jason Wiemer fight in NHL hockey sign this, I want to be traded.’ But his agent, Ron Salcer, just said ‘sign it, action Friday night at GM Place in December 2005 Arlen Redekop / sign it.’” Province After the trade Gallagher had flown to to meet Bure, who Burke had been hired the previous summer as the team’s GM. Burke had was on his way to join the Panthers from Russia. been Pat Quinn’s assistant GM in the early 1990s, when Bure first signed “He was pissed,” Gallagher recalled. Gino Odjick, who had been traded with the Canucks. the year before, picked them up and drove them around. One of the first things he had to contemplate was a future without the “Pavel just dished about everything. Canucks’ management had never Russian Rocket who, after four years of frustrations, said he would hold treated their stars kindly. They should have been more like Glen Sather out until he was traded. in Edmonton.” “That really pissed me off,” Burke said of Bure’s decision to hold out. It took four years, but Bure had finally got what he wanted: a new team Pavel Bure cheers after scoring his 51st goal of the NHL season in what and a new home. would be his final game as a Vancouver Canuck. He also picked up a small cut on the chin as a memento from the game against the Toronto Maple Leafs. Vancouver Province: LOADED: 01.31.2020 “I got Pavel Bure out of his contract with the Red Army. I drove him into this country. I drove him from Seattle to the rink. And he said he wouldn’t play for me. I said, ‘Pavel, I can’t believe you’re doing this to me.’ He said, it’s about the Vancouver Canucks. He said if I had been here the whole time, there wouldn’t be a problem.

“I knew I wouldn’t be able to get any value for him until January and I told him that. I said ‘play in October, November and then if I don’t trade you, you can hold out. If you’re not playing, I won’t have a GM desperate enough to do the deal I need to do until January.’

“He said ‘I’m not playing.’ So, I said ‘then you’re not going anywhere until January.’”

Along with Bure, defenceman Bret Hedican also went to Florida as part of the trade.

It wasn’t the first time Hedican was traded — he was part of the famous 1994 trade Quinn made with the St. Louis Blues, that also brought Jeff Brown and Nathan Lafayette to Vancouver — but it was a true shock to the system, he said earlier this month.

“I was always very, very proud to be a Vancouver Canuck. … Obviously getting moved at that time, with Pavel to Florida, it was the first time in my career that I felt that I was given up on, I’ll be honest with you. It was a very difficult trade,” Hedican, who now works as a commentator on San Jose Sharks broadcasts, said.

“Pav was an interesting guy and I really appreciated playing with him,” he added. “When he was here in Van, I’d never seen a guy who wanted to score more goals. He’d score everyday in practice. He’d keep track of goals that he scored in practice on goaltenders so they knew when they came in, he wrote it on the board, you know ‘Kirk McLean I scored nine times on you today.’ 1173774 Vancouver Canucks They also have a seventh-ranked power play that’s sputtering at 3-for-34 efficiency the last 10 games. More important, they have perspective. A simple north-south game predicated on pressure and opportunity — and Jake Virtanen aligning with Pettersson and Miller to provide potency off Ben Kuzma: Roussel believes Canucks shouldn't chase toughness at the rush — is a recipe for success. trade deadline Playing tough is also playing smart. Matchups on the road are harder and reputations are just as difficult to shed.

BEN KUZMA Roussel has 23 penalty minutes in his 23 games, and for a guy who regularly tops 100 minutes a season, his true value is being on the ice January 30, 2020 9:42 PM PST and not in the box. Not that it’s easy — he has to play on the edge.

“A fire needs to to be addressed at the right time and not all the time,” he Antoine Roussel is learning to play smart and hard in push to playoffs. said. “I’d get shitty calls for nothing and I have to control the game more than going after it. The refs are always looking like: ‘Has he calmed 'It’s not our identity if we chase for toughness, that’s not going to give us down?’ And I better look at guys if they’re raising shit. a good trade-off for the way we’re playing. We’re good right now' “Sometimes, you need to be more aware of who’s on the ice. We’re not Antoine Roussel knows game temperatures are going to rise. going to steamroll every team. But at the start of the year, we’d be down a goal and it was like: ‘Holy cow, how are we going to get back?’ Now, I The feisty Vancouver Canucks winger also knows rising to the occasion don’t think anybody is nervous.” in those battles to help secure a playoff position — and deploying his mantra of dragging the NHL club into the fight — is more difficult than it The playing-hard mantra even extends to star players. A growth in was one year ago. Pettersson’s game is pushback. He’ll take a hit and give one right back to the same player. It creates respect, time and space. Roussel suffered a torn anterior cruciate ligament on March 13. Knee surgery later that month, followed by lengthy rehab, prevented him from “When Pettersson hit (Brayden) Schenn, you could see the build-up and playing until Dec. 3. the fire and it’s contagious,” Roussel said of a 3-1 win over the St. Louis Blues on Monday. “The first five games were good and then I kind of crashed a little bit,” Roussel said of three goals in his first two outings and then struggling to “When your best player goes after a big and tough guy, it makes you play his customary irritating and opportunistic game. “I’ve been getting comfortable in games. That’s encouraging with where we want to go.” better and we’re winning, so I’m not worried.”

Still, you would expect Roussel to bang the drum that the Canucks need to address a grit factor before the Feb. 24 trade deadline. Free-agent Vancouver Province: LOADED: 01.31.2020 acquisition Micheal Ferland was expected to bring stiffness, bite and 20- goal potential to the top-six mix, but has missed the last 20 games. He remains on long-term injury reserve with what the club is calling an upper-body injury.

Ferland has a history of concussions and suffered one Oct. 30 in a fight with Kyle Clifford at Los Angeles. That sent him to the sidelines for 17 games and he then played just two more before being out again.

The Canucks said the latest setback is not a concussion, but that’s not to say he might be experiencing concussion-like symptoms, much like Sven Baertschi endured following a Feb. 2 game in Denver.

While the Canucks could go the rental route and surrender a late-round pick to add a grinding deterrent to their mix, Roussel doesn’t believe that’s prudent — even with fourth-liner Tyler Motte injured Wednesday during a 5-2 win in San Jose to open a five-game road trip.

Motte has been placed on injury reserve and is in Vancouver for evaluation after his head and right shoulder were slammed into the end boards on a non-penalized hit by Erik Karlsson. That could mean Tim Schaller returns Saturday afternoon in Brooklyn, N.Y. against the New York Islanders. Forwards Zack MacEwen and Justin Bailey were recalled Thursday afternoon from the Utica Comets.

“It’s not our identity if we chase for toughness. That’s not going to give us a good trade-off for the way we’re playing,” stressed Roussel. “Is that really going to help us? I think we’re good right now. If we get Ferly (Ferland) healthy, he doesn’t need to fight — it’s just getting him back in the lineup.

“Playing tough is playing hard. Make people crack. That’s how we’ve had success this year. When we won the West with Dallas (regular-season title in 2015-16), I kind of see the same thing happening here. We are coming into buildings with no fear at all.

“And when you have (Brandon) Sutter playing fourth-line wing, you’re well balanced and we also have some depth at centre, too. We’re sitting pretty good.”

The Canucks have won 13 of their last 16 games and sit atop the Pacific Division because they’re getting superb goaltending from Jacob Markstrom and Thatcher Demko. They’re first in faceoff wins (54 per cent), second in conference goals (170), third in conference goal differential (plus-18), Elias Pettersson and J.T. Miler are in the top 20 in league scoring and five players are on pace for career seasons. 1173775 Vancouver Canucks “For sure,” he answers, before adding, “It’s part of my game, it’s part of our line’s game and our whole team’s game. At this time of the year you have to be willing to block shots. We’re seeing a lot of big blocks from everyone.” Ed Willes: Canucks' Beagle, Sutter rock with blocks as shutdown pair In looking over their time with the Canucks, the wonder isn’t that Sutter and Beagle have found each other. It’s that it took this long. Both have a simple, direct approach to the game. Both have an easy way about them. ED WILLES Both are proud Albertans, albeit Sutter (of Viking’s Sutter clan) was born January 30, 2020 4:48 PM PST in Huntington, N.Y., while his dad Brent played for the New York Islanders.

“I always thought I was a poor man’s Sutter,” Beagle says with a laugh. SAN JOSE, Calif. — To fully illustrate the importance of Brandon Sutter and Jay Beagle to the Vancouver Canucks, let’s time travel back to Just wonder what a DNA test would show. Pittsburgh in late November where we find a nervous young team held Both are also acutely aware of their roles with the team. Some nights under siege by the Penguins and Evgeni Malkin. they’ll play more. Some nights they’ll play less. But every night they’ll Although they hold a 6-3 lead with 15 minutes left in the third period, the attempt to supply what the situation requires. Canucks are conducting a panic drill in their own end. They allow a goal “Every game is kind of different,” says Sutter. “Some nights it’s a hard to the Pens’ Dominik Kahun. Then Malkin, who finishes the night with five matchup. Others it’s not. I think we know what the expectation is and the points, scores before the home team ties the game. Ultimately, Malkin kind of line we have to be.” helps set up Kris Letang for the game winner. Which, hopefully, is a line on a playoff team. While this is going on, Travis Green looks down his bench and sees few options to calm his jittery squad, largely because Sutter and Beagle are “It’s the reason you play, right?” says Beagle. “Last year we had a taste out of the lineup with injuries. That leaves Elias Pettersson and Brock of it. This year we’re continuing to grow our game. Boeser on the ice for the tying and winning goals, which Green later views as a learning experience for his young forwards. “You kind of go through the grind of midseason but when February hits, it’s here we go.” Fine, but that experience comes at the cost of two points for a team in a dogfight for a playoff spot. And they know their preferred destination.

Now fast forward to this week. On Monday, the Canucks protect a 2-1 third-period lead against the St. Louis Blues, blocking 23 shots as a team Vancouver Province: LOADED: 01.31.2020 with Beagle, who played over 18 minutes, blocking three and Sutter, who plays just under 15 minutes, blocking two more. Their line, which includes Tyler Motte, also sees a lot of the Blues’ top line centred by Brayden Schenn.

Two nights later in San Jose, the Canucks come from behind in the third period to grind out a 5-2 win over the Sharks, and Sutter’s and Beagle’s fingerprints are all over this victory as well. Motte is knocked out of the game late in the second period but Sutter scores the insurance goal in the third, his sixth of the season.

Beagle, meanwhile, returns for the third period after sitting out most of the second due to an injury suffered — you guessed it — blocking a shot. He draws an assist on Sutter’s goal, his fifth point of the season.

The Canucks also block 18 more shots as a team, all of which is a long- winded way of saying the importance of the two veterans transcends their scoring totals. At least it better.

“If you want to have a good team in the NHL, you have to have four lines you can trust,” Green says. “When you’re on the road, you don’t get the matchup you want. The onus is on every line to play against anyone. When you have a line like (Beagle’s) you can trust it’s a nice option.”

Nice for the Canucks and nice for two veterans.

“It’s something we talk about,” says Beagle. “We want to be a line the coach can rely on.”

They’ve been all of that since Sutter returned from a nagging injury four games ago, all Canucks wins.

While Motte’s injury will necessitate a change in the trio — he was placed on injury reserve Thursday while Zack MacEwen and Justin Bailey were called up from Utica — it won’t alter the importance of Sutter and Beagle in the drive for a post-season spot. The pair bring a battle level and harder edge to a team that doesn’t show up on the scoresheet but does in the Canucks’ still-emerging identity. Both are leaders. Both are willing to do the dirty work intrinsic to the greater good.

If you doubted that, you just had to be in the Canucks’ dressing room on Monday, where players were as excited about a pair of Beagle’s blocks off Colton Parayko shots as they were J.T. Miller’s two goals or Thatcher Demko’s starring turn in goal.

“He’s that kind of player,” Green says of Beagle. “I think the better your team is the more you have of that type of player. It bleeds through your team.”

Beagle is asked if blocking shots can be contagious. 1173776 Vancouver Canucks Bailey, on the other hand, is an interesting case. The 24-year-old forward, a 2013 second-round pick of the Sabres, has been on an absolute tear in the AHL over the past month – recording three hat-tricks over the course of an astonishing four-game stretch. He’s third among With Canucks depth about to be tested, can Justin Bailey and Zack Comets forwards in points per game rate, with 40 points in 45 games. A MacEwen help? big-bodied winger, Bailey is a high-end skater and has appeared in 63 games in his NHL career, recording five goals and nine points during

stints with the Sabres and Flyers. By Thomas Drance Since the start of the 2016-17 season, Bailey has spent over 500 minutes Jan 30, 2020 in 5-on-5 situations and has fared poorly across the board by the underlying numbers. As a highly touted prospect in the Sabres organization, Bailey received a few opportunities in the top six and might have been a bit miscast. In all, he spent over 200 minutes playing as a The Canucks’ lineup has been relatively fixed for an extended stretch of winger with Jack Eichel and Ryan O’Reilly over the course of the 2016- games lately, which is unusual on Canada’s West Coast – as Canucks 17 and 2017-18 seasons and struggled in those minutes; he didn’t fare fans know. too much better in a more traditional energy-type role with the Flyers last On Wednesday night against the Sharks, Tyler Motte sustained an injury season. on a cheap hit by San Jose defender Erik Karlsson, described with In both MacEwen and Bailey’s case, they offer the Canucks credible NHL uncharacteristic but warranted shade by the Canucks as “a non- depth and should be serviceable in a limited role. There’s not much in penalized hit” on Twitter. Motte has been sent home to Vancouver for their NHL or AHL track records that’s suggests either forward possesses further evaluation, according to Canucks general manager Jim Benning, untapped top-nine upside and it will certainly be interesting to track how by way of TSN 1040 reporter and The Athletic podcast host Jeff they fare if they’re utilized on a Canucks fourth line that tends to get Paterson. thrown into the fire against top-six matchups with zeal and discipline. To provide added depth ahead of a back-to-back set of afternoon games It’s possible that the Canucks will have to mix it up a bit matchup-wise, against the Islanders and the Hurricanes this weekend, the Canucks perhaps utilizing the Pettersson line more frequently against top-six have called up a pair of wingers in Zack MacEwen and Justin Bailey from quality matchups at even strength. the AHL, as first reported by The Athletic contributor Rick Dhaliwal. The club also announced that Motte has been placed on injured reserve, Reading between the lines of Vancouver’s decision to call up two players facilitating the space on Vancouver’s 23-man roster to complete when they already have an extra forward on the 23-man roster poses Thursday’s transactions and ensuring that he won’t return on this current another interesting question. During Wednesday night’s game against road trip. the Sharks, Beagle left for a stretch during the second period, ultimately returning in the third to contribute an assist on a key insurance marker to With Motte on IR, the Canucks will be without a regular penalty killer and give Vancouver a two-goal lead. Beagle missed some time earlier this a winger who has made Vancouver’s fourth line playable in matchup season with what was widely believed to be a core injury and has eaten minutes. It’s not an insignificant loss, despite Motte’s meagre counting more than his share of pucks in recent games – including two Colton stats haul of three goals and five points in 24 appearances for the Parayko slappers on the same shift against the Blues on Monday night. Canucks this season. The underlying profile is still inauspicious, but Motte has had a positive impact across the board on both teammates It’s most likely that the Canucks wanted a pair of extra bodies up front for with whom he’s played at least 100 even strength minutes this season, some insurance with a condensed set of four games in six days Tim Schaller and Jay Beagle. beginning on Saturday afternoon. The additional call-up is certainly worth noting, though, especially considering that Beagle did leave That matches the eye test. Without Motte’s speed off the wall, Wednesday’s game for a spell. Vancouver’s fourth line just hasn’t been disruptive enough to limit the damage when facing the top-six matchups that coach Travis Green tends to feed them. The Athletic LOADED: 01.31.2020 It’ll be interesting to see how, or whether, Green adjusts deployment-wise in the short term. Conceivably the Canucks could replace Motte with Schaller on a fourth line that would also feature Beagle and Brandon Sutter and continue to try to use a defensive-oriented bottom-six line to create a more favourable environment for the lines centred by Adam Gaudette and Elias Pettersson. That approach, which has razor-thin margins anyway, has tended to become wholly impractical when Motte has been out of the lineup to this point in the season, however.

Which turns our attention to the recall of Bailey and MacEwen, a pair of players who Benning admitted he was eager to see get a look at the NHL level in a conversation with The Athletic early last week:

A guy like Justin Bailey — he has three hat tricks in his last four games! I went down to Utica when we were in Buffalo last weekend to see him play and he had a hat trick. I’d like to get him some games, get a look at him. He’s worked hard and he’s earned some games.

Zack MacEwen, the games he’s played, he doesn’t look out of place. He looks like he’s ready to play in the NHL.

MacEwen has appeared in eight games with the Canucks this season, managing a goal and three points in eight games. His scoring rate has fallen off what he managed over the past couple of seasons on a deeper Utica Comets team this year, as he has 11 points in 20 games played.

While playing in the NHL, MacEwen’s underlying profile over a small eight-game sample hasn’t been pretty, but there’s some crucial context to note: he spent the majority of those eight games getting buried against top-of-the-lineup competition while skating with Bo Horvat and J.T. Miller at the height of Vancouver’s bottom-six centre injury crisis in late November. It’s possible MacEwen’s contributions look significantly different in a more traditional fourth-line role, although there’s nothing traditional about the way Green prefers to use his fourth line. 1173777 Vancouver Canucks Ultimately, you come out of that with the comfort of knowing that you’ve attempted to consider every possible thing around these ideas that could affect them. Dissect them. Whether they make sense. Whether there’s consensus about the direction they’re going. Then from that, you create Q&A with former Canucks GM Mike Gillis: ‘There are a couple of things I your plan. Then your plan has the ability to be somewhat flexible but firm. would have done entirely differently’ Then you go about executing that plan. Then if something comes at you, unconsidered from outside that plan, you insert that detail in very quickly

and see whether it fits in this plan you’ve conceived and you think is the By Craig Custance right way to go.

Jan 30, 2020 Then you’re in a much better position to make a quality decision in the context of your overall plan, which should be guiding your direction not just through the trade deadline but through the next stages and into the summer and into the fall and be in the context of a much larger plan. It Mike Gillis has proven consistently in his post-playing career that he’s not provides a foundation where you can now put inputs in and see if they’re afraid to challenge conventional thinking. The former Canucks GM has in line with your vision of the plan. If they’re completely out of line with taken on powerful people. He’s tried progressive tactics in building an your vision of the plan, you discard them. You eliminate them. organization. He’ll challenge people in the league, people in the media. And you get the sense in talking to him now, if he gets another shot at Do you have an example of the decision-making process that took place running a franchise, we might see an even more progressive approach. with the Canucks, where maybe you decided that something wasn’t the best way forward? To him, one of the biggest obstacles to player evaluation and effective roster construction is groupthink. And doing things the way they’ve Sure. In our first year, there was this idea that the Sedins (Daniel and always been done. He believes in finding ways to maximize the potential Henrik) had to play with a right-handed shot because they had great of everyone in the organization – from players to executives through success with Anson Carter. We went out and as part of our plan, we unconventional tactics. thought ‘OK, we’re going to try and find a reliable well-sized right-handed shot who can finish. Might not be the fastest player in the world but that’s A conversation with Gillis is unique. He’s measured. He’s detailed. And probably not necessary considering their speed of play. We put together he’s not afraid of self-reflection. Gillis was this week’s guest on The Full all these criteria about what we were looking for. There were a couple 60 podcast and it was a fascinating exchange that we wanted to share candidates. with those who prefer consuming these talks by reading them. So here it is, the Mike Gillis Q&A, edited for clarity and length. As we got into free agency we began to eliminate certain candidates or they were eliminated by other teams signing them. We had our macro I read where you’ve been spending these last several years rounding out plan. We had our cap plan. And one player, who was at the top of our list and expanding your professional sports knowledge and the best way to kept coming back to us, coming back to us, coming back to us. We had optimize how a franchise is run. What does that look like? identified him as a really strong candidate. We had gone through all the It takes on all sorts of different permutations and considerations analysis. We had our cap plan in place. There became a point in time depending on what you’re looking at. For example, I spent time at where, to sign this player would have disrupted our cap plan, which was Stanford University and looked at their persuasion labs and virtual reality critical to what we thought we needed to do in order to build a labs and for the purpose of thinking about how you might apply that championship team. … We were very very determined to maintain a thinking and process to decision making with an NHL team. Or decision contract slotting strategy. making in a sports environment where it’s highly emotional and dynamic When it came down to this player, I had the whole staff in the room. I and sometimes you don’t have the luxury of a lot of time in the decision- said, ‘OK, here he is, this is what the cost is going to be. What do you making process. How you implement a process that you know will be think?’ We went around the room, and the consensus was almost entirely effective and get a good result most of the time as opposed to no real and this was an emotional one, we need this player. We thought that this process and operating on emotion and maybe undue influence from was the ideal player for Daniel and Henrik to continue to improve and get outside sources that are guiding your decision-making process and how to the levels they got to without this player. We were really compelled to to avoid that. think this guy fit the profile we wanted. Except for the fact that he now I looked at virtual reality and how it might assist in the teaching and exceeded our cap plan. coaching methodology not just for players but for your entire staff. Almost all the older guys said go get the player, get the player, get the I can imagine a world where virtual reality can help a player. I don’t have player. You have to get the player. A couple of the others said, ‘If we get a good grasp of how it might help staff off the ice. Where do you see it this player we’re not going to be able to do, this, this, this and this.’ The helping those who aren’t playing? decision was ultimately mine and I said, ‘We’re not getting this player, we have to figure out something else for Daniel and Henrik because we You can create scenarios now that resemble real life. Anything that need these other pieces to be successful.’ improves your cognitive awareness and cognitive decision making will be helpful when you face those circumstances that are real life. Historically, We walked away from the player. It was an example of where the it’s all been based on experience, like someone who has gone through it, decision making wasn’t perfect. It was the beginning of how we process gone through it, gone through it and made multiple mistakes. And decision making and the layers we put on those decisions. And ended up perhaps made good decisions have reflected back and said, ‘Wow, that turning out great. Alex Burrows emerged as a player who could fulfill that was a good decision. What did we do to get there? What did we role and was a great player in that role, and the Sedins became better consider, who was involved?’ There’s a way now to begin to accelerate players because of him. the experiential part of learning and growing through technology. It can And Alex Burrows maybe didn’t fit those prototypical characteristics – involve anything, like the trade deadline. There’s always lots and lots of he’s not Anson Carter. moving parts on the trade deadline. Some are anticipated, some are not anticipated. You can build a program where people can be sitting there No. And this was my point. The media and the public everyone felt that and in virtual reality operate a trade deadline scenario. you needed a player who resembled Anson Carter. What we found when we actually found working with the team and working with Let’s use the trade deadline to examine this. What kind of processes can complementary players and began to bring some analytics into who you put in place at a time where you might be making a big decision in 15 should be playing with whom, we found that you didn’t need Anson minutes? Carter. What you needed was a very different skillset. You needed a You go into your initial sessions saying, ‘What ideas do we have?’ What puck retrieval guy, a physical player, someone who is going to fight are you thinking about with your staff? People will lay out different battles, fight for space and had great stick skills. Alex emerged as that scenarios and different ideas. And then you need to debate those ideas player. Consequently, everything that people thought turned out to be not real vigorously without any agenda so that they’re completely objective. necessarily correct. And we were lucky. We had layered on these pieces So that there are no personal feelings involved, and they’re ripped apart of our decision-making process. When one of them got violated, I made and they’re advanced and thought of in different layers. up my mind that we weren’t going to allow that violation to happen. … Our process wasn’t perfect. It was beginning and we built off that to try and make it better. Who was the player you didn’t sign? We’re far enough removed. I don’t think it changes how you build a foundation around structure, decision-making process how you build a daily training environment for Michael Ryder. the players where their expectations are increased. The one thing about You mentioned analytics played a part in that decision. This would have hockey players is that the best hockey players in the world, the ones that been, what, 2008? I’m trying to get a time and place. play in the NHL are ones that absolutely love playing hockey. They love playing hockey their whole lives. Those people then got opportunity. We began to try and use a more scientific methodology to see who However that opportunity came, whether it was a small town and the rink should be playing with one another and not based simply on observation being open 24/7 and available for play or in a larger city with multiple and what might work. More in line with, what would actually complement arenas, if you have the desire and you create the opportunity and you particular players on the ice. What style of player? What did they bring to love the game, that’s when greatness emerges. the table consistently? And thinking about places like where the puck gets turned over. How many times it gets turned over there in a game. That doesn’t change when these guys get to the NHL. If you give them What happens once the puck gets turned over there? Who can create an enhanced opportunity, if you make it available and you make sure that? Who can create that turnover for the other two players on that line? they love coming to the rink and playing, you’re going to get the best out How do you fit together a defensive pairing that has the right puck- of them. There are times where the best might not be good enough. moving skills, the right speed but is defensively capable and reliable? That’s just the harsh reality of a highly competitive environment. When you have the right blend, and we saw that happen, even though we made We began to try and look at numbers in different quadrants around the lots of mistakes in the human performance side of things, the players rink. Really trying to break down games into specifics as opposed to knew they were getting the best we could give them, given the timing and team play, which was left up to the coaches. We began to come up with information we had, and that we were willing to try and experiment with some pretty consistent ideas about how to form lines, how to deploy how you get better, what you need to do to get better. players at certain times during the course of the game, how to put the percentages in our favor to score one more goal than the opposite. It We saw it emerge. Players loved the game. They embraced the worked out OK. opportunity to be the best they could possibly be. They were confident in the coaching staff and their daily training environment was one where When you’re talking about structuring an organization, what’s the ideal they really liked being there. Even though you’re right, the pressure to makeup of a front office? I think it’s really changed. win, the results are always the bottom line. You don’t get results unless you build in these other foundational pieces that people will come to rely I’ve thought a lot about that. You want to create an environment where upon, and I don’t think you can get sustainable excellence unless you you’re making consistently better decisions than your competition and absolutely have those agreements. consistently the best decisions you can make. The way I’ve begun thinking about organizational structure is to look at different organizations The NHL now is built on you’re successful for 2-3 years and then you’re around the world and how they’ve evolved and why they’re set up in the not very good for 10 years. There’s got to be a way to break out of that manner they are. cycle using technology and advanced thinking and advanced decision making. We used to do a lot of stuff with U.S. military consultants because I always felt they were the best sports scientists on the planet. Their You don’t think that cycle has to exist in a cap system? motivation was different, it was to keep people alive and to keep people operating at the highest levels for the longest period of time. When you I don’t think it has to exist that way. If you’re constantly getting the best begin to drill down on everything that is necessary to be a Seal team you can out of every player, you will go through downturns but they don’t member or a special ops member – your ability to digest information, have to be downturns that exist for five, six, seven, eight years or longer make good decisions, make good decisions under pressure, be in some cases. When you see teams that select in the top five players or physically capable to survive under really adverse conditions and they’ve six players for years and years in a row and don’t seem to make any taken science to a whole new level when it comes to trying to keep advancement, there’s something else wrong. people alive particularly in battlefield scenarios and trying to keep Everyone identifies who the top 10 players are, it may change. There medical people operating at the highest level … you’re anticipating high, may be four great players and six really good players coming out of every high-stress levels, you need people who can continue to make decisions draft. If you’re consistently picking in the top eight or 10 and not changing and continue to function under those conditions. your result at all over an extended period of time, clearly there’s I looked a lot at how the structure of those teams and organizations has something else wrong. They may not be as good as you actually hope shifted over the past, really the last 4-5 years in particular, but the trend them to be, but if the environment is correct, they’re going to be the best has been over the last 10 years. My views on NHL front office structure they can be. So I think, yeah, there are ways to avoid it. It requires real would resemble those. They would all funnel into how you make really commitment and alignment throughout the organization to put those good decisions. There would be a lot more autonomy. The makeup processes and environment in place. would be very different. The structure would be different. You would I like the concept that these elite athletes have gotten there because they eliminate groupthink as much as humanly possible. Groupthink is the take advantage of every opportunity given to them. What did you find that killer in my opinion when it comes to player analysis. Groupthink you did in Vancouver that maximized it? emerges from multiple sources – the media, other people outside the organization, ownership, what people have heard – and I think the When we took over the Canucks, the road record for the team was elimination of groupthink would be at the forefront of the organizational abysmal. It was horrible. We realized if we didn’t improve our road structure. record, everything else we did wasn’t going to matter a whole lot. We’d be a struggling team that may or may not make the playoffs but certainly A lot more autonomy with the right people. Probably less people but wouldn’t be an elite level team. We brought in some consultants to really high-end thinkers who can operate in a high functioning develop a complete fatigue management plan, travel plan and part of that organization. Not everyone can do that. You need to have a certain meant that we had to change the way the team had historically traveled, mindset and a willingness to work with others on a different level than the nights they historically traveled, the way we historically traveled and just being friendly to have a high functioning organization. It’s not we had to get the players to buy into that personal. But there has to be vigorous debate about these really important decisions that come up routinely in the world of professional When you change a very set routine, it can become challenging, right? sports. If you don’t have a process, you don’t have structure, you don’t And questions were asked, why would we be doing this? The first thing have a post-decision analysis that’s really detailed, then you’re really just we did was educate everybody on why we are doing this. We said, ‘OK, if operating on emotion and I don’t think the top organizations in the world it keeps you healthier, you’re going to be more productive, if you’re more do that. productive, you’re going to have a longer playing career. If you have a longer playing career, you have a chance to make exponentially more You would need a lot of time to implement this culture and decision- money. Are you interested in that?’ They were all interested in that. making. You might not see a payoff for several years. Some of the biggest mistakes made in hockey are because there’s so much pressure We said, ‘OK, here’s our expectations.’ They all bought into it because to succeed in the short term. How do you mesh that in the pressure-filled they thought it was going to make them better. It was going to extend world of hockey where the GM’s job is on the line 10 minutes after being their career. Our team would be better and they were going to make hired? more money. You’d be hard-pressed to find – if you found someone who said, ‘Hey, I’m the same situation, I would be able to impart that experience to people not interested in that stuff,’ then they’re really not interested in playing on who hadn’t had it and we would react differently and do things differently your team. and our decision making would be different. We would be removing the emotion because we’d seen it before as opposed to allowing the emotion Can you quickly identify those players who don’t want to participate? to overwhelm you at times.

Oh yeah. The more science you layer on top of this, the more evaluation What challenges did you run into that maybe you didn’t foresee? you’re going to get. The more wiliness to be part of something bigger, the willingness to take less money in a cap system in order to play in this I certainly underestimated the effect of the media pressure in those environment because you’re going to get extended years on your career, circumstances. Really wasn’t prepared or really hadn’t even thought absent some sort of catastrophic injury. Your enjoyment of the game, about it as much as we should have and we didn’t get particularly great your financial opportunity and your personal opportunity to be a better guidance in certain areas about different things involving how to handle player are all enhanced. the media and the expectations. Most particularly the expectations on Roberto (Luongo) and our top players. It was extraordinary and, in If someone is unable to do that, it emerges immediately and you know it hindsight, there were some things we should have thought of to do a little immediately. Consequently, you don’t want those guys around. We were different. We just didn’t expect that would play as big a role as it did in lucky, we had really good leaders and they were young players at the being more of a distraction than anything else. time that hadn’t been in a leadership role primarily. We were able to create a bond with those guys where we basically gave the locker room I don’t think it affected our players on the ice. It certainly affected our to them. We said, ‘Look this is your place, this is your house, you need to approach off the ice. I would have thought about that a little differently for control it. You need to have the guts and perseverance and confidence to sure. The travel part, I think we did well, there still are things we probably make sure it’s running properly. We can take care of everything else. But could have done a little better, particularly towards the end of that series. this is your space and you need to make sure your space is run correctly There are a couple of things I would have done entirely differently. That’s like a championship team.’ They did that. what happens. You learn. The only way you learn is to go through it or have someone who has been through it who can impart that level of They took those tough situations on and they were very open with us knowledge and help guide you. when they felt someone was struggling fitting in. They really worked hard with any player coming on to the team or into the team to tell them what When you talk about the media and the pressure it creates in those the culture was or give them the opportunity to learn the culture. It was moments – that series especially, it seemed like every day there was only after, and this was rare, someone simply refused. For the betterment some crazy story to cover. Maybe it was because of the two teams. You of the team, they as a group would make us aware of it. We would do our guys were seen as the skilled, arrogant team, and the Bruins were the best to find a replacement that was more willing to be part of something. Bruins. It was crazy. Is that what you mean? Everything was so magnified? The results – I think people have already forgotten just how good at the peak those Canucks teams were. Yeah. It was that. It wasn’t like we expected everyone to jump on our bandwagon and support us. But we certainly didn’t expect everyone to be A lot of good things happened. Without the right people, none of it putting bombs in front of us. happens. You have to have a really solid cohesive group of players, a solid coaching staff that work and work and work that is aligned with your Media-wise, you mean? vision with how to play. You need to be consistent all the time. Then again, to be consistent you need to have your energy levels at the Yeah. The players, in particular, got the feeling that a lot of people in the highest possible point at every game you play. If you strive for that level media thought they didn’t deserve to be there. They didn’t play the right of elite consistency in your play, you need to make sure that everyone is way. They weren’t tough enough. They didn’t fight enough. They didn’t as healthy and energized as they can possibly be. When the players do this, they didn’t do that. Our guys were like, ‘Wow. We’re going to win figured out how much better they felt by us changing things, they just every major award in this league and we’ve had the best record by far embraced it. There was no push back, there was nothing. They also saw and we don’t deserve to be here?’ We all struggled with that. With that results. Individually, they had the best seasons they’ve ever had before idea, that everything you’d done and everything you worked towards for a or after and as a team had the best results they’ve ever had. significant period of time didn’t really matter.

Do you think about the 2011 Stanley Cup final (a seven-game series loss It crept into every question. Every time Roberto was asked something. Or to the Boston Bruins) a lot? Kevin Bieksa, who is a great spokesperson, or Daniel and Henrik, who show up at everything. You could just see that they were just getting There were a lot of moving parts and being in the role of President and worn down with this idea that, ‘You shouldn’t be here.’ I think we did as GM for the first time in that situation was a real learning opportunity. We well. We allowed that to become a distraction and we shouldn’t have. learned a lot about how to manage certain aspects of that level of participation that I hadn’t anticipated. The effect of the media. The way It’s not the media’s fault for doing that. They’re chasing stories. They’re certain people operated and how distracting they could be or attempted trying to create something. They’re doing their jobs and we allowed that to be if you let them. There were times we let them and it was a mistake. to become perhaps a greater influence than we ever should have.

We had some injuries, particularly in the last two rounds of the playoffs When I look at how you were built and how you played, it wasn’t all that that were extraordinarily difficult to overcome. When you take Dan dissimilar to the Red Wings team of the same era. They were highly- Hamhuis out of your lineup, and Alex Edler is injured and Aaron Rome skilled. They were going to go on the power play and beat you if you did gets suspended, you lose three highly effective left-shot defensemen. It’s something stupid. Why do you think Vancouver was looked at differently, virtually impossible to overcome that unless you change your style of if you believe that, versus their contemporary? play and reduce it to one-goal games and try to survive and maybe get Because we’re a Canadian team. There was, I’m not sure if it still lucky or maybe have someone make an extraordinarily great play. remains, there was a dramatic difference in how hockey is perceived in We played the whole season knowing that we could outscore every Canada versus the rest of the world and how it should be played. opponent we played. We just had that level of confidence that we could Canadians are the toughest hockey players in the world and that’s the go and once we got our opportunities we could outscore anybody. We way the game should be played. If you can’t beat them in the alley, you had the ability to score throughout our entire lineup. There wasn’t any can’t beat them on the ice. There are decades of that type of sentiment. player who couldn’t score on our team given the opportunity. We had There were lots of people that had big platforms that espoused that great puck-moving defensemen who could contribute offensively sentiment and said things like that very publicly. throughout our lineup and we had great goaltending, so we felt during the The remarkable thing is they all really loved the way the team played regular season that, given any game at any particular time, if we had our because it was exciting and there was always good play, exceptional energy levels correct and if everyone was ready and we were healthy, we play from Daniel and Henrik and Alex Burrows, and Christian Ehrhoff could outscore any team we played. That’s how we built the team. emerged as one of the top offensive defensemen in the league for that Suddenly you get into this situation where you have to because of period of time. Sami Salo was just a great, great hockey player. Low key, circumstances, you need to amend your style of play dramatically, then wouldn’t say anything just a super, highly-skilled great hockey player. lots of stuff happened. Don’t really want to rehash it all, as leaders of the team, and this goes back to experience if I did this again, and we were in It was often troubling for us when those things got lost in all this other stuff that had zero relevance, you know? Whether someone wore a visor or not? Are you kidding?

I forgot about that.

There were media people who openly referred to the Sedins as sisters. You know? They were the best players in the league that year and that’s how they got referred to by certain media people. I didn’t handle that correctly. None of us handled that correctly. We thought, if you’re this good on the ice, you’re this courageous, and you never miss games, you’re never hurt, you’re the best players in the league. Why isn’t that the story? Why isn’t that – the only time in professional sports history that two twin brothers have achieved this level of excellence in any sport. Isn’t that a story?

And instead, we were confronted with lots of other stuff and didn’t anticipate it. Should have. Should have ignored it a lot better and didn’t and next time around I wouldn’t even give it a consideration. Not even a thought. And stay focused at the task at hand and how to win the final game. There are big lessons you learn but you only learn them if you do it.

What would you do differently now?

We would bring in almost crisis management, I would bring in almost crisis management media people to go through all the possible scenarios that may emerge, as untasteful as they may be or as flattering as they may be, and make sure everyone has it in perspective. Everyone in the hockey operations department understands the motivation, is better educated, better prepared for that line of questioning, understands the motivation behind it, which I think is critical. Then you can just put it away and not even give it a second thought. It doesn’t affect you at all. You knew it was coming. Here it is, have a laugh about it and move on.

So I think preparation going into those types of situations like anything is just another layer of stress or another layer of adversity that you need to learn how to deal with effectively and make sure it doesn’t affect your performance.

Do you think that mentality still exists? You couldn’t go on a platform and call the Sedin twins the Sedin sisters now without losing your job. Do you think those same pressures to play that way still exist in Canada?

I think there’s always going to be an underlying current. It just doesn’t disappear overnight. There’s most definitely, you look at young players and how they’re being coached and the emphasis on skill, you look at how great the emerging players are in this league now, it’s all skill. It’s all speed and it’s remarkable to watch it. I think over time, yeah, I still think there needs to be a blend of physical play, proper physical play in the league that should never go away, but I think the extra stuff, the stuff that’s clearly racist and is only said to try to disaffect someone personally, I think those days are dated and they’re rapidly coming to an end, which is good.

You’re seeing it all over the world that type of behavior will no longer be tolerated and personal, vicious attacks, particularly in the world of sports – if someone has done something really bad, they deserve it, they should get it. But just because they’re from another country or don’t speak the language as well as you hoped they would or whatever, there’s no room for that any longer.

The Athletic LOADED: 01.31.2020 1173778 Vancouver Canucks Now, in Canucks lore, the “Summer of Kesler” exists. It tells the tale of a young man with a withering shot, spending an entire summer shooting the puck in a series of montages and emerging as a 40-goal scorer.

The Armies: ‘The Natural’ Quinn Hughes, Tuna beats Shark and always Naturally, any time a player starts displaying a lethal shot, people will be closing begin to ask one question.

“Did he do a ‘Summer of Kesler’ training regiment?”

By Wyatt Arndt Well, The Armies knows our VIPs deserve answers, so we tracked down Hughes to ask him about his shot, and if he has spent extra time on it. Jan 30, 2020 “I’ve never really worried about it. I mean yeah, I work hard at everything that I do,” Hughes said. “Nothing crazy. When I’m on the ice, or during summer, I’ll just shoot pucks and work on specific one-timers and stuff It was probably a game the Sharks deserved to win, but as with many like that, but I mean that just goes along with the rest of my game. Canucks games this season, the difference at the end of the night was in Honestly, there’s nothing to put into it. I just shoot, that’s it. There’s the hands of Jacob Markstrom. nothing specific.” With the Canucks starting slower than the Queensborough bridge during So apparently Hughes is just naturally good at hockey. It would be like rush hour, it was once again up to Markstrom to hold down the fort while asking Thor how come he’s so good at being strong and he would just his team found its legs. Or at least its hands, so it could pop in five goals. stare at you in a confused manner, twirl his hammer once or twice, and High-octane offence, top-end goaltending, and a dash of defence tossed then go about his day saving the world. in once in awhile: this has been the Canucks’ recipe for success this There might not be a scarier situation for opposing teams than seeing season. And while there might be some debate as to whether the offence Hughes getting the puck at their own blue line. You know the kid can or the goaltending deserves the most credit for the Canucks’ current spot shoot, you know he can pass, and you know he can dance all day, so in the standings, one only has to look across at Martin Jones to see what sometimes you’ve just got to tackle Maverick to shoot him down, as Timo the other end of the goaltending scale can look like. Meier did Wednesday: If Markstrom is Captain America right now, Jones is one of the extras in There is no more debate. the elevator fight scene. Hughes is the best defenseman in Vancouver Canucks history. Hell, he’s one of the extras who got his role cut from the movie. Best plan Jones, who has struggled this season, was off his game once again, at one point sliding off into space to let Brandon Sutter score. It was like the In a Rye House Plot fashion, it appeared there was a secret plan from ‘Shooting Stars’ meme, except it was happening for real, and we all got the Sharks to get in behind the Canucks defense, especially on Hughes. to watch Jones go on a magical journey together. This led to a variety of attempts to get in behind the Canucks defense, One only has to look up “Martin Jones” on a Twitter search and you’ll see some of which worked, and some of which didn’t. I only bring it up Sharks fans are not exactly enamoured with the BC native: because I would watch anything that involved Hughes taking on a challenge. Cooking show, dance off, defending in hockey, give me all of So it should come as no surprise which goalie stood above the rest it. Wednesday. With the Canucks trailing 2-1 in the second period, it was the Scrum Lord himself time-travelling to the ’80s and pulling out an First up is Brent Burns trying to power through Quinn “too small for NHL unreal stack the pad, around the world save, that even Grant Fuhr would hockey?” Hughes: think was a bit much: Now, Tomas Hertl, fresh off a Botch Trick at the All-Star Game, did get Like Johannes Kepler dunking on Copernicus’s belief of planetary behind Huggy Bear, giving himself a nice lane to the net. The only motion, Markstrom shattered Kevin Labanc’s belief of scoring goals. In problem? Chris Tanev was there to force an early shot: elliptical fashion, Markstrom went around the world to once again give his team a chance to win the game, which it would go on to do 5-2. Later in the first, Kevin Labanc did manage to outmaneuver Hughes, but this is where the Markstrom factor kicked in, to once again deny the (Yes, Troy From Richmond got turn-styled really bad by Patrick Marleau, Sharks a goal. but let’s not focus on that right now.) They also had plays that just ended up being offside: Final result: It was a fun battle to watch, as the Sharks did their best to get in behind Jacob Markstrom: 38 saves, .950 save percentage. the Canucks for most of the game.

Martin Jones: 20 saves, .833 save percentage. Sadly there was no plan for “Martin Jones is our goaltender.”

And while it wasn’t the best game from Vancouver, it felt like the kind of Best advice game a team with top goaltending can get away with from time to time. It reminded you of days gone when the Canucks could kind of float by in Galileo, noted fan of velocity, gravity and projectile motion, is a kindred some games and still win because Roberto Luongo was locked in. spirit of Elias Pettersson’s love of speed, agility and power. But even Nobody would recommend this group do it very often, but it felt like a Galileo would wonder why Pettersson didn’t do his dekes. telling sign of subtle improvement from a team that has not had that Sure, Pistol Pete just shot a puck over a 100mph at the All-Stars skill luxury in many years. content. Maybe he’s feeling his shot and wants to impose his will on Perhaps Coach Green said it best: opposition goalies with brute force. But surely on a second breakaway, he would do his dekes. Best Love Quinn OK, first, let’s all give credit to Maverick for threading that needle right Like William of Orange riding in on a white palfrey to liberate Exeter to into Iceman for the breakaway chance. And yes, he did a basic deke, but cheers and adulation, Quinn Hughes walked the line and delivered yet we all know he has better moves. Maybe a third chance … another highlight play on a season already chock full of them. At this point, Hughes could ride an actual horse on the ice and we wouldn’t blink OK, there wasn’t much he could do there, that’s fair. But it was a rare an eye. night for Pettersson to miss out on so many clear-cut chances.

On his latest heroics, Hughes creates so much room for himself, Best from downtown Vancouver would charge $3,000 in rent for it. After walking the line he The Canucks tied the game at two on a Tyler Myers shot, as once again can either dish off to a wide-open Brock Boeser, or he can simply load up Martin Jones got beaten from a spot you normally only score at in “NBA his boom boom stick and go top shelf. Jam.” He chose to snipe. And while it’s always nice to see a giraffe hug people, the best part of this Watching the Canucks getting into “empty net territory” is one of the best goal was Pettersson double-tapping that puck, either to remember what it storylines of the season, and is something we will talk about for the rest feels like to score a goal, or to just kind of make sure it was a goal. Petey of our days. We are watching history being made. is one hell of a competitor, you know he’s the guy who is calling people out for not saying “Uno!” when they have one card left. Pearson, Eriksson and Horvat are an elite empty net unit. Confirmed.

Best theory Also, please make sure to enjoy the Sharks double-tapping the puck into their own net, in what must have been an homage to Elias Pettersson. It’s true, nobody else on the team gets to experience empty-net goals anymore. Best of the rest

Best let the Tuna spread his wings and fly Just for posterity sake, here are the Sharks’ goals. The first one was a big rebound that even a Pettersson pad stack couldn’t prevent. The jury remains out on what type of player Jake Virtanen will end up being. And the other goal was a deflected puck that went in on Markstrom after a very good forecheck by Labanc: Virtanen truthers will tell you power forwards take longer to develop, and all he needed was some time to figure out his game. That the Virtanen Jay Beagle will block every single shot he can, so it was not much of a we are seeing is the Virtanen he was always going to be, and that people surprise seeing him doubled over in pain after he once again ate rubber who wrote him off early should be angrily tweeted at. That Green held for his teammates. Virtanen back and that his play on the first line is proof he is a top-six He did leave the game briefly, but he did return in the third period. player. This is one of those plays where if you’re charitable, you can say it’s two Then there are those who think Virtanen is playing well but wonder if it guys battling for a puck, and an unfortunate result occurred: will drop off at some point. That maybe it would be more prudent to “sell high”, especially if there are contracts that need to be moved. Paying I watch this, however, and to me that’s a dirty play. Not only does Virtanen a lot of money for his best season to date could be a dangerous Karlsson have Motte’s arm tied up, but he drives through at the end to game plan heading into next season. finish his check with Motte in a very vulnerable position, driving him hard into the boards. Dirty, dirty, dirty. Regardless of where you land, though, I think we can all admit that Virtanen is not only playing some damn good hockey right now, but he There was no penalty called on the play, as is tradition, of course. It was looks like a completely different player than the one who first entered the made even worse, optic wise, because Alex Edler was called for a league. hooking penalty moments earlier. Here is a gif of the hook:

The biggest mark against Virtanen? His hockey IQ. Now? We’re seeing Sorry, there is no gif, because there was no hook. him showcase patience. We’re seeing him making good passes. We’re Best peripheral vision seeing him relying less on roller hockey skills (ie close your eyes and shoot from the corner) and more on reading his teammates and getting to Say one thing about Oscar Fantenberg, but the man knows when a fist- dangerous areas of the ice. bump opportunity arises.

Even during his goal Wedneseday, he realizes his check lost his stick, so Ryan Kesler, just another podcaster like the rest of us, shooting our shot he moves in and gets to a much more dangerous spot on the ice, and and hoping a celebrity will randomly agree to go on our show because then snipes it home. Call it confidence, call it growth in his game, we tweeted at them. however you want to frame it, this is a side of Virtanen we have not seen in Vancouver yet. One of us! One of us! One of us!

This is a Virtanen whom you want to see getting 17 minutes a night. Best jersey Botch

Of course, it leaves Brock Boeser in an awkward spot on the third line, The F’n All-Star Dany Heatley! where he has struggled to make an impact. But, champagne problems, Which was only topped by: right? Is … is he Eskimo brothers with my best friend Logan Couture? Is he just Right? a big fan of The League? What’s the story here? Best shotgun Canucks prospect Vasily Podkolzin, who was recently featured in KHL The man drank fish juice. For Big Tuna. news in their “Man of the week” feature, which I assume means he built a log cabin from scratch while befriending a bear, has been on a hot streak God knows what the man has planned for 20 goals. as of late. Not only has he put up points in each of the past four games, but he’s also becoming the Hockey God of Thunder, reigning down fists How do we crowdfund a Jake Virtanen jersey for this man? from the clouds. To quote Cam Robinson, the Bob Ross of hockey How do the Canucks not just get a signed Virtanen jersey for all that prospect writing: Tommy is doing in Jake’s honour? He looks like the kind of player this market will absolutely love to watch. Best game plan And if he struggles, who better to help him acclimate than life coach Jimothy Timothy Miller? Much like William Harvey discovering blood circulation, the Canucks realized they had to dig a bit deeper Wednesday. Enter Brandon Sutter JT Miller is doing everything in his power to try and prove that the and Jay Beagle, grinding it out. Canucks underpaid for his services.

Yes, that’s Martin Jones looking like that forward who subbed in net for Next season is lining up to be a very interesting year for Vancouver. your beer league team because your regular goalie got stuck in traffic.

He just sort of slides himself right out of the equation in what I assume was an attempt to deflect blame from himself. The Athletic LOADED: 01.31.2020 “Can’t blame me on that goal, I wasn’t anywhere near that net, officer.”

All of which set the stage for …

The Big Mac line struck again, as Special Ops Pearson made sure to ice the game once the Sharks pulled their goalie. It’s getting to the point where teams need to seriously consider if it’s even worth it pulling their goalie when facing the Canucks. 1173779 Websites “Unless you make some farcical AAA team at a very young age, the parents are basically saying, ‘Well, my kid’s not going to make it,’” he said. “So the kid better be pretty motivated to continue.”

The Athletic / How minor hockey is set up to eat its young with coaches, What about the coaching? parents and associations sharing the blame “Parents would go berserk if I said, ‘Well, I’m the parent of a five-year- old, and I’m going to teach all the Grade 1 classes this year with no training,’” Norris said. “And I would implement whatever the hell I wanted By Sean Fitz-Gerald based on whatever was my experience, or if I happened to see adult education on TV.” Jan 30, 2020 And yet, he said, that is often what happens with coaching in minor

hockey. Hockey Canada has online and in-person requirements for On LinkedIn, Stephen Norris, Ph.D., describes himself as “performance coaches working with children of certain ages, but there is no guarantee guide to a chosen few,” and as a “performance conversationalist” with the information from those courses will be absorbed, let alone applied on experience working in high-level sport across the world. the ice in practice.

On the phone, he is slightly more direct. “Many people will do the obligatory — the mandated minimum — to get on the ice,” he said. “And in some instances, it’s precious little.” “I know I come across as an asshole, or big-headed, or whatever that is, and I don’t mean to,” he said. “But my job — and how I make my living — For coaches at certain levels, training includes a visit from a Hockey is to push people to think.” Canada representative to evaluate the team’s year-long plan, how practices are conducted and that safety precautions are being adhered Norris is a sports scientist who has worked with Hockey Canada, the to. PGA, Canada’s Olympic program and a host of athletes and organizations. The Greater Toronto Hockey League invited him to be a Isn’t an adult doing enough just by volunteering their time to help the guest speaker at its summit in November that focused on the grassroots local minor hockey team? level of the game. One goal of the event, hosted by the world’s largest “Not if it’s ignorant,” he said. “Because who is it doing the service to?” amateur hockey league, was to find solutions for the growing crisis surrounding participation. An NHL-level drill does not bear repeating in a tyke practice, with five- and six-year-olds. Concepts in junior hockey do not fit in novice. A nine- Canadian children are dropping out of minor hockey faster than they are year-old is only nine once, Norris said, and part of the coach’s job is to signing up. Registration rates have flatlined. Norris has explored help develop them and get them ready for when they are 10. challenges facing the game, and he has found they are not just tied to the usual suspects, such as the cost of equipment and ice time. “The real issue is the quality of our personnel involved — our administrators and our coaches,” he said. “I find it incredible that we as Here, The Athletic presents a conversation with Dr. Norris, who raises adults are not really prepared to invest, other than money, in our kids in questions not just about how the game is administered in Canada, but terms of giving them the very best possible experience.” how it is coached, how parents require a part of the blame and how some solutions might take shape. Minor hockey players, he said, “need people who know what the hell they’re doing.” Connor McDavid. World junior gold. Marie-Philip Poulin. Canadian hockey seems fine? Where do parents fit into this?

“The challenge for Canada at the moment is that we cannot see the Too often, Norris said, minor hockey serves as entertainment for adults. future that well, because we’re somewhat myopic,” Norris said. “We are so lucky that we have a population that is rabid about hockey in general, “The problem is the focus is on the games,” he said. “That’s where the and a population of kids that start out playing this game that is absolutely parents largely get their kicks, if you like, because they’d far rather watch ginormous.” that than a practice. Particularly a practice that they don’t understand and, possibly, doesn’t look anything like what they did when they were a According to Hockey Canada, 643,958 Canadians were registered in kid.” official programming in 2018-19, a figure buoyed by a jump in the number of female players (102,959, up from 83,711 a year earlier). It offset the That resistance led to a formal protest three years ago in Toronto, when male participation numbers, which had been dropping for four straight executives from 30 of the city’s minor hockey organizations sent a letter years. to Hockey Canada after the governing body mandated changes to how the game was played at the youngest ages. (The mandate required “Even at the highest level, we’re starting to see trouble,” Norris said. children play on smaller ice surfaces — from sideboard to sideboard at “We’ve gone roughly from 85 percent when I first came to Canada down first, then half-ice, followed by graduation to full ice.) to about 47 percent playing in the NHL.” At the youngest levels, Norris said, games should not be the focus. Norris, who moved to Canada from England, said it usually takes between 10 and 15 years for a young player to develop into a high-level “They go up and down with the team’s performances like a yo-yo, which talent. is clearly a warning sign,” he said. “Why would you get so (caught) up as an adult about a bunch of eight-year-olds losing a game? The kids get “Unless you’re very careful,” he said, “if something goes wrong in that over it very quickly, but the adults go absolutely ballistic about it.” process and the only metric you’re looking at is what’s happening at the highest level, you just don’t see it coming until it starts to become too What changes would you like to see? late.” During his address to the GTHL summit, Norris raised questions about What is wrong at the grassroots level? the place the scoreboard has in youth hockey. It’s not the result of a six- year-old’s hockey game that mattered, he stressed, but rather what that “Some kids will hit the accelerator of performance a little sooner than child was learning in practice and how they were incorporating what they others,” Norris said. “We get very focused on early developers and early learned. performers, if you like.” “I’d far rather see … the number of shots or the number of saves in these And that is where the system becomes increasingly self-selecting, he younger games,” he said. “The kids are going to keep score. They know said. Young players who show early promise are often exposed to better roughly how they’re doing, particularly in lopsided games.” coaching, and they are encouraged to do more because of their success on the ice. (Norris said the other players — the ones who develop at their He would also get rid of the offside rule at the youngest ages: “I’d want own pace — start receiving messages they are “average, or they’re them rushing the net and, as they get better and better and more actually not very good in the first place.”) tactically alert, then impose the next rule.”

In short, minor hockey is set up to eat its young. As Norris learned first-hand, though, implementing change is not easy in Canadian hockey. He lives in Cochrane, Alta., outside Calgary, and went to his local minor hockey association’s annual general meeting with an idea.

He said the local association had about 1,000 children registered to play. His idea was to levy another $100 onto each child’s registration fee, which would raise around $100,000 to hire a full-time, fully-trained professional coach who could serve as a technical lead for the entire organization.

That technical leader could help train the volunteer coaches using materials and best practices picked up from Hockey Canada, USA Hockey and the Russian federation.

They could craft a curriculum and oversee its implementation, all while floating from team-to-team, offering support and guidance. Even if the association paid that person $80,000, there would still be money left behind that could be used to buy additional ice time, more equipment or even another trained coach.

Some families were already spending thousands on outside coaching. This might save them money, while also ensuring their children received proper, age-appropriate training.

Did the association embrace his idea?

“No,” Norris said. “I got stomped on every time.”

The Athletic LOADED: 01.31.2020 1173780 Websites not leapfrog over Gritty because his butt was too big. That’s just common sense.

7. A lot of the mascots were cheaters. In musical chairs, S.J. Sharkie The Athletic / Fur-ty-one thoughts: A 7-year-old breaks down the mascot kicked Howler in the butt and he tried to make Howler lose. But Howler madness at NHL All-Star weekend won anyway! Gritty cheated a lot, too. In the relay races, he wasn’t even leapfrogging, he was just walking past everyone, which is not fair because they’re supposed to be playing leapfrog. I yelled “CHEATER” at him once and he turned around and looked at me like, “What?” I didn’t By Mark Lazerus say anything back. I didn’t want to go to mascot jail. I didn’t want to go to Jan 30, 2020 people jail, either.

8. Blades and Youppi! had a staring contest. It lasted for the entire talent show. At the beginning, my mommy read the future. She said there was Hockey? My 7-year-old daughter could take it or leave it. going to be a cheap shot because the Bruins and Canadiens always hit each other. She was right! At the very end, Blades kicked Youppi! in the Hockey mascots? Now that’s her jam. shin and he fell down, and Blades won. But not very nicely. From my years-long quest to procure a plush of each mascot from its 9. I got a picture with Chance and my sister, but he tried to bite my head native arena, to her ranking of the mascots in the wake of Gritty’s splashy off. Lucky for me, his teeth are made of foam. debut, to the serendipitous arrival of the Mascot Hall of Fame basically in our back yard, her love of these furry, dead-eyed monsters has been Here are the best mascots at different things. My daddy said they’re well-documented. Enough so that the NHL actually invited her to All-Star called “superlatives.” weekend in St. Louis to “report” on the mascot showdown, the decathlon of mascot-itude featuring all 29 team avatars. 10. Strongest Mascot: Hunter. Hunter is a very fit cat. When he was signing autographs on the red carpet, he had a vest on. And then he I have a picture of my daughter from when she was 3 years old, standing turned around and did a dance to show off his six-pack muscles. I think in front of an easel at her preschool, holding a piece of paper and that it was really funny even though it was a bit creepy and kind of beaming so proudly. The easel says “When I grow up I want to be …” overkill. But he really was strong. At the scavenger hunt, he did a and the paper she’s holding up doesn’t read princess or Olympic athlete handstand for a whole minute, and that was really cool and really real. or astronaut or president. It says “reporter.” Ah, the foolishness of youth. 11. Best Hair: Spartacat. He had really nice hair. My daddy said the She’d rather be a gymnast or a rollercoaster designer these days, but we hockey word for it is “flow.” He said something about salad, too, but I happily took up the league on its gracious offer, anyway. Armed with a don’t think that anybody wants salad in their hair. That much hair would press pass, an official company notebook and a front-row seat to the be really hot and it probably weighs like three pounds. I just got a haircut mascot shenanigans, she took her job seriously. and my head feels so light it’s like a balloon. It used to feel like a rhino was sitting on my head. She took page after page of notes, outlined her ideas and started typing. Then she started dictating her story to me, because otherwise this 12. Worst Hair: Nordy. He had a mullet. My daddy said that was a really wouldn’t have been done until next All-Star weekend. I offered some big thing in the ’80s. I think Nordy and Cyborg from “Teen Titans Go!” coaching and some encouragement (and some very light editing), but would be friends, because they both really like the ’80s. Also, he might these are completely her words. She might not share my love of hockey, have to go to the record store to get his music because in the ’80s you but she definitely shares my love of writing too long. couldn’t have music on your phone like you do now.

So without further ado, and with apologies to the estimable Elliotte 13. Best Dancer: N.J. Devil. He was doing the running man, he was Friedman, here are my daughter’s fur-ty-one thoughts. flossing, and he did the sprinkler, but he could not make the sprinkler noise because he’s a mascot and mascots can’t talk because they didn’t 1. Tommy Hawk got booed a lot. Everybody in St. Louis hates the go to talking school. I would be scared if he was dancing around with his Blackhawks because they’re arch-nemeses, like Loki and the Avengers, poky stick because he might stick it into somebody’s head on accident or Superman and Lex Luthor. They’re always battling each other. But and their brains would fall out and they would be really dumb. when Victor E. Green couldn’t stay on the hoverboard, Tommy and Louie teamed up and helped him, which was very cool. It showed that just 14. Laziest Mascot: Youppi! When all the other mascots were doing because you’re rivals, it doesn’t mean you have to be mean to each other exercises like squats, jumping jacks and lunges, Youppi! was just lazing and yell and scream and punch each other in the face all the time. about doing nothing. I would give him a timeout because he didn’t do what the teacher told him to do. 2. Tommy won the St. Louis fans over by turning four people into a table with magic during the talent show. It was really cool. I clapped like crazy 15. Best Good Boy: Bernie. For the talent show, Gnash was showing and so did everybody else, even the people who hated him. That was what a good dog trainer he is. He made Bernie not touch a ball till the nice. end of the show which was like 30 minutes. Bernie was sitting right in front of me and all the other mascots were playing with the ball and trying 3. They don’t just hate the Blackhawks, they hate people from Chicago, to get him to play with it, but he didn’t, even though he was moping too. Hate’s not great, so I’ll say they don’t like each other instead. The because it was really hard. He still did it. I would give him a gold medal other mascots were ganging up and teasing the Blackhawks fans. because dogs love to play with balls. And after Gnash finally let him play Slapshot was supposed to pour popcorn on his own fan during the relay with the ball, Bernie gave the ball to my little sister, which was really nice. races, but he poured it on the Blackhawks fan, even though he didn’t get I wanted to give him a whole bag of Beggin’ Strips. any points for it. He didn’t want to make the Capitals fan angry. 16. Cutest Mascot: BOOMi. He’s the China hockey mascot. He looks like 4. Howler is my favorite mascot. I have a Howler toy at home and I sleep he’s kind of anime, and anime things are super cute. with it every night and I take it on the road trips that we go on. I like my Howler toy because he has a big belly and it’s really squishy and soft. I Here are my thoughts on mascot fashion: finally got to meet Howler this weekend, but he doesn’t have a very big squishy belly in real life, which is disappointing. But he was still very nice 17. Carlton, Stinger, Victor E.Green, Louie, Sabretooth and Youppi! all and is still the best mascot ever made. don’t wear pants. Which doesn’t make any sense because their butts would freeze on the ice if they fell down. And even weirder, Harvey is the 5. Before the relay races, Howler put a hockey net on Gritty’s head like only one who doesn’t wear a shirt. I also think that since his tongue is so he was in jail. That’s because Gritty was accused of punching a 13-year- long, it could freeze to the ice like the kid in “A Christmas Story.” I don’t old, which would be very mean. That’s why even though all the other like thinking about that part of the movie because I don’t want his tongue mascots were running around and using their whole hands to give high- to fall out of his mouth. That would be creepy. fives to all the kids, Gritty just tapped them on the hand with his pinky so he wouldn’t go to mascot jail. It was funny. 18. Louie had a Stanley Cup ring because his team won the playoffs. It was really big because his hand is really big, too. I like it a lot because it 6. Gritty has a very big butt. Sorry, Gritty. I don’t mean any offense. But it is very sparkly and blingy. is very big. During the relay races, his team lost because Stinger could 19. Gnash’s tail is just a pool noodle with stripes painted on it. I think that it’s lazy costume making.

20. The back of Chance’s head was very pretty and glittery.

21. One night, the mascots got to walk on the red carpet and some of them wore very weird suits. Gritty wore a jean shirt and jorts, which my daddy said is a joke about St. Louis. But I don’t know why, I think it’s ugly. Wild Wing wore a bright orange tuxedo and it was so bright orange I think it could glow in the dark. You could see it from 10,000 miles away and it would still burn your eyes out. Stanley C. Panther wore a flowery jacket. It looked like the couch in my grandma’s house. Louie and Victor E. Green went to all the trouble of trying to find a mascot-sized tuxedo jacket and bow tie and shirt and still forgot to wear pants! That doesn’t make any sense at all! Tommy Hawk didn’t wear a suit, which is a shame, because I think he would look funny in a suit. Maybe I’ll try to draw him in one.

22. I like waffles. They are sooooo good. I wish everything was made of waffles.

23. During the scavenger hunt, some person gave their baby to Harvey, which seems very irresponsible. I would not do that. He might drop your baby and the baby would get hurt. The baby’s middle name was Gloria, which made everyone in St. Louis cheer, because that’s the song they played when they won the game that got Louie his oversized ring.

24. Two teams don’t have mascots. That’s stupid. Every team should have a mascot, whether they like it or not, so poo-poo on you, Rangers and Red Wings.

25. Actually, the Red Wings sort of have a mascot. I have an Al the Octopus toy, but he’s not a real mascot because it would be really hard to walk around and you’d hit people with all those tentacles sticking out of you.

26. Fin’s fin is supposed to come out of his back, not his head. There’s something wrong with Fin. He might have a whale condition, so he might have to get that checked out.

27. I wish that Mini-Stanley was out there, too. I was bummed. Maybe he’s sick and his mommy had to take care of him. And by the way, where is Mommy Stanley?

28. THERE ARE NO GIRL MASCOTS. What is up with you, mascot makers?

29. My sister is 4, and she likes Bernie. Her favorite used to be Carlton because he gave big soft bear hugs and she likes hugs. She still likes Carlton, but only as her second favorite now. Sorry, Carlton. No offense. But my sister really, really, really liked your rhythm gymnastics with the ribbon. She also really likes Stormy. He’s a pig. Pulled pork is my favorite food, though. Sorry, Stormy.

30. At the end of the weekend, we went to the mascot hockey game. It was fun and entertaining. I don’t like watching hockey that much because it’s kind of boring. My daddy always has hockey on the TV when he’s home and I’m always like, ‘That’s boring! Put on the Cooking Channel!” But I like mascot hockey because it’s more fun and it’s sillier because they’re all wearing silly costumes, like a pig, a duck, a sabretooth tiger, a lion, a devil or a coyote. I was cheering a lot during the mascot game, especially when Howler scored a goal!

31. I wish people were more like mascots and less like people. Because then they would be nicer. And cuter.

The Athletic LOADED: 01.31.2020 1173781 Websites father for me now to reciprocate that, and that’s what’s made (the deadline) a little trickier.”

It’s clear how close the couple is. Partners in what has become a difficult, The Athletic / More than an asset: Inside a player’s life on the block at the yet exciting time in their lives. NHL trade deadline Their current mindset came after a long – and somewhat overdue – conversation two weeks ago about what could happen to their family come February. By Hailey Salvian “We were putting it off and sweeping it under the rug a little bit,” Mark Jan 30, 2020 says. “But finally, we were out walking the dogs and were like ‘OK, we’ve got to talk about this.’”

“And we laid out all potential situations,” Tara adds. “Like how could this Mark Borowiecki doesn’t know where he’ll be in the days after his son is play out in many different ways? Because right now, we have no idea.” born. The scenarios are plentiful. The Senators’ defenceman and his wife, Tara, are expecting their first child after years of struggling to start a family. Their due date is two Mark could get a contract extension and they stay in Ottawa. He could weeks before the NHL’s Feb. 24 trade deadline and Borowiecki, a get walked to free agency and spend the summer working with his agent pending UFA, has been rumoured to be on the block. The stress of the to sign a contract with a new team. Or he could be traded before the Feb. situation came to a head after the holiday break. 24 deadline — a development that would come with an overwhelming number of questions. Borowiecki got the flu and missed two games. “If he ends up getting a contract offer and we stay in Ottawa, that’s easy. “I had a week where it was tough for me. And I think it all culminated in So, we almost don’t think about that as much because that doesn’t me getting very sick, which I think is natural in life with stress,” he says in require any thinking,” Tara says. “It’s all the other potential things that we an interview with The Athletic. “I think it was a slip mentally for me. A need to plan for if this happens, or this happens, if we end up here, or brief period of mental weakness where I let the stress get to me.” what if it happens at this time?” Borowiecki’s situation would be stressful for anyone. On the ice, he is What city is he going to? Will Mark go alone? Will Tara and the baby join approaching a period of massive uncertainty. Off it, he’s facing a major him when they are able? turning point in his life. “It depends on where, and how far away it is,” Tara says. “I know with the On July 1, Borowiecki, 30, will be an unrestricted free agent for the first baby, he is expected to be born in the next three weeks, so I know you time in his career. As of Wednesday, there have been no talks of an have a certain amount of time to get their shots and their paperwork, you extension with his hometown Senators, the team that drafted him in have to get their birth certificate. There are some logistical things we 2008. have to figure out. … And we have our three dogs too.” In the NHL, the spectre of being traded is not a unique experience. “So maybe the correct thing to do is to be in a hotel, focus on hockey, get Especially for UFAs at the trade deadline. Look at any sports media our family time when we can,” Mark says. “And then just reassess in the website, hockey blog or fan message board this time of year and you’ll summer.” find lists of potential deals. Buyers and sellers. Cap considerations. Hypothetical line combinations. Dreams of championships. If Mark is traded before or after the birth, he will likely miss some of the first weeks, if not months, of his son’s life. Borowiecki – in the middle of his best year in the NHL – finds himself on those lists. It’s not such an uncommon predicament in hockey, or professional sports. Chris Kunitz was traded while his wife was eight months In the next month, for the first time since he was a rookie, he could be pregnant. Tie Domi was traded to Toronto just weeks after son Max was walking into a new dressing room filled with new teammates. He could be born in Winnipeg. Eddie Olczyk and Mikael Granlund both got trade calls on the hunt for a new place to live. He might be forced to leave behind while in the delivery room. the only team he’s ever known. His hometown, his friends, coaches and his family. His wife. A newborn baby. It’s part of the business. But the thought of being apart at such an important time would be difficult for any couple. This is the other side of the trade deadline. The part that gets lost in stat lines and salary cap crunching. “We have done the long distance when he was in Binghamton (AHL), but things have changed now. There are three dogs at home. And (there will Over the bye week, while preparing for parenthood, Mark and Tara sat be) a new baby,” Tara says, holding back tears. “I think it’s more … I’m down with The Athletic in an Ottawa coffee shop and offered a rare not stressed for me, I’m more stressed for him to be away from a baby.” glimpse inside the mind of a player on the trade block. And a view into how families deal with the uncertainty. “Yeah, that would suck. That would be tough,” Mark says, getting emotional himself. Mark and Tara Borowiecki have been together for almost 10 years. They laugh now about how they were “connected their entire lives” but had no “I am lucky I have my family here, so I’m not worried about me,” Tara idea until their best friends introduced them. They grew up in the same says, wiping tears from her eyes. “I have all the support I need.” neighbourhood in Kanata, Ont., went to high school near one another, but never met until Mark returned home from Clarkson University. Mark shakes his head: “Nope. You’re not allowed to see me get They’ve been together ever since. emotional. I have street cred.”

The couple have been trying to start a family for five years, but there “I have pregnancy hormones, so I’m allowed to cry,” Tara says. were fertility issues. In May, they tried in vitro fertilization (IVF). Tara “I’m getting them through osmosis,” Mark says with a laugh, before became pregnant on their first try. becoming serious. Tara and Mark with their three dogs at Canadian Tire Centre. “Hockey is part of our life, but it’s not our whole identity,” he says. “The “The process feels very, not personal,” Tara says of the IVF experience. most important thing in my life is being a good husband and being a good “It’s just not exactly like you imagined.” dad in the future. When I’m on the ice all bets are off. I’m a competitive guy and I would do anything to win and help out my team, but … I The journey has added to the trade deadline anxiety for Mark. realized that the priorities are being what I need to be for Tara and our son. And the idea of a trade makes this a little difficult.” “I’ve witnessed what she’s done for this family. And the sacrifices she’s made and how hard that was for her, and pardon my language, but how Rick Dudley knows what Borowiecki is going through. much of a fucking champ she has been through the whole thing,” he says. “And, you know, I feel responsibility and duty as a husband and a The Carolina Hurricanes senior vice-president of hockey operations has viewed the trade deadline from all angles. First as a player, then as a coach, a general manager, and now from a hockey operations viewpoint. “I want you to play. I want you to be valuable to this team,” Borowiecki After hearing about Borowiecki’s situation, he says he feels for the family. recalls his coach telling him. “I like your game and what you can bring aside from fighting.” “It’s very difficult because you’ve got a general manager, and his master has to be the good of the organization, and if he is offered a trade that is In the past, Borowiecki’s role was to report to training camp as big and a significant uptick in the team’s benefit, then he at least has to act on strong as possible to hang with the heavyweights in the league. His job that,” he says. “At the same time, you are talking about a player was to throw hits, kill penalties and fight. And that’s what he did. expecting their first child and that’s really tough.” “I would always try to come into camp at 220 (pounds), and I would do No general manager would nix a good hockey deal because of a players’ anything to get there. One year, I hit 225, and that was a battle,” he says. personal situation. It’s part of the business. But Dudley says he has seen “I was drinking at least one bag of whole milk every day. I would make the dynamic between players and front office change considerably since homemade pancakes every night before bed and eat 10 of them. I was he turned pro in 1969. just pounding food, and I got to 227.

When he played, “you were much more of an item than a human being.” “I would go on the ice and feel like I had a weight vest on. But that was If you could help an organization, you were treated well. If not, then you’d my role. Play 14 minutes, fight and hit.” “get something else.” This summer, after his call with Smith, he started running in an effort to The business side of keeping assets and trading pieces you don’t think slim down and improve his aerobic fitness as he prepared to play more will be part of future success holds steady, but the game has become minutes. He says he’s never felt better. And he is playing the best hockey much more personal, he says. of his career.

“When I started playing pro you barely ever talked to your coach, and he Through 48 games, Borowiecki has already doubled his career-high in didn’t really give a damn what your personal situation was, but he did goals (6), set a career-high in points (17) and has tied his current high in care how you played on the ice,” Dudley says. “I think over the long assists (11). period of time, probably with the advent of sports psychologists and others, they’ve discovered that the off-ice does affect the on-ice in a Borowiecki has looked confident. He is holding on to the puck and great way and, to understand what somebody is living is very important. making plays instead of dumping it in. He’s shooting the puck more, and That would extend all the way to understanding the attitude that a player his goals have mostly gone top corner. He credits that to his best friend would come into the organization with.” and training partner Ben Sexton, who he says always makes him shoot hundreds of pucks after their workouts — even though Borowiecki claims As a player, Dudley was a member of the Cincinnati Stingers in the he hates it. WHA. When the team failed to join the NHL, Dudley was sold back to the Buffalo Sabres. He was happy to return but remembered the experience “We would shoot like 150 to 200 pucks every single day, and we’ve done as being an emotional one. it for a couple years and I had a good year offensively a couple years ago, I think I was like three and eight with 11 points and I was happy,” he “I can only feel sorry for somebody who thinks they may be traded says. “But my offensive game kind of tailed off the year after and I was a because I do know what it’s like,” he says. “It was nerve wracking for me, little upset. but nothing like (Borowiecki’s situation).” “I always set a goal for myself and it’s always just double-digit points, I Tara and Mark Borowiecki. haven’t met it very many times, but this year I am seeing the rewards of that. I just feel confident, and I’m shooting the puck much harder this Do general managers think twice when trading, or trading for, players year. And I’m just shooting it better.” going through something personal – like a first child, or family health issues? The confidence to shoot, has come from the faith Smith has in him.

“I don’t think so,” Dudley says, noting that it’s crucial the team making the Since Smith got to Ottawa, Borowiecki says Smith has “gone out of his trade needs to be transparent about the players’ situation. In this case, way” to connect with him and make him feel supported. In December, according to Dudley, any team looking to “buy” Borowiecki needs to be before a heated rematch between the Senators and Flyers, the media made aware that he might need to miss time to be at the birth of his child. reported stories about the Flyers wanting redemption for a Borowiecki hit that resulted in a concussion for Travis Konecny. There was no call on “The dialogue between the two teams has to be really good. I don’t the play, and the hit appeared to be clean, if perhaps a second late. remember any time and in all the trades that I made as a general manager in four different places, I don’t remember having that type of Smith, who was a fighter during his professional career, called situation,” he says. “I don’t think I was ever forced to make a decision like Borowiecki before his pre-game nap to help clear his mind and reassure that.” him that he did not have to answer any bell. It left an impression.

As for the looming decisions in Ottawa, Borowiecki says there have been “I think that coincides with how I’m playing. I feel comfortable with (D.J. no contract talks. But general manager Pierre Dorion has checked in on and the coaches), I trust them, they trust me in a lot of different how Tara and the baby are doing, and on Mark’s mental well-being about situations,” he says. “They have been using me more and I think in turn it the situation. just builds your confidence and, in this league, I think that’s everything. Even at the age of 30, you can grow your confidence and your play is “Him reaching out to me like that I do truly appreciate that,” Mark says. going to be better and I attribute a big part of that to him.” “That was, I think, the human level thing for him to do.” Borowiecki adds the loyalty he feels toward Smith and the rest of the Dorion and the Senators have not shown their hand in regards to any of coaches and staff makes the deadline even harder for him. the team’s 10 unrestricted free agents. He recently told The Athletic’s Pierre LeBrun that he wants to avoid the “media circus” from last year. “I really would put my face in front of a slap shot for D.J., that’s how much I respect him,” he says. “In a contract year, with nothing set in stone for That silence, though, has added to the anxiety of the situation and has next year, I will get in front of slappers for him, all game, and put my body made Mark at times convince himself that he is going to be traded. In on the line for him and this team.” those moments now, he draws on his talk with Tara. He remembers the good times on the ice, and everything he has done in the community with Since returning from the bye week Borowiecki has taken two slashes to Tara by his side. the head. Gotten stitches. Blocked numerous shots, and given Tara a number of scares. But he does it for the coach who gave him a real “I’m just hoping that they can be appreciative of everything that I’ve given chance to play. this organization, some of the situations I’ve been put in by this organization. I’ve tried to just put my head down and kind of give my The trade deadline is now 25 days away, and Tara will give birth no later heart and soul to this team and this city,” he says. “At the end of the day, than 11 days from now (for medical reasons she will be induced to not go we try to live our lives a certain way and treat everyone we come across past her due date). Things are getting close, and very real. Still, they with respect and we just want that to be reciprocated.” realize everything has to be put into perspective.

Shortly after being named head coach of the Senators, D.J. Smith called “We aren’t feeling sorry for ourselves and trying to make this a sob story Borowiecki with an important message. or anything. We are so blessed with our situation,” Mark says. “People have gone through a lot worse and survived when it comes to having a kid and starting a family.”

“Even in our very privileged world that we are living in, there are families going through much more difficult times,” adds Tara. “It’s out of our control right now. That’s the thing people from the outside looking in don’t fully realize is, this has nothing to do with us wanting to stay or wanting to leave. If we had our first choice, we wouldn’t be having this conversation right now. But that is the reality of this situation.”

The Athletic LOADED: 01.31.2020 1173782 Websites in the NHL. They need to understand that sitting out sometimes is part of the process for players his age.

And to the others, who have suggested the Canadiens erred in taking Sportsnet.ca / Canadiens Takeaways: On Kotkaniemi, Suzuki and Kotkaniemi third overall in 2018 or that he’s a bust, they need to realize finishing strong he scored 11 goals and 34 points as the youngest player in the league last season and that he’s one of dozens of examples of players who have struggled in their sophomore year.

Eric Engels | @EricEngels Kotkaniemi is a very competitive player. He’s a highly skilled and intelligent player. Julien said as much after the game. January 30, 2020, 11:27 PM Lastly, Kotkaniemi is also mature enough to understand what’s at stake

for the team right now and mature enough to realize what he has to do to It’s not how you start that’s important, but how you finish. earn his place back in the lineup.

The Montreal Canadiens have to hope that what proved true for them on Sticking with the theme of the night: It’s not how you start that’s Thursday night in Buffalo can be replicated in the grand scheme of important, but how you finish. things. Because they came out of the gate asleep — allowing the first QUICK HITS eight shots on net to the Sabres and a goal to their captain Jack Eichel — and then proceeded to dominate the hockey game from that point • If you’re down on Kotkaniemi, you might want to think about Nick forward. Suzuki as an example of what can happen in development from 18 to 20 years old — regardless of where that development takes place. Goals for Brendan Gallagher (in just his second game back from concussion symptoms that lingered after a hit from Carolina’s Jordan Suzuki had two cracks to make the NHL after being drafted 13th overall Staal sent him reeling into teammate Ben Chiarot’s knee) and Ilya by the Vegas Golden Knights in 2017, but he didn’t appear nearly as Kovalchuk came in a second period that saw the Canadiens out-shoot ready at 18 as Kotkaniemi did. Heck, if we’re being honest, Suzuki didn’t the Sabres 14-3. appear nearly as ready at 19 as Kotkaniemi did when he was 18.

By the time Tomas Tatar iced the game with an empty-net goal to make it But look at him now. 3-1 Montreal, the fans at KeyBank Arena were signing ‘Ole… Ole, Ole, Ole.’ On Thursday, Suzuki scored his 29th and 30th point of the season with assists on goals by Kovalchuk and Tatar. He played above Max Domi in That’s the tune Canadiens fans at the Bell Centre — and abroad — hope the lineup, he played on the power play and on the penalty kill, and he to be belting out rather frequently over the final 30 games of the season. saw the ice more than any other Canadiens forward not named Joel Armia. Both teams came into this game 10 points out of a playoff spot and with just 51 points in the standings earned. It goes without saying, what’s • Also of note on Suzuki: He came into the game with a 50.3 per-cent happened to this point hasn’t been anything to write home about for efficiency rating on more than 400 faceoffs taken this season. either team. On this night, he lost eight of 13. But if the Canadiens can finish strong, if they can use this key win — their fifth in their last seven games — as a vault to a healthy run from But it’s the faceoffs Suzuki won that really stood out. Like the one that led here to the Feb. 24 trade deadline, they might give us a story worth to Kovalchuk’s goal, or his only one in the defensive zone — late in the investing in down the stretch. third period, with the Canadiens clinging to a one-goal lead.

The odds are stacked heavily against them and — based on what we’ve It was Suzuki who came up with a big faceoff win in the neutral zone to seen — there isn’t much reason to believe they can overcome them. But help kill off teammate Phillip Danault’s late-game penalty, and his final it’s not how you start that’s important. one came shortly before the insurance marker for Tatar.

Let’s get something straight, because it was predictably blown out of • Kovalchuk got the tying goal to bring his totals to five goals and nine proportion on social media (shocker!) when it was announced after the points in 10 games with the Canadiens. warmup that Jesperi Kotkaniemi was being scratched from Montreal’s The six-foot-three, 222-pounder also had a couple of monster hits in the lineup for this game. game — first on Michael Frolik and then later on Rasmus Ristolainen. The 19-year-old was objectively the Canadiens’ least effective player in a • Gallagher played 17:05, had a goal, just missed scoring another on a 4-2 loss to the Washington Capitals on Monday, and coach Claude Julien third-period breakaway, and had a team-leading five shots on net. wouldn’t have been doing him any favours dressing him over any of the 12 forwards who played in Buffalo. He needs to be accountable for his • Armia, who was drafted by the Sabres 16th overall in 2011, now has play as much as anyone else on the team. five goals and seven points in 10 games against Buffalo.

It’s about the team. Sure, the Canadiens might be far out of position, but Armia had two assists Thursday and now has 24 points in 39 games this they’re playing to win every game and that means the players who earn season. The big Finn is now just five points away from tying his career their spots are going to play and be used accordingly. high, which was set in 79 games with the Winnipeg Jets in 2017-18.

Here’s what Julien told reporters in French about that after the game.

"We have to go with our best players," the coach said. "It’s not that Sportsnet.ca LOADED: 01.31.2020 Kotkaniemi isn’t a good player, but he’s had difficulty and his injuries (groin, concussion) have slowed him down this season… I have to make difficult decisions. It’s not a question of stifling the development of a player, but you have to make decisions based on the task ahead of us."

About that: The idea that this is going to cripple Kotkaniemi’s confidence, or that there’s nothing he can learn from being scratched for a game (or two, because it’s doubtful he’s hopping right back in after a key win) is ridiculous. The fact is, Kotkaniemi’s confidence hasn’t been where he’d like it to be for most the season, and that’s just the nature of being one of the youngest players in the NHL and navigating the ups and downs that come with that.

People need to remember that he’s still the youngest player on the Canadiens and that there are only a handful of players younger than him 1173783 Websites AF: It’s huge. But you know what, it’s a communal thing. It’s easy to go through a laundry list of what’s wrong, what we need to fix — and I think it’s important to talk about those things — but it’s also incredibly important to acknowledge all the great things of the game. But the proper Sportsnet.ca / Andrew Ference talks inclusivity, winning the Cup, playing environment has to be there. with Mario So I think, yes, at the NHL level, trying to initiate conversations, making sure we’re implementing positive changes in the programming we have our hands on and the partners that we work with. And not just being Kristina Rutherford ignorant to the fact that some of the issues are there. It’s a big task and a big responsibility. But we’re also the NHL, so we have to be proper stewards of the game, not only at our level but at the youth level. We Andrew Ference played 16 seasons in the NHL, but the former want lots of people playing and loving this sport of ours. Edmonton Oilers captain says he may never have played a single game in the world’s premier league had he not advocated for himself as a You’ve been in your job two years. What have you seen so far in terms of teenager. change or program implementation that you’re most proud of?

“Who knows what would’ve happened?” Ference says. AF: In two short years, the support of female hockey has been skyrocketing. Now 40 years old and with his playing days behind him, Ference’s advocacy work hasn’t stopped. He’s spent the past two years working as One of the first things I got involved in — a good friend of mine is Hayley the NHL’s Director of Social Impact, Growth and Legislative Affairs. Wickenheiser; we trained together in the off-season when I was still playing. She runs an event called WickFest. Seeing WickFest operate, And as part of that role, Ference will be headed to Yellowknife for the the way it’s a hockey tournament but also this whole life-skills-building 20th edition of Hockey Day in Canada, from Feb. 5-8. He chatted with tournament — you can do different sessions, try different sports, learn Sportsnet about what his job entails, the letter he faxed to NHL general about karate, learn about wrestling. It’s kind of empowerment sessions managers years ago, progress he’d like to see at the grassroots level, and mindfulness. There’s a giant opening dance party at the beginning of the best part about winning the Stanley Cup, and what he’ll get up to in the tournament, and you go there and you just see such joy. Yellowknife. I witnessed this before taking the job and I wanted other people to see SPORTSNET: I imagine it’s going to be pretty crisp up there in and know about this, and that’s something that now we support at the Yellowknife. NHL level — her tournament and trying to learn from that kind of template of what are the best practices out there to give these AF: I imagine, too. [Laughs] I think there’s some indoor contingency experiences to kids. It’s more than trying to go out there and win the plans if it gets too brisk. It’s called Hockey Day, but really for us and the trophy. It’s developing the person. community that gets to host, it’s that few days of events, and it’s really special. In the past when I was playing, it’s a game day, you’re getting Not only am I really proud to see the growth of girls’ programming and ready for it. The best part about it was you could turn on the TV early and the female game, but it’s also what the rest of our programming is catch a couple games. learning from the girls’ game, because quite frankly, they’re doing it better than a lot of the boys’ programming. You compare an experience But last year I was [in Swift Current] for the festivities and it was great. like Wickfest to a lot of goys’ tournaments and, man, it blows it out of the It’s pretty special to see all the Canadian kids outside, despite the water as far as an experience to go home and really reflect on. temperature, playing for hours. It’s such a pure form of the game. You did a lot of advocacy work in your career, and even advocated for Hockey Day in Canada in Yellowknife, NT yourself early on. You’ve got to tell the story of how you wrote to every Celebrating Scotiabank Hockey Day in Canada’s 20th anniversary, GM in the NHL during your draft year. Sportsnet and Scotiabank unite to bring a 4-day hockey festival to AF: [Laughs] The backstory on why I did it: I had a good first couple Yellowknife, NT and a 12-hour NHL broadcast to Canadian fans coast-to- years of junior. We had great teams in Portland — I made the All-Star coast-to-coast. Game. When it came time [for my] draft year, Central Scouting’s out What will you be doing during the event? there and [I’m] getting the list of where everybody’s ranked, and I wasn’t ranked anywhere. I was like, “What gives!?” I didn’t think I was that AF: I’ll be running all over the place. I’ll be involved in some of the alumni horrible. And the thing about getting ranked through Central Scouting, events, taking part in the kickoff banquets … some school visits. There’s that’s when you get invited to the Combine and get run through fitness an on-ice skill session and an off-ice component, and I’ll be taking part in testing. One of my biggest strengths was my fitness testing. that with a bunch of youth in the community. I’m probably most excited for that. The University of Alberta, they have all the testing you’d see at the Combine, so I went and did my own, got all my scores, and that was Then we’re hosting a declaration of principles breakfast, which we did what the letter was: “Hey, Mr. GM, due to not being ranked in Central last year. We had the Stanley Cup there, we had members of the hockey Scouting, I took it upon myself to do my testing. Here’s my scores, which community locally, some of the women’s players. It’s a bit of a forum for I think will help to prove that I’m worthy of being drafted. Here’s why you talking about, “Why do we play this game? Why do we love this game?” should draft me.” And really getting into how do we embrace what’s special about hockey and brings our community together. And then, also, how do we make I was always taught just do what you can control. There are things in life sure that we maintain that? you can’t control, but everything that you can control, man, do everything you can to put everything in your favour. That was one of those things. What are the biggest challenges in the game right now from your You do the work, stick your neck out, don’t be afraid to send an email. perspective at the grassroots level? Shoot your shot. If I didn’t do that, maybe I never play a single NHL AF: When we get into the growth of the game and youth hockey, my No. game, right? 1 metric is fun. Did you have a good time? There are certain issues. And then you backed that letter up. There’s issues of feeling welcome in some venues where we’ve seen instances of racism or bullying or what have you that we have to AF: Pittsburgh drafted me in the 8th round. I think I was 205th or 200- confront. I mean they’re not rampant, but they’re massive issues. The something overall, an incredibly late pick, but I was pumped. “Alright, my fact that somebody might walk away from the rink and say, “No, I didn’t foot’s in the door — I actually get a chance now.” Then that next chance have fun and here’s the reasons why.” Those are people we really have turns into an opportunity. My very first training camp — it sounds a bit to listen to and issues we have to sort through. As far as growing the brutish now — but I went out and got in a fight against the first-round pick game, making people feel welcome, and when they think of hockey they right away. You do whatever you can to get your foot in the door. It’s not think of a fun and inclusive environment. I think there is a gap there, if easy being a late-round pick, but there’s a way. we’re being honest with ourselves. Write letters, get in a fight and be really fit. Boom. That’s a daunting task to try to help tackle. AF: Whatever you can do. When I was a veteran and playing for a long time, nothing drove me more crazy than seeing a kid get his very first chance to play an NHL game and to see them be timid about it. Oh, man — this might be the only chance you ever get. When you finally get your chance and you see somebody be timid, it’s heartbreaking and infuriating at the same time.

How long did it take you to feel comfortable in the NHL, like you’d stick there?

AF: Probably 10 years. [Laughs] Quite a while. Honestly, I think there was probably a couple levels. My second year in Pittsburgh we made the playoffs and there were some injuries so I actually got to play a lot in the playoffs and did well. That was a huge hurdle to get over. But really if you’re not a star in the game, you’re just treading water as fast as you can to keep your head above. There’s so many people that want that job. The type of player I was and the position I played on our team [meant] you’re in a dog fight every year in training camp to keep your position and to try to do things better than the guy that’s trying to take your position. So, comfort …. Honestly? It’s funny to say 10 years, but you’re really fighting 10 years for your job.

Looking back on winning the Cup in 2011 with Boston, can you even pick a highlight?

AF: The last two minutes in Vancouver when we finally realized, “This is happening.” [Laughs] “They’re not coming back.” To be able to soak in a couple minutes of what was happening, realizing that life-long dream, it’s like, “Oh, this is real!” [Laughs] When you’re a kid, you have dreams of wining and you just picture the Stanley Cup, how cool would that be, but it’s always sort of this mythical creature. When you come to the realization that, “No, this is the thing,” that was a really special couple minutes to take it all in on the bench. It’s funny when you get to that stage, you try to lock in so many emotions, right? You’re not trying to get too high — you’re not trying to get too low. Really, it’s not healthy suppressing emotions for a couple months and finally you have the opportunity to let it out. It’s not only the realization of a life-long dream, it’s finally you can release the valve, all the emotions you’ve bottled up.

Playing for your hometown team and ending your career in Edmonton must’ve been a treat, too.

AF: Incredibly special to pull on the jersey, play in the rink, go in the locker room. Everything. Most of my family and friends, even though I went and played for other teams, we all remained Oilers fans. [Laughs] So to finally actually have the real support of people was great. I actually started with a bit of a childhood dream too because Pittsburgh was my other favourite team in the NHL because Paul Coffey played there. I was a huge Paul Coffey fan and then obviously Mario, the team they had when I was growing up. I got a Mario jersey for Christmas when I was probably 12. A few years later I’m playing with the guy. I started my career off with a childhood dream and I ended it with a bookend with another childhood dream.

SN: How’s your game looking these days, and how often are you playing? You’ve got the Hockey Day in Canada alumni game coming up.

AF: Just a handful of times a year. It’s funny. I love it, but honestly when I retired it was, “OK, now I have time to do other things I didn’t have time to do before.” I can get out and go snowboarding. I ride my bike a lot more. I even have a pair of speed skates.

You hit up the oval?

AF: Yeah, we have an oval here in Edmonton. I get down there once in a while. I can finally do all these other things that hockey somewhat restricted me from. It’s a lot of fun.

Thanks very much for this. Stay warm in Yellowknife.

AF: Thank you, I’ll try.

Sportsnet.ca LOADED: 01.31.2020 1173784 Websites $1.75 million deal with St. Louis. Even after winning a Stanley Cup with the Blues, he had to wait until August to get a one-year, $900,000 deal with Tampa Bay last summer.

Sportsnet.ca / Evaluating and comparing Oilers' Zack Kassian's contract The difference in the Maroon comparable is Kassian’s foot speed, which extension is major currency in today’s game.

Kassian can skate as well as any big man in the league, and has the hands to augment McDavid’s game. Rather than a slowing Milan Lucic, Mark Spector | @sportsnetspec who constantly lost the puck or missed his passes — both receiving and delivering — depriving McDavid of valuable possession time. January 30, 2020, 12:57 PM Sidney Crosby has taught us that it’s not easy to play with, and augment

the game of, a superstar player. And the fact Kassian is still ‘scary tough,’ EDMONTON — Zack Kassian for four more years with an annual is not lost on McDavid, who believes there is still much value in having a average value of $3.2 million. modern day Dave Semenko riding shotgun to his Wayne Gretzky.

Did the Edmonton Oilers pay too much? Well, let’s dig into that: “Absolutely, yes,” McDavid said. “You need those big, tough guys on your team, and it’s nice to play with one alongside me every night. There Kassian is a pending unrestricted free agent, right-shot, right-winger who are not many bigger and tougher than Zack Kassian.” just turned 29 on Jan. 24. So he’ll be 33 years old when he’s closing out this deal. The risk that stands out for Edmonton is term length, the most One final intangible is the fact that Kassian has whipped the addictions common issue with UFA, or pending UFA deals. that caused him to waste much of the first half of his career. He is settled in Edmonton and looks forward to raising a family there — and the UFA Does Edmonton general manager Ken Holland worry about signing a 29- market is lean on players who would say that. year-old player to a four-year term? He’s hungry to recoup lost years (and revenue), and most importantly “I guess if you do, then you never sign anybody,” Holland said over the Kassian shows no signs of losing any foot speed. He has become a phone from the Oilers scouting meetings in Palm Springs. leader here, and if Holland were to let him walk, finding a commensurate replacement player would be iffy, and to lure him to Edmonton might well There are a myriad of factors, which we’ll explore in this piece, when cost what Kassian is being paid. signing a player. But as a pending UFA, the team cedes some control over the process to the player. As opposed to a deal for restricted free “He’s got security, and I’ve got the security of knowing he’s going to be agent Darnell Nurse, which is likely to be left for the summer. on the team,” Holland said. “He’s at a good age. He’s respected in the locker room.” “There are risks for the player, and there are risks for the club. Ultimately, if you want to get people signed you’ve got to make decisions,” Holland said. “In Detroit I did lots of good contracts, but I’ve got some bad contracts. If you just want to focus in on the bad ones, I guess you can. Sportsnet.ca LOADED: 01.31.2020 Ultimately, if you don’t want to be criticized (as a GM), you can just sit and do nothing.”

So, let’s talk comparables for Kassian.

Anecdotally, you could say that Kassian is Tom Wilson Lite, a big (six- foot-three, 211 pounds) physical player who can trade pucks with a superstar like Connor McDavid — to the extent that McDavid could well win an Art Ross Trophy and have a career offensive season while playing nearly all of his even strength minutes with Kassian on his right flank.

In July 2018, Wilson (RW) signed a six-year, $31 million deal with Washington, with an AAV of $5.16 million — nearly twice what Kassian will earn. Wilson was 24 when he signed that contract, but this season he has 12 even strength goals and 29 even strength points in 50 games, while Kassian has 13 even strength goals and 28 points in 44 games at 5-on-5.

(We’ll compare Kassian at 5-on-5, as he averages just 24 seconds of power-play time per game, and two seconds shorthanded.)

Last season, when Kassian split the year on and off McDavid’s wing, he had 14 goals and 25 points at even strength, compared to 17 goals and 33 points for Wilson.

Another comparable is left-winger Micheal Ferland, who last summer signed a four-year, $14 million deal with Vancouver, at age 27 — two years younger than Kassian. Ferland’s AAV is $3.5 million, compared to $3.2 for Kassian.

While Kassian has played 79, 74 and 79 games in the past three seasons, in the three seasons before signing Ferland had also played 76, 77 and 71 games. It is only this season where Ferland’s concussion issues have limited his action, playing just 14 games for the Canucks thus far.

Production-wise, in the three seasons prior to signing their deals, Ferland averaged 13 goals and 28 points at even strength — exactly what Kassian has compiled through roughly half a season (44 games) on Edmonton’s top line this season. Again, the McDavid factor kicks in, and it’s difficult to gauge how a McDavid winger should be paid.

Remember, Pat Maroon had a career year (24 goals, 36 points at even strength) playing next to McDavid in 2016-17, but when he became a UFA in 2018 the market was not kind to Maroon, who signed a one-year, 1173785 Websites partner. (Meanwhile, a third NHL-calibre tendy, Casey DeSmith, is biding time in Wilkes-Barre.)

6. Vancouver Canucks Sportsnet.ca / NHL Power Rankings: How Stable Is Your Goaltending? UFA-to-be Jacob Markstrom expressed his desire to re-sign in Edition Vancouver over All-Star Weekend, and Thatcher Demko, 24, has been solid behind him. The future of the Vancouver nets looks bright.

Luke Fox | @lukefoxjukebox 7. Boston Bruins

January 30, 2020, 9:35 AM In Tuukka Rask and Jaroslav Halak, the Bruins employ one of the better crease duos, each picking up the other’s slack when needed. Halak, however, is set to become a UFA on July 1. Although he’s 34, his performance could command a raise over his current $2.75 million Anze Kopitar delivered a wonderful line over the weekend, when the salary. With Torey Krug due a monster raise, difficult decisions await. Kings captain was asked if he felt sorry watching all-star goaltenders get lit up in a game of glorified shinny. 8. Carolina Hurricanes

“No, it’s their fault,” Kopitar smiled. “They picked to be goalies.” James Reimer arrived in Carolina on a salary-eating deal but has pleasantly performed better in defence-first Raleigh (11-6-1, .921) than And the gig keeps getting tougher. any of his seasons in Florida. Starter Petr Mrazek has been solid, too. A premium on skill throughout lineups and activating defencemen has Though neither goaltender should be confused with elite, they’re getting conspired with shrinking goalie gear plus a bump in power play frequency the job done — and only on the books for a combined $6.525 million per and efficiency to deliver a drop in the NHL’s average save percentage year through 2020-21. (.909) for the fifth consecutive season. 9. Dallas Stars Toss in the fact that for the first time since 1971 we’re looking at a three- We love how Jim Nill gradually turned one of the league’s most atrocious year run where teams have averaged a minimum of 31 shots per game, goaltending situations into one of its most dependable. All-Star Game and goalies are under siege. snub Ben Bishop and Anton Khudobin have Dallas on track for the In our NHL Power Rankings: How Stable Is Your Goaltending? Edition, William Jennings Trophy, with a league-best .921 team save percentage. we examine the successes and/or challenges swirling in the crease. Unfortunately, Khudobin, 33, should be trying to double his $2.5 million salary this summer in free agency. As usual, all 31 teams are ranked in descending order according to their current level of awesome. 10. Florida Panthers

This week’s write-ups put a magnifying glass on the game’s most The handsomely paid Sergei Bobrovsky (19-12-4) is winning games important position, looking at how each club’s crease is faring this despite getting shelled (.898) behind the run-and-gun Panthers, while season and what contractual difficulties may lie ahead. journeyman Chris Driedger (5-2-0, .932) has done a fine job filling in the gaps. 1. Tampa Bay Lightning 11. Columbus Blue Jackets Andrei Vasilevskiy has established himself as a Vezina-calibre goaltender at age 25, and he’s locked up through his prime. Curtis Jarmo Kekalainen can’t help himself. The man just loves to gamble. So McElhinney is a fine backup. Where things get interesting is next fall, instead of finding a starter, he’s gone with two inexperienced backups in when Vasilevskiy stops becoming one of the best bargains in hockey and Joonas Korpisalo and Elvis Merzlikins. Each impending RFA has his cap hit climbs to $9.5 million, exerting pressure on Julien BriseBois to delivered a winning record and a save percentage above .912. Wild fill out the rest of the roster with more frugality. numbers for a couple of guys making a combined $2.02 million. Take a bow, Jarmo. 2. Washington Capitals 12. Toronto Maple Leafs Braden Holtby represented the Capitals at the All-Star Game despite his career-low .896 save percentage, a mark that must raise if he hopes to The busy Frederik Andersen appears to be emerging out of his midwinter maximize his value in free agency. Meanwhile, rookie Ilya Samsonov is a dip, and he’ll be trusted to hold the fort as this bubble team tries to sparkling 15-2-1 and a strong contender to take over starting duties. outscore its defensive lapses. Toronto decided to spend the league Despite Holtby’s recent inconsistency, Washington has one of the more minimum on a backup goalie — and thus far it’s looking like you get what bankable tandems in hockey. you pay for. Rank the Leafs No. 1 among teams that might trade to upgrade their crease before the deadline. 3. Colorado Avalanche 13. New York Islanders Were you to break down saves per dollar this season, no club is getting more bang for its buck than Colorado, with Philipp Grubauer and Pavel We originally pegged Semyon Varlamov as one of the biggest UFA Francouz supplying 26 wins for a combined $4.28 million. Bargain! overpays of the summer of ’19, but the stingy Islanders have been just Francouz (pending unrestricted free agent) needs a summertime raise, fine in the crease, going with their usual tandem approach. The but the Avs have the cap space to pay the man. underrated Thomas Greiss is having another fantastic campaign (14-7-1, .925) and is deserving of a pay bump as a UFA this summer. 4. St. Louis Blues 14. Philadelphia Flyers I included backup Jake Allen (8-4-3, .926) on my Midseason Awards ballot under Comeback Player of the Year, and all-star Jordan Binnington Neither Carter Hart nor Brian Elliott are making stops at the league (22-8-5, .912) has picked right back up where he left off. Surely it helps average, but they’ve been clutch enough to both hold winning records. that these guys play behind one of the NHL’s premier blue lines. Both Elliott doesn’t have a deal for next season, but considering Hart is still goalies have another season on their deals. Not a bad tandem for $8.75 just 21, pairing him with an experienced veteran seems like a wise plan million total. to stick to.

5. Pittsburgh Penguins 15. Edmonton Oilers

Stop us if you heard this one before: Pittsburgh has one of the juiciest We’re still reserving judgment on the Mikko Koskinen contract, but the goaltending controversies going. Both two-time Cup winner Matt Murray, fact the big man has come through with above-average results is a 25, and all-star Tristan Jarry, 24, are RFAs in need of a raise this pleasant surprise. The streaky Mike Smith will be 38 when July 1 hits, summer. Murray had appeared to be the Pens’ starter of the foreseeable and even though we love the guy’s fire, we have to wonder how many future, but Jarry has delivered more wins in fewer starts and his .929 more seasons he’s got in the tank. save percentage helped him earn an All-Star Game invite over his 16. Calgary Flames We’re not sure what we love more: David Rittich going out and swiping more games than he’s lost. That Ullmark was diagnosed with a lower- the No. 1 gig, or David Rittich going out and giving a great interview? Big body injury Tuesday, during a loss to Ottawa, gives us reason to believe Save Dave is the Flames’ best hope to make the dance. After accepting the Sabres’ playoff hopes are squashed. a bridge deal last summer, he’s on track to knock his next one out of the Dome. 27. Anaheim Ducks

17. Arizona Coyotes It speaks volumes about the state of the Ducks that John Gibson and (when called upon) Ryan Miller have both been fine and the club is a Imagine if Arizona wasn’t getting world-class goaltending, led by Darcy blatant seller. This isn’t on the goalies. Gibson, 26, is on a team-friendly Kuemper? It’d be Coyote ugly. When everyone is healthy, the Yotes have deal for years. Miller has proven a capable backup even at age 39. Is three legit NHL goalies in Kuemper, Adin Hill and Antti Raanta — who’ve there any chance he accepts a trade, joins a contender and takes one combined for the best save percentage in the Pacific. With Hill, 23, due a last grasp at a championship? contract extension, surely the idea of trading a goalie will pop up. 28. Ottawa Senators 18. Vegas Golden Knights When given their chance, Marcus Hoberg and Anders Nilsson have been Despite a decent opportunity (16 starts), Malcolm Subban hasn’t exactly outperforming the long-serving Craig Anderson, who turns 39 in May and earned the Golden Knights’ trust, which still rests with a 35-year-old UFA in July. Does Anderson call it a day or try to stay on as a backup Marc-Andre Fleury. Fleury’s .907 save percentage is tracking for his somewhere? worst in a decade. Is this just a hiccup, or is Father Time finally running the crease? 29. Los Angeles Kings

19. Chicago Blackhawks Jonathan Quick is on pace for back-to-back seasons with a sub-.900 save percentage. The 34-year-old has three more years beyond this one One of the great mysteries in Chicago is, which one of his UFA goalies at a $5.8 million cap hit. Yikes. The good news is that Jack Campbell does Stan Bowman want to reward: Corey Crawford, the loyal dynasty- loves having Quick as a mentor. builder? Or Robin Lehner, the guy seven years younger? Lehner’s numbers are better, but Crawford has come on strong. 30. New Jersey Devils

20. Winnipeg Jets Young Mackenzie Blackwood has the tools to be the Devils’ starter of the future. How they handle the RFA’s contract extension will be interesting Even with Vezina challenger Connor Hellebuyck playing lights out, the after giving Cory Schneider too much term. Signing some support for the Jets are still just a bubble team, which speaks volumes about their blue kid will be key. line — but also says something about backup Laurent Brossoit’s underwhelming performance (.883). 31. Detroit Red Wings

21. Nashville Predators Jimmy Howard, 35, has lost the lion’s share of Detroit’s starts to Jonathan Bernier. This tells you what you need to know about the Red Pekka Rinne’s goalie goal was a beautiful moment in a season desperate Wings’ season. As Howard muddles toward free agency enduring his for more of those. The Predators’ identity has forever been about keeping worst year as a professional, does the lifelong Wing try reviving his pucks out, and yet only tanking New Jersey and Detroit have a worse career elsewhere or fade to the background? save percentage. It’s no stretch to say troubled goaltending might’ve cost Peter Laviolette his job. Rinne and Juuse Saros — the 24-year-old who was supposed to be swiping the No. 1 gig by now — are both signed Sportsnet.ca LOADED: 01.31.2020 through 2020-21. They need to be better, period.

22. New York Rangers

The only goaltending situation more compelling than Pittsburgh or Washington’s is in the same division. New York is trying to keep three goalies happy. Henrik Lundqvist still has another year on his deal. Alexandar Georgiev is an RFA looking for a juicy raise. And Igor Shesterkin has earned more NHL starts. Trading Georgiev is the simplest solution, but GM’s seldom win a deal in which they give up on a 23-year- old backup with above-average results.

23. Montreal Canadiens

No one likes to think of Carey Price as ordinary, but that’s exactly how he’s performed this season. Just OK, which is not OK when you make $10.5 million and your team is too thin up front to win 4-3 games. Locked up for better or worse until 2026, the hope is that Price, 32, returns to form and a prospect like Cayden Primeau is the real deal.

24. Minnesota Wild

Devan Dubnyk and Alex Stalock have essentially split the Wild’s starts down the middle this season. With both signed through 2020-21 as well and Minnesota needing to rebuild, Bill Guerin might as well just stay the course with this tandem.

25. San Jose Sharks

It would be difficult to look at the Sharks’ save percentage — .892, worst in the Pacific — and not draw a direct link to the midseason firing of Peter DeBoer. What’s interesting is that backup Aaron Dell has been the better option. As an impending UFA with a manageable cap hit ($1.9 million), Dell makes for an intriguing rental. With back-to-back bad showings, Martin Jones and his $5.75 million cap hit through 2024 is becoming a bit of an anchor.

26. Buffalo Sabres

Goaltending is one of many areas in need of improvement on the Sabres’ roster. The new starter, Linus Ullmark, is usurping Carter Hutton, but Hutton is the one under contract for next season — and neither has won 1173786 Websites represents the best rental at that position right now, but his expected value tops out at a second-round pick.

So while Kreider still represents the best available rental, the whole Sportsnet.ca / What last year's NHL rental market tells us about Chris market is a little soft less than a month from the deadline. Outside of a Kreider's value highly motivated buyer getting entangled in a bidding war, it seems the only other way Kreider could return a first is on the condition he re-signs with whatever team trades for him.

Rory Boylen | @RoryBoylen

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Chris Kreider is the best rental player available on the trade market and there are certainly teams that would love to bring in a top-six winger. However, how realistic is it to expect that the New York Rangers will be able to get an unconditional first-round pick (plus) for him?

Let’s just say that would be the more surprising outcome than if he went for a second and a third.

League parity has changed the way teams think. If you’re going to move a first-round pick (or a first-rounder plus) for a player, why not target someone with an extra year or two on their deals and take multiple shots? And if that can’t be accomplished in-season, wait to do your business in the summer when the market is more active.

The further we progress into this Age Of Parity — which accentuates asset management — the less willing teams are to move prime pieces (see: First-round picks) for short-term help.

In 2018 six first-rounders were moved during trade season, but just two for rental players: The Winnipeg Jets getting Paul Stastny and the Boston Bruins getting Rick Nash — a regrettable move.

Last year, two first-rounders were, again, moved for a rental piece — both centres.

Ahead of the 2017 trade deadline, Jonathan Willis did a breakdown for Sportsnet to gauge the rental market and, generally, the price of acquisition hasn’t changed too much. Centres hold their value and a top- six rental at the position can be expected to return a first-rounder. That was still true in 2019.

But wingers? They’re a bit different.

Star, top-line wingers will likely still bring back a first-rounder plus — and we saw that again this year in the Taylor Hall trade.

When you look at the remainder of the 2020 rental market, though, none of the wingers rise to Hall’s level. If the Rangers don’t re-sign Kreider (and they’re not currently negotiating) fans certainly hope that he can bring back a first-rounder to add to their rebuild. After all, he’s the best rental available, is a 30-goal, 50-point threat, skates well and plays a heavy game that lends itself to the playoffs.

Here’s the thing about Kreider, though: the Rangers weren’t able to get a first-rounder for Mats Zuccarello last season and he had more points at that time than Kreider does now, and the two had similar production (for the same team!) in the two previous years as well.

Senior Writer Ryan Dixon and NHL Editor Rory Boylen always give it 110%, but never rely on clichés when it comes to podcasting. Instead, they use a mix of facts, fun and a varied group of hockey voices to cover Canada’s most beloved game.

A bidding war could inflate Kreider’s value. But since this is shaping up to be a buyer’s market just like last year, why wouldn’t a team instead target a rental like Craig Smith or Tyler Toffoli for a lesser price than pay up for Kreider? Or, why not instead use top assets to chase a winger with term, such as Tomas Tatar or Jason Zucker?

Mark Stone was in the final year of his contract last year, but signed a long-term extension immediately after getting traded to the Vegas Golden Knights. He’s one of the best wingers in the league, too, but the Ottawa Senators couldn’t even pry loose a first-rounder for him — though they did get first-round prospect Erik Brannstrom as the main piece headed back their way in return.

In fact, there may not be a first-rounder traded for any rental at this year’s deadline at all. In large part, that’s because there’s a dearth of centre talent available as well. Third-line penalty-killer Jean-Gabriel Pageau 1173787 Websites Fans on both sides of Red Deer got what they wanted, as did the league, which cashed in on a ratings bonanza some worried wouldn’t live up to the hype.

Sportsnet.ca / Flames, Oilers add classic chapter to Battle of Alberta lore It surpassed it.

In a 90-second span late in the first period the fans were treated to a buffet of brilliance: Eric Francis | @EricFrancis • Connor McDavid went old school by deftly splitting defencemen Travis January 30, 2020, 1:14 AM Hamonic and Noah Hanifin to speed in alone on David Rittich, who made a brilliant pad save.

• A Monahan blast from the slot trickled through Mike Smith, resting mere EDMONTON – It was the perfect resolution. millimetres from crossing the goal line fully before Nugent-Hopkins Everybody won. cleared the puck.

Late in the first period of the most anticipated game of the NHL season, • Monahan fought Nugent-Hopkins, followed by the Tkachuk atonement. Matthew Tkachuk gave Zack Kassian, the fans, and the hockey Who knows, it may wind up being the last fight this battle sees in months, establishment exactly what it wanted. if not years, as the two teams focused on the two points the division A fight. rivals so desperately wanted for the rest of the game.

With Kassian. In the end, the Flames got them thanks to a Monahan goal that set the stage for Rittich’s saves on Nugent-Hopkins, Leon Draisaitl and the help The winner: hockey. of a post on McDavid.

Less than a minute after lightweights Sean Monahan and Ryan Nugent- Andrew Mangiapane’s two goals, a game-opening goal by Elias Lindholm Hopkins provided a shocking undercard to get the joint jumping, Tkachuk and 31 saves by Rittich paced the visitors. and Kassian dropped the gloves after a brief discussion before the draw. The goalie punctuated the game-saving poke-check on Draisaitl with a In less time than it takes to ride a bull, the two wrapped up a spirited Jose Bautista-type stick toss before being mobbed by teammates. exchange that saw Tkachuk off balance after missing with an opening right. Five furious lefts from Kassian failed to do any damage, ending the On three separate occasions the Oilers battled back to send it into extra tilt with a respectful nod of approval from the big Oiler. time thanks to goals from Kailer Yamamoto, Alex Chiasson and Matt Benning. Turtle no more. The Flames have now won all three provincial meetings this year to sit "It had nothing to do with the hits, or anything like that — I just didn’t like two up on the Oilers, who visit Calgary on Saturday. getting pummeled at home like I did," said Tkachuk, referring to the Jan. 11 beating he received from Kassian, without a response. "A lot of people "Honestly, right now I just want to go home and go to bed," said Tkachuk didn’t want me to do it, but I wanted to. when asked if he was looking forward to the rematch.

"It was just kind of a way for me to stick up for myself, it wasn’t about The vitriol is gone, for now, as is the need for Parros to attend the game, owing anybody, or anything. I was doing it for myself." as promised. You can bet he still will, as this rivalry is clearly capable of taking turns few see coming, such as Benning’s all-world, game-tying With his eighth NHL fight, Tkachuk earned plenty of respect back from goal. detractors, namely Kassian. The targeted blasts by Tkachuk that prompted Kassian to rag doll him on "He wanted to fight right away, but I wanted to keep him guessing a little Jan. 11 have been answered to. bit," said Kassian in a dressing room quieted by a 4-3 shootout loss. "But I respect him for that, and I told him before we even dropped the gloves. "I didn’t even know it wasn’t settled," said Tkachuk, still playing it coy. Now it’s over. I wish that would have happened in the first place, then it "It’s just two good teams going at it. It was a great atmosphere in here." would have been done." Everyone can feel better about moving forward with a rivalry that may Both confirmed afterwards Tkachuk wanted to get the fight out of the way very well be known for the next several years for its skill more than earlier. brawn.

"First shift, yeah," said Kassian. Fitting for a game that opened with Warrant Officer Renee Gauthier interrupting the ceremonial faceoff on Canadian Armed Forces "But I kind of wanted to do it on my terms, make him wait. Think about it Appreciation Night by surprising her young son with her emotional return for a little bit. That’s the game within the game. I just told him, ‘It’ll come. from deployment. Just wait for it.’ He wanted to get it over quick. I always said he was a good player. I respect him for stepping up to the plate like that." Tears, hugs and goosebumps ensued.

Equally as important for Tkachuk is the fact he avoided injury while once Fights followed. again demonstrating his high hockey IQ. Sanity — and some great hockey — prevailed. His teammates ate it up, as did a full house at Rogers Place that was The legend of the Battle of Alberta grows. peppered with fans in full-sized turtle costumes complete with oversized mouthpieces.

Hopefully for them they were rentals, not purchases. Sportsnet.ca LOADED: 01.31.2020 Chants of "Turtle, Turtle," that preceded the affair turned to roars of approval once the fights began.

Everyone came out grinning.

Kassian showed solid restraint to wait for the bout, held off on a complete beatdown and punctuated the scrap with a classy gesture that puts a wrap on the issue.

League disciplinarian George Parros had to be happy with the display in front of him, as the fights weren’t scripted, the hits were clean and the temperature of the rivalry wound up plummeting like an Alberta sunset. 1173788 Websites camp last season. The easy move would have been to trade him to one of several interested suitors.

The reward for seeing things through is being realized now. Sportsnet.ca / Leafs' Nylander closing in on family history with renewed Not only does he look like a lock to surpass Michael Nylander’s career- swagger best 26 goals, he’s got an outside chance to beat his father’s 79-point season with the New York Rangers in 2005-06 — with William now on pace for 74. Chris Johnston | @reporterchris His run of high-end play has now stretched over six weeks and, while the January 29, 2020, 10:22 PM scoring totals might not be fully sustainable, there’s reason to believe he’s simply establishing a new level of performance.

“I think there’s an opportunity for him to keep growing,” said Keefe. “From DALLAS — By now, the footsteps should be getting awfully loud. my perspective, he’s a very dangerous and talented offensive player and Michael Nylander was the first to make his family’s name over here in the the more opportunities he gets he has the ability to make good on them. I NHL, but son William is on the verge of establishing some new Nylander don’t see this as a hot streak, necessarily.” marks. The red-hot Toronto Maple Leafs winger sits just two goals The Leafs can be a downright lethal opponent as a result. behind his father’s best season after scoring for a fifth straight game Wednesday and he’s still got more than a third of the year to go. They certainly made tidy work of a Stars team that entered Wednesday’s game as the stingiest outfit in the league. Marner made a high-end pass Now, that piece of trivia clearly carries some significance for William — to Matthews for the opening goal and then those two flashed their skill in “Oh really, wow. Now we’ve got to step on it here,” he said this week — helping move the puck 200 feet within seconds before Zach Hyman but it also helps underline why the Leafs have been the NHL’s highest- scored another. scoring team by a wide margin since Sheldon Keefe took over as head coach. The goals by Nylander and Tyson Barrie came quickly off forced turnovers. Nylander is a second-line winger in Toronto and his 24 goals would currently make him the top scorer on 21 other NHL teams. Oh, and he “Hey, they can score,” said Stars interim coach Rick Bowness. “Man I still trails Leafs teammate Auston Matthews by a ridiculous 12 goals after love their creativity, they’re great on the rush and you can see they’re he also potted one during a 5-3 victory over the Dallas Stars. making a very concerted effort to play a more structured game defensively. There isn’t too much mystery behind Nylander’s recent scoring binge. “They’re a great hockey club over there.” You can trace it back to a road trip through Western Canada in mid- December where the 23-year-old wasn’t too happy with his play. During a They’ve taken another step alongside Nylander, who is playing with meeting with Keefe that followed, the coach reinforced the need for confidence and starting to earn some family bragging rights. Nylander to use his superlative ability to hang on to pucks in the offensive zone and create better looks.

“When it’s not going well for him those pucks get off his stick too quickly,” Sportsnet.ca LOADED: 01.31.2020 Keefe said on Dec. 20.

Now, look how much damage Nylander has done over 16 games since that meeting: 13 goals on 53 shots — a career-best stretch of 3.3 shots per game — to go with 22 points.

There is a renewed swagger to his play and he’s enjoyed almost all of that success alongside centre John Tavares, allowing Keefe to give Matthews and Mitch Marner their first extended stretch of action together on the top line.

“I mean once you’re scoring you feel confident in your shot,” Nylander explained. “I think that’s when you keep shooting the puck.”

The only shot he registered against the Stars was the one that beat Ben Bishop early in the third period — a nifty play where Nylander found a patch of open real estate at the edge of the crease and kicked the puck up to his stick.

However, that doesn’t tell the entire story of his night.

He led the Leafs in offensive zone possession time, according to Sportlogiq, which shows that he was putting his knack for transporting the puck to good use. Opponents have to respect the cross-ice pass as well as the shot when Nylander is carrying it.

“He’s got both really good attributes: He can see the ice really well and he’s got a really nice shot,” said Matthews. “I mean, a lot of his goals lately have just been coming from the net. He’s a really strong skater, he’s a strong guy.

“He’s not afraid to go to the net and obviously he’s been getting rewarded quite a bit.”

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This is why Leafs management was so insistent on keeping Nylander in the fold even while riding the highs and lows of a contract dispute with his 1173789 Websites Jeff Marek and Elliotte Friedman talk to a lot of people around the hockey world, and then they tell listeners all about what they’ve heard and what they think about it.

Sportsnet.ca / Canucks begin difficult road trip with resilient win over It looked like the Canucks might have lost important checkers and Sharks penalty-killers Jay Beagle and Tyler Motte after Sharks’ star Erik Karlsson injured both in the second period.

Beagle blocked Karlsson’s shot with his hand or wrist a few minutes Iain MacIntyre | @imacSportsnet before the San Jose defenceman dangerously ran Motte’s head into the glass, using his elbow to finish a high check after it looked like the January 30, 2020, 2:21 AM Canuck might get around him. Karlsson was not penalized.

Beagle and Motte both went to the dressing room, but Beagle was able The Vancouver Canucks took their Home Show on the road Wednesday to return for the third period and helped set up Sutter’s goal that made it with an impressive 5-2 victory against the San Jose Sharks that started a 4-2. There was no immediate update from the Canucks on the difficult five-game road trip for the Pacific Division leaders. seriousness of Motte’s injury.

Winners of nine straight National Hockey League games in Vancouver, The timing of the injury is a little unsettling. the Canucks weren’t as sharp or territorially superior as they’ve been for It was this time last year, right as the Canucks moved into a playoff most of the last three weeks. But their poise, resilience, confidence and position just after the NHL All-Star Break, that a series of injuries crashed scoring depth in San Jose were enough to beat the Sharks. Goaltender their season. But the team has profoundly more going for it this year. Jacob Markstrom helped, too. Their playoff cushion also increased Wednesday to eight points, a After struggling to survive a second period played largely in their end, the season-high. Canucks simply took the game away from the Sharks in the third, scoring Demoted to the third line four games earlier, winger Brock Boeser got to four times to turn a 2-1 deficit into a three-goal victory. play a few shifts Wednesday back beside Pettersson and Miller. Boeser Tyler Myers’ screened point shot tied it for the Canucks 2:36 into the final also picked up an assist on Hughes’ goal to end a five-game pointless period before Jake Virtanen scored on a power play at 7:00 and Brandon streak that was the longest of his short career. Sutter swept in a loose puck 59 seconds later after a nice rush by J.T. Intuitively, it seems wrong that Green has moved Boeser away from Miller. Pettersson. Boeser is the team’s best natural goal-scorer, and Pettersson Markstrom, the all-star who hadn’t played since Jan. 16, stopped 38 of 40 the Canucks’ best forward and playmaker. When they were together with San Jose shots and kept the Canucks close when they were being Miller, Boeser was a point-per-game player and the line one of the most outshot 14-6 in the middle period. dominant territorially in the NHL this season.

It was the third win in the last four road games for Vancouver, which is As encouraging as third-line centre Adam Gaudette’s development has still a game below .500 away from Rogers Arena but 13-3 overall the last been, the second-year pro has 20 assists in 102 games before six weeks. Wednesday. He’s not getting the puck to Boeser.

As the Canucks prepare to fly across the continent for consecutive So, it’s easy to conclude Green made a mistake. afternoon games Saturday against the New York Islanders and Sunday Except, the Canucks have won all four games since the line switch and versus the Carolina Hurricanes, we offer a few not-so-deep thoughts on Virtanen, promoted to the top unit, has been outstanding. Including Wednesday’s win. power-play time, Virtanen has two goals and six points in the last four Home of the Canucks games. Miller and Pettersson aren’t suffering, either. They’ve combined for 11 points in the four games. Stream all 82 Canucks games this season with Sportsnet NOW. Get over 500 NHL games, blackout-free, including Hockey Night in Canada, all The objective is to win, and Green’s responsibility is to his team. For outdoor games, the All-Star Game, 2020 Stanley Cup Playoffs and more. now, the right wing on the first line is Virtanen’s spot to lose, and he has played like he wants to keep it. Boeser has to just keep working as hard On the first day of training camp in September, Virtanen boldly revealed as he did Wednesday. that he planned to score at least 20 goals this season. His prediction was kind of lost by bigger news that day that Virtanen was dropped by coach Travis Green to the minor-league grouping at training camp as Sportsnet.ca LOADED: 01.31.2020 punishment for narrowly missing off-season conditioning goals set by him and the team.

More than four months later, Virtanen is playing the best hockey of his career and on Wednesday scored his 15th goal in 51 games, matching the “career-” high the 23-year-old potted last season.

Six of his 15 goals have been game-winners, and since Virtanen has spent the last four-and-a-half games playing mostly with Miller and Elias Pettersson on the top line, there’s a good chance he’s going to score more than five times over the final 31 games.

He’ll probably never play well enough to justify his sixth-overall selection in the 2014 draft, but Virtanen is emerging as an impactful NHL player.

One game after his most embarrassing mistake of the season, rookie Canucks defenceman Quinn Hughes made another of those tight pivots with the pucks against the Sharks – this time in the offensive zone – to befuddle San Jose’s Timo Meier before skating it to the point and blasting Vancouver’s first goal past Martin Jones at 11:08 of the opening period.

Hughes was probably the guy least embarrassed by his turnover that led to the St. Louis Blues’ goal in the Canucks’ 3-1 home win on Monday. Stuff happens. The precocious 20-year-old has confidence to match his dazzling talent, which is why the Canucks are right to give him the freedom to make mistakes as he learns. And, man, is he learning quickly. 1173790 Websites

TSN.CA / Giordano and Brodie pairing continues to carry Calgary

Travis Yost

The Calgary Flames – 7-2-1 in their past 10 games – are surging in the standings. One of the biggest reasons Calgary has been able to shake off an early season lull is the play of their top pairing and one of the best blueline duos in the National Hockey League: Mark Giordano and T.J. Brodie.

The Giordano and Brodie pairing has been a mainstay for Calgary for a couple of seasons now, but it’s still so impressive to see how dominant they are as a unit and how complementary their skill sets remain.

It’s not as if they are two spring chickens coming into their own as professionals – Giordano is a 36-year- old in his 14th season at the NHL level, while the “younger” Brodie will turn 30 this summer.

Giordano was always going to age gracefully. He’s a half-step slower than he was in his prime, and every so often you catch him in a sequence with a unicorn like Oilers star Connor McDavid (like last night). But the core strengths of his game – hockey intelligence, the ability to seamlessly find transition passing lanes for forwards flying through the neutral zone and spatial awareness when it comes to off-puck defensive play – have remained intact and give opposition attackers fits on a nightly basis.

But every Batman needs a Robin, especially when Batman is starting to eye the 1,000-game mark. That’s where Brodie has been so instrumental in sustaining the quality of the pairing. Brodie remains an exceptional skater, is competent at tying up attackers at the blueline, and is capable with the puck on his stick.

Perhaps, above all else, it’s the combination of puck skills that make this pairing so dominant. Giordano and Brodie are both quality puck movers and handlers, so in many instances a shift against the duo means very few touches of the puck for the opposition.

We see that in the underlying numbers. The Giordano and Brodie pairing has been outstanding for some time now and it is again true in the 2019- 20 season:

The Giordano and Brodie pairing tends to play quite a bit with Calgary’s better forwards, unsurprisingly – the most common forwards intermixed with Calgary’s top pairing includes Elias Lindholm, Johnny Gaudreau, Matthew Tkachuk and Sean Monahan.

The Flames have been quite good this season when their top players are on the ice. The difference from last year’s 107-point season to this year’s 94-point pace is that the team is dreadful when the Giordano and Brodie pairing is off the ice, particularly at 5-on-5. (Special teams play, for what it is worth, is right around league average for both the power play and penalty kill – very much in line with what we saw a season ago.)

From a personnel standpoint, it does pose an interesting question to the Calgary front office as the trade deadline approaches. They know their top pairing is one they can lean on for 25 minutes a night. But can the same be said for Noah Hanifin, Oliver Kylington, Rasmus Andersson and Travis Hamonic? All four players carry some form of pedigree, but their goal differentials have been ghastly this season.

Do you stay the course and hope that the rest of the group – certainly younger with more potential, but struggling to varying degrees in the 2019-20 season – figures it out during the stretch run? Or do you apportion more of the problems to the third and fourth lines, which have similarly struggled, except in those fleeting minutes they get to play with the top pair?

Regardless, these are fascinating times in Calgary. The team has an incredibly reliable top pairing that gives them puck dominance and favourable goal differentials in the ice time they chew up. But the rest of the team hasn’t offered nearly as much, and that’s why Calgary’s fate is still an unknown as we enter the stretch run of the regular season.

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